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Axes & Endzones #2
Married to the Scottish Player
From the author of Falling for the Fake Lumberjack comes a laugh-out-loud scorcher about a burned-out wedding planner and broken-down linebacker brought together by fate—and a booking snafu.
Wrangling lumberjacks for Star Lake’s Fall Fest has wedding and event planner Annabelle Franklin ready to saw some serious wood. When her best friend suggests a staycation, she’s all in. Too bad the cabin she books is already occupied—by a brawny Scot who just won’t budge.
The good news? Callum “Maverick” McBride has abs to spare and a voice that could fell trees (and drop panties). Did I mention he owns two kilts? Recuperating from surgery, the Arizona linebacker just wants privacy. And since he was there first, he refuses to give an inch.
As sparks start melting the ice between them, they concede to sharing the cabin. But after crashing a wedding—and waking up hungover with matching gold rings—any boundaries established are quickly forgotten.
Turns out Annabelle and Callum’s marriage is legit. And fate has another wee surprise in store. They discover that sometimes the best mistakes in life are the ones you choose to keep.
Wrangling lumberjacks for Star Lake’s Fall Fest has wedding and event planner Annabelle Franklin ready to saw some serious wood. When her best friend suggests a staycation, she’s all in. Too bad the cabin she books is already occupied—by a brawny Scot who just won’t budge.
The good news? Callum “Maverick” McBride has abs to spare and a voice that could fell trees (and drop panties). Did I mention he owns two kilts? Recuperating from surgery, the Arizona linebacker just wants privacy. And since he was there first, he refuses to give an inch.
As sparks start melting the ice between them, they concede to sharing the cabin. But after crashing a wedding—and waking up hungover with matching gold rings—any boundaries established are quickly forgotten.
Turns out Annabelle and Callum’s marriage is legit. And fate has another wee surprise in store. They discover that sometimes the best mistakes in life are the ones you choose to keep.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2026
About the author
Sara Ney
70 books6,738 followersSara Ney is an Amazon and USA Today bestselling author of new adult college and adult romance. Sexy and laugh-out-loud funny, her work includes the How to Date a Douchebag and Campus Legends series. Ney’s books have been translated into several languages for markets such as Germany, Italy, Brazil, French, and Portuguese.
Sara lives with her partner, Jeff, in a blended household overrun by four independent teenagers. At their weekly “Cute Date Night,” they discuss TV shows they’re bingeing and plot novels together, something Jeff is freakishly good at. Sara loves traveling, because it’s the only time she has the bathroom to herself.
Sara lives with her partner, Jeff, in a blended household overrun by four independent teenagers. At their weekly “Cute Date Night,” they discuss TV shows they’re bingeing and plot novels together, something Jeff is freakishly good at. Sara loves traveling, because it’s the only time she has the bathroom to herself.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
July 6, 2026
Event planner, Annabelle Franklin, is a workaholic through and through. So when her bestie suggests a staycation in their quaint hometown of Star Lake, Washington, she reluctantly agrees and books a lakeside cabin.
Arizona’s star defensive lineman, Callum “Maverick” McBride, is taking some much-needed downtime while recovering from surgery. The picturesque small town of Star Lake is the perfect place to rest, relax, and rehab.
When Maverick returns to his cabin and finds a sassy stranger napping in his hammock, his first instinct is to send her packing. Unfortunately for both of them, a booking mix-up leaves them waiting on a call from the rental company that never comes. With neither willing to back down, they’re forced to share the space and that’s when the sparks start flying.
This was such a sweet, steamy read. While it’s my first from Sara Ney, I can confidently say that it won’t be my last. It packed several of my favorite tropes into one charming little story, and I was having so much fun that I didn’t even mind it being lighter on the spice than I usually prefer.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: 📱
🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): New Adult, RomCom
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
Length: 📚📚📚
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}
Emotions: 😊🥴🫠🥰😍
Darkness: 🤍
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥1/2
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
✨ Tropes: Accidental Marriage, Billionaire, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Meet Cute, One Bed, Surprise/Accidental Pregnancy
💫 Microtropes: He Falls Harder, Sassy FMC
🔆 Character: Athlete, Wedding/Event Planner
💋 Kinks: n/a
🤰🏻 Pregnancy: Minor Storyline
🚩 Red Flags: n/a
⛔️ Safety Squad: n/a
📍 Setting: Scottsdale, Arizona + Small Town, Washington 🇺🇸
📣 Type: Married to the Scottish Player is part of the Axes & Endzones series of interconnected standalones.
⚠️ Warning: This sweet and steamy read will leave your panties damp and your cheeks flushed.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Arizona’s star defensive lineman, Callum “Maverick” McBride, is taking some much-needed downtime while recovering from surgery. The picturesque small town of Star Lake is the perfect place to rest, relax, and rehab.
When Maverick returns to his cabin and finds a sassy stranger napping in his hammock, his first instinct is to send her packing. Unfortunately for both of them, a booking mix-up leaves them waiting on a call from the rental company that never comes. With neither willing to back down, they’re forced to share the space and that’s when the sparks start flying.
This was such a sweet, steamy read. While it’s my first from Sara Ney, I can confidently say that it won’t be my last. It packed several of my favorite tropes into one charming little story, and I was having so much fun that I didn’t even mind it being lighter on the spice than I usually prefer.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: 📱
🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): New Adult, RomCom
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
Length: 📚📚📚
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}
Emotions: 😊🥴🫠🥰😍
Darkness: 🤍
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥1/2
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
✨ Tropes: Accidental Marriage, Billionaire, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Meet Cute, One Bed, Surprise/Accidental Pregnancy
💫 Microtropes: He Falls Harder, Sassy FMC
🔆 Character: Athlete, Wedding/Event Planner
💋 Kinks: n/a
🤰🏻 Pregnancy: Minor Storyline
🚩 Red Flags: n/a
⛔️ Safety Squad: n/a
📍 Setting: Scottsdale, Arizona + Small Town, Washington 🇺🇸
📣 Type: Married to the Scottish Player is part of the Axes & Endzones series of interconnected standalones.
⚠️ Warning: This sweet and steamy read will leave your panties damp and your cheeks flushed.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
June 23, 2026
4🌟, 3🌶️
This was exactly the kind of fun, feel-good romcom I needed.
It was fast-paced, full of personality, and had me smiling almost the entire time. The humor landed for me, the banter was genuinely funny, and the story never took itself too seriously, which made it such an easy book to sink into.
Callum completely stole the show. He was charming, thoughtful, and impossible not to love, and his chemistry with Annabelle made even the most chaotic moments work. I usually struggle with romances that move this quickly, but there was something about their dynamic that made me buy into it. I also loved that the conflict felt believable and didn’t rely on unnecessary drama to create tension.
While the pacing occasionally felt a little uneven and I would have loved a bit more depth in certain moments, I had such a good time with this book that those things never bothered me for long.
It was funny, sweet, entertaining, and packed with enough heart to leave me closing the book with a smile on my face.
~~~~
Huge thank you to Sara Ney, The Author Agency and NetGalley for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨
This was exactly the kind of fun, feel-good romcom I needed.
It was fast-paced, full of personality, and had me smiling almost the entire time. The humor landed for me, the banter was genuinely funny, and the story never took itself too seriously, which made it such an easy book to sink into.
Callum completely stole the show. He was charming, thoughtful, and impossible not to love, and his chemistry with Annabelle made even the most chaotic moments work. I usually struggle with romances that move this quickly, but there was something about their dynamic that made me buy into it. I also loved that the conflict felt believable and didn’t rely on unnecessary drama to create tension.
While the pacing occasionally felt a little uneven and I would have loved a bit more depth in certain moments, I had such a good time with this book that those things never bothered me for long.
It was funny, sweet, entertaining, and packed with enough heart to leave me closing the book with a smile on my face.
~~~~
Huge thank you to Sara Ney, The Author Agency and NetGalley for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨
July 12, 2026
Married to the Scottish Player
Annabelle Franklin is burned out. After a huge event (she's a planner!) she just needs some R & R. Her best friend suggests a local cabin. When she gets there however... its already been booked. By a football player. Who definitely doesn't want to share.
Callum "Maverick" McBride is healing after an injury. He doesn't want to stay with Annabelle. But these two... the verbal swipes these two take on each other! It was so funny.
They decide to wedding crash and wake up married. And why not just... see where it goes?
Callum has to be back in team readiness... fighting form? Idk exactly. And Annabelle has a business. But a MAJOR life milestone gets put in the mix too (yeah I had nooooo idea that was coming!) And now suddenly things are super complicated. But I so wanted these two to work it out. Besides all the drama the dude is Scottish!
Fun, fun time.
Annabelle Franklin is burned out. After a huge event (she's a planner!) she just needs some R & R. Her best friend suggests a local cabin. When she gets there however... its already been booked. By a football player. Who definitely doesn't want to share.
Callum "Maverick" McBride is healing after an injury. He doesn't want to stay with Annabelle. But these two... the verbal swipes these two take on each other! It was so funny.
They decide to wedding crash and wake up married. And why not just... see where it goes?
Callum has to be back in team readiness... fighting form? Idk exactly. And Annabelle has a business. But a MAJOR life milestone gets put in the mix too (yeah I had nooooo idea that was coming!) And now suddenly things are super complicated. But I so wanted these two to work it out. Besides all the drama the dude is Scottish!
Fun, fun time.
June 27, 2026
I ended up DNFing this at 40% because I just could not get into it at all.
Annabelle drove me absolutely insane. The cabin was so obviously occupied by someone else, yet somehow a double booking never crossed her mind? Instead, she just acted like everything was completely normal. She was also unnecessarily rude to Maverick, and I honestly could not stand her.
Maverick (Callum) did not help either. He was just... there. I found him really bland, so I never felt invested in either him or the romance.
The final straw for me was when they decided to crash a wedding. Annabelle is literally a wedding planner who hates when people do things like that, so it made absolutely no sense. I just could not bring myself to keep reading, and this one definitely was not for me.
Thank you The Author Agency, Net Galley & Sara Ney for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Annabelle drove me absolutely insane. The cabin was so obviously occupied by someone else, yet somehow a double booking never crossed her mind? Instead, she just acted like everything was completely normal. She was also unnecessarily rude to Maverick, and I honestly could not stand her.
Maverick (Callum) did not help either. He was just... there. I found him really bland, so I never felt invested in either him or the romance.
