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Chesapeake Commanders #1
Fumbled
Hawk Florence has always been the football star, the guy that can make any girl fall in love with him- and then break their heart. And that’s exactly what he did to me way back in high school. Now I’ve been assigned to do a puff piece on him for a national sports journal, and I’m more than ready to get my revenge.
The plan is simple. First, sit him down and flatter the shit out of him. Laugh at his crappy jokes. Touch his arm, let it linger. When he asks me out, I’ll flutter my eyelashes and shyly accept. Then, make him fall in love. And devour him. I’m ready. I won’t fail. But there’s one thing that I didn’t plan for: he doesn’t ask me out. Instead, he calls me out on my BS. He’s not wrong, but that’s just one of the ways that my plan has already gone terribly wrong before it even begins.
When he does finally ask me out, it isn’t much of a date. Instead, it’s a few agonizing hours of going back and forth about why we hate each other. But there is one interesting thing that came out of our brief time together: the bet that Hawk makes with me- that he will make me fall in love in 3 weeks, in love for real. If he fails, he’ll give me every exclusive for the season. Of course, I accept. Why wouldn’t I? This will help my career, and it’s not like he has a prayer anyway. This jerk broke my heart in high school, and there’s no way that I will fall for the same trick twice. Or will I?
All bets are off when it comes to the heart. Fumbled is a standalone sports romcom that will make you wonder what to do when love- and football- gives you a second chance….
Other books in the series (so far):
Sacked- Chase’s book
Tackled- Bam’s book
Huddled- Ollie’s book
The plan is simple. First, sit him down and flatter the shit out of him. Laugh at his crappy jokes. Touch his arm, let it linger. When he asks me out, I’ll flutter my eyelashes and shyly accept. Then, make him fall in love. And devour him. I’m ready. I won’t fail. But there’s one thing that I didn’t plan for: he doesn’t ask me out. Instead, he calls me out on my BS. He’s not wrong, but that’s just one of the ways that my plan has already gone terribly wrong before it even begins.
When he does finally ask me out, it isn’t much of a date. Instead, it’s a few agonizing hours of going back and forth about why we hate each other. But there is one interesting thing that came out of our brief time together: the bet that Hawk makes with me- that he will make me fall in love in 3 weeks, in love for real. If he fails, he’ll give me every exclusive for the season. Of course, I accept. Why wouldn’t I? This will help my career, and it’s not like he has a prayer anyway. This jerk broke my heart in high school, and there’s no way that I will fall for the same trick twice. Or will I?
All bets are off when it comes to the heart. Fumbled is a standalone sports romcom that will make you wonder what to do when love- and football- gives you a second chance….
Other books in the series (so far):
Sacked- Chase’s book
Tackled- Bam’s book
Huddled- Ollie’s book
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2022
68 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Lizzi Stone
9 books21 followersLizzi Stone is the pen name for two USA Today Bestselling authors who love sports, sexy men, strong women and coffee, lots and lots of coffee! For giveaways, new releases and deals follow Lizzi on Facebook @lizzistoneauthor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
January 15, 2022
Oh boy...ok...where to start? This book had so much promise. As a fan of the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope and sports romances, this should have been a slam dunk for me. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it.
The writing was not great, both in style and in grammar/spelling. It became confusing to read at times because of this. Usually, I don't ever harp on grammar and spelling, like, sh*t happens, I get it. But this was EXCESSIVE!
I also felt the characters didn't have much personality or much chemistry. Instalove in books is a lot like gluten-free food: when it's done well it's delicious; when it's done horribly, it's just corny and weird. The instalove in this book was so surface-level (and that's saying something for instalove). It was not believable and not engaging.
I'm giving 2 stars because there was a lot of promise and I like worlds created that have the potential for spinoffs. Hoping this duo was just getting past their awkward phase with this novel and the next will be better.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.
The writing was not great, both in style and in grammar/spelling. It became confusing to read at times because of this. Usually, I don't ever harp on grammar and spelling, like, sh*t happens, I get it. But this was EXCESSIVE!
I also felt the characters didn't have much personality or much chemistry. Instalove in books is a lot like gluten-free food: when it's done well it's delicious; when it's done horribly, it's just corny and weird. The instalove in this book was so surface-level (and that's saying something for instalove). It was not believable and not engaging.
I'm giving 2 stars because there was a lot of promise and I like worlds created that have the potential for spinoffs. Hoping this duo was just getting past their awkward phase with this novel and the next will be better.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.
