Tackled in the Stacks

Love Letters #0.5

by S.J. Tilly

I caught her staring at me from across the quad, eyes fixed on the football jersey stretched across my wide chest. And if I flexed my muscles, showing off the strength of a defensive tackle, it was just to see her blush.

And then she did, and I couldn’t get her out of my mind.

Her wide eyes. The freckles on her cheeks.

I needed to know her. The girl who scampered away every time we bumped into each other—by accident and by design. The girl who shyly agreed to come to my game, getting her first taste of football. The girl, Hannah Utley, who worked at the campus library and let me rest my head on her shoulder as she read to me in one of the study rooms.

It was innocent. Mostly.

Until we lose track of time and discover that the library has closed. And we’re locked inside.

Now it’s me and Hannah in the stacks.

Alone.

With nothing but desire between us.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Novella, College, Contemporary Romance, Football

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2024

About the author

S.J. Tilly lives in Minnesota with her husband and their herd of boxers. She spends an unhealthy amount of time with her face buried in books, reading and writing. If she’s not nose deep in text, or harassing her dogs, she’s probably playing with her plants, pretending she knows how to garden.

You can find her stumbling around on Instagram @sjtillyauthor

https://www.amazon.com/S.J.-Tilly/e/B...

Reviews

[S.J. Tilly]

Available now!

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
https://a.co/d/7PrkBIZ

Audible: https://adbl.co/3T4hI6U
Narrated by: Andi Arndt & Jacob Morgan

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This was a cute prequel. I liked getting Maddox and Hannah’s college backstory.

Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Andi Arndt & Jacob Morgan
Narration Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 2h 22m

[Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Safety Warnings
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Tiny bit of stalking

I’m pretty sure I wished this backstory was given to us in the main book as I felt like it was the only thing I had an issue with so I am so glad S.J decided to grace us with it now!

Loved seeing these two meet and get together for that magical week before it all changed forever.

Makes me want to reread “Love, Utley” just so I can experience the story knowing the full past.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. I'm excited to continue this series!

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: instafeels
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥

Absolutely loved Love, Utley and I was super excited when I learned we were getting a prequel novella about their meeting in college. Truly everything I hoped it would be. Super sweet and still super hot. Totally made me want to read Love, Utley all over again!

[Raquel (BookishRaquel) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Heat Rating: 2/5 🌶️
Audiobook: 5/5 🎧

What to Expect:
- Prequel
- College Football
- Alpha Hero
- Plus Size Heroine
- Insta Love
- Fun Banter
- Dual POVs

OMG! I loved this story so much! S.J. Tilly's writing is perfect. I totally get the hype! I have not read Love Utley, so this was my introduction to Hannah and Maddox. I loved reading about how things began with their relationship. Hannah and Maddox cross paths in college, where they spend a week getting to know each other. It was a love-at-first-sight situation for Maddox, and he immediately knew he wanted to get to know Hannah. This is a fun, sweet, and spicy story. Although this is only a glimpse into their relationship, I am convinced they are meant to be. I need more of Hannah and Maddox, and I can't wait to read Love Utley, which picks up fifteen years later.

Narration:
Andi Arndt and Jacob Morgan always deliver! Their performance was amazing, and they really brought this story to life. Andi and Jacob are a fantastic duo and the perfect voices for Hannah and Maddox. They flawlessly portrayed each character, making me excited to read more. I'm happy that Andi and Jacob are also the narrators for Love, Utley!

Thanks to S.J. Tilly, Must Love Audio, and Lyric Audiobooks for the gifted audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

- football player + librarian
- instafeels
- plus size fmc

Short, sweet, and spicy! Can't wait to dive into Love, Utley!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book set after this, Love, Utley so this short and sweet prequel was fun. It was cute seeing how Hannah and Maddox first met and both narrators are amazing and are always a pleasure to listen to.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg what a great intro the newest series of SJ Tilly!! It sets it up so well for Love, Utley. I loved getting to see the meet cute of Hannah and Maddox (since I read book 1 first) and it was so cute 😭😭😭

Maddog & little bunny forever!!!!!

The library scene 🫦🫦🫦

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

One week. Everything that happens in this book spans one week, one that occurred 15 years ago before Book 1, the continuation of this couple.

All I have to say is that it was pretty cute. I mean, this is what I wanted when authors wrote second chance romance. Like, I NEED to see them meet for the first time and fall in love. This is a pretty good prequel if you ask me.

[Katie Boulay · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨review and release day!!✨

Happy release day to @sjtillyauthor !! When I say this made me heart so happy after reading Love, Utley.. I needed a little behind the scenes of these two and their build up. Simply because I CANT GET ENOUGH. This is a prologue for a second chance romance and it is sooo worth your time girlies. This had my heart turning into a puddle for a couple that has already stolen it! For all my jock/nerd couple lovers you would not be disappointed. Oh and the steam *fans myself*

[♡Naz♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having Hot. Mind boggling. Earth shattering. S*× in the LIBRARY!
GIRL, wooooow.🫠🥵

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Short and sweet. This is the prequel to the first book of this series, and while I’ve started that book, I’ve so far enjoyed this little novella situation more. It was 100-something pages of cliche, but hell, it was fun. That’s it.

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️

Quick little novella that made me want to do a reread of Love, Utley like immediately 🥰 love Maddox & Hannah so much!!! This was the perfect little prequel. That library scene… WHEWWW 🥵🫠

Thank you to S.J. for the ARC!

