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Portland Devils #5
Hell Bent
Even princesses have problems.
That line doesn’t exactly invite sympathy, does it? I was a fairly ersatz princess anyway, although you should try convincing my mother of that. And when I ran away from my family, my tech-bro groom, my almost-Stanford degree, and our fabulous future and right back to my trailer-living, hard-hatted life? Even I couldn’t explain it to anybody’s satisfaction.
I’d lived my life by one don’t get attached. When you’re on your sixth team, your third country, and your second sport, that’s a pretty good rule, and it worked fine until some lowlife dumped his aging Golden Retriever at a rest stop right in front of me. Until I ran into a woman wearing a spangled cocktail dress, zero makeup, and a ponytail in the dog-food aisle at Target, and then kept on running into her. Until my new All-Pro teammates insisted on befriending the kicker, like they’d never read the handbook.
Oh, and until my sister dumped my teenage nephew on me. On Christmas. So much for rules.
That line doesn’t exactly invite sympathy, does it? I was a fairly ersatz princess anyway, although you should try convincing my mother of that. And when I ran away from my family, my tech-bro groom, my almost-Stanford degree, and our fabulous future and right back to my trailer-living, hard-hatted life? Even I couldn’t explain it to anybody’s satisfaction.
I’d lived my life by one don’t get attached. When you’re on your sixth team, your third country, and your second sport, that’s a pretty good rule, and it worked fine until some lowlife dumped his aging Golden Retriever at a rest stop right in front of me. Until I ran into a woman wearing a spangled cocktail dress, zero makeup, and a ponytail in the dog-food aisle at Target, and then kept on running into her. Until my new All-Pro teammates insisted on befriending the kicker, like they’d never read the handbook.
Oh, and until my sister dumped my teenage nephew on me. On Christmas. So much for rules.
546 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2025
246 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Rosalind James
55 books1,219 followersRosalind James writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense published both by Montlake Romance and independently. Her stories are set in New Zealand, Idaho, California, New York . . . really, anyplace that seems cool. (Research trips, especially those involving lots of rugby, are a bonus.) Her books are available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats. Rosalind is a former marketing executive who spent several years in Australia and New Zealand, where she fell in love with the people, the landscape, and the culture of both countries. She attributes her rapid success to the fact that "Lots of people would like to escape to New Zealand! I know I did!"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 18, 2026
3.5 stars, rounded up as a reward for dodging a third-act breakup
Sebastian Robillard was caretaker for his father, who died of pancreatic cancer when Sebastian was 17, then spent a few months in foster care. Signing his first soccer contract the minute he turned 18, he dropped out of school and left Canada for Newcastle and a four-year unremarkable soccer career. American football called and he ended up bouncing around the NFL as a kicker on special teams, his latest trade placing him in Portland, Oregon. Sebastian accepts the news of his trade the way he accepts every bit of the impermanence of his life: he’s stoic, philosophical, uncomplaining.
He arrives in Portland with an extra passenger, an older golden retriever he rescues when he witnesses a man abandoning the dog at a rest stop. Needless to say, he could do no wrong as far as I’m concerned after that.
And lo and behold, while visiting a construction site with a teammate who is an investor in the data center being built, who does he run into but the woman who initially caught his eye in San Francisco and coincidentally recaptured it at a Target off the interstate when he stopped for dog food! There she is, wearing a hard hat, covered in mud, wearing Carhartt work pants, the foreman of the electrical team pulling cable through pipes in the muck before concrete can be poured.
Alix is a princess in a hard hat. Descended from European royalty, raised in wealth, rebellious to the core, she decides she can’t marry the milquetoast she chose just minutes before the $200,000 wedding her parents had insisted on is set to begin, escapes in her one-shoulder sparkly reception dress, and met Sebastian for a second time while buying non-sparkly clothes at the aforementioned Target. She’s surprised to see Sebastian on her job site, but she hands him her phone so he can give her his number.
That’s the short version of how this book starts and a great deal more, mostly either tragic or sexy/spicy, happens during it. In fact, it is overly crammed with events, and those events are overly described. For once, lack of communication isn’t a problem, so yay for that. Unfortunately, the scale tipped too far in another direction. These people yammer on forever about the least little thing, almost like they’re getting paid per word. And really, both the main characters have missed their calling. They should have been therapists. Both have an incredible amount of wisdom to dispense and do so often, with mind-boggling alacrity and too many sentences ending with “OK?”. The biggest irritant of all was the whole princess thing. It would be very cool to know that your 94-year-old grandmother was a princess before she fled Germany during WWII. But the title ended with the war, so that makes you a descendent of a princess, not a princess. The only princesses we have in the USA are little girls dressed as Elsa on Halloween, so quit being pretentious, OK?
Still, I loved Sebastian and his dog, I liked Alix, and I’m cutting Ben some slack because his mom died. The sex was hot. Many parts of this book were deeply moving, especially Sebastian’s emotional breakdown after the loneliness of his life comes home to roost and he allows himself to feel grief for the first time in thirteen years. The football was good. The author writes lovely—albeit wordy—prose. So overall I enjoyed this, though it strained my patience and that impacted my rating.
Sebastian Robillard was caretaker for his father, who died of pancreatic cancer when Sebastian was 17, then spent a few months in foster care. Signing his first soccer contract the minute he turned 18, he dropped out of school and left Canada for Newcastle and a four-year unremarkable soccer career. American football called and he ended up bouncing around the NFL as a kicker on special teams, his latest trade placing him in Portland, Oregon. Sebastian accepts the news of his trade the way he accepts every bit of the impermanence of his life: he’s stoic, philosophical, uncomplaining.
He arrives in Portland with an extra passenger, an older golden retriever he rescues when he witnesses a man abandoning the dog at a rest stop. Needless to say, he could do no wrong as far as I’m concerned after that.
And lo and behold, while visiting a construction site with a teammate who is an investor in the data center being built, who does he run into but the woman who initially caught his eye in San Francisco and coincidentally recaptured it at a Target off the interstate when he stopped for dog food! There she is, wearing a hard hat, covered in mud, wearing Carhartt work pants, the foreman of the electrical team pulling cable through pipes in the muck before concrete can be poured.
Alix is a princess in a hard hat. Descended from European royalty, raised in wealth, rebellious to the core, she decides she can’t marry the milquetoast she chose just minutes before the $200,000 wedding her parents had insisted on is set to begin, escapes in her one-shoulder sparkly reception dress, and met Sebastian for a second time while buying non-sparkly clothes at the aforementioned Target. She’s surprised to see Sebastian on her job site, but she hands him her phone so he can give her his number.
That’s the short version of how this book starts and a great deal more, mostly either tragic or sexy/spicy, happens during it. In fact, it is overly crammed with events, and those events are overly described. For once, lack of communication isn’t a problem, so yay for that. Unfortunately, the scale tipped too far in another direction. These people yammer on forever about the least little thing, almost like they’re getting paid per word. And really, both the main characters have missed their calling. They should have been therapists. Both have an incredible amount of wisdom to dispense and do so often, with mind-boggling alacrity and too many sentences ending with “OK?”. The biggest irritant of all was the whole princess thing. It would be very cool to know that your 94-year-old grandmother was a princess before she fled Germany during WWII. But the title ended with the war, so that makes you a descendent of a princess, not a princess. The only princesses we have in the USA are little girls dressed as Elsa on Halloween, so quit being pretentious, OK?
Still, I loved Sebastian and his dog, I liked Alix, and I’m cutting Ben some slack because his mom died. The sex was hot. Many parts of this book were deeply moving, especially Sebastian’s emotional breakdown after the loneliness of his life comes home to roost and he allows himself to feel grief for the first time in thirteen years. The football was good. The author writes lovely—albeit wordy—prose. So overall I enjoyed this, though it strained my patience and that impacted my rating.
August 31, 2025
5 Star Review Hell Bent (Portland Devils #5) by Rosalind James
Having survived a tough childhood Sebastian, became an elite soccer player and is now a kicker for the Portland Devils.
Meeting Alix was not in his plans but fate has other ideas. From the first moment he set eyes on her he was attracted.
A private man, he is shocked when his sister asks him to care for his teenage nephew, Ben as she has cancer.
On paper Sebastian and Alix shouldn't work, and yet they do. This was at times an emotional read as both Sebastian and Ben struggle either the hand they have been dealt.
I felt for all the characters as the story progressed. The growth that the characters went through was heart warming and I was cheering for them to get their happily ever after.
Having survived a tough childhood Sebastian, became an elite soccer player and is now a kicker for the Portland Devils.
Meeting Alix was not in his plans but fate has other ideas. From the first moment he set eyes on her he was attracted.
