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Love Games #1
Love Game
Kate Snyder scored her first national championship in her undergrad days at Wolcott University, and now she’s a coaching legend. The last thing she wants is to work beside a washed-up coach escaping scandal, but the University hands her Danny McMillan.
Danny was hoping his transition at Wolcott University would go smoothly, but clashing with snarky Kate has made things difficult. Even as she finally lightens up towards him, a local reporter can’t get enough of their verbal fireworks on camera. What the cameras don’t know is that the sparks are even hotter behind the scenes…
Danny was hoping his transition at Wolcott University would go smoothly, but clashing with snarky Kate has made things difficult. Even as she finally lightens up towards him, a local reporter can’t get enough of their verbal fireworks on camera. What the cameras don’t know is that the sparks are even hotter behind the scenes…
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 6, 2018
65 people are currently reading
830 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Wells
117 books427 followersSign up for Maggie's Reader Group here: http://bit.ly/maggiemail
By day, Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets, but at night she pens tales of people tangling sheets or tangled up in intrigue. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, this mild-mannered married lady has a naughty streak a mile wide.
You can find her online at http://www.maggie-wells.com
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By day, Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets, but at night she pens tales of people tangling sheets or tangled up in intrigue. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, this mild-mannered married lady has a naughty streak a mile wide.
You can find her online at http://www.maggie-wells.com
Instagram @maggiewells1
Twitter https://twitter.com/Maggie_Wells1
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaggie...
Follow Maggie:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maggi...
amazon.com/author/maggiewells
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
January 29, 2022
3 stars
Love Game is the first book in a series by new to me author, Maggie Wells. I loved the premise of this story. Two college coaches that are rivals. It sounded so fun. I did love the enemies to lovers aspect (of course) and I actually really loved the last 30% of so, but the first half and then some was really mediocre for me. Too much steam and not enough story line for me.
Love Game is the first book in a series by new to me author, Maggie Wells. I loved the premise of this story. Two college coaches that are rivals. It sounded so fun. I did love the enemies to lovers aspect (of course) and I actually really loved the last 30% of so, but the first half and then some was really mediocre for me. Too much steam and not enough story line for me.
Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3 stars
Narrator: Samantha Cook
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Sports)
Length: 11h 59m
February 6, 2018
Sometimes it is hard to know where to begin with a review when you love a book as much as I did Love Game by Maggie Wells. A hero with something to prove, a heroine who just wants the respect and paycheck she deserves for what she’s produced, a reporter with a grudge, a morality clause, and friends who go the extra mile all made Love Game an excellent story.
For years Coach Kate Snyder has proven herself as an athlete, an Olympic champion, and as coach to three Division I title championships. She loves coaching at her alma mater Wolcott University and would love to stay there provided they are willing to show her the money in her contract negotiations.
Following a scandal that rocked his coaching career, Danny McMillan is thankful to be back coaching at a Division I school even if it’s for a football team that hasn’t won a game in forever. He knows he has a lot to prove, he knows it is going to be difficult, he just didn’t realize that part of the job would be finally realizing that winning isn’t everything; it’s the love of the game especially when that game is love.
OMG people, this book!! First off Kate, damn we need more heroines like Kate both in fiction and real life. This woman is formidable in so many ways; she loves her job, one she takes very seriously including mentoring young athletes, she loves the game and remembers the joy of playing it, she respects other athletes (well her dislike of baseball was troubling to my baseball soul, but I let it go), she refuses to let others devalue her accomplishments just because she is a woman, she demands respect, but can take the heat as well as dish it out, and most of all she is loyal to those she cares about. I may have a wee bit of a woman crush on Kate!
It would have been easy to see Danny as a player and someone who was use to breaking the rules and getting away with it, but Ms. Wells crafted his character so well it was easy to sympathize with him and the events that got him in trouble. I’m not saying he was completely innocent, but I am saying the blame didn’t lie solely at his feet but being a head coach he took it. What I loved most about Danny was he wasn’t put off by Kate’s commanding personality (in reality I think it turned him on) and he supported her fully. That’s not to say they didn’t have some differences of opinion on things, but that lively sparring kept things oh so interesting and fun.
I loved the layers to this story, the way Danny’s past made their relationship difficult, the way he accepted it and the way Kate fought so they could have everything they wanted. Danny was happy to have Kate, but Kate…damn, she wanted it all and she aimed to get it.
If you want to read a feel good story, one that shows a woman can be tough and even a bit of a ball buster without being shrew and bitchy, then you do not want to miss Love Game. I know it is early in 2018, but I can already tell you Love Game will be one of my favorite reads this year, it is that good!
November 16, 2017
Maggie Wells is a new author to me and I did take to her her smooth writing, even though the technical and political details of sports and its management at collegiate and semi-professional level escaped me somewhat. The enemies-to-lovers vibe was strong—especially when it came to the (justifiably) issue of gender inequality exemplified in sports—that was played out in the pages as a running theme here.
Above all, I liked Well’s articulate ‘meta-speak’ on the problems with women and the blatant inequality that they face in the workplace, more so in male-dominated industries.
What I really appreciated was the portrayal of a no-nonsense, strong heroine who has made her way in the male-dominated world of sports first as a celebrated player, then as a legendary coach. Kate’s hard-earned position simply showed what women can do today—despite the fact that she’s probably one of the rare few earning that sort of accolade—and that much kept me going, even if it was to glow (by proxy) in what fictional women can achieve. I felt for Kate nonetheless—the price she kept paying for the position she’d reached was the constant hemming in and the harassment by other male voices whether intentionally or not and it’s a struggle that I think readers can relate to which Wells writes about excellently.
