A Wild Card Kiss

Ballers and Babes #3

by Lauren Blakely

A sexy standalone romance between a single dad athlete and the woman who got away!

Things that suck on my wedding day -- walking in on my groom kissing another woman twenty minutes before the ceremony.

Things that suck worse? The woman he’s kissing is my mom.

I head straight for the bowling alley bar down the street and ask for a double. And in walks a deliciously charming local football hero -- Harlan Taylor.

Yes, I’ll take another drink in the form of a one-night stand with this hunk of a man. In the morning, he asks if I want to get together again. More rebound nookie? Yes please!

But then I learn his football team just hired my yoga studio to teach downward facing dog to their star player, making my O-delivering hottie officially off limits.

Trouble is, the more time I spend working with the sexy single dad who dotes on his daughter, the more I’m feeling all the things far too soon.

There’s no way this can end well, but tell that to my runaway heart…

A Wild Card Kiss is a sexy, flirty sports romance featuring a charming, pie-baking, single dad who's never forgotten the red-hot kiss he planted on the feisty, sassy blonde one night years ago and a jilted bride heroine determined to move on from heartbreak. This story contains sexy times that can cure getting-left-at-the-altar blues, and heart-tugging swoony romance that’ll melt the most jaded hearts.

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

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2022

About the author

You can find Lauren on TikTok at @laurenblakelybooks! A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

Reviews

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the easiness of this storyline and it was perfectly matched with what I think LB was trying to convey … if it is meant to be, it will be, and trust the universe when it’s trying to tell you something. Harlan and Katie trusted the universe and their story turned out to be flirty and cute. So, I enjoyed it, yes, but it just did not capture my attention.

From the blurb ...

Things that suck on my wedding day -- walking in on my groom kissing another woman twenty minutes before the ceremony.
Things that suck worse? The woman he’s kissing is my mom.

You can imagine my surprise when even that plot point was kind of anticlimactic. I expected something out of it to pop and at least make me gasp … but no, it just happened and … scene. Nothing overly dramatic kept me turning the pages. There just was no wow factor for me BUT I didn’t not like it, so there’s that. I don’t want to go on and on about my blasé feels on the story, but I do want to point one other thing out.

I read an ARC of this story about two weeks before the audio released, and me being the extra human that I am, when it did, I used a credit to listen to it. You might be asking yourself why on earth I would do that if I wasn’t wow’d by the story when I read it. Well, I did that because I have found that a lot of times, how you feel about a story can change when you listen to a narrated version of it, especially an LB story. There is no author out there that does audio as good as her. She is a queen with this. Anywho, you wanna know what happened … swoonfest, that’s what happened.

I don’t have the answer on how or why this sometimes happens, but it does, and it did. So, I guess what the takeaway from this review is not so much how I felt indifferent about Harlan and Katie’s story when I read it, but how utterly smitten I felt when I listened to it.

These are my 2 cents on this story. Don't spend them all in one place :)

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those two were the perfect example of
right person, wrong time

[Cassandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Harlan and Katie meet at a wedding, exchange kisses and orgasms and then Katie moves away. Seven years later they run into each other again as Katie is left at the altar by her fiance. They hook up but then become co-workers (the theme of this series really) and so are unable to date despite their considerable mutual attraction.

I really liked both Harlan and Katie in their brief appearances in the previous book. Unfortunately, their story was just all about "doing the right thing" and not dating even though they wanted to. There was so much repetition about doing the right thing to the point I no longer even felt like they had any connection or chemistry by about a third of the way into the book. Where was the pining? the angst? The irresistible heat we had with the other couples? Clearly it went wildly missing here which was a shame.

I stuck it out (though sorely tempted not to) mainly for something for listen to in the car. Though, tbh, I nearly stopped so many times before I simply drove off the road to break the unrelieved boredom of this story.

The narration was great but not one of LB's better efforts.

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary
Tropes:
➵sports | football
➵single parent
➵second chance
➵forbidden romance
Other info: Dual POV with a happy ending!

