I’ve been called football royalty my entire life. Born into a family that has experienced the highs and lows of the game. Constantly surrounded by football players and coaches. Now I’m following my father across the country for yet another team. I’m supposed to be spending this year finding myself, but can I do that with Brady by my side, or is he just another player?
Natalie Sinclair came into my world and changed my life.
Her father was the new professional coach in town, and her twin brother played on my team. This tiny dancer fit into our circle of friends like she was the missing piece. Neither of us might have been looking for something serious, but that changed the day we met. Now nothing can keep her from me. Not her twin brother. Not the threats of a jealous ex. Not even myself. Now I just need to convince her.
Meh. I’m too old for this I fear. I can’t take 18 year olds declaring lifelong commitments to someone five minutes after meeting someone seriously nor can I do anything but roll my eyes when they call their parents in to clear up the mess they make. Imagine that.
Complete story. Available on ku. Not my thing but others have enjoyed it so what do I know.
All In is Bella Matthews debut novel but reading this story you would never guess it. With a brothers-best-friend trope, an amazing cast of characters, and a romantic hero not afraid to show his feelings, this is a book that will draw you in and make you fall in love.
Natalie and Brady had an instant connection and there was no fighting it once the chemistry was sparked between them. I loved seeing them together and how easy they fell for one another. There was drama and some angst thrown into the mix but their relationship was solid from the start and I actually really liked that for them. It showed how strong they were together to see how they handled the drama together and didn't let it separate them.
I will say that the ending felt a little rushed and I got the feeling that some things were thrown in as a shock factor or to add some suspense when it really wasn't needed in my opinion. But even not needed I can't lie and say that it didn't make my heart pound to read the ending and try to figure out how the book would end.
There are so many side characters that interested me while reading this book and now I am dying to get more from this author. This book is definitely a recommended read and I think anyone that gives it a try will enjoy it and fall for these characters like I did.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
I skimmed and skipped until I finally couldn’t take anymore when the male lead says that the female lead is the kind of girl you take home to your mom not the girl who sucks your ——- “and throw away”. WOW! Just WOW! This is supposed to be a high school romance. How disappointing that anyone would be writing as a romance whether high school or adult that boys will be boys, girls who like sex are to be shamed, left behind, not worthy of love or time or respect or to meet your mom…thrown away. Jesus Christ! This is written by a woman! She’s written male high school characters who are having promiscuous sex and threesomes which means the female characters they are having this with are being written as losers. It’s so sexist and degrading. Is Bella Matthews proud of this narrative? When you have a platform such as this you need to do better to create positive characters that respect themselves and others. I don’t care about them having sex but it’s the double standard that I can’t take. Authors, ESPECIALLY female authors should be empowering their female characters because this then empowers her readers. SMDH! Bella Matthews DO BETTER!
5 ‘QB & Pixie’ Stars⭐ All In is Bella Matthews debut novel but reading this story One would never guess it. With a Smooth going Plot, brother's-best-friend trope, Lovable characters, Laughs, Beautiful Friendships AND Drama+Angst Thrown in for fun, This story will Draw you in! I DEVOURED this in 7hrs.
Brady Ryan, our Hero, is Romantic, Protective, thoughtful & Not afraid to show his feelings! He's a great Quarterback & Team captain. Natalie Sinclair, Our Heroine, is Strong, Independent & Kickass! Here, She finds the passion in her talent again.
The story starts with Brady meeting Natalie. They both have this Crazy pull but knowing She's Off-limits, as her twin Brother Cooper is Brady's Football Teammate & Her dad's his Coach, Brady tries to fight it. But it's HARD. ~Pool Party, Making friends, Fun!
Then we've the Beach Trip where So much Happens!! ~Friends & Relaxing.. But Danger *Oh shit!* & Fights Too. It's also here Brady Chooses to Let go of What ifs & Go after what he wants: Her. (Even Cooper Can't Fault Brady as C knows He's a good guy!) ❤If Nat's Ready, Brady's Hers.
