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Thunder Creek #2
Calling the Shots
A sexy small town, forbidden, football romance from bestselling author Kara Kendrick
One fake kiss with the coach next door changes all the rules of the game.
Mack doesn’t give Prince Charming vibes. Sure, he’s tall, ruggedly handsome, and the high school football team’s defensive coordinator. But he's my mom's brooding next-door neighbor—a decade older than me and absolutely forbidden.
Friend-of-my-best friend’s-dad kind of forbidden.
When I'm ditched on a date and losing aura points by the second, I salvage my pride in front of my archenemy the only way I can — I pretend Mack’s my boyfriend. He plays along and seals our fake relationship with a kiss that sets my world on fire.
"Just one night" quickly spirals into secret rendezvous and heart-racing hookups. But then I discover the “blue collar” laid-back coach I've fallen for is hiding secrets of his own.
I'm certain we're doomed. What I don’t count on?
Mack chasing after me—and this time, he's calling the shots.
One fake kiss with the coach next door changes all the rules of the game.
Mack doesn’t give Prince Charming vibes. Sure, he’s tall, ruggedly handsome, and the high school football team’s defensive coordinator. But he's my mom's brooding next-door neighbor—a decade older than me and absolutely forbidden.
Friend-of-my-best friend’s-dad kind of forbidden.
When I'm ditched on a date and losing aura points by the second, I salvage my pride in front of my archenemy the only way I can — I pretend Mack’s my boyfriend. He plays along and seals our fake relationship with a kiss that sets my world on fire.
"Just one night" quickly spirals into secret rendezvous and heart-racing hookups. But then I discover the “blue collar” laid-back coach I've fallen for is hiding secrets of his own.
I'm certain we're doomed. What I don’t count on?
Mack chasing after me—and this time, he's calling the shots.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2025
108 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
April 30, 2025
—— 1.✰ stars.
thanks to valentine pr and Kara Kendrick for providing me the arc in exchange of an honest review
I’m literally so sad that I had to dnf this, to be honest I wanted to dnf it earlier, around 16-17% but I decided to push more and give the author and the book a proper chance, and I think reading half of the book gives me enough time to form a proper opinion about it and decide to dnf it.
so, gracelyn is at a very much failed date, his date leaves her, and she runs into one mean girl, and decides to fake her date with another guy, Mack, who plays along.
so, from now on I’m gonna say the reasons why I dnfed this and as always, be completely honest.
the characters have 30 and 40 ish years, why are they behaving like damn teenagers? Gracelyn it’s portrayed as bubbly but honestly she is just childish, talking about crushes, playing into the mean girl games, and saying the most annoying shit all the time. Mack is not as childish as her, but still I couldn’t imagine him being more than 28 mentally lol.
the smut, what was even that. I read in others reviews that this was SPICY, and I mean… it is due to the amount of scenes, but the spice is bland, not hot AT ALL. And the daddy kink was so weird here, I’m not a hater of it, but if done WELL, this made me want to smash my head against the window.
the plot was no where to be found honestly, they are “dating” officially, like calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend on the 40% and so out of the blue, they have met in person to kiss and fuck only 3 times; him only staying once to sleep. all of this on 40%!? yeah the insta love/lust was big af.
and that wraps it up! I do have to say the writing is SO easy to read and quick, that and short chapters made this book much more readable.
dnf at 51%
thanks to valentine pr and Kara Kendrick for providing me the arc in exchange of an honest review
I’m literally so sad that I had to dnf this, to be honest I wanted to dnf it earlier, around 16-17% but I decided to push more and give the author and the book a proper chance, and I think reading half of the book gives me enough time to form a proper opinion about it and decide to dnf it.
so, gracelyn is at a very much failed date, his date leaves her, and she runs into one mean girl, and decides to fake her date with another guy, Mack, who plays along.
so, from now on I’m gonna say the reasons why I dnfed this and as always, be completely honest.
the characters have 30 and 40 ish years, why are they behaving like damn teenagers? Gracelyn it’s portrayed as bubbly but honestly she is just childish, talking about crushes, playing into the mean girl games, and saying the most annoying shit all the time. Mack is not as childish as her, but still I couldn’t imagine him being more than 28 mentally lol.
the smut, what was even that. I read in others reviews that this was SPICY, and I mean… it is due to the amount of scenes, but the spice is bland, not hot AT ALL. And the daddy kink was so weird here, I’m not a hater of it, but if done WELL, this made me want to smash my head against the window.
the plot was no where to be found honestly, they are “dating” officially, like calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend on the 40% and so out of the blue, they have met in person to kiss and fuck only 3 times; him only staying once to sleep. all of this on 40%!? yeah the insta love/lust was big af.
and that wraps it up! I do have to say the writing is SO easy to read and quick, that and short chapters made this book much more readable.
April 13, 2025
quick fun age-gap romance!
i love grumpy x sunshine in any form i can get it so when i was reached out to read this book i hopped on it so fast!! mack and gracelyn had this sizzling romance that honestly made me blush more than i’d care to admit. i wasn’t expecting a daddy kink but you know what i was completely FOR IT.
i love that mack stood up for gracelyn constantly and fought for them to stay together. i hate a mean girl and there being three in the book almost made me scream but again mack told them all off and i ate it up! the spicy scenes were exactly that… SPICY. i mean okay!! miss kara i wasn’t familiar with your game, but i was so down for it all. i love when the plus size fmc gets all loved on, it’s my favorite thing ever.
thank you so much kara kendrick and your team for providing me with this arc 🫶🏼
i love grumpy x sunshine in any form i can get it so when i was reached out to read this book i hopped on it so fast!! mack and gracelyn had this sizzling romance that honestly made me blush more than i’d care to admit. i wasn’t expecting a daddy kink but you know what i was completely FOR IT.
i love that mack stood up for gracelyn constantly and fought for them to stay together. i hate a mean girl and there being three in the book almost made me scream but again mack told them all off and i ate it up! the spicy scenes were exactly that… SPICY. i mean okay!! miss kara i wasn’t familiar with your game, but i was so down for it all. i love when the plus size fmc gets all loved on, it’s my favorite thing ever.
thank you so much kara kendrick and your team for providing me with this arc 🫶🏼
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April 24, 2025Available now!
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Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3XzlXK7
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4hJdwUr
August 17, 2025
💇♀️ 🏈🔥
Calling The Shots
By Kara Kendrick
“I’ve known of Gracelyn for a long time. Her mom’s my neighbor and has been for the past decade, so of course I’ve seen her around. But not like this. Never like this.”
“Gracelyn’s all grown up and very much the kind of woman I go for. Soft curves and sass, with a tinkly laugh that sends all my blood rushing due south.”
“Mack is all man. I’ve never hooked up with anyone as rugged and handsome as he is. Not that my exes were duds or anything, but they sure as hell weren’t Mack.”
Don’t let the cute cover foul you, this book is hot! Gracelyn and Mack’s story starts off with a bang and just keeps getting better. Mack is obsessed with Gracelyn and loves telling her how beautiful she is. And in the process helps heal Gracelyn’s heart. They don’t let the fear of what others think dictate their relationship. They don’t let Mack’s family destroy what they have. They stick together no matter what and I love that! But really enjoyed this read!!
Tropes:
Age Gap
Football
Small Town
Grumpy x Sunshine
Spice starts at: 14%🔥
Spice: 3/4🌶️
Stars: 4.5/5⭐️
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Calling The Shots
By Kara Kendrick
“I’ve known of Gracelyn for a long time. Her mom’s my neighbor and has been for the past decade, so of course I’ve seen her around. But not like this. Never like this.”
“Gracelyn’s all grown up and very much the kind of woman I go for. Soft curves and sass, with a tinkly laugh that sends all my blood rushing due south.”
