Irresistibly Us

Steel City Legacy #2

by Samantha Brinn

As starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Renegades, Pittsburgh’s NFL team, I have it all. The city I love. The game I love. A Super Bowl ring. Everything I’ve ever wanted.

But even with all that, I still feel like I’m missing someone to share it with.

On a mission to find my person, I join an anonymous dating app, hoping it will bring me the girl I can call mine. And it does. At least, I thought so.

But when my lifelong best friend Sophie Sullivan moves into my house temporarily, seeing her every morning and coming home to her every night has me feeling things I didn’t expect. Big things. Important things. Way more than friendship things. Maybe even…love things.

Falling for two women is confusing, until I realize that Sophie is the anonymous girl from the app, and I set out in a mission to make her fall for me – to show her that the only future that makes any sense at all is the one where we spend it by each other’s sides.

We may have started off as best friends, but loving Sophie is as easy as breathing and I’m determined to give her everything. To show her that we were always supposed to belong to each other. That she was always meant to be mine.

**Irresistibly Us is book 2 in the Steel City Legacy Series, a Laws of You/Boston Hearts Second Gen Series. It can be read as a complete standalone**

Genres: Friends To Lovers, Romance, Forced Proximity, Sports Romance, Found Family, Sports, Football

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2026

About the author

Samantha Brinn (Sam to everyone who knows her) is an author of sweet, spicy, and swoony contemporary romance novels. A Pittsburgh girl currently living in the suburbs of NYC, Sam stole her first romance novel off of her mom’s bookshelf at age thirteen and has read pretty much nothing but romance ever since. Her Kindle is basically an extension of her hand at this point.

A lawyer by day and author by night, Sam can most often be found in bed with her laptop and writing desk late into the night, having the time of her life writing words and weaving stories and grinning at her characters’ hijinks.

Aside from being a reader and a writer, Sam is a lover of French fries, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and diet Pepsi, and much like her debut FMC, she rarely makes her coffee the same way twice. A mom of two, Sam cosplays as an organized human, but at her core, she’s mostly chaos and prefers it that way, and is loving every second of this wild indie author ride.

Reviews

[Chelsea Mansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irresistibly Us by Samantha Brinn eARC Review 🩷

Friends to lovers has never been a favorite trope of mine but when Sam writes it, I’ll devour it and swoon the entire freaking time.

I cannot give this book enough stars. Tyler and Sophie have my entire heart. I am a puddle. No couple will ever compare. No love story will ever top theirs. This is it. Absolutely incredible. The entire story. The banter. The found family. The spice. OMG. I am absolutely completely obsessed and I’ll never stop talking about this book. My heart was literally exploding reading this book. I will never be the same.

The love confessions and grand gestures, all the little details that make Sam’s books so special.. this book is truly perfection.

What to expect:
🏈 Pro Football 
💕 Childhood Friends to Lovers 
🏈 You've Got Mail Vibes
💕 Forced Proximity 
🏈 She Falls First 
💕 He Falls Harder (than anyone has ever fallen before)
🏈 Mental Health Rep (him)
💕 Found Family

Thank you so much Sam for the arc!

[Sim-fully Ever After · Rating 5 out of 5]

5🌟, 3🌶️

I don’t even know how to put into words how much I loved this book.

Tyler and Sophie completely stole my heart from the very first page. Their friendship felt so genuine and deeply rooted that every step toward something more had me smiling, swooning, and completely invested in their story.

What made this book stand out was the amount of heart packed into every chapter. The chemistry, the longing, the banter, and all the little moments between them made their relationship feel incredibly real. Tyler especially captured my heart, and I loved how thoughtfully his mental health journey was woven into the story. Together, they felt like two people who were always meant to find their way back to each other.

And of course, the found family element was everything I could have hoped for. Being back with these characters felt like coming home, and it added so much warmth to an already beautiful story. This book was sweet, emotional, and completely unforgettable.

