Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

What Would It Take

Rate this book
The first time I saw Saxton Crawford we were in high school. He was the football star and I was just another invisible teenage girl. Now, he is a famous quarterback and the bane of my existence.

And by bane, I mean his presence has brought back ten years of secrets. Ones I'd thought I'd dealt with. The minute he walks back into my life I become that bumbling teenage girl all over again.

I’m not having it!

Even if the quarterback only has eyes for me. He's irresistible, too handsome for his own good, cocky, and carrying baggage no one wants. Saxton Crawford has spent years trying to find his mystery girl.
Turns out, I'm that girl. I guess I wasn't invisible after all.

Bam! Happily ever after right?

Nope, not for me. Not with his demons and mine. It’s going to take every ounce of my will power to resist him.

So, what would it take to get him to leave me alone?

Do I want that?

Maybe I should be asking myself… What would it take to win his heart?

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2019

12 people are currently reading
83 people want to read

About the author

E.L. DuBois

5 books4 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
45 (43%)
4 stars
38 (36%)
3 stars
13 (12%)
2 stars
6 (5%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa.
3,722 reviews20 followers
June 4, 2019
This story surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. The characters were very enjoyable and relatable. I liked how Saxton saw what he wanted and went after it. He never wavered. Not that Here was much resistance from Ms Sailor. I mean..seriously...he’s hot looking and a quarterback. What is there to resist? The prior history they had together could possibly put a flaw In their future. But it was nice neither resisted the pull. I love love loved the “What would it take” theme throughout the book!!! It makes me smile...every time!
The supporting characters were simply wonderful! The girlfriends of Sailor? So strong and supportive and let’s not forget protective! Then add in Saxtons old college friend along with his new teammates...all of these are perfect specimens of great friends! I don’t want to forget Al! You’ll have to read the story to figure out who he is. Mwa-Hahaha-(evil laugh)

I listed to this on audio and Sarah Sampino is the narrator. She did a good job putting different voices inflection on each of the characters. This is an easy but lovely read.
Profile Image for Thuy Taylor.
1,396 reviews19 followers
February 14, 2019
This is my first El Dubois book, and I really liked it. Sailor will pull you in from the beginning. Sailor and Saxton met one time in high school. They were opposites, him being a popular football player and her, sorta new student, quiet, shy, bullied alot. Especially by his high school girlfriend. They met, but he didn't get her name. Fast forward 10 years. The author takes you to him seeing his mystery girl, he's been keeping an eye out on her for years. He's always thought about her, regretting not getting her name that day.

Saxton was a really sweet and protective of Sailor. I loved reading their relationship bloom. Seeing how Sailor grew over the years into a confident, kick ass woman. I really swooned on their sweet moments together. Sighhhhh....him singing in her ear, his gazes, just their moments. This story had some suspense, some crazy nutjob ex and really great friendships. Definitely easy enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Mandy Sawyer.
4,975 reviews41 followers
March 30, 2019
Loved this great book. Lots of action, great storyline and characters that will have you laughing. The personality shines through the narration. Sarah does an amazing job of capturing the humour and sass. Written well.
Profile Image for Amber Niebaum.
232 reviews41 followers
April 19, 2019
I want a Saxton for myself! He is the ultimate book boyfriend! I loved how quickly he fell for Sailor and how determined he was to win her heart. He seems so perfect! Sailor was a good strong character and had a great cast of characters supporting them. Not only was this a great love story but it also had some drama, action and suspense. The narrator, Sarah Sampino, did a fantastic job giving all the characters a strong unique voice. She really brought the book to life and kept me interested and not wanting to pause for any reason! I really enjoyed this audiobook and will look for more by this author.
Profile Image for Sara ✨ Next Book Review Blog ✨.
2,119 reviews5 followers
April 2, 2019
******** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ********

How adorable is this audiobook?!?! I found Sailor completely endearing. She’s a woman that every single female will relate too! She starts out a bit meek and really shy but she grows into herself. Saxton is the strong jock but where Saxton differs in other high school jocks is Saxton is kind and generous. He’s a soft guy and I really appreciate it. I fell hard for Harley though. I loved her fierce loyalness to Sailor. Andrea is someone I wanted to hurt and I was so happy that someone opened Saxton’s eyes. Anyway, I could talk on that for such a long time as bullying angers me!

