After the Snap

LA Wolves #6

by Cadence Keys

I finally get the nerve to tell my best friend I’m in love with him and he has the audacity to ask me to be his fake girlfriend.

Alayna

I’ve been secretly in love with my best friend, Dom, for years, but after his latest scandal, I can’t do it anymore. I can’t keep letting him take advantage of our friendship…or breaking my heart every time I have to watch him hook up with some model or actress or [insert any woman who’s not me here]. I’m done. But Dom’s stubborn, and when I try to end our friendship, he won’t hear it, until I confess the secret I’ve held onto for dear life.

Instead of responding like I expect him to, he has the nerve to try to convince me to be his fake girlfriend for a PR stunt to clean up his image.

Seriously?

Dominic

When I come over to my best friend’s house to convince her to be my fake girlfriend, the last thing I expect is for her to tell me she’s in love with me. I may act fast on the football field, but when it comes to my personal life, I’m a guy who needs time to process. But I know one thing with I can’t lose Laney. When I’m forced to face the feelings I’ve ignored for years, I start seeing all the ways I’ve let her down, and worse, made her feel like she’s not the most important person in my world.

I have six months to convince her to not give up on me.

Six months to show her I’m not going to keep letting her down anymore.

Six months to prove to her I love her as much as she loves me.

Because losing her would be cutting my own heart out, and that’s not an option. After the Snap is a steamy best friends to lovers standalone sports romance. It is book six in the LA Wolves Football series.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Football, Friends To Lovers, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fake Dating

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2024

About the author

Cadence Keys writes steamy contemporary sports romances about complex alpha males and the women who love them. She loves football, coffee, and watching Gilmore Girl marathons. She has been writing for almost a decade, but only recently got the gumption to really do something with her work. She looks forward to publishing many more novels, specifically her LA Wolves series.

You can also find more information about all future releases at www.cadencekeysauthor.com/

Reviews

[Paula (In & Out) · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are into reformed Manhos and 2nd chance tropes, then you will love it. For me personally, I’m over the Manho nonsense, hence for the 2 stars.


SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!

Plot:

Hero & heroine have been besties since HS and she has been secretly in love/pining for him since then, while he only ever saw her as his bestie and of course slept around with everything and anything.
She has mommy issues and he has daddy issues.
She has a nice stable corporate job, while he is a major NFL player.

Story opens with Hero having caused a major scandal that has his career in jeopardy when he was caught naked and about to have sex with a married woman. The husband walked in just in time to stop the penetration apparently. And so, his bosses have told him he must go into a fake relationship to clean up his reputation and this is where the doormat/loser heroine comes in as he only wants her for the job.

What I liked:

When the latest scandal occurred with Hero, heroine had enough. She made the decision to stop pining for him and to walk away from him because she couldn’t put her life & heart on hold any more so she told him the truth how she has been in love with him for years and had a front row seat to all his hook ups and had enough! She asked him to give her space and that she didn’t want to go into anything fake with him.

Clueless Hero in turn finally woke up by getting his head out of his ass and saw what he always had in front of him. Once he realized that he may lose her and that she has loved him all these years, he realizes how much he hurt her with all the other women he shoved in her face and sets out to become the man deserving of her.

I loved how they both knew each other so well that they could read each other’s mind and was always there for one another. I love how supportive they were and together they seemed to fit.

What I didn’t like:

The main issue here I have is that for years he didn’t see her as anything other than his bestie, so when she tells him she is in love with him and needs space from him, suddenly he finds her attractive, irresistible and insanely in love with her? Uhm…NO!

I also hated heroine’s body issues. It is mentioned over & over again that she is a size 14, has thick thighs, big ass, rolls in the stomach and in one scene, she was wearing Spanx and was embarrassed when they were about to get “busy”. I just can’t deal with this constant theme. I like self-confident heroines with no body issues. Sorry if I offend anyone, but that’s me. I don’t want to read so much whining about a character’s body of her “rolls”, big ass, etc. I got it once. She was not stick thin. Okay. Move on.

Then we are also told that the reason he spiraled “in the past year” by causing one scandal after another was of the news that his father was dying of cancer. Sorry but that is too lame because it was already established that he had been sleeping around for YEARS (since HS).
Also lame? The fact he was going to f**k a married woman which was his no-go rule but then later on towards the end we learn he could not go through it because he couldn’t get an erection to have actual sex with the OW. But of course they did “fool around/make out a lot”. All righty then.

In terms of safety, it is safe and no cheating because they were never in a relationship before he stopped his Manho ways.