This is the kind of romance that reminds you why happily-ever-afters are so special.

~~~~

Huge thank you to Samantha Brinn & The Smuthood for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨

[Payton (smut.n.sowers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

1000/10. This book has officially taken over as my number one book of all time, and I never thought a book could top Yours To Lose, and then Sam wrote Tyler and Sophie’s story.. and it became my everything, my cherished book. This book was the IDEAL childhood best friends to lovers, and truly I was rooting for them from the very first page.

The tension, the angst, the yearning for each other.. these two are just the definition of true soulmates. Two people destined to find each other in a room of a million people. It was always going to be Ty + Soph. And to see their relationship unfold was truly everything I could have dreamed of. This book was the swooniest of all swoon from Tyler.. and I think Tyler absolutely out-Ashered Asher!

The found family, is always done best by you, Sam. Incredible. Perfect. Sweet. And a dream that everybody should want. But also seeing my most loved characters from Laws of You… was so sentimental and nostalgic, and makes me think of when I had just found you, when Because of You released and I was hooked from then on. 11 books in, and they just keep blowing my mind more and more every single time.

The inclusion of Tyler’s mental health struggles, handled with such grace and compassion. Highlighting how important men’s mental health is, as well as women’s.. and that asking for help doesn’t make you weak. Thank you!

This was my most anticipated book this year, and holy moly did it exceed all my expectations! As always, the spice is delicious and when these BESTIES became LOVERS… 🔥🥵. This book just completely stole my heart, and if there’s anything I want to say to people.. it’s START YOUR SAM BRINN JOURNEY PLEASE. 🩷

All to wrap this up and say, I loved this. Every second. Every “it’s always been you” moment. The most deep and beautiful love. True soulmates. This book was perfection. Thank you Sam, for another book of two incredible characters, and your beautiful brain for these stories! I love you big!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from Sam that I really enjoyed reading! I love her writing style and it always makes me want to keep coming back to her books. This book had childhood friends to lovers, found family, forced proximity, mental health rep., she falls first, but he falls way harder, and it’s a pro football romance.

I loved Sophie and Tyler. They’d been best friends since they were children and it was just so cute to read about all the things they’d do together and for one another.

Sophie was so intelligent and caring. I absolutely loved that she was a woman in STEM and focused on working with children. I just wanted her to have her happily ever after, especially after pining after Tyler for so long.

Oh, clueless Tyler. This man knew it was time to settle down, but just didn’t see who was right in front of him the whole time. However, once it finally clicked for him that he’d always had “the one” in his life for over 20 years, he knew he would never let her go.

These two were top tier best friends. They had traditions that were never forgotten and they supported each other so much. Sophie and Tyler knew each other on a deeper level. They were so cute and I think the fact that they were best friends before a relationship formed made them getting together that much sweeter.

As always, I love reading about past characters and how their lives are going. Next gen. books are just so cool because you really get to read about how the found family that was formed in the past, comes into the present.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book! I would recommend this book and honestly, any book that Sam writes. They won’t leave you disappointed!

Thank you Samantha Brinn and The Smuthood for the ARC for an honest review.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️Arc Review⭐️

Irresistibly Us
Book Two in Steel City Legacy series
Available Now

🏈Pro Football
💖Childhood Friends to Lovers
🏈You've Got Mail Vibes
💖Forced Proximity
🏈She Falls First
💖He Falls Harder (than anyone has ever fallen before)
🏈Mental Health Rep (him)
💖Found Family

Okayyyy, I’m just going to say it... I’m usually not a Friends-to-Lovers girlie…BUT WOWWWW, this one completely won me over. 🥹💖

The love between Tyler & Sophie started when they were kids, and honestly? My heart was melting from page one. The chemistry between these two had me absolutely hooked, but it was the emotional depth beneath all the tension, longing, and swoony moments that truly stole my heart. 💕🔥

Not to mention all the things I’m a sucker for were top tier!
The banter? 🤌 I want to be apart of the text chains!
The found family? 🥹
The spice? 🌶️😮‍💨
PERFECTION.

And don't even get me started on the angst, the yearning, the "it's always been you" energy. 😩❤️ These two are the definition of soulmates…two people destined to find each other in a room full of a million others. It was always going to be Ty + Soph. 🫶Watching their relationship unfold was everything I could have hoped for and more.

And Tyler... excuse me while I swoon. This might just be the swooniest version of Tyler yet, and dare I say it... he totally out-Ashered Asher.😍

I also really appreciated the way Tyler's mental health struggles were handled with such grace, compassion, and care.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for more from this series! Samantha Brinn has me eagerly awaiting the next one.

Thank you to Samantha Brinn and Smuthood PR for the opportunity to read and review! 💖✨

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not surprised one bit but Sam has done it again! I am super picky about my friends to lovers books and Sam has written my top 3 favorites of all time!
Tyler and Sophie have been best friends since they were kids. They’ve never crossed the line into more, even though Sophie has recently wanted to. Unknowingly to the other, they each sign up for an anonymous dating app. They’re connected and the text banter is just perfection! Once Tyler realizes he’s been talking to his best friend the whole time, he realizes she’s the only girl for him and he has to win her over.
I loved everything about Sophie and Tyler. From the late night grilled cheeses to the birthday night tradition. It was like I was reading an early 2000’s rom com and I couldn’t get enough! I don’t know what Sam puts in these books but I need more from the Steel City series asap!

Thank you Sam for the arc!

What to expect:
🏈 Pro Football
💕 Childhood Friends to Lovers
🏈 You’ve Got Mail Vibes
💕 Forced Proximity
🏈 She Falls First
💕 He Falls Harder (than anyone has ever fallen before)
🏈 Mental Health Rep (him)
💕 Found Family

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ | 3.5 🌶
Tyler and Sophie were made for each other. The way they knew each other, the way they were around each other, I absolutely melted. Also Tyler is definitely Asher Hansley's son because... *blows out breath from the swooniness of it all.* And that scene with Asher & Tyler in the basement, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't emotional. I'm ready for book 3 because GAHHHH. thank you to Sam & Team for the arc

[Paige (wingsandsmut) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Okay I devoured this so freaking fast and became obsessed with Sophie & Tyler! I adore all of Samantha Brinn’s books and love seeing all of our favorite characters pop up! These two have been best friends since they were kids and that birthday tradition they have might be the sweetest thing ever! They are soul mates in every definition of the word! And while she realizes her feelings before Tyler, I still love everything about their dynamic and how their story unfolds.

What to expect:
🏈football player mmc
💕childhood best friends to lovers
🏈forced proximity
💕you’ve got mail vibes
🏈she falls first, but he falls harder
💕found family
🏈mental health rep

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one—not one single author I’ve read—writes found family like Samantha Brinn. The way this book made my heart smile reminded me of the magic I felt when reading Yours to Lose for the first time. I laughed and I cried and I swooned, and I wished this little universe existed in real life and that I could be part of it. Tyler is the goldenest golden retriever, and Sophie’s chaos is pure fun. Together they are amazing, and I can’t recommend this one enough, especially if you love F2L and classic rom-com vibes.