“Mack is all man. I’ve never hooked up with anyone as rugged and handsome as he is. Not that my exes were duds or anything, but they sure as hell weren’t Mack.”
Don’t let the cute cover foul you, this book is hot! Gracelyn and Mack’s story starts off with a bang and just keeps getting better. Mack is obsessed with Gracelyn and loves telling her how beautiful she is. And in the process helps heal Gracelyn’s heart. They don’t let the fear of what others think dictate their relationship. They don’t let Mack’s family destroy what they have. They stick together no matter what and I love that! But really enjoyed this read!!
Tropes:
Age Gap
Football
Small Town
Grumpy x Sunshine
Spice starts at: 14%🔥
Spice: 3/4🌶️
Stars: 4.5/5⭐️
Available on Kindle Unlimited
May 1, 2025
#Review: *Calling the Shots* - Kara Kendrick - ARC [18+]
4.4/5✨
3/5🌶️
Super excited to dive into another book by Kara Kendrick. Very grateful for being accepted for this early copy, so thank you Kara and Valentine Pr!
One bad date for Gracelyn and the presence of her nemesis will throw her in Mack's arms. He was a friend of her best friend's dad. I know, complicated from every point of view. He was 10 years older but he was her only choice. Besides that he was really good looking for his age and she was pretty familiar with him. But what happens when the chemistry between them is exactly what it supposed to be? Will the age gap and their opposite personalities be a problem for them?
From that first scene they had as a fake couple I sensed that there could be more between Mack and Gracelyn. The way Mack was so relaxed and open to that crazy idea gave me the feeling that he had something for her, but considering the age gap, he never thought it was a possibility for him. I liked that there was a surprise part, which I haven't expected, considering the way Mack was living and acting.
Gracelyn had some issues with her own body, being a curvy girl, which didn't make her that confident, that she was an attractive woman. Mack appreciated her true self, mind and body, loving the way he praised her in every way possible.
This story was an example of love wins against all odds, because Gracelyn and Mack faced so many things along the way. The age gap, the total opposite status, the way they looked, him fit and her more curvy. They proved that love is more important than anything else and what started as a fun thing, turned out to be something which will change both their lives.
✨Tropes
#AgeGap
#GrumpySunshine
#NeighborsToLovers
#FakeDating
#SecretHookups
#FormerAthlete
#Hairstylist
#CurvyHeroine
#SportsRomance
#Coach
4.4/5✨
3/5🌶️
Super excited to dive into another book by Kara Kendrick. Very grateful for being accepted for this early copy, so thank you Kara and Valentine Pr!
One bad date for Gracelyn and the presence of her nemesis will throw her in Mack's arms. He was a friend of her best friend's dad. I know, complicated from every point of view. He was 10 years older but he was her only choice. Besides that he was really good looking for his age and she was pretty familiar with him. But what happens when the chemistry between them is exactly what it supposed to be? Will the age gap and their opposite personalities be a problem for them?
From that first scene they had as a fake couple I sensed that there could be more between Mack and Gracelyn. The way Mack was so relaxed and open to that crazy idea gave me the feeling that he had something for her, but considering the age gap, he never thought it was a possibility for him. I liked that there was a surprise part, which I haven't expected, considering the way Mack was living and acting.
Gracelyn had some issues with her own body, being a curvy girl, which didn't make her that confident, that she was an attractive woman. Mack appreciated her true self, mind and body, loving the way he praised her in every way possible.
This story was an example of love wins against all odds, because Gracelyn and Mack faced so many things along the way. The age gap, the total opposite status, the way they looked, him fit and her more curvy. They proved that love is more important than anything else and what started as a fun thing, turned out to be something which will change both their lives.
✨Tropes
#AgeGap
#GrumpySunshine
#NeighborsToLovers
#FakeDating
#SecretHookups
#FormerAthlete
#Hairstylist
#CurvyHeroine
#SportsRomance
#Coach
April 12, 2025
What an amazing book! I such a sucker for good age gap and the scenes in this book live rent free in my head.
When I think about Mack, I just get so giddy. The man that he was in this book literally had my kicking my feet and giggling🤭. A high school football coach, a carpenter (you know he’s good with his hands😉), a man that knows what he wants and is so assertive…can’t get no better than that. He literally adored Gracelyn so much and I loved it, he thought of her all the time and constantly wanted to protect her. Now, Gracelyn I just loved her. There were so many ways I could relate to her, so I really felt a connection to her character.
The chemistry between Gracelyn and Mack was top tier!! I just loved the banter between them. The mouth that they had, dropped me to the floor😉😉
Thank Valentine Pr for the opportunity to read this arc
When I think about Mack, I just get so giddy. The man that he was in this book literally had my kicking my feet and giggling🤭. A high school football coach, a carpenter (you know he’s good with his hands😉), a man that knows what he wants and is so assertive…can’t get no better than that. He literally adored Gracelyn so much and I loved it, he thought of her all the time and constantly wanted to protect her. Now, Gracelyn I just loved her. There were so many ways I could relate to her, so I really felt a connection to her character.
The chemistry between Gracelyn and Mack was top tier!! I just loved the banter between them. The mouth that they had, dropped me to the floor😉😉
Thank Valentine Pr for the opportunity to read this arc
April 26, 2025
This is a great age gap story of a fake Date turned to love. Mack was good for Gracelyn and helped her see her worth after being bullied for a long time. There is some tension and misunderstanding but after feelings are admitted it's amazing! Add this small town, grumy/Sunshine, age gap romance to your TBR. Happy Reading!
May 14, 2025
This was a cute read - a quick, fun age-gap! It had the grumpy sunshine and age gap romance and it played both well. I wasn't expecting a daddy kink but you know what? I deeply enjoyed it!
Perfect for a quick romance read - it's fun, and it's light!
Perfect for a quick romance read - it's fun, and it's light!
April 30, 2025
What a crazy story about not only an age gap, but then knowing you come from two different worlds. The insecurities fly from both sides. Will their love be strong enough to withstand all or will this just be a small town fling?
April 22, 2025
Calling the Shots by Kara Kendrick is book two in the Thunder Creek Series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.
What to Expect:
✨ Small-town romance
⏳ Age gap
⚡️ Curvy heroine
🔧 Blue collar hero
🏈 Football
🏡 Next-door neighbor with benefits
☀️ Grumpy-Sunshine
4⭐️ | 2 🌶️
“This woman does something to me, waking up a part of me that’s been sleeping for a very long time.”
Synopsis:
A forbidden, small-town football romance where one fake kiss with the broody coach next door ignites a secret fling. But when hidden truths surface, he’s the one fighting to make it real.
My Thoughts:
“He complements me—bringing the calm to my storm, while I pull out the lighter side of him that’s buried way deep down”
This was a quick, enjoyable read! Gracelyn finds herself alone at the local bar after being ditched by her date, only to run into her high school bully—who’s still just as cruel and eager to tear her down. As someone with a curvy, “average” body that doesn’t match society’s expectations (or what people think someone like Mack would go for), Gracie’s used to being underestimated and judged. It made my heart ache to see how deeply that bullying impacted her self-worth.
In a moment of desperation (and brilliance), she walks up to the first familiar face—Mack, her mom’s brooding, off-limits neighbor—and pretends he’s her boyfriend. One kiss later? Sparks fly. What starts as a steamy, friends-with-benefits situation quickly turns into something more.
Mack is ten years older and can’t get Gracie—or her firecracker attitude—off his mind. Though he’s grumpy and guarded, he’s tender and protective with her in a way that melted me. I loved watching him see her for exactly who she is—beautiful, strong, and more than enough. One thing I didn’t love? The secret he kept about his family (who were the actual worst), but his growth and the way he eventually put Gracelyn first made it worth it.
