Friendship….a treasure that should never be taken for granted. Nathan and Mia know the value of the close bonds that friendship can bring. A connection that remained throughout their college years, and now their adult years. There is one moment though that made the two question those bonds. A one night stand that left the remnants of that night in the forefront of both of their hearts.

Determined to hang on to the friendship that they have always shared, Mia pushed Nathan back into that corner that is reserved for a close friend. The two can’t seem to forget that one night they spent together. A constant cloud that threatens to rip apart each time they are around one another again.

With the changes in their lives, Mia and Nathan have seen a lot less of one another. A true way to avoid the other without dealing with the awkwardness surrounding the truly genuine feelings they have for one another. Mia is under pressure to grow business with her new PR company. Nathan is busy trying to make a name for himself in the world of football. A harder level of expectations with his father’s legacy.

Now there is a door that has opened with their relationship that might make the feelings from that one night stand a little more ‘interesting. Nathan suggests that the two embark upon a little ‘friends with benefits’ action. Something that causes Mia to weigh out the options. Where will their friendship lead if they open a door that they so firmly closed?

The Final Score is the much anticipated novel in the Play by Play series. A combining of two sports legacies with the relationship that Mia and Nathan have. While I tore apart the series in mere hours, it is filled with romantic sparks and anticipation. An accurate friends to lovers novel that leaves you anticipating where the future will lead for these two tortured souls. I will admit I wanted more of the tug and pull of overcoming the attraction for Mia and Nathan. However - that didn’t make me love the tale any less. Check out this book after you have discovered the entire Play by Play series!!

A fast paced adventure of friendship, hot sex and football … what more could a girl ask for? This was my first book in the series, but I had a lot of fun with the characters and I look forward to going back and catching up on the series! Both Nathan and Mia have previous family members that were in the series as they both come from a sports family. The characters were well-defined and even though I didn’t read the priors, I had no problem keeping track of who everyone was and their history.

Nathan Riley is stressing his upcoming season when he will be taking over the position his father filled before him as the Quarterback of the San Francisco Sabers. He wants nothing more than to make his teammates and his father proud, but the pressure is really piling on the closer it gets to the season opener.

Mia Cassidy is happy to be living in the same town as her best friend Nathan again. It’s been years since they got to hang out on a regular basis like they did back in college! Starting up her new sports management company is going to keep her on her toes, and she’s going to need Nathan’s jolly attitude to keep her from losing her mind.

Neither of them expects the other to be willing to become more than just friends! They shared one hot night in college, but agreed never to speak of it again and their friendship has flourished over the years regardless, but when the attraction is boiling hot between them, will they decide to rock the boat and get some real stress relief … between the sheets??

As you all probably know already I love sports romance so ofcourse I just couldn't resist reading this book.

This is book 13 of the Play-By-Play series and I have to admit I have never read the previous books in this series and actually I have never read any books by Jaci Burton before but now I want to read more of her book.

The Final Score is a football romance and even though I am not into football I still enjoyed this books very much.

The story is well written and I did love the main characters. This book is fun and full of sexual chemistry.

I do recommend this book.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

I am a fan of Jaci and have read her other books especially Rules of Contact with Mia's brother! Mia is starting her business and she is now hanging with her best friend Nathan. They had one hot night a long time ago and as they continue to hang out the chemistry starts to heat up again, and the banter between the two is sizzling. Mia is afraid of how the media will respond and she doesn't want to ruin Nathan's football career as well as their friendship This is a great friends to lovers, to friends to lovers again read and classic Jaci!

Jaci Burton is one of my favorite writers when it comes to sports romances. You can tell she cares about sports, is passionate about them, and knows what she is talking about. That comes through in all aspects of her storytelling in the Play-by-Play series and it definitely shines in her newest book, The Final Score.

Two athletic dynasties are about to come together and fall madly in love, even if they refuse to acknowledge it at first. To each other, they are just friends. When Nathan Riley and Mia Cassidy are both living in the same city, the reconnect as friends. Nathan is really unsure about his soon to be professional career. Yes, he has the talent but there’s something intimidating knowing he is about to be a part of the NFL, that he is in many ways a LEGACY PLAYER. Mia calms him down but she also majorly gets his blood racing. They had a drunken interlude in college that Mia has never let Nathan dwell on for fear of ruining their friendship. But being in the same city again, being surrounded by his ol’ buddy Mia, well, Nathan is starting to want her in a way he has tried to suppress for years.

Jaci Burton does football and chemistry SO WELL. Her writing is energetic in the way I think of sports games (my go-to sport is hockey but even so!). I love a woman who can explain a sport to me, can make me care about a sport and its players, without dumbing things down for me and that is exactly what Jaci Burton does.

And of course, she does something else super well. She develops her characters in realistic and human ways. Nathan is far from perfect and the same can be said from Mia but I liked them both so much. They are professionals and working hard in their fields. Mia has started her own company, of course related to sports, and she is doing all the work that an up-and-coming new business entails. It is not easy and she has to be motivated and darn it, she is. I liked her energy and ambition.

Nathan wants to succeed on the football field but as the story goes on, he realizes he is missing a connection that he sees with his mother and father. He is looking for something more than a hook-up and when he thinks about, Mia is the person that comes to mind.

Their friendship is real but honestly, from the moment they are together on the page, it is obvious that there is a sparking lust between them. While I do believe that men and women can be just friends, this is not the case for Nathan and Mia. Too many suppressed feelings and words of love.

This is the thirteenth book in the Play-by-Play series but to me, it doesn’t show at all. Jaci Burton is just as nuanced with this story as she is with Nathan’s father (his stepfather really but Mick is definitely a true father) and mother’s story in The Perfect Play. Personally, I recommend reading that book first, just to get the full back story about Mick and Nathan’s relationship, but if you’re eager for Nathan and Mia’s story, well, just jump on in.

The Final Score is a satisfying and emotionally resonant story. For me, it was just plain wonderful.

The Final Score is available now.

The first book in the Play-by-Play series was probably my first sport romance series and I loved the early books. But I had gotten away from this series for a while, and when I had the opportunity to read and review the latest book I had to take it.

The Final Score revolves around a second generation of characters in this series. Nathan Riley of Riley family fame is the son of Mick Riley from the very first Play-by-Play book. He's following his father's footsteps as quarterback. Mia Cassidy, his friend from college is also related to previous characters in the series.

Nathan and Mia are good friends from college, although they did have one special night together that neither one can forget. But getting involved in a relationship at this stage in their career isn't going to work. Nathan wants a friends-with-benefits situation, where they can scratch their itch without it messing up with their friendship. Seriously, does that ever work out like that?

Mia's struggles with her changing relationship with Nathan provides the light angst and conflict in this book and it does take a bit for Mia to see what's right in front of her face.

I love the family atmosphere in this series, and The Final Score did not disappoint when it came to that.

Overall, I enjoyed this return to the Play-By-Play series and I'm thinking of catching up on the installments I've missed. Jaci Burton knows how to write a heart-warming sport romance that will have you coming back for more.

ARC was provided for review.

The sports romance dynasties combine and they are HOT! Mia Cassidy is now in the city where her best friend and crush, Nathan Riley now is. They had a one-time night together, but Mia loves their friendships too much to risk losing Nathan in any way. Nathan feels the same but the more time he spends with Mia, the more he thinks they could have a chance at the real deal.

This is an odd second-chance romance in that Mia and Nathan had one drunken night together but now as they are getting older they want more and see more in one another, Burton did an amazing job pairing Mia with Nathan. The first Riley boy with the young Cassidy girl...EEK! It's what paired families dream of! But in all honesty the friendship between these two is beautiful long before they decide to make things more serious.

Both of them are supportive and honest with each other in a way that only true best friends can be. And that makes for an honestly epic romance story. I loved getting to see these two come to understand their feelings for one another beyond the boundaries of friendship. It's a whole different world when you love someone more than just a friends. These two become true partners. Love, love, loved it!!!