Yet I hadn’t expected her to cave so easily to Danny however, especially after her continued mantra about staying strong and resisting him.
On the other hand, Danny came across as sleazy because of his past—his affair with a student, the scandal that surrounded his previous job, his ready exploitation of willing women because he could, his blatant ignoring the non-fraternisation clause—and somewhat reckless as he fell in lust with Kate and then pursued it with as much vigour as he could, along with some dick-waving episodes with the other characters in the story. That said, I thought Kate/Danny’s connection was more lust than love, which made for a copious amount of scorching sex but apart from that, I couldn’t get their emotional connection. There were parts that I actually struggled through, unable to be convinced about Danny’s declaration of love when it felt like yet another mutinous thing in he’d done in his career.
I think it’s strange to be moved more by the issues here that Wells brought up through Kate than the actual romance itself, which I couldn’t quite take a shine to. Because that was what ‘Love Game’ felt more like to me: the struggle for an independent, successful woman to just be seen as equal despite her achievements, the constant fight to stay on top and the pain borne on the way, rather than a search for a man to add colour to her life.
*ARC by Netgalley
Above all, I liked Well’s articulate ‘meta-speak’ on the problems with women and the blatant inequality that they face in the workplace, more so in male-dominated industries.
What I really appreciated was the portrayal of a no-nonsense, strong heroine who has made her way in the male-dominated world of sports first as a celebrated player, then as a legendary coach. Kate’s hard-earned position simply showed what women can do today—despite the fact that she’s probably one of the rare few earning that sort of accolade—and that much kept me going, even if it was to glow (by proxy) in what fictional women can achieve. I felt for Kate nonetheless—the price she kept paying for the position she’d reached was the constant hemming in and the harassment by other male voices whether intentionally or not and it’s a struggle that I think readers can relate to which Wells writes about excellently.
Yet I hadn’t expected her to cave so easily to Danny however, especially after her continued mantra about staying strong and resisting him.
On the other hand, Danny came across as sleazy because of his past—his affair with a student, the scandal that surrounded his previous job, his ready exploitation of willing women because he could, his blatant ignoring the non-fraternisation clause—and somewhat reckless as he fell in lust with Kate and then pursued it with as much vigour as he could, along with some dick-waving episodes with the other characters in the story. That said, I thought Kate/Danny’s connection was more lust than love, which made for a copious amount of scorching sex but apart from that, I couldn’t get their emotional connection. There were parts that I actually struggled through, unable to be convinced about Danny’s declaration of love when it felt like yet another mutinous thing in he’d done in his career.
I think it’s strange to be moved more by the issues here that Wells brought up through Kate than the actual romance itself, which I couldn’t quite take a shine to. Because that was what ‘Love Game’ felt more like to me: the struggle for an independent, successful woman to just be seen as equal despite her achievements, the constant fight to stay on top and the pain borne on the way, rather than a search for a man to add colour to her life.
*ARC by Netgalley
January 29, 2022
I was excited when I started this one because it's a different type of sports romance - instead of the focus being on the athletes, it's about the coaches.
It had a battle of sexes between the women's program vs the men's program. The coaches went from not liking each other one minute to quickly getting hot and heavy with each other.
Immediate no. I find that type of relationship to be lacking. I want my couple to have some romance, not just a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of relationship. Their relationship didn't seem as believable when it went from enemies to sex partners.
The storyline had potential but the romance was overshadowed by the underdeveloped couple's relationship.
LOVE GAME
● Kate & Danny
● sports romance
● basketball coach / football coach
● enemies to lovers
● workplace romance
● divorced
● battle of the sexes
It had a battle of sexes between the women's program vs the men's program. The coaches went from not liking each other one minute to quickly getting hot and heavy with each other.
Immediate no. I find that type of relationship to be lacking. I want my couple to have some romance, not just a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of relationship. Their relationship didn't seem as believable when it went from enemies to sex partners.
The storyline had potential but the romance was overshadowed by the underdeveloped couple's relationship.
LOVE GAME
● Kate & Danny
● sports romance
● basketball coach / football coach
● enemies to lovers
● workplace romance
● divorced
● battle of the sexes
Audiobook source: Audible
Narrator: Samantha Cook
Length: 11H 59M
May 12, 2019
3.5 stars. First book for me from this author. I enjoyed it and might try out the other two books in the series.
A former Olympic star, highly successful and popular female college basketball coach, and a former NFL quarterback turned college football coach with a shady past, fall for each other. It's against the rules because they're colleagues, but they fall hard for each other and decide it's worth fighting for.
I liked that both MCs were older, in their thirties (or even 40s? I don't think their ages are stated). Neither have kids, both focussed on their coaching careers. Both had career-ending injuries in the past. I particularly enjoyed Kate with her strong and independent character and her determination to stand up for herself in a field where males are much more highly paid than women. An interesting and different sports romance.
A former Olympic star, highly successful and popular female college basketball coach, and a former NFL quarterback turned college football coach with a shady past, fall for each other. It's against the rules because they're colleagues, but they fall hard for each other and decide it's worth fighting for.
