I love this series, and it just keeps getting better with each installment. These books make me both laugh out loud and swoon. I can’t get enough of this author!

I had seen a few reviews who weren't so keen on this part of the series, but call me a shallow reader of you must, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The premise follows very closely to the first two books, will they/won't they-they do!..-but then break up...-and then they reconcile. I loved getting to know Maxwell, I just wish there was a part written in with him really explaining why he was Maxwell to Brynn and not just Max. Also, friendship redemption arcs? I dig.

4.5

Despite being friends with quite a few of the WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends) of the Denver Mustangs, Brynn Larson is almost determined not to follow suit. Despite the enticing Maxwell Lewis, defensive back for the Mustangs, checking off all the boxes in what she is attracted to in a man. Brynn is determined not to go there and after an uncomfortable confrontation at her place of work it makes it easier to keep her distance.

However, Maxwell has been attracted to Brynn from afar from the moment he first saw her. As he slowly works his way back into her good graces, what starts as a tentative friendship turns into so much more, but will continued secrets and half-truths be their ultimate downfall?

I came into this series with Fumbled, but I had no problem picking up the story. They each stand on their own really well, but was nice, now that I know the characters, to see all the familiar faces pop up again.

Besides Maxwell and Brynn, I absolutely loved the friendship and interactions between the WAGS. Just the bond the women have. How they'll stand up for each other no matter what. While there were a few small(er) moments of slight female disputes, these are quickly reconciled and it's really nice seeing a welcoming, strong group of women first and foremost. I've read about strong females and female friendships before, but Alex Martin just really makes these friendships so easily accessible. There's no doubt about the devotion each of these women have for one another even when they may not agree with each other, they're supportive of one another.

Now, Maxwell was something else all together. I absolutely loved his shy, humbled demeanor. How he clearly loves what he does, but doesn't do it for the spotlight or the recognition. He's very lowkey. He's, dare I say, reserved? Which is a word I don't think I've ever used to describe a romantic hero before. I loved it, I loved him, I loved Maxwell and Brynn together.

Brynn is kind of the polar opposite. She's quirky and goofy. She sometimes just blurts things out without thinking, but she's also kind, caring, and conscious of people's feelings. She's a smart and savvy business woman who realized that women needed somewhere they could feel 100% comfortable, hence the idea for HERS. She still carries hurt around due to her mother abandoning her at a very impressionable age, and she's tried her hardest to keep herself from becoming like her mother, someone who leaves the people they are supposed to love unconditionally. What she doesn't recognize, though, is that she's the furthest thing from her mother. The relationship with Maxwell really opens her eyes to the fact that she can have a relationship, she's not predetermined to leave those that she loves. She just needs to open herself up.

Blitzed was a near perfect read for me. I was ready to hand out 5 stars easy. The only thing keeping it from reaching that full 5 stars was something that occurs towards the end of the book that I just couldn't get behind, both because I felt it was supremely unwarranted and because it happens to quickly there's little to no development of the after-effects. Readers are supposed to believe that the story has been building up to this moment from the beginning, and I understand that, but it's the reaction that happens that was incongruous with previous events. Sorry to be vague, but avoiding spoiler territory as much as possible here.

Overall, though, Blitzed is a great read. Alex Martin has crafted a wonderful series. I feel like Brynn's story closes things out nicely, howevermuch I'd love to read more about the Lady Mustangs. Regardless, wherever Alexa Martin goes next, I will follow.

Brynn Larson is the owner of the female-centric bar HERS where the Denver Mustangs WAGS hang out to watch their men play. Being on their reality show has brought notoriety and fans to her business and given her a solid group of ladies to call friends. Star player and shy guy Maxwell Lewis, has admired Brynn from the sidelines long enough and has decided to step up his game and make his play, but his past creates mixed signals that gun-shy Brynn has a hard time reading and isn’t sure she wants to open herself up to more betrayal.

Yes, once again I picked up a book in the middle of a series. However, this time instead of feeling a bit confused I was intrigued by all of these strong women and immediately went into my Overdrive app to look up the previous two books and bookmarked them. I haven’t read any previous Alexa Martin books before but I love her style of writing! Brynn had depth but she was also really funny, and her fictional friends were more solid than the RHONY group you see on reality TV, and a LOT more hilarious!

I was really intrigued by the concept of Brynn’s bar HERS. Created for women to hang out and be themselves, make friends, and stop being so harsh with each other is awesome! I wish I had a neighborhood bar like this one! Brynn also had quite a bit of depth in her character. Being abandoned by her mother gave her strong opinions about relationships and what she would and would not put up with and Maxwell was smart enough to see that he’d have to work through her protective shell to win the prize within.

