Front Matter Elsie Faber

This novella is about Devon an ex-hockey player who’s regular assistant is out for maternity leave. Five out of the six months have passed when we all come into meet Becca the more than qualified temp. Here is the thing, when Devon set up the business, he put in place a no dating policy which up until now has never been a problem. Yet, Becca is different.
He likes everything about her. Her work ethic, her no cussing policy, and ever her spot of stubbornness. For some reason with her, he thinks it’s cute He can’t wait for the month to be over so he can’t ask her out. But when an ex-starts stocking her, he finds himself tailing her to her second job. The thing doesn’t end well and she feels guilty. When they have to work from his home things heat up.
I enjoyed this short. I enjoyed the chemistry of the short banter between Becca and Devon and that she could get him to stop cussing. I give this: 4 stars

Off Guard Stephanie Fournet

Charlie is a PR person and she just started one of the policies is you “Will no date the clients.” She has only been on the job for about three weeks when she goes out for her nightly run.
Now, you have to understand Charlie was a long-distance runner in college so now only a year out she is having withdrawals and learning how to live and eat normally is a challenge for her. She likes a good bit of completion so when a runner tries to come upon her she presses herself harder to outrun and win in her mind.
This man Hutch is not even a man to run away from but toward really. He walks her home because when her blood sugar drops, she is left down and out. Come to find out he’s the client her new boss, Kurt is throwing the party for on Friday. It’s never going to work she has to not see him anymore she worked too har for the job.
Hutch not taking no for an answer. At the same time, Charlie was just stubborn enough to not back down. She worked to get where she is. Hutch, however, was pulling out all the stops to get her to trust him and see him on the side.
Have to say at the beginning it is a slow-moving, story for me. But then it does pick up. So, keep on because these two grew on me for sure. Believing. I give this: 4 stars.

Off Limits Kristen Vayden

Markus is Ava’s twin brother’s roommate in college. Bryce played football and Markus was the brains so the two stuck together. When Bryce goes pro he brings Markus along to be his agent. Knowing Bryce hard not to know Ava too, they are tight twins. So, when Bryce gets truly injured and advised not to play, he found a risky surgery and he talked it over with Markus.
After tons of research, he knew it would work and his friend would get to do what he loved. But by agreeing to it he knew he was losing any type of relationship dreams he did have of being with Ava. Because as much these two cared for each other as more than just friends secretly. She would never go near Markus again.
She felt he was putting the percentage he gets for playing ahead of her brother’s health. Something he would never do. But, he did it for her too. The thing is after a game Bryce has had enough of his friend and sister being mad at each other. So, he becomes Markus’s wingman. Oops! Forgets to inform Markus, Ava will be there, too funny.
This is one spicy hot read in the way of LOL. Ava is spunky and so caring. She loves her men with all of her. I give this: 5 stars. Provided by NetGalley. com.

I'm a sucker for sports romance and this Block & Tackle set checks all my boxes.
Hockey? Check.
Football? Check
Brother's best friend? Check.

Yeah, like I said, all the boxes.

This was a great book with three sport romance stories that were light-hearted and fun to read. I liked each of the stories for what they were. The characters were relatable and likeable. It wasn't anything unpredictable or new but that is partly what made it enjoyable to read. I knew got what I expected and hoped for out of all three stories.

Fantastic story you can not put down! This author knows how to craft characters that leave you wanting more and more

This novel includes three stories “Offsides” by Elise Faber, “Offguard” by Stephanie Fournet, and “Offlimits” by Kristin Vayden.
The first story “Offsides” is about Becca who is the fill-in assistant for Devon Scott. Becca is extremely attracted to Devon and Devon is attracted to her to. Becca finds out that Devon is attracted to her and the two start falling fast but there’s a problem. Becca’s ex-boyfriend goes after Devon one night when he finds out the Becca and Devon are dating. Cute story I wish it was longer because it felt like it wrapped up too fast. 3.5 stars
“Offguard” was by far one of my least favorite stories. I couldn’t relate the main character Charlie is a runner and falls for Harold the start player of the raiders but Charlie tells herself that she can’t date Harold because she works for Harold’s agent firm and there are strict guidelines against this sort of thing. Honestly I didn’t relate to Charlie because she runs and because she doesn’t eat very much (not because she can’t afford it but because she thinks she is going to gain weight). I totally didn’t get very far in this book. The writing was actually good I just think that I hated the main character, she was too hard to read about and was getting on my nerves. Probably a 2 out of 5 stars.
The final book “Offlimits” I actually really enjoyed. It was about these two characters, man (Markus) and woman (Ava)who don’t like each other because the girl blames the boy for her brother (Bryce) getting hurt in football and the guy had to. 5 stars out of 5.

