Challenge Accepted

Cleat Chasers #1

by Jaqueline Snowe

Most college girls ‘swipe right’ to meet the right guy—Callie meets All-Star pitcher Zade while he’s buying tampons. College is all about learning, right? How often do you meet your dream guy buying tampons at Target? Never, right? For Callie, a baseball-loving, hardworking college student, it happened just once. The magic was too real, too fast and too much, so she left the store without exchanging names. But fate works in wonderful ways, right? Zade Willows, the All-Star pitcher rumored to be drafted his senior year, gets what he wants. He has a fan club who follow his every move, but when he meets Callie, the game changes. She knows all his plays and that the game always ends—in heartbreak. But Zade doesn’t back down and is willing to try anything. He’ll eventually get the girl, right?

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, College, Baseball, Sports, New Adult, Contemporary

346 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the "dry heat" really isn't that bad. She prefers drinking coffee all hours of the day and snacking on anything that has peanut butter or chocolate. She is the mother to two dogs who don’t realize they aren’t humans and a = mom to the sweetest boy. She is an avid reader and writer of romances and tends to write about athletes. Her husband works for an MLB team (not a player, lol) so she knows more about baseball than any human ever should.


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Reviews

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Review on https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **
Callie is ready to join her best friend in college after her year off, and she refuses to let anything derail her plans to do well and show her parents she can handle college. When she meets an attractive guy in over his head shopping for "scary lady" supplies on her first day at school, she has no idea who he. Zade has the reputation of being a ladies man and the action to back it up. He enjoys being the star baseball player that everyone knows and everyone wants to be him- or be with him. Except this girl, this attractive, down to earth, baseball loving girl.

I have come to love sports romances this last year, be it teen or NA, they are just so much fun. Baseball just so happens to be my favorite sport (and the only one I really know) so I was super interested to read Challenge Accepted. I found the story to be a cute, fast romance between two very enthusiastic baseball fans. I will never think of Target again without thinking of the fun grocery date, which was hands down my favorite part of the book.

The relationships between both main characters and their people were the best in this book. For example, Zade and Zaria were as close as siblings could be and knew everything about each other- basically they were best friends. Also, the respect and love between Zade and his mom practically oozed off the pages between each of their phone calls or text. I appreciate a good lvoing family bond in my books and this provided that.
Friendship was also very important to both characters, making sure to spend time quality time with their friends, and help them be it emotionally or physically and I thought it was sweet. Greta and Callie were basically sisters and they made it apparent they would have each other's back regardless of situation or difficulties and it was sweet. I also need more books in my life where girls are their for each other without the drama- this was a refreshing read with the amount of importance it placed on the side relationships and how well rounded a person can be for more things than just the romance most books get hooked on.

Overall this was a fast read with realistic seeming characters. I had a hard time getting into the book and at times understanding motivations, but once I was finally invested in the plot and people I blew through the pages. I am definitely picking up more from Jaqueline in the future, hopefully another story featuring some of the amazing side character that Challenge Accepted introduced.

I am voluntarily reviewing a complementary copy.

[Marit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sports romance had great banter between the couple which is what builds strong chemistry. Will keep my eyes open for the next in series. 🤗

[Emily Pennington]

Callie and Zade's Story . . .

I liked the fact that the two main characters seemed to have a strong family connection and great friendships. It let the reader know that they both had beautiful hearts just right for a relationship.

Despite having a reputation as a “player”, Zade Willows, the starting pitcher on the baseball team, is sweet and kind underneath, and his interactions with Callie Williams highlight that. It will become important when he and Callie consider a relationship, because her past romance was not a good one and she needs to be able to see that not all athletes are shallow and untrustworthy. Will the two of them let their love of baseball bring them together? Will the relationship that begins be able to overcome past issues and allow for love?

You probably already know how they first met, so I won’t repeat it here. But be sure to enjoy this hilarious scene. It is priceless and not to be missed!

[Downward dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Zade and Callie meet at Target, they immediately connect. Challenge Accepted is a slow burn college sports romance that is sweet, fun and entertaining.