[knitsnotknots · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m going to preface this review by saying I’ve read every single book in this interconnected world, so all the side characters are familiar to me. This certainly can be read as a standalone but the relationships and who is related to who read as extremely convoluted if you haven’t read the author’s prior stories.

Tropes:
*Friends to lovers
*Football player x woman in STEM (very light on details- this is not a sports romance)
*No third act breakup
*Open door spice - 2🌶️ but that’s subjective; I’ve read much spicier, and this is pretty standard vanilla (not meant in a bad way, just my opinion)

This second book in the Steel City series introduces us to Sophie and Tyler, who have been best friends their entire lives. She’s got unrequited feelings for him; she’s afraid to tell him, because she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship or risk their friend group if he doesn’t return her feelings. In an effort to get past her feelings, she joins a new dating app where users get to know each other via text, no pictures, and almost instantly finds a connection - just one guess who the anonymous guy is on the other end.
When Sophie’s house floods and she needs a place to stay, Tyler obviously offers up his house- after all, what are best friends for? So now they’re living together, and unbeknownst to both of them, they’re chatting each other up on this dating app. At one point Tyler barges in on Sophie naked and this causes him to acknowledge that perhaps he has romantic feelings for her (kinda ick but whatever), while in the meantime, he’s been developing a connection to the woman he met on the app.

Long story short, he figures out who they are to each other in real life before she does, they get together, HEA. Very, very low stakes. The only minor conflict (using the term very loosely) is a job offer in another city that has the potential to separate our MCs, but reading Sophie’s perspective throughout regarding her deep roots in Pittsburgh, this never feels like any real threat to the MCs’ relationship.

So this book was fine. I think it went on a bit longer than was necessary; I started to get a little bored in the buildup to them getting together. Here’s the thing with these books: They aren’t bad, but they’re not great either. The author has found a story formula that works — total green flag golden retriever sex god MMC with a feminist bad ass FMC — and is replicating that formula here. The tropes vary slightly from book to book in this interconnected world, but really, these are all starting to sound the same. And it’s all well and fine to write the kind of man you want into a book, but all of these MMCs are exactly the same, a near carbon copy of any other in the series; they even all talk the same. I’m certain I’ve read the phrase “we’re fire together” and the guys referring to themselves as simps (are we still using that word?) in at least three, if not more, of these stories. Their personalities and mannerisms all being so similar makes these men seem very one dimensional with the characters lacking any real depth or nuance.
I’ve always had a soft spot for stories with no third act breakup, which all if these books are, but reflecting on this series, I feel like having even a modicum of conflict, tension, angst or what have you would add a dimension that I feel is lacking after reading all of this author’s books.

As an aside, I’m also kind of over all of these characters having some weird candy/pop addiction; it reads a bit infantilizing, and like trying way too hard to be quirky. Like we get it, you love gummy worms or whatever - doesn’t mean you have to make it your whole personality.

Overall, I’d say if you’re looking for a series that is mostly fluff and not a lot of substance, any of these books would do, maybe as a palate cleanser after reading something a whole lot darker or with more angst. I’m not sure if I’ll continue reading this author, but I see that lots of people really enjoyed this, and that is obviously awesome for them! I’m all for reading whatever makes a person happy - I just think for me personally, unless we get something fresh or different to breathe some new life into the series, I’ll be taking a break from this author.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨𝗜𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗬 𝒖𝒔✨
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝟮 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀

𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗩𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘!!!!🎉

5⭐️
no notes.
she already knows how i feel and i am obsessed with this book.

sam, has this way of writing that makes you feel so cozy/comfy, while also laughing so hard and blushing like garrett graham is in the room 🤭😏 sorry, not sorry.. couldn’t help myself.

first off tyler, ummm.. i was obsessed with his mom and dad when i read their book, so no brainer that i would fall for him. sophie, omg, i always relate to sam’s fun, creative and chaotic FMC’s and it just makes me feel so seen. i just truly loved them both. i loved the you’ve got mail vibes (it’s literally one of my all time fav movies) and i just was so giddy and kicking my feet the whole time i read this one. i can’t recommend it enough!!!

so go check it out and tell sam i sent you 🫶🏼😘

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ:
🏈𝒑𝒓𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
💖𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒏
🏈𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔
💖𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒗𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔
🏈𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
💖𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 (𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓)

thank you thank you sam for letting me read this early! i just adore you and can’t wait for more 🫶🏼

[Amanda Davanzati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler and Sophie are EVERYTHING! When I tell you this book hit and hit me hard, I just love it so much. This group of characters is just elite and brings me so much comfort!

Irresistibly Us is a childhood friends to lovers, forced proximity, pro football romance that will have you swooning HARD! Tyler and Sophie are just everything you hope for. Their friendship is so strong and to see their growth really makes the book that much more! I absolutely love this world! I don’t think there was one moment where I wasn’t smiling for these two. Samantha Brinn absolutely nailed this book for these two!

I can’t wait for more of these characters in this series! This girl gang is one of my favorites and so top tier! I definitely love this one and would recommend it to everyone!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 rounded up to 5/5

I received a review copy. These are my thoughts:

My favourite book in this series so far! Tyler and Sophie were so sweet! This was friends to lovers galore and the most incredible found family Samantha Brinn has written so far - girl gang plus mums and grandmother gang coming to the rescue?! Yes please!! And let’s not forget the guy gang and the dads!!! 🥹 the Laws of you men in their 50s parenting/supporting their adult children 🫠🫠 This is how you bring you’re OG characters into the future!

While Tyler was a very good best friend, he was seriously clueless when it came to Sophie's feelings for him (even though EVERYONE around him knew). Sophie was also the most incredible friend and such a badass professional. These two were soulmate coded - their friendship was deeply rooted, their chemistry undeniable and they just complemented each other perfectly.

The identity-less dating app conversations were a fun touch, as were all the romcom references.
The spice was hot and the found family impeccable as always.

This book will have you kicking your feet, squealing, laughing and swooning! There is so much I could say about this book, but I'd rather you go read it!

[Spice: 3/5 🌶️]

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how she does it, but Samantha always writes the most phenomenal books.

Sophie and Tyler are just perfection. Childhood best friends to lovers, and their story is so uniquely them I ate it up. Football player and genius, musical lovers, food lovers, everything.

Tyler, god the sweet man he is. We love a man in tune with his soft side. His love and care for Sophie had me kicking my feet. Then Sophie, ugh I love her. She is a genius and she deserves the world. The way their story went about was perfect for them.

Also... the spicy scenes had my jaw on the floor... Mainly because some of it I could not imagine in real life.