The audiobook narration was fabulous! Sarah Sampino put so much emotion into this story. I think my favorite is the joking and playful banter… you can hear it in Sampino’s voice. I also really enjoyed the sweetness of her voice. You can hear the smiles in her words. I love that, hearing people’s smiles is among my favorite!

983 reviews2 followers
April 6, 2019
I received this audiobook free for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. The story has it all. Suspense, thrill, intrigue and of course, romance. I loved the story beginning in high school and then skipping to many years later. This story shows there are school bullies that grown in to adult bullies. The narrator did an excellent job with the characters and their personalities. Couldn't stop listening. Loved it from beginning to end.
Profile Image for LaSasha Flame.
Author 17 books205 followers
January 4, 2020
So I listen to this book in one sitting. I have to say that the author did a good job in mastering the art of short stories. Often times when we write short stories a lot of times they can feel underdeveloped or lacking depth in some way. But this author gives a very rich deep well develop story and characters. I found myself wanting to hear every single word and not miss a Beat which is a good sign because that means the author kept me enthralled from the very first word to the very last one.


I feel like some of the scenes were setup to introduce future books surrounding those couples. Which is understandable and smart for creating a series while still having a sense of completion and finality with this one if the author decided to keep it a stand-alone. The only drawback was the pairing up was painfully obvious and wrapped up in too much of a pretty bow. I would have liked to see a more natural interaction between the future couples that would get me excited and eagerly awaiting their books in the series. It was more of a giant neon sign that told me they like each other. The age-old show instead of tell should have applied here.


I prefer strong female main characters so it took me a moment to warm up to Saylor. She just did things that kind of frustrated me since I couldn't relate to her. I didn't necessarily hate her as a main character I just wanted to shake the fuck out of her sometimes. She was a little bit too meek for my taste. as the story continued she kind of grew on me but she wasn't redeemed fully in my mind until she finally stood up for herself in the end. That's when I was proud of her.


Out of all of the supporting Cast the only person in the book whose book I'm excited to read if he gets a book is Dalton. I like him a lot.


I recommend this book as a good buy for anyone looking for a short story that's well written fully develop with great characters.

I think the narrator did a great job. Not once did I feel like the narration got in the way or created any type of kink in enjoying the story.
Profile Image for Natalie.
457 reviews
April 16, 2019
This was my first book by EL DuBois as well as the first Narration I've heard from Sarah Sampino.

The audio was well done, and although the story wasn't lacking at all, I felt that it helped make it that much stronger. I will for sure be looking for other audios by Sarah Sampino.

The story itself was unique and strong. I love second chance type romances. While Saxton and Sailor didn't date the first time around there was a mutual like, and chemistry. I also love a good crazy ex story. so this def. hit two of my favorites. One of the reasons most books loose stars from me is gaps in reasoning or timeline. Those moments where you just have to ask what the hell the H or h were thinking. While Sailor did have quite a stupid moment, which lead to the exact thing that Saxton was trying to prevent (Sorry trying to avoid spoilers), I can understand the reasoning behind it and It wasn't a doofus moment as much as a lead up to something in the story itself. I did however dislike Sailor's friend a bit. Not enough that I wouldn't read her story if it happened to come out as part of a series or something like that, but she def needed to tone it down a bit.

Sailor and Saxton meet on the last week of high school when he catches his girlfriend Andrea assaulting and harassing Sailor. After seeing how horrible Andrea is Saxton breaks up with her and spends the rest of the week trying to spot Sailor again. For Sailor that last week of school was spent in living hell. As a result of the breakup Andrea upped the bullying leaving permanent mental and physical scars on Sailor.