Zade and Callie meet when they are busy working on their college degrees. Neither one of them has any plans of settling down with one person. However, once they meet, it is impossible for them to fight their sizzling attraction. I thought Zade and Callie were perfect for each other. I loved these two together and enjoyed all their interactions; they have great dynamics and the bantering easily flows between them.

I loved Callie, she is smart and sassy and gives Zade a run for his money. I thought her confidence was her best attribute. Callie can’t help being attracted to Zade, a hot college baseball pitcher, but she treats him differently than the other girls on campus. She constantly keeps Zade on his toes. She sees him as a person not as a future pro baseball player, who will make a lot of money.

I liked Zade and I could understand why Callie was so attracted to him. On campus Zade has a reputation as a womanizer and it never bothered him, until he met Callie, the woman of his dreams. Zade likes everything about Callie, he has never met anyone like her, with Callie he has finally met his match. Zade wants more with Callie but he has to work hard before she trusts him. As they spend time together and the sparks fly, they slowly get to know each other and move toward a future together.


This is a slow burning and beautiful story. It has realistic character development and is easy to read, while being upbeat and tender. The characters are fun and likable and the story flows nicely. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, they are entertaining and add another dimension to the story. I highly recommend this sparkling and uplifting story.

Originally posted on Long and Short Reviews.

[Shayay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet connection between Zade and Callie, and their first meet was fun; he was buying feminine hygiene products for his sister and having a rough go of it. Good chemistry and banter between them! I wasn’t quite into the premise for this story; a super hot, college baseball star, ladies man meets a super hot, confident, sports loving college girl; perfect people with little drama in their lives finding love. The connection is instant between the two, but Callie holds back because of Zade’s womanizing past; Zade has grown tired of the cleat chasers and tries to win Callie over. I just wanted more to the story; the whole story is pretty much about trust and commitment issues. I did love how much Zade tried to show Callie that he was more serious about her; there are some very cute moments between them. Also, some passionate moments between these two! Very witty and charming characters, but the problem is that there was too much of that; look how quirky we can be, aren’t we so fun. I wanted a bit more emotional impact to the story; everything felt like a joke, it is a cute romance though. Another thing that didn’t quite work for me is that all the side character guys felt interchangeable to me; they are all the ultra flirty, athletic type that party and sleep around. They all just blended together for me, so I didn’t get that excitement needed to want to read their books. I do enjoy this author’s writing style, so I’ll still check out the blurbs for the next books in hopes they draw me in. I went between a 3 or 4 rating, but ultimately went with a 3 because the story needed more meat to it. Still an entertaining read; I liked it.

[Hanna Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book number 1 of the Cleat Chasers series and focuses on Zade and Callie. After taking a year off thanks to her parents, Callie has officially started her freshman year at college and is determined to make it. She is a genuine baseball loving girl but is not interested in having anything derail her plans to prove her parents wrong. Zade was the starting pitcher for the schools baseball team and was loving life and all that the baseball lifestyle provided him. One interaction with Callie completely tipped his world on it's side. When they meet and have a very unique first date, Callie has no idea who Zade is. Zade has a reputation for being a player on and off the field. I really enjoyed the journey that Zade and Callie go through to finding love. I also love that Zade put the work in with Callie to show her the man he is today and not the guy he was in his past. The friendships within this story also help make this book so great! This was an easy book to get into and once I was invested (aka within the first chapter) I was completely hooked. I could not put the book down once I started and read it all in one sitting! This is my second baseball sports romance book by this author (the first one being Rounding the Bases- great book by the way so you should check it out if you haven't already) and I was not left disappointed! I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series brings!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book.

Sports romances were not really my thing, but then I have in recent history read a few and quite enjoyed them. Challenge Accepted was truly entertaining and a wonderful addition to the genre.

To be honest, there were times when I was reading, that brought Romeo and Rimmel to mind for me. That is never a bad thing in my book!

Anyways…

I really liked Callie and Zade, they were really lively and fresh characters. They were well written, as individuals and even together! I pretty much had a huge smile on my face as I was reading and I can tell you that I did not put the book down until I was done!

