I loved everything about this book. It had its love story and a little bit of drama but not over the top which would drag on. But the love they have for each other was beyond amazing. The kind that makes you wish you had that kind of love well at least I do. I big kind of spice 🌶🌶 reader I would give it 4 out of 10. But when the scenes did have it was good. But the love story and the family and love the teammates showed I loved it.

Kyle and Madelyn were without a doubt made for each other! Fierce and protective and strong willed is a description id use for both of these incredible characters! Mads fights for herself, her son and the life she is creating! Working a job she may not love but doing it so she can’t escape a reality no one should ever have to experience! Kyle has been our play boy through this whole series, always making jokes and glued to his social media! But this boy loves his people and he is incredibly protective of them, one heck of a football player! And can I just add I’m a Washington girly (not by choice, I loathe this state lol) but it was so exciting to see the Seahawks (I do love them) be his home team! The way Kyle steps up even tho he is hurting is something we can all agree is what every woman wants in her corner! Seriously who doesn’t want a six-foot-seven pro football player standing behind us in hard situations! Read this book! But seriously read the series and enjoy each one of these amazing men and women that have been created! Can’t wait for Braden’s book!

I love that Mads and Kyle got their second chance! I also love they communicated rather quickly (despite it being 50% in) it didn’t feel like they waited until the end to realize it was due to meddling. However, I have to give it three stars mostly because of Maddie. THREE accidental pregnancies? Did she not learn any of the times what condoms or birth control were? I wanted to shake her because how? I also don’t like how she went from this super strong independent mom to barely working and letting Kyle take on everything from the start of their relationship financially. I read blindside and had issues with Giana as well. For some reason the FMC in this series just aren’t it.

I have always said that Blindside is my favorite Kandi Steiner book, but my god did this one just take that title for me. False Start is an absolute masterpiece. Will Kyle and Madelyn’s story absolutely wreck you emotionally? Without a doubt. But you’re also going to want to do anything to be able to thank Kandi once you’ve finished it. Kyle Robbins has been such a great side character throughout the entire Red Zone Rivals series. But Kyle Robbins as the main character? I will never recover. He is truly everything I wanted him to be and so much more. He is perfect for Madelyn (and Sebastian), and their journey to their HEA is unrivaled. Madelyn is such a strong female character, and I loved every piece of her. Her story felt very authentic and was handled with so much care. I loved Kyle and Madelyn’s history, and everything about the two of them just felt so perfect. I could absolutely rave about this book until the end of time, but at the end of the day, I just highly recommend everyone reads it. ⭐️: ♾️/5 🌶️: 3/5 What to expect: 🌸 second chance 🌸 single mom 🌸 sports/football romance 🌸 domestic @buse survivor 🌸 who hurt you? 🌸 he falls first and hard 🌸 fake dating 🌸 only one bed

This book was super cute and gave good context to why Kyle Robbins behaved the way he did in previous books. Family strife can have some significant impacts with how you interact with the world. Turns out, in the right circumstances, Kyle Robbins is a cupcake. It was interesting to see the similarities between Madelyn and Kyle’s mom. The major difference is Madelyn got out of her abusive relationship and was working towards a different life. I look forward to reading Braden’s story.

First things first: Spice/heat: 🌶🌶🌶/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶(3/5) Violence/gore: 2/5 Dual POV Male/Female Tropes: first love, second chance, cinnamon roll hero Interconnected Standalone Triggers: content warning at beginning of book for history of domestic violence, off page. Premise: The main female character is a single mother and real estate agent and is shocked to find out her latest client is her first high school love and current NFL rookie Kyle. She has an abusive ex husband and he wants to protect her so he offers a fake dating scheme to protect her from her ex. Sparks predictably fly. Thoughts: I have read all the books in this series, and this latest one is on the sweeter softer side. Which is odd considered it centers heavily on a woman who has been abused and bruised by someone and lives in fear. I'm not sure what to make of this story as it pretty much resolves the romance aspect by the 60% mark and the rest is kinda like a really long epilogue even though it's not quite an epilogue. I kept waiting for a shoe to drop since the relationship they had was without challenge for the most part. They communicated, they were decent humans, basically there wasn't a lot of drama between them, which was nice but also hard to trust as a reader of romance novels where 95% of them use miscommunication or misunderstandings, or something to drive the plot forward. Over all I enjoyed it. Its a nice and refreshing break from the darker romance novels I have beeb reading as of late, thinking of you Pepper Winters and your Ruby Tears (sheesh). Beyond that my only other comment is I was kinda taken aback that birth control wasn't discussed at all, despite multiple unplanned pregnancies... I just don't understand that level of recklessness. I understand being in the moment, but after already having two previous unplanned pregnancies, I cannot fathom the thought never even floating in their minds to use contraceptives or at least ask the status of birth control use. I would even understand if one of them thought about it and then reasoned that they were fine with any outcome, they wanted nothing between them, etc... but to not think about it AT ALL, was weird to me. This is written in first person POV so we are treated to their thoughts while hooking up. And neither thought of it at all. It legit caused me second hand stress. Just had to mention that. I don't get anyone well into their 20s or older in the year of our lord 2024, not thinking about protection or birth control at all, not even once. Especially someone who has already experienced multiple pregnancies. Especially when neither character is even sure the other one would be happy about a baby. Anyway, I look forward to seeing Braden get his happily ever after next with his cheerleader.