I liked that both MCs were older, in their thirties (or even 40s? I don't think their ages are stated). Neither have kids, both focussed on their coaching careers. Both had career-ending injuries in the past. I particularly enjoyed Kate with her strong and independent character and her determination to stand up for herself in a field where males are much more highly paid than women. An interesting and different sports romance.
February 4, 2018
Wow! I have a huge girl crush on Kate Snyder! I love strong women in romance writing and the Olympic basketball star turned award winning coach has to be one of my all time favourite characters. She’s smart, she’s quick and she’s also very funny.
Kate’s love interest, Danny, is also a retired sports star - but his life post retirement has been a little bit messy. I love the chemistry between these two. I love that Danny is attracted to Kate’s strength and to her successes. And while Danny and Kate both might take their sports a little bit too seriously, their relationship is fun and the banter between them is brilliant.
I really appreciated some of the feminist themes that run through this book. Kate wrestles hard with the salary difference between herself - a coach with four national championship titles and Danny - an unproven coach with a murky past. Sadly, equal pay for women’s sports seems to be a long way off for players and staff alike but I really like the way Kate fights for her contract without compromising herself or making any compromises to appease Danny.
I loved the courtship moments as Danny attempts to win Kate’s attention. The chemistry between these two is crazy hot and there are some scorching scenes in this story. But while the courtship phase is long and very satisfying, the race from bed to HEA felt like a breathless race. The end comes a little too quickly for me. I wanted to see these two settle into a relationship but instead I’ll have to trust that they’ll sort themselves out.
This is the kind of romance that I want to see more of. We need more ‘warrior’ women in romance. We need to be able to read about women that we can look up to and be inspired by. We also need more relationships between equals in romance. I loved this story and I will be looking for more by this author.
Kate’s love interest, Danny, is also a retired sports star - but his life post retirement has been a little bit messy. I love the chemistry between these two. I love that Danny is attracted to Kate’s strength and to her successes. And while Danny and Kate both might take their sports a little bit too seriously, their relationship is fun and the banter between them is brilliant.
I really appreciated some of the feminist themes that run through this book. Kate wrestles hard with the salary difference between herself - a coach with four national championship titles and Danny - an unproven coach with a murky past. Sadly, equal pay for women’s sports seems to be a long way off for players and staff alike but I really like the way Kate fights for her contract without compromising herself or making any compromises to appease Danny.
I loved the courtship moments as Danny attempts to win Kate’s attention. The chemistry between these two is crazy hot and there are some scorching scenes in this story. But while the courtship phase is long and very satisfying, the race from bed to HEA felt like a breathless race. The end comes a little too quickly for me. I wanted to see these two settle into a relationship but instead I’ll have to trust that they’ll sort themselves out.
This is the kind of romance that I want to see more of. We need more ‘warrior’ women in romance. We need to be able to read about women that we can look up to and be inspired by. We also need more relationships between equals in romance. I loved this story and I will be looking for more by this author.
February 8, 2018
The book starts off with Kate Snyder's basketball team winning the cup for Wolcott University. Kate had been the coach for the women's basketball team, and she has several wins up her belt. Then the new football coach, Danny joins the school due a scandal . When she finds that his pay grade is much higher up than Kate,she can't believe that she is not worth more .Even though they are fighting every chance they get sparks flow between Danny and Kate. Danny has to make a bunch of nerds wins a football cup,he realises that his old tactics don't work here
Are Danny and Kate falling in love?
Will Danny's team win the football cup ?
What is scandal that brought down Danny's career?
Read to find out.
I enjoyed the book. The chemistry between Kate and Danny is sizzling. There are hot and steamy scenes. Sometimes the talk about basketball and football was too technical that it went over my head. Favorite character Millie. She was pretty badass I love how the title relates to both protagonists. I loved the climax , how Kate found a way out of all the mess.The writing style is engaging and doesn't bore you. The characters were of the old mould , a handsome arrogant man, a beautiful independent woman.
Recommend for romance readers
Are Danny and Kate falling in love?
Will Danny's team win the football cup ?
What is scandal that brought down Danny's career?
Read to find out.
I enjoyed the book. The chemistry between Kate and Danny is sizzling. There are hot and steamy scenes. Sometimes the talk about basketball and football was too technical that it went over my head. Favorite character Millie. She was pretty badass I love how the title relates to both protagonists. I loved the climax , how Kate found a way out of all the mess.The writing style is engaging and doesn't bore you. The characters were of the old mould , a handsome arrogant man, a beautiful independent woman.
Recommend for romance readers
February 5, 2018
I am so the target audience for the this book, I feel like I need to issue a disclaimer upfront. Love Game, the first book in Maggie Well’s Love Games series takes on love, women’s sports, and broadcasting. I was a journalism major, played not one, but two sports in the NCAA at a D-1 school, and coached professionally for over fifteen years. As far as I’m concerned, Wells wrote this one for me. That being said, any woman who loves a smart, driven, dedicated, take-no-prisoners heroine, will love Kate Snyder. She puts the “hero” in heroine as she fights for her job, her players, women’s sports, and the love of her life.
Kate, openly inspired by Pat Summitt, is a four time NCAA national women’s basketball champion coach. She’s a former Olympian in her own right, but there’s that caveat that rankles all female athletes the world over, “women’s” fill-in-the-sport. Billie Jean King may have proved our point when she beat Bobby Riggs, but ultimately that didn’t have much effect on funding, did it? Even in 2017, the big bucks still go to men’s sports. I can’t tell you how many times I heard about how the men’s sports, especially football, fund the women’s sport programs. But I digress… Even women who aren’t in the athletic industry will appreciate and relate to the fight women have in male dominated work places.
Kate’s love story with Danny McMillan was hot and steamy, but almost secondary. Wells could have left out the explicit scenes and still had a solid story. What they add is a demonstration of the intensity of these two characters, consistent in all parts of their lives. In that way it makes them more authentic.
As indicated in the description, Love Game has alternating points of view. It is my preferred format in the contemporary romance genre as we get let into the what each character thinks about the other and when. Maggie Wells is a new author for me and her writing style is tight. She has intentionally inserted a fun sportscaster-like lingo and zingers into her characters’ dialog. Their banter is as competitive as their personalities and it creates heat. Blessedly, they know when enough is enough. It’s not about always having the last word or the harshest barb. Wells never crosses the line over into mean. By the end I was as in love with these characters as they were with each other.
My Rating: A, Loved It
Read this full review and others at That's What I'm Talking About: http://twimom227.com/2018/01/review-l...
Kate, openly inspired by Pat Summitt, is a four time NCAA national women’s basketball champion coach. She’s a former Olympian in her own right, but there’s that caveat that rankles all female athletes the world over, “women’s” fill-in-the-sport. Billie Jean King may have proved our point when she beat Bobby Riggs, but ultimately that didn’t have much effect on funding, did it? Even in 2017, the big bucks still go to men’s sports. I can’t tell you how many times I heard about how the men’s sports, especially football, fund the women’s sport programs. But I digress… Even women who aren’t in the athletic industry will appreciate and relate to the fight women have in male dominated work places.
Kate’s love story with Danny McMillan was hot and steamy, but almost secondary. Wells could have left out the explicit scenes and still had a solid story. What they add is a demonstration of the intensity of these two characters, consistent in all parts of their lives. In that way it makes them more authentic.
As indicated in the description, Love Game has alternating points of view. It is my preferred format in the contemporary romance genre as we get let into the what each character thinks about the other and when. Maggie Wells is a new author for me and her writing style is tight. She has intentionally inserted a fun sportscaster-like lingo and zingers into her characters’ dialog. Their banter is as competitive as their personalities and it creates heat. Blessedly, they know when enough is enough. It’s not about always having the last word or the harshest barb. Wells never crosses the line over into mean. By the end I was as in love with these characters as they were with each other.
My Rating: A, Loved It
Read this full review and others at That's What I'm Talking About: http://twimom227.com/2018/01/review-l...
October 5, 2019
Adults! Sports! A female basketball coaching and the male football coach! Forbidden love! Women saying what they're worth! This was great.
September 1, 2018
Highly, highly recommend this college sports romance. Smart, brave, unapologetic, genuinely funny, plus super-hot bonking!
April 5, 2018
Let me confess, I am NOT a sporty girl. The last time I watched a basketball game voluntarily was probably back in 19-mumble-mumble, when I was in high school, so the idea that the heroine of this tale was a basketball coach did not exactly excite me. However, I was already blinking back tears on page 2 (Page 2, people!) when Kate Snyder's team won the championship and I went with her as she kicked off her pumps and climbed the ladder to cut down the net. That's how fast I was sucked into the story and began to adore Kate, her abiding love for basketball, her alma mater, her sneaker collection, and the disgraced (but still cocky) football coach who has the nerve to show up on her turf.
A lot of clever wordplay made me so happy while reading the story. A smile is described as 'so sweet it tasted like a maraschino cherry.' A friend takes Kate shopping and encourages her with "What do you say we try living life in color this year?" An annoying reporter is referred to as a 'stick insect' - which just so happens to be a favorite phrase of mine! The paragraphs describing how Kate opens a box containing sneakers so colorful they should come with their own protective sunglasses is worth the price of the whole book.
Kate...is great! She's strong, confident about who she is and knows her own mind. She takes no guff from anyone. She's a great role model. She can take it, dish it out, dress it up, or bench press it. She's not waiting for perfect or happily ever after to come find her, she's going to create it herself from the ground up and then tie it up with a neon bow made from the laces from her sneakers.
One of the things I appreciated the most about this book is that the characters are all adults and act like it. There's no idiot plot here, where the leads have to act like idiots to advance the plot. When things go wrong, Kate and Danny talk about it openly. No one is hiding a secret that's going to blow up in their face in another 100 pages. I found that remarkably refreshing!
This was a fun, timely, and sexy read. I'm glad the second title in the series is now available because I'm already missing the Wolcott Warrior crew.
A lot of clever wordplay made me so happy while reading the story. A smile is described as 'so sweet it tasted like a maraschino cherry.' A friend takes Kate shopping and encourages her with "What do you say we try living life in color this year?" An annoying reporter is referred to as a 'stick insect' - which just so happens to be a favorite phrase of mine! The paragraphs describing how Kate opens a box containing sneakers so colorful they should come with their own protective sunglasses is worth the price of the whole book.
Kate...is great! She's strong, confident about who she is and knows her own mind. She takes no guff from anyone. She's a great role model. She can take it, dish it out, dress it up, or bench press it. She's not waiting for perfect or happily ever after to come find her, she's going to create it herself from the ground up and then tie it up with a neon bow made from the laces from her sneakers.