A private man, he is shocked when his sister asks him to care for his teenage nephew, Ben as she has cancer.
On paper Sebastian and Alix shouldn't work, and yet they do. This was at times an emotional read as both Sebastian and Ben struggle either the hand they have been dealt.
I felt for all the characters as the story progressed. The growth that the characters went through was heart warming and I was cheering for them to get their happily ever after.
September 5, 2025
I read pretty much everything Rosalind James puts out. I've forgotten the previous characters and plots in the Portland Devils, but I think they show up here. James' books are available on Kindle Unlimited and are extremely good quality reads, far better than most romances I come across on KU.
As far as this one, here's what I loved: The in depth REAL description of the imminent loss of a dying family member. Everything she mentions or has her characters live through, I've experienced. This grief and in depth look at death and dying is true, hard to read, and not sugar-coated. It's not happy, folks! What this has is a really good synopsis of what to expect, and maybe how you'll feel while you go through it, when you potentially experience similar loss sometime in your lifetime (if you haven't already). Kudos. And trigger warning.
I also really enjoyed
Also, the inclusion of the nephew, the dog, and the making of a found family where everyone is hurting and damaged, but all come together to make something stronger is very well done here.
What I didn't particularly care about: the football play by play. I'm not a sports fan and just do not care. However this is a sports romance and I realize I am not the normal reader this is geared to. Also I found the sex scenes borderline uncomfortable to read. I ended up skimming.
I think my reactions to this book are probably much different than most readers, so feel free to comment if you'd like. Ultimately, I ended up really enjoying the odd, hard, and untypical serious parts of this book because they interested me and I could relate. I didn't enjoy the sports or romance (i.e. sex) parts as much. YMMV as always.
As far as this one, here's what I loved: The in depth REAL description of the imminent loss of a dying family member. Everything she mentions or has her characters live through, I've experienced. This grief and in depth look at death and dying is true, hard to read, and not sugar-coated. It's not happy, folks! What this has is a really good synopsis of what to expect, and maybe how you'll feel while you go through it, when you potentially experience similar loss sometime in your lifetime (if you haven't already). Kudos. And trigger warning.
I also really enjoyed
Also, the inclusion of the nephew, the dog, and the making of a found family where everyone is hurting and damaged, but all come together to make something stronger is very well done here.
What I didn't particularly care about: the football play by play. I'm not a sports fan and just do not care. However this is a sports romance and I realize I am not the normal reader this is geared to. Also I found the sex scenes borderline uncomfortable to read. I ended up skimming.
I think my reactions to this book are probably much different than most readers, so feel free to comment if you'd like. Ultimately, I ended up really enjoying the odd, hard, and untypical serious parts of this book because they interested me and I could relate. I didn't enjoy the sports or romance (i.e. sex) parts as much. YMMV as always.
August 25, 2025
A really good story. Sebastian had a troubled childhood, having to spend time in care when his father died. He didn’t graduate from college, but joined a professional soccer team and did well. He is now a very good kicker in the NFL. He keeps himself to himself for the main part. On this particular evening he was in a restaurant bar and had been joined by two ladies who thought he was an easy touch to pay for their dinner, but he really wasn’t interested, and they left. At the next table there was an extremely loud party, one of the men making quite sure the entire restaurant knew he was wealthy. Sebastian thought one of the women was particularly striking. A while later he is outside waiting for an uber when the party also leave, and the loudmouth is being as obnoxious as ever. The other girl is trying to tell him he has had too much to drink, so she will drive, but she slips and strains her ankle. Loudmouth insists there is nothing wrong with her ankle, so Alix, the girl Sebastian finds fascinating insists she is going to get supplies from a late night chemist. Sebastian steps forward and offers to take her in his Uber. After a bit of debate both girls get in the Uber, and when they get to the chemist he helps Alix to select the appropriate supplies - as a footballer he knows a lot about fixing sprains and strains.
A few weeks later Alix is getting married, but by the time the ceremony is due to start she has changed her mind and has left her parents to sort things out while she escapes. Sebastian is on the way to Portland, his new club, and has stopped to take a break from driving. He is exercising when he sees a man drive off, leaving his old dog at the side of the road. He calls the police to find where the nearest animal shelter is, but they agree that it is most likely the dog would be put down, so he decides to keep her, and drives into the nearest town to buy dog food and a leash. In the pet food aisle he sees Alix, dressed in a sequined cocktail dress, she is buying herself cheap sensible clothes. All her clothes are at her ex-fiancé’s house. Alix helps him buy the immediate requirements for the dog, then they go for a burger before going their separate ways, not bothering to swap phone numbers or give themselves any chance of meeting again.
But they do meet again, by chance, a couple more times before they agree to go out on a proper date.
They get along really well, with both of them hoping this will turn into something significant, but disaster is just round the corner. Sebastian gets a phone call from his older sister, she is dying and needs him to look after her fourteen year old son Ben. The cancer is fast-acting, she only has a few weeks. Of course he agrees, and in no time he is at Portland airport to meet the plane from Vancouver. As you might expect, Ben is resentful, and doesn’t want to be there. Soon Sebastian has to go away for a football game, and will be gone overnight. Alix has agreed to stay with him, but when she arrives after a hard ten-hour working day she finds chaos! Ben didn’t think to take the dog Lexi out for a walk, he has searched for something to drink, and only found a bottle of aged single malt whisky which he has drunk a lot of despite thinking it tastes disgusting. He has been very sick, and now has a serious hangover. Alix sorts him out first, then takes Lexi out for a much needed walk, then sorts out the dog food and water. Ben has perked up a bit while she was out, so she makes him sort out the mess in the bathroom while she sorts out dinner for them.
Alix and Ben start attending some of the football matches, and watch on the television when they cannot go. They organise a routine for Ben to visit his mother, during the week when Sebastian can squeeze a day away from football training, and on Sundays with Alix when he cannot manage it. They are very sad and emotional days. When the sad day comes when Sebastian is told they need to get to Vancouver fast he gets in a panic, he doesn’t know how to get there fast enough, they are the other side of the country. His friends rally round, everything is sorted out in a few minutes. Sebastian finds it very difficult to accept the help, he has always had to rely on himself. It takes Alix’s sound common sense for him to realise how he can pay his friend back without offending him.
By the end of the book we have what we know will be a happy ending. Sebastian and Alix have gone through many misunderstandings and problems, and it has been obvious from the start that they were meant for each other. A beautiful, emotional story.
A few weeks later Alix is getting married, but by the time the ceremony is due to start she has changed her mind and has left her parents to sort things out while she escapes. Sebastian is on the way to Portland, his new club, and has stopped to take a break from driving. He is exercising when he sees a man drive off, leaving his old dog at the side of the road. He calls the police to find where the nearest animal shelter is, but they agree that it is most likely the dog would be put down, so he decides to keep her, and drives into the nearest town to buy dog food and a leash. In the pet food aisle he sees Alix, dressed in a sequined cocktail dress, she is buying herself cheap sensible clothes. All her clothes are at her ex-fiancé’s house. Alix helps him buy the immediate requirements for the dog, then they go for a burger before going their separate ways, not bothering to swap phone numbers or give themselves any chance of meeting again.
But they do meet again, by chance, a couple more times before they agree to go out on a proper date.
They get along really well, with both of them hoping this will turn into something significant, but disaster is just round the corner. Sebastian gets a phone call from his older sister, she is dying and needs him to look after her fourteen year old son Ben. The cancer is fast-acting, she only has a few weeks. Of course he agrees, and in no time he is at Portland airport to meet the plane from Vancouver. As you might expect, Ben is resentful, and doesn’t want to be there. Soon Sebastian has to go away for a football game, and will be gone overnight. Alix has agreed to stay with him, but when she arrives after a hard ten-hour working day she finds chaos! Ben didn’t think to take the dog Lexi out for a walk, he has searched for something to drink, and only found a bottle of aged single malt whisky which he has drunk a lot of despite thinking it tastes disgusting. He has been very sick, and now has a serious hangover. Alix sorts him out first, then takes Lexi out for a much needed walk, then sorts out the dog food and water. Ben has perked up a bit while she was out, so she makes him sort out the mess in the bathroom while she sorts out dinner for them.
Alix and Ben start attending some of the football matches, and watch on the television when they cannot go. They organise a routine for Ben to visit his mother, during the week when Sebastian can squeeze a day away from football training, and on Sundays with Alix when he cannot manage it. They are very sad and emotional days. When the sad day comes when Sebastian is told they need to get to Vancouver fast he gets in a panic, he doesn’t know how to get there fast enough, they are the other side of the country. His friends rally round, everything is sorted out in a few minutes. Sebastian finds it very difficult to accept the help, he has always had to rely on himself. It takes Alix’s sound common sense for him to realise how he can pay his friend back without offending him.