Afterwards, Nat & Brady's relationship Steadily Grows! I loved how Solid it is, Even through the troubles that come, And how easily they fell for Eachother. The Sinclairs are new in Town, but I liked how Brady's Friends accept them in fast❤. (B's Sis Chloe's Amazing!) ~School's Good & The Game Day's Awesome! "That’s when it clicks. At that moment, with my name on her back, I decide she is going to be the girl that wears my jersey for the rest of her life." ~Brady
The Steam level grows from a few kisses to Fiery here! ~Party, Relationship Talk, Mean girls *So Problematic!*, Date.. Realisations, Handling it Together, Sexy times! When they finally give in, He's so understanding & She Giving Him her Firsts...I fell for'em even harder!
Then As Days pass, Their Connection & Feelings Grow. ~Game TV, Friends & Fun, Dad talks, Movies, Sweet times, Love Confessions *Aww, Swoon!!* "This girl is it for me. She’s everything. She’s the end game. I’m all in." ~Brady
But then at the next Game, we've got such a Shocker..Like *Holy Shit!!* Who's out for Revenge against the two? Why? ~Well, For some the ending maybe rushed, but it felt Great to me. *HEART-RACING SCENES!* I'm glad Brady & Nat are safe Now❤. Happy, Together, Forever. Cue HEA! The epilogue's Gorgeous and I'm so Excited For more books in this series! #GiveMeMurphy #IWantMore **ARC Received for a Honest Review.** FB Page | Instagram | Bookbub
All in for me is a bit different to the teen angst, drama lead high school book that ive read before. Although all the characters are teenagers the way that Ms Matthews has written them is with a degree of maturity.
Coming from a football family Natalie (FMC) moves across country to go to school with her brother - Cooper and stay with their Coach father. She seems to fit right into Cooper and his friends lives instantly. I loved the banter she has with all the guys (The pranks with Murphy had me cracking up). Which isnt difficult considering how warm and welcoming all of Coopers friends were. Like an extended family. Sparks fly with Coopers friend - Brady but they try not to act on their feelings on fear of upsetting Cooper or it interfering with Brady's focus on football. Family, Love as well a dark sub-story with Darby & Aria running along this one make for a cracking read. I just loved Natalie and Brady book. They both are great characters that its hard not too
A real touchdown…One hell of a touchdown, considering the fact that this is Bella Matthew’s debut novel. And if this is how she writes at the beginning of her career, I have to say that I am eager to find out what this gifted author will create once she becomes more experienced. The story of Brady and Natt is so dreamy – full of heart-melting moments, highly entertaining banter and explosive chemistry. I was nailed to the pages right from the first page and couldn’t put it down till the end. Just one look, one short look and the world stops to spin in that moment of magnetic pull. One look is enough to realize that she’s the one. The one who deserves everything, and more than that. She’s everything he want, everything he needs, and yet she’s the one off-limits. Will he be able to stay away or will he do anything to make her his…only his? If you have been reading my reviews, you probably realized that I’m not really a fan of YA romance books, but I decided to give it a chance and this one here really checked all the boxes. Greatly-written, perfectly paced for most of the book, though some parts seemed a bit rushed, especially the end. I believe that it deserves more elaborate and longer end. The characters were quite interesting and relatable. Brady- the hot quarterback, one of the kings if Croydon Hills Prep. A bit cocky, a bit presumptuous, yet so amazing and swoon-worthy. And a true match to the sassy and independent ballerina. And together, they are like a live wire, absolutely delicious. The secondary characters were greatly incorporated in the story, greatly-developed and totally interesting. All In by Bella Matthews is really a nice choice for all YA romance lovers. With a sweet and entertaining plot, brother's-best-friend trope, great characters, true friendships and enough drama and laugh out loud moments it will pull you in its world from the beginning to the end.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars! YA/ Sports romance. This was a good one, a nice break from all the bully romance that I horde on a daily basis. Great chemistry with these too, story was well developed. Loved it.
I just wanted an easy, short read before jumping into a longer fantasy and this satisfied it! I’m usually not the biggest fan of “insta love” but this one didn’t bother me too much. Brady is the star QB of his high school football team & then you have Natalie which is his best friend’s sister & coach’s daughter. So it gets a little messy with drama. Their chemistry was chef’s kiss❤️🔥 I’m anxious to keep reading more from this series!
Like watching a rose blossom, this is a beautiful story of friendship growing only to fully blossom into love.
Sweet, Romantic, Cute, Hot, Steamy, Hilarious, Cheesy, Emotional etc Everything you could’ve wanted and more!
I loved her strong, independent and fierce Natalie aka Nattie was! Especially after what she went through, I loved that she didn’t bring her down. And that she didn’t let it define her or stop her for continuing on with her life.
Brady Ryan was amazing for not only everything he did, but for making sure he did everything by the book. I loved that he thought of others, by putting aside his choices/decisions until he consulted those who might be affected.
Nattie and Brady were the perfect couple. Not just because they understood each other, but they always were willing to put others happiness before their own. And the way that they cared for their family and friends. They bought out the best in each other. And you could see whenever they were together, that they were meant for one another!
Loved all the secondary characters, I definitely can’t wait to read their stories. I am definitely excited about Murphy next. But it is Sebastian aka Bash whose story I can’t wait for. He was definitely an enigma to me, which had me wanting to know more about him.
This book definitely had some twists and surprises, which made the story even better. It had me gripped from the very start and not stopping till the very end. Though I was definitely sad when it ended, because I could’ve kept reading had it not ended.
The only issue I had was not knowing exactly what happened to Darby and Aria and getting my answer of why? Also, I will say the ending was kind of abrupt. I wish it was longer, just because I loved the story so much. So I didn’t expect it to end just like that, however I am glad for the epilogue because I got my closure at least for Nattie and Brady.
Seriously this book was amazing! Bella Matthew hit it out of the park with All In as a debut! I couldn’t have asked for anything better! This book had it all and I absolutely enjoyed reading it! I highly recommend! A definite MUST READ!!!
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Characters had no depth beyond physical attributes, both mmc and fmc fell in love in what, a week? There was no relationship development, one chapter the met and the next one they were envisioning a future with each other. I felt like I was reading a 2013 wattpad book were every girl was a slut or a whore for exception of the heroine and even though all the men in the book were described as ‘man sluts’ they were still applauded for it.
The most the H and h got to know each other was their favourite ice cream flavours.
The only ‘conflict’ that made their ‘relationship’ stronger was fixed by the hero saving her like a damsel in distress.
There were no female friendships in depth, all their problems were about boys, except for that one ‘conflict’ at the start.
Tiffany was a bitch and a slut, then she proved she was a REAL girl’s gal, yet all her character was ‘cooper’s fling’
Yup, I was disappointed and even more so when I saw that it was written in 2020. I’ve read better unedited fan fictions by 12 year olds.
Its my first off Bellas but it definitely won't be my last.
I lived and breathed through every page, captured from the start, the chemistry between Brady and nattie was palpable, it was insanely hot and I was glued to every word, I read it in one go because there was no way I was putting it down.
I love books like this, sports romance are one of my weaknesses, I loved all of the main characters that played throughout this books but some other not so much, I did want to throat punch a couple of them.
Cant wait for the next book and to find out what his story is all about.
From the moment they met Natalie Sinclair found a way into his heart and there was no way of evacuating her out of it. With her smart mouth, witty sense of humor, magnetic personality and captivating beauty Brady knew she was going to be trouble... the best kind of course. But she came with a forbidden label, being the sister of his teammate he knew she was supposed to be off limits, but he just couldn't keep his distance from her. He tried, and failed miserably!
From the first page All In will have you completely wrapped up in it's expertly penned words, and quickly falling for it's endearing cast of characters. From first glance it was easy to see that Natalie and Brady had something worth holding onto. There was this undeniable pull between them that had them constantly radiating around one another, and every time single time the sparks were flying. There was no denying their love connection, even if it was supposed to be forbidden. They knew what they were getting into though and they fought hard to hold onto what they had, and didn't let anything get in their way. I absolutely adored this pairing, their romance had a natural progression to it, minimal drama, and loads of sweet moments to swoon over... Brady was quite the charmer! I was surprised to learn that this was a debut novel for this author, her writing lead me to believe she was a seasoned author with many titles under her belt. I will say though that if that is any indication of what we can expect from her then I have no doubt that I will be back for more... I loved this book so much! Highly recommend this one, it's characters are bound to steal your attention and heart upon first meeting!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
Such a sweet Romance❤️❤️ I loved every single character straight from the beginning! The comeradery between the group is amazing. Honestly I’d have to Murphy has my heart!
I love how Brady is devoted to Nattie from the very first moment he meets her and that devotion and protection doesn’t waiver, even though he knows he shouldn’t want her since it’s best friends sister. Their relationship is so open and honest like a breath of fresh air.
Nattie is something else, she is so strong and independent, fun loving and so carefree with a bit of feistiness and let’s not forget smokin hot. Plus has that kill em with kindness attitude and that is exactly how she handles the drama that pops up!
I cannot wait for more in this series and to see what’s next to come for everyone!
Brady takes one look at his best friend/teammate's sister, Natalie, and he knows without a doubt he wants her. He also knows he can't have her. Why? Well, she's off limits, as Cooper has stated. She's football royalty in their town. And she's only 17. But can Brady keep his hands off her? That's a question he continually asks himself, along with why he can't stop thinking about her. He's supposed to be focusing on football, not on his best friend's sprite of a sister.
Natalie's finally living with her dad and twin brother and she's at a crossroads. Dancing no longer fulfills her. She doesn't even want it for her future any longer. She knows her dad is going to be upset, but she's going to live her life for her, not for her parents. Will her dad support her? What about her brother? Will Coop support her, or be disappointed like their dad? And what about her new attraction to his best friend? How will he react to that?
Sometimes New Adult/Young Adult fiction is too whiney and emo for my tastes, but All In is not like that. Sure, there's some angst, a little drama, but they behave like fairly mature, non-whiney teens, and don't act as if the world revolves around themselves solely. Natalie and Brady are both such great characters and once they get together, are even better. I loved them together and their story. The 4 stars rather than 5 is only because I felt the ending was a little incomplete and a tad rushed. Everything else is well-written and the characters are amazing, though. The secondary cast is just as interesting as Brady and Natalie and I can see a really entertaining series coming with all their stories.
ARC via Wildfire Marketing Solutions for an honest review.
I really wanted to fall head over heels in love with this group of friends. I had seen great reviews and had lots of recommendations for this series. Yet I didn’t feel the hype. Maybe it’s because I’m not a huge fan of friends to lovers stories, or because I felt bored about half way through. Whatever it was I felt impartial to the story and found my self skimming through parts.
The story starts with pretty quick instalove feelings from both Brady Ryan and Natalie Sinclair. One problem I had was that Brady is supposed to be a bit of a lad, he’s QB of the schools football team, had his fair share of girls and doesn’t have plans to settle down - that is until along comes Nattie. She changes his mind without actually doing anything, she’s just a pretty blonde, who apparently has a sarcastic mouth, though I didn’t witness it at any point. In fact what I did witness was a slow moving story that doesn’t go anywhere for a long time, and when it does eventually go somewhere, it’s really not worth the wait!! I mean the whole ending is a bit silly and because the book does very little to set the story up well it kind of falls flat and I had no feelings towards Darby or Aria. Whereas I should have felt something. Hate. Disgust. A-n-y-thing.
I’m sure someone out there will love it and I’ll probably continue the series at some point, but today is not that day.
Last week I actually found time to finally binge this series off kindle unlimited, and I have to tell you guys that I am now even more impressed with Bella Matthews than I ever was!
The timeline to these 4 stories overlaps yet you don’t feel like there is any repletion in any of the storyline. There are obviously some scenes that are repeated from one story to the next, but it’s smooth and easy. I read these back-to-back and I did not feel like I was reading something *again* at any point.
I'm making this review basically a summary of the series as a whole because I read them as one loooong read LOL and there are enough reviews out there for each book already. If I remember correctly all the books had some editing issues here and there and while I normally never even register these types of issues because I'm reading an ARC copy of a book, when I invest my hard earned money on a book, I never miss them LOL
All In was a well thought out plot that was realistic and relatable. Nothing that happened made me #twitchy and that is serious praise from me because this age group always makes me twitchy LOL Bella made great choices with story development, character growth and everything in between. I started my Bella Matthews journey backwards, but I am super glad I've caught up now and can't wait to devour more of her words in the future!
“All In”—Bella Matthews [5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️] This is the first book in the new Kings of Kroydon Hills series and I really loved this sweet snd sexy first love romance. Natalie Sinclair just moved back into town where her father is the new professional football coach and her twin brother is a top player on the high school football team. Football pretty much surrounds her life, but little does she know her world will be forever changed when she meets her brother’s friend, Brady Ryan, who is the quarterback and Captain of the team. When Brady meets Natalie for the first time, he knows she should be off limits, but he can’t help the crazy pull he has towards her, and he’s on a mission to make her his. I loved the whole dynamic of this story and the closeness of this group of friends as they make the most of their senior year. Brady was a total sweetheart and him and Natalie made the perfect pair; their chemistry and feelings for each other was off the charts! I can’t wait for future books in this series to hear more in depth of these other awesome characters we meet in this book! Make sure to grab a copy of this book when it’s released on November 24th! 👍🏼 Thank you to Bella Matthews for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review! 💕📚
I cannot believe this was a debut novel! What an outstanding read. It took me back. Omgosh I loved everything about Brady & Natalie, the secondary characters were incredible & the story was just what I needed.
Thank you to the author who reached out to me & asked me to read her book baby. I am SO happy you asked me when you did, I’m such a stingy reader, but I am so glad I picked this one up! And cannot wait to see what comes next!
If you’re looking for a classic brothers best friend, high school romance, jock & prude, you MUST read All In! Heart eyes all day for this book!
When I'm stressed and down in the dumps, I always seem to go straight to sports-related romances. Don't know what draws me -- they all seem to be cut from the same cloth -- but I do it anyway.
This series is an older one that I missed on the first go-round so I'm breezing through it now. I really like the characters and the plot is fun. Only complaint is that their behavior is well-beyond age appropriate for high schoolers.
Coming back to the beginning and reuniting with our OG couple — Natalie Sinclair and Brady Ryan — was absolutely amazing!
I’ve always loved a good brother’s best friend trope, especially when the brother can actually handle his best friend dating his sister.
I had such a great time not only getting to know this couple again, but also spending time with the whole friend group. They truly feel like one big family, and the connection between them is so strong — it gives us a much deeper insight into each character.
Brady is pure boyfriend material — I was on my knees for him! Beneath his quiet, shy exterior, there’s a deeply protective and genuinely sweet man who manages to charm not just Natalie, but every reader too.
Natalie was amazing as well. Her bond with her brother was hands-down one of my favorite aspects of the book. I also loved how she discovered her passion and naturally found her place within the friend group, forming new connections that felt real and meaningful.
In true Bella fashion, this story is super easy to read and completely addictive — I honestly couldn’t put it down. Everything about it was perfect, and knowing that this marks the beginning of one of my favorite book universes just warms my heart.