Lauren Blakely launches her Happy Endings series with A Wild Card Kiss which follows football star Harlan Taylor and Katie Madigan, a woman who he met and hit it off with several years, but their timing wasn’t right.

It’s been almost eight years since that night at their friend’s wedding. Harlan is not a single dad trying to balance his job and parenthood. Katie’s professional life is outstanding, while her personal life is in the dumps. But fate has put them in each other’s path once more, can they find a way to make it work this time around?

I am WILDLY in love with Harlan Taylor and Lauren Blakely’s writing. Harlan was magnetic in the first chapters, but as a pie-baking single dad he’s a melt your heart, swoon inducing hero. Katie is just as perfect. She’s a sassy and strong heroine, I loved for her mettle.

Sweet swoons and huge smiles guaranteed! Think "The Way You Look Tonight" feels. I even made a Frank playlist! I can always count on Lauren to deliver stellar chemistry and banter, as well as charming characters I can’t help fall for.

I can’t wait to read whatever Lauren publishes next!

By the numbers quick review:
★ Character dev: 👤👤👤👤👤
★ Plot: 📚📚📚📚
★ World building: 📚📚📚📚
★ Romance: 💕💕💕💕💕
★ Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
★ Overall Rating: 4.6

Amazon -> https://amzn.to/34YdwiP

★ I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Candi Kane. The excerpts are from that copy.
★ Check out all my book edits over at Instagram

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A right person, wrong time romance between a football star/single dad & yoga instructor/jilted bride that will have you swooning & rooting for love!

Harlan & Katie meet at a wedding & immediately hit it off. They make plans to go on a date later but it doesn’t work out since Katie moves to another state. 8 years later their paths cross again at a random bar after Katie gets stood up at the alter (because she found out her fiancé was cheating WITH HER MOM!!!!). And then their opportunity to see eachother increased when Katie gets hired on by Harlan’s football team to help the players relax & stretch!

I absolutely ate this audio up & loveddddddd Erin Mallon & Zachery Webber! They did fantastic & the story was so good. I swear I audibly gasped so many times because the beginning was WILD!!!

Type: audio
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Football romance
Single dad
Second chance
Forced proximity
Student x teacher vibes

[Amy [Book Addict Reviews] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It was swoony, it was spicy, and it was hilarious.

Harlan and Katie are all about missed chances from the moment they meet. However, after seven years a lot has changed in both their lives, but somehow, they managed to find each other again and things pick up from there.

The chemistry is OFF THE CHARTS. Each and every time they reconnect the sparks are flying between them. Seven years did nothing to change that. Katie and Harlan are perfect for each other though. They balance each other out and they just work so well together. I loved Harlan’s relationship with his daughter, it was absolutely adorable! Also, Harlan bakes!? YES PLEASE!!!

From start to finish this book had me hooked and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved all the characters and I am looking forward to the rest of this series!

If you’re looking for a second chance, single dad, sports romance this is one to read!

[Michele McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always certain that when I dive into a Lauren book that I will fall in love with the characters, and she will give me a great time with them. Harlan and Katie are just fun, sweet, swoon worthy, sexy and have wonderfully witty sexually charged banter.
This is a tale of missed chances and fickle fate but do not despair the Harlan and Katie worlds will soon align. Get ready for a handsome, swoon worthy football player who is not looking for love and A sassy, beautiful spitfire that is about to give him a run for his money and heart!
~~Michele McMullen ~~

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

A Wild Card Kiss is a fun, fresh romantic comedy between a single dad sports star and the girl who got away. Before I talk about this story though, I need to mention the prologue novella, A Wild Card Night, that is included and sets the stage for this heartwarming love story.

In A Wild Card Night, Katie and Harlan meet at a wedding and there is an instant spark. They give us just a taste of heat and plan to see each other again soon. With a Tuesday night date on the book, they part ways at the end of the night. Only, that date never comes because life gets in the way.