By the end of the book we have what we know will be a happy ending. Sebastian and Alix have gone through many misunderstandings and problems, and it has been obvious from the start that they were meant for each other. A beautiful, emotional story.
September 3, 2025
Rosalind James has delivered an absolute triumph with Hell Bent, the fifth book in the Portland Devils series, and it’s hands-down one of the most remarkable books I’ve read in ages. This novel has everything I love: a compelling sports hero, intricate family dynamics, true-blue friends, and the delightful inclusion of characters from previous stories, all wrapped in a standalone masterpiece. After three or four re-reads, revisiting my favorite chapters and inevitably devouring the entire book each time, I’m convinced this deserves far more than five stars.
The story centers on Sebastian Robillard, a former professional soccer player now thriving as an NFL kicker for the Portland Devils, and Alix, a fiercely independent electrician with a royal lineage she shrugs off. Their serendipitous meetings—from a chance encounter in a restaurant to bonding over a rescued dog—ignite a connection that feels both destined and deeply authentic. The emotional depth intensifies with the arrival of Sebastian’s teenage nephew, Ben, whose mother is battling cancer, adding a poignant layer of family responsibility to the narrative.
What makes Hell Bent extraordinary is James’ gift for crafting characters who feel like real people you’d want as friends. Sebastian, shaped by a lonely childhood and years of moving between teams, is a stoic yet warm-hearted sports hero whose guarded nature slowly unravels. Alix, defying her privileged background and navigating life with hemophilia, is a heroine whose strength and vulnerability are equally inspiring. Their banter crackles with wit, their chemistry sizzles, and their growth—both individually and as a couple—is profoundly moving. Ben and the adorable rescue dog Lexi, along with the loyal teammates who embrace Sebastian, add heart and humor, showcasing the power of found family and true-blue friendships.
The plot is a masterfully woven tapestry, blending sports, romance, and raw emotion. James tackles heavy themes—grief, chronic illness, and unexpected guardianship—with sensitivity and authenticity, creating moments that had me laughing, sobbing, and cheering. The football scenes are vivid and accessible, highlighting Sebastian’s skill as a kicker without overwhelming non-sports fans. The pacing is flawless, with cleverly titled chapters that reveal their meaning like little Easter eggs, pulling you deeper into the story.
As a fan of the Portland Devils series, I was thrilled to see cameos from beloved characters like Harlan, Jennifer, Owen, Dyma, Blake, and Dakota, which added a warm, familiar glow to this standalone tale. These connections make the world feel rich and lived-in, yet new readers will feel right at home. The themes of radical acceptance, embracing life’s impermanence, and the strength of family—both biological and chosen—resonate deeply, making Hell Bent a story that lingers long after the final page.
This book is a perfect blend of everything I adore: a sports hero with heart, complex family dynamics, steadfast friends, and ties to a beloved series. It’s a rollercoaster of humor, heartbreak, and steamy romance that demands to be read and re-read. Rosalind James has outdone herself, and Hell Bent is a must-read for anyone who loves a well-crafted, emotionally rich story. Clear your schedule, grab a tissue, and dive into this unforgettable journey with Sebastian, Alix, and their beautifully imperfect world.
I received an ARC and am leaving this review with the hopes that others will find this book to be as enjoyable as I have.
The story centers on Sebastian Robillard, a former professional soccer player now thriving as an NFL kicker for the Portland Devils, and Alix, a fiercely independent electrician with a royal lineage she shrugs off. Their serendipitous meetings—from a chance encounter in a restaurant to bonding over a rescued dog—ignite a connection that feels both destined and deeply authentic. The emotional depth intensifies with the arrival of Sebastian’s teenage nephew, Ben, whose mother is battling cancer, adding a poignant layer of family responsibility to the narrative.
What makes Hell Bent extraordinary is James’ gift for crafting characters who feel like real people you’d want as friends. Sebastian, shaped by a lonely childhood and years of moving between teams, is a stoic yet warm-hearted sports hero whose guarded nature slowly unravels. Alix, defying her privileged background and navigating life with hemophilia, is a heroine whose strength and vulnerability are equally inspiring. Their banter crackles with wit, their chemistry sizzles, and their growth—both individually and as a couple—is profoundly moving. Ben and the adorable rescue dog Lexi, along with the loyal teammates who embrace Sebastian, add heart and humor, showcasing the power of found family and true-blue friendships.
The plot is a masterfully woven tapestry, blending sports, romance, and raw emotion. James tackles heavy themes—grief, chronic illness, and unexpected guardianship—with sensitivity and authenticity, creating moments that had me laughing, sobbing, and cheering. The football scenes are vivid and accessible, highlighting Sebastian’s skill as a kicker without overwhelming non-sports fans. The pacing is flawless, with cleverly titled chapters that reveal their meaning like little Easter eggs, pulling you deeper into the story.
As a fan of the Portland Devils series, I was thrilled to see cameos from beloved characters like Harlan, Jennifer, Owen, Dyma, Blake, and Dakota, which added a warm, familiar glow to this standalone tale. These connections make the world feel rich and lived-in, yet new readers will feel right at home. The themes of radical acceptance, embracing life’s impermanence, and the strength of family—both biological and chosen—resonate deeply, making Hell Bent a story that lingers long after the final page.
This book is a perfect blend of everything I adore: a sports hero with heart, complex family dynamics, steadfast friends, and ties to a beloved series. It’s a rollercoaster of humor, heartbreak, and steamy romance that demands to be read and re-read. Rosalind James has outdone herself, and Hell Bent is a must-read for anyone who loves a well-crafted, emotionally rich story. Clear your schedule, grab a tissue, and dive into this unforgettable journey with Sebastian, Alix, and their beautifully imperfect world.
I received an ARC and am leaving this review with the hopes that others will find this book to be as enjoyable as I have.
November 3, 2025
Another entertaining read from Ms James. This series is set in the US rather than beautiful New Zealand like some of her other series. Although this one's called Bk #5 of the Portland Devils, I think it can easily stand alone. I'd pretty much forgotten the characters from the other books anyway, till they made occasional appearances in this book. And the two MCs in this one are both totally new characters, with the story arc heading off into new territory. And I like the direction it's taking 😀
Alix, the fmc, is a modern-day (fictional) descendant of Queen Victoria. Although she is called a princess (by some), Alix is her own person, living an ordinary life and making her own way in the world. She's not a princess in hiding, just a young woman who happens to have an unusual family history. She has chosen to be an electrician, also unusual, but she is taking control of her life and this is the path she is on.
Sebastian the mmc, on the other hand, is a bit more of a celeb, as he's a professional footballer, formerly a soccer player in England, but now a kicker for the NFL team of the series' title (Portland Devils). He is a bit of a loner, and having changed teams several times, is once again in the position of having to build a whole new set of friendships and establish himself with a new team yet again. Sebastian also now has to care for his teenaged nephew, as his sister is dying and unable to care for him.
As usual with Ms James' books, it's quite a long book (which I like!) The relationship between Alix and Sebastian slowly but surely grows, and it did take a little while for me to get to know these mcs and to fully warm to them. But by about half or two thirds of the way through, I was all in, and I really enjoyed the final section of the book where things come to a head, and their relationship becomes a full-on commitment.
I did like that, it being a romance about a sportsman, there was actual sport in it. My knowledge and understanding of the somewhat inscrutable and complex rules of NFL would probably fit on a postage stamp, (I'm Australian, OK??) but I was still able to feel the drama and excitement of the games portrayed.
Oh, and there's a lovely dog in this book too 😀
So, overall, a good read. I like Ms James' writing style: her somewhat quirky characters, the discussions and deep thoughts they sometimes have, and of course the HEAs 😀 I'm looking forward to the next book, which is about Alix's (princess) grandmother and her romance with a non-royal man during WWII Germany. Hell to Pay. A different type of book from Ms James for sure, but I'm in!
Alix, the fmc, is a modern-day (fictional) descendant of Queen Victoria. Although she is called a princess (by some), Alix is her own person, living an ordinary life and making her own way in the world. She's not a princess in hiding, just a young woman who happens to have an unusual family history. She has chosen to be an electrician, also unusual, but she is taking control of her life and this is the path she is on.
Sebastian the mmc, on the other hand, is a bit more of a celeb, as he's a professional footballer, formerly a soccer player in England, but now a kicker for the NFL team of the series' title (Portland Devils). He is a bit of a loner, and having changed teams several times, is once again in the position of having to build a whole new set of friendships and establish himself with a new team yet again. Sebastian also now has to care for his teenaged nephew, as his sister is dying and unable to care for him.