The final straw for me was when they decided to crash a wedding. Annabelle is literally a wedding planner who hates when people do things like that, so it made absolutely no sense. I just could not bring myself to keep reading, and this one definitely was not for me.
Thank you The Author Agency, Net Galley & Sara Ney for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 5, 2026
This follows Annabelle and Callum. Annabelle is a workaholic in the wedding and events industry who desperately needs a break, so she books a lakeside cottage getaway. But upon arrival, something feels off and there are items already in the accommodation. After settling in, she doesn’t expect to be woken by a disgruntled, handsome Scotsman who’s convinced it’s his booking. What could go wrong?
I had way too much fun with this one. It’s a character driven story with brilliant banter, tension, and chemistry. I loved how it started with their feisty, sassy back and forth I couldn’t stop smiling. The “rules” they put in place so they could tolerate each other made me laugh. As the days go on, they begin to open up, ask more personal questions, and their relationship starts to bloom.
Annabelle is such a firecracker she made me smile so much. I loved how she handled Callum, and I’m glad she allowed herself to switch off and just enjoy the moment. Callum is recovering from ACL surgery and taking time off to heal. I loved his energy and the way he shows up for Annabelle. Watching them go from strangers to something more, through all the unexpected twists, was such a joy. Despite everything, Callum was all in, and I loved that for Annabelle even when she got stuck in her own head at times. I also didn’t expect quite a few of the major moments, which was an amazing surprise.
Lastly, the audiobook was brilliant. Lexi and Brandon did an amazing job with the dual narration. I’m so glad I got to experience it this way and highly recommend picking it up in audio.
This was my first Sara Ney book, and it definitely won’t be my last. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Genre/Type: Adult Romance 18+
APK: Audiobook ALC
Audiobook Length: 10hrs 7mins
Narrators: Lexi Maynard and Brandon Utah - Dual
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: First Person
Series or Standalone: Apart Of The Axes and Endzone Series
Tropes or Themes: Enemies To Lovers, Strangers To Lovers, One Bed, Accidental Marriage, Accidental Pregnancy, Forced Proximity, Romcom, Made Me Laugh, Protective MMC, Chemistry, Tension, Alcohol, Sexual Content, Dirty Talk, Praise, Oral Play, Taken Bare and Outside Scene.
Check Triggers ⚠️ 💫
All Round Romance Reader
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I had way too much fun with this one. It’s a character driven story with brilliant banter, tension, and chemistry. I loved how it started with their feisty, sassy back and forth I couldn’t stop smiling. The “rules” they put in place so they could tolerate each other made me laugh. As the days go on, they begin to open up, ask more personal questions, and their relationship starts to bloom.
Annabelle is such a firecracker she made me smile so much. I loved how she handled Callum, and I’m glad she allowed herself to switch off and just enjoy the moment. Callum is recovering from ACL surgery and taking time off to heal. I loved his energy and the way he shows up for Annabelle. Watching them go from strangers to something more, through all the unexpected twists, was such a joy. Despite everything, Callum was all in, and I loved that for Annabelle even when she got stuck in her own head at times. I also didn’t expect quite a few of the major moments, which was an amazing surprise.
Lastly, the audiobook was brilliant. Lexi and Brandon did an amazing job with the dual narration. I’m so glad I got to experience it this way and highly recommend picking it up in audio.
This was my first Sara Ney book, and it definitely won’t be my last. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Genre/Type: Adult Romance 18+
APK: Audiobook ALC
Audiobook Length: 10hrs 7mins
Narrators: Lexi Maynard and Brandon Utah - Dual
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: First Person
Series or Standalone: Apart Of The Axes and Endzone Series
Tropes or Themes: Enemies To Lovers, Strangers To Lovers, One Bed, Accidental Marriage, Accidental Pregnancy, Forced Proximity, Romcom, Made Me Laugh, Protective MMC, Chemistry, Tension, Alcohol, Sexual Content, Dirty Talk, Praise, Oral Play, Taken Bare and Outside Scene.
Check Triggers ⚠️ 💫
All Round Romance Reader
Sienasummerrreads 💕📚
TikTok | Instagram | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Fable | Margins | Pagebound | Amazon | Audible Reviews 💫
June 23, 2026
Thank you to the author and The Author Agency for the gifted e-copy.
“This will end in murder—or marriage—and I’m not sure I’m equipped for either.”
I might be a little obsessed with Callum, bum knee included. The banter in this book along with how the characters and the meet-cute were written immediately hooked me. I will have to go back and read the rest of the books in this series because it was so cute.
Vibes: Airbnb meets rom-com
Tropes:
Rental Mixup
Only One Bed
Football
Small Town
Accidentally Married
Strangers to Lovers
“This will end in murder—or marriage—and I’m not sure I’m equipped for either.”
I might be a little obsessed with Callum, bum knee included. The banter in this book along with how the characters and the meet-cute were written immediately hooked me. I will have to go back and read the rest of the books in this series because it was so cute.
Vibes: Airbnb meets rom-com
Tropes:
Rental Mixup
Only One Bed
Football
Small Town
Accidentally Married
Strangers to Lovers
June 28, 2026
The second half of this book is why I enjoyed this couple. I don’t always like an enemies to lovers trope and it’s usually because the bickering can be immature. Once these two got together, I was able to enjoy their dynamic so much more.
June 29, 2026
I actually finished this one but I have no idea why I did.
Annabelle was a mess from the beginning. Girl, you know someone was there first, it’s not yours to demand just because a shady agency double booked.
She was just an awful person, completely self centered and entitled. Once the surprise pregnancy, which how can it be a surprise, comes to light, she handles it like a brat not a grown arse woman.
Maverick wasn’t the bad guy here. He may have been a stereotypical jock bro, but he didn’t deserve her crap.
Annabelle was a mess from the beginning. Girl, you know someone was there first, it’s not yours to demand just because a shady agency double booked.
She was just an awful person, completely self centered and entitled. Once the surprise pregnancy, which how can it be a surprise, comes to light, she handles it like a brat not a grown arse woman.
Maverick wasn’t the bad guy here. He may have been a stereotypical jock bro, but he didn’t deserve her crap.
August 1, 2026
Funnier than initially expected
The scene when they go paddle boating and he screams like a girl when a leaf touches his leg in the lake was hilarious. Honestly between the lake freak out, his fear of the dark, and lightning, it was kind of amazing to me that Annabelle still found Callum attractive at all. His uncool behavior made for a hilarious story but this kind of hero doesn’t exactly get a girl’s motor revved up if you know what I mean. And how dare the author call the book Married to the Scottish Player and the hero NOT have a Scottish brogue! I don’t know if the author was to blame for that or if it was a creative choice of the male narrator, either way, I was hoping for a sexy Scottish accent and very disappointed there wasn’t one. Even though I enjoyed the story, that’s a large part of why I only gave it 4 stars rather than 5.
The scene when they go paddle boating and he screams like a girl when a leaf touches his leg in the lake was hilarious. Honestly between the lake freak out, his fear of the dark, and lightning, it was kind of amazing to me that Annabelle still found Callum attractive at all. His uncool behavior made for a hilarious story but this kind of hero doesn’t exactly get a girl’s motor revved up if you know what I mean. And how dare the author call the book Married to the Scottish Player and the hero NOT have a Scottish brogue! I don’t know if the author was to blame for that or if it was a creative choice of the male narrator, either way, I was hoping for a sexy Scottish accent and very disappointed there wasn’t one. Even though I enjoyed the story, that’s a large part of why I only gave it 4 stars rather than 5.
June 23, 2026
For a fast moving romance I enjoyed this RomCom quite a bit. Both characters are really likable, they have great humor and the banter between them is fantastic.
The humor and shenanigans aren’t over the top, I think that’s what made the super fast love story less unlikely to me and I was able to get behind the couple’s relationship.
It was a really engaging read that made me smile and laugh. I appreciate that lately so much. I need funny, light hearted stories and this showed up and answered the assignment.
I enjoy this author’s writing, sometimes it’s really quirky and sometimes it’s less so, like this book. But, still with her wonderful humor and heart.
The humor and shenanigans aren’t over the top, I think that’s what made the super fast love story less unlikely to me and I was able to get behind the couple’s relationship.
It was a really engaging read that made me smile and laugh. I appreciate that lately so much. I need funny, light hearted stories and this showed up and answered the assignment.
I enjoy this author’s writing, sometimes it’s really quirky and sometimes it’s less so, like this book. But, still with her wonderful humor and heart.
June 24, 2026
This book is a truly fun time. Both Annabelle and Maverick/Callum are funny, clever, and warm-hearted. Their double booking debacle has the unexpected but delightful results. As they spend time getting to know each other, after a rocky and reluctant start, their chemistry is undeniable, hot and just plain, downright fun! This read is a good time. It is funny, sharply witty and has a soft centre as we discover two lovely people with caring natures, who really need to be together! Add in wedding shenanigans, their mutual need to shake their lives up a bit...or a lot...and you have a gorgeous, big hearted rom-com which is a joy to read 💖💖💖💖💖
July 7, 2026
Drunk accidentally married but not legally (this is fine). Audiobook has no Scottish accent unless he plays it up to seduce her (Title? YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIES!) Surprise pregnancy (excuse me: WTF) Miscommunication trope (kill me, RIGHT NOW) Rushed real but surprise (for her) wedding post positive pregnancy test (YIKES). And as if that wasn’t bad enough: the epilogue is in their ONE YEAR OLD BABYS first person POV and the baby says, and I quote: ‘I am objectively, an icon’
Fuck me dead.
1 star because it made me laugh a few times. If this wasn’t a clusterfuck of the top 2 most hated tropes + whatever TF that epilogue was it’d have been a solid 3.5 stars.
Fuck me dead.
1 star because it made me laugh a few times. If this wasn’t a clusterfuck of the top 2 most hated tropes + whatever TF that epilogue was it’d have been a solid 3.5 stars.
July 1, 2026
Not on the holiday check list!
This was a true Sara Ney book filled with hilarity, chemistry and shenanigans! Getting double booked into a holiday cottage isn't on the agenda for Annabelle or Maverick but what starts as animosity becomes something neither of them expected. Crashing a wedding, getting drunk married and finding out they created another human. Sara Ney brings it all in a book i couldn't put down!
This was a true Sara Ney book filled with hilarity, chemistry and shenanigans! Getting double booked into a holiday cottage isn't on the agenda for Annabelle or Maverick but what starts as animosity becomes something neither of them expected. Crashing a wedding, getting drunk married and finding out they created another human. Sara Ney brings it all in a book i couldn't put down!
August 1, 2026
Listen. When the title is Married to the Scottish Player and the MMC is described as a “brawny Scot” in the description….I’m going to expect an accent and when there isn’t one, I’m going to be disappointed.
June 13, 2026
I ate this book up! It was a breath of fresh air. It was a cozy, quick, forced proximity to drunken marrriage. I loved the banter and how well Callum and Annabelle just clicked.
I received this book as an ARC from The Author Agency.
Callum (Maverick) is a football player recuperating from knee surgery at a cabin. Annabelle is a burned out wedding planner who books the same cabin through another rental company. It’s the sweetest little spicy romance! I loved it!!
I received this book as an ARC from The Author Agency.
Callum (Maverick) is a football player recuperating from knee surgery at a cabin. Annabelle is a burned out wedding planner who books the same cabin through another rental company. It’s the sweetest little spicy romance! I loved it!!
Review of advance copy
Amazon
When Annabelle and Callum "Maverick" end up booking the same cottage, the results are...unexpected. First there's a snarky meet cute, then lots of forced proximity when a storm happens, and then a drunken wedding. Now they have to decide if they want to stay married, dig into their developing connection, or go their separate ways, even after something unexpected.
A hot Scot linebacker, a sassy American event planner, lots of snarky banter, and what turns out to be a real wedding - what a fun, spicy combination. Callum is absolutely adorable, and the steady, supportive guy that Annabelle couldn't have predicted when they first met. I think my favorite part was when he freaks out in the lake - I can picture his screech now, and I'm still laughing 🤣 Linebackers are some of my favorite football players (Fred Warner!!) so I was already happy. That he turned out to be the sweetest, and Annabelle is perfect for him, made me even happier.
ARC provided by The Author Agency for an honest review.
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June 24, 2026
Married to the Scottish Player is book 2 in the Axes and Endzones series and features Callum "Maverick" McBride and Annabelle Franklin.
Annabelle is an only child. She is not close to her parents, but she does check in with them. She was raised in a small town called Star Lake and has never left. Her best friend from childhood is Lucy, from Falling For the Lumberjack. She is sassy and determined, a known trait of only children, and she stands her ground.
Maverick is a Scottish football player, teammate to Harris from Falling For the Lumberjack. He and his siblings were raised by loving parents. After hearing his teammates rave about the resort they had stayed at for team bonding, he decides to stay there to finish rehabbing his knew. He wants some quiet and peace from everyone watching his progress.
This story starts out like a Goldilocks story. When Mav returns to his cabin after being at the resort, he finds a woman sleeping in his hammock. The hammock he brought and hung for his relaxation. Who would dare?
When Annabelle arrives at the cabin she has reserved for the week, she is shocked to see all of the stuff in it. She assumes housekeeping just has not come in yet. She puts her things down and checks out her new surroundings. She falls in love with the hammock and decides to go read in it. And she proceeds to fall asleep. Until the big, bad Scot finds her.
Since the owner of the cabin has managed to double book it, these two will have to make do until they can get in touch with the booking agents or the owner.
At this point Mav believes he entitled to the space he has already taken over since he has been there for a few days. Annabelle does not agree, but is relegated to what is leftover. They will not eat each other's food.
Obviously they do not start out on the best foot. But somewhere down the line, things shift. They slowly become friends. They try to get to know each other a little. But things take a turn that no one saw coming.
But when a bomb is dropped on them that they never truly saw coming, life becomes real.
Callum (Mav) found THE ONE in Annabelle. He know that. But does she know what she wants? Does she feel the same pull to him that he feels to her? He leads a very public life. She leads a very quiet life. Will she be able to handle being in the public eye all of the time?
Let me start by saying I have never laughed so hard at the reactions that Mav and Annabelle had after their drunken night of fun. I thought it would be the other way around. But then their reactions throughout the story were never quite what I expected.
Mav goes above and beyond throughout this story with Annabelle. Rubbing her back. Giving her foot massages. Holing away in his penthouse to ease her into his life. He dotes on her. Every woman should have a Scot in their life. The brogue added in to the thoughtful things they do is what every woman should have.
Seeing Harris and Lucy again in this story was fun. I have to admit that Harris is whipped when it comes to her. But in a good way.
The epilogue is classic. I loved seeing a one year old's perspective on a party of all adults. It is classic entertainment.
Annabelle is an only child. She is not close to her parents, but she does check in with them. She was raised in a small town called Star Lake and has never left. Her best friend from childhood is Lucy, from Falling For the Lumberjack. She is sassy and determined, a known trait of only children, and she stands her ground.
Maverick is a Scottish football player, teammate to Harris from Falling For the Lumberjack. He and his siblings were raised by loving parents. After hearing his teammates rave about the resort they had stayed at for team bonding, he decides to stay there to finish rehabbing his knew. He wants some quiet and peace from everyone watching his progress.
This story starts out like a Goldilocks story. When Mav returns to his cabin after being at the resort, he finds a woman sleeping in his hammock. The hammock he brought and hung for his relaxation. Who would dare?
When Annabelle arrives at the cabin she has reserved for the week, she is shocked to see all of the stuff in it. She assumes housekeeping just has not come in yet. She puts her things down and checks out her new surroundings. She falls in love with the hammock and decides to go read in it. And she proceeds to fall asleep. Until the big, bad Scot finds her.
Since the owner of the cabin has managed to double book it, these two will have to make do until they can get in touch with the booking agents or the owner.
At this point Mav believes he entitled to the space he has already taken over since he has been there for a few days. Annabelle does not agree, but is relegated to what is leftover. They will not eat each other's food.
Obviously they do not start out on the best foot. But somewhere down the line, things shift. They slowly become friends. They try to get to know each other a little. But things take a turn that no one saw coming.
But when a bomb is dropped on them that they never truly saw coming, life becomes real.
Callum (Mav) found THE ONE in Annabelle. He know that. But does she know what she wants? Does she feel the same pull to him that he feels to her? He leads a very public life. She leads a very quiet life. Will she be able to handle being in the public eye all of the time?
Let me start by saying I have never laughed so hard at the reactions that Mav and Annabelle had after their drunken night of fun. I thought it would be the other way around. But then their reactions throughout the story were never quite what I expected.
Mav goes above and beyond throughout this story with Annabelle. Rubbing her back. Giving her foot massages. Holing away in his penthouse to ease her into his life. He dotes on her. Every woman should have a Scot in their life. The brogue added in to the thoughtful things they do is what every woman should have.
Seeing Harris and Lucy again in this story was fun. I have to admit that Harris is whipped when it comes to her. But in a good way.
The epilogue is classic. I loved seeing a one year old's perspective on a party of all adults. It is classic entertainment.
July 2, 2026
Married To The Scottish Player by Sara Ney is the second book in her Aces & Endzones series. In book one we met Lucy and enjoyed her romance with Harry, now we are back in Star Lake with her best friends Annabelle Franklin and his team mate Maverick aka Callum from Arizona.
This is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, surprise marriage between two people who make some dubious decisions but find that fate has other ideas for them. A very funny tale about a planned getaway not being the restful retreat they were both expecting and how making the most of a difficult situation results in a very HEA.
When a holiday cabin by the lake is doubled booked, two strangers fight over the one bed and the right to stay. One is an exhausted wedding planner who is recovering from organising the town’s Fall Festival and the other is an NFL Linebacker recovering from an ACL injury.
At the cabin Annabelle settles herself in although she feels something is off. Callum is shocked to find a beautiful woman asleep on his hammock when he returns. He is adamant that as he arrived first she must leave and he’s determined not to back down, however, Annabelle refuses as she desperately needs to unwind and recuperate. He is grumpy and in pain with his injury so the last thing he needs is a feisty and sassy woman disturbing his peace and solitude. She is so infuriating but he finds himself enjoying their interactions.
Annabelle can’t believe that her staycation that Lucy suggested is turning into a nightmare. Her break was meant to be relaxing so she could recharge after all the stress from her job because she is constantly trying to prove everything is under control when it’s not. Now she is trapped with a good looking stranger who is even hotter than her Fall Festival lumberjacks and Harris Bennett.
Maverick is a massive mountain of a man, with lots of ego, a come back for everything and very intense. She is annoyed that she finds his grumpiness sexy and his body drool worthy.
These two are hilarious as they both stand their ground over the cabin. They argue and at first are extremely irritated by each other. What happens next is lots of banter, stubbornness and amusing events, culminating in them getting drunk and crashing a wedding at the resorts hotel. They wake up to find themselves married and unsure what to do.
He has fallen hard and fast for her so now has to persuade her to take a chance on him. She is envious of what Lucy has found with Harry but doubts she will ever find something similar, even with Callum. When they give into their feelings the passion is electric and things get very spicy. She gets very excited when she discovers he has Scottish ancestry.
He makes her go with him when he has to return to Arizona and his team. Back to reality for him but a totally different world for her. The rest of the story is about them trying to make their relationship work in his environment and all the issues which comes with dating a famous footballer. I loved the emotional and romantic surprise, then the hilarious ending that fits the couple so well. A thoroughly fun and enjoyable read.
This is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, surprise marriage between two people who make some dubious decisions but find that fate has other ideas for them. A very funny tale about a planned getaway not being the restful retreat they were both expecting and how making the most of a difficult situation results in a very HEA.
When a holiday cabin by the lake is doubled booked, two strangers fight over the one bed and the right to stay. One is an exhausted wedding planner who is recovering from organising the town’s Fall Festival and the other is an NFL Linebacker recovering from an ACL injury.
At the cabin Annabelle settles herself in although she feels something is off. Callum is shocked to find a beautiful woman asleep on his hammock when he returns. He is adamant that as he arrived first she must leave and he’s determined not to back down, however, Annabelle refuses as she desperately needs to unwind and recuperate. He is grumpy and in pain with his injury so the last thing he needs is a feisty and sassy woman disturbing his peace and solitude. She is so infuriating but he finds himself enjoying their interactions.
Annabelle can’t believe that her staycation that Lucy suggested is turning into a nightmare. Her break was meant to be relaxing so she could recharge after all the stress from her job because she is constantly trying to prove everything is under control when it’s not. Now she is trapped with a good looking stranger who is even hotter than her Fall Festival lumberjacks and Harris Bennett.
Maverick is a massive mountain of a man, with lots of ego, a come back for everything and very intense. She is annoyed that she finds his grumpiness sexy and his body drool worthy.
These two are hilarious as they both stand their ground over the cabin. They argue and at first are extremely irritated by each other. What happens next is lots of banter, stubbornness and amusing events, culminating in them getting drunk and crashing a wedding at the resorts hotel. They wake up to find themselves married and unsure what to do.
He has fallen hard and fast for her so now has to persuade her to take a chance on him. She is envious of what Lucy has found with Harry but doubts she will ever find something similar, even with Callum. When they give into their feelings the passion is electric and things get very spicy. She gets very excited when she discovers he has Scottish ancestry.
He makes her go with him when he has to return to Arizona and his team. Back to reality for him but a totally different world for her. The rest of the story is about them trying to make their relationship work in his environment and all the issues which comes with dating a famous footballer. I loved the emotional and romantic surprise, then the hilarious ending that fits the couple so well. A thoroughly fun and enjoyable read.
June 23, 2026
In this enchanting contemporary romance, we meet Callum “Maverick” McBride, a defensive lineman sidelined by injury, and Annabelle, a wedding planner desperate for a much-needed break from her stressful life. What begins as a simple cabin booking mishap—double-booked by both protagonists—quickly blossoms into a spirited tale of witty banter, unexpected chemistry, and tender romance. This book stands out as a refreshingly fun and flirtatious read that kept me smiling and laughing from start to finish, which is exactly why it deserves a closer look.
Annabelle is a brilliant heroine whose sharp wit and wicked sense of humor leap off the page. Her quick exchanges with Callum make their interactions feel genuine and electric, full of spontaneous laughter and playful teasing. Callum, initially framed as somewhat grumpy, unfolds as an irresistibly charming, flirtatious, and swoon-worthy hero. His personality shines through in moments of humor and tenderness, giving him a winning depth beyond his tough exterior.
The chemistry between these two is palpable; their dynamic taps into a delightful opposites-attract trope that feels fresh here. From their shared adventures akin to mischievous teenagers causing lighthearted chaos to their effortless rapport, the couple is a joy to root for. Specific highlights include the brilliant concept of their cabin “rules” until the double-booking is resolved and the hilarious wedding-crashing episode, which adds both comedy and sweetness to the plot.
What truly elevates the story is the rich characterization and the emotional beats that balance humor with genuine warmth. Callum is affectionate without being overbearing; his protective nature is a comforting presence rather than an imposition. Annabelle’s occasional freak-outs paired with Callum’s steady embrace of their new, unexpected life together create a believable and endearing partnership that feels authentic, not forced. Their relationship progression is paced well and culminates in a fulfilling, perfect ending that avoids cliché without sacrificing romance.
While some reviews have been mixed, possibly due to differing expectations or taste, I found this novel to be an absolute treasure. Its lighthearted tone and clever dialogue make it an excellent pick for readers craving a sweet, fun, and flirty romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously but hits every emotional note perfectly. Fans of character-driven romantic comedies with a sports backdrop will especially appreciate Callum’s nuances as a “sweetheart of a guy” and the genuinely charming chemistry he shares with Annabelle.
This is a story about laughter, love, and taking unexpected detours that lead to joy. If you appreciate romantic escapades filled with humor, heartfelt moments, and couples who banter as effortlessly as they love, this book will likely leave you with a warm glow and a smile lingering long after the last page. Is there anything better than a romance that makes you laugh out loud while restoring your faith in love’s unexpected magic?
Annabelle is a brilliant heroine whose sharp wit and wicked sense of humor leap off the page. Her quick exchanges with Callum make their interactions feel genuine and electric, full of spontaneous laughter and playful teasing. Callum, initially framed as somewhat grumpy, unfolds as an irresistibly charming, flirtatious, and swoon-worthy hero. His personality shines through in moments of humor and tenderness, giving him a winning depth beyond his tough exterior.
The chemistry between these two is palpable; their dynamic taps into a delightful opposites-attract trope that feels fresh here. From their shared adventures akin to mischievous teenagers causing lighthearted chaos to their effortless rapport, the couple is a joy to root for. Specific highlights include the brilliant concept of their cabin “rules” until the double-booking is resolved and the hilarious wedding-crashing episode, which adds both comedy and sweetness to the plot.
What truly elevates the story is the rich characterization and the emotional beats that balance humor with genuine warmth. Callum is affectionate without being overbearing; his protective nature is a comforting presence rather than an imposition. Annabelle’s occasional freak-outs paired with Callum’s steady embrace of their new, unexpected life together create a believable and endearing partnership that feels authentic, not forced. Their relationship progression is paced well and culminates in a fulfilling, perfect ending that avoids cliché without sacrificing romance.
While some reviews have been mixed, possibly due to differing expectations or taste, I found this novel to be an absolute treasure. Its lighthearted tone and clever dialogue make it an excellent pick for readers craving a sweet, fun, and flirty romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously but hits every emotional note perfectly. Fans of character-driven romantic comedies with a sports backdrop will especially appreciate Callum’s nuances as a “sweetheart of a guy” and the genuinely charming chemistry he shares with Annabelle.
This is a story about laughter, love, and taking unexpected detours that lead to joy. If you appreciate romantic escapades filled with humor, heartfelt moments, and couples who banter as effortlessly as they love, this book will likely leave you with a warm glow and a smile lingering long after the last page. Is there anything better than a romance that makes you laugh out loud while restoring your faith in love’s unexpected magic?
July 4, 2026
Annabelle Franklin is the definition of a workaholic. She lives and breathes event planning, so when her best friend basically forces her into a staycation in their charming hometown of Star Lake, Washington, she finally agrees and books a quiet lakeside cabin to “relax.” Keyword being supposedly. Meanwhile, Arizona star defensive lineman Callum “Maverick” McBride is also laying low in the same sleepy little town, recovering from ACL surgery and trying to get his body and career back on track. Rest, rehab, solitude. That is the plan.
Except plans are not exactly working out. Because when Callum walks back into his cabin and finds a complete stranger sleeping in his hammock like she owns the place, he is ready to kick her out immediately. Annabelle is equally unimpressed by the grumpy, ridiculously attractive Scot who insists the cabin is his. One very inconvenient booking mix-up later, neither of them is going anywhere, and suddenly they are stuck sharing the space while waiting on a rental company that never seems to show up. And that is when things really start to get interesting.
This was such a fast, fun, easy kind of romance that immediately pulls you in and just makes you smile. Sara Ney really leans into the banter and chemistry here, and it absolutely works. Annabelle is sharp, sassy, and totally unfiltered in the best way, and Callum is that perfect mix of grumpy, charming, and unexpectedly soft once he lets his guard down.
Their dynamic is what makes the whole book click. The back and forth is funny without trying too hard, the tension builds in that slow, inevitable way, and even the forced proximity setup feels natural once they settle into their weird little shared cabin situation. The “rules” they set up for survival had me grinning, and the way they slowly start learning each other, opening up, and softening toward one another is genuinely sweet.
Callum especially is endearing. He is dealing with recovery, uncertainty, and a forced pause in his career, but what stands out most is how grounded and attentive he is with Annabelle. He falls hard, fast, and completely, and I was here for it. Annabelle, meanwhile, brings all the chaos and heart in equal measure, and I loved watching her finally step away from work long enough to actually live a little.
Is it light on the drama? Yes. Is it a little fast paced and occasionally a bit neat around the edges, but none of that took away from how much fun I had with it. The story never tries to be more complicated than it is, and that is exactly why it works.
It is flirty, funny, a little chaotic in the best way, and packed with enough heart to make the romance land even in a shorter timeline. Overall, easy to read, easy to enjoy, and very easy to smile through.
Except plans are not exactly working out. Because when Callum walks back into his cabin and finds a complete stranger sleeping in his hammock like she owns the place, he is ready to kick her out immediately. Annabelle is equally unimpressed by the grumpy, ridiculously attractive Scot who insists the cabin is his. One very inconvenient booking mix-up later, neither of them is going anywhere, and suddenly they are stuck sharing the space while waiting on a rental company that never seems to show up. And that is when things really start to get interesting.
This was such a fast, fun, easy kind of romance that immediately pulls you in and just makes you smile. Sara Ney really leans into the banter and chemistry here, and it absolutely works. Annabelle is sharp, sassy, and totally unfiltered in the best way, and Callum is that perfect mix of grumpy, charming, and unexpectedly soft once he lets his guard down.
Their dynamic is what makes the whole book click. The back and forth is funny without trying too hard, the tension builds in that slow, inevitable way, and even the forced proximity setup feels natural once they settle into their weird little shared cabin situation. The “rules” they set up for survival had me grinning, and the way they slowly start learning each other, opening up, and softening toward one another is genuinely sweet.
Callum especially is endearing. He is dealing with recovery, uncertainty, and a forced pause in his career, but what stands out most is how grounded and attentive he is with Annabelle. He falls hard, fast, and completely, and I was here for it. Annabelle, meanwhile, brings all the chaos and heart in equal measure, and I loved watching her finally step away from work long enough to actually live a little.
Is it light on the drama? Yes. Is it a little fast paced and occasionally a bit neat around the edges, but none of that took away from how much fun I had with it. The story never tries to be more complicated than it is, and that is exactly why it works.
It is flirty, funny, a little chaotic in the best way, and packed with enough heart to make the romance land even in a shorter timeline. Overall, easy to read, easy to enjoy, and very easy to smile through.
June 21, 2026
🏴 Oops... We Got Married 🏴
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️
The only thing that would have made this book even better would have been listening to it on audio with Callum's Scottish accent. 😍
Married To The Scottish Player was such a fun, entertaining read. From the very first chapter, the story jumps right into the chaos and never really slows down. Between the forced proximity, accidental marriage, surprise pregnancy, and nonstop banter, there was always something happening.
Annabelle is a wedding planner desperately in need of a break, while Callum "Maverick" McBride is a professional football player recovering from an injury. Thanks to a booking mix-up, they find themselves sharing the same lakeside cabin and quickly discover neither one is willing to leave.
What follows is a hilarious combination of snark, chemistry, unexpected feelings, and some truly unforgettable situations.
Callum was easily my favorite part of the book. Beneath the gruff exterior was a thoughtful, grounded, genuinely caring hero who had me smiling more than once. His Scottish accent certainly didn't hurt either. Watching him fall for Annabelle and fully embrace the unexpected twists life threw at him was one of the highlights of the story.
I also loved the humor throughout the book. The banter felt natural, the wedding-crashing scene was completely ridiculous in the best possible way, and Callum's dramatic meltdown in the lake had me laughing out loud. The text conversations and Annabelle's phone calls with Lucy added even more charm to the story.
One thing I appreciated was that there wasn't a traditional third-act breakup. Instead, the conflict felt realistic and allowed the characters to work through their challenges together.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, there were a few moments where the pacing felt rushed and some details seemed inconsistent from one chapter to the next. Those small issues occasionally pulled me out of the story and are ultimately what kept this from being a five-star read for me.
Overall, Married To The Scottish Player is a lighthearted, feel-good romance filled with laughter, chemistry, and plenty of entertaining chaos. If you enjoy forced proximity, accidental marriage, sports romance, surprise pregnancy, and a Scottish hero who never really stood a chance against his girl, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.
Thank you to Sara Ney, The Author Agency, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Married To The Scottish Player before release. This was such a fun escape, and Callum McBride will be living rent-free in my head for quite a while. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️
The only thing that would have made this book even better would have been listening to it on audio with Callum's Scottish accent. 😍
Married To The Scottish Player was such a fun, entertaining read. From the very first chapter, the story jumps right into the chaos and never really slows down. Between the forced proximity, accidental marriage, surprise pregnancy, and nonstop banter, there was always something happening.
Annabelle is a wedding planner desperately in need of a break, while Callum "Maverick" McBride is a professional football player recovering from an injury. Thanks to a booking mix-up, they find themselves sharing the same lakeside cabin and quickly discover neither one is willing to leave.
What follows is a hilarious combination of snark, chemistry, unexpected feelings, and some truly unforgettable situations.
Callum was easily my favorite part of the book. Beneath the gruff exterior was a thoughtful, grounded, genuinely caring hero who had me smiling more than once. His Scottish accent certainly didn't hurt either. Watching him fall for Annabelle and fully embrace the unexpected twists life threw at him was one of the highlights of the story.
I also loved the humor throughout the book. The banter felt natural, the wedding-crashing scene was completely ridiculous in the best possible way, and Callum's dramatic meltdown in the lake had me laughing out loud. The text conversations and Annabelle's phone calls with Lucy added even more charm to the story.
One thing I appreciated was that there wasn't a traditional third-act breakup. Instead, the conflict felt realistic and allowed the characters to work through their challenges together.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, there were a few moments where the pacing felt rushed and some details seemed inconsistent from one chapter to the next. Those small issues occasionally pulled me out of the story and are ultimately what kept this from being a five-star read for me.
Overall, Married To The Scottish Player is a lighthearted, feel-good romance filled with laughter, chemistry, and plenty of entertaining chaos. If you enjoy forced proximity, accidental marriage, sports romance, surprise pregnancy, and a Scottish hero who never really stood a chance against his girl, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.
Thank you to Sara Ney, The Author Agency, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Married To The Scottish Player before release. This was such a fun escape, and Callum McBride will be living rent-free in my head for quite a while. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 25, 2026
Married to the Scottish Player is an incredibly sweet and funny romance featuring forced proximity, a fake marriage, and plenty of chaos.
Annabelle is a wedding planner who desperately needs a break from her nonstop work schedule. At her best friend’s insistence, she books a small cabin for a staycation, only to arrive and discover that someone else is already staying there. At least, that’s what Callum—better known as Maverick, a professional hockey player—believes, since he’s equally convinced the cabin belongs to him.
What starts as a battle over who gets to stay quickly turns into an arrangement where they both remain, attempting to coexist with a few ground rules in place. Naturally, that only works for so long. Between witty banter, shared moments, and undeniable attraction, the two grow closer, even though neither of them planned for that to happen.
After a spontaneous adventure at a stranger’s wedding leaves the internet convinced they’re married, Maverick suggests they simply go along with it for a month. What begins as a ridiculous idea slowly turns into something much more meaningful.
A charming, funny, and heartwarming romance that was an absolute joy to read. With plenty of humor, sweet moments, and a relationship that develops beautifully, this story completely won me over.🤍
Married to the Scottish Player ist eine unglaublich süße, humorvolle Romance mit Forced Proximity, Fake Marriage und jeder Menge Chaos.
Annabelle ist als Hochzeitsplanerin ständig am Arbeiten und dringend reif für eine Pause. Auf Drängen ihrer besten Freundin mietet sie sich für eine kleine Staycation in einer Hütte ein, nur um bei ihrer Ankunft festzustellen, dass die Unterkunft bereits belegt ist. Zumindest denkt das auch Callum – besser bekannt als Maverick, Profi-Hockeyspieler und genauso überzeugt davon, dass die Hütte ihm gehört.
Was mit einem kleinen Revierkampf beginnt, endet damit, dass beide bleiben und versuchen, sich mit ein paar Regeln das Zusammenleben zu erleichtern. Natürlich funktioniert das nur bedingt. Zwischen witzigen Schlagabtauschen, gemeinsamer Zeit und jeder Menge gegenseitiger Anziehung kommen sie sich immer näher, auch wenn keiner von beiden das wirklich geplant hatte.
Als sie nach einer spontanen Aktion auf einer fremden Hochzeit plötzlich als verheiratetes Paar durchs Internet gehen, schlägt Maverick vor, die Sache einfach einen Monat lang auszuprobieren. Und obwohl alles als verrückte Idee beginnt, entwickelt sich daraus eine richtig schöne Liebesgeschichte.
Eine charmante, lustige und herzerwärmende Romance, die einfach Spaß macht und mit ihren Charakteren und dem schottischen Setting absolut überzeugen konnte.🤍
Annabelle is a wedding planner who desperately needs a break from her nonstop work schedule. At her best friend’s insistence, she books a small cabin for a staycation, only to arrive and discover that someone else is already staying there. At least, that’s what Callum—better known as Maverick, a professional hockey player—believes, since he’s equally convinced the cabin belongs to him.
What starts as a battle over who gets to stay quickly turns into an arrangement where they both remain, attempting to coexist with a few ground rules in place. Naturally, that only works for so long. Between witty banter, shared moments, and undeniable attraction, the two grow closer, even though neither of them planned for that to happen.
After a spontaneous adventure at a stranger’s wedding leaves the internet convinced they’re married, Maverick suggests they simply go along with it for a month. What begins as a ridiculous idea slowly turns into something much more meaningful.
A charming, funny, and heartwarming romance that was an absolute joy to read. With plenty of humor, sweet moments, and a relationship that develops beautifully, this story completely won me over.🤍
Married to the Scottish Player ist eine unglaublich süße, humorvolle Romance mit Forced Proximity, Fake Marriage und jeder Menge Chaos.
Annabelle ist als Hochzeitsplanerin ständig am Arbeiten und dringend reif für eine Pause. Auf Drängen ihrer besten Freundin mietet sie sich für eine kleine Staycation in einer Hütte ein, nur um bei ihrer Ankunft festzustellen, dass die Unterkunft bereits belegt ist. Zumindest denkt das auch Callum – besser bekannt als Maverick, Profi-Hockeyspieler und genauso überzeugt davon, dass die Hütte ihm gehört.
Was mit einem kleinen Revierkampf beginnt, endet damit, dass beide bleiben und versuchen, sich mit ein paar Regeln das Zusammenleben zu erleichtern. Natürlich funktioniert das nur bedingt. Zwischen witzigen Schlagabtauschen, gemeinsamer Zeit und jeder Menge gegenseitiger Anziehung kommen sie sich immer näher, auch wenn keiner von beiden das wirklich geplant hatte.
Als sie nach einer spontanen Aktion auf einer fremden Hochzeit plötzlich als verheiratetes Paar durchs Internet gehen, schlägt Maverick vor, die Sache einfach einen Monat lang auszuprobieren. Und obwohl alles als verrückte Idee beginnt, entwickelt sich daraus eine richtig schöne Liebesgeschichte.
Eine charmante, lustige und herzerwärmende Romance, die einfach Spaß macht und mit ihren Charakteren und dem schottischen Setting absolut überzeugen konnte.🤍
June 24, 2026
Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.
Let’s start with the positive because there definitely were some things I enjoyed. Maverick was a genuinely nice MMC. He was patient, caring, and honestly deserved a medal for putting up with some of the chaos around him.
Now… Annabelle and I did not get on 😅 For me, she came across as incredibly immature at times, and some of her reactions felt more like a teenager’s than a grown woman navigating an adult relationship. It made it difficult for me to connect with her and, in turn, root for the romance.
The writing style also didn’t quite work for me. There were a lot of repeated sentence structures and bits of dialogue that pulled me out of the story, so I never fully settled into the book.
I also struggled with the romance itself. There seemed to be SO much animosity between the characters, yet suddenly we’re meant to believe this huge romance is blossoming. Attraction? Absolutely. But I personally needed a lot more substantial interactions and emotional development to buy into the love story.
And can we discuss the Scottish accent for a second? For nearly a quarter of the book, Maverick seemed to speak in a fairly standard American accent and then suddenly we’re getting “aye,” “ye ken,” and “bonnie lass” every other sentence. It genuinely had me hearing “A princess does nae doodle!” from Brave in my head every time he spoke…
I also noticed quite a few continuity issues that distracted me while reading—characters changing locations between paragraphs, shoes mysteriously reappearing, furniture suddenly becoming comfortable when it wasn’t moments earlier. They’re little things, but enough of them started pulling me out of the story.
The book did improve significantly for me at around the 60% mark, and I enjoyed the second half far more than the first. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough to redeem the overall reading experience.
And then… surprise pregnancy. My second least favourite trope, and one I wasn’t expecting going in. Personally, I found the way it was handled a little difficult to believe given the circumstances. They’d known each other for roughly a month, she’d uprooted her entire life, and yet the reality of the situation never seemed to carry much weight.
Finally, an epilogue from a one-year-old’s perspective was certainly… a choice.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book by any means—it simply didn’t work for me as much as I’d hoped. But if you enjoy accidental marriage romances and don’t mind a more over-the-top, chaotic style, this one might still be worth a try.
Let’s start with the positive because there definitely were some things I enjoyed. Maverick was a genuinely nice MMC. He was patient, caring, and honestly deserved a medal for putting up with some of the chaos around him.
Now… Annabelle and I did not get on 😅 For me, she came across as incredibly immature at times, and some of her reactions felt more like a teenager’s than a grown woman navigating an adult relationship. It made it difficult for me to connect with her and, in turn, root for the romance.
The writing style also didn’t quite work for me. There were a lot of repeated sentence structures and bits of dialogue that pulled me out of the story, so I never fully settled into the book.
I also struggled with the romance itself. There seemed to be SO much animosity between the characters, yet suddenly we’re meant to believe this huge romance is blossoming. Attraction? Absolutely. But I personally needed a lot more substantial interactions and emotional development to buy into the love story.
And can we discuss the Scottish accent for a second? For nearly a quarter of the book, Maverick seemed to speak in a fairly standard American accent and then suddenly we’re getting “aye,” “ye ken,” and “bonnie lass” every other sentence. It genuinely had me hearing “A princess does nae doodle!” from Brave in my head every time he spoke…
I also noticed quite a few continuity issues that distracted me while reading—characters changing locations between paragraphs, shoes mysteriously reappearing, furniture suddenly becoming comfortable when it wasn’t moments earlier. They’re little things, but enough of them started pulling me out of the story.
The book did improve significantly for me at around the 60% mark, and I enjoyed the second half far more than the first. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough to redeem the overall reading experience.
And then… surprise pregnancy. My second least favourite trope, and one I wasn’t expecting going in. Personally, I found the way it was handled a little difficult to believe given the circumstances. They’d known each other for roughly a month, she’d uprooted her entire life, and yet the reality of the situation never seemed to carry much weight.
Finally, an epilogue from a one-year-old’s perspective was certainly… a choice.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book by any means—it simply didn’t work for me as much as I’d hoped. But if you enjoy accidental marriage romances and don’t mind a more over-the-top, chaotic style, this one might still be worth a try.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Married to the Scottish Player is a fun enemies-to-lovers romcom featuring Annabelle Franklin, a wedding planner who dreams of adventure but rarely ventures beyond her comfort zone. The closest she gets to a vacation is a staycation in a cottage on the opposite side of the lake where her plans quickly unravel when she arrives at her cottage to find it double-booked and, much like Goldilocks, someone has been sleeping in her bed.
That someone turns out to be Callum “Maverick” McBride, a football player recovering from an injury. He is far from pleased to see her and, since he arrived first, has no intention of giving up the cottage. What follows is a fun battle of wills with neither prepared to back down as Annabelle proves to be every bit as stubborn as Callum, with both determined to claim the property as their own.
Their chemistry is evident from the start, fuelled by rapid-fire banter and some wonderfully witty dialogue making their interactions a highlight of the story as, despite a rocky beginning Annabelle soon begins to soften towards Callum, particularly once she discovers he’s Scottish, can actually do a passable accent, and owns not one but two kilts. When they reluctantly agree to share the cottage, their rivalry quickly develops into a no-strings-attached fling. But after a wedding-crashing adventure involving copious amounts of alcohol leads to consequences neither of them could have anticipated, they’re forced to consider whether what they have could become something more lasting.
I enjoyed the first part of the book. The lakeside setting, humour, and engaging dialogue made it an easy, entertaining read. However, when the story moved to Arizona, it lost some of its charm for me. A couple of plot points felt a little off, particularly the lack of interaction between Annabelle and her best friend despite being in the same town where I would’ve expected them to meet up, and I also struggled to understand the reasoning behind the long-distance aspect of Annabelle and Callum’s relationship especially given their circumstances. That said, these issues didn’t stop me from enjoying the book and overall, this is very much a light-hearted romcom that isn’t meant to be over-analysed. If you enjoy quick, easy-to-read enemies-to-lovers romances packed with humour, this is well worth picking up. And after that epilogue, I’d love to see a next-generation story featuring Bronte.
That someone turns out to be Callum “Maverick” McBride, a football player recovering from an injury. He is far from pleased to see her and, since he arrived first, has no intention of giving up the cottage. What follows is a fun battle of wills with neither prepared to back down as Annabelle proves to be every bit as stubborn as Callum, with both determined to claim the property as their own.
Their chemistry is evident from the start, fuelled by rapid-fire banter and some wonderfully witty dialogue making their interactions a highlight of the story as, despite a rocky beginning Annabelle soon begins to soften towards Callum, particularly once she discovers he’s Scottish, can actually do a passable accent, and owns not one but two kilts. When they reluctantly agree to share the cottage, their rivalry quickly develops into a no-strings-attached fling. But after a wedding-crashing adventure involving copious amounts of alcohol leads to consequences neither of them could have anticipated, they’re forced to consider whether what they have could become something more lasting.
I enjoyed the first part of the book. The lakeside setting, humour, and engaging dialogue made it an easy, entertaining read. However, when the story moved to Arizona, it lost some of its charm for me. A couple of plot points felt a little off, particularly the lack of interaction between Annabelle and her best friend despite being in the same town where I would’ve expected them to meet up, and I also struggled to understand the reasoning behind the long-distance aspect of Annabelle and Callum’s relationship especially given their circumstances. That said, these issues didn’t stop me from enjoying the book and overall, this is very much a light-hearted romcom that isn’t meant to be over-analysed. If you enjoy quick, easy-to-read enemies-to-lovers romances packed with humour, this is well worth picking up. And after that epilogue, I’d love to see a next-generation story featuring Bronte.
June 24, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Axes and End Zones series has added another book to its list. Married to the Scottish Player, by Sara Ney, is book 2 and as always, Sara provides readers with easy to love MCs, easy to follow plotline, and an easy to read story. Sara’s books have always provided a much needed escape for me when life gets hectic and I can always count on them when a palette cleanser is needed. Sara is able to convey a lot of emotions in her books, while keeping the overall tone light hearted and the romance sizzling.
Annabelle needs a vacation to reset after setting up her latest event. She knows she is a workaholic, but still knows she needs to take a break while she has the time. The work is done, the cabin is booked, and Annabelle is ready to put her feet up and relax. So when she arrives at said cabin to find someone already there, things are definitely not going to plan. Her unplanned guest turns out to be tall, handsome, and speaks with a delicious accent that makes her toes curl. And while the attraction she feels towards this person is something she can’t ignore, this wasn’t in her plan.
Callum is recovering from an injury and what he thought was supposed to be a quiet, relaxing getaway for him turns chaotic when a beautiful woman arrives claiming she rented the same cabin. Worse, a sudden storm hits and they are stuck together with nowhere to go. Callum is determined to let nothing distract him from getting better and back to football, but Annabelle increasingly becomes harder and harder to ignore. Soon the forced proximity turns into wanted companionship and Callum finds himself seeing a life outside of football.
This book provides everything I have come to love from Sara. The antics our MCs get into together, a few surprises they didn’t see coming, and chemistry that makes these two impossible to not want together. The banter is top notch, going from fiery to flirtatious as the book progresses. I will say this story moves quickly, but I didn’t mind the pace. Callum helps Annabelle to relax and unwind, while Annabelle helps Callum envision life after football ends I loved reading about Annabell and Callum. Sara brings back characters from book 1 that provide wonderful insight and guidance to this story! I loved this book and highly recommend it.
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
🏈Workaholic FMC
💙Scottish MMC
🏈Football Romance
💙One Bed
🏈Enemies to Lovers
💙Woke Up Married
The Axes and End Zones series has added another book to its list. Married to the Scottish Player, by Sara Ney, is book 2 and as always, Sara provides readers with easy to love MCs, easy to follow plotline, and an easy to read story. Sara’s books have always provided a much needed escape for me when life gets hectic and I can always count on them when a palette cleanser is needed. Sara is able to convey a lot of emotions in her books, while keeping the overall tone light hearted and the romance sizzling.
Annabelle needs a vacation to reset after setting up her latest event. She knows she is a workaholic, but still knows she needs to take a break while she has the time. The work is done, the cabin is booked, and Annabelle is ready to put her feet up and relax. So when she arrives at said cabin to find someone already there, things are definitely not going to plan. Her unplanned guest turns out to be tall, handsome, and speaks with a delicious accent that makes her toes curl. And while the attraction she feels towards this person is something she can’t ignore, this wasn’t in her plan.
Callum is recovering from an injury and what he thought was supposed to be a quiet, relaxing getaway for him turns chaotic when a beautiful woman arrives claiming she rented the same cabin. Worse, a sudden storm hits and they are stuck together with nowhere to go. Callum is determined to let nothing distract him from getting better and back to football, but Annabelle increasingly becomes harder and harder to ignore. Soon the forced proximity turns into wanted companionship and Callum finds himself seeing a life outside of football.
This book provides everything I have come to love from Sara. The antics our MCs get into together, a few surprises they didn’t see coming, and chemistry that makes these two impossible to not want together. The banter is top notch, going from fiery to flirtatious as the book progresses. I will say this story moves quickly, but I didn’t mind the pace. Callum helps Annabelle to relax and unwind, while Annabelle helps Callum envision life after football ends I loved reading about Annabell and Callum. Sara brings back characters from book 1 that provide wonderful insight and guidance to this story! I loved this book and highly recommend it.
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
🏈Workaholic FMC
💙Scottish MMC
🏈Football Romance
💙One Bed
🏈Enemies to Lovers
💙Woke Up Married
July 23, 2026
4⭐️ 2🌶️ ARC REVIEW: 📖 MARRIED TO THE SCOTTISH PLAYER 📖 by Sara Ney✨ This is book 2 in the Axes & Endzones series. I loved book 1, so I knew I had to read book 2 and it didn’t disappoint with its charming lakeside town and laugh-out-loud moments. The FMC, Annabelle is a workaholic in need of a break, and the MMC, Maverick is a football player recovering from surgery. One booking snafu later, they have to share the same cozy cabin. Oh, and end up married (kind of). Oops. 🙊 She is so sassy and their banter is hilarious. He calls her ‘Little Miss Bossy Pants’, and she schools him on chopping firewood. 🪵 I love that she challenges this broody, growly, closed-off, gruff, emotionally unavailable man to open up and live a little. I love that he knows she uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism, and that he’s patient with her when she’s spiraling. We get sweatpants, he’s obsessed (like he thinks she’s awesome and can’t get enough of her), and he falls first but waits for her to catch up.👌🏻I also loved that Maverick liked Disneyland and Magic Mountain (a man after my own heart). And Lucy, Annabelle’s best friend, I ADORED her. She is such an amazing ride-or-die but honest bestie, and I immediately need her to get her own book.
Annabelle is a burned-out event planner, so she finally agrees with her besties’ suggestion of a staycation in their quaint town of Star Lake. When she arrives, though, the cottage she booked is occupied by a 6’5” football player with abs that, according to her, ‘need to calm the fuck down’. 🤣
Callum ‘Maverick’ McBride is a star linebacker recovering from a knee injury. He feels lost, like he doesn’t have an identity outside of football, so this cabin is the perfect retreat to rest, relax, and rehab. He didn’t plan on a sharp-tongued bratty woman to be in his favorite hammock, though. She is feisty and he loves it. He likes annoying her and getting her riled up - their verbal sparring turns him on. 🤭
They get drunk at a wedding and end up married themselves. She freaks out because their pictures go viral but Maverick is all in. He wants to stay married, so he tells her to give him 30 days. She will go to Arizona with him and if after 30 days she doesn’t feel the same, they will go their separate ways. He knows what he wants but wants her to catch up, so he holds back to avoid scaring her off.
❤️ He thinks her leggings are dangerous
❤️ He loves Disneyland, Magic Mountain, roller coasters 🎢
❤️ Pastor Dan was a funny 😆 side character
Favorite quotes:
He's massive. Like, disturbingly massive. The kind of man who probably broke his crib as a toddler by shaking it too hard. Broad shoulders, towering height, abs that need to calm the fuck down, and Lord forgive me, but I'm dying to touch them-for research purposes, of course.
“How do you know how to do that?"
“Fall Fest. I managed four lumberjacks without a single lost limb. You think I didn't learn a trick or two?"
“I've never been so humbled." Or so turned on at the same time…
I love Disneyland and shit too. Rollercoasters and stuff. I was an adrenaline junkie in another life. You need the big stuff. Magic Mountain and Space Mountain, all that."
"Tell me to stop.”
"Don't be stupid.”
"Don't you dare fall for her." Too late. She's already under my skin, wrapped around every thought like that pale-blue dress wraps around her curves.
"I’ll never forget you in this dress. Or this night. Or the way you're looking at me."
"If we'd met in a bar, or at a party, I would be texting you for a date so fast."
"What makes you so sure?"
“Cause you would have rolled your eyes at me, not been impressed, probably thrown a drink in my face-and I would have loved every second of it, because very few people are honest with me.”
“…because I think you're incredible and funny and smart and I know that the more time we spend together-you're going to be my best friend.”
Read this if you like:
*Football romance
*Small town romance
*Enemies to lovers
*NFL linebacker x wedding planner
*Only one bed 🛏️
*Forced proximity
*Banter
*Waking up married
*He falls first
*Boy obsessed
Now available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook 🎧
Thank you to Sara, The Author Agency, and NetGalley for letting me read/review. All opinions are my own.
Annabelle is a burned-out event planner, so she finally agrees with her besties’ suggestion of a staycation in their quaint town of Star Lake. When she arrives, though, the cottage she booked is occupied by a 6’5” football player with abs that, according to her, ‘need to calm the fuck down’. 🤣
Callum ‘Maverick’ McBride is a star linebacker recovering from a knee injury. He feels lost, like he doesn’t have an identity outside of football, so this cabin is the perfect retreat to rest, relax, and rehab. He didn’t plan on a sharp-tongued bratty woman to be in his favorite hammock, though. She is feisty and he loves it. He likes annoying her and getting her riled up - their verbal sparring turns him on. 🤭
They get drunk at a wedding and end up married themselves. She freaks out because their pictures go viral but Maverick is all in. He wants to stay married, so he tells her to give him 30 days. She will go to Arizona with him and if after 30 days she doesn’t feel the same, they will go their separate ways. He knows what he wants but wants her to catch up, so he holds back to avoid scaring her off.
❤️ He thinks her leggings are dangerous
❤️ He loves Disneyland, Magic Mountain, roller coasters 🎢
❤️ Pastor Dan was a funny 😆 side character
Favorite quotes:
He's massive. Like, disturbingly massive. The kind of man who probably broke his crib as a toddler by shaking it too hard. Broad shoulders, towering height, abs that need to calm the fuck down, and Lord forgive me, but I'm dying to touch them-for research purposes, of course.
“How do you know how to do that?"
“Fall Fest. I managed four lumberjacks without a single lost limb. You think I didn't learn a trick or two?"
“I've never been so humbled." Or so turned on at the same time…
I love Disneyland and shit too. Rollercoasters and stuff. I was an adrenaline junkie in another life. You need the big stuff. Magic Mountain and Space Mountain, all that."
"Tell me to stop.”
"Don't be stupid.”
"Don't you dare fall for her." Too late. She's already under my skin, wrapped around every thought like that pale-blue dress wraps around her curves.
"I’ll never forget you in this dress. Or this night. Or the way you're looking at me."
"If we'd met in a bar, or at a party, I would be texting you for a date so fast."
"What makes you so sure?"
“Cause you would have rolled your eyes at me, not been impressed, probably thrown a drink in my face-and I would have loved every second of it, because very few people are honest with me.”
“…because I think you're incredible and funny and smart and I know that the more time we spend together-you're going to be my best friend.”
Read this if you like:
*Football romance
*Small town romance
*Enemies to lovers
*NFL linebacker x wedding planner
*Only one bed 🛏️
*Forced proximity
*Banter
*Waking up married
*He falls first
*Boy obsessed
Now available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook 🎧
Thank you to Sara, The Author Agency, and NetGalley for letting me read/review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book.
Unfortunately, I didn't like Annabelle. Some spoilers ahead.
From the very beginning, she annoyed me. She was so clearly in the wrong to continue staying in the cabin when someone had already occupied it. Obviously, she needed to sort out the situation with the booking agencies and what not, and she paid for it, and I get all that. But how stupid can you be? You walk into a cabin and someone's stuff is littered all over it, and you just assume someone didn't clean up? How would your first thought not be, oh I walked into the wrong cabin? Followed by, oh someone's still living in this cabin?
She was rude to Maverick, and I just didn't understand the beginning plotline. Beyond that, though, you're telling me she's never in her life done something out of character and then suddenly she crashes a wedding even though she's literally a wedding planner who hates wedding crashers?
They get 'married' in 0.2 seconds, move to Arizona in 0.3 seconds, and are expecting a baby in 0.4? Please. I hate it.
And then the PR conflict in the third act. Stop creating conflicts that aren't real and are entirely because one of the characters is 'stupid' or 'scared' and is resolved in 0.2 seconds.
Randomly, her relationship with Lucy was a little odd to me. I didn't read Lucy's book, but I found it a little weird that when they were in the same place, they didn't make any time to see each other? They call fairly regularly, which is good. But if I was ever in the same location as any of my best friends, I would immediately ditch my SO to go see them. But that's just me perhaps?
Maverick was super bland as a character, but in these types of romance novels, they tend to be, so I'll forgive it.
I'm not morally opposed to a zany, comedic, trope-filled romance. In fact, I love several. I just didn't like Annabelle as a character, which prevented me from getting into the book. And the pace of it bothered me. I do love a slowburn, but I don't always need it to take forever - I'm okay with certain quicker timelines. But this was just too much. And then they stay long-distance after they're married and during her pregnancy?? Not for me.
And I'm out.
Unfortunately, I didn't like Annabelle. Some spoilers ahead.
From the very beginning, she annoyed me. She was so clearly in the wrong to continue staying in the cabin when someone had already occupied it. Obviously, she needed to sort out the situation with the booking agencies and what not, and she paid for it, and I get all that. But how stupid can you be? You walk into a cabin and someone's stuff is littered all over it, and you just assume someone didn't clean up? How would your first thought not be, oh I walked into the wrong cabin? Followed by, oh someone's still living in this cabin?
She was rude to Maverick, and I just didn't understand the beginning plotline. Beyond that, though, you're telling me she's never in her life done something out of character and then suddenly she crashes a wedding even though she's literally a wedding planner who hates wedding crashers?
They get 'married' in 0.2 seconds, move to Arizona in 0.3 seconds, and are expecting a baby in 0.4? Please. I hate it.
And then the PR conflict in the third act. Stop creating conflicts that aren't real and are entirely because one of the characters is 'stupid' or 'scared' and is resolved in 0.2 seconds.
Randomly, her relationship with Lucy was a little odd to me. I didn't read Lucy's book, but I found it a little weird that when they were in the same place, they didn't make any time to see each other? They call fairly regularly, which is good. But if I was ever in the same location as any of my best friends, I would immediately ditch my SO to go see them. But that's just me perhaps?
Maverick was super bland as a character, but in these types of romance novels, they tend to be, so I'll forgive it.
I'm not morally opposed to a zany, comedic, trope-filled romance. In fact, I love several. I just didn't like Annabelle as a character, which prevented me from getting into the book. And the pace of it bothered me. I do love a slowburn, but I don't always need it to take forever - I'm okay with certain quicker timelines. But this was just too much. And then they stay long-distance after they're married and during her pregnancy?? Not for me.
And I'm out.
June 23, 2026
Moved at a Fast Pace… Which I Liked!
In this second installment of the Axed & End zones series, we get up close and personal with wedding planner Annabelle and football player Maverick McBride. We first met Annabelle in the previous book as the planner for the small-town Fall Festival, and even then I knew she had a story to tell. Well, she definitely deserved a great story and she got one!
After her last big production, Annabelle is completely exhausted and gets talked into taking a much-needed break by her best friend, who has found herself a handsome jock and is happily lost in new-romance bliss. Annabelle, meanwhile, has recently ended a “boring” relationship and isn't looking for anything except peace and quiet. Enter Maverick: a gigantic, handsome football player with a bum knee who's also looking for some downtime and a chance to reflect. Once they realize they'll be sharing the same peaceful cabin in the woods, the sparks start flying…after a few days that is.
These characters were instant favorites for me and eventually for each other, even if they didn't realize it right away. They were both fun, quick-witted, and great with the comebacks. There's nothing like good witty banter to carry a story, and this book has it in spades. Maverick wasn't taking any of Annabelle's crap, and she gave it right back. She was born to run with the big dogs and proved it page after page.
One crazy situation after another unfolds, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm usually not a fan of insta-love, but this one felt different. The characters were mature enough to know what they wanted and understood exactly what they were doing, even if it was outside of their normal comfort zones.
The book is well written, and as a native Arizonan, I have to thank the author for taking the Cardinals to the Super Bowl because let's be honest, a book might be the only place they're getting there! Ha ha!
I also enjoyed revisiting the characters from Married to the Scottish Player and seeing how their stories continued to connect. While this book can absolutely be read as a standalone, it's definitely more fun if you read the series in order.
Review for Renee Entress's Blog
In this second installment of the Axed & End zones series, we get up close and personal with wedding planner Annabelle and football player Maverick McBride. We first met Annabelle in the previous book as the planner for the small-town Fall Festival, and even then I knew she had a story to tell. Well, she definitely deserved a great story and she got one!
After her last big production, Annabelle is completely exhausted and gets talked into taking a much-needed break by her best friend, who has found herself a handsome jock and is happily lost in new-romance bliss. Annabelle, meanwhile, has recently ended a “boring” relationship and isn't looking for anything except peace and quiet. Enter Maverick: a gigantic, handsome football player with a bum knee who's also looking for some downtime and a chance to reflect. Once they realize they'll be sharing the same peaceful cabin in the woods, the sparks start flying…after a few days that is.
These characters were instant favorites for me and eventually for each other, even if they didn't realize it right away. They were both fun, quick-witted, and great with the comebacks. There's nothing like good witty banter to carry a story, and this book has it in spades. Maverick wasn't taking any of Annabelle's crap, and she gave it right back. She was born to run with the big dogs and proved it page after page.
One crazy situation after another unfolds, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm usually not a fan of insta-love, but this one felt different. The characters were mature enough to know what they wanted and understood exactly what they were doing, even if it was outside of their normal comfort zones.
The book is well written, and as a native Arizonan, I have to thank the author for taking the Cardinals to the Super Bowl because let's be honest, a book might be the only place they're getting there! Ha ha!
I also enjoyed revisiting the characters from Married to the Scottish Player and seeing how their stories continued to connect. While this book can absolutely be read as a standalone, it's definitely more fun if you read the series in order.
Review for Renee Entress's Blog
July 1, 2026
5 He Wears a Kilt the Traditional Way Stars!!
Little did Annabelle know when she’s convinced to take a staycation in a cottage in her small home town did she know that her world was about to be changed in so many ways. Imagine her shock when she enters the cabin she reserved for a week and there’s stuff belonging to someone else, specifically a man all over the place. She figures she’ll get it all figured out after she takes a nap in the hammock by the lake… well that got interrupted by Callum “Maverick” McBride and in a rather rude fashion LOL!
I absolutely loved this book. It’s exactly what I needed to end a very stressful week at work. The banter is on point and had me laughing out loud. These two are truly opposite. He’s grumpy and serious and doesn’t want to be around anyone and she just wants to decompress and catch up on some sleep. What ensues though is why this meet-cute is one of my favorites.
Maverick, or as she prefers to call him, Callum, is big and strong and grumpy but Annabelle doesn’t really take his hints and just kind of needles him until he gives in and reveals more than he was really comfortable with, but Annabelle has that effect on people and it truly made me love her just a little bit more. Since they’re both determined to stay in the one-bedroom cabin they both rented, let the games begin!
These two together are exactly what they each needed without actually knowing it. I could feel how they both let their guard down and all the questions Annabelle was asking Callum brought such a huge smile to my face and oh my stars, when they give in to the obvious attraction to each other… get yourself a cool drink cuz you’re going to need it! When they decide to crash a wedding at the resort next door, well both their lives are changed forever and not just because they woke up with matching rings!
Having Lexi Maynard and Brandon Utah dual narrating this book brought me front and center with all that is their relationship. I was able to truly appreciate Callum and Annabelle’s banter, chemistry and growing love. Along with all the other results of their time together. This is the perfect read for the summer and I loved these two and being back in Star Lake, Washington!
Little did Annabelle know when she’s convinced to take a staycation in a cottage in her small home town did she know that her world was about to be changed in so many ways. Imagine her shock when she enters the cabin she reserved for a week and there’s stuff belonging to someone else, specifically a man all over the place. She figures she’ll get it all figured out after she takes a nap in the hammock by the lake… well that got interrupted by Callum “Maverick” McBride and in a rather rude fashion LOL!
I absolutely loved this book. It’s exactly what I needed to end a very stressful week at work. The banter is on point and had me laughing out loud. These two are truly opposite. He’s grumpy and serious and doesn’t want to be around anyone and she just wants to decompress and catch up on some sleep. What ensues though is why this meet-cute is one of my favorites.
Maverick, or as she prefers to call him, Callum, is big and strong and grumpy but Annabelle doesn’t really take his hints and just kind of needles him until he gives in and reveals more than he was really comfortable with, but Annabelle has that effect on people and it truly made me love her just a little bit more. Since they’re both determined to stay in the one-bedroom cabin they both rented, let the games begin!
These two together are exactly what they each needed without actually knowing it. I could feel how they both let their guard down and all the questions Annabelle was asking Callum brought such a huge smile to my face and oh my stars, when they give in to the obvious attraction to each other… get yourself a cool drink cuz you’re going to need it! When they decide to crash a wedding at the resort next door, well both their lives are changed forever and not just because they woke up with matching rings!
Having Lexi Maynard and Brandon Utah dual narrating this book brought me front and center with all that is their relationship. I was able to truly appreciate Callum and Annabelle’s banter, chemistry and growing love. Along with all the other results of their time together. This is the perfect read for the summer and I loved these two and being back in Star Lake, Washington!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Married to the Scottish Player
Author: Sara Ney
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
Spice: 🌶️
I received a NetGalley ARC of Married to the Scottish Player, the second installment in the Axes and End Zones series. I’ve been a fan of Sara Ney ever since reading her Jock Row series, so it’s always fun to pick up one of her books. They’re quick, easy reads and make great palate cleansers. Her writing never feels too serious, and while the characters are likable and engaging, they don’t delve too deeply, which works well for this light, entertaining romance.
The story begins with Annabelle, a party planner who is in need of a much-needed break after planning the Lakeside Fall Fest. After weeks of nonstop work, she decides to plan a staycation in Lakeside, hoping for some peace, quiet, and a chance to reset—completely unaware that her getaway is about to take an unexpected turn.
When she arrives at her cabin, Annabelle discovers she isn’t alone. An unexpected guest is already there: a 6++ Scottish Arizona football player who has somehow ended up in her space under unusual circumstances. Before she can fully process what’s happening, a sudden snowstorm rolls in, leaving them snowed in together with no easy way out.
Stuck in close quarters, the tension between them gets thick fast, and sharp words, unresolved heat, and the pull neither of them can quite shake off. Snowed in with nowhere to go, all that space they usually keep between them starts disappearing.
Annabelle and Callum have undeniable chemistry from the moment they’re forced into each other’s orbit, even though neither of them is looking for a relationship. Callum is still coming back from an injury and is determined to focus on football, not distractions, but Annabelle is exactly that kind of distraction he can’t seem to ignore.
What starts as a no-strings-attached week of tension, stolen moments, and giving in when they shouldn’t quickly turns into something neither of them expected. The lines blur, feelings creep in, and what was supposed to be temporary starts feeling a whole lot deeper than either of them planned for.
Just when they think they’ve figured things out, an unexpected twist changes everything, bringing a surprise neither of them saw coming, and shifting their already complicated connection into something even more intense, emotional, and impossible to ignore.
What I liked:
- Callum is such a likable main character. He’s a strong, steady male lead who really shows up for Annabelle. He’s patient, attentive to her feelings, and honestly handles situations with way more grace than most people would.
- Annabelle and Lucy’s friendship! We love a solid girl best friend dynamic. Their relationship added a nice, fun layer to the story.
What I didn’t like:
- Annabelle could be frustrating at times. She came across as a bit whiny and didn’t always give Callum the same grace he gave her. She felt impulsive and a little self-centered at times.
- The pacing felt off. The beginning was pretty slow, but then the ending rushed through big moments. The timeline jumps made it feel like some important milestones were skipped.
Author: Sara Ney
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
Spice: 🌶️
I received a NetGalley ARC of Married to the Scottish Player, the second installment in the Axes and End Zones series. I’ve been a fan of Sara Ney ever since reading her Jock Row series, so it’s always fun to pick up one of her books. They’re quick, easy reads and make great palate cleansers. Her writing never feels too serious, and while the characters are likable and engaging, they don’t delve too deeply, which works well for this light, entertaining romance.
The story begins with Annabelle, a party planner who is in need of a much-needed break after planning the Lakeside Fall Fest. After weeks of nonstop work, she decides to plan a staycation in Lakeside, hoping for some peace, quiet, and a chance to reset—completely unaware that her getaway is about to take an unexpected turn.
When she arrives at her cabin, Annabelle discovers she isn’t alone. An unexpected guest is already there: a 6++ Scottish Arizona football player who has somehow ended up in her space under unusual circumstances. Before she can fully process what’s happening, a sudden snowstorm rolls in, leaving them snowed in together with no easy way out.
Stuck in close quarters, the tension between them gets thick fast, and sharp words, unresolved heat, and the pull neither of them can quite shake off. Snowed in with nowhere to go, all that space they usually keep between them starts disappearing.
Annabelle and Callum have undeniable chemistry from the moment they’re forced into each other’s orbit, even though neither of them is looking for a relationship. Callum is still coming back from an injury and is determined to focus on football, not distractions, but Annabelle is exactly that kind of distraction he can’t seem to ignore.
What starts as a no-strings-attached week of tension, stolen moments, and giving in when they shouldn’t quickly turns into something neither of them expected. The lines blur, feelings creep in, and what was supposed to be temporary starts feeling a whole lot deeper than either of them planned for.
Just when they think they’ve figured things out, an unexpected twist changes everything, bringing a surprise neither of them saw coming, and shifting their already complicated connection into something even more intense, emotional, and impossible to ignore.
What I liked:
- Callum is such a likable main character. He’s a strong, steady male lead who really shows up for Annabelle. He’s patient, attentive to her feelings, and honestly handles situations with way more grace than most people would.
- Annabelle and Lucy’s friendship! We love a solid girl best friend dynamic. Their relationship added a nice, fun layer to the story.
What I didn’t like:
- Annabelle could be frustrating at times. She came across as a bit whiny and didn’t always give Callum the same grace he gave her. She felt impulsive and a little self-centered at times.
- The pacing felt off. The beginning was pretty slow, but then the ending rushed through big moments. The timeline jumps made it feel like some important milestones were skipped.
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