Fast forward 10 years. Sailor has managed to push the trauma of high school behind her. She is now working PR for an NFL team. On his first day on the new team Saxton sees the mystery girl who has been on and off his mind for ten years. He never knew her name, and didn't know how badly Andrea had treated Sailor both before and after their first meeting. Saxton hasn't managed to shake Andrea off these last 10 years either and now she'll be causing problems for them both.
Profile Image for kgagnon.
2,347 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this sweet, poignant, and steamy romance. Sailor has worked hard to be a strong, independent, compassionate woman after suffering physical and emotional abuse in high school. Now years later, she is surprised to find out she will be working with her high school crush, and the reason she ran far from home all those years ago. Saxton is elated to find the mystery woman from high school. Her eyes saw right into him and have fueled all his dreams, never allowing him to move on. Sailor knew Saxton saw her as more than the unsightly girl he stopped his old girl friend from bullying. But she is afraid of falling back into old patterns, and tries to avoid him. Saxton is determined to prove he isn't the player she thinks he is and will be the only man to be by her side. But when both their pasts come back to haunt them, they could lose everything, even their lives. I really liked Sailor, she was so endearing, and relateable. Saxton was so sweet and protective and so perfect for her. I especially loved their friends who made this even more fun and engaging. The narration by Sarah Sampino was flawless! Her voices for all the different characters were well done, and dynamic. She easily made me feel all the heartbreak, struggle, hope and joy that both Sailor and Saxton felt. This is my first listen to this author and narrator and I will definitely look for more from both of them.
Profile Image for Reggie.
2,885 reviews
April 2, 2019
Sailor does not have the best high school memories...she was bullied from the first day that she laid eyes on football star Saxon...oddly enough, Saxton was kind to the bumbling teenager although he never knew her name, it was his gf that was the bullying witch! Now, 10 yrs later, Sailor is the head of PR for NFL team, Arrowhawks, and they just hired a new QB...you guessed it...Saxton Crawford. Saxton is happy to be 'reunited' with the quiet girl from hs and would like to be more...but Sailor, not so much! Saxton begins to prove to Sailor that he really isn't the womanizer that the media has made him out to be. As a matter of fact, most of the media bruhahah has been orchestrated by the high school ex...who is basically stalking Saxton. As Saxton and Sailor become an item, the ex drama ramps up...will Sailor stand by Saxton or will she give up again?
Lovely story and the narration was perfect...the southern drawl just pulled you into the story. I look forward to reading more from this new-to-me author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Shakera.
834 reviews13 followers
July 29, 2021
What would it take to make you love me? This was such a sweet and heartbreaking story. Sailor spent her high school years trying to stay in the background... especially when the guy you have a crush on has a crazy girlfriend. Thankfully, that guy is Saxton, who doesn't tolerate bullying. He witnessed his now ex-girlfriend bullying Sailor and broke off the relationship right then and there. He's been trying to learn Sailor's name ever since. After high school, Sailor becomes the PR guru for the Arrowhawks, and what do you know... Sax is the new quarterback, and he's found his mystery girl! I absolutely adored Saxton and completely understood Sailor's hesitation. This captured all of the emotions of a flawed hero and a scarred heroine. The narration was absolute perfection with Sarah Sampino. The southern drawl on Saxton could make you weak in the knees, and he's an absolute sweetheart. Awesome tidbit, you get a playlist at the end and I immediately felt like I knew which song covered each situation. Absolute perfection!
Profile Image for Sophie Koufes.
1,992 reviews26 followers
March 31, 2019
Audiobook Review:
What Would It Take begins with a intense prologue, fast forward to the present ten years later where mystery girl and high school football quarterback crush meet again. Saxton Crawford & Sailor's character's are scripted in a way that amplifies their personalities. Supporting character's accentuated the narative. A sweet love romance with suspense seeping through the pages of the narrative. With a cutesy epilogue ending.
I hoping I will get a chance to listen to the other books coming in this series.

