Blocking Heat: The Forbidden Heat Series

by J.L. Stray

I finally made it—signed to play goalie for the Tampa Bay Blaze.

But fate has a twisted sense of humor, because the team’s owner is none other than August Cromwell—my ex. The same August who left me behind without a second glance when his father disapproved of our relationship. I swore I’d never forgive him, and I’ve made it my mission to remind him of that every chance I get; consequences be damned.
But August doesn’t back down. He shows up, again and again, with that same maddening charm and memories I’ve tried to bury. And when I finally let my guard down, when I start to believe we might have a second chance, his father strikes again—this time with stakes higher than ever.

Now I have to is the love we’re rebuilding strong enough to survive the pressure, the legacy, and the ghosts of our past? Or will the game we’re playing off the field cost us everything?

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2026

About the author

JL Stray has always enjoyed reading books and writing stories. Finally, she gathered up enough courage to publish one herself. A former Policy Specialist and current Consultant, she spends any extra moment she has writing, outlining and scheming her next book.

Raised in a small town in Pennsylvania, she graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy. Most days she uses one of those degrees in either her career or dealing with her children.

J.L. lives in that same small town, with her three very active children, who always have her at a diamond, field or court. She is a lover of books, shoes, beaches, and a strong drink.

Reviews

[Ashley Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exciting for me to read because it centers around sports, and I love a good female sport romance. It was a pretty quick read, low angst, and overall a good book.

Hendrix is the goalie for a NWSL team and a complete badass! I love how the author portrayed her — smack talk and all. August gives off bad boy vibes, but really he has a sweet side to those he’s close with. Hendrix falls in love with August in college. But his dad ends up controlling his life and making him move on, leaving Hendrix behind. That’s until she gets drafted to play for his team. And now all their friends are dating, forcing them to together. August and Hendrix have this electric chemistry that makes it hard to stay away, even if their heartache still surfaces. I did like the fact that August was patient with her adjusting to the fact he’s her team owner, but also that he is trying to win her back. They do have a “can’t keep my hands off you” type of chemistry once feelings take over. And it’s so sweet that August stands up for his dad for her this time. Proving that he isn’t going anywhere.

I did appreciate the girls group — having teammates you can depend on is such a highlight for me when reading.

There is mention of a triggering subject, so I would caution readers to check those warnings before reading this. It’s only a small part, but still impactful.

This book was an ARC for me, and these are my honest opinions.

[Marisa Suarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first soccer ⚽ romance read! Love that it featured a women's soccer team with a male owner and the owner/player, second-chance romance! 🥅

This book follows Hendrix Monroe, the goalie for the Tampa Bay Blaze Women's soccer team. She is navigating a lot of anger now that she is playing for the team whose owner is the boy who broke her heart. While hoping to hold onto her anger, she finds herself constantly placed in situations with Austin in which they are the only 2 single people in their friend group. It doesn't help that there is sizzling chemistry still at play....

Austin Cromwell is a golden boy - one of two sons of the great Max Cromwell - an elite sports team owner who has entrusted Austin with running the Tampa Bay Blaze soccer team. However Austin's dad holds his power and money over his head, and dictates all aspects of his life. Years ago, he demanded the breakup between Austin and Hendrix, claiming he's destined for better. Will Austin's dad get in the way again once a second-chance romance starts to bloom?

I loved the soccer romance aspect of this book, and how they made Hendrix out to be such a badass soccer goalie! I truly loved both Austin and Hendrix and appreciated the background stories on their families and how that contributed to who they were.

Unfortunately there were a few editing flaws that were hard for me to get past...(It's me, Hi, I'm the Virgo it's me 👋). If those were improved, I'd likely bump this one up to 4 stars!