January 9, 2022
**Many thanks to NetGalley, Dragon Realm Press and the authors for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review**
Becca was Conrad's tutor and friend in high school, until he broke her heart. Years later he's a star quarterback and she's a reporter that plans to give him a dose of his own medicine.
I really liked the multiple point of view writing and the banter between Conrad (Hawk) and his teammates. Conrad is just a big ole teddy bear that felt he had to play the dumb jock jerk.
Can Becca see that he really is a good guy underneath?
This quick story is kind of a friends to enemies-ish to lovers and kind of an insta-love. I did not feel it was a true rom-com as stated in the description.
I will probably read the rest of the series since we got a sneak peak of the other characters personalities, so I'd like to see how their lives play out.
Becca was Conrad's tutor and friend in high school, until he broke her heart. Years later he's a star quarterback and she's a reporter that plans to give him a dose of his own medicine.
I really liked the multiple point of view writing and the banter between Conrad (Hawk) and his teammates. Conrad is just a big ole teddy bear that felt he had to play the dumb jock jerk.
Can Becca see that he really is a good guy underneath?
This quick story is kind of a friends to enemies-ish to lovers and kind of an insta-love. I did not feel it was a true rom-com as stated in the description.
I will probably read the rest of the series since we got a sneak peak of the other characters personalities, so I'd like to see how their lives play out.
January 18, 2022
“No strings."
"Said the spider to the fly," Bam quoted.
"I'm big, but I don't have eight appendages," I said. I shifted my feet and gave Bam a smug smile.
"Just eight brain cells," Bam teased.”
So, I’m well aware that this book was written by two USA Today best selling authors, that apparently already write about sports romance.
I was expecting more. Way more, from these two…
By the way, who are the authors? Does anyone knows??
My first beef with this book was the spelling and grammar… OMG, it was terrible. And I do mean “having to re-read the sentence three times to try and make sense of it” bad.
Their writing style also wasn’t something to swoon about. It was pretty basic and fastidious at times.
“his chocolate brown ones”
…
“blue eyes almost the exact same shade as Hawk's”
Then there’s the fact that some characters traits change mid book…
This book is in dire need of proof reading.
“Avengers underwear."
He glanced down and gave me a boyish grin. "A guy never knows when his… Iron Man might need to come out."
I choked back a laugh. "Is that what they're calling them these days?"
"That or Thor's hammer.”
The heroine was incredibly petty and childish in the beginning of the book. Using her work as a means to get revenge on something Hawk had done to her seven years ago…
That’s professional!
And then when it didn’t work she got bitchy about it…
“Before her, I would have called myself a piece of driftwood. Now, I was done drifting. I was home.”
I did like the humor in this book tho.
Hawk was kind and funny and I liked him as a hero.
The epilogue was super rushed. I mean it was half a page…
It’s even hurting me to write a review this bad, but it almost seems like the authors each wrote some parts and they just threw it together without much thought or care for if it made sense.
"Said the spider to the fly," Bam quoted.
"I'm big, but I don't have eight appendages," I said. I shifted my feet and gave Bam a smug smile.
"Just eight brain cells," Bam teased.”
So, I’m well aware that this book was written by two USA Today best selling authors, that apparently already write about sports romance.
I was expecting more. Way more, from these two…
By the way, who are the authors? Does anyone knows??
My first beef with this book was the spelling and grammar… OMG, it was terrible. And I do mean “having to re-read the sentence three times to try and make sense of it” bad.
Their writing style also wasn’t something to swoon about. It was pretty basic and fastidious at times.
“his chocolate brown ones”
…
“blue eyes almost the exact same shade as Hawk's”
Then there’s the fact that some characters traits change mid book…
This book is in dire need of proof reading.
“Avengers underwear."
He glanced down and gave me a boyish grin. "A guy never knows when his… Iron Man might need to come out."
I choked back a laugh. "Is that what they're calling them these days?"
"That or Thor's hammer.”
The heroine was incredibly petty and childish in the beginning of the book. Using her work as a means to get revenge on something Hawk had done to her seven years ago…
That’s professional!
And then when it didn’t work she got bitchy about it…
“Before her, I would have called myself a piece of driftwood. Now, I was done drifting. I was home.”
I did like the humor in this book tho.
Hawk was kind and funny and I liked him as a hero.
The epilogue was super rushed. I mean it was half a page…
It’s even hurting me to write a review this bad, but it almost seems like the authors each wrote some parts and they just threw it together without much thought or care for if it made sense.
June 21, 2022
2 stars ⭐️
This book could’ve been so good, but, unfortunately, it fucking wasn’t.