Narator Sarah Sampino's performance was impeccable. Each character is given a distinct voice and easily recognizable. Her alternating male & female voices are some of the best I ever listened to. Her rendition brought the character's personalites out.
She has the ability to switch characters effortlessly while keeping the flow of the story moving along smoothly and adds the right dose of melodramatic panache to amplify the narrative.
1,641 reviews6 followers
April 10, 2019
Sailor and Saxtons story is one of full of love with very loyal and fiercely protective friends. Saxton is back in his hometown and once he sees Sailor he knows shes his mystery girl that he kept waiting and hoping to finally see again. They had only meet once but this time hes not letting her go. Of course there are some threats that they are working on to get rid of. I seriously love how he was patient and willing and did give her the space she needed to come to terms with everything and be by her side when she needed it the most. He will do everything in his power to make she shes safe and love her with everything hes got. I laughed and about cried at times with these two. My heart went out to both of them and I honestly couldnt get enough of them.
Profile Image for Brianna Belbin.
478 reviews16 followers
April 26, 2019
This book drew me in from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down!Sarah did a great job narrating and the flow of her voice between characters throughout the story is smooth. She did a great job at giving personality to each character, but she really brought Sailor to life! Sailor’s character is relatable and likable and I loved Harley’s protectiveness for her. I loved the sweet (and hot) moments between Sailor and Saxton and then there are definitely hard moments for Sailor that make you feel so bad for her and make you want to hurt Andrea. The story was really good overall with a sweet ending and I definitely want to read more by EL DuBois!
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Profile Image for bluepits73.
323 reviews
June 3, 2019
I listened to the audiobook version of this book.

This is a mixture between a second chance romance and a sports romance. The author does a great job giving us an excellent love story with a healthy dose of drama in a shorter package. I thought it was absolutely adorable and well written. Loved the characters and how the author makes their paths cross to spark their second chance at love.

The narration is simply perfect for Saylor and Saxton's relationship. There is just enough emphasis in dramatic moments and variation between character voices. Excellent performance of this adorable romance!
Profile Image for Pauline.
956 reviews
April 3, 2019
This is by first book by Ms DuBois and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sailor and Saxton are at the same high school and one day Sailor looks at Saxton, his girlfriend spots Sailor looking and makes it her personal mission to make Sailor's life a nightmare. Fast forward ten years, Sailor is a successful PR manager for a football team and they have just drafted a new quarterback. Sailor has to overcome her fear of the past and old wounds, both metaphorically and physically, that threaten to derail any relationship. Great quick read.
Profile Image for Lauren.
490 reviews3 followers
April 24, 2019
Sailor spent her high school years being bullied by the mean girl, trying to get through each day hoping to go unnoticed. Saxton is the popular quarterback, who's dating the mean girl. When a run-in the halls of the school draws Saxton's attention to Sailor, she can't get out of there fast enough. 10 years later, he's back as her client.

This is the first book I've listened to by this author and narrator. This is a second chance of sorts, he didn't know of her in high school, of course she knew who he was. I think this book length fell somewhere between novel and novella. The story was cute, having been an outcast in high school these types of stories always feel like a little bit of catharsis. I enjoyed the narrator, she did a good job, a couple of times I was confused as to which character was speaking, but generally it was good. The story felt rushed, or like there was too much crazy fit into too little time. Overall, it's a good quick read (or listen).
440 reviews7 followers
October 13, 2019
What Would It Take by EL DuBois was a sweet fairy tale-like romance. It was a very enjoyable story with its ups and downs. I liked the writing, the characters, the whole concept was really sweet. A classic ugly duckling type love conquers it all HEA love story. I loved the epilogue and the playlist at the end too.

I enjoyed Sarah Sampino's narration, she did a great job with this audio. I liked the pace and the voices she used. The quality of the recording was good too.

Story: 5 stars
Narration: 5 stars

🎧AudiobookObsessionReviewer
Profile Image for Cara.
92 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2019
This was my first book by EL DuBois, but she's now on my follow list!

This wicked cute story about Sailor and Saxton, who met in high school, but don't see each other again until 10 years later will not only have you swooning over their story, but laughing out loud! All the characters, from Sailor and Saxton, to all the supporting cast are well written and add so much to the development of the story.

