Shot Taker

King of the Court #2

by Piper Lawson

He leads the league in scoring. My heart won’t give him another shot.

I vowed I’d never return to Denver. But a life-changing opportunity puts me back in the same place as the grumpy athlete who broke my heart.

Clayton Wade rules the basketball stadium, and now he’s gunning for redemption. But I'm not the same girl who fell for the man behind the all-star image.

He made me want him like I’ve never wanted anyone. More than that, he made me believe in forever.

Until he ripped it all away.

I won't risk my heart again. Not even when a single dirty look can make me ache, and a kind word in his gruff voice makes my chest tight.

Except Clay isn’t ready to let me go. He’s determined to win me back, and his persistence is starting to wear down my defenses.

If I can’t trust him, I’m setting myself up for another heartbreak.

But he’ll do anything to prove we’re worth another shot.

Shot Taker is a full-length grumpy sunshine sports romance and book 2 in the King of the Court series. Clay and Nova’s story begins in Game Changer and concludes in Play Maker.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Audiobook, Second Chance, Basketball, Contemporary Romance

302 pages, ebook

First published June 27, 2023

About the author

Piper Lawson is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of smart, steamy romance! She writes about women who follow their dreams (even the scary ones), best friends who know your dirty secrets (and love you anyway), and complex heroes you’ll fall hard for (especially after talking with them). Brains or brawn? She’ll never make you choose. Piper lives in Canada with her tall, dark and brilliant husband. She believes peanut butter is a protein, rose gold is a neutral, and love is ALWAYS the answer.

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Books by Piper Lawson:

DENVER KODIAKS SERIES

Hard to Fake
Hard to Take
Hard to Break
Rookie Season

KING OF THE COURT SERIES

Game Changer
Shot Taker
Play Maker
Game Day

WICKED SERIES

Good Girl
Bad Girl
Wicked Girl
Forever Wicked

RIVALS SERIES

A Love Song for Liars
A Love Song for Rebels
A Love Song for Dreamers
A Love Song for Always

ENEMIES SERIES

Beautiful Enemy
Beautiful Sins
Beautiful Ruin
Beautiful Salvation

OFF-LIMITS SERIES

Crave
Collide
Claim
Tempt

TRAVESTY SERIES

Schooled
Stripped
Sealed
Styled
Satisfaction

PLAY SERIES

PLAY
NSFW
RISE

MODERN ROMANCE SERIES

Easy Love
Bad Love
Twisted Love

Reviews

[glavreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh my godddd, the cliffy.

4.25 stars - i need book 3 immediately.

this is book 2 in a trilogy following clay and nova. clay put in some good groveling to win his girl back and his gestures were A++++. but now i need resolution!!!

[sage ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

ms. lawson, im pretty sure you could fit the 3rd book in here 😭

[Jess - Reader of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You think if you missed your chance to do something, you get another shot?”
“Only if you’re smarter the second time around.”

Clay. Nova. You are an addiction I never want to kick. I savored every moment of this second chance you guys had to make things right. And don’t even get me started on the supporting cast because they all feel like family. Not you Harlan 👀🤷🏻‍♀️

I wish I could see the mural. I wish I could make it my computer background. I wish I could hug them all.

I know I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again. This is the series that made me love contemporary romance duets & trilogies. I was so team (interconnected) standalones that I never saw myself reading anything but… now look at me, already counting the days until August 🥹🖤

What’s inside:
🖤sports romance 🏀
🖤second chance
🖤grumpy x sunshine
🖤age gap
🖤found family

Adult. 5 stars ⭐️

[Mary Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back again with another basketball romance … who is she?!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

There’s just something about Piper Lawson’s writing that just sucks you in. I started this book last night & was over halfway through it within a few hours. Her writing is easy to read and the storylines are just fun and enjoyable!

Shot Taker is book 2 in the Kings of the Court series and it picks up right where we left off in Game Changer. KotC is a steamy basketball romance series about Nova and Clay,a grumpy x sunshine duo that brings the heat & and the heartbreak.