I mean their meeting is epic, and I was sold from there!

Other than Callie and Zade, you also had a really fun group of characters and I have a fondness for Callie’s bestie. Is she going to be our main girl for book 2?

I think she deserves to be!

My opinion…

I think Jaqueline did a wonderful job and I cannot wait to read her other books as well! I am going to highly recommend Challenge Accepted as a delightful little gem. My question when is book 2 coming as I am needing it stat!!!

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie. At first, I was a little grossed out by the Zade's promiscuity. I was a little turned off by his ego and all that. That being said, Callie was the PERFECT woman for him. I loved her. She knew how to put Zade's ego in its place and had this confidence that I loved coming from a college freshman. Her tomboyishness made it even better. I loved how comfortable she was in her own skin. Zade and Callie had some great banter and I ended up adoring them together. Their relationship made it easy to look past Zade and his Zwillows Pillows.

Besides Callie (and Zade), the best thing about this book were the friendships. Callie and Greta made me laugh. I loved their sisterly bond. Zade's teammates/friends/roommates Aaron, Tanner, and Jeff were a lot of fun, too. They were college athlete famous, and their egos and womanizing were just as bad as Zade but seeing Zade fall in love made me excited to find out how those 3 dudes are going to fall and fall hard. I cannot wait to get started on the rest of the series. I was already a fan of Snowe's writing, but I can already tell this series is going to be a favorite of hers for me.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love a good sports romance, and this one had some of the qualities of that, although overall, it wasn't one of the best that I've read. There was definitely a lot of potential, the story-line itself was good. It moved kind of slow for me though. I did like the characters, and there were definitely some pretty humorous parts, the sarcastic banter was fun at times. For the most part it was predictable, although it took some twists that I didn't see coming, and that is what bumped it up to the 3 stars for me. There were quite a few writing issues, something I tend to equate with some self-published books. Another issue I had was the characters' last names. Zade Willows and Callie Williams. And then there was one chapter that actually said that Zade had Callie's last name. As I said, overall a good story. There was the misunderstanding at the end that was as you'd expect in this type of story, and while of course it irritated me, that always is my irritation in these stories, because I don't understand why! I know, I know, drama is needed! There are other characters that I assume will be in future books in the series, but I don't know that I'll read on.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie Williams is starting her freshman year at university. She’s a year behind because her parents wanted her to work to save up for her first year. She’s moved in with her best friend, Greta. Greta has made friends with four of the guys on the baseball team. One of them, Zane Willows, is the starting pitcher. Callie and Zane are instantly attracted to each other. Callie is serious about her education. She doesn’t want a relationship because she had been burned in the past. Zane has a past he’s not proud of, but hopes he can prove to Callie he’s deserving of her. Throw in some good friends, a mystery involving a sister, some not so nice girls, the challenges of school and baseball, and you have a good book. I enjoyed how Callie got to know the real Zane. I enjoyed the banter amongst the friends. I want to read the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suzanne Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaqueline Snowe delivers a fabulous sports/college romance in Challenge Accepted, the love story of Zade and Callie. As a baseball-a-holic, I love any novel that features my favourite sport, but when you add a well-written plot, engaging characters, a fabulous supporting cast, and entertaining banter, you've delivered a book I can't put down. Zade is the star baseball player at the university where Callie is a freshman, and with that, the reputation of being a playboy. Callie is determined to focus on her studies and not a relationship, but after a hilarious meet-cute with Zade - where they run into each other while he is buying tampons for his sister - the chase is on for the hot pitcher.