One of the things I appreciated the most about this book is that the characters are all adults and act like it. There's no idiot plot here, where the leads have to act like idiots to advance the plot. When things go wrong, Kate and Danny talk about it openly. No one is hiding a secret that's going to blow up in their face in another 100 pages. I found that remarkably refreshing!
This was a fun, timely, and sexy read. I'm glad the second title in the series is now available because I'm already missing the Wolcott Warrior crew.
February 7, 2018
Love Game is a story that follows Kate Snyder, basketball prodigy, and the winningest coach in Wolcott University history, and Danny McMillan, the newly hired football coach with a scandalous past. But the biggest scandal of all is the fact that he’s getting paid a helluva lot more than she is.
Tempers flare when McMillan comes stomping in on her turf uninvited. The media circus he draws infuriates Kate because she’s earned the attention that comes far too easily for him, and she’s got the trophies to prove it. Their verbal sparring captures the spotlight of sports media, particularly the university’s own media maven, who makes it her mission to stick the two together as often as possible. But there’s a different kind of friction that slowly builds between them as a result.
Kate is feminine yet formidable, but Danny isn’t intimidated by her. No, he admires her.
‘One look from her, and his tongue jumped offside before his brain had even called the play. But there would be no dropping back into the pocket now that the rush was on. Instead, he stepped up to the line she'd drawn between them.’
I connected to Kate on such a deep level, and not just because of our shared passion for sports, athletic shoes, and winning. Because she empowers, inspires, and kicks ass, both on the court and in the male-dominated world of college athletics. She will NOT be denied, and holy hell, the world needs more Kate Snyders.
Danny is the perfect hero for her because he stands eye-to-eye with her. They build each other up, and despite their competitive spirit in and out of the bedroom, they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
‘The sudden need to know every little thing that tickled her funny bone or ticked her off made his mouth run dry. He needed to know, so he could figure out just what it would take to rank number one in both of those categories.’
When the time comes for Kate to renegotiate her contract, she demands the salary she deserves. Danny supports her as her partner, despite the clause in his contract that forbids him to become involved with a colleague. They’re both warriors at heart who fight for what they believe in, and together they are unstoppable.
Love Game is a bold and bravely written romance that’s here at the perfect time. We need more heroines who pave the way through sweat, perseverance, and persistence. This is the book women have been waiting for!
Tempers flare when McMillan comes stomping in on her turf uninvited. The media circus he draws infuriates Kate because she’s earned the attention that comes far too easily for him, and she’s got the trophies to prove it. Their verbal sparring captures the spotlight of sports media, particularly the university’s own media maven, who makes it her mission to stick the two together as often as possible. But there’s a different kind of friction that slowly builds between them as a result.
Kate is feminine yet formidable, but Danny isn’t intimidated by her. No, he admires her.
‘One look from her, and his tongue jumped offside before his brain had even called the play. But there would be no dropping back into the pocket now that the rush was on. Instead, he stepped up to the line she'd drawn between them.’
I connected to Kate on such a deep level, and not just because of our shared passion for sports, athletic shoes, and winning. Because she empowers, inspires, and kicks ass, both on the court and in the male-dominated world of college athletics. She will NOT be denied, and holy hell, the world needs more Kate Snyders.
Danny is the perfect hero for her because he stands eye-to-eye with her. They build each other up, and despite their competitive spirit in and out of the bedroom, they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
‘The sudden need to know every little thing that tickled her funny bone or ticked her off made his mouth run dry. He needed to know, so he could figure out just what it would take to rank number one in both of those categories.’
When the time comes for Kate to renegotiate her contract, she demands the salary she deserves. Danny supports her as her partner, despite the clause in his contract that forbids him to become involved with a colleague. They’re both warriors at heart who fight for what they believe in, and together they are unstoppable.
Love Game is a bold and bravely written romance that’s here at the perfect time. We need more heroines who pave the way through sweat, perseverance, and persistence. This is the book women have been waiting for!
July 2, 2019
4.5 stars! Kate is 6'2", an Olympian, a successful WNBA basketball player and now the winningest basketball coach. She was dumped by her ex-husband because she was more success than he was. She is in her 40s, which is a plus for me to read a sports romance with a mature heroine. I liked her right away. And then there was Danny, who used to be winning, but has settled in a slow climb back up to Division 1 football in a school that doesn't win football games.
I really liked that she was more successful than he, but it showed how society accepts and still paid him more because boys' football gets more money and attention than girls' basketball. This story was a balance of what really goes on and a romance. She was the same height as him. This is refreshing for me as I have read so many books where the heroine is described as tiny next to him, even if she is 5'10". I felt that she got to fully be her intelligent, successful, independent, feminine self and did not have to 'be less' to be with him in a romance novel. Nice!
Danny was alpha in his own right without needing her to be less. He was being punished for what his younger brother did and for a consensual relationship gone wrong. He is in his 40s too. So, that was a plus too. They were both single and no kids. Both had been rejected by their significant other and had to learn to trust again.
And those very sexy, explicit scenes were sizzling. Even the protection/condom talk worked.
I was expecting some cliches, but the author managed to not indulge in them, especially when there was time for him to confront his brother. There was the issue of them sneaking around, and I had to roll my eyes a bit at the risk they were taking. But then the story picked back up as they had to decide how they were going to deal with the ultimatum. Kate was gutsy, and Danny found out that what was most important to him was worth fighting for.