After ending things with Clay in Game Changer, Nova finds herself back in the world of basketball, having been given the opportunity of a lifetime. She’s in Denver, home of the Kodiaks (aka Clay’s basketball team) but she’s a new woman this time around. She’s not going to put up with even risking the chance of a broken heart again.

Only problem?

Clay is DETERMINED to win her back.

🏀

As I said at the beginning, Piper’s books suck you in & they’re impossible to put down. Shot Taker was no different!

I loved seeing Clay really put himself out there for Nova in this one. I felt like we got to see a new side of him and how much he cares for her. I also loved all of the banter between him and his teammates. It’s always one of my fave parts of sports romances and this one has the perfect amount.

I’m so excited to see what happens next 👀 I love a good bit of drama 😉

Thank you Piper & Valentine PR for this eARC in exchange for my honest review <3

🏀

Shot Taker is available Tuesday, June 27th!

Book 1, is OUT NOW!

Book 3, Play Maker, will be out August 29!

🏀

Pre-order your copy today!
Amazon: https://bit.ly/43YQJgH 
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/3LrTNen
Nook: https://bit.ly/3Lq7qug
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3oCXqVL
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3LnszV1

[Olga &#x1f33a; · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

At the begining of the book I am still confused about why Clay handled the situation that badly. 🤔

I am still bewildered why H f*cking arlan is adamant on coming between these two and getting rid of her. 😤

I am at a cross as to why Nova hasn't demanded explanation and was actually debating giving him a second chance. 😒

After that bunch of questionable hurdles👆, I have to admit that Clay's groveling is everything. He knew he made a cataclysmic mistake and he's willing to put all his winning cards on the table to win her back and it was delicious to see. 🤌
The flowers, the notes, the dinners, his eyes seeking her out wherever she is, making sure she is taken care of if he's not there... Oh Clay you cute you.... 😍😍😍

Having had us anticipating their first time together, I was a bit disappointed. 😔
I expected sparks to reach outer space. I mean it was hot and that mouth on Clay is 🥵🤌 but I was left with the thought "that's it?".
Piper Lawson uses hook line and sinker in the form of foreplay in the entirety of the first book only for us to end up with that one scene in Book 2. Woman! That sh*t hurts...

Buutttt again witnessing Nova bloom like a beautiful delicate flower, trusting in her talent, depending on herself, making friends and still be the cheerful optimistic person that she is despite everything, was so worth it! 🥰🩷

I also loved the role Brooke plays in Nova's life, her endless support has been detrimental in Nova refinding herself. As long as she remains a side character, I don't think she has the adequate material to be an MFC.

P.S: I still hate her sister.

Aaaaand of course, end of Book 2, another mic drop, another cliffhanger and now I can't wait to get my hands on Book 3.

Also can I just say the way he tells her that he loves her is just PERFECTION!!

Another lovely BR with CB and Lori...

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have been a three star if I could get past the two major plot changes from the first book and this one.

Clay’s knee. Somehow, it magically got better and never has any issues or tweaks in this book? That was a major concern in the first book. It was brought up almost every chapter he was in pov, but this one it was mentioned once and that it wasn’t bothering him. There was only a few weeks time between the first and second book.

Mari eating cheese. I get that her eating cheese doesn’t seem big, but the fact that she got violently ill at her bachelorette party because the cupcakes had butter in them and then she went off on Nova. This caused a rift between the sisters in the first book. But now she’s eating cheese like it’s no big deal and when Nova brought it up it was just “I’ve been craving it” and no I’m sorry for how I reacted to the buttercream cupcakes you got me for the bachelorette party.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

✅ healthy steps to take when your boyfriend breaks up with you in a letter saying your relationship meant nothing to him and completely ghosts you:

✅ block his number, take a walk, reconnect with your therapist, date his worst enemy, start rumors about him on reddit, set his car on fire, frame him for a crime, etc.