Brynn wasn’t the only one who had some depth, Maxwell also had a secret in his past which isn’t revealed until almost 3/4’s of the way through the book. Surprisingly I didn’t get annoyed at his waffling and instead was intrigued. I think it was because the author did such a great job of making him such a nice, sweet guy. I really bought into his good character. I love these fictional good guys, it seems a rarity in a book world of too many alpha males!

I thought Blitzed was thoroughly enjoyable with just enough meat in the story to make it feel real. Brynn also had a solid group of female friends that were fun, funny, and loving. I’m a sucker for female friendships in romance novels! Since I started this series in book #3, I’m excited to go back and read the first two and re-introduce myself to this group of gals and hear their individual stories. I love finding a new to me author! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

I do not know if I am more in love with Alexa Martin or her characters. I mean honestly, she has built this whole world of amazing girl bosses and upstanding athletes. Her balance of football, real life, and fun shenanigans continues to be aces in Blitzed. Honestly, this series IS sports romance. It’s the absolute epitome of it.


Listen, I would only work at a bar like HERS because Brynn is the kind of millennial woman we need in charge. Her loyalty to all her Lady Mustang friends, her fierceness in dominating a male-centric profession, and her ability to just make you giggle are the tip of the iceberg on why she is amazing. I have loved her since book one and I was ecstatic to see her through her happiness.


Maxwell. Yeah, he is one of those quiet but strong types and honestly everything he says is delicious. I hung off of his every word and you cannot tell me otherwise about how in reality I couldn’t because he is fictional. Not to mention, he has this complete and thorough adoration for Brynn from the beginning. What kind of man calls his lady “Boss?” Maxwell. Maxwell does and it is the hottest and most progressive bit of nicknaming I have seen.
I can never say enough about this whole series and I completely understand why it got picked up for a tv show. I cannot wait to see what Martin comes up with next and I will be waiting to watch the show!

One of the things I was really looking forward to was more of Alexa Martin's humorous dialogue. It never fails to make me laugh out loud and put a smile on my face. Make no mistake, I was entertained by that aspect and had no problems with boredom. Funny banter between the football players and the WAGs has been a staple in the series. In Blitzed, it was a case of too much of a good thing. It got to the point while reading where I felt that too much of the book centered around the heroine's interactions with the Lady Mustangs, and going places/doing things that didn't move the plot forward at all. The romance has neglected which caused it to feel superficial-especially after what happened during the big conflict at the end. Not only did that seem contrived, but it was really upsetting.

I loved Maxwell. He was a sweet, introverted guy who was very down to earth. He didn't let fame go to his head, instead using his celebrity to help children with his own foundation. He's an all-around good guy that everyone seems to collectively like. Right away I connected to him and fell for the way he silently crushed over Brynn. He's that quiet, modest guy who will always be there when you need him. Which is why his violent outburst in the beginning of the book is really bizarre and out of character. When he destroys some property one night while at Brynne's bar, HERS, you know there had to be something seriously emotionally wrong to cause it. Which brings me to the first hint of issue with the plot. I kept waiting for this to be brought up again. He apologizes, pays for the damages, and then it's like the entire thing evaporated from the heroine's head. Wouldn't you think if you started dating the man who did something like that, it would concern you?

Then he asks her out on a date. There is an incident where she suspects he's arranging a hook up at his hotel when he excuses himself to take a call. But does she communicate with him about it? No. She confides in her friends, they say not to worry, and then it's forgotten. This is a common issue through the book. She has trust issues because of her mom, he has some sort of mysterious issue with his brother. Yet they are only briefly contemplated through the book and then promptly ignored. Zero communication between the two of them about these things, and the self reflection was basically non-existent. Their personal issues were skimmed over in favor of sexy times and laughs with their friends. Which is all well and good, but I read romance for the actual romance. At first I thought that this was just a slow burn situation between them as their friend faze dragged past halfway. Not the case. Once they did get together as a couple, things continued on in the same manner.

Brynn may not have known any details, but she was firmly warned about his character. So why in the world would Brynn push Eloise to date this man? Honestly, it's like what he said went in one ear and out the other. Way to look out for your fellow female. I get that she had issues with her because she was hitting on Max, but to get rid of her by distracting her with a possibly dangerous man?? I did not get that at all. Her actions weren't adding up to me. Up until this point I was digging on Brynn a lot. She owns her own bar that caters to women, she's snarky and intelligent, and she's a take charge boss lady. But there were moments where boss lady crossed over to weirdly bossy and it didn't work for me. Like when she and Max were on a road trip and she was telling him what he was allowed to eat. Or that he could choose the music IF she approved. It came off as rude rather than funny or cute, which started to niggle at my nerves.