I felt so much second-hand embarrassment while reading it because of… honestly? EVERYTHING, or, at least, most things, idk, I might just be exaggerating a little (I probably am), but that’s beside the point.
The book had way too many typos for me to let it pass ‘cause I think we all know that there can a few that go unproved and that’s ok but NO, it was like the book wasn’t even edited.
Also, I just felt like the book didn’t make any sense and that the plot was just a bunch of random scenes the author put together that did not connect with each other whatsoever.
This book could’ve been so good, but, unfortunately, it fucking wasn’t.
I felt so much second-hand embarrassment while reading it because of… honestly? EVERYTHING, or, at least, most things, idk, I might just be exaggerating a little (I probably am), but that’s beside the point.
The book had way too many typos for me to let it pass ‘cause I think we all know that there can a few that go unproved and that’s ok but NO, it was like the book wasn’t even edited.
Also, I just felt like the book didn’t make any sense and that the plot was just a bunch of random scenes the author put together that did not connect with each other whatsoever.
June 26, 2023
I wasn't the biggest fan of this football romance. I felt like everything was rushed and It made it hard to believe that the characters were falling for each other. I wish we got more moments between Hawk and Becca that showed them falling for each other. It all seemed like insta love to me. I also just wasn't the biggest fan of the conflict in this. I thought it was weak and it could've been more flushed out and expanded on.
January 31, 2023
2.5 stars
January 10, 2022
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.5
STEAM: 🔥🔥
The premise of the book had appeal: Journalist used to be a high school nerd who formed a friendship with the quarterback only to be scorned when she asks him to a dance. Now she can get him back by pretending to be a complete stranger and make HIM fall in love with her and ask her out.
Except that Conrad "Hawk" Florence does remember Becca. Not only does he call her out for trying to get him back, he eventually turns it around into a bet that he will get her to fall in love with him in 3 weeks. Will Becca make the same mistake of opening her heart to Hawk?
The premise of the book was cute. I am always a sucker for second chance enemies-to-lovers, especially if there is a possible redemption arc involved.
However, while the premise of the book had appeal, the character development was off for me. I could not connect with Hawk and Becca. In fact, I was more drawn to Hawk's cousin Vera, her husband John, and their five(!) kids. Penny pretty much stole the show when she was present.
While I did find some of Hawk and Becca's banter amusing, I found that they sometimes dragged on with little progression in the story. Even Hawk's exchanges with his teammates, which is supposed to reveal his inner thoughts about Rebecca, dragged on.
I did like Hawk's redemption arc. The book did a great job in explaining and showing that his actions -- which are not as bad as the blurb implies -- were due to his immaturity. I also think his growth was shown really well through his actions and relationships with family and friends.
I am also fond of Becca. She clearly has come a long way from the meek nerd in high school. She stands her ground and is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with her male colleagues in a male-dominated and often misogynistic industry. I just wished there was more of a resolution with her work. Harvey, especially, felt like a loose end.
** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. **
STEAM: 🔥🔥
The premise of the book had appeal: Journalist used to be a high school nerd who formed a friendship with the quarterback only to be scorned when she asks him to a dance. Now she can get him back by pretending to be a complete stranger and make HIM fall in love with her and ask her out.
Except that Conrad "Hawk" Florence does remember Becca. Not only does he call her out for trying to get him back, he eventually turns it around into a bet that he will get her to fall in love with him in 3 weeks. Will Becca make the same mistake of opening her heart to Hawk?
The premise of the book was cute. I am always a sucker for second chance enemies-to-lovers, especially if there is a possible redemption arc involved.
However, while the premise of the book had appeal, the character development was off for me. I could not connect with Hawk and Becca. In fact, I was more drawn to Hawk's cousin Vera, her husband John, and their five(!) kids. Penny pretty much stole the show when she was present.
While I did find some of Hawk and Becca's banter amusing, I found that they sometimes dragged on with little progression in the story. Even Hawk's exchanges with his teammates, which is supposed to reveal his inner thoughts about Rebecca, dragged on.
I did like Hawk's redemption arc. The book did a great job in explaining and showing that his actions -- which are not as bad as the blurb implies -- were due to his immaturity. I also think his growth was shown really well through his actions and relationships with family and friends.
I am also fond of Becca. She clearly has come a long way from the meek nerd in high school. She stands her ground and is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with her male colleagues in a male-dominated and often misogynistic industry. I just wished there was more of a resolution with her work. Harvey, especially, felt like a loose end.
** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. **
March 14, 2022
There was a lot that could have gone right with this book but to be honest, it didn’t work out that well.
