Fumbled (Playbook, #2)

by Alexa Martin

[Sam@WLABB]

As far as the other was concerned, Poppy was the one that got away, and TK was the one who left, but ten years after the demise of their relationship, TK and Poppy crossed paths, and uncover the truth behind their breakup.

I really enjoyed Martin's debut, Intercepted, and it there, that I first had the pleasure of meeting TK. He was portrayed as this easy going party boy, but I knew there had to be more to him, and I was eager to get his story. I am thrilled to say, that this installment of the Playbook series was even better than the last.

Those who know me are well aware of my undying affection for second chance romances. I love the history and the idea of being able to repair something that was broken. Well, let me tell you, this second chance romance was one I really wanted to succeed. TK and Poppy were high school sweethearts, who parted ways, but they never really face-to-face ended things, and it seemed that both never really knew the whole truth of why their relationship had ended. That whole setup just made this romance more delectable for me.

Then there was Poppy. She was the type of heroine I automatically love and root for. She was single mom, doing what she needed to do in order to support her son, Ace. I admired that she had recovered from some major setbacks, and kept moving forward. She rose to the occasion, and grew to be an incredible mother. She struggled financially, and kept herself emotionally closed off, but she never shirked her responsibilities as a mom, and always made sure her son had a safe and loving home.

When TK and Poppy encountered each other after so many years, the sparks flew. I immediately knew there was a lot more to their story, because they seemed to still harbor some strong feelings for one another. This second chance had a bunch of ups and downs, but it was fabulous seeing TK take on a parenting role and Poppy opening her heart.

The thing that sets Martin's books apart from other sports romances is the insider's point of view she brings to the story. In this book, we get a look at training camp and learn a bit about how it affected the players families, in addition to getting front row seats to each game. Martin also incorporated the issue of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) into the story. I appreciated that she took on the topic, and she managed to seamlessly work it into this romance.

You know what else Martin does well? She writes fabulous female friendships. Poppy may have been a single mom, but she had a lot of support from her friend, Sadie, who was, as Poppy put it, "my own little rainbow". As TK and Poppy's worlds began to blend, Sadie was joined by two Mustang wives, Vonnie and Charli, and Brynn, the owner of Her's to form Poppy's official squad, and I adored them. They went out of their way for each other, backed each other up, and were dedicated and faithful friends, who anyone would want as their own.

This was a great second chance romance, and I was extremely invested in the outcome for these two. Martin gifted me with a fantastic ending, and if I am guessing the next coupling correctly from the epilogue, we are in for a treat.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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