There is no intimate scenes with OW or anyone else.
The OW he caused a scandal never really comes to the picture other than that close to the end she tries to cause another scandal by saying she is pregnant and media thinks it may be his kid but that is cleared right away.
Heroine does go on a date with OM before MCs get together but nothing happens there. She is not attracted to him.
Heroine not a virgin but her past is never mentioned.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Snap is a childhood friends to lovers, fake dating and football romance. In this story, an NFL star named Dominic asks his closest friend Laney to pretend to be his girlfriend following a an incident involving drinking. Since high school, Dom's best friend Laney has been in love with him. Dom offers for Laney to help him restore his reputation by pretending to date him after she eventually confesses to him that she has been in love with him for years.

I loved Laney! Dom really did take her for granted, but he made up for it by giving it his all to show that he could be the person she deserves. They connect on such a deep level.

Although you may read this on its own, I definitely recommend the other books!! Both Alayna and Dominic, who I really liked, change a lot during the course of the story.

[Donna McEachran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd read previews of this book and the first chapter in the authors newsletter and was excited to read it. I wasn't at all disappointed. I hoped Laney was going to make Dom earn her forgiveness. I loved the way he supported her. Great read!

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dominic + Alayna

-football romance
-childhood friends to lovers
-fake dating

these two were HIGH tension right out of the gate! idk how cadence did it but we never really got a miscommunication trope but we still got the tension & that was the best recipe right there!!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful best friends to lovers book! 
It's one of my favorite tropes because I just love when two people have such a wonderful relationship already and everyone else knows they're meant to be but they have to work through their shit before they can have their happy ever after, and boy does this one deliver. 
Laney and Dom have been best friends since they were stuck together on a class project in high school. Now a football star in the midst of a scandal after one two many flings (the latest with a Hollywood starlet determined to milk all she can out of the notoriety), Dom enlists Laney's help on a PR plan to have a fake relationship meant to show he has grown up and left his playboy days behind him. The twist is that Laney's been in love with him and is ready to end their friendship because she's fed up at being taken for granted. 
But Laney can't leave him in his time off need so she agrees to the plan. Dom very quickly realizes that there's nothing fake about this relationship - but is it too late to convince Laney of that?
I love how Laney and Dom are so honest with each other and ground each other. They both have parent issues that feed into the way they are and why they have problems trusting in the relationship, but they confront them. And I love how once Dom realizes he's in love with her, he doesn't let up and doesn't let Laney retreat into her insecurities. I also loved how there wasn't a contrived breakup just to raise tension - the author did a good job of continually building their relationship without that, and still found ways to keep things interesting. This felt pretty real and realistic. 

The one very minor nitpick I had is that this might be better set in the off season or early in the season (I think the craziness of the playoffs is a bit underestimated and it's unlikely a player would get as much free time during the playoffs as this story indicated) but this was a great book to read leading up to the Super Bowl (when I read it), during the off-season (when you're missing football), or during the regular season (I mean, really, it's just a good read anytime!) 

I am new to this series but can't wait to get caught up with the rest! 

Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good best friends to lovers sports romance! This is the first book of this series that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes me want to go back and read the first five books in the series which speaks to how well this book was done. Cadence Keys is a new author for me and she did an excellent job. Good writing style, book flows well and plot/theme was well done.

This book follows Dominic, an L.A. Wolves player who continues to get into trouble off the field. His reputation is in tatters due to continuous scandals and he is in jeopardy of being traded. Now Dom does have some issues from his past that do contribute to his behavior but that doesn't matter to the higher ups...or to his best friend. Alayna has been there for Dom since high school when his mom passed away. She has stuck with him through his estrangement with his father and all of his many scandals even though it hurts her every time. She has been in love with him for years and has finally reached her breaking point with his latest scandal. However now Dom needs her more than ever in order to save his reputation. He needs her as his fake girlfriend even though he knows about her love for him. When she threatens to cut all ties, Dom realizes how blind he has been to her and how he has taken advantage of her. In order to not lose her and show her his love, he pushes the fake relationship in order to show her how he really feels. Alayna definitely has trust issues with Dom's about face so it takes some convincing. But these two are meant for each other if they can both overcome their issues.

Overall very well done. A lot of emotion for both of the main characters and definitely some past issues to overcome.