As usual with Ms James' books, it's quite a long book (which I like!) The relationship between Alix and Sebastian slowly but surely grows, and it did take a little while for me to get to know these mcs and to fully warm to them. But by about half or two thirds of the way through, I was all in, and I really enjoyed the final section of the book where things come to a head, and their relationship becomes a full-on commitment.
I did like that, it being a romance about a sportsman, there was actual sport in it. My knowledge and understanding of the somewhat inscrutable and complex rules of NFL would probably fit on a postage stamp, (I'm Australian, OK??) but I was still able to feel the drama and excitement of the games portrayed.
Oh, and there's a lovely dog in this book too 😀
So, overall, a good read. I like Ms James' writing style: her somewhat quirky characters, the discussions and deep thoughts they sometimes have, and of course the HEAs 😀 I'm looking forward to the next book, which is about Alix's (princess) grandmother and her romance with a non-royal man during WWII Germany. Hell to Pay. A different type of book from Ms James for sure, but I'm in!
August 31, 2025
This was another great romance from James. In this novel, we’re back with the Portland Devils, a football team, this time with Sebastian, the new kicker on the team. He was a professional soccer player who has made the transformation to the NFL based on his awesome kicking skills. He has a couple of unexpected encounters with Alix, a unique woman with a family history as a princess related to the doomed Romanovs. Now she’s living in the U.S. ready to get married, but she’s now convinced that she doesn’t want to marry this guy and doesn’t want to slot herself into the expected niche that her parents think is where she belongs. She’d rather leave town and go to Portland to work leading a crew of electricians. And she’s surprisingly intrigued by Sebastian.
The two become good friends. She helps him deal with his rescue dog and with his teenage nephew who is suddenly sent to live with him. He helps her with the blood disease she has. I never knew that women who are carriers of the hemophilia gene could suffer from a bleeding disorder.
The two of them are lovely people and it’s rewarding to read a book about good people helping each other and dealing with what life throws at them.
This is much more than a sports romance, but I still enjoyed the sports aspects. It gave me new appreciation for the value of a skilled kicker, which Sebastian definitely is. This isn’t the sort of sports romances that really irritate me when the author makes the guy a star, but then barely shows the sport in the novel. He’s just an athlete so the author can have a rich, hunky, and famous guy for the MMC but actually doesn’t seem to know much about the sport. In this book, Rosalind James, introduces several rather obscure rules that end up making the kicker the one who can win the game for them. I didn’t know anything about those rules, but she explains them well and it all adds to the excitement of these fictional playoff games.
I could have done without the whole princess thing since Alix keeps saying that she’s not really a princess, but people keep calling her one. I didn’t find that it added much. She could just have been the daughter of a rich, rather snobby family. I found her an intriguing enough heroine without being a fake princess.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from the author; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.
The two become good friends. She helps him deal with his rescue dog and with his teenage nephew who is suddenly sent to live with him. He helps her with the blood disease she has. I never knew that women who are carriers of the hemophilia gene could suffer from a bleeding disorder.
The two of them are lovely people and it’s rewarding to read a book about good people helping each other and dealing with what life throws at them.
This is much more than a sports romance, but I still enjoyed the sports aspects. It gave me new appreciation for the value of a skilled kicker, which Sebastian definitely is. This isn’t the sort of sports romances that really irritate me when the author makes the guy a star, but then barely shows the sport in the novel. He’s just an athlete so the author can have a rich, hunky, and famous guy for the MMC but actually doesn’t seem to know much about the sport. In this book, Rosalind James, introduces several rather obscure rules that end up making the kicker the one who can win the game for them. I didn’t know anything about those rules, but she explains them well and it all adds to the excitement of these fictional playoff games.
I could have done without the whole princess thing since Alix keeps saying that she’s not really a princess, but people keep calling her one. I didn’t find that it added much. She could just have been the daughter of a rich, rather snobby family. I found her an intriguing enough heroine without being a fake princess.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from the author; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2025
I loved this entry in the author's Portland Devils series. I'm a big fan of sports romance, and Rosalind James delivers with this football romance and so much more - a runaway bride, a golden retriever rescue, and a real princess. I've already read this book twice and listened to the audiobook version. I highly recommend.
Alix is a princess by birth, although the title is now meaningless. She left her annoying fiancé just before the wedding, making her the proverbial runaway bride. Alix was raised in a wealthy family wanting for nothing. She wanted a simpler life, relying only herself. She was a journeyman electrician working in construction and doing very well. I have a background in manufacturing, and I worked with electricians. I know how rare a woman electrician still is, how they constantly have to battle stereotypes and work twice as hard as a man. So I have tremendous respect for Alix: her abilities, her strength, and her ability to work hard.
Sebastian is a journeyman pro football kicker heading to a new team and hoping to fit in. Sebastian lost his parents when he was young, and struggled financially. He has little family and relies only on himself. Still he takes on an abandoned dog, as well as his teen nephew whom he barely knows.
Sebastian's background is very different from that of Alix. They have very little in common - except that they are both good people - generous, considerate, hard-working.
Sebastian and Alix have meet in unusual circumstances - several times - and slowly develop a friendship, a steamy attraction, and eventually fall in love. Alix and Sebastian generously help others and eventually learn to accept that help from and rely on each other. This is a heart-warming story with well-developed characters. We learn a little about Alix's family history, and are introduced to her amazing German grandmother, Princess Marguerite. I also enjoyed meeting back up with the characters from the author's previous Portland Devils books.
I highly recommend Hell Bent to all fans or romance, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Hell to Pay, which tells the story of Alix's grandparents.
I was given an advance copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest opinion.
Alix is a princess by birth, although the title is now meaningless. She left her annoying fiancé just before the wedding, making her the proverbial runaway bride. Alix was raised in a wealthy family wanting for nothing. She wanted a simpler life, relying only herself. She was a journeyman electrician working in construction and doing very well. I have a background in manufacturing, and I worked with electricians. I know how rare a woman electrician still is, how they constantly have to battle stereotypes and work twice as hard as a man. So I have tremendous respect for Alix: her abilities, her strength, and her ability to work hard.
Sebastian is a journeyman pro football kicker heading to a new team and hoping to fit in. Sebastian lost his parents when he was young, and struggled financially. He has little family and relies only on himself. Still he takes on an abandoned dog, as well as his teen nephew whom he barely knows.
Sebastian's background is very different from that of Alix. They have very little in common - except that they are both good people - generous, considerate, hard-working.
Sebastian and Alix have meet in unusual circumstances - several times - and slowly develop a friendship, a steamy attraction, and eventually fall in love. Alix and Sebastian generously help others and eventually learn to accept that help from and rely on each other. This is a heart-warming story with well-developed characters. We learn a little about Alix's family history, and are introduced to her amazing German grandmother, Princess Marguerite. I also enjoyed meeting back up with the characters from the author's previous Portland Devils books.
I highly recommend Hell Bent to all fans or romance, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Hell to Pay, which tells the story of Alix's grandparents.
I was given an advance copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest opinion.
September 8, 2025
Anastasia Alexandra Glucksburg-Thompkins (Alix) is a descendant of royalty, an ersatz princess as she describes it, her grandmother was a princess and she is distantly related (and named after) members of the Russian royal family. Living and working in the Bay Area as an intern financial adviser for a P/E firm while studying for a degree at Stanford, engaged to the CFO of a tech company.
Sebastian Robillard is (probably) the oldest rookie in American football, After starting his career playing soccer in England, he is now a kicker in American football and has just been traded to the Portland Devils - starting over once more.
Sebastian and Alix first meet at a swanky restaurant where Alix's fiancé Ned's boss creates a scene, gets drunk and tries to drive his girlfriend home. Sebastian offers to get her an Uber, and after she slips and sprains an ankle he offers to take her to a pharmacy to get bandages.
The second time they meet is ten miles outside Portland in a convenience store. Alix has just walked out of her wedding, her internship, and Stanford. She's got a job as an electrician in Portland where she'll be living in a caravan (her own, which is called a Fifth Wheel?) and she is buying food whilst dressed in her reception dress. Sebastian is driving to his new accommodation but has rescued a dog that its owner just abandoned at a petrol station.
The third time they meet Sebastian is accompanying his new teammate (our old friend Harlan) to inspect a data centre (which Alix is helping to build) in which he has invested. Deciding this is fate, Sebastian asks Alix out, but they don't even get to go on a first date before life throws a spanner in the works, Sebastian's sister is dying and she has asked Sebastian to take on her teenage son Ben so he doesn't have to nurse her while she's dying.