Fast forward seven years and we dive into A Wild Card Kiss. When Katie and Harlan meet again, they still have that spark and they share an amazing night but they know that they aren’t really in a place to date. Months later seems like the perfect time but things change again when Katie is hired to work with Harlan’s sports team. Now, the connection they hoped to explore is forbidden so they try hard to push a relationship from their minds.

Harlan and Katie are awesome. Harlan is an incredible dad and I fell for him the moment he showed us how much he loves his daughter, Abby. I love his involvement with her and his relationship with her mother. He has his priorities straight and I found it very sexy. Katie has worked hard to make the yoga company she owns with her sister a success. She thinks of everyone else and doesn’t have a selfish bone in her body. I love that she knows what she wants and goes after it, and that she is always up for a challenge.

Harlan and Katie are so good on their own, but they are perfect for each other. Their chemistry is smoking hot and the sexual tension is palpable. It skyrockets when they start working together, however, since they can’t act on their feelings, it gives them time to really get to know each other. I love how much fun they have together and the time they spend being themselves. They are real and natural with each other, and there isn't any drama.

Overall, I adored this book. I loved that Katie and Harlan got their chance to be together and I can't wait for more from this series!

*ARC generously provided by the author and Candi Kane PR*

[READ ME ROMANCE · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing is for certain; whenever I read a book by Lauren Blakely I know without a doubt I am going to love the characters. And I do. Every single time. Harlan Taylor is our hero in A Wild Card Kiss, and meets our heroine, yoga instructor and business owner, Katie Madigan, who meet on the night of her would be wedding.

As you know from the overview, it’s her mom who causes her the most pain and thankfully, she runs into pro-football player Harlan who helps her take her mind of things. Lauren has a gift for comedic writing that is filled with flirty banter and sexual tension. It will keep you turning the pages and wanting more.

But even though it seems like kismet, these two happen to be in the right place and the right time, and their connection is unlike anything she ever felt with "he who shall not be named," it was just not their time.

Fast forward seven years later and Harlan is a single dad. And as much as I loved him before, that isn’t even close to how I feel about him after reading what an awesome hands-on dad he is to his adorable six-year-old daughter, Abby. Ovary explosion. He is so sweet and I really admired his relationship with Abby’s mother whom he never married.

When Katie walks into his life a second time, it’s like no time has passed, and although they are both hesitant, they ease right back into their natural rhythm and desperate longing. Lauren writes steamy times that will have you fanning yourself, and Harlan and Katie burn up the pages. Katie is independent, strong, and successful. She easily blended into Harlan’s life and I love how they were friends first and how well they got along. She deserved it, especially after how she had been treated by her mom and her ex, and he deserved to be loved completely, too.

Where this book felt short for me though was the conflict, the reason they couldn’t be together after they reconnected after seven years. Unfortunately, I didn’t believe it and found it very unrealistic, especially since they were both in their mid-thirties. It was so minor and they had options such as telling management they were in a relationship rather that giving it all up or waiting even longer until the season ended.

I don’t want to give too much away, but it all worked out in the end. Katie came through with a giant grand gesture that had me smiling ear to ear. I especially enjoyed the epilogue into the future, and meeting new characters that will be featured in future books.

[Ana | SheSaidYestoBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

The chemistry and sparks between the two characters were strong. The characters were likeable, and their banter was so fun. Only one thing annoyed me a bit here— it was never the right time for these two. Ugh! And I couldn’t wait to finally see them together.

A Wild Card Kiss was a really fun read and Harlan and Katie were ADORABLE together! It was romantic, swoony and steamy. Harlan is the man every woman wants! 🙌🏻

Oh! Just one more thing. Who has a mother like Katie’s doesn’t need any more enemies in life. 😒 Man, that woman was so out of it!! What a selfish B-I-T-C-H!!

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harlan and Katie’s first try at a relationship was a case of right person wrong time but when they meet again years later after Katie’s life is in such shambles but the chemistry is even stronger after all these years and exactly what they both needed!

[Elisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

a third time is a charm sports romance.

if you're looking for a low angst romance with a sexy single dad, this is for you

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn’t like this at all. There was waaaay too much dialogue and the story just didn’t flow.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars: ⭐ 3.5 ⭐

Main characters:
- Katie :❣️❣️❣️
- Harlan: ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

POV: The story is told from Katie and Harlan's POV

Writing: ✍️✍️✍️ The writing and the story were better in the first half of the book, but overall it was a cute, fast and fun read.

Romance: Swoony and sports romance, insta-lust, second chance, single dad

Chemistry: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

OW/OM drama: No

Love triangle: No

Cheating: Yes, but not between the main characters.

Triggers: No

Funny moments: Yes

Sad moments: No

Favorite characters: Harlan. He is so fun and sweet and sooo sexy.

The ending: Happy ending

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Harlan peers at my dress.
“Got a zipper on that?”
An idea bursts before me, bright and powerful.
“Rip it off,” I urge.
He lifts one questioning brow.
“You want me to tear off your dress? You sure?”
The idea takes a delicious, cathartic hold of me. I need this. I have to have it. I grab a handful of the chiffon skirt.
“I’m not wearing this again. I promise.”
“Do you want to sell it?”
Just like I need to have him tonight, I need him to shred this dress from my body.
“No. I want you to tear it off me.”
He gives a slow and sexy shrug.
“What the lady wants . . .”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Get up here now, woman. I am starving for you."
I tell her as she straddles me, and I grab her hips. With a laugh, she says:
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
“No, that’s what you’ll be doing in a couple minutes.”
“Let’s see about that.”
She teases as she reaches my shoulders. I loop my arms around her, grab her ass, tug her close.
“You doubt me? I can’t wait to prove you wrong. You’ll be coming in three minutes, sweetheart.”

[Jess - Reader of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wild Card Kiss by Lauren Blakely
📗Ballers and Babes, Book 3
📚Interconnected Standalone
🏈Adult • Sports Romance
📖320 Pages
🗓️December 2

🏈football/yoga romance
📍right person, wrong time
🏈second chance
📍forbidden romance
🏈single dad
📍workplace romance
🏈no 3rd act breakup

When an author grabs a trope you don’t like and makes you fall heads over heels for it — and the book — you know that they are just going to become a top author for you. And that’s exactly what happened with Lauren Blakely.

I’ve been wanting to read her books for the longest time. But ARCs and life and whatnot has delayed that moment until this past week. I was so lucky to get an ARC for the rerelease of A Wild Card Kiss... which has one of my most disliked tropes: right person, wrong time(s). But what do you know, I can now say that is a lie and RPWT is actually super fun — and quite emotional *my poor babies* — and no longer at the top of “please avoid” list.

Lauren Blakely worked her magic and made me love the trope, the characters, the plot, the whole thing. I’d say it made me love football but no help was needed there 😂 This book was fun, light, breezy. It pulled at my heartstrings with no heaviness, which made this THE perfect read for a holiday week.

[logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ★

A romance that’ll make you believe in fate and perfect timing! Katie and Harlan meet at the wedding of a mutual friend, they click instantly and end up having the best night together. They agree to a date the following week, but unfortunately life gets in the way and Katie ends up moving across the country before they get a chance. Seven years later, Katie’s would-be wedding day ends up in disaster and fate puts her and Harlan at the same bar, giving them the chance to reunite. Their connection is still just as strong all these years later, is it the perfect opportunity for a second chance?

This book was so cute and it was so fun to be back with characters I’ve met in Lauren’s other books! (especially cooper ❤️‍🔥) Harlan is a single dad and, no surprise, I loved that aspect of the story. This was such a fun second chance-esque type of story. A very cute and funny read with tension, spice, and so many swoon worthy moments!

thank you candi kane PR and lauren blakely!

[Carly Rivlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a “right person wrong time” sports romance. It’s cute and fast paced, and I loved Harlan and Katie together. Once I got into the story I was into it, but for some reason it took me a second to get there. Giving it 3.5/5

[Kelly • Kell of a Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ Nothing special, but I love the narrators. Zachary Webber takes dialogue that should be cringey and makes it very seductive or sarcastic and much more enjoyable. I would skip the physical book.