The romance is sweet, the chemistry is HOT, and the spice kicks in early. If you like heat, you’ll enjoy it—but just a heads-up, there’s a bit of daddy kink that might not be for everyone.
"She feels like home, like a safe, happy place to snuggle into every night."
This was my first book by Kara Kendrick, and it won’t be my last!
Thank you Kara for the advance copy. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
What to Expect:
✨ Small-town romance
⏳ Age gap
⚡️ Curvy heroine
🔧 Blue collar hero
🏈 Football
🏡 Next-door neighbor with benefits
☀️ Grumpy-Sunshine
4⭐️ | 2 🌶️
“This woman does something to me, waking up a part of me that’s been sleeping for a very long time.”
Synopsis:
A forbidden, small-town football romance where one fake kiss with the broody coach next door ignites a secret fling. But when hidden truths surface, he’s the one fighting to make it real.
My Thoughts:
“He complements me—bringing the calm to my storm, while I pull out the lighter side of him that’s buried way deep down”
This was a quick, enjoyable read! Gracelyn finds herself alone at the local bar after being ditched by her date, only to run into her high school bully—who’s still just as cruel and eager to tear her down. As someone with a curvy, “average” body that doesn’t match society’s expectations (or what people think someone like Mack would go for), Gracie’s used to being underestimated and judged. It made my heart ache to see how deeply that bullying impacted her self-worth.
In a moment of desperation (and brilliance), she walks up to the first familiar face—Mack, her mom’s brooding, off-limits neighbor—and pretends he’s her boyfriend. One kiss later? Sparks fly. What starts as a steamy, friends-with-benefits situation quickly turns into something more.
Mack is ten years older and can’t get Gracie—or her firecracker attitude—off his mind. Though he’s grumpy and guarded, he’s tender and protective with her in a way that melted me. I loved watching him see her for exactly who she is—beautiful, strong, and more than enough. One thing I didn’t love? The secret he kept about his family (who were the actual worst), but his growth and the way he eventually put Gracelyn first made it worth it.
The romance is sweet, the chemistry is HOT, and the spice kicks in early. If you like heat, you’ll enjoy it—but just a heads-up, there’s a bit of daddy kink that might not be for everyone.
"She feels like home, like a safe, happy place to snuggle into every night."
This was my first book by Kara Kendrick, and it won’t be my last!
Thank you Kara for the advance copy. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
April 24, 2025
I loved this book. I loved how Mack helped Gracelyn out by pretending to be her date. I liked that he kissed her too. I liked the age gap aspect between the two of them. Their chemistry was great and I loved them together.
I didn't like the miscommunication between the two of them, when their fling first started.
I liked that Mack admitted he wanted more than just casual with Gracelyn, that he wanted to date her openly.
“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚? 𝙈𝙚? 𝙊𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣?”
“𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.”
I loved the awkward dinner with Gracelyn's mom, she made it really awkward 😂
I loved that Mack asked her to go to the homecoming dance with him, to help chaperone the dance.
“𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗜’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”
I loved when they both said "I love you" to each other.
I loved that he called her "Firecracker".
His family was pretty awful, especially his mom and Tinsley. At least his dad was nice for the most part. I loved how he defended her and told her how much he loved her. His mom did redeem herself later on.
“𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲.”
I love that he went after her when she left and went home, and what he said to her.
“𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻, 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗜𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁.”
“𝗦𝗵𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝗽. 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱. 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱-𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁.”
I loved everything about this book, and loved Mack and Gracelyn.
I didn't like the miscommunication between the two of them, when their fling first started.
I liked that Mack admitted he wanted more than just casual with Gracelyn, that he wanted to date her openly.
“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚? 𝙈𝙚? 𝙊𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣?”
“𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.”
I loved the awkward dinner with Gracelyn's mom, she made it really awkward 😂
I loved that Mack asked her to go to the homecoming dance with him, to help chaperone the dance.
“𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗜’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”
I loved when they both said "I love you" to each other.
I loved that he called her "Firecracker".
His family was pretty awful, especially his mom and Tinsley. At least his dad was nice for the most part. I loved how he defended her and told her how much he loved her. His mom did redeem herself later on.
“𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲.”
I love that he went after her when she left and went home, and what he said to her.
“𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻, 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗜𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁.”
“𝗦𝗵𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝗽. 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘄. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱. 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱-𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁.”
I loved everything about this book, and loved Mack and Gracelyn.
April 24, 2025
Thanks to the author for the ARC of Calling the Shots! These are my honest thoughts.
This is my first by Kara Kendrick. I read this super fast and enjoyed the Thunder Creek community a lot.
While this was an easy read, I still enjoyed the chemistry between characters, the examples of community and friendship, and the way our main man Mack supported and encouraged our spicy heroine, Gracelyn.
Some things just didn't work for me, personally. This felt like a recently graduated from college story, when in reality, we have a 40-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman. Mack is a high school football coach, but it felt like, between him and his family drama and Gracelyn and her rivalry with a bully from high school, these characters were very superficial in a way most teenagers behave. I also felt Gracelyn's mom was treating her like a teenage daughter instead of a grown woman and business partner.
There were parts of this story I loved.
- Body positivity
- The spice
- The friendships (Gracelyn and Sloane; Mack and Coach Carter and Baker)
This one is out today!
This is my first by Kara Kendrick. I read this super fast and enjoyed the Thunder Creek community a lot.
While this was an easy read, I still enjoyed the chemistry between characters, the examples of community and friendship, and the way our main man Mack supported and encouraged our spicy heroine, Gracelyn.
Some things just didn't work for me, personally. This felt like a recently graduated from college story, when in reality, we have a 40-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman. Mack is a high school football coach, but it felt like, between him and his family drama and Gracelyn and her rivalry with a bully from high school, these characters were very superficial in a way most teenagers behave. I also felt Gracelyn's mom was treating her like a teenage daughter instead of a grown woman and business partner.
There were parts of this story I loved.
- Body positivity
- The spice
- The friendships (Gracelyn and Sloane; Mack and Coach Carter and Baker)
This one is out today!
April 26, 2025
Mack & Gracelyn have a fiery collide when they put on a show for Gracelyn’s nemesis in a bar…but that leads to trouble as both feel a legitimate pull toward each other afterward. Is it weird that he’s her best friend’s dad’s best friend? Or that he’s her mom’s next door neighbor? Or that there’s a decade between them? Will the town catch onto their fling? You’ll have to read to find out!
🏈Age Gap
🩵Curvy FMC
🏈Football Coach MMC
🩵Small Town
🏈Next Door Neighbor w/ Benefits
🩵Grumpy x Sunshine
Gracelyn. You beautiful, proud woman. I love the energy you bring to the table!
Mack is the definition of “assertive Daddy” LOLOL
The growing up both characters do is exciting to watch - love!
A spicy, quick read that starts off strong and keeps you reeled in. 4.5/5⭐️
🏈Age Gap
🩵Curvy FMC
🏈Football Coach MMC
🩵Small Town
🏈Next Door Neighbor w/ Benefits
🩵Grumpy x Sunshine
Gracelyn. You beautiful, proud woman. I love the energy you bring to the table!
Mack is the definition of “assertive Daddy” LOLOL
The growing up both characters do is exciting to watch - love!
A spicy, quick read that starts off strong and keeps you reeled in. 4.5/5⭐️
April 20, 2025
I just love a man who stands up for his girl, especially to his family 🤌🏼🔥 (even if it took him awhile to grow the balls to do so) And how Mack new what he wanted and didn’t let miscommunication happen between him and Gracelyn👏🏼 (I hate miscommunication lmao) They fell for each other fast and hard!!