Between them Alix and Sebastian have more baggage than Louis Vuitton but at heart they are good people. They weather family issues, work issues, and health issues stronger than ever.
Loved this so much I went back and re-read the first three books in the series.
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
Sebastian Robillard is (probably) the oldest rookie in American football, After starting his career playing soccer in England, he is now a kicker in American football and has just been traded to the Portland Devils - starting over once more.
Sebastian and Alix first meet at a swanky restaurant where Alix's fiancé Ned's boss creates a scene, gets drunk and tries to drive his girlfriend home. Sebastian offers to get her an Uber, and after she slips and sprains an ankle he offers to take her to a pharmacy to get bandages.
The second time they meet is ten miles outside Portland in a convenience store. Alix has just walked out of her wedding, her internship, and Stanford. She's got a job as an electrician in Portland where she'll be living in a caravan (her own, which is called a Fifth Wheel?) and she is buying food whilst dressed in her reception dress. Sebastian is driving to his new accommodation but has rescued a dog that its owner just abandoned at a petrol station.
The third time they meet Sebastian is accompanying his new teammate (our old friend Harlan) to inspect a data centre (which Alix is helping to build) in which he has invested. Deciding this is fate, Sebastian asks Alix out, but they don't even get to go on a first date before life throws a spanner in the works, Sebastian's sister is dying and she has asked Sebastian to take on her teenage son Ben so he doesn't have to nurse her while she's dying.
Between them Alix and Sebastian have more baggage than Louis Vuitton but at heart they are good people. They weather family issues, work issues, and health issues stronger than ever.
Loved this so much I went back and re-read the first three books in the series.
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
September 2, 2025
Hell Bent
In the fifth book in the Portland Devils series we meet Sebastian Robillard. As his story unfolds, we learn that he has not had a home since he was orphaned at age seventeen. He was sent to a foster home and signed with a professional soccer team as soon as he turned eighteen. He has been adrift since then, shuffling between teams until his soccer career ended. That was when he became a relatively old rookie as an NFL kicker.
Alix is a descendant of Queen Victoria and an ersatz Princess, a title she rejects. She keeps meeting up with Sebastian in some unusual ways, the first time when she is having dinner with her fiancé and his boss. Sebastian takes charge when the boss’s dinner date is injured and the banter between Alix and Sebastian begins. They are two strong characters with very different but interesting pasts. The next time they meet is after Alix has run out of her own wedding. They bond over an abandoned dog, but part once again.
Sebastian has just been traded to the Portland Devils. Before he can even settle into his new role, his sister tells him she is dying and needs Sebastian to take her fourteen year old son.
Alix enters his life again and the friction between them becomes the fuel that powers their relationship. They learn to count on each other through some difficult times, not the least of which is learning to raise a teenager.
There are appearances from some of the Devils players that we’ve met in the previous books and the brotherhood that is part of the team surprises Sebastian. Both his team and his found family give Sebastian a sense of home that he didn’t realize he was missing.
Rosalind James has a gift for crafting characters that feel so real. I cry when they hurt and feel their joy. This has some deeply emotional moments, but always some laughter as well. Sebastian’s journey was especially emotional, dealing with feelings he had kept buried. Alix seems to always expect the worst and has to learn to trust. Their journey together is heartwarming, funny and worth the ride!
In the fifth book in the Portland Devils series we meet Sebastian Robillard. As his story unfolds, we learn that he has not had a home since he was orphaned at age seventeen. He was sent to a foster home and signed with a professional soccer team as soon as he turned eighteen. He has been adrift since then, shuffling between teams until his soccer career ended. That was when he became a relatively old rookie as an NFL kicker.
Alix is a descendant of Queen Victoria and an ersatz Princess, a title she rejects. She keeps meeting up with Sebastian in some unusual ways, the first time when she is having dinner with her fiancé and his boss. Sebastian takes charge when the boss’s dinner date is injured and the banter between Alix and Sebastian begins. They are two strong characters with very different but interesting pasts. The next time they meet is after Alix has run out of her own wedding. They bond over an abandoned dog, but part once again.
Sebastian has just been traded to the Portland Devils. Before he can even settle into his new role, his sister tells him she is dying and needs Sebastian to take her fourteen year old son.
Alix enters his life again and the friction between them becomes the fuel that powers their relationship. They learn to count on each other through some difficult times, not the least of which is learning to raise a teenager.
There are appearances from some of the Devils players that we’ve met in the previous books and the brotherhood that is part of the team surprises Sebastian. Both his team and his found family give Sebastian a sense of home that he didn’t realize he was missing.
Rosalind James has a gift for crafting characters that feel so real. I cry when they hurt and feel their joy. This has some deeply emotional moments, but always some laughter as well. Sebastian’s journey was especially emotional, dealing with feelings he had kept buried. Alix seems to always expect the worst and has to learn to trust. Their journey together is heartwarming, funny and worth the ride!
September 18, 2025
Sebastian Robillard has never had an easy life. His early life was marred by trauma but he managed to join the big leagues of international football (soccer to Americans.) He went to the UK to play but never made it internationally huge. After he was cut from his latest team, Sebastian takes his kicking skills and transfers those skills to American football as a place kicker. And he has been pretty successful. But the life of a special teams player is never one that means you stay put. Sebastian is traded and sent to the Portland Devils. Starting over again is not always easy.
Alix is a legit princess of a no longer existing Germanic principality. But her family is well off and she has gone back to Stanford to finish a degree her parents want for her in her late 20s. Alix has always been pampered and wrapped in bubble wrap by her parents due to a hereditary disease. But Alix is a bit stubborn and doesn't like to play by the rules. She ran away after high school graduation and got her plumbing license while staying with her grandparents. She actually is a master plumber. But trying to please her parents has resulted her dating someone who has no backbone, agreeing to marry said wimp, and actually getting to the day of the wedding. But Alix realizes that she deserves better and runs away from the scene of the crime so to speak and ends up working in Portland as a master plumber on a data center project.
Alix has met Sebastian before briefly in her old life. And when she meets him again at her job site, things start to happen. Sebastian's personal life is imploding and Alix is there for him just as he is there for her.
This is a book about relationships and learning to accept life as it happens but also allowing yourself to be open to life and the chance for love. Rosalind James never fails to bring so many layers together in a fictional work.
I have read this book twice. Okay, once was as an audio book. I did receive a copy of both the e-book and the audiobook from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased view.
Sebastian Robillard
Alix is a legit princess of a no longer existing Germanic principality. But her family is well off and she has gone back to Stanford to finish a degree her parents want for her in her late 20s. Alix has always been pampered and wrapped in bubble wrap by her parents due to a hereditary disease. But Alix is a bit stubborn and doesn't like to play by the rules. She ran away after high school graduation and got her plumbing license while staying with her grandparents. She actually is a master plumber. But trying to please her parents has resulted her dating someone who has no backbone, agreeing to marry said wimp, and actually getting to the day of the wedding. But Alix realizes that she deserves better and runs away from the scene of the crime so to speak and ends up working in Portland as a master plumber on a data center project.
Alix has met Sebastian before briefly in her old life. And when she meets him again at her job site, things start to happen. Sebastian's personal life is imploding and Alix is there for him just as he is there for her.
This is a book about relationships and learning to accept life as it happens but also allowing yourself to be open to life and the chance for love. Rosalind James never fails to bring so many layers together in a fictional work.
I have read this book twice. Okay, once was as an audio book. I did receive a copy of both the e-book and the audiobook from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased view.
Sebastian Robillard
September 3, 2025
Hell Bent – another great addition to the Portland Devils Series
Rosalind James has a knack for picking cool and interesting side stories for her books. The main character Anastasia Alix is a direct descendent of Queen Victoria but on the wrong side of the sheets. This part is a figment of Rosalind’s imagination. The fact that Victoria was a carrier of the blood disorder disease called hemophilia is true and Alix, as she prefers to be called, has the disease. The story shares how it affects her life and I learned quite a bit about the subject. I am an anglophile from way back, so I love this princess stuff.
She meets Sebastian who is an ex-pro soccer player, who is now the kicker for the Portland Devils. Sebastian helps her out of a couple sticky situations and they keep running into each other and form an attraction. Sebastian has been traded several times in his pro athlete life and is not one to form attachments. One of my favorite parts of the story is how he drops his defenses and lets Alix in. Another interesting but tragic part of the story is the fact that his sister is dying of cancer and she hands over her 14 year old son to Sebastian, who he hardly knows.