Block & Tackle is a great sports romance anthology. Each story is a standalone, they were short and steamy. The characters were likeable and they all had sizzling chemistry. I love reading anthologies as I usually find some new authors to love. I definitely will reread again.

Review by Amber for Love Romance Books Blog

I am not usually one for short stories, but from the beginning of the first story, this book drew me in. Devon and Becca have tons of chemistry in "Offsides.". The second story, "Offguard", was fun, too. Hutch and Charlie try so hard to stay away from each other, but can't. The third story, "Off Limits," was okay but I have to admit it was my least favorite story. Ava and Marcus are great characters, but I think they need a longer story than what they got.

I really liked the first two stories, but the third fell a bit short. Overall, I would give this book four stars. I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Block & Tackle was swoon worthy! Loved, loved loved, I now must read more by Elise, Kristin and Stephanie!

Block & Tackle

Elise Faber
Kristen Vayden
Stephanie Fournet

This is three standalone romance short stories in one book. Three sport related romances.

Offsides by Elise Faber
Becca is the temp assistant to former NHL hockey star Devon Scott. Her main goal is to not fall for her boss. But that's a hard goal after he kisses her.

Off Guard by Stephanie Fournet
Charlie has almost fainted after pushing herself too hard running. When a sexy man comes to her rescue. She is interested in him until she finds out he is the Raiders new wide receiver Hutch Barlow, her new client. She avoids him and pushes him away until love wins out in the end.

Off Limits by Kristen Vayden
Markus is in love with his best friends sister. But she hates his guts and feels like he uses her brother to make money. Markus is her brothers agent. Markus has tried to keep his distance from Ava. But when Bryce pushes them together. They can't deny the chemistry or their feelings any longer.

These were all super sweet romances. I really enjoyed reading all of them. I look forward to reading more from all 3 authors in the future.

Thanks NetGalley and Blue Tulip Publishing Inc for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Reviews to follow…..

Offside by Elise Faber….5 of the sweetest stars!

I loved this story! I have heard so many authors say that writing fully fleshed characters in a short story is hard. Ms. Faber had no trouble at all making me fall completely for Becca and Devon! Devon’s attempts to stop swearing because Becca doesn’t like it was sweet, and Becca’s ability to spit out the worst of swear words at the most appropriate times cracked me the fu….oops, sorry Becca…frack up!

Off Guard by Stephanie Fournet….5 more enthusiastic stars!

I’m not much of a swooner, but I’m swooning now! If there’s a more perfect man in the world than Hutch Barlow, I haven’t met him…in fiction or real life. And he wants Charlie…no, no, Charlie’s not a guy, its short for Charlotte. He wants Charlie in the worst way and makes it very clear from day one. And Charlie wants him, too, but she can’t have both him and her job. It is intense. Fun. Beautiful.

Off Limits by Kristen Vaydin…5 heartfelt stars!

When you think the stories just can’t get any better, or even hold their own next to the two wonderful stories you just read…you would be wrong! Ms. Vaydin brings Marcus and Ava fully to life along with Ava’s protective brother, Bryce…her twin brother. Marcus and Ava’s journey from friends to mad as hell ex-friends to lovers with forever in their future was so much fun to read!

💕💕💕A note and summary from 2shay💕💕💕

If you love romance as much as I do, you will love these stories. Although short, they do not disappoint in any way. The characters in all three novellas are well written and likable, with a little sexy time that never approaches dominating the stories. All of the match-ups are sincere, heart-melting, forever possibilities. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to take off. I have three incredible women romance writers to go stal….oops…to go fangirl! 💕💕💕

Enjoy!

2shay

Block & Tackle is a sweet, sexy box set featuring featuring three couples all involved with the Prestige Media Group.

