ARC provided by the publisher for review
FUMBLED, Alexa Martin’s second novel, checks all the boxes in the Playbook:
Poppy Patterson is a single mom who’s making ends meet through waitressing at the Emerald Cabaret. Ten years ago, she found herself pregnant by her high school sweetheart, whose mama told Poppy in no uncertain terms was she going to ruin her son’s life with a kid. TK Moore went off to college thinking everything was 5×5. They’re brought back together when Poppy spills a tray of drinks of him in a slow motion train wreck that’ll have you yelling, “Noooooooooooooo!”
Going in, I didn’t realize FUMBLED was a second chance romance with a single mom and a surprise kid. It’s not usually a trope that’s my cup of tea. But once again, Alexa Martin has created a heroine I was rooting for the whole time. Poppy is a woman who’s raising her son and trying to do right by him, however she can. Even if playing football is in his blood. I loved that the girl gang in Fumbled is a supportive network of women with big personalities. And even as Poppy and TK’s lives intertwine, there’s no cattiness from those ladies.
While TK is sex-on-a-stick, he’s also pretty dense at certain points. As a man, it’s convenient to not question why the girl you were so in love with just disappeared. He went off and had a college career and is now playing pro. To have let 10 years go by without asking questions, I mean, c’mon dude. What, you want a cookie for crumbs?! Eventually, he’s redeemed and wants to make up for lost time with both Poppy and her son.
FUMBLED is a solid follow on to Intercepted (review). The single mom, second chance angle will appeal to a wide range of readers, regardless of whether or not you think sports romance is your thing. I remain eyerolly about those who have said in effect, “Oh, you’re not a parent, you really wouldn’t get it” about this book. You don’t have to be a parent to be against having loved ones take repeated hits to head in the name of a paycheck and a business that sees players as a commodity, not humans. Martin takes a strong stance on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and it’s a huge part of the draw in FUMBLED. All I can say is, bravo!
4 stars
Get FUMBLED at The Ripped Bodice | Amazon
Read my earlier review of Intercepted by Alexa Martin.
