I loved Matt from the first Red Card series book and was so excited for him to get his own story! It was everything I hoped for and more in this sports romance!

Matt and Parker's story was incredibly emotional and raw. The pull between these two on a professional and personal level was amazing! I loved their shared joy of the sport, their understanding and appreciation for the sacrifices and dedication it takes to make it on a professional level and the fact that relationships often take a back seat to the job. This made the bumps and stalls in the relationship so much more realistic.

The traumatic element of Parker's story gripped my heart and drew me to her character. I cringed and teared up as she wandered through her emotions and faced her demons. I appreciated how the author gave closure to the character and her experience.

This book kept my attention, had me giggling and left me swooning. Such a great read with wonderful characters, even Jagger redeemed himself a bit!

4.5 stars.
This was a very cute and interesting ride, i didn't read book nr 1. But the books are standalone so that is alright. I loved Matt and Parker's relationship from start to finish.

Kickin’ It is the second book in the Red Card series. I actually liked this one better than the first. It’s a sports romance, with the main characters being an agent and a soccer player. It also hit on the roommates and enemies tropes. Their banter was fantastic! The writing and pace of the book were impeccable.

All the characters from the previous book were seen in this one and I loved that. Matt was kind of a jerk in the beginning of this one, but then his true personality came out, and he was nice, protective, sweet and just an all around good guy. Parker was a great character. She had me from the very beginning. She was strong, driven, determined but also super weary about men based on a really bad past experience. This experience was a main focus of the book, and I won’t spoil it, but I will say it was handled exceptionally well. This is another solid read from an always consistent author and I would definitely recommend it.

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

An enjoyable story, but for me I was missing the chemistry here, I just wasn’t feeling it for the main characters. The tale was good and well written, but without chemistry I just couldn’t connect with it well enough.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I am beginning to have a feeling that Rachel Van Dyken can never write a bad book. Like never. Because I just fall in love with her writing a bit more with each new story. Kickin' It turned up the heat along with her brilliant witty banter. And I have another unforgettable story from her.

This story is a complete opposite of her last book Debase which was a dark mafia romance. And she steps into the realm of a sweet, sexy and funny contemporary sports romance like a queen. Matt and Parker literally knocked it out of the park. Matt is the best sports agent around but he has no personal life. No love, no commitment, nothing. Enter Parker. A talented soccer player who desperately needs his help to go pro. But ( and there will a lot of these buts) she is his sister's best friend. She is also the woman Matt cannot stop thinking about. She also has the burden of her past filled with guilt, shame, insecurity and anxiety. They start on the wrong foot. Soon they start to have difficulty coping with the flood of emotions. Matt wants to protect her, cherish her and give her the world. Can they have it all?


I love Parker. The idea of making thr heroine a player with lots of rage and attitude was a refreshing and unique idea. This woman is the epitome of strength and survival. I respect her, adore her and find her absolutely inspiring. She is not perfect. But all her trauma and scars made her more beautiful. And then we have Matt. The male POV chapters were real gems. He can be arrogant, bitter and judgemental asshole but when he gives his love, he is all in. And I love this man with his faults and achievements. The chemistry is simply stunning. Sometimes I was chuckling, sometimes I laughed out loud, sometimes I swooned and sighed anf sometimes I was heartbroken over their mutual pain. The crazy attraction was burning the pages. I loved meeting some of my favourites from Risky Play.


Rachel Van Dyken's stories never have a single dull moment. She hooked me and lured me in from the first page. And I couldn't let the story go even after finishing it. It was perfect balance of humour, angst and swoonworthy feelings. It was a story of true love and it's true strength. An exceptionally well written, heart rending and awe inspiring love story!

Received ARC for Honest Review

I had so much fun reading this book until 70 something percent. It started to drag. I skipped a couple chapters and read the end. The beginning really hooked me. The heroine is an athlete. That’s not something that is totally common. The hero is a sports agent. I loved seeing his relationship with his sister and clients. I loved many of the secondary characters. They had such great personalities. Up until that point, I was having a good time. Maybe it has more to do with me than the book.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

Kickin' It was a great read. I loved it alot! I loved Matt and Parker. I loved their chemistry, connection and banter. They were just perfect together! I also really loved Willow, Jagger and Slade! Definitely recommend this!

This was one of those novels that Rachel is known for. There were moments when you found yourself laughing out loud, there were moments when a scene just resonates with you, and there were moments when you just scratched your head and went "well that was easy".