This was such a fun and spicy read. It was easy to get into and kept me hooked! My only wish was that Mack and Gracelyn had some deeper convos together or did a little more then have freaky time 🤣 I enjoyed the smutt tho don’t get me wrong 🤭🫡
•age gap
•grumpy x sunshine
•moms neighbor
•small town
Thank you Kara and Valentine PR for the ARC!
This was such a fun and spicy read. It was easy to get into and kept me hooked! My only wish was that Mack and Gracelyn had some deeper convos together or did a little more then have freaky time 🤣 I enjoyed the smutt tho don’t get me wrong 🤭🫡
•age gap
•grumpy x sunshine
•moms neighbor
•small town
Thank you Kara and Valentine PR for the ARC!
April 21, 2025
This was my first read by Kara Kendrick and I enjoyed the read. It does pay to read a book based on the cover!
Calling The Shots is an age gap, fake dating, sports romance that is filled with spice and a swoony relationship. Gracelyn is full of sparks and not afraid to speak her mind. Mack is the broody football coach that is so good for this book. Right from the beginning the spice was hot! I wasn’t sure what to except but I love the characters. This was a well written and entertaining read in my opinion.
I definitely enjoyed this and think others will too! I look forward to reading more from this author.
Calling The Shots is an age gap, fake dating, sports romance that is filled with spice and a swoony relationship. Gracelyn is full of sparks and not afraid to speak her mind. Mack is the broody football coach that is so good for this book. Right from the beginning the spice was hot! I wasn’t sure what to except but I love the characters. This was a well written and entertaining read in my opinion.
I definitely enjoyed this and think others will too! I look forward to reading more from this author.
April 16, 2025
This book was EPICALLY DELICIOUS ! Devoured within the day ! It literally gave us everything .
Overcoming self confidence issues, check
-finding love check
- with a nice AGE GAP check
- with a super hot coach check
- with a “daddy”’kink CHECKKKK
I mean hello !
UGH such a GREAT READ !
& golden retriever boyfriend he is for his woman, his touch her and die streak. Just AMAZING ! I lovedddd it .. plus there is a great lil shocking revelation about our MMC that i really enjoyed as well.
I promise you will thoroughly enjoy all the smut as well. The amount of times I was blushing while reading this book, and my hubby asking me if I was ok over here 🫣🤩😊🫣
Great read. You won’t be disappointed.
Overcoming self confidence issues, check
-finding love check
- with a nice AGE GAP check
- with a super hot coach check
- with a “daddy”’kink CHECKKKK
I mean hello !
UGH such a GREAT READ !
& golden retriever boyfriend he is for his woman, his touch her and die streak. Just AMAZING ! I lovedddd it .. plus there is a great lil shocking revelation about our MMC that i really enjoyed as well.
I promise you will thoroughly enjoy all the smut as well. The amount of times I was blushing while reading this book, and my hubby asking me if I was ok over here 🫣🤩😊🫣
Great read. You won’t be disappointed.
April 17, 2025
I͜͡ w͜͡a͜͡s͜͡ g͜͡r͜͡a͜͡c͜͡i͜͡o͜͡u͜͡s͜͡l͜͡y͜͡ g͜͡i͜͡v͜͡e͜͡n͜͡ t͜͡h͜͡i͜͡s͜͡ b͜͡o͜͡o͜͡k͜͡ a͜͡s͜͡ a͜͡n͜͡ A͜͡R͜͡C͜͡
I enjoyed How quick things picked up in the story.
🩷Curvy FMC
🩵Age Gap
🩷Neighbor
🩵Millionaire
Mack and Gracelyn’s chemistry was instant love. With a bad date that Gracelyn was on, he leaves her while she’s in the bathroom to run into her sworn enemy, who is looking to make fun of her, assuming she isn’t on a date. That’s where the night takes a turn. Mack happens to be at the bar, and she uses him as the perfect fake date. That changes everything for both of them.
Ps. The hidden side of Mack will shock you and his family will piss you off.
Thank you Valentine PR for the copy.
I enjoyed How quick things picked up in the story.
🩷Curvy FMC
🩵Age Gap
🩷Neighbor
🩵Millionaire
Mack and Gracelyn’s chemistry was instant love. With a bad date that Gracelyn was on, he leaves her while she’s in the bathroom to run into her sworn enemy, who is looking to make fun of her, assuming she isn’t on a date. That’s where the night takes a turn. Mack happens to be at the bar, and she uses him as the perfect fake date. That changes everything for both of them.
Ps. The hidden side of Mack will shock you and his family will piss you off.
Thank you Valentine PR for the copy.
April 24, 2025
This book was so cute and such a good read. You know one of those books that put you in a good mood because it was just what you needed, that was this book. No big drama or overdramatized actions. But of course has a man who is head over heels for his girl, as he should be.
Gracelyn needs a fake date real quick and sets her sight on the one man she sees that she knows, Mack. It just happens to be her mom’s next door neighbor, who is also a decade older than her. But it’s fine since she just needs him for a few minutes.
Only a few minutes in and both Gracelyn and Mack can’t deny the chemistry between them. It wasn’t supposed to go further than the bar but now they can’t stop thinking about each other. They just need to get it out of their system. Once and they can move past everything.
But we all know how that goes….
Let me just say that Mack is such a green flag. He absolutely loves every inch of Gracelyn. So when people make her feel bad for being curvy, he goes and proves just how much he loves her body and her. And he really loves her.
This book was just so fun to read and something I devoured. A lighthearted read with an obsessed man and a strong independent woman, with spice, what more can you ask for? It is the second in the series but you don’t have to read the first one to understand this one.
Spice Rating: ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
💙 Curvy Heroine
💙 Small town
💙 He Falls First
💙 Football Coach
💙 Age Gap
💙 Dual POV
Gracelyn needs a fake date real quick and sets her sight on the one man she sees that she knows, Mack. It just happens to be her mom’s next door neighbor, who is also a decade older than her. But it’s fine since she just needs him for a few minutes.
Only a few minutes in and both Gracelyn and Mack can’t deny the chemistry between them. It wasn’t supposed to go further than the bar but now they can’t stop thinking about each other. They just need to get it out of their system. Once and they can move past everything.
But we all know how that goes….
Let me just say that Mack is such a green flag. He absolutely loves every inch of Gracelyn. So when people make her feel bad for being curvy, he goes and proves just how much he loves her body and her. And he really loves her.
This book was just so fun to read and something I devoured. A lighthearted read with an obsessed man and a strong independent woman, with spice, what more can you ask for? It is the second in the series but you don’t have to read the first one to understand this one.
Spice Rating: ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
💙 Curvy Heroine
💙 Small town
💙 He Falls First
💙 Football Coach
💙 Age Gap
💙 Dual POV
April 17, 2025
ARC REVIEW!!
This was spicy starting in chapter 2-3! There is no slow burn here! Gracelyn and Mack are just perfection and are so sweet together. I felt like I was watching a movie! The descriptions were phenomenal. This had me smiling, laughing and had me feeling all the emotions!
The one critique I have is the use of the pet name Daddy. I have never read a book using that term. I have realized that personally for me it is cringy. Especially with this being an age gap romance, it just did not do it for me. But, everyone has their own thing!
This was such a fun read and I have already started recommending it to everyone who is a romance reader!
Thank you so much Valentine PR for the ARC read!
This was spicy starting in chapter 2-3! There is no slow burn here! Gracelyn and Mack are just perfection and are so sweet together. I felt like I was watching a movie! The descriptions were phenomenal. This had me smiling, laughing and had me feeling all the emotions!
The one critique I have is the use of the pet name Daddy. I have never read a book using that term. I have realized that personally for me it is cringy. Especially with this being an age gap romance, it just did not do it for me. But, everyone has their own thing!