Listened to this for a quick refresh between other books and I enjoyed it! The narration was well done and I also enjoyed the story as well! It's a very sweet high school romance! Nattie and Brady are so perfect together and I love how they don't let anything around them feed negativity into their relationship (or at least not to any significant amount). Their relationship is so pure and has absolutely no toxic elements and I love that for them. They might only be 18, but Brady already has a dirty mouth and he definitely knows how to use it. That bit towards the end had me a little stressed and sad, but thank gosh it wrapped up with some happiness. The story line with Darby and Aria wrapped up very quick at the end and I despise them with a fiery passion so I hope to never see them again in the other books lol. I also loved all the side characters in their group and can't wait to read the rest of the series!
What to expect: -Best friend/teammate's sister -Football player MMC -Strong & sassy FMC -Found family -Instalove -Friends to lovers
If you are a fan of the best friend's sister/brother's best friend romance trope, you're sure to love this book by Bella Matthews. It's also a good sports romance, as the characters are pretty surrounded by football. It does take place in High school, so reader be warned that these are younger characters.
I like how solid the main friend group was in this story, but how openly they welcomed Cooper's sister into the mix. I was also impressed with how the author was able to write a character like Tiffany. I think us women will all recognize someone we know or knew who is a bit like her. The boys on the football team are all quirky and fun to get to know as well.
There is a trigger of some unwanted pressure in the sexual nature. Nothing too drastic happens, but the issue of consent is raised. I liked the tasteful and yet honest way the author was able to write this scene and how the women in the story were especially supportive and knew how to help and how to show the men how to help.
Knowing this is the first in a series has me eager to see how the rest of the series will go and what other characters will get paired off. I look forward to finding out.
Bella Matthews scores with this book about Natalie Sinclair and Brady Ryan. This book hit all the points I need in a high school romance. I sometimes shy away from books like these because honestly I am getting old. But I though the book was well written and well thought out. The characters in this book dealt with the typical high school mean girl/boy crap, but it was portrayed in a very realistic way. I loved the dynamic between the main and supporting characters and the set up to their books will be seamless. I thought the relationship between Brady and Nattie was well written, and I loved the fact that their “dark moment” wasn’t a break-up/time apart but outside forces working against them. The title of this book is a perfect way to describe because once Brady saw Natalie, he was All In...there was no questioning it. Which i really enjoyed. I can’t wait to read about the other Kings and what there is in store for them...especially Murphy and that little teaser we get at the end!!
I received an ARC in exchange of an unbiased and honest review.
Touchdown!! Bella just scored the game winner with this book! All In is the first book in the new series Kings of Kroydon Hills. This is Brady and Natalie's book.
Brady- is one of the kings of Kroydon Hills Prep. Football is his life! He's one of the best QB's in the country and football is his endgame. Who doesn't love a alpha male ;)?
In walks Natalie. She grew up around football. Her father and brothers all play. Its been her life for her entire life. She comes home from being away and immediately is introduced to the Kings.
Sports romances are one of my favorites. This book has everything. Its an incredible YA romance. This group of friends will have you laughing your butt off. But their loyalty and friendship to one another is what did it for me. Natalie and Brady will steal your hearts from the very first page as well as the rest of their crew. This is one book you wont want to put down. Im excited for more! Thank you Bella for this ARC copy of All In. This was one book I was excited to read and she did not disappoint!!
I received this free eARC novel from the author and Wildfire Marketing Solutions. This is my honest review.
From the very beginning, I was hooked in this book. I loved both Brady and Natalie's characters and how wholesome they are. I really loved that Natalie was brave enough to tell her dad that she wanted to change her future even though she knew he would take it badly.
But the part that I absolutely loved was that this is a best friend's sibling romance and there was NO DRAMA OR LYING OR SNEAKUNG AROUND!!! I think this might be the first book in this genre that hasn't done that, and I couldn't be happier!!
I know Murphys story is next, but I gotta say, I really want Sebastians story. He had really intrigued me and I need to find out more about him.
Really glad I read this and I'll be looking out for the next book in the series!