Thank you Samantha Brinn for another ARC opportunity, I am loving this series so much already.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

SAM HAS DONE IT AGAIN AS ALWAYS!!!!!

The found family and friendship groups dam writes is unmatched truly. I want to be friends with everyone in this group.

Sophie and Tyler childhood best friends with the cutest birthday tradition.
I loved getting to know those new second gen while seeing the OGs!

This series can’t get any better! I’m so ready for more from our Steele city legacies

[Sydney B · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦.”

4/⭐️
2/🌶️

This was so cute!!! The friends to lovers trope can be really good, and Sam just does it so freaking well!!! 👏🏼

Tyler and Sophie were adorable!! I loved their friendship and how well they cared for each other. If they didn’t love each other I would question what love really is bc these two were everything!! Poor Tyler just needed to open his eyes, but I loved how nothing really changed between them but also everything changed between them. The dating app and connecting with each other had me so giddy!! I truly just loved everything about them and their story 🥹💗

I am loving this second gen series so so much!! This friend group is so fun. I love these girls, and truly cannot wait to learn more about them and see their stories!! 🫶🏼

🩷 what to expect -
Childhood Friends to Lovers
Football Romance
You’ve Got Mail vibes
She Falls First
He Falls Way Harder
Mental Health Rep
Forced Proximity

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be my favorite Samantha Brinn book, and I am down freaking bad for the Boston Hearts series. This next gen series is so fun! Tyler 'You. Are. F-ing. Mine' Hansley... my jaw is on the floor for this guy. Sweet childhood best friend, Tyler, turns into a man that is down bad for his girl real quick. I absolutely adored the effortless chemistry between Tyler and Sophie. Their relationship as friends was so fun, and it turns really sweet and spicy. I found myself giggling and kicking my feet at a lot of this, especially once someone realizes they had feelings that were not so friendly towards their friend.

I cannot wait to see what is in store for the next book with the next couple.

Thank you to the Smuthood and Samantha Brinn for the opportunity to read this early. This is my honest review.

[Gina Blades · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ 2.5-3🌶️ ARC REVIEW: 📖 IRRESISTIBLY US 📖 by Samantha Brinn ✨ This is book 2 in the Steel City Legacy series but can be read as a standalone. Sam always gives us epic banter, swoony men and badass women, and she definitely delivered. I LOVED Tyler + Sophie’s childhood best-friends-to-lovers story! Two people that know each other inside-out, truly best friends that always were meant to be together. I mean, he keeps pajamas at his house for her when they have movie nights, and makes her coffee because he knows she’s not a morning person. And when he calls her ‘my best girl’? GAH! Swoon city. 🫠 He would do ANYTHING for her, and thinks she always should be smiling. He listens to her, and remembers everything she says, even from years ago.

She’s messy and disorganized and chaotic but he loves her just the way she is - he doesn’t ask her to be less loud, less extra, or just less. He also wears gray sweatpants and a black hoodie. 🤌🏻 And when he figures out he’s in love with her? He literally is giddy and grins. God, I love this man! 🥹 They have that great, big, all-encompassing love. 💕 His heart has known for years that they are inevitable but his brain finally caught up. A reminder to always ruin the friendship! It’s a slow burn but when the spice hits? Dang - we love when green flag Tyler becomes dominant, ‘good f-cking girl’, hand necklace Tyler. 😮‍💨 Not to mention the text chains and found family were perfection. 👌🏻 I cannot wait for Caitlin + Drew’s story in book 3!

"We were always going to end up here, Soph. We were always going to be an us. We're inevitable. Irresistible. Irresistibly us."

Tyler Hansley’s NFL career is going well but he feels like his life is missing something, so he joins an anonymous dating app. His best friend, Sophie Sullivan, also joined. What they don’t realize is that they end up dating each other. Oops. Also, Sophie just moved in with him. 🤭 Oh, and, she’s had a crush on him for years. Should be interesting. 🤣 Everyone wants/loves Fun, life-of-the-party, unbothered Tyler but nobody knows he has anxiety. His dad, legendary former quarterback Asher Hansley, is his hero because he loves big and out loud and taught him and his sisters to do the same. Once Tyler figures out that Sophie is the girl he’s been talking to on the dating app, he realizes it’s always been her. He doesn’t need time to adjust to the idea that they are meant to be but he thinks she might. He loves a challenge, so he sets out to convince her that they are endgame.

❤️ He calls her Sally and she calls him Harry (They’ve watched When Harry Met Sally a million times)
❤️ Their moms are best friends, so Tyler & Sophie have known each other since they were born one day apart.
❤️ She’s a theater kid but also a brilliant computer coder/STEM company director
❤️ He kisses the top of her head
❤️ Clean fingers
❤️ Eats
❤️ Good girl/praise
❤️ 🖐️🐱
❤️ 🖐️🍑

Favorite quotes:
“You really are my favorite person, you know."

Pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes, I think about the exhaustion that comes from pretending to be cheerful when I'm not. All the times I hide in the bathroom before games. The way I open and close my hands on the field before plays.

I was too busy trying to put out the fire in my veins and remind my d!ck that it doesn't get hard for Sophie because Sophie is our best friend. F-ck. No. Not my d!ck’s best friend. My best friend. Sophie and my d!ck are entirely unacquainted. Or at least they were, until last night. Goddammit.

I can totally get on board with take-charge Tyler. Take-charge Tyler is smoking hot.

My life is the best when I get to be where she is.

Never feeling alone when my brain decides to go rogue because she's right there, linking her finger with mine and distracting me from my racing thoughts and making everything so much better, without either of us having to say a single word.

“Let's ruin the friendship, Sophie, because even though I didn't know it, I think I've been waiting my whole life for you."

“I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, but I'm here now, and I'm never leaving. It's always been you for me, Soph. It will always be you for me."

"Keep those stunning legs wrapped around me, and please remember you are my favorite human on earth, because I'm about to disrespect the f-ck out of you."

"Together. Forevs, Sal."
“Forevs, Harry.”

Read this if you like:
*Football romance
*Childhood Best friends to lovers
*She falls first, he falls way harder
*Banter
*Forced proximity
*Secret pining
*Angst/yearning
*It’s always been you
*Group chats 🤣
*Found family
*Mental health/therapy rep (him)

Content warning: anxiety, panic attacks

Thank you to Sam and The Smuthood for letting me read/review. All opinions are my own.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books you finish and immediately know they'll stay with you forever.

Irresistibly Us is one of those books.

I went into Tyler and Sophie’s story with sky-high expectations because Samantha Brinn has become an auto-buy author for me, and somehow she still managed to exceed every single one of them. This wasn't just my favorite book of the year—it has officially worked its way into my list of all-time favorite romances.

Tyler and Sophie have been best friends since birth, and Samantha Brinn captured the beauty of that relationship perfectly. Their friendship felt completely authentic and lived-in, built on years of traditions, shared memories, unwavering support, and knowing each other better than anyone else. From their annual birthday tradition of meeting in Tyler's backyard at 11 PM and staying until midnight when their birthdays overlap, to the countless little details they've memorized about each other over the years, every interaction reinforced just how deeply connected they already were before romance ever entered the picture.

What made this story so special was watching Tyler slowly realize that the person he'd been searching for was Sophie all along. The anonymous dating app storyline added just enough tension and humor without overshadowing the emotional heart of the story. I especially loved that once Tyler figured out Sophie was his ChaosGirl, Samantha didn't drag out the secret for too long. Instead, it became the catalyst that finally forced him to acknowledge what everyone around him had known for years.

