First Down Book Review

This sports romance series starts off with James and Beckett (Bex) who find love through a deal they made together. When Bex wants to get her ex to leave her alone, and James needs Bex to be his tutor in the writing class they take together, they make a deal: If James fake dates Bex to get her ex off her back, she will tutor him in their writing class. Instead of it being a deal, it takes a turn and both end up having feelings for each other.

I think what I loved most about the book was the way James treated Bex, even before he met her. During a party, Bex's ex talks some crap on her and James threatens him if he ever talks about any female the way he talked about Bex. I knew the moment James stood up for her that he was going to be one of my favorite book boyfriends so far this year (Aside from Ryat in The Ritual, of course)!

As if I wasn't loving his character enough, James then decides to say the best words that had me dying on the inside. "'Keep your hands over you head, pretty girl.'"... "'Your my princess, you're worth the whole world.'" Can we take a moment to appreciate that Grace Reilly was able to create a character that can be sweet in public, but be commanding in the bedroom and execute it flawlessly? Because that's exactly what she did.

If you couldn't tell, James is my faovirte character. He treats Bex like a princess, which is fitting since he calls her that throughout the book. Not only does he stand up for when it comes to Darryl, but he also buys her a new camera because her original one got ruined in a fire. He encourages her to pursue her dreams and not some promise she made to her mom, and did I mention that he treats her like the princess that she is?

Now onto better things (barely); the character development. Because both James and Bex had amazing devleopment throughout the story, although James more so than Bex. Although Bex's life choices are different by the end, they weren't necessarily because of her choice and more so her mother. James on the other hand basically threw his love for football away and chose Bex over it, but ultimately knew that it was his life and could learn to balance both. Another amazing development is Bex's mother Abby, who goes from being a shell of herself to seeking the help she needs to be a better mother to Bex.

I also loved the family dynamic in this story between all the Callahan siblings, especially since one of them is an adoptive brother (although you'd probably never know if it wasn't mentioned) . They have the holiday traditions, the sibling love that I wish I had with my own siblings, and a great relationship with their parents.

Now, onto things that I disliked about the book... which is honestly only one thing and it's the moment where James and Bex realize they are in more than just a fake relationship. I love that they ended up developing feelings for each other, but I didn't enjoy that they just went with the flow instead of talking about it. I would've liked to see some form of serious, or heated, conversation where they spoke of their feelings. But if I'm being honest, this was enough of a "dislike" for me to give this book less than five stars.

This is where the rating comes in; definitely a five star read. It hooks you, keeps you turning the page to read more and figure out what Darryl will keep doing. While spicy, it's also romantic. But romance aside, this is definitely a more mature read for anyone 18+. If you like romance, spice, and a worthy book boyfriend... this is the book for you. Can't wait to read the second book.

Happy reading, everyone!