I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There are several ways in which Martin's newest book succeeds, but the last section of the book completely null and voids any gems from the first part of the novel. I appreciate that Martin has created a world where women whose interests fall into the culturally denigrated bucketed titled "basic" --binging reality television, wearing Swarovski crystals, drinking fruity cocktails, and gossiping-- are honored and loved. But, none of that will ever distract me from a disrespectful rape subplot.

Let me explain without spoilers:
One of the external conflicts in Martin's book is the return of a villian from the hero's past. This character brings with him a twisted story of college sexual assault in an effort to discredit the hero. Well, the heroine makes a very large decision based on the information this character brings with them. But do you know who Martin does not bring into the story? The victim. We never hear from the victim, we only hear from the two men who orbit the story.

For me, Martin's choice to literally bar the victim from entering the story reads as disrespectful. In this post-Weinstein age, we must center the victims and survivors in stories of violence. Martin not only fails to center the victim, but her story of violence and healing is only shared to add context to the hero's characterization.

Final review: One star
Recommendation: After reading this book, immediately read Chanel Miller's "Know My Name" memoir to learn more about how victims/survivors of college sexual violence heal.

<em>Blitzed</em> is the third book in Alexa Martin's <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/series/the-playbook/" target="_blank">The Playbook</a> series. It follows the owner of the women's bar, Hers, Brynn Larson as she falls in love with Denver Mustang, Maxwell Lewis. Their story wasn't an easy story because it just about ended before it even started and the telling of this story is on the slow side so it was hard to stay invested in what was the characters were going through because of that. I spent a huge chunk of this book waiting for something, anything to happen and when things started to pick up, I had almost given up on the story as a whole.

In the previous book, I liked Brynn a great deal. I loved the idea behind her bar, Hers, and I really loved her personality but I struggled with her in this book when she's front and center of all of the action. She was really whiny and I didn't understand why for a lot of this book and I wasn't a big fan of the conflict between them. When we first see these two together, Maxwell receives a phone call that shakes him up pretty bad that he behaves in a way that scares the crap out of Brynn but instead of being scared, Brynn gets mad. I could have understood that and even accepted it but it came off as too whiny and it bugged the snot out of me. Don't even get me started on the Theo thing.

Then there was Maxwell. When we first meet him, my initial thought was that he was a sweetie pie. A giant teddy bear with a heart of gold but then that scene at Hers happens and we spend quite a long time not knowing what happened to cause him to lose his shit the way that he did and if I'm being honest, I didn't dig that whole thing. I didn't dig the fact that he threw his phone and nearly took Brynn's head off, I didn't like that he spent a long-ass time not being able to talk about everything but even though there were times when I wanted to shake some sense into Maxwell, I never hated him. I never wanted him to not get his shit together and get the girl in the end but I don't know, I guess I just wanted a different story for Brynn and Maxwell.

I will say that Alexa Martin brought the magic with the female friendships, and the whole reality shows stuff because I adored all of that. I loved how strong the friendships between all of the Mustangs women were. I loved how supportive they were of each other and how sure I was that they each had each other's backs. They were loyal to each other and they cared and you saw it. You felt it. You understood it. That was my favorite thing about this book and even though the romance didn't live up to the hype that I gave it leading up to my reading the book, I'm still looking forward to more books in this series. I'm crossing my fingers that we'll get more books and that we'll get a book for Eloise.

3.25 out of 5

I had two issues with this book:

1) Max throws his phone early in the book and barely misses hitting Brynn. It was a huge red flag, and one that I could not get over.

2) Brynn believes Theo for no reason. Yeah, Max couldn't talk about the case, but she just takes Theo's word as the truth.

I did enjoy the Lady Mustangs and girl crew, but it was not enough to save the book for me. This was a big disappointment.

4.5 stars— there isn’t much that excites me more than a new book by Alexa Martin, and Brynn and Maxwell’s story didn’t disappoint. Yes to everything in this book— especially if you love miscommunication, enemies to lovers, sports romances, romances that really build out the supporting characters, and a badass boss lady heroine.

Martin is an auto buy for me, and if you like rom com AT ALL, she should be for you too, because she’s one of the very best in the genre— now or ever.

4.5/ 5 stars

Blitzed is the third book in the Playbook series. This is a series of interconnected standalone books. Each book has its own female narrator. But a lot of the supporting characters are in all of the books.

This book is a sports contemporary romance (football). It is sexy. But it is also funny and has a romantic comedy/Chick lit vibe.