❌ what NOT to do in that situation:

❌ move to the city he now lives in, get a job where he works, move into the same building that he lives in, let him touch you without your consent, or give him another chance 🤮

UGH stupid characters, awful plot, toxic men BYEEEE

[Travelogged Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fuck, this girl is good for my soul. She keeps my ego in check, at least a little bit, and I love seeing the world through her eyes. I want her to soften my edges while I rough up hers."

I've been so excited to read this book ever since I finished book one and it was even better. Nova was pretty much still the same but this time she was more determined, confident and stood up for herself. Clay somehow softened up and I loved seeing that side of him where he knew he messed up and wanted to correct his wrongs. The longing he felt for Nova despite her being so close to his reach was beautifully written. The side characters were pretty great too (but I still don't like Mari & Harlan because I'm petty like that lol), I am eager to get to know more about Brooke & Miles though. This book again ends at a cliffhanger and this time, I feel like I am running out of patience so I just want to read the next book asap! I cant get enough of Clay & Nova together and I hope they get their much deserved HEA in the final book!

I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review

[amari · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

ANOTHER CLIFF HANGER MY LORD. I feel like this could all be in one book. Who knows ready to see what’s next.

Favorite Quote:
“How many walls?”

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧🎧

PERFORMANCE REVIEW & RATING: 4.5 STARS

Well, my love for all things Lance Greenfield is still growing strong! Carly and Lance make a really good team as Clay & Nova, and I can’t wait for the next installment in this trilogy (but not really because there’s a book 4 lol).

STORY REVIEW & RATING: 4 STARS

I’ve always found Piper Lawson’s style of writing to be easy to get lost in. She has a way of pulling you into her stories and making you want to be a part of the plot. This story is no different and I especially want to be friends with Clay! I mean his comeback from the stupidity he pulled was a thing a beauty and it really showcased how good Piper is with character growth. Nova also did a whole lot of growing in this segment and it all just made me happy from the inside out!

I went into this trilogy already loving the ”world” it was loosely connected to, and I still love it, maybe even more :)

Now, for the not so perfect part … I just have a couple of things that I couldn’t not mention.

✔️ In all honesty, as much as I liked the storyline in this installment, it was completely unnecessary to make it its own complete installment. You run a huge risk if this happens because you might turn off readers from reading forward and it’s just not necessary, not for the events that transpired.
✔️ There are a few plot discrepancies between the first book and the second that are very minute, but they happened and UGH, WHY? Lol
✔️ Nova & Clay are surrounded by people some seriously wacked out people. That’s it. That’s the statement LOLOL

Looking forward to seeing how this storyline progresses in Play Maker and hoping against hope we are done with the break-up/make-up madness!! We shall see :)

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW

Rating: 4.5/5
POV: 1st; Dual
Tropes: Sports - Pro Basketball; Artist FMC; Second Chance; Found Family
Heat Level: 3/5
Kinks: N/A

Likes:
* I felt like in this book we get a bit more from Clay which really helped me "root" for him.
* I liked how Nova's art work continued into this book and even on a larger scale
* Most good spice!

Dislikes:
* It was maybe a little too angsty when it didn't really need to be. But that's more of a personal complaint and I'm sure a lot of people would disagree with that sentiment.

Conclusion:
Well written second chance for Clay and Nova. This won't be a long review as it of course isn't the conclusion to their story as there is a book 3. This one was a bit angsty in areas it didn't feel like it needed to be but the heart warming moments made up for that. I didn't lose interest in Clay and Nova at all in this book and I'm picking up the 3rd book immediately!

Again - thanks for reading this series with me ladies, Lori and Olga, and sorry for speed reading hahah.

4.5/5

[✨Dashik✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nova and Clay were so sweet😻

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are in your sports romance era, Shot Taker by Piper Lawson is a must read for you. Clay and Nova will take you on a heartaching journey. It hurt so good. The push and pull and angst of second chance romance. The sweetness and spice of grumpy-sunshine romance. Piper Lawson won't let your heart rest and then it will explode at the last page..and I cannot wait to read the final instalment.