This was such a fun read and I have already started recommending it to everyone who is a romance reader!
Thank you so much Valentine PR for the ARC read!
April 24, 2025
I enjoyed this charming small town romance read. Ms. Kendrick truly captured the feel of a mellow, everyday life kind of romance, while also highlighting the emotional drama that Gracelyn and Mack (great names!) had to work through to get to their HEA. Their meet/cute where Gracelyn just commandeers Mack to be her date is just priceless. Their chemistry turns out to be off the charts, and plenty of spicy moments ensue. These are characters I would love to meet if they were real people, and watching their lives mesh and their relationship grow was a lot of fun. I look forward to reading more of this series!
I was given an ARC and volunteered to write a review.
I was given an ARC and volunteered to write a review.
June 18, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up
Easy read small town romance with a guess what he’s actually rich “twist” and the he’s my best friend’s dads’s best friend age gap is 10 years…they’re 30 & 40 it’s not like he’s on social security 🙄 The nicknames they had for each other were a bit cringey too.
Easy read small town romance with a guess what he’s actually rich “twist” and the he’s my best friend’s dads’s best friend age gap is 10 years…they’re 30 & 40 it’s not like he’s on social security 🙄 The nicknames they had for each other were a bit cringey too.
April 22, 2025
I LOVED this book. The age gap, the spice... high school football coach??? I'M IN. This was such a quick read and I really loved the banter between Gracelyn and Mack. They are the sweetest couple and they truly do not care what anyone thinks. The spice was spicing from the beginning and it was PERFECT. If you like age gap or sports romances, this is the one for you!! Thank you to Valentine PR for letting me read this one early!
April 16, 2025
I absolutely loved Calling the Shots, an incredible small-town age gap grumpy/sunshine love story, the second book in her Thunder Creek series. Kara Kendrick has shown readers that she is an amazing storyteller and is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to read. I was hooked from the first few pages, and it was impossible to put Calling the Shots down, and I loved every moment on every page. Who does not love hot sexy men, strong females, loving families, and friends, who always support one another? Calling the Shots is the story of Gracelyn Reynolds, hair stylist at Plumb Perfect, that she co-owns with her mother and her mother’s neighbor, Ulysses “Mack” McIntire, carpenter and owner of Made by Mack and defensive coach for the high school football team. Mack is also the best friend of Gracelyn’s best friend, Sloane’s father. Gracelyn is on a date and learns that her date has left the bar while she was in the bathroom. Her high school archenemy is also in the bathroom, and when she learns that Gracelyn is on a date, she wants to meet her date. Mack is sitting at the bar and playing along as her date. Their relationship has a bumpy start, Mack is hung up on the age difference between him and Gracelyn. Conversation between Gracelyn and Mack flows so easily, with innuendos and playful banter, and Mack constantly flirts with Gracelyn. I love the text stream between Gracelyn and Mack. I love that Mack always calls Gracelyn “Firecracker” and Gracelyn calls his “Daddy.” As Gracelyn and Mack begin to spend time together things change between them. Mack invites Gracelyn to his parents’ home for Thanksgiving where she learns his real name and other secrets about his life, a plot twist puts their relationship in jeopardy. I love how Gracelyn and Mack admit their real feelings, which resolves the plot twist. I loved the ending of their love story, especially all the surprises! I love Mack’s proposal and the location of the proposal. I loved the bonus epilogue and that it takes place three years later, I love all the surprises revealed and changes that they have made in their lives. Another favorite part is how the title of the book is incorporated into the love story. I really enjoy how the book is told in the first person from the perspective of the main characters. I love getting the insight and feelings from the different characters. I love how Kara Kendrick always manages to create the "perfect" heroine, who is a strong, sassy woman on her own, to balance out the sexy, swoon worthy man. Calling the Shots is filled with the heartbreaking and heartwarming moments that I have come to love and expect in a love story, and Kara Kendrick did not disappoint with the delivery, especially with the poignant and bittersweet moments as well as the plot twists and surprises that filled this page turner. I love the characters and the family dynamic in Calling the Shots. I enjoy all the interactions among the characters, it feels like real family love and makes me laugh at their teasing. Kara Kendrick’s descriptions are so real, I was right there with Gracelyn and Mack in Thunder Creek and watching high school football on Friday nights. Who does not love a friends that always have each other’s backs? I thoroughly enjoyed Calling the Shots, who does not love a small-town age gap love story with your mother’s broody next-door neighbor. Highly recommend this incredible love. I received an advance copy from the author.
May 30, 2025
Gracelyn Reynolds and Ulysses Fauntleroy Mack McIntire know each other in passing because Mack is her mom’s neighbor and her best friend’s father. Coach Carter is best friends with him, and they coach together at the high school. Mack is someone all the women in town want, and very few get the chance to be close to him. Sloane is Coach Carter’s daughter. She was home briefly before heading to Florida to be with Cam. Once Gracelyn was left alone when Sloane moved away, feeling bored and lonely she once again signed up for Blaze, Buzz, and Soulmate. Com forever.
A date with Pixel Pete didn't end well, and this with a dude who has zero game, and may still be a virgin. So the odds of him knowing his way around the female anatomy were likely zero. However, when her nemesis, Jamie from high school tries to slut-shame her about doing a one-off. Jamie has tormented her since grade school and she’s done taking her crap. She tells Jamie no it's not her style. She’s a long-term kind of gal. Not only that, but she tells her she’s not into the local dating scene, either. That it's so, she didn’t know, passé, didn’t she think?
She is such a “B” and wants to meet her date but he has already dipped out. So she tried to wait her out but Jamie wouldn’t leave the restroom first. So, she follows Gracelyn closely as she gets to the end of the hallway and surveys the bar she only knows one person in the whole place, Mack her mom’s next-door neighbor. She struts confidently right up to Mack’s side, Jamie right behind her like her personal shadow. Hopefully, she can’t smell the BS she’s about to sling. “Hey, babe.”
She slides up close to Mack, resting her hand on his forearm as if they’ve known each other for years. They have just not in a touchy-feely dating kind of way. “Hey, Gracelyn. Everything okay?” He cocks an eyebrow, a smirk dancing on his full lips. “Yeah, the bathroom was fine. Clean. All good. The bartender didn’t come back with my drink yet?” She waves at the server, leaning over the wooden bar in Mack’s direction. “Just go with it, okay? I’ll pay you back.” “Ahem.” Jamie clears her throat, and Gracelyn glances over his shoulder.
“Oh, you’re still here?” Gracelyn wrinkles her nose and she stiffens, tipping her chin up. “Hey. I’m Jamie.” She tries Fawning all over Mack saying she sees him every day at practice and he’s like, Oh yeah, I've never seen you there. Gracelyn exclaims, OMG! Now you’re stalking the high schoolers?
Jamie said, No she was assistant Coach for the dance team. Then she asked how long they had been dating. “We were keeping things kind of chill this summer.” Mack then snakes his arm around Gracelyn’s hips and pulls her closer to him.
She tries not to panic as her ass brushes against his thick thigh and his fingers palm the round globe of her ass. Welcome to their decade meet-cute. Such an amazing emotional rom-com. Age gap for sure with a foiled one-off.
A date with Pixel Pete didn't end well, and this with a dude who has zero game, and may still be a virgin. So the odds of him knowing his way around the female anatomy were likely zero. However, when her nemesis, Jamie from high school tries to slut-shame her about doing a one-off. Jamie has tormented her since grade school and she’s done taking her crap. She tells Jamie no it's not her style. She’s a long-term kind of gal. Not only that, but she tells her she’s not into the local dating scene, either. That it's so, she didn’t know, passé, didn’t she think?