This is book one in Snowe's Cheat Chasers series, a new edition, and definitely a must-read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zade has his one girl fan club. He is a hit it and quit it kind of guy. He and Callie meet in target when he is shopping for feminine protection items for his sister. They spend an enchanting hour shopping. Callie won't share her contact info with him. Fate has other ideas. Their friend group is the same. She very much puts him in the friend zone. However, they start running together every morning and spend a lot of time together. They move super slow through their romance, getting to know one another. They work through several difficult situations. Callie finally can't stand it anymore and sleeps with Zade. Near the end they run into some misunderstandings and have to work through them to get to a HEA. Great read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zade and Callie were a good match. Their initial meeting was kind of neat as he was somewhat vulnerable and in the act of doing something caring for his sister that a lot of guys just would not do. These are two strong confident individuals who need to get past the reputation she thinks he has to the love that they could have for one another in reality. Each of them has to do some growing. She has to get past the past and realize that all athletes are not the same and he has to show her that what you hear is not what you will get in relation to the reputation that talented popular sports heroes can sometimes acquire regardless of who they really are. I especially liked that it was a romance with baseball. Tis the season!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one in The Clear Chasers Series and it is Callie and Zade's story and what a great start to a new series. I absolutely loved this book and I couldn't put it down as I had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next between Callie and Zade and I was not disappointed with the outcome. The characters and storyline pulled you in right from the start and kept my attention until the last page and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Jaqueline Snowe is a brilliant author and writer and I really love and enjoy reading her books. I definitely recommend you read this book and others by her and you will not be disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

This book was so much fun to read. We meet Callie who after a year off is ready to start college proving to her parents that she can do it. She meets Zade at a chance encounter at the store where he is trying to buy feminine products for his sister. After helping him out she agree to go on a date with him. Things go well and now they have figure out if she can deal with his baseball lifestyle while he has to decide if he is done being a player. With them both of kilter it sets things up for a great romance as it all plays out that is sure to delight fans of sports romance. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I volunteered to read this ARC for an honest review. I enjoyed this story about Callie and Zade. He's a baseball pitcher that had an amazing freshman year. He's a player and knows he's hot. Callie took a year of before starting school, to get experience.. She meets the guys from the baseball team because of her bff Greta. But meeting Zade in Target changes everything. They start as friends, but the chemistry is there. There group ZWillows Pillows, is a fan club that hangs on Zade's every move. Callie doesn't put up with that BS.. They grow and learn the rules to have a better relationship.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the player
This book is about Callie and Zade. Their ‘meet cute’ involves him buying feminine hygiene products for his sister, which made for a funny introduction. It kind of endeared him to me too, as not every brother would do that! They share an instant and undeniable attraction and share some crazy-hot chemistry. But, she’s been made aware of his womanising reputation, so she is very cautious. But will he charm her enough for her to succumb to them? I do enjoy a good sports romance where the jock may not be all that is reputed…
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linn Högberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Den var bra. Jag gillade början hur de tog lång tid innan de blev tillsammans. Zade ändrades verkligen och försökte verkligen visa henne hur han gillade henne. Jag förstår Callies motiv till att hon inte släppte in honom i början pågrund av hans bakgrund. Det var lite konstigt problem i boken i slutet för de typ gjorde slut och sen blev de typ ihop igen efter några timmar. Zade fick reda på att hans pappa hade dött och att hade halvsyskon men de gjordes ingen mer utav det förutom att hans halvsyskon nämns en gång i epilogerna att de är på hans första match för säsongen.

[C 10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2021
Style: Sports College Romance
Story: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Dark Level: 0/5
Violence: N
Series: N
Cliffy: N
Relationship Type: M/F
Characters: 4/5
Heat: 4/5
Writing style: $/5
Overall: 4/5

Great baseball book, don’t know the sport but learned a lot while reading this book and loved it. The characters had wonderful chemistry which made the story very believable

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story drew me in from the very beginning. Callie and Greta have the kind of best friend relationship we would all love. The meet cute between Callie and Zade made me swoon. I don’t think I’ve ever been this enamored of a potential couple before, they are just that awesome. To top it off, the friendship the girls have with the baseball guys, Tanner, Jeff, Aaron and Zade couldn’t be better. Callie and Greta treat the guys like normal guys, not “baseball gods” and that is so wonderful to see. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