And Tyler Hansley? Absolutely phenomenal.

This man is the blueprint for an acts-of-service hero. He remembers everything about Sophie, from the temperature of her Dr. Pepper to her favorite jelly beans, how she likes her grilled cheese, and even the pajamas she wears. Long before he recognized his feelings as romantic, he was already showing his love through a thousand small actions. Once he finally understood he was in love with her, there was no hesitation. No unnecessary back-and-forth. No games. He simply decided Sophie was it for him and spent the rest of the book proving it.

The romance itself was everything I want from a childhood best friends-to-lovers story. The tension, yearning, and emotional intimacy were beautifully done because these two already trusted each other completely. Their friendship remained the foundation of their relationship, making every romantic moment feel that much more meaningful. Watching them transition from best friends to partners felt natural, believable, and incredibly satisfying.

I also appreciated how thoughtfully Samantha Brinn handled Tyler's mental health journey. The discussions surrounding anxiety, vulnerability, and asking for help were woven naturally into the story and approached with compassion and care. It added another layer of depth to Tyler's character and reinforced one of the book's strongest themes, that strength and vulnerability can coexist.

As always, Samantha Brinn's found family dynamics were exceptional. The friendships, family relationships, traditions, and support systems surrounding Tyler and Sophie made the world feel warm, comforting, and real. Seeing familiar characters from previous books only added to the emotional impact and nostalgia.

And yes, for anyone wondering, the chemistry absolutely delivers. After all that friendship, tension, and emotional buildup, the romance and spice hit exactly the way they should. Samantha Brinn understands that emotional intimacy is what makes a love story unforgettable, and Tyler and Sophie had that in abundance.

Irresistibly Us is sweet, swoony, emotional, funny, heartfelt, and overflowing with love. It's a story about soulmates who have always belonged together, even before they were brave enough to admit it.

Tyler and Sophie have permanently earned a place in my Romance Hall of Fame, and honestly, I don't see them leaving anytime soon.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I will never stop loving you as long as I have breath in my lungs, and I’ll probably love you after that too because this love is big and wild and meant to last longer than forever.”

✔️football romance
✔️childhood best friends to lovers
✔️she falls first, he falls harder than anyone ever
✔️forced proximity
✔️found family
✔️mental health rep (MMC)
✔️You’ve Got Mail vibes
✔️no 3rd act breakup

I knew that this book was going to be a favorite from the first couple of chapters, and as I continued to read I just loved it more and more. Friends to lovers will always be my favorite, as well as golden retriever MMCs with so much love to give that they don’t know what to do with it all, and this book has both. Sophie (FMC) and Tyler (MMC) have been best friends since birth, and everyone (aside from them) knew that they were inevitable. Sophie realized that her feelings were more than friendly three years prior to the events of this book, and though it took a little bit of time for Tyler to catch up, he falls harder than any MMC ever. This is a second generation series, and though you don’t have to read their parents’ stories first, you should because they are excellent (and it will enhance the reading experience). Sophie is the daughter of Molly and Gabe from It’s Always Been You and Tyler is the son of Julie and Asher from When I’m With You, both in the Laws of You series.

If you want romcom vibes, you came to the right place. This book is so swoony, sweet, and once the spice starts it doesn’t stop because they can’t keep their hands off each other. Sophie and Tyler have been together through every stage of life, they have their own language in a way and can sense what the other needs before it’s a conscious thought. At the start of the story Sophie is ready for a distraction because she knows her love is unrequited, and at the same time Tyler is ready to settle down and find his forever person. They both join an anonymous dating app, and I’m sure you can see where this is going. It turns out the center of his universe has been standing in front of him the whole time, and once the friend zone blinders come off he is ready to show Sophie he is ready for so much more with her. The mental health/anxiety representation is done so well, and I love how Tyler and his parents talk about the subject together.

Tyler is an acts of service MMC and I loved seeing all the little ways he showed Sophie he loves her (even before he realizes he’s doing it). He shows her that he is a partner for her in every way, and he says it multiple times but it is true, he would do literally anything for her. It’s so swoon-worthy and the amount of times I started tearing up at his thought process or her reaction to the little things he does is kind of ridiculous (in the best way). This author writes top tier found family, and I love seeing the way this family is there for each other throughout each of the books. The parents love their kids and see them as whole people and adults, and everyone respects and loves each other so much. The female friendships are so healthy and there is zero drama there, it’s refreshing. I know this book hasn’t even been released yet but after the little hints we got about the next book/couple I am so excited for the future of this series!


*I am so grateful to be a member of Samantha Brinn’s ARC/Content team! Thank you so much to Sam and her team for the opportunity to ARC read this book! All opinions are my own*

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this book gave me all the feels! If you love stories with a great big, stomach swooping, all encompassing love that takes hold and never lets go, THIS is the one. Tyler and Sophie are lifelong best friends, each other’s favorite person and all that, but grown-up Sophie might have a little bit of an inconvenient and unrequited love situation going on and she needs help stat. When sweet, oblivious Tyler finally decides that it’s time to settle down, the anonymous dating app VibeCheck comes to the rescue for both of them and the rest as they say is history. Rom-com lovers will be absolutely all for the “you’ve got mail” vibes” that you get from the dating app. But wait, there’s more. After an incident with Sophie’s house, she moves into Tyler’s house (I see you forced proximity) and hilarity and tension, meaning soooo much tension, ensues. (Total yay for that tension by the way!) Sophie and Tyler turn each other’s life upside down even though they were obviously inevitable all through years of grilled cheeses and icy Dr Peppers, rom-com movie nights, fountain sodas, and birthday nights. But watching those pieces finally fall into place? Perfection. The “it’s always been you” energy is over the top and I ate that up with a spoon because that gets me every. Single. Time.

Together Soph and Ty are pure fire! Tyler, who is a golden retriever star QB with a genius IQ, really brings the swoon too. He’s so incredibly sweet with a soft heart and gigantic feelings, and he fall WAY harder, like the hardest of hard even if Sophie fell first. Sophie is chaotic, a tech genius, and an amazing leader of women in STEM. Try reading this one without a smile on your face. Try it; I dare you. You simply can’t. There’s humor and friendship and all the love. It’s cute, bantery (and yes, that’s a word) and oh so fun. The chats are freaking awesome and made me giggle, and that girl squad is completely unhinged in the best way. Honestly, I really like all of the characters in this book, but Tyler and Sophie absolutely take the cake. I also really appreciated that the mental health rep was included and thought that it was handled well. Now, it is so sappy sweet at times that it might make your teeth hurt, but the rest makes up for that in a big way. You also might need a glass of water because sometimes it does get a little hot up in these pages. 🥵😉