I enjoyed seeing Matt again as he was one of my favorites from the first novel. Even Jagger seemed to come across as less of a jerk than he did before (although that could have something to do with the fact that he wasn't acting like a dog fighting for a bone in this one). I enjoyed "meeting" Willow and Parker. Willow was a spunky, see what she wants and takes it kind of person. She knew how to stand up to her brother, but she also had the smarts to back it up. Parker was .... an interesting contradiction. On one hand she has this reputation that proceeds her. She was caught in a scandal of her own making - but it wasn't without justification. However instead of meeting her demons head on and dealing with them, she uses that 'hot tempered' persona to hide.

Once the truth comes out (and honestly it was pretty easy to spot head on what that truth was), there was a huge potential for her to stand up and make a difference. And yet, before it came to that, there was a plot twist that eliminated the problem for her. To me, that was a bit of a let down as I would have liked to have seen her face off with her demons and have it resolved that way instead of the way it was. I also would have liked to have seen more of a conflict of interest story-line come into play once Matt and Parker began exploring what was between them.

Overall, those who enjoy this author will no doubt enjoy this story. I also believe it will appeal to those who enjoy sports related stories. I would read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I love Kickin' It. The chemistry is sizzing between Parker and Matt. Matt is this amazing agent/ex soccer star. Parker is a soccer star on the rise looking for help to go pro. The dynamic between them is amazing. Matt doesn't let Parker slack in training. You can feel the fight of attraction between them. Parker is amazing with everything she has gone through. You understand her hesitation to come forward about what happened to her. Can i say how much I love Matt's sister Willow and his client Jagger in this. You'll laugh, you'll swoon and you maybe struck in the heart with this one. Kickin' It is such a fantastic read that I couldn't put down. For all you sport romance lovers out there pick this one up.

I absolutely loved Parker and Matt. Some of the interactions between these two and the other characters had me laughing. Then there is Parker's past. It's emotional and something she needs to work through to move on to the future she wants. With all that plus the forbidden romance between Parker and Matt, I didn't want to put it down.

I will start by saying I am a big fan of Rachels work. I have been following her career for some time now. So anytime I get an opportunity to read her books for an honest review I jump on it.
In this story we have Matt and Parker. Matt is a world renowned sports agent and Parker is a girl trying to make her dreams of becoming a Soccer Star a reality. When faced with the opportunity to meet Matt and wow him into becoming her agent, Parker will do just about anything. Having a best friend who also happens to be Matts baby sister also has its perks. With a dark past holding her back Matt and his crew try to push through her walls to get her ready for the team tryouts of her dreams. Only Parker can get Matt to come out of retirement to train her for success. With ups and downs and twists and turns Matt and Parker struggle to make it to the top. Hopefully they can do it and succeed together.
What a story!!!!!!!! I will honestly say this story was slow moving for me. I struggled with it for the first half. I like books that suck you in from the beginning but for some reason I didn't get that with this book. The light hearted banter made me giggle but the juicy meat of it didn't happen until a while into the book. Call me picky but I don't like when a book rushes and I can't stand it when a book moves too slow. However, this does not mean I didn't like this book. Since I was already introduced to the majority of the characters in a previous book I wanted to see what was going to happen. I will say this was not my favorite from Rachel though. To me all her books are obviously worth reading. This one just didn't make the top of my list. Do I want to read the next book in the series? ABSO-FREAKING- LUTELY!!!! I just feel I didn't connect with these characters as I did in her other books. However this is all just personal preference and I would still recommend this series to my friends.

RVD writes characters that I totally fall in love with every single time and each time they became my new faves.

Parker wants to make it on a pro soccer team, but she’s become controversial and is known for her temper. We soon discover that her anger is her shield as she’s keeping secrets and hiding her low self esteem and anxiety due to a event that happened in her final year at college.

Matt is one of the biggest sports agents out there and is also Parker’s best friend’s older brother. Matt ends up agreeing to be not only her agent, but her coach, and that’s when we get to see the sparks fly...anger, frustration and attraction sparks. There’s just enough slow burn to make the inevitable fire that much hotter!

I cheered for Parker when she bravely faced her demons, found her inner strength and became an amazing inspiration. The banter and interactions between all the characters is wildly entertaining! This story is angsty, heartbreaking, funny, sweet, steamy...it had it all!