[Carol Demmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It
by C LEE D

Zade is a hot pitcher with a large fan base and a bad reputation for being a player. Callie is a baseball fanatic who knows baseball inside and out. They meet when Zade is getting tampons for his sister. Callie does not recognize him and they trade quick quotes and no names. This intriques Zade and the chase is on. Callie is no slouch and stands up for her believes. The exchange of dialogne between the two is refreshing. This was a great love story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing new author for me to read and Ms. Snowe nailed it with a home run. This begins with a great intro and the characters just jump off the page with their humility and humor all at the same time. Loved all the references and quotes to baseball and men easily charmed by a woman who knows her stats. So looking forward to the next book in this series as all the characters are well developed, with each having their own quirks and spirited emotions.

I am voluntarily leaving a review for this book that I received free.

[Abby J · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first it was a little hard to get into this book. I enjoyed it but I just didn't connect with the characters, but once I got a little further into it, I really enjoyed the entire thing. Callie and Zade have delightful chemistry but Callie, aware of Zade's past as a womanizer, won't let herself fully engage with him. Zade is ready to change his stripes and pursues Callie wholeheartedly. The banter throughout is witty and the characters are realistic.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nicole Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

a definite read

Zade and Callie are amazing characters. I loved Callie’s attitude. She pushes herself to reach her goals and never stop, not even when others doubt you. She is who she is and she’s not changing for anyone. Zade loved her, not the carbon copy “Pillows”. I loved how Zade grows as a character, becoming a leader for his teammates, a rock for his friends, a brother his siblings need, and a man who deserves Callie. Callie is exactly who he needs in his life. This was a perfect mixture or sweet and sass. Jaqueline knocked this one out of the park.

[Evy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely sports romance.
I enjoyed every minute of it. The chemistry between Zade and Callie was sensible, I loved how their journey started and proceeded. They make the perfect couple.
They brought out the best in each other.
The side characters like Aaron, Tanner and Greta are great and I look forward to read their stories as well.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not often that you find a guy who willingly goes into the femine product aisle, which Zade does for his sister. Callie runs unto him in this aisle and proceeds to help him out. They begin a wonderful friendship that turns romantic. Great chemistry between these two and a great story. It will keep you entertained to the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it !!! a great start for a new series !!! cleat chasers... love Callie and Zane... this is their story... a fast paced baseball drama... the meet/cute...OMG !!! but, he has a rep. like all athletes...so, she stays away...been there , done that... Zane wants to try with Callie... they have major chemistry...can they ?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th book I've read written by Jacqueline Snowe; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

This is the 1st book in the Cleat Chasers Series. Callie & Zade meet in college; he’s the all-star pitcher that’s used to getting whatever he wants but she’s not interested in the games he plays or getting her heart broke.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kj B · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the blurb I was instantly interested, and what a good read! It keep me so interested in the story that I couldn't put the book down and Callie and Zade was such a good couple to read about. I loved that its based in the college environment and that it was a sports romance and can definitely say I'm excited to read the rest of the series! Definitely recommend!!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lauren - SERIESous Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest voluntary review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

The tension between these two is palpable the minute they meet. They are the perfect match for each other and it was fun watching them discover that the more they interacted. As a result, we get some great back and forth banter between them.

It probably goes without saying given the title of the novel, but I liked how these two made each other stronger characters. Zade is a sweetheart underneath his playboy persona and Callie brings that out in the best way. And it works the other way as well. Zade's patience and willingness to be his best self allows Callie to move on from her painful romantic past and see that she can't label all athletes the same way and that Zade is worth the risk.

I get the resistance for the romantic relationship between these two and as much as I loved the tension it brought, I found the first half of the novel felt repetitive as we watch these two go back and forth. Add to that some random dramatic plots with some side characters and the plot seemed a little aimless at times. I'm all for little Easter eggs for what will happen next in the series by introducing you to the potential leads and their backstories but it just felt out of place to me. As I said above, I felt like so much of this book was spent watching these two fight the inevitable but once they gave in, you just get everyday life. Which is fine but not as entertaining as I wanted it to be.

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: https://wp.me/p7hLUw-2BD
Actual Rating: 3/5