There are just a few little things to keep in mind before diving in. There’s a weirdly interconnected family tree that’s a little hard to keep track of, but you don’t really need to in order to enjoy the story. Just fair warning that there are a lot of names thrown at you. I’m also all about girl power and women breaking barriers, but the constant guy bashing from the girl squad got to be a bit much and I’m not sure it really served the story. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is a whole lot of coarse language, honestly more than I feel is warranted. A certain four-letter word that starts with F seems to be a favorite. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing just beware. Still, this was a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars for me and it is a great reminder that sometimes good things are worth waiting for. This is an absolute must read for anyone who loves childhood best friends to lovers, sports romance and found family.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some romances give you butterflies. Irresistibly Us by Samantha Brinn emotionally clotheslined me at the fifty-yard line, handed me a hoodie that smelled like the love of my life, and then expected me to function normally afterward. Absolutely not. This book consumed every ounce of my emotional stability in the best possible way and honestly reminded me why childhood best friends-to-lovers remains one of the most dangerous romance tropes ever created.

Thank you so much to Samantha Brinn and the Smuthood for the gifted ARC because Tyler and Sophie completely stole my heart, stomped all over it in football cleats, then lovingly taped it back together with acts of service and emotional devotion.

This wasn’t just romance. This was yearning. Long-term, soul-deep, woven-into-each-other’s-lives kind of love that feels inevitable long before the characters are brave enough to admit it. Tyler and Sophie grew up together through every phase of life imaginable—family vacations, birthdays, heartbreaks, traditions, growing pains, all of it—and Samantha Brinn somehow makes their relationship feel so lived-in and authentic that you don’t just believe they’re best friends… you feel the history between them.

And Tyler Hansley? Sweet merciful heavens. Somebody needs to study this man in a laboratory.

This is the kind of MMC that ruins your expectations permanently. Golden retriever energy mixed with emotionally obsessed acts-of-service devotion should honestly come with a warning label. Watching Tyler slowly realize that the anonymous woman he’s connecting with online is actually Sophie—the girl who has quietly owned every important piece of his heart for years—was both adorable and emotionally torturous. Once this man falls, HE FALLS. Hard. Aggressively. Like a man fully prepared to rearrange his entire existence around one woman’s happiness.

And Sophie? I adored her. She’s successful, funny, grounded, fiercely loyal, and carrying years of quiet heartbreak while trying to protect the friendship that means everything to her. There’s something so emotionally brutal about loving someone deeply while convincing yourself they could never possibly love you back the same way. Watching Sophie navigate that pain while still showing up for Tyler over and over again honestly hurt in the most beautiful way.

“I will never stop loving you as long as I have breath in my lungs, and I’ll probably love you after that too.”

EXCUSE ME??? Your honor, I’d like financial compensation for emotional damages.

One of my favorite parts of this book was how warm everything felt. Samantha Brinn writes found family in a way that feels comforting instead of performative. The friendships, the teasing, the traditions, the parents showing up for their kids emotionally—it all creates this giant interconnected world that feels alive. You genuinely want to exist inside this universe. Even the side characters feel important because everyone is woven so tightly into each other’s lives.

I also really appreciated how the mental health representation was handled with compassion and care, especially with Tyler. The conversations around anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and asking for help felt realistic without becoming preachy. There’s strength in vulnerability throughout this story, and I loved seeing the people around Tyler support him instead of dismissing him.

And listen… when the spice finally kicks in after all that tension and emotional buildup? LORD HAVE MERCY. The chemistry between these two was absolutely unreal because Samantha Brinn understands one very important truth: emotional intimacy makes everything hotter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you love childhood best friends-to-lovers, football romance, forced proximity, You’ve Got Mail vibes, “she falls first but he falls harder,” emotionally devoted men, healthy family dynamics, found family chaos, and romances that feel like a giant warm hug while simultaneously emotionally attacking you, this book needs to be on your TBR immediately.

Now somebody tell me your favorite “it’s always been you” couple because Tyler and Sophie just entered my Romance Hall of Fame permanently. 🏈🩷

#IrresistiblyUs #SamanthaBrinn #FootballRomance #FriendsToLovers #ChildhoodFriendsToLovers #SportsRomance #BookReview #RomanceBooks #Bookstagram #ARCReview #FoundFamily #ContemporaryRomance #RomComBooks #HeFallsHarder #BooksCoffeeBrews #RomanceReader #MustReadRomance #BookishLife #KindleReads #YouveGotMailV

[Draia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

“Through it all, I’ve been falling for you. In a million different ways on a thousand different days. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here, but I’m here now, and I’m never leaving. It’s always been you for me, Soph. It will always be you for me.”

I'll admit, friends to lovers usually isn't my favorite trope. I don't dislike it, but one of my favorite parts of romance is watching two characters meet and fall for each other. With friends to lovers, that foundation is already there, and sometimes I find myself a little less invested because it can feel like I've missed part of the story.

That was definitely not the case with Sophie and Tyler.

These two completely stole my heart from the very first page. Their friendship felt so genuine, and every interaction between them carried years of history. The birthday tradition alone had me melting. It was such a simple thing, but it perfectly captured how much they meant to each other long before either of them was willing to call it love.

What I loved most was watching Tyler slowly realize that Sophie wasn't just his best friend—she was the person he'd been looking for all along. The epiphany when everything finally clicks for him was so satisfying because it felt earned. The truth is, these two had been emotionally attached for so much longer than either of them realized. Tyler was already loving her before he understood that's what he was doing.

And this man? The blueprint for an acts-of-service hero.

He remembers everything. The temperature of her Dr Pepper, her favorite jelly beans, how she likes her grilled cheese, even the pajamas she wears. Long before he recognized his feelings as romantic, he was paying attention to every little thing that mattered to her. Then once he finally understood he was in love with her, there was no unnecessary back-and-forth. No games. No endless cycle of "should I tell her?" He basically said, oh, I'm in love with Sophie, and then spent the rest of the book proving it.

The chemistry between them was amazing, but it was the emotional depth underneath all those sweet and swoony moments that really got me. I especially appreciated how thoughtfully Samantha Brinn handled Tyler's mental health journey. His struggles with anxiety, vulnerability, and asking for help were woven naturally into the story and added so much depth to his character.

I also loved the found family aspect of this book. I haven't read Samantha Brinn's entire backlist, so there were a couple of times I had to remind myself who everyone was and how they connected, but the family tree at the beginning was a lifesaver. Once I got settled in, I loved being surrounded by all these interconnected characters.

And give me all the text messages and banter. Seriously. Tyler and Sophie, the parents, the team chat, the girl gang—I wanted every single conversation. I am such a sucker for text exchanges in romance, and this book delivered.

Friends to lovers doesn't get much better than this. Sophie and Tyler's story was sweet, heartfelt, funny, and full of so much love. Every interaction between them felt authentic, every milestone felt earned, and watching Tyler finally realize that the person he'd been searching for was standing right in front of him all along was incredibly satisfying. By the time I reached the last page, I was completely smitten with these two and honestly wasn't ready to let them go.


💫Thank you to The Smuthood for this ARC💫