This is book two of a trilogy and must be read in order. Kodiak's all star player Clayton Wade had to push away he woman who managed to get under his skin..because basketball is his only focus. But now Nova is back in the city to do a mural in their stadium and the longing is crippling. Will Nova give him a second chance? Or will everything fall apart at the last stage?

I was left purely brokenhearted for Nova and Clay at the end of first book. And I prayed that Clay will do his best to grovel and get back Nova. And he exceeded my expectation. He is so deliciously grumpy and he makes me swoon when he exposes his soft side. He is through and through alpha yet for Nova, he will go down without second thought. Our girl didn't make it easy for him. She is full of unconditional love, she has an adorable sunshine personality and she wins me every time with her sass and wit. But her sweet soul has been wounded so many times that she is scared to open her heart again. Clay is difficult is ignore. With his charm, his intensity, his bossy possessiveness, his caring gestures, his vulnerability. But Nova had to protect her heart too. Clay broke down her walls slowly. He was relentless. Their connection is magical and all consuming. The spice is on point here. But things will go wrong. Clay isn't just Nova's soulmate. He is a star. And they will become a pawn in the games of sports world. Clay has finally realized Nova is so much more important than his career and he has just convinced Nova to create their next path together. But the twist comes and my jaw dropped to the floor.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Heather Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A continuation of Nova & Clay's romance. I loved every minute of it!

Nova and Clay's romance picks up right after the first book in this trilogy and it was a pull on your heartstrings journey! I really loved how Clay realized he needed to work on himself if he wanted to not miss out on love. Especially with Nova. I enjoyed seeing Nova begin to advocate for herself as well.

I loved the spice, the banter, and the friendships portrayed in this second installment in the King of the Court trilogy.

I can't wait to get more in the third book! 🥰

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shot Take is the second book in the King of the Court series, and once again follows Clay and Nova. I am pretty much done with this series and will not continue on. This entire book is spent making up and breaking up over and over. I don't think that the story justifies needing a whole other book. I usually don't mind when I like the side characters but even that's not enough to continue on.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Like why is this a trilogy… it’s so long and they are not interesting enough for it to be this long. Like I doubt I’ll even pick up #3.

[Kelsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shot Taker?! More like Heart Breaker!! I can’t believe that Lawson left me on another devastating cliffhanger… I mean I even knew it was coming this time!! I knew there was a third book and that this was coming… and yet I’m still sitting here in a puddle of emotions!!! Just as things were finally falling into place!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book was the exact right way to write a sequel!! If you’ve read book one then you absolutely understand how anxious I was to tear into this book as I needed answers ASAP!!! And let me tell you I wasn’t disappointed! In Shot Taker there was, conflict, drama, romance, found family, banter that kept me laughing, and a ending that left me DEVASTATED AND IN DESPERATE NEED FOR BOOK 3!!!

I mean this book literally picks up immediately after the ending of Game Changer, so there’s no gap or scrambling to try and figure out what’s going on!! In this book we see our characters step outside of some of the family/fame drama and step into an even more relatable drama of what do I do now? An issue I think everyone who reads this will be able to relate to. Maybe not their exact scenario, but the feeling of… dang I’m the adult in my life now and it’s up to me to decide on my own which path I’m going to chose to take next!! And honestly Piper Lawson wrote these characters so well that it was like reading the rest of the story of two of my closest friends!! I just loved the way the struggles were handled, the way the relationships were handled where they were romantic, friendly, or family struggles. Everything was just so relatable, but I won’t elaborate to much more though as I want to avoid spoilers!!

Once again our favorite pink haired artist is back and more than ready to take on the world! And when shes given an offer she can’t refuse or well and offer her BFF refuses to let her refuses she finds herself back in the same town as the man who crushed her heart once before, she’s prepared this time though… at least she thought she was! I must say I loved Nova in book one, in book two though she really solidified her place as one of my fave characters ever!! I loved her tenacity and fire!! I loved that while she’s been stampeded over on more than one occasion she didn’t let it make her cold, it made her wiser and a little less trusting with her heart, but she still cared and loved freely, and her growth in this book was just amazing to watch and had me rooting for her from page one!! And of course we can’t forget good ole Clay! I just adored him in this book, and again his growth was simply stunning!! I loved seeing the changes he made in his life whether they be for his teammates, himself, or Nova. Changes that he was able to make without losing the what made Clay himself and so lovable to us as readers! And honestly their growth is what I think made the cliffhanger ending of this book so devastating!!

