Touchdowns & Tinsel

by L.A. Shaw

I spent years of my childhood dreaming of the day I’d call Atlas Grant my own.

He was my older brother’s best friend, my protector, my friend, and the guy I had loved for as long as I could remember.

I bided my time, waiting until I was old enough to make my move.

But the moment I finally worked up the courage to tell him how I felt, he shattered my heart without a second thought.

Since then, I’ve done everything I could to avoid him.

Too bad that’s no longer an option… Because now I’m on a plane to Las Vegas for a combined bachelor and bachelorette weekend. Which means spending the next few days with Atlas is unavoidable.

If I can’t escape him, I’ll settle for making the football superstar regret ever rejecting me.

But you know what they say about Vegas…

What happens there stays there.

Well, unfortunately for us, some things can’t be buried under those neon lights.

Genres: Found Family, Sports, Christmas

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 22, 2026

About the author

A New Yorker and a Southern Belle.
Two Book Obsessed Babes that became lifelong best friends over their love for a good romance novel.

When they're not writing, they're devouring a good book, or spending time with their family and friends.
Total opposites in some ways and exactly the same in others, making them a dynamic author duo.

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

RTC

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beta RTC

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an ARC from the author and the author agency.

We meet Henley and her bff Lily off to a friend's engagement party. She is going to show a certain someone what he's missing. Henley hasn't really spoken or seen Atlas in the latest few years since he rejected her and now it's payback time. We meet Atlas, nfl star who lost touch with his bff Beckett over the past few years and hopes to repair their friendship, plus Beckett is Henleys older nlfer brother. Playing blackjack and drinking a lot leads to Henley and Atlas waking up hungover and rings on their fingers. But not just any rings...Atlas' grandparents rings that he wears all the time. Henley is freaking out...she cant remember the night before except for cards and booze. She also can't help looking at how sexy Atlas is. Atlas is having all the feels and wants to stay married. He tells Henley they need to lay low before doing an annulment. Keeping this under wraps is harder than it looks. Atlas will stop at nothing to keep Henley. Will their crazy vegas wedding keep or will forces be at play and they fall part? Such a cute story.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read'em and Weep! Touchdowns & Tinsel is a Brother's Best Friend, Football romance that includes a few important holidays that sets the mood in Vegas with Halloween and ends with Valentine's Day in New Orleans, Baby! This is the first book in a brand new sports romance series, the New Orleans Phantoms, by L.A. Shaw, that will be a quick, fun book with great banter, some steam, ends with a HEA, plus an epilogue. Is it me, or does our MMC resemble Shemar Moore? Cue The Swoon! Looking forward to more in this interconnectable series by some favored authors.


I would like to sincerely Thank L.A. Shaw for my ARC and in return I voluntarily promised an honest review.


Henley Myers was rejected by her brother's best friend, Atlas Grant, at 18 and ever since she's gone out of her way to avoid him. What makes it easy, is her brother and Atlas are Professional Football Players that play for different teams and have seemed to have drifted apart.

Atlas always knew that Henley crushed on him and rejecting her 9 years ago over his friendship with her brother was one of the hardest things he's ever done. He's now a wide receiver for the New Orleans Phantoms and Atlas gets to see her all grown up at a mutual friends combined Bachelor & Bachelorette's party in Vegas.

Henley knows she will be seeing Atlas and she's planned her wardrobe accordingly, "Read'em and Weep is her game plan but, she never expected to wake up next to him and with matching wedding rings after a fun night of high roller gambling.

Atlas has become obsessed with the sassy, smartass and doesn't want to let her go. He asks for more time to be with her and hopes that he can convince her to give forever a go with no take backs.

[BookishMarineMama03 · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

A new-to-me author, and I loved this story! When I signed up to read Katherine Jay’s Blinding Lights, I had the opportunity to receive the ARC for Touchdowns and Tinsel too, and I am SO glad I did! I loved how these two books weave the characters together, and getting to experience both stories made it even better! A brother’s best friend, childhood crush, accidental Vegas wedding, and a man who goes from breaking her heart to being completely OBSESSED with her?! LOVE!!