The mystery of Max's brother finally comes out around 90% in the book. Without going into specifics, his brother Theo shows up to cause drama at the bar. She listens to everything the man says and swallows every word of it. This man whom she was told to never be alone with. She automatically, without hesitation chooses to believe his words over the man she claims to be in love with. Proving that she has a disastrous level of trust in him and worse, doesn't even realize her mistake on her own. She has to be BASHED over the head with logic by her father and the Lady Mustangs before reluctantly seeing what was in front of her face all along. Every one of her loved ones gave him their unconditional trust, but she couldn't because of reasons. When she blamed him for her lack of trust because he never confided in her, I couldn't believe it. Communication is a two-way street, lady. I was so fed up with her by this point.

There should have been groveling after her actions because that was a MAJOR screw up on her part, and the entire rushed event got brushed under the rug by him. If I had one criticism of Max, it would be that he was too nice at times. As much as I loved him, he should have held her more accountable when she hurt him the way she did. For a large portion of the book I would have given this a three despite my plot issues, but then the ending happened and there wasn't any recovering from it. I do really like this author's writing style, unfortunately this particular story was a bit of a disappointment. I felt a definite lack of connection to the characters' romantic relationship which is more than a minor issue for me personally. You can't love them all though, and I still look forward to seeing what's next in the Playbook series.

I really enjoyed the past books in the series and Blitzed was no exception! Brynn and Maxwell's friendship to lovers was exactly what I wanted and I love this trope. This story showcases lots of strong friendships, football games and a bit of intrigue. I flew through this book I was very hooked into this storyline! I look forward to reading more from Alexa Martin!
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this for an honest review. Another hit from Alexa Martin-I really want to go to HERS and share a cocktail with her! I love her sense of humor and candid writing style-and the inside look at professional athletes lives'. It is helpful to have read the other books in this series, but not necessary. That said, knowing who the Lady Mustangs are and their stories adds to the enjoyment of the book.

ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review

This was my first Alexa Martin read, so even though i have not read the previous books, I did not feel that I was missing too much.

Now, what can I say about this book? Hmmm, I was really looking forward to it and was excited to read it, however it fell flat. I didn't really feel any chemistry between Brynn and Maxwell, and I felt myself wanting to skip ahead as it just plodded along. I was waiting for something to happen.

I liked Maxwell, however I didn't really find myself liking Brynn much at all. She tries to come across as a big, strong, feminista of a woman, but she doesn't pull it off. I am all for girl power, however this just.. wasn't.

What I did like was the bonds between the Lady Mustangs, the way they have each other's backs and the way they are always there for each other.

This was a a miss, but i will go back and read the first books eventually.

Bar owner Brynn Larson has been living her dream by owning an establishment called HERS which is geared to toward women who enjoy good drinks and watching sports without having guys mansplaing or taking up all the best seats. She had been quite successful especially since the local pro football’s Lady Mustangs have made HERS their watering hole. The gals have embraced Brynn as one of their own; this glamorous and sometimes goofy group of women have determined that Brynn needs a man. And not just any man but one Maxwell Lewis who despite his hulk and NFL fame, seems quite shy and not at all part of the glam life.

Maxwell had been eyeing Brynn for years now and before he can finally make a move, he does something to further torpedo any hope of a relationship. Brynn’s friends are determined though to get these two crazy kids together so much interference, and not of the football kind, happens to push them towards each other. Brynn has some abandonment issues because of a bad parent so she has spent most of her adult life eschewing any kind of permanent relationship. Maxwell finally makes his move only to be tackled by some issues from his past that threaten their fragile, newly formed personal huddle.

Brynn’s group of women friends, who are sisters, presents an attractive dynamic for being part of such an extended family where love, laughter and sometimes mischief rule. Ms. Martin’s writing is clever and engaging with a good mix of humor, romance, and the drama that follows the ups and downs of relationships for those in the spotlight. This is the third story in the Playbook series from Alexa Martin who has the inside track on the lives of football players, their women.

I am just going to dive into this one. I have read the previous books in this standalone series, and I enjoyed them. I was looking forward to reading this one. 

Let's just rip the band-aid off from the go. Listen, I am all girl power and all, but I have my limitations. I love a strong woman. What I don't like is a weak woman, cloaked as a strong woman with a strong feminist personality. And that is who Brynn is in this book. She is the epitome of an overbearing feminist. Too many times I found myself rolling my eyes, and saying 'come on already'. I just couldn't with her. Instead of being a strong woman, her high fixation on feminism made her come across as weak. She hid behind her feminist beliefs, and I couldn't have been more annoyed by it.

Aside from the latter, I enjoyed the overall story. I loved Maxwell's character. He definitely needed to be a strong character to put up with Brynn. I will admit, they complimented one another. He brought her down to earth one step at a time. Their friendship to lovers story is definitely one that made me smile.

This book did not disappointed. I loved the first two books in this series, and this was no exception. A satisfying third entry into this series by Alexa Martin. I raced through it, and was disappointed when I was through only because it was over.