Honestly this series is for anyone looking for a grumpy/sunshine, sports romance, that also includes finding your tribe as well as finding yourself!! I highly recommend you read this series ASAP as you will not be disappointed!!


HAPPY READING 📖

[Trace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shot Taker is the second book in this series. OMG, this one is sexier then the first one and that's saying something. Agree with the other reviewers.. you are killing us with the cliffhanger.
Nova moves back to Denver to paint a mural for the team. She encounters Clay on a daily basic.
At one point while she is paint they finally talk about what happened and he realizes how much he hurt her. He helps her paint the high parts of the mural and he asks her how many walls do I have to paint....her reply is Too many. My heart ached at that one.
They spend time together and finally make love and become a couple because Clay does everthing he can to prove that he screwed up and does have feelings for her.
Just when she admits she is in love with him she finds out about the deal Clay and Harlan made. She gets even more pissed off. They make up but takes a while. Clay changes his mind about being traded so he can stay in Denver but mostly because of Nova.
Book ends with you big surprises.. loved one and hated the other. Loved the guest appearace of Little Queen in one of Harrison's night clubs.
Another amazing story from Piper.

[Jamie Engel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this second installment in Nova and Clay's story. I absolutely love this couple!!! This was a quick and easy read, I read this in one sitting. I could not put it down.

I absolutely loved all of it. Now it does end in a cliffhanger and I hate having to wait until August for book 3 but this series is so worth it! Piper Lawson has roped me in again! I cannot wait to see how the story ends!

Overall: 4.75
Spice: 3

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s only so much breaking up and groveling that can be done before it gets repetitive and since it seems like book 3 will be more of the same, I’m done.

[Alisha]

why is one romance storyline FOUR BOOKS LONG? this could’ve been an email.

[Maddie (Bookaholic_Dreamer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Shot Taker is the second instalment from King of the Court trilogy series by Piper Lawson.
It has us delving right back into Nova and Clay’s story with no time having past, after being left hanging on the cliffhanger in book one Game Changer.

With Nova moving back to Denver the place where not only was her heart broken, but just so happens to be where Clay, said man who caused her broken heart lives and works.
It ended up leading to a whirlwind adventure, particularly when you took into account that given Nova's new job, it meant she and Clay would be in forced proximity, since her job has her in the same building as him causing her to be tested to her limits. Which is when the story really begins.

Once again Piper truly delivered in the continuation of Nova and Clay’s story.
Despite the many side plots going on, consisting of the mural Nova is painting, her relationship with her sister and friends, as well as work relations.
Or Clay, when it came to his relation with his teammates, his basketball career that included his deal with Harlan when it comes to his future.
Which in turn led to entertainment from the banter and laughter, drama due to the conflict within family ties and romance. And steam from the moments of sexy time, resulting a plethora of emotions and feelings to be explored on top of the angsty-ness.
Ultimately allowing for yet another fulfilling storyline.
One that just to be clear never strayed from the main plot, which was Clay and Nova and the possible rebuilding of their relationship, considering how Clay left her hanging, meaning there was a lot of work to be done for them to get onto the same path together.

The spotlight that was focused on the two yet again gave me all the feels. And not just because of seeing them go through highs and lows, with the push and pull and back and forth, which is where a lot of the emotions came into play, on top of the angst.
But because of the way Piper showed how much Clay put into trying to win Nova back. Proving there was definitely more to him than meets the eye.