Tropes:
- Football Romance
- College Romance
- Instalove
- Plus size heroine
- Alpha Hero

[˙⋆☆ Cherryyy ☆⋆˙ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.
A pesar de ya haber leído su libro, este 0.5 de como se conocieron, me gustó. Obviamente te recomiendo leer este antes del libro porque si no te quedas con la sensación de que falta algo. Y sin duda también te recomiendo su libro, que es lindisimo 💖.

[Maria Elena | pagesofmaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm writing this as I'm well over the 50% mark in Love, Utley I can guarantee I'm more invested in Maddox and Hannah's story knowing how they first met, since we don't see it in the book but are only told about it. Plus, their meeting is so cute!

[KaMiLu · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Estuvo bien esta pequeña introducción. Supimos cómo se conocieron Maddox y Hannah.
Ahora vamonos de lleno con la historia...

[Courtney | romancereadswithcourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

eARC review
Tackled in the Stacks by SJ Tilly
5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️

WE GOT MADDOX & HANNAH’S PREQUEL STORY 😍. And it’s so cute. This novella is short & sweet & filled in all of the gaps we didn’t know before.

She’s a curvy college student just trying to blend into the background, he’s a big football star who notices her, and can’t look away now.

Maddox pursues her and after one bloody nose incident (that he rips his own shirt to fix for her) he’s allllll in.

She’s very hesitant because of who he is and fights her pull to him. But once they get locked in the library one night… everything changes. 🤭

Tropes: college football • prequel novella • jock x nerd • he falls first • forced proximity • curvy MFC

[Linathebookaddict · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, quick and super fun!!!
Great prequel that sets the mood for the book.
Excited to see where Hannah and Maddox go from here!!!

[Nicole Singleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

SARAH JO TILLY!!! This was SO good!!! I wanted it to keep going!
(I know, I know, I read the full length novel, so I already got the rest… but like - I wanted them to have more time together before getting separated. AND I KNOW that if they had more time then Love, Utley wouldn’t have had the same impact, I KNOW GURL, I KNOW! But this was just so good and so sweet and so wholesome - even with the EATING IN THE LIBRARY - but, do you know what I’m trying to say here, or am I not making sense?! ) This prequel novella takes place BEFORE the hurt and misunderstanding and years of festering feelings, and they were just SO good together. I loved them so much! It just solidified that they are meant to be. I loved getting to see this glimpse into their perfect meet cute and short time catchin’ feelings. 🫶
Thank you to @mustloveaudio for this ALC, it was fabulous!
If you’ve read Love, Utley and you loved Hannah and Maddox, you’ve got to read this prequel novella!

[rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh the perfect prequel to Love, Utley 🥹
I am obsessed with these characters so much!! It makes me want to read Love, Utley again.
SJ Tilly’s writing draws me in every time. I love love love Maddox even more than I already did. I need more of them! It’ll never be enough 🥹🤍 this was so cuteeee
Thank you for giving us more of their storyyy

[Father Lib · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Prenovella Stars !!!

A very quick, insta-love prenovella about Maddox and Hannah’s meet cute . Because every Mad Dog needs a Little Bunny <3

This audiobook was given to me for honest review by Must Love Audio .

[Ty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a a cute story! I enjoyed reading Hannah’s and Maddox’s beginning! I always enjoy reading works from SJ Tilly! Definitely give this book a read, especially if you enjoyed reading “Love Utley!”

[riena. · Rating 5 out of 5]

the way im obsessed with everything sj tilly writes! i can't stop giggling and kicking my feet because maddoxhannah is super cute!! such a perfect prequel novella for love, utley!

[Formerly Known as Spoiler W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good prequel.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't that long that we met these two, and now it's there to meet cute, lol. So if you haven't read their book you can read the prequel.

It's super cute and shows how Hannah and Maddox met from the clumsy crash into one another to studying in the library and that smexy time in there, hehe. I won't give much away because it's a perfect thing to read.

No ow/om drama, no cheating, Sexy times, no virgins or manwhore

Recommen-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶


Prequel
Instalove
Praise kink
HFN :)

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a new look into the life of Maddox and whats her name.

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc Review

Wow. Wow. Wow. I don’t think I have anything negative to say about this little prequel novella. It was so cute and exactly what I needed. This tells the story of when Maddox and Hannah first met and their night in the library 🔥🥵 It was a short story but definitely jam packed and held your attention from the beginning. I can’t get enough of this couple! I want more. And Maddox? Easily in my top 5 book husbands/boyfriends. The things I would let this man do to me.. 🥵🫠

Thank you @valentine_pr_ for the opportunity to read and review!

[Delani Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you kidding me? Little did I know how badly I needed Hannah and Maddox in the library. After reading Love,Utley I just knew this novella was going to be the perfect before. Hands down another top tier Tilly read! 🫶🏻

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Maddox and Hannah so much!! They are such a fun couple. 🥹 I haven’t read Love, Utley - so, this was my introduction to Maddox and Hannah. It was a quick, easy to read, and fun novella full of swoony moments of how they met. It made me want to read Love, Utley (which picks up 15 years later after a mishap) IMMEDIATELY. Safe to say - I truly understand all the hype.

This was also my first S.J. Tilly read. Now I want to hyper-fixate on her work and read them all!! 😆

Notes: prequel to Love, Utley

Things I loved: The wink. Dr. Face. Little Bunny. Discussion of football game ticket. Hannah's wish.