Offsides by Elise Faber is my favorite of the three novellas. It features Devon, CEO of Prestige Media Group (PMG) and Becca, his temporary Executive Assistant. Becca is a tall goddess who rules Devon's life, but only for one more month until his permanent assistant comes back from maternity leave. Becca is smart and sweet and working 2 jobs to help pay for her mother's medical bills from a car accident that damaged her spine. There's a serious attraction on Becca's side, but she doesn't realize it's shared by her hot, ex-hockey player boss until the day he kisses her. From then on it's just a matter of time before their shared attraction explodes all over their lives. Throw in her psycho, stalker of an ex and you have the makings of a hot relationship filled with drama. Devon is not only hot, he's so sweet that I can understand how Becca fell so hard.

Off Guard by Stephanie Fournet features Charlie, a new PR exec at PMG, and Hutch, the Oakland Raiders' newest WR and Charlie's boss Kurt's new client. When Charlie and Hutch meet while out running, it's lust at first sight, but Charlie is so singly focused on her job that she can't possibly allow him into her life. Especially when she finds out he's Kurt's newest client. I love Hutch, he's adorable and so persistent and sweet with Charlie that I can't understand how she resisted him as long as she did. Charlie was a little harder for me to connect with, because she had serious issues, but still, can't fault her for being so devoted and focused on her career.

Off Limits by Kristin Vayden features Markus, an agent at PMG, and Ava, his client, Bryce's, twin sister. I have to admit I didn't like Off Limits. It was rushed and I felt as if I were swimming in the dark for most of it. They had an obvious history that wasn't fleshed out well, and Ava is quite frankly, unlikable as hell. She's bitchy and unrelenting. Markus is sweet and so is Bryce, but I just never really connected to any of them. Perhaps if Off Limits had been expanded into a full length novel with much, much more detail I might have come to like their story.

I mainly wanted to read this because I have already enjoyed Elise Faber's Disaster. I enjoyed the 3 stories. They are good quick reads.

Offsides by Elise Faber

Devon is a retired hockey player and now the CEO of Prestige Media Group. Becca is his temporary assistant while his regular assistant is on maternity leave. Devon is hot for Becca but knows that he shouldn’t get involved with an employee – even a temporary one. Becca has got it bad for Devon but as much as she wants him her life is too crazy to get involved with him. Her mother needs medical care and Becca works two jobs to try and pay the medical bills. She’s also got an angry ex that is messing with her and is more than dangerous to both Becca and Devon.

This was a sweet boss/employee story. Devon doesn’t hold out for very long before he’s giving in to his desire for Becca but I loved the sexual tension between the two of them. I liked a lot about this story – the dialogue, the story, the passion between Devon and Becca – it was just a good read.

Story rating: 4 out of 5


Off Guard by Stephanie Fournet

Charlie has finally started the job of her dreams. She’s recently moved to San Francisco and is out running when she runs into a fellow runner. They hit it off and she thinks that maybe this guy might be someone she can really like until she finds out his name, Hutch Barlow, and realizes who he is, new quarterback for the Oakland Raider, and that he’s a client of her boss. Prestige Media Group – her new employer – strictly forbids employees from dating clients. Charlie tries to get Hutch to understand that she can’t see him but Hutch refuses to take no for an answer – showing up at her apartment with dinner and his irresistible charm. Charlie finds herself falling in love with Hutch but she knows that she can never be with him as she’s not willing to sacrifice the career she’s always wanted.

This was an adorable story. I loved Hutch’s persistence with Charlie even knowing that she was off-limits to him. He just liked her so much and was willing to give up a lot to be with her that it warmed my heart. I think a lot of people would have thought he was ridiculous but I found it romantic and lovely. Fournet has a way with words and she did a great job writing this story.

Story rating: 4 out of 5


Off Limits by Kristin Vayden

Markus and Bryce were college roommates and best friends. Bryce got drafted into the NFL and Markus got hired by Prestige Media Group and becomes his agent. Bryce has a twin, Ava, who Markus has been in love with for forever. He wants nothing more than to make Ava happy but she hates him because she thought at one point in Bryce’s career that Markus was selling out and taking a risk with Bryce’s life. Bryce has gotten a concussion but recovered and went back onto the field. Ava believed that Bryce’s life was on the line if he got hit again but he was fine. Five years later Ava still hates Markus – or at least acts like she does. She can’t resist the man for long as she’s always had a thing for him. Markus should stay away from his best friend’s sister but he just can’t do it once she finally forgives him.