[Kari Tidwell (karisbookstodevour) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends to Lovers with a fantastic emotional connection, a lot of growth, and a hint of blind panic that has Dom scrambling and Laney slamming up her walls as their decades long friendship hangs in the balance.
After ten years you finally confess to your best friend that you've been in love with him for years. In exchange you get a panicked look and a request to fake date him. Final straw. Laney can't remember a time she wasn't a little in love with Dom and though she's always pushed it to the side, believing it was better to have him as a friend then lose him altogether, this is too much. To save his career she's giving him six months of fake dating and then she wants him gone, forever. Dom has always had Laney in his corner but his latest stunt, the reaction to her declaration of love, and the fake dating thing is putting everything into focus for him and he's using every second of his six months wisely, because he can live with losing his career, but he has nothing without Laney.
I loved Laney! She starts choosing herself and that's when all the magic happens. Even though Dom absolutely took her for granted, he redeemed himself pretty well putting his all into proving he can be what she deserves, the absolute panic and his inability to even function at the thought of losing her forever didn't hurt. They have such a great connection, they've been through a ton together, a lot of it pretty intense, and it showed in how and what they thought of each other which was adorable and really added to their story. Great read and perfect addition to the LA Wolves series.

[…Welcome to My World &#x1f30e.. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was awesome! Laney and Dom have been best friends for years and the whole time Laney has watched Dom with all these meaningless hookups and relationships. She has been in love with him for a while now but hasn’t said anything to him. Dom finds himself in yet again another scandal and he runs to his one and only for help. Laney is tired of being in the shadows for Dom and always coming through for him. She decides to tell him that she loves him and that she’s tired of being in his shadow and being used. Dom needs her to be his fake girlfriend for the press and to save his image as well as his career. Laney decides to help him for six months and then after that she’s going her own separate way. Dom finally comes to his senses and realizes that Laney is the best thing to ever happen to him and now he has to prove to her that he loves her as much as she loves him, as well as show her that she means so much more to him than a friend. I loved Laney’s character. I can relate with her and her body image and being insecure. I loved that Dom made sure to tell her how much she meant to him and that he saw her as beautiful and nothing less. This story was so good. There was a perfect amount of steam and I also loved that Laney didn’t just give into Dom right away. She made him work to deserve her trust and love again.

I received an Arc copy and I’m voluntarily leaving my review.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "AFTER THE SNAP" was an interesting, intriguing, intense drama with family issues, heartbreak, angst, hurt feelings, trust issues, steam, best friends to lovers romance with heartache, twists that makes for a addicting read to the end.
Dominic is an La Wolves player in trouble on & of the field his reputation takes a hit after a scandal which put him a position of being traded is past issue has a part in his behavior but he higher ups don't care about that nor does his BF from highschool Laney who always been in love with him she's tired of watching him with other women, she tells him she had enough & is breaking away from him.
Dom finally realizes how hes treated Laney after she confessed she loved him & what did he do, he asks her to be his fake girlfriend to fix his reputation she so hurt by this, but to save his career she tells him she'll give him six months of dating then she gone.
I definitely recommend to get this heartfelt romance Laney & Dominic take you on quite the journey will she leave him after 6months or will they get their HEA, also dealing with family issues you don't want miss reading this story you so won't be disappointed.
AWESOME BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS ROMANCE I LOVED IT 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

[Jeanne Jabour · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Snap by Cadence Keys is one of the best novels I have read in a long time. The scorchingly hot, and exceedingly heartfelt love between two old friends that has evolved over the years touched me deeply. Dominic is a pro football player and has been friends with Laney for so long, they finish each other’s sentences, know instinctively when one needs the other to be there, and best of all, have already forgiven whatever hurts they have caused in the other’s lives. The only problem is that Laney truly loves Dom in every way possible and for many years of being his best and most loyal friend has led to her having to endure scandal and harm watching him plow through woman after woman to escape his very difficult and troubled childhood. Each incident with another woman stabs at Laney’s heart. She finally confesses how she feels to him and how much his years of neglect of her have hurt because she is done. Dom cannot live without this one constant in his life and the lengths he goes to, once he finally acknowledges his feelings for this woman, will blow your mind and shatter your heart! If you purchase no other romantic novel this year, make it After the Snap, you won’t be sorry!

[Cassy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this one. There was just a lot to like about this book.

I really enjoyed that the fact that Laney’s love for Dom isn’t A Big Secret for the whole book. She tells him really early on her feelings for him.

And I really appreciate that Dom sees what a dire situation their friendship is in, and recognizes his feelings for her, and STEPS UP. He realizes really fast that Laney is an essential part in his life, and that he’s been screwing things up, and takes steps not only to fix it but to make her believe him that it’s a permanent change.