Her two friends, Millie and Avery, were funny and added to my enjoyment of this story. I am thrilled to know that Play for Keeps, book 2, is Millie's story!
Note: I won an advance reading copy in a social media giveaway, and this is my honest review. I am happy that I got a chance to read this book.
I really liked that she was more successful than he, but it showed how society accepts and still paid him more because boys' football gets more money and attention than girls' basketball. This story was a balance of what really goes on and a romance. She was the same height as him. This is refreshing for me as I have read so many books where the heroine is described as tiny next to him, even if she is 5'10". I felt that she got to fully be her intelligent, successful, independent, feminine self and did not have to 'be less' to be with him in a romance novel. Nice!
Danny was alpha in his own right without needing her to be less. He was being punished for what his younger brother did and for a consensual relationship gone wrong. He is in his 40s too. So, that was a plus too. They were both single and no kids. Both had been rejected by their significant other and had to learn to trust again.
And those very sexy, explicit scenes were sizzling. Even the protection/condom talk worked.
I was expecting some cliches, but the author managed to not indulge in them, especially when there was time for him to confront his brother. There was the issue of them sneaking around, and I had to roll my eyes a bit at the risk they were taking. But then the story picked back up as they had to decide how they were going to deal with the ultimatum. Kate was gutsy, and Danny found out that what was most important to him was worth fighting for.
Her two friends, Millie and Avery, were funny and added to my enjoyment of this story. I am thrilled to know that Play for Keeps, book 2, is Millie's story!
Note: I won an advance reading copy in a social media giveaway, and this is my honest review. I am happy that I got a chance to read this book.
February 23, 2018
This story opens with Kate Snyder and her women’s basketball team winning their third NCAA Championship while she is the head coach. She is a legend already at Wolcott University and has now just added to her legacy. The problem for her is that her contract is up and now when they should be talking about her team and championship instead the press conference is for the hire of a new head football coach. Not to be out done she makes an appearance at Danny McMillan announcement as the new head football coach. Kate reminds everyone that the team has not won any games in the past four years, and that it would be nice to see a men’s trophy in the case since it has all of her championship trophies as a coach, one as a player, her Olympic Gold medal, Jerseys and other items all associated with the women’s program. He realizes he is in trouble a few days later when she shows up for one of his practices and as she is walking away someone yells heads up and she catches the football ease and throws it back. Now he is doubly attracted to her. The problem is he has a morality clause in his contract that forbids him from dating students or staff. There bantering lands them on T.V. but will it land them anywhere else? A story that shows the inequality and bigotry against women and women athletics, but also how two people are drawn to each other and what they must do if they want to be together. A very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
February 7, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I could say it was because both lead characters, Danny McMillan and Kate Snyder are intelligent, attractive, strong-willed people who are very good at what they do. Kate, a top-notch woman's collegiate basketball coach with numerous championships under her belt, and Danny, the new football coach, hired to bring the team stats up from the basement while bringing his reputation up as well.
I could say it was because the banter between them is sharp-witted, and that they had no problem standing toe-to-toe, giving as good as they get. I could even say it was because the sparks between them jump off the page. And all of this is very true. But what was even more a draw for me was the fact that neither need to be "fixed." There was no need for a knight in shining armor to ride in and "rescue" the damsel, especially when the lady in question is a 6'2 dynamo quite capable of slaying her own dragons.
In a lot of stories the conflict is between the couple themselves, something is lacking, or missing, a hurdle has to be jumped before the couple gets together. In this book the conflict wasn't internal but external. While both Danny and Kate can fight their own battles, as a united front, together they are a force to be reckoned with. Their strengths complimented each other, they didn't intimidate.
I could say it was because the banter between them is sharp-witted, and that they had no problem standing toe-to-toe, giving as good as they get. I could even say it was because the sparks between them jump off the page. And all of this is very true. But what was even more a draw for me was the fact that neither need to be "fixed." There was no need for a knight in shining armor to ride in and "rescue" the damsel, especially when the lady in question is a 6'2 dynamo quite capable of slaying her own dragons.
In a lot of stories the conflict is between the couple themselves, something is lacking, or missing, a hurdle has to be jumped before the couple gets together. In this book the conflict wasn't internal but external. While both Danny and Kate can fight their own battles, as a united front, together they are a force to be reckoned with. Their strengths complimented each other, they didn't intimidate.
February 26, 2018
Love Game is perfect for the current times. One of the best heroines I have ever read. Smart, athletic, funny, pretty and confident. A character you can look up to. My favourite part about reading romance stories is connecting with awesome female characters and you just can't get better than Kate.
The maturity these characters portray is top notch. The conflict could be a real life situation and not a forced "need to add conflict to this story".
I read Love Game while I was on vacation. Love Game was supposed to be a casual read to fill some vacation time but it ended up being a must read that I couldn't put down. Simply an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who loves a great storyline, an awesome couple and a book you can't put down. I must add that the sexy scenes were steamy hot and their chemistry was perfect.
The maturity these characters portray is top notch. The conflict could be a real life situation and not a forced "need to add conflict to this story".
I read Love Game while I was on vacation. Love Game was supposed to be a casual read to fill some vacation time but it ended up being a must read that I couldn't put down. Simply an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who loves a great storyline, an awesome couple and a book you can't put down. I must add that the sexy scenes were steamy hot and their chemistry was perfect.