I have read both Intercepted and Fumbled and really liked them both. So I was so anxious to get to read this third book in the series. I adore these books and I absolutely love that the author was an NFL wife. So she knows exactly what she is writing about.

The narrator of this book is 32 year old Brynn (1st person POV). She was in both of the previous books. Her best friend is Marlee (narrator of book one). She owns HERS (the bar where a lot of the scenes in the previous books take place).

The epilogue of Fumbled was about Brynn and Maxwell. It seems to be the same timeline as chapter one of Blitzed.

The story takes place in Denver and is centered around the Denver Mustangs football team. Maxwell is the defensive back for this team.

There was so much to like about this book. I absolutely love the WAGS (wives and girlfriends of the Mustangs). And I adore when they have team meetings or go to HERS bar. And I really like Love the Player the new reality show that follows the wives and girlfriends of the Mustangs.

I love that Poppy, Ace and TK are in this book (Poppy is the narrator of Fumbled). Marlee (narrator of first book) is not really in this book (although she is in the epilogue). I also loved Vonnie, the Lady Mustang in this book the most.

I really liked Brynn. She is such a strong woman. I loved seeing her go to football games. I loved that she is obsessed with musical theatre.

The book is fun and sexy. But it also deals with a few serious issues. I think these added a lot to the story. Overall, this was a great addition to the series. If you love sports romance this series is fantastic! And I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Brynn and Maxwell are a delight together. She’s the outgoing and defiantly single owner of HERS, the women-centric Denver bar where the stars of a reality show like to hang out. He’s the quiet, talented defensive back for the Denver Mustangs. Watching them slowly trust each other and give in to their mutual attraction is a pleasure. Plus, they bond over old Parks and Rec episodes. What’s not to like?

I liked Blitzed, but I didn't love it. I just didn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. I had some preconceived notions about Brynn from the previous two books and they didn't quite stack up.

Brynn was fierce, but not as fierce as I expected. When it came to Maxwell, she crumbled. The reasons why didn't stand out enough to me until close to the end. It could totally be me and I missed the cues.

Maxwell seemed like a big sweetheart. I loved how he treated Brynn and how he didn't let her attitude push him away. I didn't feel like I got to know him quite as well as I wanted to, though. The lack of his perspective brought some great mystery to the plot, but it hampered my getting to know Maxwell and his motivations.

As for that mysterious plot...I didn't love it. It created a rift between Brynn and Maxell for the sake of the having a problem to solve between them, but it just kind of felt thrown in here and there. Maybe there were just too many things going on that overshadowed it. I don't know.

What I really loved about Blitzed was the Lady Mustangs and their friendships. Those friendships made the book. Well, that and Alexa Martin's writing style. Even if I didn't love everything that was going on, I still enjoyed reading it. I'm hoping if there's a next book in this series that there's a little less going on and more focus on the relationships.

Ah Alexa Martin, you really never disappoint us, do you? You always seem to manage writing characters that we love, I'm speaking for everyone who has ever touched one of your books, because I don't believe its humanly possible to dislike anything you've written. I thought that Intercepted was my fave but then this comes out and dang... you're just so good.
Anyone who loves sports, would love this. Heck, if you like romantic comedies, you'd love this. That's what great about Alexa, she writes things for pretty much anyone.

Blitzed is the third in Alexa Martin's series about the players of her Denver Mustangs football team, and I think her writing keeps getting stronger. You probably don't need to read the others in the series first, but it would help provide context. This book is about Brynn, the owner of HERS, the bar that the players' significant others hang out at. Brynn has no interest in dating a football player - or in any relationship - as she has both an aversion to the hoopla surrounding professional athletes and also doesn't want to be like her mom, who left their family when Brynn was little. Meanwhile, Maxwell is a Mustang who has had a crush on Brynn for a long time and works hard to get her to let him in. I really liked Maxwell. Martin's previous heroes have been flat and interchangeable (especially the one from her first book), so it was great to see a hero who was more complicated. Her heroines are always interesting and layered, and Brynn was no exception. She is a ton of fun, as is her group of friends. I love the supportive and caring nature of their group. (As an aside, I especially loved the trajectory of Eloise, who has a crush on Maxwell.) Brynn is a bit of a hot mess in everything except running her business, and she struck me as very loud all the time, but she is caring and it was fun spending time in her head. My own hesitancy with this book was the way Brynn's issues with her mom were resolved - her mom came off cartoon-y - and with Maxwell's brother. That plotline got wrapped up too quickly. The other thing that really bothered me was that Brynn spent the whole book not wanting kids but as soon as she ends up with Maxwell suddenly she wants them. It is ok not to want kids!! Please let's have more happily childless couples in romance novels. All in all, another fun one from Martin - if you liked the previous books in the series I think you'll enjoy this one.