Friends to Lovers is always a good trope because the two main characters always know each other well. When parents and past trauma and old relationships come to haunt either of them, it’s natural for them to rely on the other.

My biggest hang up with this, truthfully, was that half the characters died of cancer. Dom’s mom when he was in high school, one of his teammate’s wife, and his dad was dying from it. Like everywhere you turned around. And while I realize that lots of people do get cancer, it seemed a little much.

Overall it was a fun read, sweet and a little emotional. I read it in a day, easy and enjoyed it.

[Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The childhood friends to lovers trope sometimes isn't my fav. It can come across as forced and I find myself asking "how did so and so not know that so and so was in love with them?" However, I should have known better than to doubt Cadence. I should have known that she would deliver! And she did! I loved how Layna confessed her feelings right from the beginning. And I loved how once Dom realized his feelings (which was also early on) he was all in. He was constantly proving and showing Layna his feelings and intentions. There was never any of that wish-washy mess that sometimes takes up the majority of a book. I just loved these 2 together. I found myself reading scenes two or three times over just because they give you all the feels!! I also need to point out that Cadence write a FMC and MMC perfectly! And Layna and Dom were no different. Layna was vulnerable without being whiny, she was independent without being a man-hater!! Did I mention that Dom was the absolute best?! You can't help but love him! I can go on and on about how great this series is!!

[Teresa Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Snap: A Fake Dating Sports Romance (LA Wolves Book 6) by Cadence Keys is about NFL player Dom who wants his best friend Laney to fake date him after a drunken scandal. Laney is Dom’s best friend who has been in love with him since high school. Dominic wears blinders, so he never sees her as a romantic interest. When Laney finally tells Dom that she has been in love with him for years, Dominic then offers for her to help clean up his reputation by fake dating him. Dom begins their fake dating from a strictly selfish stance. Laney has been mistreated, taken advantage of, and hurt multiple times by Dom’s careless treatment of her friendship. Dom has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants Laney’s trust. Dom’s journey from a selfish cretin to “I want to prove my love” is quite a story. Both Dom and Laney have lost a parent as well as having issues with each of their surviving parent. With solid friends and opening to each other, both Laney and Dom discover their HEA. Cadance Keys’ books are all beautiful love stories that will satisfy the most die-hard romantic.

[Alyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are authors I follow because their books are consistently great; warm and well-written. Great character development, and an instantaneous reader: character bonding that carries their angst and life issues as our own. Cadence Keyes is one of those authors, and the LA Wolves series has held onto me with a connection since its inception.

Briefly, Dominic and Laney are best friends, and have been for years. He’s the BIG guy on campus, the High School jock who went Pro. She is the smart, pretty but not “in-your-face” high end attractive that Dom is calling “his type”. She organizes his birthday parties; he comes to her for advice. Until…she’s had enough or being “not enough” and tells him so. When she tries to explain herself and why they should part friendship, she also discloses her longtime secret—that she has feelings for him. (Un)fortunately, this comes at a time of great introspection for Dominic, as he needs to rely on his friend, and she isn’t readily available for him. The time for reckoning is upon him.
The introspection, dawn of understanding and acknowledgement of another’s feelings is all there in this story, along with the personalities and current happenings of our friends from the Wolves and their WAGS.
As sure as I will be looking forward to the next book in the series, that is how sure I am that if you are an LA Wolves follower (or just a Newbie), you’ll enjoy this book.

[K Webz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Alayna and Dom’s story! This friends to lovers romance had my attention from the first page.
Alayna and Dom have been friends since high school, she has literally been his rock through everything…the death of his mother, his falling out with his dad and every scandal that he has been in since being in the NFL. But this time, he has gone too far.
His latest scandal requires a little clean up and his new PR person suggest a fake relationship. He won’t do it unless Alayna is the one he is faking it with. But she has hit her limit and tells him she needs space and that throws him into a downward spin. Especially when she admits she has been in love with him.
I loved that she stood up and started living for herself. Dom needed that wake up call.
Watching their relationship unfold is amazing and Dom proving he can be the man Alayna needs is fantastic.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alayna and Dominic have been friend since their high school days in Idaho. Since the death of his mom and his falling out with his dad, Alayna has been his rock and family, in addition to his NFL family. But he has been missing the fact that she has been in love with him for years. When his position on the team is on the line and he asks her to help rehab his image, the truth comes out and they have to navigate where they go from here now that feelings are on the line.

I have read all the other books in this series and really liked them. This works as a stand alone but I do recommend the other books. I liked these two characters a lot and they both grow a lot through the course of the book.

