Jory Morin is a little…weird. And Meredith Roberts is not. She likes her life and everything in it to be clean, neat, and orderly. And it was, until her father took the position as head coach of the Woodsmen football team, uprooted their small family, and moved them to Michigan. Now she's living in a place where she has no job, no college, and no friends. Awesome. That’s how things are going, anyway, until she meets Jory Morin. He’s a giant of a guy who plays for her dad, and Meredith can’t figure him out—the way he shows up at her house uninvited, his wild hair and beard, his RV full of concrete animal statues and cat food. And he doesn’t have a cat. Yeah, a little…weird. And then there’s the thing about him fighting, in trouble with his team, and making her wonder if the violent way he plays football is just who he is. Should she even be with him? But there is more to Jory, as Meredith finds out. He has a heart that’s bigger than his old truck, and a brain that may not go in the same direction as hers, but it’s always going. In fact, Meredith will need to work keep up with him. Jory also has work to do to, to break down the defenses that she has built up to protect herself from the hurt in her past. It won’t be easy to figure each other out, but together, they may have created an unstoppable rush!
If you thought Aiden from The Wall of Winnipeg and me was weird, well… think again my ladies. This also is a slowburn so beautiful that I didn’t want it to end.
Jory was awkward in such good way, so cute I could die.
But two things bothered me when reading this:
☝🏻- I read the book as if she was 16 instead of 21, she was so uptight and obsessed with the cleaning. But mostly I felt her like a stressed teenager instead of acting her age.
✌🏻 - The author hasn’t explained why he had animal statues in his RV and it’s driving me crazy.
Did I say I love Jory? Because I do. So much. And Jaime Bennett might be my new obsession 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you Raviolee for thinking of me when you read this one and supporting me through my excitement at night 🤣
A slow burn story with a couple of nice characters, sweet romance and minimal angst. It may sound boring for some, but the heroine's voice and sense of humor combined with the oddball romance really worked for me. It was a nice change from the cookie cutter, sex fests with heroines that cave at the least smirk from a cheating jackass. A lot of readers will hate it for that alone.
Heroine is the best big sister to a grumpy teen brother (is there any other kind). The two are saddled with two disinterested parents that are pretty much off page. There is a sad back story that drives the issue that could have been clearer, but the author keeps it to a minimum.
There is an ongoing joke with a wannabe journalist that pops up in unexpected places that is pretty amusing.
Not sure why I liked the book so much, but it was a relief reading about two slightly quirky characters in a romance. Some things were incomplete like the H's brother and family, but ah well.
I feel this book was really disrespectful with the "unique" characterization of Jory, yes, maybe his mannerism are written right, but I didn't like how everyone and their mother, INCLUDING THE LOVE INTEREST, treated him.
If I could give this five more stars, I would. It’s everything a sports romance with a slow burn should be. The hero is so wonderfully weird. Loved it and was super sad when it ended.
If you’re someone who wishes that Mariana Zapata’s books were better edited and about 60% shorter, this is for you!
Oh boy. I think this is definitely one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” situations, because going by all the raving reviews, I should’ve loved the shit out of this story...but I just didn’t.
I was so confused most of the way through. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a Rom-Com (if it was then I totally missed the jokes) or if the H (Jory Morin) was actually on the Autistic spectrum. His behaviour was simply bizarre, and because I struggled to figure him out, I felt that this was a barrier towards me trying to connect with him.
I felt zero connection between Jory and Meredith (Morgan, Molly, Mandy...or whatever the H decided to call her - I think that’s one of those jokes that fell a little flat for me) Even their very first sex scene towards the end of the book felt really awkward and not at all enjoyable.
I’m clearly in the minority with this one, and that’s okay. I truly think I could’ve enjoyed it more had I been able to connect with Jory and felt that their relationship was more believable.
I absolutely LOVED this book! I was surprised by just how hilarious it was! There’s so much humour and heart to this book. The situational humour is quite possibly some of the best that I’ve read and the author does not shy away from those second-hand embarrassment inducing, cringey scenes. I just ate them all up! There are also some very sweet and sad scenes, particularly when Meredith is dealing with a tragedy from her past, which all just perfectly topped off an already perfect book. Bah! So good.
Aww.. I liked this one! It turned out to be a reread for me, and I was worried that I must not have liked it the first time since I didn’t remember it at all, but turns out, as soon as I started reading, I remembered it and enjoyed it.
Both MCs are quirky. The h is going through a hard time. The H is possessive/protective and a little bulldozery. 💕
There’s some lite angst but mostly it’s just a cute a read. I liked the slow burn and how the H knew exactly what he wanted and kept moving toward it while the h was pretty clueless about what was happening.
Bottom line? A fun read, it would have been 5-stars if there had been some drama and more angst. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama - the h thinks the H bails on her to party with his friends and she sees footage that shows women around, but the H doesn’t do anything and it’s cleared up very quickly.
- no OM drama - I wish there had been
- no dubcon
- condoms used - not really discussed but we know the h is on BC
- h is 20 yrs old and has had sex before (1 partner??) but has never climaxed
- the H is experienced and I can’t find his exact age, but I would assume mid-late 20s- early 30s since he’s a veteran on a professional football team
- limited talk of the death of a child (not the MCs)
So many reviews said this book: - is like Mariana Zapata's The Wall Of Winnipeg And Me, or other books from MZ, just shorter, -is slow burn, -is sweet. Sorry but this book was NOTHING like any book by MZ.
I felt next to nothing (besides disappointment). I didn't get any chemistry between the MC's. The secondary characters were OTT and one dimensional: h's dad - not interested in his children, demanding, uncaring, never at home. h's mom - same as dad just even less interested, an farer away (on another continent), and arrogant, too. h's date - stupid, mean.
The H was a messy pig (he cleaned his RV with a shovel to impress the h, had NEVER changed his bed linen and always wore dirty clothes until he changed to impress the h) and the h was some kind if saint without any comunication skills.
rounded up to 2 stars (because I think the author meant to write a book with a H on the autism spectrum and in that aspect she seemed to do a fairly good job)
This story is so cute! Low on drama, funny and entertaining!
Most of the time friends to lovers doesn’t work for me, but here it was a nice exception from the rule, probably because of a little slow burn ! The couple went from strangers to friends to lovers in a smooth and very natural way.
Enjoyed this well written low angst book. 1st POV. The hero was interesting. He was slightly odd and didn't think the way other people did. But he was thoughtful and sweet. I liked how he just decided on the heroine and just kept being there for her. He made changes to his odd life style because he wanted to be a better fit for her. Not that she asked him to. She was a nice girl trying to do her best in a dysfunctional family.
Good football feels.
I liked the way this author wrote. Low key but well thought out and well plotted. I will try more by her.
To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this book. I went in with low expectations just looking for a romantic sports book. This book was so CUTE though, I loved the characters so much and really enjoyed the author's writing. She didn't rush the story along, but instead let us get to know the characters and see cute changes. I loved Bren and Jory so much! I would of loved more of Jory family though, they seemed so cute. I can't wait to read more by this author!
This book was so easy to love, for me especially because I could never pass on a book with a giant hero who is all quiet and gruff and kick-ass heroine who takes no shit.
I think what I loved most about Jory and Meredith’s relationship was that theirs was so natural . There’s none of that insta-love bullshit—though you could argue Jory fell for her almost immediately—they started out as friends, and that friendship slowly lead to a romantic one. There was no declaration at first, everything just fell into places. It was beautiful.
And most importantly: their relationship was healthy! They didn’t have those clichè misunderstanding moments that could have been easily solved had they communicated.
Yes, they actually communicated, you guys.
I also could relate to Mer’s sense of responsibility for her brother. That feeling of when you want to protect someone, but you also don’t want to deprive them of making their own choice—I think the author illustrates it very well.
I loved this book, but I love all of Bennett's books so it almost seems pointless to review them anymore (but I will, because I'm not a quitter).
I liked Meredith from the start. She was sweet and caring, even though she was struggling to find a groove in Michigan. Jory was pretty much an insta-adore for me as well (once I got past his weirdness).
The way their relationship developed was at times hilarious, and the overall goofiness of Jory and his life was awesome.
The secondary characters were well written and believable and Jory's family was a joy. I'm also very hopeful that we will see more of Austin Dejong, not with his own book, but with cameos as a wildlife guide or maybe a ladies shoe salesman at Nordstrom.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slow burn romance.
4 stars ✨ Amazing, sweet, and lovely. I enjoyed reading this book. I loved Jory's weirdness and Mer's obsession with bleach. It was drama-free with lots of nice characters and cute weird moments. I will definitely read more by Jamie Bennett.
So good! I was in love with Jory from the start. Meredith was relatable and I really enjoyed her as a main character. This was a healthy friends to lovers romance.
Jamie Bennett is a new author to me. Someone mentioned her in a book group on Facebook and said that this book was her favorite, so I looked it up and I was intrigued by the blurb. It wasn’t until later that I found out that it’s the sixth book in the Woodsmen football series, but it wasn’t a problem for me to read it out of order. The story can be read as a standalone. But now that I know the order, I’m going to start with the first book in the series. I really loved this story. It was just what I was looking for.
Meredith is 20 years old, she just moved to Michigan with her younger brother Brendan (14 years old) and her father. Her father has a new job as the head coach of the Woodsmen football team. It’s hard for both Meredith and Brendan to leave their lives, friends, school and hobbies in sunny California. Like a typical teenager, Brendan is acting very moody, angry and depressed. Meredith may be older but she too is struggling to adjust to a new college, home and city. But she’s trying in her own way. Everything changes when Meredith meets Jori, one of the Woodsmen football players. Jori is big, hairy and acts very strangely. But he’s exactly what Meredith and Brendan need, a good friend who does things differently and they don’t always make sense but are made with the best intentions. Meredith and Jori are slowly develop feelings for each other, but their childhood have left scars on both of them. Can they overcome them and start a new life together?