For one, there were a lot of mistakes. I saw some reviews about an excessive number of mistakes, and I thought they were exaggerating, but around the 40-50% mark, I really noticed a staggering amount of grammar mistakes, typos, extra words, incorrect names, etc. There were only a few times I had to stop and rethink a sentence, normally I was just auto-correcting in my head. The mistakes didn’t make the story awful, but it kept the rating below a 3.5 because it felt almost like an average person’s fanfiction-like mistakes instead of a writer’s work after having been edited.
Setting the mistakes aside, I didn’t care too much for the romance in general. It felt almost skin-deep because it was such a short book, and I personally thought it should have been longer. Because it was more of a novella than a novel, Becca and Hawk’s relationship had to go much faster than it should. Not only that, but we never got a chance to connect with the characters. Plus, there were rampant issues of sexual harassment that were never covered, a blog Becca owned that was never mentioned until it was necessary, and more.
I wonder if the next books will be better to get to know these characters, even if they are on the side.
I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving a voluntary and honest review.
For one, there were a lot of mistakes. I saw some reviews about an excessive number of mistakes, and I thought they were exaggerating, but around the 40-50% mark, I really noticed a staggering amount of grammar mistakes, typos, extra words, incorrect names, etc. There were only a few times I had to stop and rethink a sentence, normally I was just auto-correcting in my head. The mistakes didn’t make the story awful, but it kept the rating below a 3.5 because it felt almost like an average person’s fanfiction-like mistakes instead of a writer’s work after having been edited.
Setting the mistakes aside, I didn’t care too much for the romance in general. It felt almost skin-deep because it was such a short book, and I personally thought it should have been longer. Because it was more of a novella than a novel, Becca and Hawk’s relationship had to go much faster than it should. Not only that, but we never got a chance to connect with the characters. Plus, there were rampant issues of sexual harassment that were never covered, a blog Becca owned that was never mentioned until it was necessary, and more.
I wonder if the next books will be better to get to know these characters, even if they are on the side.
I received a free ARC of this book and am leaving a voluntary and honest review.
January 21, 2024
Sweet, angsty, spicy, & fun…
I really enjoyed this story. I love sports romances anyway but the high school connection was the cherry on top. The whole “he broke my heart in high school” trope is one of my favorites.
For a novella, it had just the right amount of angst, humor, romance, and spice. Of course , I would have liked a longer story but it was very good, as is. It also had wonderful characters and, touted as a series, I’m excited to read the future books. Hawk’s football buddies are going to make great book boyfriends.
I really enjoyed this story. I love sports romances anyway but the high school connection was the cherry on top. The whole “he broke my heart in high school” trope is one of my favorites.
For a novella, it had just the right amount of angst, humor, romance, and spice. Of course , I would have liked a longer story but it was very good, as is. It also had wonderful characters and, touted as a series, I’m excited to read the future books. Hawk’s football buddies are going to make great book boyfriends.
January 10, 2022
✨ARC Review ✨
***
Fumbled was a really sweet and quick read. I loved the chemistry between the characters. Hawk was awesome, super sweet and caring. Becca was strong and funny. The story was great and I loved the speed of the storyline.
***
⭐⭐⭐⭐
***
***
Fumbled was a really sweet and quick read. I loved the chemistry between the characters. Hawk was awesome, super sweet and caring. Becca was strong and funny. The story was great and I loved the speed of the storyline.
***
⭐⭐⭐⭐
***
February 13, 2022
Becca Anderson had her eye on Conrad "Hawk" Florence since high school. Back then, Becca was slightly overweight, good in school, so "nerdy" and not exactly popular. Hawk was your typical jock. He was rude and had a huge ego. Becca ends up tutoring Hawk and they become friends. She even starts falling for him. When she asks him to prom, he laughs in her face leaving a big crack in her heart, not to mention her confidence. Fast forward to today, Hawk is a professional football player for the NFL, while Becca went on to become a journalist. When she has an assignment to interview Hawk, she decides now is the time to get even. Over the years, Becca has slimmed down and filled out in all the right places. Hopefully she can get him to ask her out and then laugh in his face like he did to her all those years ago. Dressed to impress, she heads to the interview, never considering Hawk might actually recognize her. After the initial meeting and the shock wears off, Hawk tells her to give him three weeks to prove he's changed and is not still the same selfish jerk he was back in the day. If she doesn't see that he's a different man than before, he will give her all the exclusive interviews her little heart desires. Will Becca see that Hawk has changed? Will she fall for him all over again, just to be hurt like before, or will they both come out winners (or lovers) in the end? This book was super cute, and I really enjoyed the characters. Fumbled is book one in the Chesapeake Commanders series.
October 26, 2022
I am a sucker for a good sports romance and I do get a kick out of the football ones, mostly cause I love to see what team names authors come up with. In this book I was not disappointed in the romance nor the team names.
This is the story of Becca and Hawk, former tutor and tutee, current journalist and professional quarterback, who reconnect as adults. Bonus, this is the first of a book series and who doesn't love a book series.
What I Loved:
- Hawk's family, he is close with his cousin and her family and they bring out different aspects of Hawk
- Grace, Becca's best friend is her partner in crime and brings not only humor but support when Becca needs it most
- Avengers references, if you know me you understand why I love this
- professional team names, the Commanders is a pretty good name but the name of the team they play in the book is worth the read
- prom, this is an important event in both their young and adult lives
Overall this was a quick sports romance that was fun to read, had a good amount of spice and such a great world that I cannot wait to continue to read this series. All of my sports romance lovers should check this out, and you will not be disappointed.
This is the story of Becca and Hawk, former tutor and tutee, current journalist and professional quarterback, who reconnect as adults. Bonus, this is the first of a book series and who doesn't love a book series.
What I Loved:
- Hawk's family, he is close with his cousin and her family and they bring out different aspects of Hawk
- Grace, Becca's best friend is her partner in crime and brings not only humor but support when Becca needs it most
- Avengers references, if you know me you understand why I love this
- professional team names, the Commanders is a pretty good name but the name of the team they play in the book is worth the read
- prom, this is an important event in both their young and adult lives
Overall this was a quick sports romance that was fun to read, had a good amount of spice and such a great world that I cannot wait to continue to read this series. All of my sports romance lovers should check this out, and you will not be disappointed.
January 24, 2023
This is a cute story about a geeky High School girl crushing over the quarterback. Becca was no longer that geek from High School when her boss told her to get a story on her then crush, quarterback Conrad Florence. Becca had to tutor Conrad in High school, they had bonded over time, but he broke her heart when he laughed at her, now she wanted revenge. However, as Becca uncovers the truth of what happened all those years ago her plans change as her anger subsides, not all is what it seems. Conrad aka Hawk never thought he would see Becca again after she ran off the last time, he saw her seven years prior and she's more beautiful than before. Hawk makes a bet with her that he can change her mind on how she now feels about him, maybe end up being friends. Hawk is a well-known popular hunky quarterback used to women falling at his feet and using him, Becca is different. Becca and Hawk have an easy, quick and fun attraction to each other. However, when Becca shows him the article, she is considering publishing Hawk freaks out then realizes his mistakes. This is their story of love lost and then found.
August 25, 2022
Why should you read this book?🤔
👇🏻
👻My Recommendation 👉🏻 “Awesome” 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5
•
👍🏻 I really loved the book! The best feature about sports romance is the locker room banter! I just love those cheesy-corny comments they do and comradeship they have!
👍🏻 This was my first book by the author Lizzi and I am definitely looking forward to reading more in the series! I loved her writing style, character and story build up! 🖤
👍🏻 While Becca and Hawk were the centre of the story but I also loved Vera and John, wish author Lizzi would write about them too! I have shared a few teasers which had me rolling with laughter! Time spent was really well spent reading this one!
I am so waiting for Sacked which is the next book coming out in Feb!
👍🏻My recommendation: If you looking for a rom com, this book will definitely crack you up!
👇🏻
👻My Recommendation 👉🏻 “Awesome” 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5
•
👍🏻 I really loved the book! The best feature about sports romance is the locker room banter! I just love those cheesy-corny comments they do and comradeship they have!
👍🏻 This was my first book by the author Lizzi and I am definitely looking forward to reading more in the series! I loved her writing style, character and story build up! 🖤
👍🏻 While Becca and Hawk were the centre of the story but I also loved Vera and John, wish author Lizzi would write about them too! I have shared a few teasers which had me rolling with laughter! Time spent was really well spent reading this one!
I am so waiting for Sacked which is the next book coming out in Feb!
👍🏻My recommendation: If you looking for a rom com, this book will definitely crack you up!
January 28, 2022
Fumbled: A Football RomCom is the first in a new series. I thought it was going to be a full length book but it was more of a novella with under 200 pages. What I liked about this book: Quick read, set up for the side characters and some funny moments. What I didn't like: Casual racism, body image issues, slight misogyny and many grammatical errors. There's even a part towards the end of the book that has the character Becca, who is a journalist, makes sure that she triple checks her writing to make sure it has no errors. Since this is the first in a series, and I did enjoy some of it, I might continue on to the next books. Thank you Netgalley and Dragon Realm Press for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2025
I enjoyed this story with all the characters that were within this book. The two main characters were Conrad Florence and Becca Anderson.
