Intercepted

4.5 stars.
Intercepted by Alexa Martin is a debut romance that is sassy, hilarious and steamy. This first installment in the Playbook series is a highly entertaining and laugh out loud read that also includes serious undertones.

Marlee Harper's life has revolved around her football player boyfriend Chris Alexander since the two were teenagers. He calls the shots in their relationship and because she loves him, she puts up with his infidelities and their breakups. However, once she catches him cheating on her yet again, Marlee is finally finished with him. Unfortunately, her very hot, one time fling, newly signed quarterback Gavin Pope, witnesses her somewhat undignified exit. As Marlee settles into single life and a rewarding career, she show more and Gavin embark on a sweet but oh so sexy relationship that quickly becomes more serious than she expects. Is there any chance Marlee's rebound romance with Gavin will last longer than the Mustangs' football season?

Marlee is an absolute breath of fresh air. Despite staying with Chris long past their relationship's expiration date, she is a strong, fiercely independent woman who is more than ready to come into her own. She is determined to stand on her own two feet, fight her own battles and make her own decisions. Once she leaves Chris, Marlee wastes no time establishing herself in a new apartment and career. But is Marlee emotionally prepared for Gavin to waltz in and sweep her off her feet and into a new relationship?

Gavin is not the typical arrogant, self-centered jock. He is well-grounded with a supportive and loving family. He has never quite forgotten Marlee and he wastes no time convincing her to go on a date with him. Gavin is chivalrous and over protective which are wonderful qualities but he sometimes oversteps when he interferes in situations that Marlee would rather handle herself. Despite his swoon-worthiness, Gavin makes a huge misstep that could cost him the woman he loves.

With a fantastic cast of characters, a sigh-worthy romance and plenty of humor, Intercepted is a captivating romance that is quite endearing. Marlee is sarcastic and snarky but she is also loyal, big-hearted and Oh. Em. Gee. She BEDAZZLES! Can't help but love a heroine who understands the importance of bling. Gavin is a charming and sexy hero who always has Marlee's back but he proves to be all too human when he makes a life-altering decision that threatens their future together. The resulting conflict proves to be the catalyst Marlee needs to put herself first and come to terms with the damage from her relationship with Chris. This well-written debt from Alexa Martin is a light, engaging read that fans of contemporary romances will enjoy. I LOVED this novel and I cannot wait for the next book in the Playbook series. show less

A quick fluffy romcom, that I couldn't put down. Will this win any awards? No. Was this fun? Hell yes. Marlee is one lucky girl; she's the girlfriend of an NFL star and she gets to live in a palace. The downside is she has to live in said palace (god it's ostentatious and ugly), put up with the wives of the other team players (only one girl in that group is actually worth knowing), and work around her boyfriend's dreams and plans. Plus when the hell is he going to propose already? They've been together since high school? Everything falls apart when she discovers that her boy has been cheating on her for months and who is there to catch her? The teams quarterback, the man she slept with 4 years ago. Even though she's still attracted to show more him and vividly remembers how good he was in bed; Marlee swears off athletes. She's had enough of them. But maybe she'll end up changing her mind. Cute, quirky, fun, and steamy. I definitely plan on reading the rest in this series! show less

WOWWW…. This book was sooo much fun to read !!!! I went in expecting a sexy romance with some gossip on the side but this was full on chick lit drama and I was thoroughly entertained. Also, the author mentions in the note that she is an NFL wife, so I was really surprised to see some of the WAGs in the story and I really hope the author didn’t have to deal with so much bitchiness and drama during her time.

Marlee is an awesome protagonist to read about. She may have been an NFL girlfriend for a long while and just found out she was being cheated on all this time, but she is no pushover. She is confident, sassy, doesn’t take any shit from anyone and gives back as good as she gets. I loved her comebacks, how she deals with anyone show more trying to behave badly towards her. She can be a tad bit dramatic and lets go of her temper when it comes to football, but she is an amazing woman who loves her family, friends and her job. I loved her growth through the book, especially the decisions she makes towards the end, deciding to find herself before she makes one of the most important decisions of her life.

Gavin is too good to be true and the kind of guy who only exists in fiction and our imaginations😍😍😍 He is an excellent quarterback, is extremely hot, very charming and chivalrous and swoon worthy. But he can also be protective and overbearing sometimes. I liked that Gavin and Marlee could just be themselves with each other and not put up a front due to his celebrity status. They were like a normal couple, enjoying their dates, having fun without any care until the outside world comes knocking in. The slander that Marlee is put through just for being his girlfriend is very painful to watch but I was very impressed that he never wavered in his feelings and always had her back. I hated the conflict at around 85% of the book where Gavin messes everything up, because it felt so out of character for me. But I liked the way it was resolved, in a mature and reasonable way and it wasn’t what I expected.

I also enjoyed Marlee’s friendship with Naomi and Brynn. Because of the extreme bitchiness, girl on girl hate and slut shaming in this book, I was glad to see she had atleast a couple of female friends who understood her and always backed her up. Their banter and interactions are so much fun to read about and reminded me of my own girl gang. We only get glimpses of both the families and it was nice to see such supportive parents, but I particularly loved Marlee’s dad. His protective nature was just too cute. The less I talk about the other WAGs in the team and Marlee’s ex, the better – they are bitter, nasty and extremely offensive and I’m glad Marlee always takes a stand, but they really put her through hell.

The writing is very easy flowing and it’s very hard to put this book down. I finished it in a single sitting and laughed out loud many times. There is some sports talk but not a lot, so even a football noob like me could follow along comfortably. My only complaint is that Marlee thinks in terms of hashtags a lot and it got repetitive very soon… and I definitely didn’t want a hashtag in the middle of a lovemaking scene. However, the book is very easy to read and lots of fun and I’m definitely very excited to read more by this author. show less

A pretty decent sports romance, the main drawback being the annoying over-use of "cute" hashtags... That aside, this was a fast, breezy read in which the two main characters spend most of the book together as an actual couple. I found this refreshing because so many times there is too much conflict up front and the angst-o-meter has to reach nuclear levels before we are allowed to see a couple happily spending time together. The third-act conflict which temporarily blows up the relationship is reasonably believable, though I'm not sure the resolution really passes the smell test for rational action. But whatever. It's escapist fun.

3.5 stars
(My rating scale translation: Not a waste of time)

A delightful romp with a sassy-mouth heroine whose dramatic flair for asserting herself will provide the challenge for the hero with a protective streak a mile wide. This debut sizzles with style, verve and humor. I was spellbound from the first page to the last as this sports romance balanced the heartwarming with the spicy to tell an enchanting story.

I love Alexa Martin and I think I'm off to get the middle two books now.

I was so primed to love the ending!!! But then! The real ending!!! Argh! I was so happy to see Marlee standing up for herself on her own two feet without someone to protect her, buttttttt then of course she only gave it four months and left her entire life behind... Sigh.

There was a lot of mean girl drama in here. Oof. Marlee stuck up for herself in really clever fashions though.

I feel like the creepy assaulter subplot also could have had a bit more.

Intercepted by Alexa Martin is a 2018 Berkley publication.

Hilarious and super sexy!!

Several years ago, Marlee had a one-night stand with a guy she thought was an investment banker, while on a break from her boyfriend.

Now, not only is she back with her boyfriend, who happens to be a professional football player, they are engaged!! Life's good... Well, except when it comes to the catty football wives. Oh, and that one-night stand? He’s the new star quarterback for the team!

For Marlee, her night with Gavin was unforgettable, scorched into her memory, but will he remember her after all this time?

This book was absolutely hilarious. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a romance novel. Alexa Martin writes what she show more knows, since she spent eight years as the wife of an NFL football player. (now retired). Her experience gives readers a little insider’s peak inside the cliques, competitions, rules, and politics of professional football.

Of course, this also means getting a look at the underbelly, which is not all that glamorous and could be offensive, at times. Although, I must put my own dig in here, and say that in reality I'm sure it's a thousand times worse than anything portrayed in this book.

For a debut novel, I thought this book was well constructed, and fleshed out nicely. The relationship drama might have dragged out a bit too long, however, that's better than feeling like the story was too rushed. The characterizations were very well done, from the good to the bad, and points in between.

The dialogue is razor sharp and ladies, Gavin!! OMG!! This guy had me melting into a puddle, going all dreamy eyed, and walking around with a big goofy grin on my face. There’s some high drama, a little action, a little suspense, some steamy, sexy times, and a lovely diverse cast of characters.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, since I don’t read a lot of sports romance, especially if it is centered around football. While I don’t think this life sounds all that appealing, if sports heroes are your secret fantasy, you don’t want to miss this one.

But, even if you aren’t a sports fan, you’ll still love the romance, friendships, and humor… and GAVIN!! Unless I am mistaken, this novel is also the first of a planned series. I obviously enjoyed this one enough to sign up for the next one.

4 stars show less