This book is 6 out of 5 stars. I didn't realize it was the 3rd in the series until I had it downloaded and even with that confusion, this book was absolutely incredible. Brynn is a strong female who runs a bar for women and is an actual, certified badass--and oh, yeah, her hunk just happens to be a professional football player. There are so many supportive and uplifting female characters, so many shared successes, and so much wholesomeness and positivity I could burst. I feel like I need to apologize to myself for not reading Alexa Martin sooner. This is the contemporary romance author to read.

Blitzed is the third book in the Playbook series. The series is a combination of sports romance with some humor and lots of steam. Blitzed features Maxwell Lewis, Denver Mustangs defensive back, and Brynn Sterling, owner of HERS…

"All I wanted was to be out with my girls, drinking a fantastic specialty cocktail, and watching the latest Bravo reality show with a roomful of strangers."

There is so much to love about Maxwell (Max) and Brynn’s story. Max is so swoony and sweet! It seems as if he and Brynn are in the friend zone for a while but that doesn’t stop the heat or sexual chemistry. Max is the complete package. And Brynn is amazing! She is funny and feisty. Small and mighty! As a business owner she works hard and goes the extra mile to mentor other women. Money and fame don’t impress her.

But Max and Brynn both have a bit of baggage. Brynn has had people in her life that have let her down so she is more hesitant to make a commitment. And Max has some secrets that he can’t or won’t tell.

There is also a huge helping of the Denver Mustang WAGS – wives & girlfriends! They are always funny and entertaining but true friends til the end! There are clichés and comradery as the wives of the Denver Mustangs football team lay it all out there in “Love the Player”- the “Real Housewives” football style reality TV show that is often filmed at HERS.

I enjoyed Blitzed but it was a bit short on the story. The buildup of Max and Brynn’s relationship was a slow burn and fun but it didn’t really go anywhere. There was an incident early in the story that really didn’t get explained. The big twist came and was resolved quickly with no real explanation except for what the reader assumed. The person involved never really told their version. There was also a small side story that could have been told more in depth.

I love that Max and Brynn were an interracial couple but I was surprised that there very little description of their contrast. Bryn had pale skin and blond hair (and it is depicted on the cover of the book). Max is strong and dark (also on the cover). Their sexy times were HOT but I felt they could have burned down the town with a few more sentences.

Blitzed has all the things we love about sports romance: hot players, crazy WAGS all mixed up with a hearty dose of drama. Alexa Martin write fun and fast reading sport romance. A great book to bring to the beach or pool. I did not read her first book, Intercepted, which is the start of the series and possibly the set up for the future stories?

I like Alexa Martin’s writing style which is clean and straightforward. We get to check in on some of the characters from the previous books. There are also so many secondary characters that I would love to read about who I know have great stories to tell!

3.5 swoony stars!

#AuthorAlexaMartin #Intercepted #Fumbled #Blitzed #ContemporaryRomance #YA #HotAndSteamy #SportsRomance #FootballRomance #blogger #IWantTheNexBook

This is the third book in Alexa Martin's Playbook series, and the first one that I had read. I was drawn to the plot and wanted to try out a new author. I am so glad I did! She is a really good writer, and I had so much fun with this one! It was an adorable romantic comedy that had me laughing. Brynn was a strong character that is part of the series of strong women, and I am all for that!

I am obsessed with this author now!IShe just makes it seamless for you to get a great romance and also learn a little bit about the sport what's not to love about that!

Brynn is a bar owner who has had a thing for Mustangs' player Maxwell Lewis. The two seem to be circling one another but after one bad encounter, Brynn denies her feelings for him at all costs. After he apologizes and seemingly begins to make his moves on her, Brynn cautiously opens herself up more to him. But he is hiding something and if he wants Brynn as much as she thinks he does, he's going to have to open up too.

This title was recommended to me via Netgalley and even if a book claims to be a standalone, I generally prefer to read the series in order. But I was totally drawn in by the fact that it was a football romance and one of the protagonists is a POC which is great because I think it’s pretty safe to assume that more than half of NFL athletes are black/non-white.

Unfortunately, this book totally dragged. Took forever to get to the heart of the story which is why Maxwell wanted Brynn to stay away from his brother.