November 2, 2018
I did not expect to enjoy a sports-based romance so much. Wells gives her characters a convincing external conflict to struggle against--first separately, then together. She's a champion college basketball coach; he's a disgraced college football coach being given a second chance in hopes of reviving her college's pathetic football program. Title IX plays a part here, as you might guess. As in all good romances, the main characters' powerful chemistry throws a wrench into their plans. A delightful read.
Read
January 22, 2019Kate Snyder is the woman I have always wanted to be. She's strong, confident in her ability, and a born champion, but she's also smart, kind, and sensitive. I wanted to write a story where a truly kick-ass heroine falls in love with a hero who loves and admires her for everything that she is...and isn't.
March 15, 2018
Love love love the chemistry between this couple. Kate and Danny were so incredibly matched. Her strength was remarkable. ‘Seasoned’ romance is new for me and I want more of it.
Well done!
Well done!
February 3, 2018
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
I enjoyed this well written and gender equality challenging read. I thought that the injustices in recognition and pay between the super successful Kate Snyder, and the scandal-bound Danny were played out very cleverly. We are set up to hate on Danny from the beginning and yet, if you have faith in the author, she does not let you down, and in fact his behaviour is far more forgivable.
The chemistry between the two leads is undeniable, and it is highly entertaining watching them give in to the desires they cannot fight. It works particularly well because term is out, and they are not busy with their usual routines. Touches like that are important to me, as they make the plot work so much better.
Although most of the focus is on the couple, there are some good side characters too - which maybe will feature in future books in the series. Kate's friends are fun, and instrumental in the resolution of all the issues keeping these two people apart. Mike is rather hampered by his position, but in the end he is a good friend to both Danny and Kate.
I found this a super easy book to read, and enjoyed how it played out. Thank you Ms Wells
I enjoyed this well written and gender equality challenging read. I thought that the injustices in recognition and pay between the super successful Kate Snyder, and the scandal-bound Danny were played out very cleverly. We are set up to hate on Danny from the beginning and yet, if you have faith in the author, she does not let you down, and in fact his behaviour is far more forgivable.
The chemistry between the two leads is undeniable, and it is highly entertaining watching them give in to the desires they cannot fight. It works particularly well because term is out, and they are not busy with their usual routines. Touches like that are important to me, as they make the plot work so much better.
Although most of the focus is on the couple, there are some good side characters too - which maybe will feature in future books in the series. Kate's friends are fun, and instrumental in the resolution of all the issues keeping these two people apart. Mike is rather hampered by his position, but in the end he is a good friend to both Danny and Kate.
I found this a super easy book to read, and enjoyed how it played out. Thank you Ms Wells
July 2, 2020
This actually wasn't half bad. It started off quite typically, but then it ended up not going the way I had thought it was going to go, and that always impresses me.
It's not perfect. Just because it's a sports romance, it doesn't mean everyone has to talk (and think!) in sports metaphors all of the time. And yet they did. All. the. time. Some phrases got a bit repetitive, even outside of the sports talk, and Danny was weirdly obsessed with Kate's hair. We get it, Danny, it's glossy.
But. Danny wasn't threatened by a successful woman, which was nice. There was no Big Mis at the end - all obstacles to overcome were external. Which was very refreshing, especially when it had been so clearly set up for some unnecessary drama and instead Wells just....didn't. There was definite criticism of the patriarchy, which I am always here for, and a conversation between Kate's friends which was hashtag relatable and made me chuckle out loud.
So this is definitely a 3.5 stars. I think the problems with the writing don't quite allow it to go up to a 4, but I had a surprisingly good time overall.
It's not perfect. Just because it's a sports romance, it doesn't mean everyone has to talk (and think!) in sports metaphors all of the time. And yet they did. All. the. time. Some phrases got a bit repetitive, even outside of the sports talk, and Danny was weirdly obsessed with Kate's hair. We get it, Danny, it's glossy.
But. Danny wasn't threatened by a successful woman, which was nice. There was no Big Mis at the end - all obstacles to overcome were external. Which was very refreshing, especially when it had been so clearly set up for some unnecessary drama and instead Wells just....didn't. There was definite criticism of the patriarchy, which I am always here for, and a conversation between Kate's friends which was hashtag relatable and made me chuckle out loud.
So this is definitely a 3.5 stars. I think the problems with the writing don't quite allow it to go up to a 4, but I had a surprisingly good time overall.
February 4, 2018
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Its not about people just starting out, its about people who have lived their dreams and what happens after the dream has ended. Whether my injury or retirement. About how your life is not only impacted by your dreams but what happens after the dream fades away. How you conduct yourself and make new dreams.
Riding the wave of glory then defeat often tells the true story of a person's character. The aftermath of destruction of those dreams comes with a hard price and oftentimes the prices is paid with scars to a person's soul. Protecting the truly guilty is a price paid for those protectors and only those carrying the burden know the true cost.
Learning to live and love again isn't easy, but for these two, its a dream worth fighting for.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Its not about people just starting out, its about people who have lived their dreams and what happens after the dream has ended. Whether my injury or retirement. About how your life is not only impacted by your dreams but what happens after the dream fades away. How you conduct yourself and make new dreams.
Riding the wave of glory then defeat often tells the true story of a person's character. The aftermath of destruction of those dreams comes with a hard price and oftentimes the prices is paid with scars to a person's soul. Protecting the truly guilty is a price paid for those protectors and only those carrying the burden know the true cost.