Thank you to Hambright PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Aubrie Church · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stars: ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Hendrix Monroe was a truly dedicated athlete. In college, she spent all her time either on the soccer field, in the gym or in class. Well, almost all of it. She saved a little time for her sweet and carefree boyfriend. They were young, happy and in love.. that is, until his dad came storming in, claimed she was a distraction and forced him to change schools. Hendrix was heartbroken, but life goes on and so did she. Fast forward a few years and Hendrix finds herself drafted to the Tampa Bay Blaze, the professional soccer team that is owned by none other than her ex boyfriend, August Cromwell. Even worse, he’s friends with all of her teammates and their boyfriends so she can never get away from him. She’s quick to insult and won’t give him the time of day but little does she know, August is hoping for a second chance and will do anything to win her back. But when they finally start feeling like they might have a chance at love again, his father tries to tear them apart. It’s up to August to stand up to his father and not let history repeat itself.

This story had a lot of potential. A second chance sports romance is something I would normally love but I felt like the author (and editor) did not execute on this one. I did genuinely like the characters but a lot of things didn’t make sense, lines were repeated and even the ending didn’t feel complete. I think with a bit more editing, this could have been closer to a 4 star read.

[Catherine (catisbookedup) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a football (soccer) fan and married to a coach, when I saw this soccer romance I was all over it, to further add the tropes are on point:
⚽️ 2nd chance romance
⚽️ enemies to lovers
⚽️ workplace romance
⚽️ forbidden love
⚽️ he falls first
I mean what else can I ask for?
Hendrix is a bad ass goalie who gets drafted to the Tampa blaze owned by you guessed it her college ex bf August. There in lies the problem because several years earlier he left her high and dry under threat of his father.
Of course the tension is immediate and the sexual tension is obvious. They have this immediate I hate you but can't resist you thing going on. Of course it doesn't help that family members on both sides don't want them together.

There are many things I liked about it:
🏅teammate friendship was on point
🏅The spice was spicy 🔥
🏅August was so patient and just generally dreamy

However, being totally honest the execution missed its mark for me:
🙈 I felt the book was quite repetitive and juvenile in parts. They kept explaining certain things over and over e.g their shared history, why they broke up.
🙈 I didn't feel the portrayal of a SA (check your trigger warnings) was not very realistic
🙈 I'm not a fan of 3rd act breakups. Is anyone?
🙈 The soccer matches didn't feel authentic to me. There was even one major fail in description involving how many players there are (11 including the goalie, so how can a striker get passed 11 players to then face the goalie? Cough cough) I can't let that slide being so heavily involved in the sport as I am.

All that being said and according to my rating structure I feel a solid 3 star is fair, as I think it definitely would appeal to a certain audience and some things were done well which to me at least count a lot, its a shame certain details let it down. I feel another edit might bring it back up.

Many thanks to HambrightPR and the author J.L Stray for gifting me a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own.

[Alyssa Loya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advanced reader copy

This was my first soccer romance and I didn’t expect to get so into it, but I did. Hendrix and August have that “we’re not over each other” energy the whole time, and it kept me hooked.
Hendrix is dealing with a lot but still comes across really strong, and I liked that about her. August’s rich family definitely stirs things up, but I loved how he never really wavered when it came to her.
The team stuff was honestly one of my favorite parts—felt very real with all the friendships, bar hangs, and girls hyping each other up. The dual POV also made it easy to stay in their heads.
Overall, just a really enjoyable, emotional read with a happy ending

[Vanessasbooksta · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75, rounded up for Goodreads

My first soccer romance 💘

But it isn't just a sports romance; it’s a story about healing, proving yourself, and fighting for a future when the past is actively trying to take you down.

This was a great "second chance at first love" story that felt earned.

🕰️. Second Chance Romance
🔥. Forbidden Love
🔒. Forced Proximity
💘. Enemies to Lovers
📈. Age gap
🌶️. Open door spice

[Smutty Professor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet second-chance romance! Hendrix Monroe finally makes it as a pro goalie, only to realize the team she’s been drafted to is owned by August, the ex who completely wrecked her years ago. Being thrown back into each other’s lives forces them to deal with everything they never actually resolved, and just when it feels like they might figure it out, his family starts interfering again. The tension between Hendrix and August is so good and it never really lets up. She’s not soft with him at all, and I loved that. He hurt her, and she makes him sit in all the discomfort she's been dealing with for years. There’s no easy forgiveness and honestly there shouldn't be!

August is one of those characters that could’ve easily annoyed me, but he didn’t. He knows he messed up, and even though he doesn’t always handle things perfectly, he keeps showing up and trying. He doesn't use grand gestures, but rather it’s his consistency that slowly started to win me over. Their whole owner/player dynamic adds so much pressure to everything else that was going on. They can’t just exist in their feelings without it affecting other parts of their lives, and that tension is always there in the background. And his dad was a walking red flag in every timeline.

I also really liked Hendrix’s world outside of everything going on with August. Her team, the friendships, all of that gave her something solid to stand on, which felt like it made her stronger. Since they fall back into each other's orbit before they’ve worked everything out, they make decisions that aren’t always smart and I seriously wanted to shake both of them a few times. If you like second chance romances where the history actually matters and people have to earn their way back to each other, this one is really good!

[Page Escapes by J · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something deeply addictive about a second-chance romance where both people are still painfully in love with each other but are pretending resentment is enough to bury it. Blocking Heat absolutely thrives in that tension.

Hendrix and August had the kind of chemistry that makes every conversation feel loaded. Not just romantically, but emotionally — years of hurt, unfinished closure, and history hanging over every interaction. The fact that Hendrix joins the Tampa Bay Blaze only to discover her college ex is now the owner? Elite romance setup. Immediate chaos. Immediate tension.

What really worked for me was that the relationship never felt shallow or overly dramatized for the sake of conflict. You can genuinely feel how much these two mattered to each other before everything fell apart. August especially ended up being more layered than I expected. Underneath the privilege and polished charm, he’s still carrying guilt and trying to prove he won’t abandon Hendrix again.

And Hendrix? Easily my favorite character in the book. She’s driven, stubborn, emotionally guarded, and honestly exhausted from being the only one protecting her heart. I loved that she wasn’t immediately willing to forgive him just because feelings still existed.

The pacing was surprisingly bingeable. I flew through this in one sitting because the emotional push-and-pull kept escalating, and the banter had that perfect “I’m mad at you but unfortunately you’re still hot” energy. The soccer setting also added a really fun atmosphere without overshadowing the romance itself. I especially loved the team dynamics and female friendships woven throughout the story — those scenes made the world feel fuller and more lived in.

I do think the family conflict became slightly repetitive toward the end, but emotionally the payoff still landed for me. The yearning carried this book hard.

[Loni Solomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Read - 3.5 ⭐️

The Forbidden Heat Series by J.L. Stray focuses on a professional female soccer team, messy intertwined relations, coaches, trainers, media all in the mix. Book 4, Blocking Heat centers on August, the Heat owner, and Hendrix, the recently drafted star goalie. There is history, tension and chemistry between them from the very start of the book.

As a soccer mom, I loved the authenticity of the soccer elements. The flow of the story overall kept me engaged and the dynamics within the team added an extra layer of drama that worked really well.

August surprised me. He’s the “rich kid” MMC, underestimated by his father and constantly feeling like nothing he does is good enough. Instead of being overly alpha, he’s incredibly vulnerable and very honest about his feelings for Hendrix. He is a little lost, a little lonely, and not entirely sure of his own self worth. The emotional depth on him really got to me.

Hendrix is the strong, talented, and guarded FMC. But she is carrying the weight of her past and their past and it shows in how she navigates everything and everyone around her.

The tropes? Second chance, workplace romance, parental pressure, found family, all of the things I love in a good contemporary romance.

That said, while I really enjoyed the story itself, the writing didn’t always land for me. There were moments where the dialogue felt a bit clunky or unnatural, like it didn’t quite flow the way a real conversation would. It didn’t take away from the overall plot, but it did pull me out here and there.

Overall, the story is a strong concept with emotional character work, and a series I would still want more of even if the execution didn’t fully land for me.

[Erika Ankeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first soccer romance read & I loved it! Hendrix & August were a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, but they were true to their feelings the entire time and that’s what I loved most.🤍

Hendrix (fmc) was a phenomenal goalie for the Tampa Blaze, and funny enough, her college ex is the owner of the team…the tensions are high, the sparks are still there, but unfortunately their past is still haunting them to this day. She has had a rough past few years, but nonetheless her character was very likable.

August (mmc) comes from a very wealthy family, and his father did not approve of their relationship back in college. When he discovers they have rekindled, all hell breaks loose. August fought for Hendrix through thick and thin and that really stood out to me throughout this book, he loved hard!

I think the dynamic of this book was very fun and fresh, the team of girls were all such amazing friends to Hendrix and I love seeing girls supporting girls! Me being an athlete in my youth, the team bonding at the bar and girls nights were very reminiscent to me!🫂

I loved the dual pov, getting to hear their thoughts back and forth was keeping the book juicy! I wish there was no third act breakup, but thankfully it was very short-lived and overall it had a happy ending!

Thank you so much to Hambright PR for the advanced reader copy, I had a great time & looking forward to continuing this series!🤗

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a soft 3.5 stars.

This is the 4th book in the Forbidden Heat series, which focuses on the Tampa Bay Blaze and their inaugural season. I have not read the first 3 books in this series, but they are interconnected standalones, so although I see the couples together from the previous books, I could go back to deep dive into their stories.

This book focuses on August and Hendrix. Hendrix is our FMC, she's the keeper (goalie) for the team, she's strong and nicknamed "The Wall." August is the owner of the Blaze and used to date Hendrix in college, but they were forced to break up by his father.

Blocking Heat is a second chance romance with forgiveness and trust at its core. I enjoyed watching the main characters learn to trust each other again and fight for one another.

I am a soccer fanatic, like watch soccer every weekend kind of girl. Soccer is in my blood. I wish this had a little more soccer! What we got was fun, but this story moves very fast so we didn't have much playing time in it.

I do feel like the editing could have used some improvement, I think the concept is there but the execution could have used a little extra fine tuning.

I would also recommend checking trigger warnings! There is discussion of a fairly heavy topic.

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Sports romance
Boss x employee
Found family

[Heather Angeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blocking Heat by J.L. Stray delivered a truly forbidden romance, and when I say forbidden, I mean the owner of the soccer team falling for the goalie. On paper, it should have been impossible—but somehow J.L. Stray made it work flawlessly.

August and Hendrix had history, heartbreak, and plenty of reasons to stay apart. Yet despite the politics of their jobs and everything stacked against them, they still found their way back to each other. Between her brother, her team, his dad, and all the outside pressure surrounding them, these two had obstacle after obstacle thrown in their path.

What made this story stand out was the second-chance element woven into the enemies-from-a-past-breakup dynamic. August knew he had to earn Hendrix back, and he put in the work. He showed up when it mattered, stood by her side, and cheered her on from the sidelines in every way that counted.

Hendrix was strong, determined, and never let anyone dictate her choices, which made watching their relationship rebuild even better. The tension, the history, and the fight they both gave for each other made this story impossible not to root for.

Blocking Heat was emotional, layered, and full of the kind of romance that proves love can survive even the messiest circumstances. Absolutely loved August and Hendrix together.

[andshe.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blocking Heat is book 4 in the Forbidden Heat series which focuses on a female soccer team with close knit friendship groups, messy romance which mixes business & pleasure & strong female characters.

This one centres around Hendrix, the newly drafted Goalkeeper & August, The Blazes owner. From the very beginning the tension & chemistry between them is palpable. Well they do have history after all.

Hendrix is strong & resilient however shes had no choice to be after what she went though. Her wall is up & trusting she won't be left broken hearted is her weakness.

I was pleasantly surprised by August, initially its made to look like hes the spoilt rich kid who will do whatever Daddy says however he turns out to be nothing like that & actually does have a sweet sensitive soul about him.

Some of my favourite tropes come with this story, second chance romance, workplace romance & found family just to name a few.

& whats even better is each book in this series can be read as a standalone. However the characters do overlap into each book so you bet I want to read the others now.

Overall a really good sports romance that has a great level of emotional connection, spice & a story to really get stuck into.

Thank you to Hambright PR & J.L. Stray for a digital copy of the book.

[Ida Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

First off—huge thank you to Hambright PR for sending me Blocking Heat by J.L. Stray 💌⚽️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

Listen… nothing—and I mean NOTHING—like finding out your new boss is your ex 😭💀 Talk about a messy fresh start!!

This book gave me everything I wanted in a sports romance and then said “oh you thought that was it?” and piled on the tension, the angst, AND the spice 👀🔥

We’ve got:
⚽️ a fierce goalie chasing her dreams
💔 unresolved heartbreak
⚔️ enemies-to-lovers energy that had me STRESSED (in the best way)
☎️ workplace tension that was chef’s kiss messy
🚪 open door spice that absolutely delivered

The chemistry?? Off the charts. The banter?? Sharp. The emotional damage?? Oh it’s there, baby.

What I really loved was how this story leaned into second chances without making it easy. These two had HISTORY—and not the cute kind. Watching them work through old wounds, pride, and outside forces trying to keep them apart felt real and satisfying.

And at the end of the day? This book said loud and clear: true love will fight, claw, and WIN 🥹❤️

If you love your romance with tension, passion, and a little chaos sprinkled in… you need this one.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

We didn’t get a ton of Hendrix before this book, and being in her head made me feel like I hadn’t come to know her at all before this book. Despite clear attempts to humanize starting with book one when Danny and August became friends, August still comes off as kind of a douche.
Just like book one, this felt like it all happened very quickly. Granted, these two have a history, but this essentially takes place over a two week period (depending on the NWSL schedule). They reconnect after a win, beef over a loss, and rereconnect after another loss. It’s crazy we’ve see 4 FMCs on the same team fall in love in the course of a single NWSL season that still hasn’t started the playoffs.
I gave this a slightly lower rating than the other two books because I just didn’t like these characters as much. The story is still compelling and there’s a lot going into the power struggle of the team and it’s dynamics with the owner being the MMC. There was also plenty of spice. I’d still recommend this series to people and I’m excited to see another Tampa Bay Blaze book to find out how their first season ends. I also assume we”re being set up for a cross into Drew’s Tampa Lightning.

[readwithabbiee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Hambright PR for my ARC!
If you’re a sports romance lover add this to your TBR!! This is my first J. L. Stray & I’m definitely going to read her backlist! We have a FMC athlete (soccer goalie) Hendrix and her ex August the owner of Tampa Bay Blaze soccer team. They have to forgive and learn to trust each other again since they work together, which neither are thrilled about🤭They annoy each other & shouldn’t be dating but can’t stay away from each other. There’s some heavier topics in here so please check your trigger warnings!🩷

Tropes
-second chance
-workplace romance
-boss x employee
-enemies to lovers
-FMC athlete
-sports romance (soccer)
-forced proximity
-Age gap

[Jessie.bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blocking Heat -ARC review 🙌🏻😮‍💨
5⭐️

✨Switching up a typical sports romance, this time SHE is the player! 🙌🏻 I loved every minute of Hendrix and August! Their love story started in college, and after being separated by a controlling parent and family demands they never forgot each other. This is an easy romance about second chances, healing, and forgiveness, with plenty of spice! 🫣😮‍💨😍

TROPES✨
⚽️ Sports Romance
🚫 Age Gap
🔁 Second Chance
☎️ Workplace Romance
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
🚪 Open Door Spice

Thanks so much @hambright_pr and J.L. Stray for the copy!

#HPRBlockingHeat #booksbooksbooks #BlockingHeat
#HambrightPR #bookstagram

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute second chance romance that definitely deals with heavier topics so check the triggers warnings! It is a nice change of pace from the fluffy romances you normally read though! I love a good second chance story and this one is it! Hendrix and August has to learn to trust and forgive each other before building a relationship together and I loved that about this book. It was real and heartfelt. I will definitely check out the other books by J. L. Stray! Highly recommend!

Thank you to @jlstray and @hambright_pr for my copy of the eARC in exchange for my honest review

[Alyssa J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advanced author copy!

Ok this was cute, funny, and a delight to read!

My first soccer romance read 👏🏼
I absolutely loved the banter & their tension.
I was so happy to see the FMC was the soccer player instead of MMC. Loved how he brought her there. The ending made me a little angry at first with the coach but I forgive him 🤣 August made it all better haha.

Overall this was fun & cute & I cannot wait to see what others think!

[Nikki’s Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

Hendrix and August are a second chance romance set with soccer life as a backdrop and parental pressure as a catalyst into why they become second chance.

I enjoyed how the author immersed us into the story! I have a BIL who played D1 soccer and kids who were in soccer, but otherwise I’m not soccer savvy. I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of pro women’s!

I’d recommend this to anyone who understands youthful mistakes and wants their spice on the mild side.

[Reading is escaping reality · Rating 5 out of 5]

She’s the player known as the wall, he’s the owners son. Where years later they are working together. The tension between them is electric and always a fine line between love and hate. The way he’s admitted to always wanting her and then to pull the move he did at the end, had me screaming! Love it!

[Andi N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for a sports romance where the FMC is the sports star? If the answer is yes, then look no further because Blocking Heat is the sports romance full of sizzling chemistry you've been looking for. Sit back and enjoy the world of Hendrix and August as they work to rewrite story to ensure this time they get a happily ever after.

[The Calm Chapter Mandi Wiencek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chance romance?! Soccer?! An independent, competitive female athlete FMC?! Spice, slow burn with a major payoff?! Say less fam. I’m truly in my sports romance era! I loved this book.

Thank you Hambright PR for this one!! ⚽️

[Brittany (happy.ending.always) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m in my soccer romance era, so I was super excited to see this book not only featured soccer, but the female main character, Hendrix, was the soccer player aka the goalie. Love a female athlete story!!!

August the main male character is the owner of the team. (Which was soooo fun to read, owner/player). He pines for Hendrix, as they have known each other forever! But a horrible villain aka August’s Dad, (he is so awful), does everything to break them up, then (and now, seriously he is the worst). Despite all this though, August’s Dad puts Hendrix on the soccer team as the star goalie, and makes August the new owner. Drama, intrigue, locker fun times, sooo much fun!

Their banter and hate back and forth was soooo good. Their chemistry is soooo hot! I loved how much they yearned for one another. All their history and yet how they learn so much about each other all over again.

This found family for Hendrix in the soccer team was so fun to read too. And Hendrick’s brother was amazing, sticking up for her. So worried about his sister.

I loved this story, the characters and all the great drama.

***check triggers too, their is some heavy stuff that the female character goes through.

⚽️FMC Soccer Goalie
⚽️MMC Team Owner
⚽️Enemies to Lovers
⚽️Workplace Romance
⚽️Second Chance Romance
⚽️Found Family

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so glad I was able to receive a copy of this book ! I loved it :3 it was everything I expected! Also first time I read a book where the fmc is a soccer player ! Such a lovely surprise

[Merbabe Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sports romance where the FMC is the pro athlete?, say less!

Blocking Heat was a great read for any sports romance enthusiast! I loved getting to watch the fire between Hendrix and August. Hendrix did NOT make it easy for him to come back into her life. But once that match lit there was no stopping the flame from engulfing them!

Tropes/Likes:
-Sports Romance
-Billionaire Romance
-Second Chance Romance
-Enemies (one sided) to Lovers
-Workplace Romance
-Found Family