This was a fun, quick read which was exactly what I needed after reading some action-packed thrillers. The author delivered a book that was equally funny and sexy, but what I was not expecting was the emotional depth of the story and it’s cast of characters. I always love the banter and camaraderie between her characters in all of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for a copy of Rachel Van Dyken's "Kickin' It" in exchange of an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Netgalley. This is the second book of the Red Card series. It is a standalone but you are missing out if you don't read all of this series.
Parker has a dark history and for that reason she doesn't trust anyone. Especially guys of power. She is an up and coming soccer star and just needs to find the right agent. One she can trust.
Matt can't get his sister's best friend off of his mind. There is something about her that draws to him. Something hidden in those sad eyes. Can he be more than just her agent/coach?
I love this series and definitely can't wait for Jagger's book! 5+ ⭐

Kickin' it is a sports game romance about an agent and his newly signed client. It's fun, sexy, angsty and a little dramatic. The plot is captivating with a few secrets and suspense. It's well written and it balances out the emotional part with the funny one. The characters are great in this book as well and their stories are quite surprising. Also, it contains a very important social message. My favorite parts were the whistle moments and the scene between Jagger and Matt. It can be read as a standalone but I would suggest reading the first as well for better understanding the characters. I highly recommend this and I will rate it with 4.5 stars.

THIS FREAKIN' SERIES! I am here for it! Seriously, I love the explosive attraction between characters. Rachel Van Dyken does a wonderful job of creating characters with such realistic depth. They've been through experiences that make them relatable, and just add to their connections. When Matt was introduced in the first book, Risky Play, I fell in love with the dynamic between him, Slade, and Jagger. They are his clients, but also his friends, and they all mess around with each other is the best way. I was pretty excited to get his story in this book. I wasn't expecting his love interest to be so amazing. Parker is determined, smart, and coping in the aftermath of trauma.

I couldn't put this book down. They both have their reasons to hold back, which makes the journey to each other that much better. It's almost like an enemies to lovers story with how hard they go at each other in the beginning. But I think my favorite part is witnessing Matt's fall through all of his actions along the way. I sincerely recommend this series!!!

We first meet Matt in Risky Play. I loved his character. Then add in Parker and you have a hit on your hands. Or a kick, if you will ;) Strong, intriguing characters and storyline. Kept my interest from beginning to end. Would definitely recommend.

4 Stars

I loved Matt and Parker’s story!!

Matt is a top sports agent, he is concentrating on his career and has no time for anyone but his sister and his clients who happen to be his best friends.

Parker has not has the easiest year, she keeps her secrets from everyone but when she meets Matt things start to come out that she doesn’t want to.

Can Matt help Parker beat her demons and get the career she has always dreamed of?

Kickin’ It is a fun, wild, novel about a struggling female football player and an uber rich and successful sports agent that mixes forbidden love with a huge hit of sports romance.

Matt Kingston doesn’t want to help Parker, he doesn’t want to be drawn to her, her gorgeous looks, her crazy talent, or her broken spirit. But he is. Parker doesn’t want to fall for Matt and his charms as she knows all too well what can happen when you relinquish that kind of power to a superior.

Kickin’ It is full of crazy energy and loads of drama. Parker is pretty clearly absolutely broken by past trauma which is apparent from the beginning. They both struggle for a long time with their growing feelings and the result is a hell of a lot of angst. If that’s your jam, you’ll love Kickin’ It. They’re loud, and surrounded by just as loud crazy friends making for a wild and high emotion ride, is it hate, is it love, is it both?

Unfortunately for me angst isn’t totally my jam so whilst I enjoyed the story I did find the craziness a bit hard to deal with by the end of the book. Matt and Parker were pretty level with each other most of the time which was great and enjoyable to read, but when things kicked off (especially as they were getting to know each other) they kicked off. For this reason the side characters also felt pretty one dimensionally crazy loud annoying trope characters for me so that distracted from the main story in my case.

Matt also took so long to clue into the fact that Parker was clearly suffering from a recent traumatic experience and it left me feeling like he was a bit blinded by her looks. Though when he worked it out he was so sweet.

Things came together with both Matt and Parker fighting for each others, happiness and dreams and I loved the resolution to their wild ride of a story.

If you’re one for angst, then high recommendation and even if you aren’t like me I’d still give it a shot! - nice soccer pun for the end there ;).

4.5 Stars for Kickin’ It book 2 in the Red Card Series of stand-alone sports romances.
Matt Kingston successful, high profile sports agent who things he can handle anything well that was before Parker Speedman arrives on his doorstep carrying cookies......
Parker is friends with Matt’s sister Willow and she is in desperate need of a friend as well as a sports agent. She is young and talented so why are all the woman’s soccer teams having to bribed to consider letting her try out for them........
Matt is convinced to take on Parker by his sister who also manages to convince him into letting her move in with them, that was the first mistake agreeing to let this gorgeous woman live under the same roof maybe training her daily will burn off all this sexual tension and that was the second mistake. Parker should be off limits she is my client and my little sisters best friend.............
The banter between all of the characters have me laughing out loud, the chemistry is sizzling, the hero is swoon worthy and the heroine is a sassy strong woman who is also vulnerable once you get to know her. Kickin’ It has the perfect mix of love, passion, humour and secrets and I’m sure it’s a book any romance lover will want to read.