I’ve really enjoyed the other books in the Playbook series and while I did like Blitzed, I didn’t think it was quite as good as the others were.

I have been looking forward to Brynn’s story for awhile now. I was glad we finally got to learn a little more about her, but she wasn’t as likable as I expected her to be. She was really hardworking and dedicated to her job and cared a lot about her friends and father, which are all good characteristics. But I also found her kind of shallow, materialistic, and a little pervy. She also had kind of extreme reactions to things that I found frustrating, especially when it came to the big final conflict. I found Maxwell more likable, but didn’t feel like we ever got to know him very well. I also liked seeing the characters from the previous books again, especially TK and Poppy.

There’s a bit of a mystery involving Maxwell’s relationship with his brother, Theo. Theo keeps popping up trying to find Maxwell and Maxwell just keeps telling Brynn not to talk to him. With how many times this is brought up, I thought the conclusion to that plotline deserved a little more attention than it got. It basically provided a couple chapter’s worth of unnecessary drama with Brynn and a small bit of commentary on a current social issue, and that’s it.

Overall, Blitzed was just ok for me. I did ship the romance between Brynn and Maxwell, but I wasn’t as into them as I were the other couples from previous books. This is still definitely worth the read for fans of the series, though, and I am looking forward to more from Martin.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

What a great series ender! I loved the relationships between all of the females in this story and In many ways rivaled their central romance. Maxwell was such a kind, sweet hero and Brynn had so much spunk and I really enjoyed her as well! I’m so sad to see this series end but cannot wait to see what the author comes out with next!

I loved the first two Playbook stories and was excited to see Brynn getting her own book. Brynn was such an important part of Poppy and Marlee's HEAs. She was all about women helping women, and I was so happy to see her finally get her own HEA.

Brynn was driven and determined. Her desire to create a place for women by women was something I really admired about her, but deep down, she was dealing with some really deep wounds due her mother's abandonment, and this kept her from having any real romantic relationships. I was glad Maxwell came along and was able to break through her walls. He formed a genuine connection with her, that went beyond attraction. I found their romance very tender and sweet, and I was totally onboard that ship.

As much as I enjoyed the romance, I LOVED the focus on our Lady Mustangs. All three books featured a great female friendship, but I feel like Martin really put this one on center stage. I had the best time with these ladies, and Vonnie was such a break out star in this book. I just love that woman! Going to games, having drinks, and even being at the filming for the reality show, Love the Player, made me giddy, because these ladies knew how to have a good time, and they also knew how to be stupendous friends.

I got a little emotional during the epilogue. There was a scene, where Brynn was standing, hand-in-hand, with Marlee and Poppy, and it felt a bit final to me. I am not sure if this was the last book in the Playbook series, but if it was, I really enjoyed getting to be part of this world. HOWEVER, I do hope there will be more Playbook stories in my future, and that I will get to spend even more time with the fantastic Lady Mustangs.

Blitzed, the 3rd in the Playbook series, is just as good as the first two. It's sexy, it focuses on timely issues, and as great as the romance is, it's almost as fun to watch the friendships between Brynn and the Lady Mustangs. I never would have thought I'd be this into a football romance series, but I do love it so much.

I didn’t like this one as much as the second in the series. I didn’t believe that the heroine would take the word of one character over another when she had built trust with the hero.

I loved Brynn, I loved the friendships, I loved the slow burn that turns super sexy...but there's a pretty serious issue that finally gets explained, then basically explained away extremely late (at like 90%) in the book. Given what we know about assault /assault allegations in the NFL, I was surprised and disappointed that it was so easily explained away to achieve the happily ever after. And given how Brynn reacts to the whole scenario, the HEA was a little hard to believe at that point.

3.5

I am thoroughly enjoying all the books from Alexa Martin. This is the latest book in the series about the Mavericks, a professional football team. The story focuses mainly on the wives/significant others. These ladies are funny & sassy and some of the dialogue makes me lauhh out loud. We get a behind the scenes look at professional football, specifically the wives organization. Some of these characters are hysterical.
I definitely recommend these #HEA books, they are a quick, funny and sassy read.

This third in the Playbook series carries on the entertaining thread of previous stories with the so-satisfying reappearance of the characters and their matches that readers have come to love. Pro football, real friends, and living life make this a great read.

This story's focus is on Brynn, the owner of HERS bar and the focus of Maxwell in previous books. Brynn's character has been identified with a little more cursing than the other ladies, and that characteristic stands out in this latest.

As always, the romance is satisfying and the development of the characters tells and engaging story. The author makes another strong contribution to a diverse reading environment where color lines don't aren't barriers.

I would definitely recommend that the series be read in order - each book gives such pleasure by author Alexa Martin's reliable crafting.

Pub Date: 03 Dec 2019   Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview!