Rudy meets Moneyball in a sexy yet warm-hearted, second-chance football romance for fans of Sarah Adams, Tessa Bailey, Monica Murphy, Kristen Callihan, Lucy Score, and, of course, “Tayvis,” as the analytical, math-nerd, type-A daughter of a tough love coach is assigned to babysit the team’s adrenaline junkie pass rusher.
**DELUXE LIMITED EDITON with interior 4-color character art, designed chapter headers, and stenciled edges!**
Chelsea Parker, 26, knows football, thanks to growing up with a football coach for a father and two linebackers for brothers. But Chelsea’s true passion has always been math: crunching numbers to predict statistical outcomes for everything from football to stocks to romance. Chelsea dreams of merging her two passions to become the first female head of analytics for an NFL team. But for now, she’s got to convince the powers-that-be at her father’s new team, the Mastodons, the worst in the NFL, to give her that entry-level position in the front office.
Luca Maguire, 26, a pass rusher and adrenaline junkie with a famous last name, knows this upcoming training camp with his new team, the Mastodons, will likely be his last, if he can’t get out of his own way long enough to make the cut. The dire nature of his circumstances is the only reason Luca didn’t quit on the spot when Coach Parker assigned his daughter, Chelsea, a statistics-loving, spreadsheet-making math nerd, as Luca’s “personal coach” for the duration of camp. More like his babysitter, if you ask Luca.
Well, okay, Luca didn’t quit for that reason and another one: the thing that happened seven years ago between Luca and Chelsea as strangers, when Luca’s college football team stayed at the same hotel as Chelsea’s mathletes squad. Luca would never admit this to Chelsea, especially not with her being Coach’s daughter and the newly assigned bane of his existence, but the truth is Luca hasn’t stopped thinking about that cute little mathlete who ditched his ass seven years ago, right before their clothes came off, ever since.
USA Today and internationally bestselling author Lauren Rowe lives in San Diego, California, where, in addition to writing books, she performs with her dance/party band at events all over Southern California, writes songs, walks her dogs, and spends time with her family and friends. Much to Lauren’s thrill, her books have been translated all over the world in multiple languages and hit multiple domestic and international bestseller lists. To find out about Lauren’s upcoming releases and giveaways, and to check out loads of bonus material, sign up for Lauren’s emails at www.LaurenRoweBooks.com. Lauren loves to hear from readers! Send Lauren an email from her website, say hi on Instagram @laurenrowebooks, and/or come by her Facebook page by searching Facebook for “Lauren Rowe Author.”
I knew I was going to have a good time with this one the second I realized the FMC was a math nerd. As a fellow math nerd, I absolutely loved seeing a heroine in STEM. We get so many quirky girls in romance, but I want more women who are unapologetically smart, and Chelsea was exactly that.
I honestly didn’t expect the football side of the story to work so well for me, but it did. It was enough to make the world feel authentic without ever taking over the romance.
This definitely has more of a New Adult feel, but I didn’t mind that at all. Luca and Chelsea had great chemistry, and I had a lot of fun watching them find their way back to each other.
More than anything, though, Chelsea is what made this book stand out for me. Give me smart women, women in STEM, women who are passionate about something outside the romance, and I’ll happily read every single one
As a math and statistics major who was indeed on my high school’s math team, this prologue was made for me. Mathletes forever ♾️ plus I loved all the Mean Girls references!
I loved Chelsea and her analytical mind. She reminded me of myself. I hate that she kept getting overlooked for the sports analytics job she deserved, due to being a woman and being the coach’s daughter. Luca is such a cinnamon roll and I couldn’t get enough of him! Plus the cameos of Roman and Iris were great. I loved how kind Roman was to Chelsea.
Definitely check this one out if you love….. 🏈 sports romance 💚 coach’s daughter (off limits!!) 🏈 second chance 💚 secret dating 🏈 family rivalry
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Chasing the Rush by Lauren Rowe was a fun continuation of the series, and there is no denying that the McGuire family is out here stealing hearts. Coming off of how much I absolutely loved book one, I went into this with incredibly high hopes and expectations. Sadly, while it had its moments and I couldn't put it down once I pushed past the awkwardness, it ultimately didn't live up to its full potential, landing at 3 stars for me.
There were definitely things I enjoyed, particularly getting a heroine in STEM. I always want more women who are unapologetically smart, and Chelsea delivered. I also didn't expect the football side of the story to work so well for me, but it did; it provided just enough to make the world feel authentic without ever overshadowing the romance. The first 75% of the book was pretty great, and seeing Luca and Chelsea work together and connect on a deeper level than they ever had with past partners was really sweet. I was genuinely rooting for them to get their HEA.
However, this book was heavily skewed toward New Adult, and much of the writing and conflict felt incredibly immature and juvenile. My absolute biggest complaint was Chelsea's over-the-top, zealous hostility toward Luca’s brother, Roman, all because of her family’s sports rivalry. Honestly, some of the stuff she said and did in "support" of her team was borderline unacceptable. Calling Roman "Satan" and being continuously hostile to him rubbed me entirely the wrong way. Girl, you are 25 years old, trying to be a professional—grow up! This exact sports rivalry was apparently the whole reason she "couldn't be with Luca" seven years ago because “what would her family think about consorting with the enemy?!” This star-crossed lovers bit got tired after the first 25%, and it knocked a full star off the book for me. I wanted to yell in frustration every single time it came up.
Similarly, Luca needed to chill. This is a dual POV book, so I would have loved to see some actual yearning and pining from him. Instead, the moment he sees Chelsea, eight years after a one-time make-out session, he immediately starts demanding answers in the middle of a team meeting. Dude, it has been nearly a decade. You met her once. Calm down.
The last quarter of the book is where it really lost me. The third-act conflict was predictable and childish, with Luca pushing her away after making a mistake to "set her free" because he sees himself as a "defective scrub." While I hated the trope, I could almost forgive it because the boy was clearly depressed and didn't want to drag her down, but the resolution was a massive stretch. Chelsea magically has an epiphany about why he broke up with her based on a random comment from Moriarty that didn't even make sense in context.
Combined with a sickly-sweet ending, I just wasn't feeling it by the time the pages stopped turning.
It was a fun time, but the cringy banter and juvenile conflict kept it at a flat 3 stars.
When your fave author combines two of My fave Tropes to give me a memorable, swoon worthy read, I'm here for it!! Oodles and Oodles of fun and love sprinkled on every page, I was invested in it from the get go and didn't stop till I finished in one sitting Romance ✔️ Humour ✔️ Chemistry ✔️ Adorability ✔️ Banter ✔️ The Math Is Mathing people!! Math-Nerd and Jock meet-cute results in a magnetic field where Chelsea Parker, a football princess and Luca Maguire, with football royalty in his name cannot stay away from each other. 7 years after the lives collide and what was not supposed to be, happens. They can't ignore the pull anymore than they can keep their breaths from mingling and hands pawing desperately. My Oh My, Lauren fills the story with enough swoon to sweep you off in a tsunami of spicy waves. The maddening love was an absolute joy to read—funny, romantic, and filled with the kind of clever banter and swoony tension that made me fall in love with her characters. But now they're mine!! “5 stars for Gods of Horndoggery ” Follow me on: Email🌻 Bookbub 🌻 Twitter🌻 Instagram🌻 Blog🌻 Facebook🌻 Amazon 🌻 TikTok 🌻 StoryGraph 🌻 YouTube 🌻
If you love sports romances, you will love Chasing the Rush. It's a very solid addition to the genre. Once I got through Chelsea and Luca's awkward and at times cringy beginning I couldn't put the book down. But the awkward beginning is the reason for the 3 stars.
Mild spoilers below...
I would have loved to see more yearning and pining from Luca. It's a dual POV book, so it should be easy to show that. But the moment he sees Chelsea, despite it being 8 years after their one time make out session, he immediately starts demanding answers in the middle of a team meeting. Dude it has been 8 years, you met the girl once, chill out. His family also teases him for becoming an "internet sluth" trying to find her, but he has all the necessary information to find her. Yes he didn't have a last name and she lied about her school. But he knew she was competing in a math competition and where the competition was being held, AND that her team made it to the finals...all he had to do was look up the results of the competition and find her.
Chelsea is an incredibly stubborn nepo baby. I'm ok with the stubbornness but she is disappointed that she is working as a low level coach for and NFL team, where her dad is the head coach and got her the job. While she is a brilliant mathematician she has zero football experience except as the coaches daughter. Yet two more opportunities at other NFL teams get tossed her way, which she doesn't even try to pursue. Like girlie get out of your dads shadow and make your own way.
Once I got past all of that I really enjoyed Chelsea and Luca's story. This would make a fantastic fall read for football season.
This book was such a fun continuation to the series. These McGuire family is definitely stealing hearts and taking names. Always got to be on your toes and ready for what’s to come.
If you love football and cute little nerd math geniuses then this book is for you. It’s the perfect opposites attract and some attraction never goes away. Once you’ve had a taste nothing can compare.
I loved Luca and Chelsea are just such a fun mash up. There were sooo many odds stacked against them but destiny has a way of say NOPE it’s going to happen. Whether by some forced proximity, crazy Romeo shenanigans, or a little bit of unintentional jealousy spiking it’s all here!
Luca is the ‘showy guy’ labeled of football. Always got to be in the limelight (so people say) and never staying in one place too long. Keeping his walls high and protecting himself he is as committed to them as he feels they are to him… which for the record hasn’t been much. But that all changes when the girl from his college years captures his attention all over again. The world is suddenly right and he gets the perfect opportunity to be around her cuz he is her new ‘babysitter’ 🤪🤭
Chelsea never thought she’d run into Luca ever again in her life. She knew who he was when they met and she was determined to leave that encounter fully in their past. Until the ends up on her field and her problem to coach. Being the head coach’s daughter isn’t easy and it’s even harder to keep things professional when the man who stole it all is trying hard to get the last few pieces of your heart. ❤️
Chasing the Rush by Lauren Rowe is such a happy, fun, comfort read! The author describes it as feeling "like sliding down a rainbow and riding a unicorn," and that is entirely accurate. I am a dark romance girlie to the core, I usually love a raw, relatable, emotional trauma read but sometimes a bright, colorful cover draws me in, and I'm so glad this one did! This was my first Lauren Rowe book, and I look forward to reading more. I didn’t realize at first that this is actually book two (book one is about the mmc's older brother, Rowan) so I will definitely be going back to read that one when I need a break from the dark.
This story is full of a flirtatious, funny football player named Luca. Omg he had me kicking my feet and giggling so much! 🥰From the very start he knew what he wanted and wasn't ashamed to let it be known and went for it. The beginning was the perfect setup for a fun loving book. Luca met Chelsea when they were in college and he fell for her hard. Little did they know they would run into each other again seven years later and Chelsea had never once left Luca's mind. Chelsea was a little frustrating at times. She is super smart a "mathlete" and a football genius but some of her comments and thoughts drove me crazy and made her seem extremely immature(could just he a me problem) There were moments where I honestly felt like Luca deserved better! As the book progressed, I absolutely loved their relationship. Luca is definitely making it onto my book boyfriend list... and let me tell you, the guy can grovel better than most! 🤣 If you are into an innocent (but still spicy), fun, lighthearted comfort read, this story is definitely a great one!
3.5/5⭐️ I received Chasing the Rush by Lauren Rowe as an ARC from Kensington Publishing Corp., and I'd like to thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this adorable, feel-good sports romance.
As someone who doesn't usually read cutesy romances, I was a little nervous that I wouldn't get hooked. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about! This sports romance was absolutely adorable, and I found myself feeling giddy over their banter more than once. It was just so cute! I also found myself really wanting to know what would happen next and hoping they'd finally get over their own issues, if you know what I mean.
One thing I did struggle with was the maturity of the main characters. I actually thought their maturity level was perfect when they first met, but later on when they were actual adults with serious careers, some of their behavior started to feel pretty immature. Maybe that was intentional and just part of their personalities, but it kept sticking out to me. I also found the whole "Romeo and Juliet" vibe to be a little repetitive, though that may have just been me.
Overall, though, I thought this was such a fun, feel-good read. As a huge football fan, I loved all the little football references and getting a glimpse into that world. I think this book may have officially convinced me that I'm a sports romance fan, and I'm definitely going to be exploring the genre more. So thank you, Lauren Rowe, for that!
Chasing the Rush was such a fun, feel-good romance! It’s the perfect book to toss in your beach bag or pack for a weekend getaway.
Luca completely stole my heart. He is so stinking cute and gave me major Peenie Weenie vibes, which made me love him even more.
I loved Lauren Rowe’s playful take on the Romeo & Juliet trope. Chelsea and Luca thought they were being so sneaky, but everyone around them could see they were absolutely meant to be together. It made for so many fun moments 🤭, especially paired with how instantly smitten they both were from that very first meeting. 🌹🥇
Can we crush on Chelsea for a minute too?! My girl loves math & football and parlayed that into a career💪🏻 it’s no wonder Luca had heart eyes for her all the time. (and I’m not going to lie… I giggled every single time she called Roman “Satan.” 🤣)
Between the swoony romance, the laughs, family and all the football vibes, this one had me more than ready for football season! 🤩🏈
There are not enough stars for how swoony this book is. Lauren Rowe has created two lovable, smart, driven characters who make you want to root for them (separately and as a couple!).
This second chance romance brings together a type-A math nerd trying to break glass ceilings with a pro-baller whose equally known for his entertaining antics on and off the field. Their relationship was beautiful and romantic, and, somehow, unproblematic. The challenges they faced were natural - paired with the pacing, this was a really fun read. I adore both their families and hope to see more of them!
If you were a fan of the first book (Chasing the Ring), you MUST read this. I loved Roman and Iris, but Luca and Chelsea have captured my heart. The only thing saving me from total devastation is hope for Levi's book.
Sports romance fans, don't miss out. This book is worth every word.
Thank you Kensington Publishing for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and am so glad I did. I am not a football fan and honestly do not know much about the sport, but Lauren Rowe does a great job of weaving in just enough of the game to make the story make sense without overwhelming readers who are coming in cold. I never felt lost, and the football elements actually added to my enjoyment rather than getting in the way of it.
The romance is a slow burn, and it works. The pacing fits the arc of the story perfectly, and by the time the relationship really develops, you have genuinely earned it alongside the characters. Overall this was an excellent read, and I would not hesitate to pick up another Lauren Rowe book.
(3.8 Stars) Chelsea Parker might of grown up around football but her passion is numbers. When she gets a job with her father’s team she is ready to prove herself worthy. Luca Maguire is the rookie and wants to be taken seriously so when Chelsea gets assigned to him to babysit/coach there might be a little extra credit…in the form of feelings. They met in college years ago and had a little moment but now, can they stay professional or will close quarters turn into something even they can’t control? This is a cute, slow burn sports romance between two characters who are trying to simultaneously progress their professions and keep their growing love from going public. Definitely NA vibes. Told in first person and dual POV.
Chasing the Rush is a fast-paced and engaging read that combines suspense, emotion, and well-developed characters. The story keeps readers interested with unexpected twists while exploring themes of resilience, determination, and personal growth. The author's vivid writing and steady pacing make it an enjoyable book that's difficult to put down. Overall, it's a great choice for readers who enjoy an exciting story with heart.
I have been anticipating this read for a while now! My goodness the character growth and development was top tier. The banter was everything and Lauren can hook you and suck you right in for the long haul! I loved love this series! If you're into sports romance, forbidden love and forced proximity this is a series for you!
This was great! Engaging characters! Well written and there were so many opportunities for the dreaded miscommunication trope to pop up and this author did a wonderful job of ensuring the main characters communicated with each other. If you like sports/football romance give this one a try! Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy!