Alexa Martin continues to ground solid romances with real world concerns. The coverage of CTE alongside the glitz and glamour of professional football seen through the eyes of an underemployed single mom never overwhelmed the story, but did add a weightiness that let the lighter moments shine brighter. The stalker subplot was a little clunky, but added urgency. I look forward to more from this author!

I received this copy in exchange for my honest review. This was such a cute, funny book. It kept me entertained throughout and the friend group she had was amazing. The romance was wonderful. The little boy was adorable. It all came together perfectly! A nice, fun,refreshing new read

I love Alexa Martin's writing style , I read this ,like her other novel,in less than a day,it was such a quick read for me!


I loved Poppy,our main character, so so much ,I tought she was truly amazing but however I didn't like her choice in the last few pages,I mean I was kinda disappointed in her because I tought she deserved better but oh well.


I didn't like particularly the love interest, TK. At the beginning I tought he was cute and smooth but then 20% in it and I changed my mind thinking he was an asshole,then I tought he was just okay,but I really didn't like the things he said so mh not my fave.




Also can we talk about how pretty this cover is ,I'm literally obsessed with it !!

between a 3 and a 4 but bumping up to 4. didn't love this one as much as intercepted.

i was SO excited for this one. i really enjoyed Intercepted and I listen to a podcast that had Alexa Martin as a guest and she just seems super awesome and I want to be her friend. So I fully expected to love this one, I added it to my list as soon as it was on goodreads without even reading the synopsis.

so. second chance romances aren't always my jam. they aren't bad, and some authors do them really well, but the reason i don't love them is because sometimes, we don't get enough build up or background, we are just told they are in love and that is so not satisfying. that happens in this one, unfortunately. they see each other for the first time in 10 years and kiss that night, and while i don't mind a kiss or se in the first few chapters, i felt absolutely no connection or chemistry whatsoever. it was just words on a page. so i was like okay, let's get back to the story so i can feel the things. and it does get better, but i still never got that connection i was wanting - yeah we are told they love each other and all that, i just wish there was a bit more build up up, a bit more tension so we could fall in love too.

that really bummed me out, but not enough to detract from the rest of the book. realistic, realistic and likable characters, witty banter, fast paced, not a hashtag in sight - i really did enjoy this book. i just wish there was a teensy bit more build up in their relationship. it just meant i didn't care as much when things went down.

speaking of the conflict, i thought that was a bit weak - not the TK thing, the other thing. but whatever. I did like how the TK thing went down, i liked how strong Poppy was. Ace was adorable of course.

so overall, just a wee bit bummed in how the romance started, but other than that, this was enjoyable and well written and i will 100% read anything else alexa martin publishes.

one more thing - i know you're not supposed to quote ARCs but i will only do it here on netgalley and not on goodreads/amazon - 'I don’t want to be one of those women who judge other women based on their clothes.' .... as she's judging women based on their clothes. yes those women are bitches anyway but we only know that from Intercepted.

Great follow up the Intercepted! Fumbled features a single mom doing what she needs to do to get whats best for her and her son. I really enjoy having more contemporary romance featuring woman of color. Great read if you are into romance, urban fiction, or enjoy some of the reality shows on TV. My only critique is all the the eye rolling in the book, felt like a little too much.

Solid follow-up to Intercepted. Going in, I didn't realize it was a second chance romance with a single mom and a surprise kid. It's not usually a trope that's my cup of tea. But once again, Alexa Martin has created a vividly written heroine in Poppy Patterson. She's surrounded by a solid crew of supportive women with big personalities.

Some readers may have the same beef with TK Moore that they had with Gavin Pope, it's true he's not as 3-dimensional as Poppy. But these two have chemistry that crackles on the page, almost from the word go.

The single mom, second chance angle will appeal to many readers, but the real reason to come to this football romance is that Martin takes on CTE directly. BRAVO!

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. Wow, I really want to be best friends with Alexa Martin! Her writing style is so sharp and funny-it's rare to actually laugh out loud while reading and not just "lol" but this one had me laughing and feeling so much for the characters. Her writing has energy to it, and I thought this book was even better than her first. The characters had real problems, but were able to grow as the plot developed and not just keep getting in their own way the whole book.

This was a great romantic chick lit read! I was a little worried because I had t read the first book in the series (but it’s totally on my TBR list now), but it didn’t seem to make a difference. I immediately liked the main character Poppy. She was strong and independent, but still had her flaws and I like that she acknowledged that and was just trying to do her best for her son. I spent the first 50% of the book anticipating something drastic or bad to come, and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The book dealt with some real, tough issues both in the sports world and otherwise, and you could tell the author knew her information when writing about it. I did feel like a lot of drama was packed into the last quarter or so of the book - at times it felt a little rushed, but I also think that was because I didn’t want the book to end! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

As a sports fan and a romance lover I love reading sports romance books. I adored Intercepted and couldn't wait to read Fumbled. I am so happy to report that it did not disappoint.

I need a Poppy in my life. She doesn't take any shit, is super fun and a good mom. I wouldn't mind a TK in my life either....

TK frustrated me at times, especially with his not believing Poppy at first, but I get it. It's a tough pill to swallow. I thought he was good for Poppy, bring her out a little more. Poppy's son Ace was also amazing. Martin did a great job of writing a believable kid that didn't overtake or annoy the storyline.

Martin has extensive football knowledge and it shows. As a sports fan sometimes I read sports romance and roll my eyes because things don't work that way, but in both Fumbled and Intercepted I didn't have those moments. There is a through theme of CTE throughout the book, which I thought was handled well. It's a tough and scary topic and Martin brought it in to the book in a thoughtful way (which doubles as making her point about football and CTE as well).

I think it took me all book to feel like I nailed down what the characters look like. I'm not sure why (and it's not a judgement, just a comment) but Martin doesn't give a ton of character description. It did not change my enjoyment of the book, I just really like to picture the characters in my head as I'm reading.

If you are looking for authentic sports romance, Alexa Martin is your girl! Her stories are filled with believable and lovable characters. You won't want to put them down. While this is the second in the series, it can definitely be read as a standalone.

Fumbled is a great sequel. I love Poppy’s journey. She’s such a strong, independent woman who is resilient. I loved how she and TK fall into each other’s lives. Such a fun story with great personality, Would recommend to friends.

This is a great, fun story, quick read with passion and humor. I enjoyed the glimpse inside the world of NFL wives that wasn't from the tv reality point of view.

I loved Alexa Martin's first novel so was ecstatic to get the ARC of Fumbled. I enjoyed it, but felt like the characters moved to quickly and the story was somewhat forced. Still a great recommend for contemporary romance with diverse characters.

After reading Intercepted, I was excited to learn that this would be a series. I'll admit - I'm not a football fan, but I still enjoyed book 1 and was looking forward to the series. Book 2 (Fumbled) did not disappoint! Without giving too much away - the part of me that doesn't love football was so happy with the storyline in book 2. I'm so glad they tackled the issues of head injuries in football. It made this "lighter" read a bit deeper. I loved Poppy and that she's a single mom. I loved the brief glimpses we have into the characters from book 1, but this can DEFINITELY be read as a standalone. I'm already guessing at who will be our characters for book 3! For me, this was a much better read than book 1 and I'm so happy with the series! I'm not a huge fan of the suspense part of the storylines, but it is minimal enough that I can deal!

When I saw that Alexa had written another book, I was super excited! I loved Intercepted, I figured this would be just as good. I was not disappointed at all. It's like she went through all of my interests and ticked everyone off. Romance? Check. Football? Check. Hot guys? Double check! In all honesty, it read really well. It's fun and the relationships are endearing right away. You immeaditately love Poppy (amazing name choice), and you're rooting for her little family from the get go. TK..is well, read for yourself, you will not be disappointed! I was really impressed with the way she touched on the concussion issues that plague the league was a nice change from the usual romance fluff we're spoon fed. I can appreciate her point of view, having lived that herself. All in all, it's a fun read and I would definitely reccomend it!

Fumbled by Alexa Martin is the newest book in the Playbook series. Martin introduces us to Poppy, a single mom trying to make ends meet. She’s working at the club when she literally runs into TK, remember him from Intercepted? Yesss, TK has gotten his own book. These two were an item back in the day, and boy does Poppy have a big surprise for TK.

I enjoyed this book, despite it’s similarities to Intercepted. Poppy and Marlee are a lot alike. If you liked Marlee, you will like Poppy. Fumbled is a fast-paced romance that will have you rooting for these two to make up for lost time. If you enjoyed Intercepted, you will like this one as well.

A fun and funny romantic comedy set in a world I knew nothing about—the world of professional football. I found this funny and endearing, a fast and fun read that will make a great addition to beach bags everywhere this summer.

This sweet second chance romance manages to sidestep a lot of romance tropes about football players. (It tackles CTE, a shock in a romance book.) My complaint is that I found TK a little TOO unrealistically perfect and their romance came on a little quick....but I was rooting for them all the way.

This was an outstanding follow up to Intercepted. I love how bravely she tackled CTE. I've been talking to Alexa about being back on the podcast, but at the very least, I'll include it in our next What We're Reading roundup episode!

4.5 Stars
Alexa Martin's début novel, Intercepted, was one of my favorite books of 2018. I was very impressed with her writing and story telling abilities. Her characters and their story was so much fun. I have been eagerly awaiting her next book from the moment I finished the first one. I'm happy to report that Fumbled was just as good as Intercepted -- if not even better!!! That crazy because of how amazing Intercepted was.

Fumbled is the story of a single mother (Poppy) who is trying to make ends meat as a waitress at cabaret club. One night, her table contains the last man she ever wants to see again. TK is a famous football player and the father of her child -- a child he didn't want. Poppy wants nothing to do with TK, but he feels the exact opposite. Poppy has a hard time fighting her feelings for TK, and knows it's only time before she has to tell TK about the son they share.

This book had my attention from the get go. Poppy was such a fun character. I loved how strong and resilient she was. Poppy made the best out of the hand she was dealt and didn't complain. Her emotions were real and raw. I would have felt the same way she did. I could totally identify with how she put her son first.

As for Poppy's relationship with TK, it was filled with some great ups and downs. They not only had to navigate getting to know each other all over again, they had to learn to trust again. Add in learning to share a child, and there was a lot going on for them. I found their second chance romance very cute. I did wish a couple of times that I had TK's point of view. It would have been nice to know what he was thinking sometimes.

In case you have read Intercepted, I feel the need to point out that there were not any hashtags in this book. (There were a plethora in that one and they drove me nuts after a while.) There was only one small thing that bothered me with this book. I don't know if it's just a me thing or if others will make more notice of it with the foreshadowing. One of the big problems towards the end surprised me a bit. Like I said, it was foreshadowed, but I think it didn't hit as hard for me because I didn't get to know these characters before present day. I think if I had some previous knowledge of personality I might have felt a little more invested in this part of the story. Sorry to be vague. I don't want to give it away.

Overall, I adored Fumbled. It was one of those reads that made me not want to put the book down. I'm happy to have read it, but sad that I have to wait for the third book in this series.