I read an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dominic is a football player who is having a PR problem. He was caught with a married woman. He now needs to get his reputation back in line or he could be traded.
He needs to show he has a stable relationship. So he asked his best friend Laney to be his pretend gf. She admits to him she's crazy about him and he hasn't reciprocated so she can't see causing herself harm pretending.
These two friends can't imagine life without the other but Dom having his head up his a*
*, isn't helping.
As these two decide to pretend to be dating their true feelings come out. He must prove that he is worthy of her and he does care.
Easy read. Dom can be a bit much. Laney is sweet and vulnerable but trying to be independent. Will they get an HEA

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when you’ve been there for your friend time and time again, especially after some scandal or other and now he needs you the most to be his fake girlfriend..you come to a breaking point. Thoroughly, enjoyed this book. Loved how Dom finally comes to realization in how much he has taken advantage of his best friend Alayna, and sets in motion on how to prove his love. Liked how well this couple fits, as they have been thorough so much together in each others lives as they’ve dealt with loss and estrangement of loved ones. Great character development and growth in finally achieving their potential together.

[Liz L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want a quick fluff read after my last read and got this in a book box I was a little concerned reading #6 in a series concerned me a little. No need to be it is definitely OK to read as a standalone. It may have spoilers which I will find out later as I believe I will read more of the series.
But anywho this book was a fun quick read. It keeps you intrigued till the end, it makes you feel all the emotions. No regrets reading this one at all 4 star because it was good but not quite a 5 star favorite

[Catherine Winchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Cadence comes through with another 5 star happily ever after. I love all of the LA Wolves books and every time, I say this is my favorite. This time is, because friends to lovers is my favorite genre.
Dom is the football star, part of the Fierce Four on the LA Wolves football team and is Best friends with Alayna since high school. She's been in love with him for a long time and he is utterly clueless. One of his latest stunts off the field gets him in deep trouble and he's about to lose his job and best friend. Losing his job will crush him, but not as much as losing Alayna.

[Marsha Graniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Snap is one of my favorite best friends to lovers/fake relationships story. Dom and Laney’s story took me on an emotional roller coaster. They have been through a lot together, but in the end it made them stronger. I lover their friendship and their chemistry is hard to deny. I really enjoyed reading their story and can’t wait for the next one.

I voluntarily leave an honest review of this Advanced Readers Copy.

[Bewaji · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dominic genuinely had no idea he could have a romantic relationship with Laney, his best friend. So when she gave him an ultimatum he was flummoxed. He knew they were close, but love, no…Well he took his time to work out his feelings and realized Laney was the only girl for him. This trope is always a winner for me. The couple here just took so long to get their acts together in my own opinion. It’s a good story though.
*ARC provided by the author for my honest and unbiased review*

[Tabitha Cagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man! I could not put this one down. I love Cadence and the way she writes. I was so enthralled in Laney and Dom’s story. The way they love each other through thick and thin. It’s something beautiful and amazing. It felt so real, I love when something I read feels real. Cadence always elicits that from me. Plus I always love a good best friends to lovers relationship. I can’t wait to read the next one!

[Natalie Lewis · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started out great, too insta love, too much of everything. I hated the characters, I’m glad the mom died, pretty sure I still don’t agree with what Dom’s dad did, because fuck him, she was still alive and I just can’t get behind that. Definitely not going to finish the series. I got this book from reveal romance box and this is another book to add that I hate. The writing wasn’t that good to me either.

[jennifer davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when you have loved your BFF for years and he never shows the same. What happens when he asks you to fake date to clean his image up. Well read this to find out what Alayda does and how Dom goes about the situation. This was an excellent read. How these character learn and grow was inspiring to me. Read this book.

[✶ ✶ Hummingbird ✶ ✶]

🚩⚠️🚩⚠️🚩⚠️🚩⚠️

Avoid.

He is a “reformed” manho

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Honestly gives low-key Justin/hayley beiber vibes. She sticks around waiting for him to get his head outta his ass while watching him eff everything with a pulse.

[Catrina Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute friends to lovers. Liked the groveling by the MMC and the relation between him and the FMC. I am sure I missed some of the side characters/friend dynamics since I read out of order, but still good.

[Elizabeth]

Hero finally decides he wants heroine when she decides to move on. That is boring and cliche, it has been done 10 million times already. No thanks.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Dominic and Alayna‘s story. It was a steamy, entertaining read. And am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew I'd love this the second I read the blurb and I was right. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes and the author nailed it.