I also do not like the first person POV—mostly I just don’t like Brynn’s voice. Just immature and cringey to read. I assumed this story would alternate perspectives because the prologue is told from Maxwell’s POV...but then the rest of the novel was told from Brynn’s.

Despite being a potential standalone, I honestly could not keep up with all of the “Lady Mustangs.” Friends who pressure friends to talk about sex lives are no friends of mine and I’m tired of reading about them. I don’t care how funny or silly they are, it’s really irritating and makes the introvert in me want to scream because my friends would never.

After devouring the first two books of this series this month, I was super excited to get to Brynn’s story. She came off so sassy and I just knew I would love her book. Sadly friends, that didn’t happen.

What I did enjoy from this book was being back in the Mustang community and the friendship between the women. Every time these ladies are together I never fail to laugh. The way they are so in tune with one another and so protective of each other never seems to amaze me.

The actual story between Brynn and Maxwell? I don’t know another word for how I felt while reading except boring. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them and the turn from friendship to romance wasn’t believable to me. I can’t love a romance novel if there isn’t a romance to actually root for.

Besides the romance not being what I expected, the biggest disappointment for me was Brynn. I really don’t believe that this was the woman who was so sassy and had the best concept for a bar. It’s like she was a watered down version of the person we got to see in previous books. She came off a bit immature and almost whiney. I also didn’t like some of the choices that her character made.

While this didn’t live up to my expectations, I still plan on continuing this series and I hope the next book will be about Eloise!

*Will post to blog closer to release date.

Brynn owns a women centered bar, Maxwell is the hot NFL cornerback friend of friends. They get off on the wrong foot, but then learn more about each others' pasts and become close
I didn't like this book as much as the first one in the series, but it is a smart and modern romance that offers a peek inside the lives of rich and famous athletes.

5 Stars / 3 Steam Fans

The third book in the Playbook series and Alexa Martin does not fail to bring it once again! Brynn is the bar owner and pivotal location in the first two books so it was only fitting that we got to know another strong, independent, women. Brynn and Maxwell have a friendship were their chemistry is seen by everyone but the two of them. Brynn has deep commitment issues from her past and Maxwell has family secrets as well. I loved the banter between the two of them and their journey is super sweet without being dependent on each other to find happiness. This story was everything I needed and more, strong independent characters, fun and sexy banter, and a different story line once again.

I have been on this journey with Alexa Martin since last year when she released the first book in this series. You guys I am so happy that I took a chance on this author. She is an absolutely amazing, creative, and inspirational author. I wish her all the best along this journey and will continue to support her work.

This specific video review will be in the September 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

This was a cute romantic comedy that I adored! I loved the inter-racial relationship and the world that Alexa Martin has created in this series. I also couldn't stop laughing at the way Brynn and her friends, the wives and girlfriends of the Denver Mustangs, interacted with one another. Not only was this an entertaining romance, it also was a great book of female empowerment of a woman owning her own business and also have strong supportive friends in her circle.

There's something so engaging and addicting and unputdownable about Alexa Martin's writing. Maybe it's that she writes football romance with such an authentic voice. She doesn't shy away from the actual football and I have the feeling I'm getting this perfect mix of fantasy meets reality - and it somehow enhances the fantasy. I can't put my finger on it, but suffice to say these books are like decadent treats for me: I luxuriate in them, I gobble them up with gluttonous greed, and I am always, always satisfied.

Blitzed was no exception. I felt that delicious dull ache in my heart as it yearned for Maxwell and Brynn to fumble their way toward each other. I loved the slow burn between them. I loved that after a couple false starts, they found a solid friendship foundation that made their love story so much more satisfying in the end.

There were a couple little blips that kept this from being five stars for me. I felt like the way Brynn handled the conflict wasn't necessarily true to her character, and then I felt like the whole thing wrapped up a little too quickly and a little too neatly after it hung over their story like a little black cloud for almost the entire book. There were some areas where I wanted to go a little deeper and hit a little harder. But they were just that - blips in an otherwise perfectly executed, perfectly satisfying love story.

And I was satisfied. Like I said, Ms. Martin's writing hits all my sweet spots: authentic dialogue, sparky banter, and sweetly sizzling chemistry that is like a happy pill for my romance loving heart. I am hooked, and will be back for more (and more, and more...) of this amazing goodness.

Alexa Martin's insider information regarding love in the NFL makes this series so great. I quite like sports romances and this latest installment was great, providing the reader with slow burning love story!