The story is told from Meredith’s POV. It’s a slow burn story. The story kept my attention from the first page until the last. Both Meredith and Jori aren’t perfect. Meredith acts a bit snobbish in the beginning and Jori was like a neanderthal. But it was fascinating to see how they both changed during the story. They were both opposites in many ways. Meredith was obsessed with cleaning and having control over everything. And Jori had no problem with walking around in dirty clothes, his old truck was dirty inside and out and his RV was just a mess. But slowly the influence of both of them reflected on the other. Jori became more sensitive to his surroundings and acted less rude when interacting with other people and Meredith became a bit more loose and social. They were both were good for each other. The story was written fluent and there a few scenes that made me laugh. Like the interaction between Jori and Meredith. There were also a few emotional moments in the story. I really enjoyed the epilogue, it gave us a glimpse into their future. There was sex in the story but not a lot.
The secondary characters were great too, there was Jori’s family and his friends of the football team. They were some special characters. And then you had Meredith’s younger brother Brendan. Meredith loved him very much. She took care of him like a mother for many years. Because their parents were more focused on their careers than raising their children. This caused a lot of sadness, frustration and pain for Meredith.
This story was sports romance story. It had the perfect balance between the romance and the sports for me. There were a few games Meredith went to and talked about it but it wasn’t a story filled with a lot of football talk.
I’m very happy that I decided to try this new author and book and I will definitely read more books of her.
If you want a book with lots of steam, it is not this coz it’s really slow burn. There is one or two sex scenes at the end, but they aren't very explicit.
But if you're looking for a novel with heart, romance, endearing characters, witty dialogue, and humorous situations without being slapsticky (I know that's not a word, but maybe you’ll know what I meant 😅 ), look no further. The hero also deserves his own star because he is so protective of the heroine, providing for her needs and solving issues without her asking. Jory is now a new member of my personal boyfriend hall of fame and I love him to pieces. I’m obsessed with Jory and I want to hug and squeeze him and watch him demolish food. I love the heroine too and they’re perfect for each other.
I love Jory’s play on Meredith’s name, so funny. I finished this with a smile on my face but I was sad too coz I had to say goodbye to them, and I don’t wanna!!
P/s I can’t believe I haven’t read this author before but I’m gonna start checking out her backlist! Also whenever I read the title, it keeps reminding me of the song rush rush by Paula Abdul 😂, I know, I know the book title is a football term and it’s totally unrelated but I love the song and Keanu Reeves is so yummy in the video.
P.P/s I love their meet cute. Very erm original 🤣 and funny.
no cuz this was so cute. jory was reallll mf quirky. i’m talkin borderline insane. in a fun way though. him being actually filthy was kinda uncomf sometimes though. like i just know his toe nails be long af….
i felt like lowkey their relationship moved fast af??? but also labels weren’t put on it for a long time. and there was only one spice scene :( barely spicy too. but i liked it anyways lolz.
recommend for a cute quick coaches-daughter sports romance 😻😻😻🫣
Nicely written N/A football romance, but I don't think I was the target age audience. Plus, I'm not American, so some of the football stuff zoned me out. Sorry.
I absolutely loved this book!! Jory is such a surprising and cute character. Also, love Meredith. She’s a badass and didn’t annoy me at all. Something a lot of heroines do. Especially 20 year old. But she’s amazing
I didn't know what to make of Jory. He's very quirky, his hygiene notwithstanding. However, Meredith has her own weird obsessing with her brother (very good but unhealthy nonetheless) and cleanliness. Together they shouldn't find their attraction but Jory, in his odd communicative ways works to win Meredith over by showing up for meals. He really listens when she speaks so I know we have a winner, even if he's really literal. It could of been a bit more fun of his teammates and parents sharing his antics. I don't think we needed his brother in the story... didn't seem to serve much purpose as it never developed into much. Jory was already exposed as a caring family member with family dinners.
It's pretty fun between the two of them. There is a lot of growth in both their lives in this story. There is a little bit of football and a few intimate scenes. I think that the reveal that Jory was a one night stage guy towards the end threw me. It would of been one night if they ended up at his RV. gross!!! I just hadn't thought about him that way after Meredith was so repelled by his truck, Rv, hair. However, " clete chasers " apparently don't care. WOW. Meredith shows us that Jory is a diamond in the rough. His family also loves him just the way he is! Nice.
I can never get enough of northern Michigan....I'm on sunrise side though. Really think it would be fun to have a football team up here!!
My favorite of all of Jamie Bennett’s books. It’s funny and sweet with no loose ends left at the end, and the characters are well-developed and real. I liked both main characters, especially Jory who is different from most heroes, and reminds me of guys I grew up with in rural Indiana. The last chapter made me smile so big. I’ll be reading this book again.