[Lindsey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I have loved getting to know the children of Samantha Brinn’s first series Laws of You. In her newest series Steel City Legacy we get to see the next generation find the people that complete them. Book 3, Irresistibly Us, focuses on Molly and Gabe’s daughter and childhood best friend. Samantha has always been able to capture head over heels romance with characters that readers fall head over heels for. Getting to see how her original couples are enjoying life years later is always a treat for me.

Sophie is the best of her parents in one. She has her mother’s love for life and her father’s genius. Obviously, she grew up with her mother’s friend’s kids. I loved reading about this as I have a group of friends just like this. Friends before the womb are what we call ourselves. Anyways, these built in friendships were solid and strengthened as the years continued. Sophie realizes she is in love with one of her best friends, but her feelings are unknown, therefore unrequited. When an accident displaces her from her home, she moves in with said crush and things get interesting.

Tyler may be Samantha’s best MMC yet, the perfect combination of his parents also. Even though he easily opens his home to Sophie when she needs a place to stay, he has never seen her more than a friend. Forced proximity for the win! The longer he spends time with her the more he realizes he has always loved her and he falls hard. Watching this man prove to Sophie how special she is was wonderful. I mean this man puts his father to shame. I couldn’t get enough of these two together and squealed when Tyler chased what he wanted.

If you haven’t read Samantha’s first series, you should. It’s not required for this series, but it will add to the drama, emotion, and all the feels as you read about the children of the original friendships that burrowed their way into my heart. There is so much heart and passion poured into Samantha’s books, evident with how well she writes her characters and the storyline. Everything has a purpose, everyone a reason, and it manifests itself by you not wanting to put down her books. Falling in love with the original group was easy, which makes falling for their children even easier.

As always, review any author notes before reading.

What to Expect:
🖥️Next Gen
🏈Football Romance
🖥️Pro Football MMC
🏈Tech Genius FMC
🖥️Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
🏈Forced Proximity
🖥️She Falls First
🏈He Falls Harder
🖥️Mental Health Rep
🏈Found Family
🖥️You’ve Got Mail Vibes

[jenswhitenoise · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My life is best when I get to be where she is."

"The hope is terrifying in its enormity."

Sophie & Tyler. Best friends since childhood, but 3 years ago something changed in Sophie and she's done a really great job of keeping Tyler in the dark about it. I'm not sure any of their friends and family were in the dark, though, which makes me wonder about Tyler. An online dating app pairs them up and Tyler is having thoughts about wanting to get involved with the internet date and making sure his friendship with Sophie is solid.

So the first thing I thought as I was reading about the commitment these two have to their friendship is - how in the world is any partner going to accept this? I almost wanted to know if it could work more than I was hoping for their HEA. But this is a story about the romance that brewed and blossomed between Sophie and Tyler so I will continue to wonder. These two built a friendship so strong and truly knew everything about each other and I think if more people built this friendship, there would be less heartbreak in the world. I hope any single person who reads this sees that message in the book and it helps them along in their life.

This book picks up in the middle of the Super Bowl celebration we read in book 1, Perfectly Us (the books can be read as a standalones) and Sophie is there celebrating with her best friend, Tyler. Tyler is celebrating with everyone, including a group of women. Poor Sophie. Since Sophie has had feelings other than friendship for 3 years, she's constantly assessing the situation with Tyler - his actions, his smiles, his touch -all of it. Tyler on the other hand, is skipping through life. It's comical at times because he just has no clue.

I loved the texting back and forth on the app. Both leaving little crumbs of their identity but not really putting it together. Once one of them figures it out, it all happens pretty quickly so be ready for that rollercoaster. This book was fun, sweet, spicy, and proof that friendship really can lead to the best thing you've ever experienced.

what to expect:
*pro football
*childhood friends to lovers
*you've got mail vibes
*forced proximity
*she falls first
*he falls harder
*mental health rep (him)
*found family

"...I realize I've always measured my life in her."

*I received a complimentary eARC and my review is voluntary. Thank you to the author and Smuthood PR.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Having read all of Samantha Brinn's previous books in both the Laws of You and Boston Hearts series, I was so excited to return to this world with Irresistibly Us, the second book in the Steel City Legacy series—and overall, I really enjoyed it.

Tropes:
🏈 Football Romance
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Second Generation Romance
📧 You've Got Mail Vibes
💕 Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
🏠 Forced Proximity
💖 She Falls First
🫠 He Falls Harder
🧠 Mental Health Representation
👨‍👩‍👩‍👧 Found Family

One of my favorite things about this book was Sophie and Tyler's relationship. They truly felt like two people who were always meant to find their way to each other. The entire story had strong "it's always been you" energy, which is one of my favorite romance dynamics. Sophie had been pining for Tyler for so long, and I found myself desperately wanting her to get the happily ever after she deserved.

I also loved Sophie as a heroine. As a woman in STEM, she brought something a little different to the story, and it was easy to root for her throughout the book. Tyler was equally lovable in his own way. He had major golden retriever energy—sweet, attentive, caring, and completely devoted to the people he loves.

One aspect I especially appreciated was the mental health representation. Samantha Brinn handled Tyler's struggles in a way that felt realistic and authentic rather than overly dramatized. It added depth to his character and made his journey feel much more relatable.

The friendships were another highlight for me. I absolutely loved the girls' friend group and the found family elements throughout the story. The relationships outside of the romance felt just as important, which helped make the world feel lived-in and real.

That said, I do think this is a series that benefits from reading the previous books first. While you could probably read this as a standalone, having the background from the earlier series made it much easier to keep track of all the characters, family connections, and history. For longtime readers, seeing everyone again feels like catching up with old friends.

As for what kept this from being a five-star read for me, there were a few things. First, I would have loved more football. Since the book is marketed as a football romance, I expected the sport to play a larger role in the story than it ultimately did.

I also wasn't the biggest fan of how Tyler's realization of his feelings seemed to coincide with seeing Sophie naked. Given the depth of their friendship and emotional connection, I would have preferred a realization that felt more rooted in everything they already shared rather than a moment that came across as primarily physical.

The dating app storyline also required me to suspend my disbelief a little more than I would have liked. While I understood what it was trying to accomplish, I found it difficult to believe that two childhood best friends who know each other as well as Sophie and Tyler do would end up talking to each other on a dating app without realizing who the other person was. Considering how close they are and how much history they share, that aspect felt a bit unrealistic to me.

Finally, the pacing was a bit inconsistent for me. The book felt longer than it needed to be in places, and there were stretches where not much was happening, which caused my attention to drift.

Even with those issues, I still had a great time reading this. Sophie and Tyler were easy to love, their chemistry was undeniable, and the emotional connections throughout the story kept me invested. If you're already a fan of Samantha Brinn's interconnected worlds, this is definitely one you'll want to pick up.

I'm excited to see where the Steel City Legacy series goes next.