Conrad Florence has a nickname called Hawk. He is a football star. When he was in high school, he broke Becca Anderson heart. Now that Becca is working for the National Sport Journal, she decides to see if he remembers her.
This was a fun story to read. It had action and drama throughout. It had a few giggles within.
I saw this story and decided to try it. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.
Conrad Florence has a nickname called Hawk. He is a football star. When he was in high school, he broke Becca Anderson heart. Now that Becca is working for the National Sport Journal, she decides to see if he remembers her.
This was a fun story to read. It had action and drama throughout. It had a few giggles within.
I saw this story and decided to try it. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.
September 25, 2022
overall enjoyed it, but there was a lot of little spelling errors, typos, etc. that pulled me out of the story. as well, there was some plot holes and instances where the author contradicted what they had previously said. however, I would still probably read the other books in the chesapeake commanders series so overall not too bad.
January 14, 2022
Fumbled
I enjoyed this story, the interaction between the characters was very amusing and had me smiling constantly. A quick read but also a story I will gladly read again when I need I day brightened.
I enjoyed this story, the interaction between the characters was very amusing and had me smiling constantly. A quick read but also a story I will gladly read again when I need I day brightened.
February 3, 2022
Swoon!!
Becca and Conrad aka Hawk are so sweet together. I like reading sports romance books where the athlete is actually nice,respectful, and has a big heart. Lizzie Stone did a great job with this story!
Becca and Conrad aka Hawk are so sweet together. I like reading sports romance books where the athlete is actually nice,respectful, and has a big heart. Lizzie Stone did a great job with this story!
July 10, 2022
This was a flop with a lot of typos. It had potential but the characters were just annoying and meh.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 10, 2022
This was a new author for me. But I enjoyed the book. It was an entertaining, funny read. And am voluntarily leaving my review.
Want to read
September 21, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/21/2022)! 🎁
September 28, 2022
okay
I enjoy reading sports romance. This was an decent story line. Just probably needed one more edit for typos and spelling
I enjoy reading sports romance. This was an decent story line. Just probably needed one more edit for typos and spelling
September 30, 2022
This book had potential, but it mainly just needed an editor. The misspelled words, wrong words, wrong tenses, etc were a distraction throughout.
January 21, 2023
Love a great sports romance. Local boy breaks heart of his tutor and five years later, there's a second chance to make things right.
January 10, 2022
Fumbled by Lizzi Stone is a story of two people with a past from back in their high school days that haven't seen each other in many years. It's a fun, light story that I read in one day.
Becca Anderson tutored Conrad 'Hawk' Florence when they were in high school together. Becca had ideas of a romance forming between the two of them, but Hawk was all about the football. One embarrassing incident later and Hawk has moved on with fond memories, while Becca has been left with anger and resentment.
Flash forward to now and Hawk is a star football player and Becca is the successful reporter that has been sent to interview him. She starts out with a plan to get a bit of revenge going, but she gets caught out pretty quickly and lets her visions of revenge go.
I really like these two characters. Becca is the sort of girl that will be popular at a party and get along with everyone. Hawk is serious about his football, but he also has a light hearted side that really shows up when he's interacting with others, especially his team mates.
I especially enjoyed the interactions between the various members of the football team, as the banter between the various characters can be quite entertaining. And Becca gets her turn in the humorous department too, as some of her inner monologues are very amusing. This is probably because I could totally relate to the strange directions that her mind wanders in.
The reasons and motivations behind the angst in Fumbled I found a little weak in places, but not enough so to be annoying. I just would have liked to see our man characters portrayed with a little more oomph (that's the technical term for it), as at times I felt they - and their thoughts / actions - were a bit wishy-washy and lacking in depth. And be prepared for the romance to move from 'like' to 'love' very quickly!
I've given Fumbled 2 chilis as the sexy times are there and the chemistry is strong, but they are a little more discreetly handled than what seems lately to have become the norm. And I liked that about it. It's a nice change to sometimes leave a little to the imagination.
Fumbled is the first book by Lizzi Stone in the Chesapeake Commanders series. And there is plenty of opportunity here for you to get to know the other characters enough to want to meet them again in later installments. This book is a really easy and amusing read. It's perfect for when you're looking for something light and quick.
Thank you to Lizzi Stone and Romance Me With Books for my copy of Fumbled.
Becca Anderson tutored Conrad 'Hawk' Florence when they were in high school together. Becca had ideas of a romance forming between the two of them, but Hawk was all about the football. One embarrassing incident later and Hawk has moved on with fond memories, while Becca has been left with anger and resentment.
Flash forward to now and Hawk is a star football player and Becca is the successful reporter that has been sent to interview him. She starts out with a plan to get a bit of revenge going, but she gets caught out pretty quickly and lets her visions of revenge go.
I really like these two characters. Becca is the sort of girl that will be popular at a party and get along with everyone. Hawk is serious about his football, but he also has a light hearted side that really shows up when he's interacting with others, especially his team mates.
I especially enjoyed the interactions between the various members of the football team, as the banter between the various characters can be quite entertaining. And Becca gets her turn in the humorous department too, as some of her inner monologues are very amusing. This is probably because I could totally relate to the strange directions that her mind wanders in.
The reasons and motivations behind the angst in Fumbled I found a little weak in places, but not enough so to be annoying. I just would have liked to see our man characters portrayed with a little more oomph (that's the technical term for it), as at times I felt they - and their thoughts / actions - were a bit wishy-washy and lacking in depth. And be prepared for the romance to move from 'like' to 'love' very quickly!
I've given Fumbled 2 chilis as the sexy times are there and the chemistry is strong, but they are a little more discreetly handled than what seems lately to have become the norm. And I liked that about it. It's a nice change to sometimes leave a little to the imagination.
Fumbled is the first book by Lizzi Stone in the Chesapeake Commanders series. And there is plenty of opportunity here for you to get to know the other characters enough to want to meet them again in later installments. This book is a really easy and amusing read. It's perfect for when you're looking for something light and quick.
Thank you to Lizzi Stone and Romance Me With Books for my copy of Fumbled.
January 19, 2024
Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
I will preface this by saying that I had a hard time suspending belief in this book. The lead male character is a professional football player...but in Australia. I am a huge fan of sports romance and I find it difficult to get into the story when things aren't realistic. That said, I did end up enjoying the storytelling even if some of the details felt off.
The author's writing style was easy to connect with. I loved the premise and the execution of the plot.
The characters were relatable and had some nice character growth. I also liked the secondary characters and how they added a lot to the story.
I really enjoyed the romance. Hawk and Bec had amusing banter and their chemistry was undeniable. I liked that they knew each other from high school because it added a lot of emotion to the story and made things interesting.
Overall, this is an entertaining second-chance romance with some great characters and a compelling storyline. If you can get past the unrealistic aspects in the story then this is a great read.
BLOG FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM GOODREADS TIKTOK TWITTER BOOKBUB AMAZON PINTEREST KO-FI
My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers.
I will preface this by saying that I had a hard time suspending belief in this book. The lead male character is a professional football player...but in Australia. I am a huge fan of sports romance and I find it difficult to get into the story when things aren't realistic. That said, I did end up enjoying the storytelling even if some of the details felt off.
The author's writing style was easy to connect with. I loved the premise and the execution of the plot.
The characters were relatable and had some nice character growth. I also liked the secondary characters and how they added a lot to the story.
I really enjoyed the romance. Hawk and Bec had amusing banter and their chemistry was undeniable. I liked that they knew each other from high school because it added a lot of emotion to the story and made things interesting.
Overall, this is an entertaining second-chance romance with some great characters and a compelling storyline. If you can get past the unrealistic aspects in the story then this is a great read.
BLOG FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM GOODREADS TIKTOK TWITTER BOOKBUB AMAZON PINTEREST KO-FI
My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers.
January 12, 2022
Fumbled by Lizzi Stone is the first book of the author that I’ve read. This is a light, funny story of Hawk and Becca, who meet again as adults after an entanglement in high school that did not end well. Becca used to be a High school nerd and Hawk was the Quarterback, they had formed a friendship when Becca tutored him in high school, Becca had ideas of a romance forming between the two of them, but Hawk was all about the football. One embarrassing incident later and Hawk has moved on with fond memories, while Becca has been left with anger and resentment and with a broken heart.