Honestly it was sweet, cute and romantic too, mainly because Piper showcased a whole other side to Clay through the telling of his POV chapters. Presenting everything of him from deep within on a silver platter, ready to unwrapped and explored.
Not only opening him up on a deeper and further level. But exposing it all from the unwinding of his character's layers, due to the changes that had him committing to Nora to prove he was worthy of a second chance.
Making it no surprise that you could feel yourself falling down harder and faster for Clay.

As for Nova, she deserved a round of applause for being so strong, brave and smart. Not just because of the initiative she was taking when it came to her job and life.
Mostly because of how she held her own when it came to Clay, despite how she still felt for him.
The fact that she didn’t give in or up so easily, making Clay work for it proved her strength and will. Given her determination to not go down without a fight.
She really was a tough character when need it be, however that didn’t mean she didn’t have her moments of cracking from all that she was feeling, seeing as all that was going on in her life that had us vulnerable and in moments of weakness.

That ending, guess it's safe to say surprisingly it caught me off guard having not had an inkling that it would go in the direction it did.
Yet again Piper Lawson left us hanging on a cliffhanger with Shot Taker.
Which is why it should go without saying the final book in King of the Court trilogy series; Play Maker could not come fast enough.



*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Eleanor Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grumpy baller and his little Pyro, is an adorable hilarious audiobook with drama, angst and spice that will keep you engage for sure in SHOT TAKER book 2 of 4.


🎧📖AUDIOBOOK 📖🎧
SHOT TAKER (KING OF THE COURT Book2 )
By :Piper Lawson

NARRATED BY :
Lance Greenfield and Carly Robins
These two are at it again in book two and I’m loving it .. they are honestly engaging in this story and Carly Ribins and Lance Greenfield delivered a very good story that have all my emotions engaged!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Ohhh fantastic story given it’s the second book.

4🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️The characters were definitely on fire in this one, the angst was angsty and the spice was spicing with BDE !

10🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️Listen if it’s Carly Robins im all in listening and with Lance Greenfield I’m all the way in and hooked!
I AM SO IN .

💜*💛*🏀

This is book two as Clay tries to make up and take his shot at second chance with Nova..
Clay is no Quitter so he’s definitely forgoing the warning that Harland had him making re his decision about Nova.. Clay is a Shot Taker and he’s definitely going for Nova with all he’s got.
💜*🎨*💜
But Nova isn’t going to make it easy for Clay although she finds that despite setting his jersey on fire she isn’t over him yet.

But all their efforts for making things work with a second chance is met with resistance in the name of Harland.. Nova sister’s husband the General manger of Clay team.
As they send steamy banter filled text to stolen moments Clay is getting tired of hiding but then the unimaginable shot happens that set their path for their future.
And that’s the first of many.
💛💜🏀💜💛
Lance Greenfield and Carly Robins delivers one steamy hilarious but a bit emotional performance especially towards the end of this audiobook, just when I thought everything was going well..
Piper Lawson had to make me feral for the next installment in this series.
THE PLAY MAKER !

Why you will love this Audiobook📖🎧
💜SECOND CHANCE
🏀GRUMPY Baller MMC
💛SUNSHINE FMC
🎨ARTIST
💜BASKETBALL ATHLETE
🏀ROM COM
💛CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
🎨BDE
💜CLIFFHANGER
💛STEAMY!
🏀🎨🏀
Shot Taker is a full-length grumpy sunshine sports romance and book 2 in the King of the Court series. Clay and Nova’s story begins in Game Changer and concludes in Play Maker.

Play maker is up next and I cannot wait!


Special thanks to Valentine _pr for this awesome series that I’m enjoying and thank you all for reading my ratings and review.

Be sure to add to your TBL and don’t forget that it’s not a standalone.

Hope to catch you on the next one soon my audiobook friend 💋
ONE LOVE 💕
@Georgious_eleanorpb🦋

[Emily Kurosawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I burned your jersey.”
“You…”
He shakes his head, eyes closing for a moment.
“F*ck it, I’ll get you another.”