Henley! I absolutely LOVED her! She’s funny, sassy, has such a big heart, and deserves ALL the love! She’s loved Atlas for as long as she can remember, but after he broke her heart years ago, she’s ready to show him exactly what he’s been missing!

Atlas! This sexy football star had me SWOONING! The way this man fell for Henley and was determined to make her his FOREVER?! I just can't! He knew what he wanted, and he was NOT about to let his second chance with her slip away. And the way he showed up for Henley and made sure she knew just how much she meant to him?!

Vegas, a friends’ wedding, drinking, and gambling! One wild night later, these two wake up MARRIED! I loved watching them grow together and seeing Atlas slowly break down Henley’s walls, helping her heal from the hurt of her father walking away years ago. The way he showed her she was worthy of a love that stays?!

This was such a fun, sweet, swoony romance, and I loved every minute of it! If you love a man who falls hard, knows exactly who he wants, and will do whatever it takes to make her his forever, you need this one on your TBR!

Rate: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️

🏈 Pro football romance
🏈 Brother’s best friend
🏈 Accidental marriage
🏈 Her childhood crush but now he’s obsessed

🌻Thank you to L.A. Shaw for sending me my arc!

[enchantedmelreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏈Pro Football Romance
✨ Brother’s Best Friend
🏈Accidental Marriage
✨Her Childhood Crush
🏈But now he’s obsessed
✨ Green Flag MMC

This book gave me ALL the feels! I was giddy, smiling so hard the entire time I was reading. This is what holiday romance dreams are made of!

The fact that Atlas was Henley’s childhood crush was already enough to have me invested, but finding out just how DOWN BAD this man was for her?! I WAS GONE. Atlas had me swooning from start to finish, and I genuinely don’t have enough words to explain how much I adore him. The way he went out of his way to win Henley over, the effort he put into showing her how much she meant to him, and the way he was absolutely obsessed with her?! THAT’S MY MAN. The green flags were FLAGGING, and I ate up every single second of it!

And can we talk about a Vegas wedding?! What started as a chaotic, accidental marriage turned into something that had me SWOONING. There’s just something about a man getting a second chance to make the girl he wants fall in love with him, and Atlas absolutely understood the assignment. The way he showed up for Henley and made it clear that he wanted HER? My heart couldn’t take it.

This story had me kicking my feet, giggling, and falling head over heels for these characters. If you love a childhood crush turned obsessed MMC, brother’s best friend romance, and a little accidental-marriage chaos wrapped up in holiday magic, ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR TBR IMMEDIATELY!

Atlas, you absolute dream of a man. I will be thinking about you for a LONG time

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henley Myers has crushed on Atlas Grant since she was ten. He is her older brother's best friend, and has always been a protector and a friend to her. At eighteen she was going to tell him how she felt but he rejected her.
Now several years later she and her bestie Lily who's co-owner of Bookish Aroma with her are going to Las Vegas for a wedding. She knows she will run in Atlas while there. "I want Atlas Grant to regret the day he ever turned me down."

Atlas is 31 and a wide receiver for the New Orleans Phantoms. He's in Vegas for the same wedding as Henley. After running into Henley at a Halloween party they have a night of drinking and gambling and waking up the next morning finds them in bed together with rings on their fingers. Made special because hers were his grandmother's.
So now they decide it's better to stay secretly married for a year since a photo came out of him holding someone's hand entering a wedding chapel. "The night that changed everything."

Atlas wants this second chance and will do everything in his power to make her fall in love with him and make this a forever deal. "My wife. My love. My everything."
Even though Henley has always loved him and "I want to be wherever you are. Not much has changed since I was ten years old." it's not that easy.

4 stars
I enjoyed their story.

