I also didn’t like how there were so many loose ends with Luke. Like wtf did he even want? He dumped her? Why was he stalking her, what was his motivation to split them up? More insight on that situation would have been good. The conflict was not threaded throughout the plot enough. It would be non existent and then, bam, a chapter with one of the exes, and then they would go away and all would be well. The build of the conflict needed to start earlier and have a better build up. Because so much of the book was them in their happy phase, a lot of it read like we were just following along on their daily lives, little to no plot, character or relationship development. Like at what point does it get only a little exiting? All I’m asking for it a 0.5 effort. Chase loans her family money and he has to make it up for her. “You know, I’m pretty mad” bailey says as she smiles. NOT EVEN A THANK YOU. She never tried to get a job, she just kept drinking her vanilla latte and let chase pay for everything while using a victim coat every chance she could get. This is not what i look for or want to recognize in a female character. Like the bar for her was so low, everything made her sad and she needed to be taken care of etc etc. that’s usually something i would enjoy in a book, even prefer. So use your fantasy to imagine how tame it was handled in this book. God was it traumatizing to read. Anything traumatized this girl, willingly going into a sex store? Left a dent in her soul apparently. She was just so boring in the relationship. Nothing exciting ever. This book is hot, and definitely intended for mature audiences (yes, I know you’re probably not 18 and reading this, but I’m forewarning you), and I found myself swooning on multiple occasions because of the hero. W O W.

Lots of mention of bending her over and taking her but it was always so sweet. It was more the fact that he said it repeatedly and it just never happened. I felt set up for some explosive scenes and was just so sweet all the time. Fast forward to the first game after they have met. When the game is over Luke (Baileys DB ex) is seen with a new girl on his arm, Chase sees Bailey is obviously upset so he makes his way to rescue her and puts his arm around her and says “Ready James?” *Swoon* Before I know it, we’re having “study dates” and he's taking me out for a do-over birthday to replace the bad memories with good ones. Beneath his brash exterior, he’s protective and sweet, not to mention generous in every sense of the word. The only problem? We're caught in the midst of a bitter rivalry that extends far beyond the arena. My brother hates him, my friends don't approve, and I'm being forced to choose between my loyalties and my heart. And binge-read this book is what I did. Chase and Bailey were... there was so much to them between the kind-of enemies-to-lovers; fake dating-ish; he falls first (God how I love that!); he's a tough guy but protective over- and sweet to her; she's so smart and beautiful... but Avery made them also so unexpected. While reading and simultaneously recommending this book, I described the writing as "crisp" because it felt so refreshing! Beyond that, the twists and turns, the chemistry of the characters, the depth of story and lives, the unexpected as well as the expected... I am straight-up fumbling with my words right now because I can't properly articulate what this book did for me.

Avery Keelan

After being dumped on her 21st birthday, Bailey James rebounds right into the arms of her ex’s biggest competition… Chase becomes a consistent in Bailey’s life during the time she needs someone the most. As their bond turns to more, they are met with much resistance from those around them. Their connection is put to the test repeatedly, but is it strong enough to withstand all the drama thrown their way?

Celebrating her 21st with her boyfriend at a fancy restaurant should have been a happy occasion instead her boyfriend Luke thought it was the perfect opportunity to put their relationship on pause indefinitely yet again, it was crappy but Luke had never really seemed to care too deeply about Blairs feelings after cheating on her numerous times in the past she was caught up in the bubble and couldn't see how bad things were until that bubble popped. Offside is a steamy new adult college romance. It is book one of the Rules Of The Game series but can be listened to as a complete standalone. Following a string of scandals and substandard grades, Chase is on thin ice with his teammates and tyrannical coach. The last thing he needs is to have his focus and loyalty called into question by fraternizing with his team’s #1 competition, but a beautiful stranger who throws herself at him one night is too tempting to pass up...until she throws up on his shoes.Following a string of scandals and substandard grades, Chase is on thin ice with his teammates and tyrannical coach. The last thing he needs is to have his focus and loyalty called into question by fraternizing with his team’s #1 competition, but a beautiful stranger who throws herself at him one night is too tempting to pass up…until she throws up on his shoes.

Chase was the star of the book for me. He’s funny, filthy, protective and honestly hot af. Everything else just felt very drawn out yet not quite fully flushed out. I still enjoyed it because I really do like character driven novels focused on the couple, and I’m down to try the next book in the series when it comes out. They get together early, so early that I was truly concerned with where she would go with this because it was a big book. She could have taken out so much of them in their happy phase (especially since the break up is late and doesn’t last long) and focused more on developing the conflict.Following a string of scandals and substandard grades, Chase is on thin ice with his teammates and tyrannical coach. The last thing he needs is to have his focus and loyalty called into question by fraternizing with his team's #1 rival. But a beautiful stranger who throws herself at him one night is too tempting to pass up... Until she throws up on his shoes. After being dumped on her 21st birthday, Bailey James rebounds right into the arms of her ex’s biggest competition...