Make sure to grab the audio, because Sara Sampino did an incredible job!
Profile Image for Ginger.
1,160 reviews8 followers
April 4, 2019
I was gifted this audible book by E L Dubois and narrator Sarah Sampino for a fair and honest review. It was first by this author and narrator and hope it’s not my last.
It deals with bullying a subject that is all to prevalent in our society today.
Sailor Clayton knows all about bullies, as a teen she was bullied, for looking at the wrong guy, and then again as an adult, same guy, same bully. This is Sailors story it is both compelling and admirable, her stand against a bully.
Profile Image for Shayay.
2,768 reviews55 followers
April 20, 2019
Short and sweet story, and I liked the chemistry between the characters. I listened to the audio and the narration was great. The narrator had a fun twang to her voice that wasn’t over the top. This story takes place in Texas, so the narrator could’ve gone too far, but she did good not doing that. I liked the chemistry between Sailor and Saxton; although she is rude to him in the beginning, they have some hot chemistry. Saxton is wonderful and I love that he knows what he wants and goes for it. Sailor is a strong woman and it’s great how supportive she is for Saxton; I do wish she held her own a bit more against Saxton’s psycho stalker, but overall, she’s a tough cookie. Entertaining till the end and fun!
Profile Image for  Nancy.
1,284 reviews8 followers
April 25, 2019
This was the perfect little gem of a book to listen in the car to on a long drive over the Easter holiday. A feel-good romance, with a snapshot in high school and then 10 years later these two characters get a second chance.
With a couple of villains, a trio of girls at her back, this mystery girl Sailor fights her feelings but Saxton is larger than life and so determined.
If you like your romance with a side of football, this is the book for you.
I enjoyed the narration as well as the storyline. Will look for more by this author and narrator too!
Profile Image for Jutta.
445 reviews6 followers
May 6, 2019
I enjoyed this so very much. Sarah Sampino does a brilliant job with the narration.So much so I just got lost in the story but still knowing who was who. Fabulous presentation of the book.

The story is great. I loved the setting and the characters. The main characters are really good, I really felt for them and what was happening. The support characters are really good and back the main characters brilliantly. The twists worked well and I was sad when it ended, I wanted more!
Profile Image for Jocelyne.
4,833 reviews21 followers
March 31, 2019
This was my first El DuBois's book, and won't be the last. Saxton and Sailor's sweet short story has it all! Funny, Suspenseful, Romantic, and True Love. Sarah Sampino did an amazing job with the narration, with a great quality audio. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and I totally recommend it.
Profile Image for Brooke.
1,379 reviews6 followers
March 31, 2019
Such a fantastic book for the length that it is. You have fear, strength, love, guilt and revenge all in such a small package. A book that is definitely worth the listen.
The narration in this book was great! Being somewhat new to Sarah Sampino, I am amazed at how well she does the male voice and the fact that every character has just enough of a change that you always know who is speaking.
Profile Image for Melanie I..
22 reviews
February 17, 2019
I absolutely adored this quick read from EL Dubois! Sailor is a sweet, strong and sassy heroine who is confronted with welcome (eventually) and not-so-welcome faces from the past. Football star Sax is the perfect alpha - sweet and overbearing. HAH! I enjoyed the pace of the book and really appreciated how the author didn't dawdle on inane details while continuing Sailor's and Sax's story. Five star read ***** I can't wait to read more about the other characters in this story and from Ms.DuBois! I feel like this going to be a great series!
Profile Image for A.L. Norton.
Author 33 books119 followers
March 4, 2019
I have read all of E. L. Dubois books. This book was amazing, and shall I say...HOT! I really want a Saxton! But I am sure that every woman that reads this book is going to want a Saxton too! Loved it!
Profile Image for Kim Lewandowski.
111 reviews3 followers
April 4, 2019
An all around great story of overcoming obstacles and love. It has class and is not R rated. Kept nice and clean. I loved the storyline. And this is coming from someone that rarely reads romance.

The narration was excellent. Character voices was separate and distinguishable. All on all, a very good audiobook!
998 reviews9 followers
November 19, 2019
I listened to the audible version. This was my first book by E.L. Dubois but I would like to read more. Generally, shorter books make me feel like something had to be sacrificed to fit in the shorter length, but I didn't feel that way with this one. I liked the characters and the story. I appreciated that it wasn't full of misunderstandings and on/off relationship drama (maybe that's why it was shorter!). In any case, I wanted to keep listening. Sarah Sampino did a great job as narrator.

#AudiobookObsession
Profile Image for BookishStacy.
806 reviews55 followers
April 2, 2019
*audiobook review*
This was pretty good. I enjoyed the story but feel like it wasn't long enough to really get me attached to the characters. Great narration!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.