With the crazy things that happen, Alix and Sebastian’s relationship moves quickly and you really feel invested in them and want to see how they figure it all out. The football parts are great, too. Very exciting but you don’t have to know everything about football to understand.
All that said, the love story is one of Rosalind’s best. I feel like I say that with every review, but I really feel that every book is as good as or better than the last. She never disappoints in that regard. I’m so glad that she is continuing to write after a bit of a break and as long as she does, I’ll be reading her books.
Rosalind James has a knack for picking cool and interesting side stories for her books. The main character Anastasia Alix is a direct descendent of Queen Victoria but on the wrong side of the sheets. This part is a figment of Rosalind’s imagination. The fact that Victoria was a carrier of the blood disorder disease called hemophilia is true and Alix, as she prefers to be called, has the disease. The story shares how it affects her life and I learned quite a bit about the subject. I am an anglophile from way back, so I love this princess stuff.
She meets Sebastian who is an ex-pro soccer player, who is now the kicker for the Portland Devils. Sebastian helps her out of a couple sticky situations and they keep running into each other and form an attraction. Sebastian has been traded several times in his pro athlete life and is not one to form attachments. One of my favorite parts of the story is how he drops his defenses and lets Alix in. Another interesting but tragic part of the story is the fact that his sister is dying of cancer and she hands over her 14 year old son to Sebastian, who he hardly knows.
With the crazy things that happen, Alix and Sebastian’s relationship moves quickly and you really feel invested in them and want to see how they figure it all out. The football parts are great, too. Very exciting but you don’t have to know everything about football to understand.
All that said, the love story is one of Rosalind’s best. I feel like I say that with every review, but I really feel that every book is as good as or better than the last. She never disappoints in that regard. I’m so glad that she is continuing to write after a bit of a break and as long as she does, I’ll be reading her books.
July 29, 2025
Another fun book by Rosalind, this one in the Portland Devil's series. Alix is a different heroine, an ersatz princess - distantly related to the wife of Nicholas II of Russia, who with his family were shot to death by the Bolsheviks - and has inherited hemophilia. She bleeds easily and has to be careful. In spite of this, she is an electrician and works on construction sites. Her parents are very wealthy and very much want her to finish her degree and be a financial advisor. She does not want this. She is determined to live her life her way, sometimes to the point of being too independent.
Sebastian is a former professional soccer player who is now a kicker in the NFL. His father died when he was 17, he went into foster care briefly, didn't graduate high school but started playing professional soccer. He is now in his early 30's and has spent the last several years being successful at not becoming too attached to anyone or anything.
Sebastian ends up rescuing Lexi, a golden retriever some loser dropped off in front of him at a rest stop and drove off. He also end up with his 14 year old nephew, Ben, as his sister is dying of cancer. Both of these circumstances, plus Alix, start him on the path of attachments.
They have a couple chance meetings and both end up in Portland, Oregon. I love that we get to meet up again with Harlan , Jennifer, Owen, Dyma even briefly Blake and Dakota.
It's a great story watching these two grow emotionally. There's humor, romance, some definite steamy times and great side characters.
I was given this book as an advance reader but that in no way influenced how I feel about this book. I have not been compensated for this review. I love everything Rosalind writes
August 15, 2025
Sebastian is a former Pro Soccer player and now kicker in the NFL. Alix is technically a princess, but no throne awaits as ancestors lost their kingdom. She and Sebastian meet at a restaurant in SF, when she is out with her fiancé and his obnoxious boss/friend and his date. They then serendipitously run into each other a few more times. She had left her fiancé at the altar and he had a late season trade to the Portland Devils. He inherits his 14 year old nephew, Ben, who is losing his mom to cancer and she steps in to take him to the Devils game on his very first day because Sebastian will be with his team. Things progress and they are growing feelings for each other. We find out about her history as an ersatz Princess and about his earlier life of him taking care of his father, while he was dying, and then having to go into foster care. He has had a very lonely life because his sister lived in Canada, and no other family, and being traded in soccer and then football several times. She has her own issues over being spoiled and controlled by her mother and having an unusual health concern.
All that to say that they were really coming from two different places, but all the same place. They fall in love and maneuver their way through, helping the nephew heal and falling in love. Rosalind James does not know how to write anything other than a five star book. She always includes the right amount of love and spice. This one is no different. You really need to read this one because it’s going to have two different prequels following quickly. They will cover the early years of her grandmother, the last royal Princess that lost the kingdom in 1945 and restarting her life as a 16 year old who escaped like Gestapo, and the Russians, and is trying to find a new life.
All that to say that they were really coming from two different places, but all the same place. They fall in love and maneuver their way through, helping the nephew heal and falling in love. Rosalind James does not know how to write anything other than a five star book. She always includes the right amount of love and spice. This one is no different. You really need to read this one because it’s going to have two different prequels following quickly. They will cover the early years of her grandmother, the last royal Princess that lost the kingdom in 1945 and restarting her life as a 16 year old who escaped like Gestapo, and the Russians, and is trying to find a new life.
September 2, 2025
Hell Bent is the next instalment in the Portland Devils series and another winner for prolific author Rosalind James.
Rosalind always writes multi dimensional, interesting characters with fully fleshed personalities and back stories. I love that her characters are not flawless, but are always people with a basic core of decency and respect. Hell Bent is no exception with Sebastian finding success after a very tough start in life and Alix determined to find her own way in life. Both characters defy the expectations placed on them by virtue of their backgrounds.
The story is a roller coaster, with many funny moments, but also moments of sadness and despair. The side characters, including (especially!) the kids and non human ones, are awesome. A few previous characters make an appearance, and its like greeting old friends.
In this story, Rosalind writes dual first person perspectives, and she is skilful in writing in both Alix’s and Sebastin’s “voices” so that the prose is never clunky or repetitive, and you are never left sitting there wondering who is “narrating”. Another of Rosalind’s strengths is her natural dialogue, and Hell Bent is no exception.
Another little thing I like is her chapter titles. Once you get into the chapter, the meaning of the chapter title becomes clear, but I like how the titles act as little Easter Eggs for readers to gradually uncover rather being bleedingly obvious spoilers.
This one will definitely go on my “re-read” list, a list that features many of Rosalind’s previous works.
Do yourself a favour, if you want a great sports romance that is so much more than one dimensional characters and insta love, grab Hell Bent.
Rosalind always writes multi dimensional, interesting characters with fully fleshed personalities and back stories. I love that her characters are not flawless, but are always people with a basic core of decency and respect. Hell Bent is no exception with Sebastian finding success after a very tough start in life and Alix determined to find her own way in life. Both characters defy the expectations placed on them by virtue of their backgrounds.
The story is a roller coaster, with many funny moments, but also moments of sadness and despair. The side characters, including (especially!) the kids and non human ones, are awesome. A few previous characters make an appearance, and its like greeting old friends.
In this story, Rosalind writes dual first person perspectives, and she is skilful in writing in both Alix’s and Sebastin’s “voices” so that the prose is never clunky or repetitive, and you are never left sitting there wondering who is “narrating”. Another of Rosalind’s strengths is her natural dialogue, and Hell Bent is no exception.
Another little thing I like is her chapter titles. Once you get into the chapter, the meaning of the chapter title becomes clear, but I like how the titles act as little Easter Eggs for readers to gradually uncover rather being bleedingly obvious spoilers.
This one will definitely go on my “re-read” list, a list that features many of Rosalind’s previous works.
Do yourself a favour, if you want a great sports romance that is so much more than one dimensional characters and insta love, grab Hell Bent.
August 11, 2025
I LOVED this book! Sebastian, a NFL kicker and past soccer player has been traded to the Portland Devils from SF close to the end of regular season football. On his way to Portland he acquires a dog and keeps running into this woman, Alix first in SF, then on his road trip and now in Portland. Alix needs to change her life, where she is heading and what she really wants. Alix and Sebastian are both strong minded people who grew up so different. Sebastian is a loner, does not show emotion, steady and dedicated to those important to him. His biggest challenges are ahead of him. His dying sister, his 14 YO nephew Ben, Lexi a dog he adopts, playing his best for the Devils and Alix. Alix is a hardworking, intelligent woman who comes from a family with a pedigree. That does not stop her from getting down and dirty in her work, either does a health condition or her new relationship with Sebastian, whatever it is. Together Alix and Sebastian do their best for Ben, Lexi, their jobs all while building a relationship neither one of them expected or wanted, but they both know is special.
A classic Rosalind James book full of beautiful descriptions whether surroundings, attire, people and emotions. In the end this book is about new beginnings for Sebastian, Alix, Ben and even Lexi the dog.
A classic Rosalind James book full of beautiful descriptions whether surroundings, attire, people and emotions. In the end this book is about new beginnings for Sebastian, Alix, Ben and even Lexi the dog.
September 20, 2025
Aw hells bells, she did it to me again!! I had to put the book away for a couple of days before picking it up again because I knew what was coming and needed a quiet space to lose it, let the sadness flow. (No spoiler alert what it was about, you’ll know.)
That is the worst part of this review and it’s not even a negative because it’s a testament to Rosalind’s writing and ability to reach her readers’ emotions.
What I also loved about this book is that the lead characters, Alix and Sebastian, did not dance around their feelings. There was some holding back on Alix’s part but that was plain old common sense. But both were steadfast in their feelings towards each other, and I appreciate the maturity of this—when you know, you know.
Again, family and friends were a key factor to good feels of this book, a common thread to Rosalind’s writing. Oh! And I cannot forget the dog that gets a lot of page time and comedic relief. You’re also going to get an education into Russian history and some knowledge about a medical condition, all very interesting.
One more thing…while I love all of Rosalind’s rugby novels, I find it difficult to follow when there is game talk. This one involved American football, which I love, and could follow with avid interest when it came to detailed and relatable descriptions of the playoffs.
That is the worst part of this review and it’s not even a negative because it’s a testament to Rosalind’s writing and ability to reach her readers’ emotions.
What I also loved about this book is that the lead characters, Alix and Sebastian, did not dance around their feelings. There was some holding back on Alix’s part but that was plain old common sense. But both were steadfast in their feelings towards each other, and I appreciate the maturity of this—when you know, you know.
Again, family and friends were a key factor to good feels of this book, a common thread to Rosalind’s writing. Oh! And I cannot forget the dog that gets a lot of page time and comedic relief. You’re also going to get an education into Russian history and some knowledge about a medical condition, all very interesting.
One more thing…while I love all of Rosalind’s rugby novels, I find it difficult to follow when there is game talk. This one involved American football, which I love, and could follow with avid interest when it came to detailed and relatable descriptions of the playoffs.
September 2, 2025
Rosalind James does not disappoint with her books. They often have a ton of heart and read like genuine real life people. The same is true for Hell Bent, book 5 in the Portland Devils series. The author talks about hard subjects, as well as subjects you don't normally read about in a romance book. Alix, our heroine, inherited hemophilia. While she comes from money, she is determined to live her life her way, hyper independent. Sebastian's father died, he didn't graduate high school, and spent some time in foster care, but he was able to be a professional soccer player and is now a kicker in the NFL. He doesn't get too close to people, but, now in his 30s, he finds himself with custody of his nephew, rescuing a dog, and meeting Alix. These are two characters that are doing well on their own, but doing even better together. The banter, the laughter, the frustration, the loyalty, the intimacy, and the steam...Rosalind brings it all to make her characters as lifelike as possible. We get to see some old favorites, and we get to make some new ones with this book. I always love a good Rosalind James story, even when she makes me cry. Maybe BECAUSE she makes me cry. Like I said at the beginning, Rosalind James does not disappoint with her books.
September 7, 2025
Hell Bent is another wonderful addition to Rosalind James’ body of work. It is a romance of the HEA variety and a bit of a fairytale, complete with a princess, but it is also a heartwarming, quick reading listen that underscores the value of friends in ones’ life. Alix’s life takes an abrupt about face when she opts out of a marriage at the last minute in order to pursue a life that fits her better. Along the way, she repeatedly encounters Sebastian, a kicker in the NFL who has recently moved to the Portland Devils. Sebastian is not without his own complications, including becoming the guardian of his 14 year old nephew when his dying sister asks him to raise him. Alix’s warm heart and compassion lead her to take an active part in both of their lives as they all navigate seismic life changes and quickly build strong bonds with one another. Sebastian also has new teammates who are always willing to offer him support in a multitude of ways.
This is a feel good book and I enjoyed it very much. Rosalind James has a smooth and very readable writing style which immediately grabs the reader’s interest. The narrators of this audiobook are both excellent. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, sometimes spicy, romance.
This is a feel good book and I enjoyed it very much. Rosalind James has a smooth and very readable writing style which immediately grabs the reader’s interest. The narrators of this audiobook are both excellent. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, sometimes spicy, romance.
September 18, 2025
This is a book that made me a bit mad - not that there was a problem with the book, but with the fact that I couldn’t just sit a read like I wanted to.
That said - about the book!
Hell Bent is a “football” book in that our male lead, Sebastian, is a kicker for the Portland Devils and there is significant game play in the book. The games are actually fairly key to the story line and Ms James does an excellent job of incorporating this with the plot and who Sebastian is as a person.
Our female lead is Alix and I absolutely loved her! She’s such a unique and layered character I could not do her justice here - you just need to meet her!
Ben and a wonderful golden retriever round out our key cast. We have an unusual set of circumstances that bring this group together. Ms James’ uses her distinct style to craft a story that lets us see behind the curtain into how they develop as people and as a unit.
There are some hard topics addressed in Hell Bent. This is very much a case of literature causing the reader to be introspective and think about key life issues as our characters are dealing with them as well.
Loyal James readers will be glad to see favorite Devils pop into the story as well!
That said - about the book!
Hell Bent is a “football” book in that our male lead, Sebastian, is a kicker for the Portland Devils and there is significant game play in the book. The games are actually fairly key to the story line and Ms James does an excellent job of incorporating this with the plot and who Sebastian is as a person.
Our female lead is Alix and I absolutely loved her! She’s such a unique and layered character I could not do her justice here - you just need to meet her!
Ben and a wonderful golden retriever round out our key cast. We have an unusual set of circumstances that bring this group together. Ms James’ uses her distinct style to craft a story that lets us see behind the curtain into how they develop as people and as a unit.
There are some hard topics addressed in Hell Bent. This is very much a case of literature causing the reader to be introspective and think about key life issues as our characters are dealing with them as well.
Loyal James readers will be glad to see favorite Devils pop into the story as well!
September 3, 2025
Hell Bent is another great installment in the Portland Devils series but is a stand alone book.
Alix (our heroine) is a woman who has struggled to find a direction outside of her familial expectations and Sebastian (our hero) is a man who has always driven himself forward in order to survive and succeed in the world on his own.
Both characters are strong and honest people (which I greatly prefer to the super angsty game playing type of people in books) and they compliment each other well. I liked that Sebastian went out of his way to do whatever he could to help Alix and Alix did the exact same thing when Sebastian hit a rough patch of his own.
Something that is a little bit of a spoiler but worth mentioning is that there is secondary character in the book who has advanced cancer and that is not an easy thing to read if you've ever watched someone fight the disease, so please be prepared that this topic comes up.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.
Alix (our heroine) is a woman who has struggled to find a direction outside of her familial expectations and Sebastian (our hero) is a man who has always driven himself forward in order to survive and succeed in the world on his own.
Both characters are strong and honest people (which I greatly prefer to the super angsty game playing type of people in books) and they compliment each other well. I liked that Sebastian went out of his way to do whatever he could to help Alix and Alix did the exact same thing when Sebastian hit a rough patch of his own.
Something that is a little bit of a spoiler but worth mentioning is that there is secondary character in the book who has advanced cancer and that is not an easy thing to read if you've ever watched someone fight the disease, so please be prepared that this topic comes up.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.
August 30, 2025
Hell Bent is former professional soccer player and now NFL kicker, Sebastian and Alix a princess without a kingdom’s story. It’s book five in the Portland Devils series and it’s was an entertaining and engaging story.
Sebastian and Alix have a history and it seems fate is intent on putting them in the same place at the same time. From the moment they meet there is a connection but the timing was never right until now…….
Sebastian has become guardian to his 14 year old nephew Ben when his sister losses starts her fight with cancer and he needs someone to take Ben to the Portland Devils game and it’s Alix who steps up. What follows is Alix and Ben forming a close bond as they attend matches together and work out a plan for him to see his mother and spending time with Ben has her spending time with Sebastian and it’s not long before feelings come into play.
This is a well written, entertaining and at times emotional read with characters I fell hard and fast for.
Sebastian and Alix have a history and it seems fate is intent on putting them in the same place at the same time. From the moment they meet there is a connection but the timing was never right until now…….
Sebastian has become guardian to his 14 year old nephew Ben when his sister losses starts her fight with cancer and he needs someone to take Ben to the Portland Devils game and it’s Alix who steps up. What follows is Alix and Ben forming a close bond as they attend matches together and work out a plan for him to see his mother and spending time with Ben has her spending time with Sebastian and it’s not long before feelings come into play.
This is a well written, entertaining and at times emotional read with characters I fell hard and fast for.