Years later he's a star quarterback and she's a reporter that plans to give him a dose of his own medicine. She pretends to be a complete stranger and make him fall in love with her and ask her out, he call her out for trying to get him back and eventually turns it around into a bet that he will get her to fall in love with him in 3 weeks. I really liked the multiple point of view writing and the banter between Conrad (Hawk) and his teammates. I liked Becca, she clearly has come a long way from the meek nerd in high school. She stands her ground and is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with her male colleagues. Hawk’s maturity was shown really well through his actions and relationships with family and friends
This quick story is kind of a friends to enemies to lovers and kind of an insta-love but I did not feel it was a true rom-com as stated in the description. But having said that, Fumbled was a fun, easy read that I recommend if you are in need of a feel-good romance.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Romance Me With Books and Lizzi Stone for this gifted e ARC
Years later he's a star quarterback and she's a reporter that plans to give him a dose of his own medicine. She pretends to be a complete stranger and make him fall in love with her and ask her out, he call her out for trying to get him back and eventually turns it around into a bet that he will get her to fall in love with him in 3 weeks. I really liked the multiple point of view writing and the banter between Conrad (Hawk) and his teammates. I liked Becca, she clearly has come a long way from the meek nerd in high school. She stands her ground and is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with her male colleagues. Hawk’s maturity was shown really well through his actions and relationships with family and friends
This quick story is kind of a friends to enemies to lovers and kind of an insta-love but I did not feel it was a true rom-com as stated in the description. But having said that, Fumbled was a fun, easy read that I recommend if you are in need of a feel-good romance.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Romance Me With Books and Lizzi Stone for this gifted e ARC
January 12, 2022
Fumbled by Lizzi Stone is the epitome of a smooth, seamless reading experience. It’s consistently fine like silk and coaxes the reader through the plot one chapter at a time. It never feels like a drag to pick up or continue, never falls into inescapable ruts that can bog down a story.
The book definitely deals in this business of cliches and, for the most part, it works. The story of an ugly duckling turned Cinderella reporter seeking revenge for the jock that broke her heart is a genuinely fun storyline to dive into. Sure there are some inherent pitfalls to this approach with a somewhat emphasis on conventional beauty standards BUT it’s a book that doesn’t feel superficial in its portrayal.
The author is great as writing fun, loose banter that keeps the reader on their toes. Whether it be between the main love interests or the side characters, the reader is never left bored by interactions between characters. It’s one of the many ways the story keeps itself upbeat and breezy to read through.
As this will be a series, one thing I always look at is how well it set up the books to come. I think Fumbled did an incredible job at setting up the series to follow. I found myself genuinely looking forward to its successors.
I know in the romance genre there is a big debate on occasion about HEA and how endings need to be described. I won’t spoil anything, but this book is a romance novel in every sense of the word. It manages to wrap the ending up in a bow that doesn’t feel glossed over and still manages to pack a punch to the reader.
The book definitely deals in this business of cliches and, for the most part, it works. The story of an ugly duckling turned Cinderella reporter seeking revenge for the jock that broke her heart is a genuinely fun storyline to dive into. Sure there are some inherent pitfalls to this approach with a somewhat emphasis on conventional beauty standards BUT it’s a book that doesn’t feel superficial in its portrayal.
The author is great as writing fun, loose banter that keeps the reader on their toes. Whether it be between the main love interests or the side characters, the reader is never left bored by interactions between characters. It’s one of the many ways the story keeps itself upbeat and breezy to read through.
As this will be a series, one thing I always look at is how well it set up the books to come. I think Fumbled did an incredible job at setting up the series to follow. I found myself genuinely looking forward to its successors.
I know in the romance genre there is a big debate on occasion about HEA and how endings need to be described. I won’t spoil anything, but this book is a romance novel in every sense of the word. It manages to wrap the ending up in a bow that doesn’t feel glossed over and still manages to pack a punch to the reader.
January 12, 2022
This book was a super cute, funny, and great read. The characters were all amazing, had me laughing, heartbroken, and wanting each one to have their own stories. In this story we have Becca who is set to interview the one guy that broke her heart years ago in high school, Conrad Hawk Florence. Becca was the shy nerdy type who was tutoring Conrad so he could play football, so when she the nerd asks the hot jock to prom he laughs at her, humiliating her. She wants to seek some form of revenge by having him ask her out for her to laugh at him but what she wasn’t planning was for him to remember her and catch on to her plan. Hawk decides to make a bet that he can get her to stop hating him for his past and make her fall again, but what he doesn’t see coming is him falling for her. These two banter back and forth with so much ease that they fall back into an easy friendship of sorts but now the tension is stacked high will they be able to fight it and give this a chance or is the pain of rejection still hanging around? Can Conrad let Becca in and trust her with his personal life or will she still be out for revenge and tear him apart in the media? I loved this story because it was fun and their friends were so supportive. Hawk knows he messed up a few times and when he gets his head in a better place he knows he has to prove his feelings for Becca. I hope we see more from Grace and the other football players next.
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