One of my anticipated reads of 2023! I simply can't get enough of Clay and Nova! Every time I read Piper's stories, her writing captivates me, and I instantly get pulled into her work. I love seeing familiar characters making a cameo appearance in my reads, once again, Piper does an outstanding job in execution.

The story immediately picks up from where it left off in book #1, "Game Changer". Nursing her broken heart, Nova is back in Denver. Still trying to get her life back on track, Nova wants nothing to do with Clay, however, it's difficult when you are in close vicinity.  Clay regrets the way he handled things; how he ended his relationship with Nova. Basketball has been Clay's only purpose and dream, but now, there's something or more like someone more important he wants: Nova. And Clay will do anything for Nova to forgive him.

He might be a grump, but Clay is always looking out for Nova's best interests. Clay believes in Nova when no one else did, boosting her confidence when Nova doubted herself, and Clay wants Nova to see her own worth and talent.

Clay is a great basketball player, yet he is not really a "team player" I mean, Clay mainly focuses on his goals and himself, or should I say it used to be? Towards the end of this book, you'll see Clay becoming more a part of the team, helping and inspiring his teammates.


Piper, Piper! Your cliffhangers should be illegal! I don't think I can handle another breakup 😭 Nevertheless, I'm excited to read the final instalment of this great series.

**I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review

- Grumpy/sunshine
- Age gap
- Found family
- Basketball 🏀
- Close proximity
- Second chance

[Mandy Sickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a eBook copy of Shot Taker in return for an honest review from Valentine PR.

Nova has been given the chance to return to Denver work on her relationship with her sister and pursue her own career as an artist. What could possibly going wrong painting a massive mural in the stadium of the man who just told her only weeks before that their relationship meant nothing. When she's back in the line of sight will they both be able to keep it professional or will the intense connection force them to admit feelings?

I love Nova she's just this sweetheart with her pink hair who fallows her heart and I just adore her. I admit that I've had moments where I want to stab Clay but he keeps redeeming himself. I spent the whole book cheering them on as they figure out how to make it work. I hope there connection and love for each other is strong enough to withstand what's coming.

I've been dying to get my hands on this one and had hoped to savor it a bit as the final installment is just around the corner. I found myself completely lost in Nova and Clays story that I devoured it in one afternoon. Piper Lawson has done it again creating another beautiful story that captures the heart as well as the imagination. I loved the first book but this one blew it out of the water and she ripped my heart out with a cliffhanger. The author has done an amazing job balancing the story with the spicy scenes it's a perfect mix and it just enhances the story.

I love all the supporting characters we've gotten to know in the series so far and hope to see maybe their stories. I really felt like I could connect with Nova and Clay they just feel so real not the ego basketball player I expected. I truly enjoyed every moment of reading Shot Taker it's my first basketball romance and now I'm addicted to them. Highly recommend if you are a fan of basketball romance with second chances and a sweet love story.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

》ARC Review《

When I finished reading Game Changer all I need was more. All I wanted was this sequel Shot Taker. I was absolutely desperate to find out what would happen next, that cliff hanger from the first book left me reeling! That said, I don’t commonly read contemporary romances that aren’t standalone, so I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect. Can a contemporary love story become a fulfilling trilogy? We’ll find out when the third book is out, but what I can say for now is: the sequel lived up to expectations!

(Minor spoilers to follow!)

Something I was very much worried about was Nova giving into Clay too soon. While we know why he made the decision to break up with Nova in the first book, she doesn’t, and the way he did it was so hurtful, that well…I needed groveling. So when Nova gives in to Clay with his touch and kiss early on, I was initially dismayed. Until it became clear while she may give in physically, she hasn’t emotionally. She kept hr heart locked and when Clay himself realized that, the light bulb of the extent of damage his did finally went off. That was the wake up call. I fully expect there would be a lot of distance, physically and emotionally, from the pairing for quite some time, so I really appreciate the risk the author did in how it actually paid off.

If I had any set back it’s the back half of the book, it sort of plateaued for me. Furthermore, the cliffhanger didn’t hit as hard as in the first book. Nevertheless, you can absolutely count me in for the third and final book! Fingers crossed for a happy ending! Nova and Clay easily won over my heart and I'll root for them all the way through!