She is such a “B” and wants to meet her date but he has already dipped out. So she tried to wait her out but Jamie wouldn’t leave the restroom first. So, she follows Gracelyn closely as she gets to the end of the hallway and surveys the bar she only knows one person in the whole place, Mack her mom’s next-door neighbor. She struts confidently right up to Mack’s side, Jamie right behind her like her personal shadow. Hopefully, she can’t smell the BS she’s about to sling. “Hey, babe.”
She slides up close to Mack, resting her hand on his forearm as if they’ve known each other for years. They have just not in a touchy-feely dating kind of way. “Hey, Gracelyn. Everything okay?” He cocks an eyebrow, a smirk dancing on his full lips. “Yeah, the bathroom was fine. Clean. All good. The bartender didn’t come back with my drink yet?” She waves at the server, leaning over the wooden bar in Mack’s direction. “Just go with it, okay? I’ll pay you back.” “Ahem.” Jamie clears her throat, and Gracelyn glances over his shoulder.
“Oh, you’re still here?” Gracelyn wrinkles her nose and she stiffens, tipping her chin up. “Hey. I’m Jamie.” She tries Fawning all over Mack saying she sees him every day at practice and he’s like, Oh yeah, I've never seen you there. Gracelyn exclaims, OMG! Now you’re stalking the high schoolers?
Jamie said, No she was assistant Coach for the dance team. Then she asked how long they had been dating. “We were keeping things kind of chill this summer.” Mack then snakes his arm around Gracelyn’s hips and pulls her closer to him.
She tries not to panic as her ass brushes against his thick thigh and his fingers palm the round globe of her ass. Welcome to their decade meet-cute. Such an amazing emotional rom-com. Age gap for sure with a foiled one-off.
April 27, 2025
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐
Calling the Shots by Kara Kendrick is my first book from this author. This book is also second in the Thunder Creek Series. As someone who didn’t read the first book in the series, I wasn’t lost at all at what happened before. She gave background to the people who did show up from book one but the focus for this book was Mack and Gracelyn.
I wanted to love these two, as it sounded like a couple I would love from start to finish. Let me start with the bad first. I get it, these two have a bunch of chemistry, and when you have chemistry like that, you do find it hard to keep your hands to yourself. But it was almost like they were having a spicy scene ALL THE TIME. I was almost half the way through the book, and they had four scenes already. Since they were just having the spice, they didn’t take time to talk, and when she went to meet his family, it was like she knew nothing about him, which she didn’t because they never talked. I will see it wasn’t his whole family that was against her. His dad did seem to be more on board with the relationship from the start compared to everyone else.
Now for the good. Gracelyn doesn’t have high confidence at times in the book. Being a petite curvy girl myself, I get where she comes from. Even tho you are an adult, those moments of low confidence slips in, and it doesn’t help that the mean girl she had in high school is still around in the town acting like the typical mean girl. What was nice was that Mack was there to tell her she is perfect just as she was, and she didn’t need to change.
The other moment I didn’t care for was at the football games. I get adding it into the story, but it was almost like the whole game was written, not just a few of the highlights. Here is one more good thing to even out the bad. There was no true third-act break-up up and that was very nice to see, and the way they got happily ever after was also great to see.
Given everything, I thought of Calling the Shots. I have to give this book three stars. It just wasn’t that great, and like I said, a good first half of it was just pure spice, and that is great, but that is something I didn’t think this book would have a lot of in the first half of the book. All of the spice gets this book to a Spice Level of three chili peppers. The second half has more depth to the book, but it was a bit too late for that.
Calling the shots is available wherever you get your books, and if you are a Kindle Unlimited member, this book is included in your membership.
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐
Calling the Shots by Kara Kendrick is my first book from this author. This book is also second in the Thunder Creek Series. As someone who didn’t read the first book in the series, I wasn’t lost at all at what happened before. She gave background to the people who did show up from book one but the focus for this book was Mack and Gracelyn.
I wanted to love these two, as it sounded like a couple I would love from start to finish. Let me start with the bad first. I get it, these two have a bunch of chemistry, and when you have chemistry like that, you do find it hard to keep your hands to yourself. But it was almost like they were having a spicy scene ALL THE TIME. I was almost half the way through the book, and they had four scenes already. Since they were just having the spice, they didn’t take time to talk, and when she went to meet his family, it was like she knew nothing about him, which she didn’t because they never talked. I will see it wasn’t his whole family that was against her. His dad did seem to be more on board with the relationship from the start compared to everyone else.
Now for the good. Gracelyn doesn’t have high confidence at times in the book. Being a petite curvy girl myself, I get where she comes from. Even tho you are an adult, those moments of low confidence slips in, and it doesn’t help that the mean girl she had in high school is still around in the town acting like the typical mean girl. What was nice was that Mack was there to tell her she is perfect just as she was, and she didn’t need to change.
The other moment I didn’t care for was at the football games. I get adding it into the story, but it was almost like the whole game was written, not just a few of the highlights. Here is one more good thing to even out the bad. There was no true third-act break-up up and that was very nice to see, and the way they got happily ever after was also great to see.
Given everything, I thought of Calling the Shots. I have to give this book three stars. It just wasn’t that great, and like I said, a good first half of it was just pure spice, and that is great, but that is something I didn’t think this book would have a lot of in the first half of the book. All of the spice gets this book to a Spice Level of three chili peppers. The second half has more depth to the book, but it was a bit too late for that.
Calling the shots is available wherever you get your books, and if you are a Kindle Unlimited member, this book is included in your membership.
May 8, 2025
⭐️ARC REVIEW⭐️
♡”𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖…𝕨𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕡 𝕒 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥’𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖.” ♡
This is my second read by Kara Kendrick and it was a really sweet, quick read. Pretty low drama, and a fun age gap/off limits romance.
Gracelyn is the sweet, heart of gold, plus sized, spunky hairdresser FMC. Our sweet girl is out on an awful date…he leaves her without saying a word….seriously…MEN 🤨. She’s about to just go home and lick her wounds when date plays a cruel trick on her and puts her high school bully and her 2 friends directly in her path. She may be 30 years old, but these mean girls are ruthless, and it honestly doesn’t matter how old you are…when your self esteem is as low as Gracelyn’s after years of bullying, it still hurts just as bad as when you are 16. In a panic she scans the restaurant and finds a familiar face. Her mom’s neighbor who also happens to be the best friend of her best friends dad…and the hot local football coach. She makes a snap decision and walks up to him, pretending he’s her boyfriend and seals the deal with a fake kiss.
Mack… the resident grumpy, 40 year old football coach and carpenter is taken off guard but rolls with it. Standing up for Gracelyn and putting these bullies in their place…and I loved every second of it! After that they enter a sort of fake dating/friends with benefits situation which has the pages burning with sexual tension.
As cute and fun as the book was, I didn’t feel like there was much plot. And I hate saying that because I truly love Kara’s writing. It seemed like from get they were all about each other in the physical sense which is COMPLETELY FINE…but it just morphed into a real relationship with no discussion. And I mean literally no discussion. They do very little other than 🥵🥵 and then they are in a relationship and she’s meeting the parents, sitting there as they are talking and asking questions and she’s like 🥲 “I don’t know anything”. I needed more of a discussion between them. Literally a discussion on anything would have been good. It just felt like the sexual chemistry was there but nothing else. And listen….I love my spicy. Give me all the spice. But there was SO MUCH. it felt like the first 50% of the book was just that and nothing else. It got repetitive and I needed them to take a snack break. Go outside and breathe. Please 🙏🏼 😩😂
The age gap seemed to be an issue for them which I didn’t understand. They were both very much so adults but it felt like the age gap was brought up every other paragraph and it had me screaming. There was some family drama…one secret that could have easily been avoided if they communicated but instead they broke up and got back together. I feel, personally, that given their ages, they could have handled things in a more mature way. I give grace when we are dealing with younger 20’s but in our 40s? We should understand how to communicate better. It seemed avoidable. AGAIN…this is just me.