Unfortunately this was my least favorite of the three stories. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Markus and Ava as I felt I should. I also didn’t feel the whole forbidden love thing that the whole anthology was based on. There were some decent parts of the story but overall I didn’t care for Off Limits.

Story rating: 3 out of 5


Overall book rating: 3.75 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
http://bookbinge.com/

While the stories are quite fast-paced and everything happens in the blink of an eye, I really enjoyed each story and the concept behind the athletes of the Prestige Media Groups.

Sexy sports heroes, women just starting their careers or in high profile jobs, and the temptation of forbidden fruit. It adds up to some nerve-racking moments, extremely passionate romps and the confusion of what comes next.

Settle in and enjoy the ride, cause these super starts of sport are determined to make you sweat!

3 novellas that are super easy reads. I enjoyed all of the stories but the second one was definitely my favourite & I will be looking for more books from that author

I wanted to read Block & Tackle when I saw Ms. Vayden's name because I've read and loved a couple of her books and I figured I would like her contribution here, but I was also looking forward to reading Ms. Faber and Ms. Fournet's offerings as well. And now that I've read them, I will be keeping a lookout for them too. Block & Tackle was fantastic and I really enjoyed reading it! 

I'll talk a little about each book in the order they appear in Block & Tackle, so the first one up is Ms. Faber's "Offsides." I really liked this one - Devon and Becca were a great pair - they were kind and warm and tried to resist each other, but couldn't. "Offsides" was an awesome little forbidden and sexy, but not dirty read. 

Ms. Fournet's "Off Guard" was next and I fell for the hero hard! Hutch was so amazing, but I have to talk about the heroine, Charlie, before I get to him. Although there were a few times she made me yell at her, I did like her. She's driven, kind, and compassionate, although she doesn't hold a candle to Hutch. He is just so sweet and funny and persistent. He just completely stole my heart and he owned "Off Guard!" It was beautiful with some heartache and a lot of fun thrown in. 

Ms. Vayden's "Off Limits" was last and it was so nice reading her again! It was one of my favorite tropes with the brother's best friend being the hero and a little love/hate coming from the heroine. I liked how Ava didn't make it easy for Markus, but not too hard either and I loved how Markus was totally hooked on her. He's sweet and thoughtful, but he definitely goes after Ava until he gets her. It was a lovely read! 

All the tales in Block & Tackle were excellent. If you want a few sweet but sexy, fun, and entertaining reads, then look no further. You'll get beauty, heartbreak, warm moments, and happy endings. I loved Block & Tackle and can't wait to read more from these authors!

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 4 Stars

This book, was actually 3 short stories about forbidden romance. The first one was about a Boss (Devon) former hockey player who was attracted to his temporary assistant Becca. Though they try to fight attraction they eventually give in, he is total alpha. Unfortunately, there is a misunderstanding after being caught by his real assistant who came back a day earlier, I did not like her. Devon fixes things, and they have there HEA.

the next story is Hutch and Charlie. Charlie works for his agent so a relationship with client is frowned upon. Hutch goes full force after Charlie, and at the beginning I was not that crazy about her, I understood her position, but felt she was a little to abrupt with him. Eventually, she also gives in, they also end up with there HEA.

Then we have Ava and Marcus. This really was not a forbidden love story. It was about Ava being upset with Marcus, because she believed he cared more about money than the health of her twin brother Bryce. According to story, she has hated him for 3 years, and when Bryce intervenes, she ends up giving Marcus a chance.

Three quick reads that revolve around sports and the PR world. Swoon-worthy heroes and strong female leads make for easy and enjoyable reading. I look forward to more stories by these authors

Each short story ion this splendid anthology can stand alone. They are well crafted and each one is engaging. I found several new to me authors to add to my watch list. I am impressed with the strength of the compilation and grateful to the editors for their choices. If you are looking for quick sports themed reads, this anthology would be a fantastic bargain.