[Sasha Brienze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d like to start by saying how incredibly thankful I am to be apart of L.A. Shaw’s ARC reader for Touchdowns & Tinsel!! I am fairly new to being an ARC reader I must say I’ve been enjoying every minute of it ! With that being said I did love the book! If I love a book it’s an automatic 5 stars for me and I throughly enjoyed this read! I love a book I can start and finish in less than 24 hours. Being that this was a brothers best friend, accident Vegas wedding, her childhood crush and now he’s the one obsessed I absolutely devoured this book! It’s something about a brother’s best friend trope that I just love. It’s my favorite type of trope. I loved Henley and Atlas were friends as kids and then turned enemies on her end and then turned to lovers! When Altas fell he fell fast and hard and you just knew he’d do anything to keep Henley. The backstory behind “Ma Cherie” was one of a kind. I absolutely loved the full circle moment and it just proved Henley and Atlas were meant to be! Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves a good brother’s best friend trope it gives you all the feels!!!

[NursingMyTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes: accidental Vegas wedding, childhood crush, brothers best friend, pro football player x bookstore owner

I was given an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. Touchdowns & Tinsel was the perfect read to get me into the fall spirit! I love reading L.A. Shaw as everytime I do I really connect with the characters written. I thought Atlas and Henley had great chemistry together and I really felt the love they had for each other. The spice level was fantastic and not o rely done but placed right throughout. Also the length of this story was perfect, sometimes a story gets drawn out or miscommunications go on forever but that simply wasn’t the case here. The pacing kept me throughly engaged and made this a quick and easy read for me. I loved the addition of the social media post and getting to know side character’s personalities. Thank you to L.A. Shaw and The Author Agency for the chance to preview this early!

[Ashley · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

This was such a fun and quick read! I love a good brother’s best friend trope and this didn’t disappoint.

Henley has had a crush on her brother’s best friend, Atlas for as long as she could remember. She finally told him how she felt and he turned her down, and crushed her.

Years later they are at a bachelor/bachelorette party in Vegas together. A night of drinks and gambling leads to a quick wedding. When they wake up in the morning, both heading home they decide to keep things quiet. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.

It was fun watching both Henley and Atlas realize their true feelings for each other, as well as clear up some misunderstandings. There was also a little meddling from their mothers.

I really enjoyed Henley and Atlas. Henley was relatable and Atlas was a green flag!

I’m excited to read the rest of the series!

Thank you LA Shaw for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atlas & Henley

I absolutely love a Vegas Wedding romance, and the way these two had previous history made for a hilarious wake up moment when Henley discovers what actually happened!

Such a cute story where we find out that Henley's childhood crush isnt over and now Atlas has come to play and decided that hes not letting her walk away a second time!

Such an easy read where if you want the comfort of two main characters that have banter and great spice who try and make their quickie wedding translate to real life. Plus the addition of some fun side characters then this is the book that will be for you!


- Brothers Best Friend
- Accidental Marriage
- Pro Football Romance
- Her Childhood Crush
- He Falls First

4⭐️2🌶

Thankyou to LA Shaw and The Author Agency for the opportunity to read this one early 🫶🏻

[Kalexreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a good drunken Vegas wedding, and this one didn't disappoint. Henley and Atlas have known each other since they were kids. Henley has been in love with him almost as long. When she was eighteen, she got up the nerve to tell him how she felt, he rejected her and shattered her heart. They've successfully avoided each other for years, but they end up in Vegas together during a bachelor/bachelorette weekend for their friends. One thing leads to another, and they end up married. Initially, they planned to get it annulled, but when it's somehow leaked to the press, Atlas asked Henley to hold off for a while. As they begin to spend a little time together, they both begin to wonder if they can make an actual go of being together. Fun, funny, sweet, and spicy with very little angst. Loved it!!!

[Jessica Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I cant wait for the rest of the series.