Learning to live and love again isn't easy, but for these two, its a dream worth fighting for.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
September 9, 2018
When this book first started off I wasn't sure how I would feel. I did end up liking it. Danny and Kate grew on me. So by the end when they got together I was happy for them. I hope we will see them in the next book.
February 27, 2018
Well written, fun topic to see in women's romance, basketball.
June 14, 2019
A little too much insta for me, but good brain fluffer. Kate is an awesomely strong character.
March 15, 2023
I was DNF at 9%. Bored outta my gourd.
March 27, 2018
So. Much. Competence. Porn.
I hate the term, but I can’t I think of a better way to say it.
Maggie Wells’ Love Game turns the sports romance genre on its ear, leading with a basketball coach heroine who’s at the top of her game. In a department usually dominated by men, Wolcott University basketball Coach Kate Snyder is a legend, a hotshot…who’s wildly underpaid. Danny McMillan rolls into town to coach the less than spectacular football team at Wolcott. Fresh off a scandal, he's scraped his way back into Division 1 ball and has nothing to lose.
Love Game is refreshing on so many levels. Both coaches are full-fledged adults who’ve been around the block. Kate is talented, driven and totally unapologetic about it. She’s as cocky as ANY winning coach would be. It is SO GREAT to see those tables turned. Danny is secure enough not only to NOT be intimated by Kate’s drive and physical abilities, but to be totally enamored by them. The banter and the chemistry are pretty electric from the get-go.
I loved that this book made pay (in)equity part of its narrative and allowed Kate to leverage her personal capital to make things happen. Although it starts off basically as animal attraction between these two, it evolves into a partnership, a true team effort, as Kate and Danny go toe-to-toe with the forces working against them.
The supporting cast is rounded out by the college’s athletic director; Ty Ransom, the men’s basketball coach; and Kate’s friends, Millie and Avery (who are a couple of characters themselves). I can’t wait for book two,Play for Keeps,which drops on April 3.
Favorite line:"Kate's eyebrows rose...Lines creased her high forehead, but the marks only made her more attractive. They spoke of a life lived open to surprise and amusement."
Amen to that.
I hate the term, but I can’t I think of a better way to say it.
Maggie Wells’ Love Game turns the sports romance genre on its ear, leading with a basketball coach heroine who’s at the top of her game. In a department usually dominated by men, Wolcott University basketball Coach Kate Snyder is a legend, a hotshot…who’s wildly underpaid. Danny McMillan rolls into town to coach the less than spectacular football team at Wolcott. Fresh off a scandal, he's scraped his way back into Division 1 ball and has nothing to lose.
Love Game is refreshing on so many levels. Both coaches are full-fledged adults who’ve been around the block. Kate is talented, driven and totally unapologetic about it. She’s as cocky as ANY winning coach would be. It is SO GREAT to see those tables turned. Danny is secure enough not only to NOT be intimated by Kate’s drive and physical abilities, but to be totally enamored by them. The banter and the chemistry are pretty electric from the get-go.
I loved that this book made pay (in)equity part of its narrative and allowed Kate to leverage her personal capital to make things happen. Although it starts off basically as animal attraction between these two, it evolves into a partnership, a true team effort, as Kate and Danny go toe-to-toe with the forces working against them.
The supporting cast is rounded out by the college’s athletic director; Ty Ransom, the men’s basketball coach; and Kate’s friends, Millie and Avery (who are a couple of characters themselves). I can’t wait for book two,Play for Keeps,which drops on April 3.
Favorite line:"Kate's eyebrows rose...Lines creased her high forehead, but the marks only made her more attractive. They spoke of a life lived open to surprise and amusement."
Amen to that.
January 9, 2018
Received this book as an ARC for my honest review.
Kate is a WNBA champ, went to the Olympics and now coaches at a college that she loves.
Danny is a new coach that gets paid more than Kate even though she has championships under her belt for this college.
Kate is going to stay strong against Danny but she caves very quickly.
The book was so boring and smutty until about 80% of the book was done, then it got good because you cared about both of the characters and their backgrounds and it wasn't just political about gender equality and then sex.
There is one small cliffhanger but it doesn't really affect the book.
The cover of the book has absolutely nothing to do with the book which to me is irritating.
Kate is a WNBA champ, went to the Olympics and now coaches at a college that she loves.
Danny is a new coach that gets paid more than Kate even though she has championships under her belt for this college.
Kate is going to stay strong against Danny but she caves very quickly.
The book was so boring and smutty until about 80% of the book was done, then it got good because you cared about both of the characters and their backgrounds and it wasn't just political about gender equality and then sex.
There is one small cliffhanger but it doesn't really affect the book.
The cover of the book has absolutely nothing to do with the book which to me is irritating.
June 17, 2019
Rating: 2.5
There are a lot of good lines in this book and it's an interesting sports-centric story. The heroine was quite mean, especially in the beginning, and that made her unlikeable. When they weren't fighting, they eventually ended up having sex - no problem with that but that seemed to be all the "contact" their relationship had. If the romance grew, there was very little about it. Which was a shame, because the writing style is very good. And for that fact that the MCs are aged close to 40.
February 14, 2018
Enjoyed the unusually strong heroine, the banter, and the weaving of basketball and football into the mix. The sex scenes were actually a distraction from the plot, the interesting friends and troubled family dynamics.
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