Reviewed by Risa Nichols on
Book 3 in The Rebels series picks up right where book 2 left off. Blake’s dad is in the hospital after suffering a heart attack, Blake is reeling over Colt’s suggestion that she date all three men and the implications of said relationship(s), not to mention the personal/professional complications. Blake is definitely in a tough spot and I certainly do not envy her position. On the one hand, she’s worked her entire life to get to where she is professionally; she’s done her damnedest to be taken seriously in a world dominated by men and she finally feels like she’s doing what she’s been working so hard for. And then there’s Tristan, Colt, and Xavier … These men have shown her the true meaning of love and friendship and her heart is telling her she can’t let go.
Let me just say … the sexy times in this book did NOT disappoint. Each man treated her differently and each one was just as steamy as the last. I was especially excited for Xavier and Blake’s one-on-one time because up until now, he’d been the most reserved and the least likely to agree to the unconventional relationship. But man, oh, man … once he agreed, he was all in and it was so sweet.
These guys are amazing. I love each of them for different reasons. Tristan is an alpha male, complete control freak, but also kind and gentle and treats Blake like she’s something to be cherished. He also has a love of cooking and has a dream of being the star of his own cooking show. Colt is the comedian of the group; he’s always making jokes and looking on the lighter side. Underneath his joking exterior, though, is a passionate and fiery spirit that makes quite the appearance in this book (sidenote: I LOVED PASSION-FUELED COLT). And then you have Xavier; the sweet, quiet, compassionate man with a huge heart and unrivaled loyalty. I truly felt like we got to know the real Xavier in this book. There was a whole new side to him that we hadn’t seen before.
As I’ve stated in my previous reviews, Blake is one of my favorite heroines that I’ve read. Ms. Clarke has created a character who is strong but not unapproachable; she’s feminine and soft, but she’s also capable of being a hard ass when necessary. She’s that perfect balance of hard and soft without being too much of either. While as a reader I did get a little frustrated with Blake regarding her insistence that they keep their relationship a secret, as a woman, I understood her reluctance. My heart broke for her–and the guys–as they attempted to navigate uncharted territory.
This is a must read for sports romance fans who are sick of the heroine having to choose just one guy. I know next to nothing about football, but thankfully, Julia was able to write a story about football that didn’t make my head spin, lol. I think this book wrapped up The Rebels’ story quite well, albeit with a few disappointments through a few family members disapproval of the relationship. It was inevitable that the nature of their relationship wouldn’t be accepted by everyone in their lives, but it was still sad nonetheless.
Anyway, I loved it and I couldn’t be happier with the ending. Everything came together the way it should’ve, and I appreciated how it was realistic. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies; they had to go through some serious trials before the ending of this book. And it wasn’t like they got together and that solved all their problems. It was extremely well-written and I appreciated the realism (as much as a fictional story about fictional characters can be realistic, that is).
If you haven’t started this series yet, you need to!!
Original review: Alated Bibliophile's review of Calling the Plays
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 15 July, 2019: Reviewed