L.A. Shaw writes some of the most angsty books that are also filled with delicious banter. You will be kicking your feet swooning.


Atlas is Henley's brothers best friend who also happens to be her childhood crush. He turns her down out of respect for his friendship for her brother only to end up married to her in Vegas.

I love books where the MMC is secretly OBSESSED with the FMC and she thinks he doesnt like her. The amount of YEARNING and SECRET GLANCES in this book had me kicking my feet.

One thing I learned about Atlas is he loves to make his Little Wife blush while trying to keep them a secret.

[H S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henley falls for her brother’s best friend Altas, but when she acts on her crush he turns her down and she’s heartbroken. She’s spent time avoiding him but now, years later, they are together in Vegas at a bachelor/bachelorette party. Vegas always results in surprising things happening and their marriage is one of them! He’s determined to win her over and show her how much he truly cares for her. It’s a swoon worthy and delightful to read to see their true feelings come out into the open and their romance grow.

[Katie · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Everything happened so quickly with Henley and Atlas’ story. I love a fun surprise Vegas marriage where they try to work it out when they get back to reality, but I wish they hadn’t hid it from their families (even though the moms totally knew). This also didn’t feel like a true brothers best friend story since they were former besties who hadn’t really reconnected yet. Anyway, it’s a quick spicy read. I just wish the story could have been a little longer.

Thank you LA Shaw for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

[Lisa Hambridge (lisamareebooks1109) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read and I enjoyed the way the story developed. Atlas and Henley were the perfect characters for this book and I enjoyed reading their relationship developed. This book was written in a way that made it easy to read and follow the characters as their journey progressed. The chemistry between the two characters was perfect and I enjoyed the way they communicate and how Atlas protected Henley. This book was the perfect holiday read.

[Praline 99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely captivated by this book. It’s a second-chance romance that kicks off with a marriage in Vegas and to top it off, the guy is her brother’s best friend and a football superstar. Years ago, Henley confessed her love to Atlas, but he just brushed her off. Now, they’re both heading to Vegas for a joint bachelor and bachelorette party, and after a few too many drinks, she finds herself married to the very man she swore she’d always hate.

[Bookbakeneko · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 & 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙡
22 𝙊𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧

What a fun and flirty way to kick off my festive reading! ✨

Henley always thought her childhood unrequited feelings for Atlas would remain just that — unrequited. But one drunken trip to a Vegas chapel later, and all bets are off!

Atlas has ZERO regrets and is determined to score his touchdown and keep his girl.

A little holiday chaos, plenty of flirty fun, and a touchdown worth cheering for!

[Carissa Caulum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Atlas and Henley's story. I loved the storyline and the writing. I loved the character development and the relationship development. This is my first time reading this author and I will definitely be reading more by this author. I loved Henley and Lily friendship. I loved Atlas's friendship with his teammates. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to L.A. Shaw for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jaqueline · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

There is nothing particularly bad about the book. I just couldn’t connect with either characters. I felt like there was no real chemistry and I know reading all of the reviews that people loved Atlas, but I cannot stand him for some reason, and there was nothing bad about him. I just didn’t like him.





Arc

[Angie Large · Rating 4 out of 5]

This couple had my attention from page one. I loved their chemistry, their banter and Henley's sass! The pining was great and their story is sweet. L.A Shaw has such a way of writing characters and couples that are relatable and loveable and Atlas and Henley were exactly that. Their mothers were quite entertaining as well.

[Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually brother's best friend is one of my favorite tropes but for some reason I couldn't connect to the MCs for this one. Maybe they didn't have enough chemistry? Or the dialog seemed off? I'm not really sure. I did like all the friendships with the side characters though!

[Alexis Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book I couldn’t put it down at all. I loved how down they were for each other and how they were able to put everything behind them. It was intriguing to see Atlas grovel for Henley’s attention. Was very emotional seeing their past and how hurt she was by him. Loved all the spicy scenes we got