September 2, 2025
I have read & reviewed almost all of Rosalind James books. She is my favorite author and each book she writes gets better and better. In Hell Bent, Sebastian, a NFL kicker is traded to the Portland Devils close to the end of the regular football season. On his way to Portland he picks up a sweet dog (not on purpose; people are harsh) and keeps bumping into Alix, first in San Francisco, then in the middle of his road trip and again in Portland. Princess Alix needs to change her life. Sebastian's biggest issues lie ahead of him. His dying sister, his 14 year old nephew Ben and Lexi the dog he adopts, playing his best for the Devils and Alix. Alix is a hardworking, bright woman who comes from a family of royalty. That does not stop her from getting down and dirty in her worklife. Both Alix and Sebastian do a best great job taking care of Ben, Lexi, and their jobs all while working on a relationship neither one of them expected.
September 22, 2025
Rosalind James is a favorite author of mine. I love she worlds she creates. This one was harder for me to get into though. I didn't click with Alix and felt Sebastian had to do all the work/changing for the relationship. It took over half of the book for it to finally click for me. In chapter forty, when Alix had her discussion with her mother, just the two of them. AH. My heart squeezed tight. I reread it several times. I LOVED that conversation. I appreciated her more and it was the turning point of once again loving all the characters. My heart ached for Sebastian, Ben (his nephew) and Solange (his sister). Solange's death had me in tears. The HEA had me grinning ear to ear.
There is so much to unpack in this book and I listened to the audiobook version as well. The realistic feelings of the characters stood out to me more. The narrators brought it to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head. Perfection!
There is so much to unpack in this book and I listened to the audiobook version as well. The realistic feelings of the characters stood out to me more. The narrators brought it to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head. Perfection!
September 2, 2025
This was another great Rosalind James read. She never fails with the love, loyalty, and support all topped off with a good dose of wit and humor. The emotion in this book was often overwhelming. Chapter 47 almost broke me. It hit very close to home for me.
I enjoyed the banter between Sebastian and Alix. To strong people individually only made stronger when they were together. The way Alix supported both Sebastian and Ben through an extremely difficult time in their lives and the way Sebastian helped Alix to reinforce the positive aspects of who she knew herself to be deep in her heart.
There was also that intense level of intimacy laced with a healthy dose of sensuality and heat. Ms. James doesn't miss in that area. This was definitely a don't miss book. It is a longer read, so make sure you have the time to enjoy it. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
I enjoyed the banter between Sebastian and Alix. To strong people individually only made stronger when they were together. The way Alix supported both Sebastian and Ben through an extremely difficult time in their lives and the way Sebastian helped Alix to reinforce the positive aspects of who she knew herself to be deep in her heart.
There was also that intense level of intimacy laced with a healthy dose of sensuality and heat. Ms. James doesn't miss in that area. This was definitely a don't miss book. It is a longer read, so make sure you have the time to enjoy it. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
September 2, 2025
Perfect fall read! Right in time for football season- You may need a box of tissues though for laughing and crying!
Rosalind has done it again with this highly emotional multi-layered story.
We follow Alix, Sebastian and his nephew, Ben on a roller coaster of life and death along with their family and friends. Rosalind expertly breathes life in to the secondary characters. Introducing some new ones and bringing back favorites from previous books in the series.
I always learn something from Rosalind’s books. Here she incorporates a little history of hemophilia and the Royal family as Alix is a descendent of Queen Victoria.
All three main characters have some really deep heartfelt conversations that are worth highlighting. Learned some things here too!
You’ll just have to read it for yourself! Loved the authorial intrusion, too!
Rosalind has done it again with this highly emotional multi-layered story.
We follow Alix, Sebastian and his nephew, Ben on a roller coaster of life and death along with their family and friends. Rosalind expertly breathes life in to the secondary characters. Introducing some new ones and bringing back favorites from previous books in the series.
I always learn something from Rosalind’s books. Here she incorporates a little history of hemophilia and the Royal family as Alix is a descendent of Queen Victoria.
All three main characters have some really deep heartfelt conversations that are worth highlighting. Learned some things here too!
You’ll just have to read it for yourself! Loved the authorial intrusion, too!
September 2, 2025
Rosalind James writes books that you want to crawl into. Her characters are so alive and the dialogue between them so witty and real that you wish the people could be your family and friends.
Alix, ersatz princess electrician, and Sebastian, ex-soccer player and now NFL kicker, meet accidentally and then keeps running into each other in the most deliciously coincidental fashion.
Alix's family backstory pleased my little history loving heart and then add a nephew and a bonus golden retriever, as well as a cast of familiar much-loved people from other books, and this could be the highest circle of book heaven.
The book contains difficult themes (death of family members, chronic (hereditary) illness) and made me cry, but it also made me smile, laugh out loud, and sigh (because good book people being happy make me happy).
Can't wait for the next book.
Alix, ersatz princess electrician, and Sebastian, ex-soccer player and now NFL kicker, meet accidentally and then keeps running into each other in the most deliciously coincidental fashion.
Alix's family backstory pleased my little history loving heart and then add a nephew and a bonus golden retriever, as well as a cast of familiar much-loved people from other books, and this could be the highest circle of book heaven.
The book contains difficult themes (death of family members, chronic (hereditary) illness) and made me cry, but it also made me smile, laugh out loud, and sigh (because good book people being happy make me happy).
Can't wait for the next book.
September 3, 2025
Life, loss and big Love ❤️
There’s some serious life issues woven into this book- cancer, death, loss, a LOT of soccer descriptions, the ersatz princess concept and a reworked Russian royal dynasty.
So, not the average romance!
The first chapters are full of snarky interactions and I had to persist until my interest finally locked in. Some aspects didn’t mesh for me.
But Rosalind James always delivers on characters and relationships and men who dig deep, stand firm in the storm and deliver on their promises. In this case, he also kicks a mean soccer ball.
She also delivers independent and strong women who can stand their ground.
In this case - also an electrician and princess!
Throw a difficult teen and a loveable mutt into the mix and you’re on an emotional roller coaster at times.
It’s book 5 in the Portland series but stands alone so you can plunge right in.
There’s some serious life issues woven into this book- cancer, death, loss, a LOT of soccer descriptions, the ersatz princess concept and a reworked Russian royal dynasty.
So, not the average romance!
The first chapters are full of snarky interactions and I had to persist until my interest finally locked in. Some aspects didn’t mesh for me.
But Rosalind James always delivers on characters and relationships and men who dig deep, stand firm in the storm and deliver on their promises. In this case, he also kicks a mean soccer ball.
She also delivers independent and strong women who can stand their ground.
In this case - also an electrician and princess!
Throw a difficult teen and a loveable mutt into the mix and you’re on an emotional roller coaster at times.
It’s book 5 in the Portland series but stands alone so you can plunge right in.
August 17, 2025
What an emotional roller-coaster! I was literally sobbing reading some parts of this. Chapter 21 in particular nearly broke me. Then there are other chapters which made me laugh and others that made my heart sing with joy. Alix defies expectations placed on her, choosing to carve her own independent path in life. Sebastian is honourable whilst trying to keep his warm caring heart locked up and protected due to his past life experiences. This is a standalone, but it was lovely to see a couple of cameos from characters in previous books. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Rosalind James has such a wonderful way of portraying individual, nuanced, fascinating, strong and believable characters which make her books, including this one, believable and relatable.
September 2, 2025
The best kind of emotional roller-coaster!
Sebastian is the best kind of male lead, and Alix is a girl after my own heart! Strong, courageous, and a bit too stubborn for her own good. This book grabbed my attention right away, and only made me want to devour it faster as the pages went on. It was the best kind of emotional roller-coaster! Yes, it had it's depressing moments, but they make the sweet, loving, tender moments so much more impactful. I cried. More than once. This is not a book that skirts over the hard topics. It is a journey, not only as individuals, but as a couple and as a family where they truly find themselves. I've missed Rosalind's writing so much, and this story was so worth the wait! And I am so looking forward to book 6 later in the Fall!
Sebastian is the best kind of male lead, and Alix is a girl after my own heart! Strong, courageous, and a bit too stubborn for her own good. This book grabbed my attention right away, and only made me want to devour it faster as the pages went on. It was the best kind of emotional roller-coaster! Yes, it had it's depressing moments, but they make the sweet, loving, tender moments so much more impactful. I cried. More than once. This is not a book that skirts over the hard topics. It is a journey, not only as individuals, but as a couple and as a family where they truly find themselves. I've missed Rosalind's writing so much, and this story was so worth the wait! And I am so looking forward to book 6 later in the Fall!
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