[Robin L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irresistibly Us is my latest obsession! This was my first book by Samantha and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. I have to say, the friends to lovers trope can be a tricky one to nail, making that shift from platonic to romantic feel genuine and seamless is no easy feat. But Samantha totally delivered.

From the very beginning, you just know Sophie and Tyler are endgame. They have the absolute cutest tradition of celebrating their birthdays together and even made a pact never to spend one apart. I was rooting for them so hard, desperately waiting for someone to make the first move (thank you Caitlin for the strategic move).

Sophie is a brilliant fmc. She is talented, hardworking, chaotic in the best way and so passionate about her STEM foundation. She pours her whole heart into everything, including how she loves. When she realised she had feelings for Tyler, her fear of ruining their beautiful bond and potentially losing him to someone else was so relatable. But once Tyler confessed? She was all in. Watching their relationship blossom from an incredible friendship to the purest love was everything. The transition felt so effortless because the underlying tension and deep affection had clearly been simmering just beneath the surface for years and they just needed a little push.

And can we talk about Tyler for a second? The things this man does for his girl had me completely melting. In a puddle. The birthday night, keeping her stocked in jelly beans and Dr Pepper, the dream home. He loves her so fiercely, the way he pays attention to every tiny detail of her life is unmatched. He sets a really high bar for book boyfriends, demonstrating how a man should treat his girl.

I also really appreciate how Samantha handled Tyler’s mental health struggles. She wrote this with so much heart, putting emphasis on men’s emotional needs and how asking for help is a sign of strength and not weakness. Together with their amazing parents and the tightest friend group, they had the best support system nurturing them every step of the way.

Honestly, Tyler and Sophie’s story is full of history, deep devotion and a love that feels as natural as breathing. I highly recommend you pick up this one.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.25/5

Thank you so much to Samantha Brinn and The Smuthood for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My heart genuinely feels a little fuller after finishing this book.

Tyler and Sophie completely stole my heart from page one. There's something so special about a romance where the foundation is already there, where years of friendship, traditions, inside jokes, and unwavering support create a relationship that feels authentic long before the romance begins. Every interaction between them felt natural, and it made every emotional moment hit that much harder.

The banter in this book deserves its own award. Honestly, I wanted to climb into the pages and join the text chains myself. The conversations felt effortless, funny, heartfelt, and completely believable. It was one of those books where I found myself smiling constantly while reading.

What stood out most for me was the amount of heart packed into every chapter. The chemistry was incredible, but it was the longing, emotional intimacy, and deep understanding between Tyler and Sophie that made this story unforgettable. These weren't just two people falling in love. They were two people who already knew each other on a soul-deep level and simply needed to find their way to where they were always meant to be.

Tyler absolutely captured my heart. His personal journey was handled with so much grace and compassion, particularly the conversations surrounding mental health. I really appreciated seeing the importance of men's mental health represented in such a thoughtful way. It added an extra layer of depth to an already emotional story and reinforced the message that asking for help doesn't make you weak.

The entire story gave me early 2000s flashbacks, especially with all the movie titles spread throughout the book. The traditions, the grand gestures, the quiet moments, the yearning, the "it's always been you" feeling woven throughout every chapter. I was completely swept away by it all.

If you love childhood friends-to-lovers romances, found family, emotional depth, plenty of swoon, and heroes who fall spectacularly hard, I can't recommend this enough.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Irresistibly Us by Samantha Brinn
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Tyler and Sophie are the absolute sweetest friends-to-lovers romance.

Best friends since childhood, they have always been each other's person. No matter what is happening in their lives, they consistently put each other first, and their connection feels genuinely soulmate-level from the very beginning. Watching a friendship this strong evolve into something romantic is one of my favorite romance experiences, and Samantha Brinn absolutely nailed it here.

Sophie has been carrying feelings for Tyler for years, but keeps them buried because she doesn't want to risk their friendship—or the complicated web of family connections that links everyone together. Meanwhile, Tyler finally has the realization everyone has been waiting for: it's always been Sophie.

One of my favorite things about this book is how low-angst it is. There's no unnecessary drama or miscommunication keeping them apart. Instead, the story focuses on two people who already know and love each other figuring out how to take the next step. The result is an incredibly comforting, feel-good romance. I honestly spent most of the book smiling. Whether it was late-night grilled cheeses, rom-com movie nights, or birthday celebrations, Tyler and Sophie had me melting into a puddle.

As with all of Samantha Brinn's books, the found family element is a standout. Sophie and Tyler come from large, loving families, and the friendships woven throughout the story add so much warmth and personality. The banter is fantastic, the support systems feel genuine, and the sense of community makes the world feel lived in and real. The family tree at the front of the book is definitely appreciated, though—there are a lot of connections to keep track of!

This is another fantastic addition to the Steel City Legacy series and everything I've come to expect from Samantha Brinn: humor, heart, heat, and characters who are impossible not to love.

Thank you to the author and The Smuthood for providing an ARC!

[Kristin Yeager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irresistibly Us by Samantha Brinn is a book with all the feels AND quotes. When I read a book for review, I take notes and grab quotes along the way. For this book, I have more than a page of quotes because Brinn’s writing is so quote worthy! “I’ve never claimed to be an organized sort of person—barely controlled chaos is my brand.”~says Sophie at the beginning of the book and that describes this FMC to a “T”. She’s brilliant, funny, and completely colorfully cluttered. A direct contrast to Tyler, the cooking, cleaning, always considerate, football god MMC. Sophie and Tyler have been friends since they were young; besties since age 8. They’re part of a complex, tangled “found family” that encompasses them, their parents, their friends, etc. At first, I had trouble following all the entanglements; then, they just made me want to read Brinn’s previous book series more. “It’s a big, complicated, family by blood and friends-who-might-as-well-be-family situation.” Besides the great dialogue in this book, there is awesome character development and a fun plot. Irresistibly Us starts as “When Harry Met Sally” and turns into “You’ve Got Mail”, when Sophie & Tyler both join a “vibes only”(no pictures allowed) dating app. As can be predicted, they get paired and interesting conversations ensue. And, I’m a sucker for a book told in texts. While some of this book is predictable, Brinn does it in a way that makes you not care one bit. And the supporting cast makes you fall even deeper in love with the story. Between Tyler’s football teammates and Sophie’s female squad, the laughs and feels keep coming. “The mysterious, extraordinary language of female friendship. I’ve always known my friendship with Sophie was special, but these women are her sisters, and no man could ever compete with that.” While I could keep quoting Brinn and have a great time doing it, I think I’ll stop with saying if you don’t read this book you’ll be: “ Intensely stupid, party of one”.
So, go grab this book, a perfectly chilled Dr. Pepper, and a grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy it for yourself.