The plot is a little all over the place and some major outside drama gets kind of swept under the rug, but the spice was decent.

-NFL player + Yogi entrepreneur FMC
-More grown up characters (mid 30s)
-Single parent
-instalove and second chance romance
-Right person, wrong time (multiple times)

[Roselyn_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what I was expecting with Harlan and Katie's story, but I can say I am so in love. Lauren never disappoints. Theirs is a story of serendipity, missed opportunities, wrong timing, or pure fate. Harlan and Katie's story spans over a period of about eight. years. When the two of them first met they had an instant physical attraction, but also a connection that it would take them years to recognize and understand. Harlan was at a pivotal point in his professional football career and Katie was beginning to build her yoga empire. They were each focused on their careers and not looking for a serious relationship, but that didn't stop them from engaging in fun and sexy flirtatious banter. Harlan and Katie were equally comfortable with speaking what was on their mind and I loved it. I enjoyed the dialogue between them very much. I love a strong, confident female character and that is exactly what Katie was.

Things didn't always work out with Harlan and Katie. After their first night together, the two never made it to their "second date" until almost eight years later when Harlan, now a single dad to a 6 year old, sees Katie in a bar wearing cowboy boots and a wedding gown. The two share another night, but timing is everything (or is it). Just when Katie and Harlan feel their time has arrived, they hit another bump in the road changing the course of they relationship from romantic to professional. Will Harlan and Katie take a chance? Will they sacrifice it all to finally pursue what began that night almost 8 years ago?

I can't wait for Emerson and Nolan's story. I love this group of friends. The guys are funny and supportive, and the girl gang is one you want on your side. I love them all.

[Andi Isack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh I loved the beginning of this story. It's hot and addicted. So I was really getting excited to the story. But it failed slowly. And it goes on alternating ups and downs. So, overall I'll call it decent, but I have read better stories by this author.
*ARC kindly provided to me in exchange of an honest review *

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon / Apple / Nook / Kobo / Google / Audible

Katie and Harlan keep connecting but the timing is always off. Now in their present they're reconnecting and once again their timing is off. Will they ever be free to be together? Well, it's not looking like it considering she was just hired to work with his football team. But is this football hero and single dad on a collision course with the woman who got away? Can they make it work even though he's off limits?



Charming, sweet and so steamy, this couple is one of my favorites of Lauren's. I think I say that almost every time I read something by her, but I can't help it. Harlan as a dad was delicious, it's no wonder Katie simply couldn't resist him. I loved this couple and really cannot wait for more Happy Endings love.



ARC provided by Candi Kane PR for an honest review.
Ebook also purchased through Amazon.

Review / Release Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.

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[Red Cheeks Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 SMOOCHES!

Lauren Blakely hit the ground running with the first book in the scorching hot new Happy Endings series. Full disclosure, as a long-time reader of Blakely’s, I’ve been waiting for Harlan’s story for years, and it was worth every day of that wait! I listened to the audio, and Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon were perfection. Blakely is truly adept at blending tropes I love into these wonderful romantic comedies or contemporary romances. Part single dad romance, part forbidden romance, this story had a bit of a fated feel and a whole lot of right person, wrong time magic to it. There is a free prequel to this book, A Wild Card Night, which sets the stage of how the hero and heroine meet. I highly recommend reading it first, it really sets the stage for the wild attraction that Katie and Harlan share.

This couple had that kind of sparks-flying instant chemistry that gets my heart racing. But in keeping with Katie’s bad luck in love, timing wasn’t on their side. In a truly vexing turn of events, it seems that Katie and Harlan would be victims of bad timing for quite a while, coming in and out of each other’s lives at precisely the wrong time. That is until fate finally got fed up, and put them together once again while calling for an audible on the field from good old proximity.

I loved Katie, but man, was she done dirty in the love department. She was such a strong, resilient and driven heroine. I loved how she didn’t wallow in the wrongs done to her. She dusted herself off and kept going—landing a seriously sexy hot-shot pro-football player in the process. Harlan, a successful and popular NFL player, was so charming, charismatic and unbelievably handsome. A hands-on, actively involved single father, I absolutely loved his healthy and supportive co-parenting relationship with his daughter’s mother. He clearly adored his daughter, and their adventures in baking made him all the more endearing.

Typically Lauren Blakely’s romances aren’t overly angsty or dramatic. They have just enough of that kind of emotion to keep you hooked without running the reader—I mean the characters—through the wringer. Start-to-finish, Blakely’s romances are always a joy to read. These are the kinds of stories that I eagerly and happily anticipate, the ones that make me happier the more I read. A Wild Card Kiss was a flirty, fiery, feel-good romance that kept me swooning and smiling the whole way through. Mallon and Webber gave stellar performances, perfectly capturing these characters' personalities and bringing them to life in my ears. I practically inhaled Katie and Harlan’s romance, listening to it nearly straight through and only pausing to recharge my Air Pods. I’m so excited about this series! Lauren introduced several characters whose stories I’m really looking forward to reading! Five smooches from me for A Wild Card Kiss by Lauren Blakely!
~Danielle Palumbo

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC Provided by the Author***

4.5 Stars

One of these days, I am going to figure out why I like sports romances when I am not even a little bit interested in sports. At all. In fact. I thought it was funny that I started this one on Super Bowl Sunday...as I was reading romance instead of watching a football game with the rest of the world.

But, as this one is about a football player, and I loved it, I guess this isn't going to be the book that I don't like because the hero is a sports celebrity. And, honestly, I am pretty sure that the next one I read is also not going to be when I stop enjoying them.

Harlan and Katie have a one night stand that goes nowhere because sometimes life and timing of things that happen in life get in the way. Time passes and they see one another again, but more timing. Until finally the timing finally works for them...or until they make it work for them.

And, that is what this book is really about. It's not about timing, or t6aking chances, or taking the things that are in front of you...but learning to recognize when the things you have in front of you are worth enough that you are willing to make them work, even if all sorts of things are making it seem like it would be easier, or better, to walk away and find another path.

This book is about listening to what you want, to what fulfills you and making those decisions that allow you to get to those things and have them in your life...and I think this is one of the reasons that the happily ever after for these 2 feels so right...because they were willing to work for it.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5+ stars

Harlan and Katie have a great story, filled with almost moments until the time is just right! I loved them together from the very start and each missed opportunity only had me wishing they could find their happily ever after the next time around. But it’s also a story about perfect timing, because without their bad timing, Abby would not have been part of the story and I loved her (and Danielle’s) inclusion in the story.

It has been a while since Lauren’s readers were in the San Francisco Renegades’s world of football, but the wait was well worth it! Harlan’s career has been steady and his leadership on the team is strong. But he is also reaching a point where he needs to make some decisions, and his thoughts weigh heavy on him (despite prodding from those around him) as he decides what his future will hold.

These two characters are strong as individuals, which make the most fun reads as couples. They are both driven in their careers and have strong thoughts about their plans for themselves. But just because they are each single doesn’t mean they have been avoiding finding the right someone. But it isn’t until they are together again that they realize there may have been a little bit of fate holding the cards even though neither really believes in that kind of thing.

Even though these two have several near misses (or near hits?) and a long timeline, the story moves quickly and keeps pace throughout. Part of that is the author’s snappy writing style and the rest is the absolute jun they have together. I’ve been in a bit of a reading rut lately and this is one of the stories that has helped pull me back out and reminded me what I love about reading and this genre.

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[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I learned you have to stop looking for the perfect moment and just seize it, instead.”

A Wild Card Kiss is a sweet, steamy and sassy feel-good romance that was so much fun. Harlan and Katie are instantly drawn to one another from the moment they meet, but life keeps getting in their way. Will the third time be the charm?

“I look forward to getting to know you more each day because I like everything I’ve already gotten to know.”

Harlan and Katie are perfection together. While their chemistry and banter was off the charts, I really loved the friendship and ease that they developed with each other. They just naturally fit together and their struggle to keep their relationship professional allowed them to grow together and separately.

Full of steam, laughs, and a bit of angst, this story shows that sometimes you have to make your own way instead of letting life dictate your choices. Harlan and Katie are absolutely adorable and their story was delightful.

[Tanja OMGReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever you read Lauren Blakely you just know you're in for a ride and what a ride these two were.
Talk about missed chances; every time they met it was like fate said; yeaaah not today. Encounter after encounter was better than the last and it built up the anticipation for them to finally fall into each other's arms. And every time they had to separate it was like a punch in the stomach because they were so perfect for each other.

The banter was super flirty and hilarious, chemistry of the charts and the way they were together was so simple and fun and you can't help but feel
Over the moon when they finally can come out and said HEY WE'RE TOGETHER AGAINST ALL ODDS.

This might be my favorite book so far by Lauren Blakely – truly. I don't remember if anyone made me laugh more than these two.
Perfection!

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Lauren deliver's once again with this story! A hot swoon worthy football star, and a sexy, strong woman, when coupled together will melt your heart! 5 touchdowns for this one!
We met Harlan and Katie in A Wild Card Night and I absolutely fell in love with them, they fit so well together, and they seemed like the perfect match for each other. They say timing is everything and for these two, that's what always happened to them, it's just not the right time for them. Now she's his teams yoga instructor and he won't jeopardize her work, and she won't date a client. l
Read along and enjoy their story, and I can't forget to mention he has a daughter now, Abby, who will win your heart! I devoured this book in a day, and as always with Lauren's books, these three totally captivated my heart! Enjoy!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved these characters. Like, loved them. I was dubious about this book at first because it starts with a one-night stand. But that was just laying groundwork for the story, which proved to be a really good one.

And Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon were fabulous on the audio.

[Fallen Star Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner in my book! The author never disappoints and always gives us all the feels in her books and this one was no different! I’m excited to see what comes next from her.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review….Oh how I really and truly enjoyed Harlan and Katie‘s sexy and hilarious love story. This feel- good, sexy, second chance romance was all about timing, steps, and possibilities with a side of naughty fun. Harlan, the devoted single dad football star was definitely not in the market for a relationship, but there was just something about Katie. Even at the very first time they meet, an instant connection that was too hard for both to ignore was made.Their chemistry is off the charts scorching red hot! They clicked instantly the very first time they met at a wedding but fate kept throwing obstacles in their way. Katie, busy building her successful yoga instructing empire, had to move the very next day. Jump forward to 7 years later.. fate brings them together again at a random bar were Katie is drinking her sorrows away after walking in on her fiancé kissing another woman right before they were supposed to exchange their vows. Which leads to an exciting evening on the town and one perfect one night stand. The story has such a great flow, and a delicious slow burn. The phrase , Great things comes to those who wait… was in my mind the whole time. Both being the professionals they are, and having to work together meant hands off. They just vibed so well together, and I was rooting for them the whole time.
Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber did an outstanding job bringing these characters to life. Erin is one of my favorite female narrators and her performance of Katie just confirms again how amazing her range is. She portrayed all of Katie‘s emotions so well from heartbreak, humor, unsureness, flirty and vulnerable that embodies all of Katie‘s personality. She’s always on point with her character. Zachary Webber…. I think this is one of my favorite performances of his in a romcom. There was just something so OnPoint and fantastic on how he performed Harlan. Harlan was so multidimensional from his sweet doting dad, super sexy dirty talk, swoony, self assured (without being a dominating alpha). Don’t get me started on his six-year-old girl voice.. damn adorable!
This is a five star swoon fest that was an easy listen, with no angst and drama! With loveable and relatable characters, Lauren does it to us again. Thank you Lauren for continuing to share that creative brain with us listeners and readers!