This was my first Jaci Burton book. I'm happy I took a chance. Don't let the number 13 in the series scare you. The Final Score can be read as a standalone. I read it and did not feel like I walked into a story. This book is complete in and of itself. It is a really sweet, sexy, friends-to-lovers romance story. What could be better than falling in love with your best friend?

Nathan and Mia are best friends. They crossed the line once and never again for fear of losing their amazing friendship. Mia doesn't want to risk it and Nathan cares to much to push the issue. But, they have a palpable chemistry. Their attraction is off the charts. Author Jaci Burton lets you feel the tension between these two characters.

Nathan is sexy, hot, sweet, and, hello? A buff, talented quarterback. Mia is a beautiful, smart, and driven to succeed with her new sports management company. She finds trouble where there isn't any and can't get out of her own way.

I love a good friends to lovers romance. Not too mention, one with a sexy quarterback as the hero! The Final Score has it all. The banter is funny, sexy and snarky. The push/pull drove me crazy. I wanted to throttle Mia at times, and shake some sense into both of them. I was totally invested in their HEA. I really liked the way author Jaci Burton's writing flowed. She had a slow, steady burn smoldering between Nathan and Mia that was a secret to no one but her.

There are some twists and obstacles that get in their way, but none more so than themselves. Watching them discover what everyone knows is witty, steamy, and sweet. A perfect romance. I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Final Score is the first book I have read by established author Jaci Burton. It is a well-written love story, with hot romantic scenes and characters that I really liked getting to know. This is the thirteenth and last book from Ms. Burton's Play-by-Play series, and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Mia Cassidy has been surrounded by sports royalty all of her life. She now calls San Francisco her home, as she embarks on a new career in sports management. Running her own company is thrilling as well as nerve-wracking, as she works very hard to cultivate the careers of others. Placing all of her time and energy into her company is what she believes is necessary to be successful and happy.

Nathan Riley is the new quarterback of the San Francisco Sabers. His talented and successful father held the coveted position previously, so Nathan has a ton of pressure to deal with. Luckily, his family and his friends are very supportive. Since gaining the respect of the team is his main priority, he has no time to form any romantic relationships.

Mia and Nathan have been best friends for years, and they shared one amazing night of passion during college. There has always been a spark between them, and it is only recently that they have agreed to evolve their friendship into much more. Falling in love was not on their to do list, yet it happened anyway.

I really liked this book, however, I found Nathan's family tree to be a bit confusing. Mia and Nathan are a steamy couple, and Ms. Burton does an amazing job of creating heat and sexual tension. The secondary characters added a lot of personality to the plot, and I especially enjoyed the warm relationship Nathan had with his little brother Sammy. If you like the best friends to lovers romance trope and football, then you must add The Final Score to your TBR list.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5 Stars!

Nathan and Mia have been friends since college. They had one night of drunken sex, but Mia didn't want to lose his friendship and put limits on no more sex. Nathan wants more, but he also cares about keeping Mia as his best friend so he accepted her terms. That doesn't stop him from constantly flirting with her.

3 years later, both of them are starting off in very stressful careers. Nathan as the new starting Quarterback and Mia starting her own sports management company. To ease the stress, Nathan suggest trying the friends with benefits relationship. Mia agonizes over this decision but eventually decides to try, however Mia struggles with this decision.

I love a good sports romance, but I gotta say this was super angsty. This is a friends to lovers trope and Mia struggled throughout the whole book with her relationship with Nathan. The amount of times she claimed they were just friends, was a bit overwhelming. It's a great story, I just wish we got more of these two as an actual couple vs the angst of Mia wanting to hide them.

The author brings back a lot of the characters from previous books in the series. There was no other women/men drama and no violence. It's angsty but a safe read. ARC provided by NetGalley.

The Final Score brings together lots of series favorites as the children of 2 previous Play by Play couples find love! Nate is the son of the couple from book 1, and Mia is the daughter of the couple from book 9. Its not necessary to read all the previous books (I haven't read them all!) but previous characters do appear so just know that going into the story!