I did really love how Mack helped Gracelyn build up her confidence. Showing her that she was perfect just as she was. I really loved how Kara explored the insecurities that so many of us have with comparing ourselves to others and not feeling good enough. Or feeling like we have to look or act a certain way to be loved. Mack helped show Gracelyn that she was everything he wanted inside and out and it was a really sweet way to watch them grow together ❤️
🏈Football Romance
💇🏻♀️Small Town
🏈Age Gap
💇🏻♀️Curvy Heroine
🏈Blue Collar Hero
💇🏻♀️Fake Dating
🏈FWB to Lovers
💇🏻♀️Off-Limits
🏈Grumpy x Sunshine
💇🏻♀️Bullies
🏈3rd Act Breakup
💇🏻♀️HEA
🏈Secrets
♡”𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖…𝕨𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕡 𝕒 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥’𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖.” ♡
This is my second read by Kara Kendrick and it was a really sweet, quick read. Pretty low drama, and a fun age gap/off limits romance.
Gracelyn is the sweet, heart of gold, plus sized, spunky hairdresser FMC. Our sweet girl is out on an awful date…he leaves her without saying a word….seriously…MEN 🤨. She’s about to just go home and lick her wounds when date plays a cruel trick on her and puts her high school bully and her 2 friends directly in her path. She may be 30 years old, but these mean girls are ruthless, and it honestly doesn’t matter how old you are…when your self esteem is as low as Gracelyn’s after years of bullying, it still hurts just as bad as when you are 16. In a panic she scans the restaurant and finds a familiar face. Her mom’s neighbor who also happens to be the best friend of her best friends dad…and the hot local football coach. She makes a snap decision and walks up to him, pretending he’s her boyfriend and seals the deal with a fake kiss.
Mack… the resident grumpy, 40 year old football coach and carpenter is taken off guard but rolls with it. Standing up for Gracelyn and putting these bullies in their place…and I loved every second of it! After that they enter a sort of fake dating/friends with benefits situation which has the pages burning with sexual tension.
As cute and fun as the book was, I didn’t feel like there was much plot. And I hate saying that because I truly love Kara’s writing. It seemed like from get they were all about each other in the physical sense which is COMPLETELY FINE…but it just morphed into a real relationship with no discussion. And I mean literally no discussion. They do very little other than 🥵🥵 and then they are in a relationship and she’s meeting the parents, sitting there as they are talking and asking questions and she’s like 🥲 “I don’t know anything”. I needed more of a discussion between them. Literally a discussion on anything would have been good. It just felt like the sexual chemistry was there but nothing else. And listen….I love my spicy. Give me all the spice. But there was SO MUCH. it felt like the first 50% of the book was just that and nothing else. It got repetitive and I needed them to take a snack break. Go outside and breathe. Please 🙏🏼 😩😂
The age gap seemed to be an issue for them which I didn’t understand. They were both very much so adults but it felt like the age gap was brought up every other paragraph and it had me screaming. There was some family drama…one secret that could have easily been avoided if they communicated but instead they broke up and got back together. I feel, personally, that given their ages, they could have handled things in a more mature way. I give grace when we are dealing with younger 20’s but in our 40s? We should understand how to communicate better. It seemed avoidable. AGAIN…this is just me.
I did really love how Mack helped Gracelyn build up her confidence. Showing her that she was perfect just as she was. I really loved how Kara explored the insecurities that so many of us have with comparing ourselves to others and not feeling good enough. Or feeling like we have to look or act a certain way to be loved. Mack helped show Gracelyn that she was everything he wanted inside and out and it was a really sweet way to watch them grow together ❤️
🏈Football Romance
💇🏻♀️Small Town
🏈Age Gap
💇🏻♀️Curvy Heroine
🏈Blue Collar Hero
💇🏻♀️Fake Dating
🏈FWB to Lovers
💇🏻♀️Off-Limits
🏈Grumpy x Sunshine
💇🏻♀️Bullies
🏈3rd Act Breakup
💇🏻♀️HEA
🏈Secrets
April 28, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Calling the Shots by Kara Kendrick was a fun read that I was able to complete in a couple of settings. I love when a book is easy to get into and holds my attention to the point I can’t put it down. I probably could have finished it sooner, but you know responsibilities were calling and I had to at least answer a few of them. Being my first book by Kara, I went in with no expectations, but quickly found myself loving her writing style, the MCs, and the overall storyline of this book.
Gracelyn (Gracie) was a sweet and vibrant FMC. After being ditched on a date, she happens to run into her old high school nemesis. Perfect timing! In order to not have to put up with the still mean girl jabs, she looks for a way out. She quickly finds it when she sees her mom’s grumpy neighbor, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She quickly pretends to be on a date with him and thankfully he plays along.
Mack never thought he would end up on a pretend date with his neighbor’s daughter, but isn’t mad about it. Now he can’t get her off his mind. Being ten years older, he isn’t sure how it could work. But the more they hang out and get to know each other, the more he can’t help but feel protective of her. But a secret of his own threatens to tear them apart and he isn’t sure how to share this part of him with Gracie.
These two are beyond sweet and hot together! The chemistry is obvious, the heat hits early, and the relationship is fire! I couldn’t get enough of these two as they go from acquaintances, to friends with benefits, to so much more. Kara gave us two characters that were easy to connect with, root for, and blush over. And due to Mack’s career, Gracie was able to get some redo’s on high school events that she doesn’t have great memories of. And man oh man, the kinks in this book (iykyk) will make you smile so hard your cheeks will hurt for days!
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
🏈Age Gap
💙Curvy FMC
🏈Blue Collar MMC
💙Football Romance
🏈Small Town Romance
💙Next Door Neighbors to More
🏈Grumpy x Sunshine
Calling the Shots by Kara Kendrick was a fun read that I was able to complete in a couple of settings. I love when a book is easy to get into and holds my attention to the point I can’t put it down. I probably could have finished it sooner, but you know responsibilities were calling and I had to at least answer a few of them. Being my first book by Kara, I went in with no expectations, but quickly found myself loving her writing style, the MCs, and the overall storyline of this book.
Gracelyn (Gracie) was a sweet and vibrant FMC. After being ditched on a date, she happens to run into her old high school nemesis. Perfect timing! In order to not have to put up with the still mean girl jabs, she looks for a way out. She quickly finds it when she sees her mom’s grumpy neighbor, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She quickly pretends to be on a date with him and thankfully he plays along.
Mack never thought he would end up on a pretend date with his neighbor’s daughter, but isn’t mad about it. Now he can’t get her off his mind. Being ten years older, he isn’t sure how it could work. But the more they hang out and get to know each other, the more he can’t help but feel protective of her. But a secret of his own threatens to tear them apart and he isn’t sure how to share this part of him with Gracie.
These two are beyond sweet and hot together! The chemistry is obvious, the heat hits early, and the relationship is fire! I couldn’t get enough of these two as they go from acquaintances, to friends with benefits, to so much more. Kara gave us two characters that were easy to connect with, root for, and blush over. And due to Mack’s career, Gracie was able to get some redo’s on high school events that she doesn’t have great memories of. And man oh man, the kinks in this book (iykyk) will make you smile so hard your cheeks will hurt for days!
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
🏈Age Gap
💙Curvy FMC
🏈Blue Collar MMC
💙Football Romance
🏈Small Town Romance
💙Next Door Neighbors to More
🏈Grumpy x Sunshine
April 17, 2025
2.5 stars rounded up
I loved that we dove right in to the story. I appreciated that it was an immediate case of please pretend to be my boyfriend. But then it all kind of went downhill for me. They had no real connection past the spice. The last 10% or so did get better. So basically the first 10% and last 10% was all I liked.
Why is the 10 year age gap such a big deal when they are 40 and 30? I thought it was gonna be like 20 and 30 or 20 and 40. Friends, no one cares if a 40 year old dates a 30 year old. If they do they’re weird.
Rizzing? No 40 year old says rizzing.
Gracelyn being shocked she didn’t know much about Mack’s past was laughable because she never thought to ask? That whole part was annoying. She was too busy hooking up with him every 5 seconds to learn anything about his past yet she was “in love.”
But his family WAS awful. However, she acted like a 12 year old about it instead of, oh I don’t know, TALKING TO HER BOYFRIEND. He outright asked her what he should address with all of them and she wouldn’t tell him and then lied to him. When she finally stood up for herself I was cheering her on only for her to act like a child 2 seconds later and run away.
Gracelyn came across really immature at times. I’m 32 and I cannot imagine saying or doing many of the things she did. The whole mean girl thing with Jamie felt very high school. At least Tinsley and the sister it made sense because of who they were.
Actually both she and Mack felt more like 20 year olds than 30 and 40. Mack not standing up for her when he knows how horrible his family is was gross. But he also only heard the small bits because she wouldn’t tell him the rest. I was happy when he did finally tell all of them off.
Mack only ever talked about how hot she was. They seemed to only connect physically.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved that we dove right in to the story. I appreciated that it was an immediate case of please pretend to be my boyfriend. But then it all kind of went downhill for me. They had no real connection past the spice. The last 10% or so did get better. So basically the first 10% and last 10% was all I liked.
Why is the 10 year age gap such a big deal when they are 40 and 30? I thought it was gonna be like 20 and 30 or 20 and 40. Friends, no one cares if a 40 year old dates a 30 year old. If they do they’re weird.
Rizzing? No 40 year old says rizzing.
Gracelyn being shocked she didn’t know much about Mack’s past was laughable because she never thought to ask? That whole part was annoying. She was too busy hooking up with him every 5 seconds to learn anything about his past yet she was “in love.”
But his family WAS awful. However, she acted like a 12 year old about it instead of, oh I don’t know, TALKING TO HER BOYFRIEND. He outright asked her what he should address with all of them and she wouldn’t tell him and then lied to him. When she finally stood up for herself I was cheering her on only for her to act like a child 2 seconds later and run away.
Gracelyn came across really immature at times. I’m 32 and I cannot imagine saying or doing many of the things she did. The whole mean girl thing with Jamie felt very high school. At least Tinsley and the sister it made sense because of who they were.
Actually both she and Mack felt more like 20 year olds than 30 and 40. Mack not standing up for her when he knows how horrible his family is was gross. But he also only heard the small bits because she wouldn’t tell him the rest. I was happy when he did finally tell all of them off.
Mack only ever talked about how hot she was. They seemed to only connect physically.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2025
I enjoyed this smalltown sportsromance, but I wouldn't classify it as a forbidden love story. Yes, there is a slight age difference between a mature couple and Mack is the friend and co-coach of Gracelyn's best friend's father and her mother's neighbor but that doesn't really matter. For me it's more of an opposites attract story with a brooding hero who managed to escape his old life and a curvy, sassy heroine who suffers from insecurities. The protagonists are endearing and the chemistry between them crackles right from the start. I liked how Mack loosened up and how he stood by Gracelyn and gave her confidence. Their relationship is romantic, loving and very spicy.
When hairstylist Gracelyn Reynolds is once again on a botched date, she runs into her nemesis, of all people, who has been bullying her since school days. When she wants to meet Gracelyn‘s date, who has already left, Gracelyn turns to the only man she knows present and introduces him as her boyfriend. Carpenter and football coach Mack McIntire is her mother's brooding neighbor, the friend of her best friend’s father and ten years older, but he plays along and helps Gracelyn out of a jam. Although the two have known each other for some time, they suddenly feel attracted to each other. A one night stand turns into a fling and more, but not everyone is happy about their relationship...
Overall, an enjoyable, light read in a typical small town setting with very likable characters, a few obstacles to overcome and plenty of steamy love scenes that I'm happy to recommend!
Thank you Kara Kendrick and Valentine Press for the ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.
#KaraKendrick #ThunderCreek #RomanticComedy #SportsRomance #SmallTownRomance #Valentineprlm @valentine_pr_
When hairstylist Gracelyn Reynolds is once again on a botched date, she runs into her nemesis, of all people, who has been bullying her since school days. When she wants to meet Gracelyn‘s date, who has already left, Gracelyn turns to the only man she knows present and introduces him as her boyfriend. Carpenter and football coach Mack McIntire is her mother's brooding neighbor, the friend of her best friend’s father and ten years older, but he plays along and helps Gracelyn out of a jam. Although the two have known each other for some time, they suddenly feel attracted to each other. A one night stand turns into a fling and more, but not everyone is happy about their relationship...
Overall, an enjoyable, light read in a typical small town setting with very likable characters, a few obstacles to overcome and plenty of steamy love scenes that I'm happy to recommend!
Thank you Kara Kendrick and Valentine Press for the ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.
#KaraKendrick #ThunderCreek #RomanticComedy #SportsRomance #SmallTownRomance #Valentineprlm @valentine_pr_
April 24, 2025
Calling the Shots was a quick, easy read. I liked the age gap aspect. It felt well done and I felt invested in their relationship. I really loved the premise of the story. When Mack helped Gracelyn out on her date so the town mean girl wouldn’t know she got ditched I was pumped! I was excited to see how things would play out. However, the execution left me wanting.
Mack and Gracelyn were pretty obsessed with each other fairly early on. I hoped we would get to see them really get to know each other, but almost all of their interactions were them having sex or was just a lead up to them having sex. At one point Gracelyn tells Mack that she doesn’t want to be his f*** buddy and he tells her she isn’t and how he really likes her and thinks she’s great, but every interaction after that for a while was just them hooking up. I have no problem with characters that have sex, but when you keep talking about and thinking about how wonderful the other person is and how you’ve never met anyone like them it would be nice if you actually got to know them as a person for once. They did eventually start doing more than hooking up and went on a couple dates, but it all felt very surface level.
Mack was pretty stuck on their ten year age gap so I really thought that would come into play as an issue for them later, but it never did. The actual issues hit in the last 7 or so chapters of the book and caused more drama for them than I expected.
Overall the story was really cute, but it missed the mark for me. I think maybe this just wasn’t the book for me and I’m sure other people will really like it.
Thank you Valentine PR for the chance to read and review this book.
Mack and Gracelyn were pretty obsessed with each other fairly early on. I hoped we would get to see them really get to know each other, but almost all of their interactions were them having sex or was just a lead up to them having sex. At one point Gracelyn tells Mack that she doesn’t want to be his f*** buddy and he tells her she isn’t and how he really likes her and thinks she’s great, but every interaction after that for a while was just them hooking up. I have no problem with characters that have sex, but when you keep talking about and thinking about how wonderful the other person is and how you’ve never met anyone like them it would be nice if you actually got to know them as a person for once. They did eventually start doing more than hooking up and went on a couple dates, but it all felt very surface level.
Mack was pretty stuck on their ten year age gap so I really thought that would come into play as an issue for them later, but it never did. The actual issues hit in the last 7 or so chapters of the book and caused more drama for them than I expected.
Overall the story was really cute, but it missed the mark for me. I think maybe this just wasn’t the book for me and I’m sure other people will really like it.
Thank you Valentine PR for the chance to read and review this book.
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