Thank you Valentine PR for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Trish- Late Knight Luna Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I was excited when this one hit my kindle. I have been anxiously waiting for the next installment in Nova and Clay’s story. “Shot Taker” is a fun, steamy and delicious second book in the trilogy.

Picking up where the last book left off, Nova is trying to move on after Clay broke her heart. She once vowed to never set foot in Denver but when she gets an opportunity that could help her career, she can’t say no. Clay still regrets how things went down with Nova. Clay is still doing great on the court but is determined to win Nova back.

I devoured this in one sitting because I’m obsessed with Nova and Clay. The tension and chemistry they have is so good and I was rooting for them to get back together the whole time. Nova is confident, smart and definitely made Clay work for it. It would be hard to say no to the millionaire basketball player at first but he needed to prove himself. And the steam was turned up on this one and I loved all of their stolen moments. And all of their grumpy/sunshine moments had me smiling, they’re just so great together. I’ll be counting down the days until the final book so we can get their HEA.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, when I began reading Game Changer, I thought this series was a series of interconnected standalones. But I was pleasently surprised when I found out the books are all the same storyline and MCs! You don’t find that a lot in romance series, so I’m loving it!

I LOVED Game Changer, as you can see in my review, so book 2 had a lot to live up to! But in usual Piper Lawson form, book 2 was just as good as book 1!! Each one ends on a HUGE cliffhanger though!! So right now I’m DYING for book 3!!!

I LOVE these MCs, Clay and Nova!! They are both so amazing in their own right, and together, they’re even better. They build each other up, encourage each other, believe in each other, and make each other better in ways no one else could.

And the audio? OMG the audio is AMAZING!!!! Lance Greenfield and Carly Robins really bring to life Clay and Nova, and I’m obsessed. I’m an audio NUT, and narrators really make or break a book, and these two are fabulous. I would highly recommend these books on audio!!!

Now onto book 3...I hope soon cause I’m DYING to find out how Clay and Nova get out of their situation this time!!!!

[Deborah Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piper Lawson brought her A-game! Shot Taker is a full-court press that takes you back to Denver, where Clay and Nova are once more thrust into one another's circle. I was hopeful that Clay would recognize Nova for the gem she is. Nova is courageous to stand up for herself, and I was so proud to see her stand her ground. I cried, laughed, raged, hoped, and fell in love as I followed Clay and Nova through this part of their journey. I can't wait to see what their future holds.

Clay is still pressing hard on the court for that championship win, and Nova has been hired to paint a larger-than-life mural on the stadium entrance wall where the Kodiaks play. They are forced to interact often due to team functions, whether they want to or not. Resentment burns brightly within Nova at Clay's treatment of her from their last go around. She tries to keep her heart hardened against the tall, tattooed basketball god, but he keeps getting around her defenses. His grumpy ways slowly thaw the ice wall surrounding her heart until she forgives him. Clay thought all he needed in his life was basketball to be happy, but he has learned that Nova makes him feel complete. Maybe, just maybe, he can convince her to give him a second chance to prove that he can change his ways and that she means the world to him.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shot Taker is a well written continuation of Game Changer. I enjoyed reading it as much as I did the first book. Even though my wish, that the complex relationship between Nova and her sister Mari wasn't explored deeper, neither with what happened to their parents. I'm still think both is important to whom Nova became as an adult. And I still can't get a grip on Harlan, he still feels weird to me and a kind of a black box.
So, my hopes are still up that this gets clarified during book three.

I loved Nova and Clay's character development in Shot Taker. Clay's groveling, trying to win Nova back, was like seeing another side he hid from all of us in book 1.
And again, also in book 2 I'm a big fan of the side characters. Their friendship, their banter are the cherry on the cake.

Piper Lawson again leaves us with a cliffy. But that was expected, seeing King of the Court is a trilogy. Can't wait to read the final installment of this story!