Nate and Mia have a second chance love story. They had a 1 night fling in college. Mia wanted to forget it; Nate agreed but it wasn't his idea. Now, years later, they are in the same town and Nate isn't sure he wants to keep their friendship 'hands off'. He is the new QB for the Sabers (taking over for his dad!) and she is starting a sports management company.

Nate and Mia have a believable friendship. They really enjoy each others company and honestly have a good friendship. Its easy to see why Mia wouldn't want to ruin that. Also, these two are in very high pressure situations! Mia is trying to get her company off the ground and Nate is starting on a new team and taking over his famous father's position! To say they are under pressure is a huge understatement.

Like most of Burton's books, there is a lot of sexual tension, dirty talk, and smoking hot interactions. Nate and Mia, being the best of friends, really do have wonderful chemistry and a great rapport with each other that makes their relationship feel natural and easy (you know, when they aren't fighting it with the whole "I just wanna be friends" thing").

If you are a fan of the series, this book is the perfect culmination of the years you have loved all these characters! If you are new, The Final Score will introduce you to some wonderful characters that might just make you want to check out the previous books!  I love that the books are all connected in some way but span over different sports! I think it helps keep things interesting while not dumping a reader into a totally different 'world' or series. If you like sports romance in general and aren't sport specific, you will love Play by Play. Baseball, Football, Hockey, its all there!

The next book in the series goes back to the hockey players! I am not going to lie though, I was a little confused that there would be another book after a book called "The Final Score"....

<em>The Final Score</em> is the thirteenth book in the Play by Play series and it was another cute contemporary romance that made for a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

Nathan Riley and Mia Cassidy have been best friends since college. They're good as friends. They're supportive of each other, they care about each other and Nathan has wanted more for a long time. Mia has dug in her heels and has refused to risk their friendship on a relationship that she wasn't sure would work out. His friendship meant too much to her and she didn't want to rock the boat...even though they rocked the boat once in college. So they continue on as friends only and Nathan has put his feelings for his bestie on hold.

Fast forward a few years and they've graduated from college and are both working hard in their respective careers. Nathan is the new starting QB for his father's team and he's feeling the pressure to lead a team that has always been his father's team. Mia, on the other hand, has opened up her own sports management business and she's feeling her own pressure to make the business a success. She's got employees who are relying on her to keep them employed and she's doing everything she can to not let anyone down. They're both busy, much too busy for a relationship but when Nathan brings up that they could be friends with benefits, Mia at first says no but Nathan keeps after it and before long, Mia has caved and the benefits begin.

I liked both Nathan and Mia as characters but my favorite part of this romance was how normal it was. Sure, both Nathan and Mia have high profile jobs but at their cores, they were normal everyday people who loved and wanted to be loved in return. I loved that Mia was a planner babe (I'm one too!) and I adored that Nathan was very upfront about what he wanted from Mia. He didn't fight his feelings, he just waited for Mia to be ready for him. I totally respected that.

I didn't understand a lot of Mia's hangups about a relationship with Nathan. I wish she had more faith in him as a partner but those were just little gripes in an otherwise, perfectly put together contemporary romance. I enjoyed seeing all of Mia's family and Nathan's too. I've been itching for a baseball romance so I'm going to look into reading Mia's brothers books since I haven't gotten around to them yet.

Overall, this story was refreshingly simple. It wasn't bogged down with angst and feelings and the characters didn't have any of that annoying push and pull crap. It was a straight up romance about two friends who fall in to love with each other and find a way to make it work. It was perfect for what I was in the mood for so I enjoyed it.

<strong>Grade: 3.75 out of 5</strong>

If you are looking for a strong sports romance series, you should check out Play-by-Play.

Nathan and Mia were already really good friends. Mia moves to the same city as Nathan and their longtime friendship starts to ignite with a sexual chemistry, that much to Mia’s dismay, they cannot ignore.

I enjoyed Mia’s and Nathan’s story but found the flow of the story was slowed down by sex talk.

Fun, passionate and full of sexual chemistry, we get a front row seat to the evolution of Mia’s and Nathan’s relationship into so much more.

I received this ARC copy of the Final Score from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Final Score is set for publication Sept 12, 2017.

My Rating: 4 Stars
Written by: Jaci Burton
Series: A Play-by-Play Novel
Sequence in Series: Book 13
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: September 12, 2017
ISBN-10: 0399585141
ISBN-13: 978-0399585142
Genre: Contemporary Woman Romance

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Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

5 likes

I love love love this series! And this is yet another great read. I loved reading Nathan’s story since we’ve ‘known’ him since the very first book and have had glances at him over the books. It was great to see a deep dive into his life and his relationship with Mia. I really loved Mia and getting to learn more about her was really interesting. I love the glimpses into the other members of the families from the series. A great mix of traditional romance and sexiness. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it (and the series itself)! You can’t go wrong with these books!

4.5 Stars The Final Score is another amazing addition to the Play by Play series. I loved Nathan and Mia, this passionate and sexy friend to lover’s story is wonderfully written and had me engaged through out. I will definitely be recommending this book

This book was enjoyable. I got invested in the characters. However, the writing was uneven. There were moments that it was really good and drew me in and other moments when I was bored or the writing felt choppy. I don't think I've read other books in this series, but it didn't matter. Even though there were a lot of characters from previous books, this book can still be followed without prior knowledge of those characters.

4 Stars
You want a sports romance... then you have to read Jaci Burton. She was one of the first authors I read who did this type of romance... and I was hooked. Her Play by Play series didn't disappoint... and it didn't hurt that the covers were worth the price of the books!
This time she has done the cool trick of having the second generation of main characters from the past... falling in love. They are good friends... and they are now in the sports field themselves... he, a player ... she has a sports management company. Both are ambitious, both are driven...and both think they can scratch their sexy itch without losing their friendship...
Right...
Fun Read.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley****

The Play by Play series are some of my favorite books. Sports romance is fun, and Jaci Burton writes them so well.

Nathan and Mia felt a little different to me than other stores in the series, and I think it was the idea that time had passed, that a character from one of the earlier books was the father of the hero in this. It was a risk for the author, as aging a character that readers enjoy is definitely going to get strong reactions. But, I liked it. And it worked well.

The sex was hot, the friends to lovers idea was so much fun as you really do believe that they like one another, that they are friends, and that they care about one another.

The book is well written and well paced, with characters you like and some fun recurring characters from earlier in the season. If you haven't read all of the books, it is ok and you will not lose the point of the story, but they were fun additions to the story for those who have read the others.

I enjoyed this title and I recommend it.

We've met both Mia and Nathan in previous series. He was the son of two previous protagonists while she is the sister of one. Since both those books, these two have become close friends and, one crazy night, lovers.
In this book, Mia is concentrating on starting up her business while Nathan is about to step into his father's shoes as the starting quarterback for the Sabers. Both are busy but still make time for each other... even as they're fighting off sexytime feelings for each other.
And most of the first part of the book is "we should have sex" "no we should just be friends," mostly on the part of a very wishy-washy seeming Mia. And it's her actions at the end of the book that knocked it down an entire star. It was great that Nathan called her on it, but based on her actions in most of this book, it made it hard for me to believe these two were going to get their HEA.

Two and a half stars
This book comes out September 2017

Reviewed for NetGalley:

So, it's been a few months since I've read any of the Jaci Burton Play by Play novels, and I was excited to see this offered as an ARC. It's a solid story, lots of internal drama along the lines of "Do I upset the relationship as it is NOW for maybe something better or worse down the road." So, if that's your thing, this book was full of it.

I had two small issues with this book. One is that I don't quite remember all the other characters, and they kept mentioning them, and it started to get a little confusing. And also it was resolved too quickly. I felt like it ended without a denouement. Like, here's the solution to the problem and it was over, without processing it. It ended abruptly. But, still, a solid Play by Play novel.