Sarah Adams has done it AGAIN! Y'all don't even know how close to my heart this book is. Having a 7 year old son that is so passionate about football/sports, while working harder than anyone I know.... truly Nathan made me think of his dreams for the future and hope that I can be a better parent than Nathan's parents were for him. 

Synopsis: Nathan a successful, charming, professional football player has always been in love with his best friend..... but Bree has been FRIEND ZONING him for 12 years...... until Bree (while hammered) spills her guts about her bestie Nathan to a lovely journalist, who of course films it and it GOES VIRAL! In an effort to keep their friendship but give the media what they want, they enter into a fake relationship..... but..... is it fake after all?

Review: READ IT READ IT READ IT! The hype is real, it is a steamy, sexy, closed door contemporary romance with so much freaking amazingness. It has the fake relationship and friends to lovers trope done PERFECTLY! The character development, the dive into their pasts, and steamy moments are truly some of the best I have ever read. Sarah has quite literally given you everything you could ever dream of in this book! I am just waiting for this book to be purchased by Netflix for a movie! I need it like TOMORROW! @netflix you better get in quick because holy freaking moly you will not regret it! SO in conclusion..... READ THIS BOOK! You will absolutely love it! 

I would recommend this book to anyone that can read.... well maybe adults only though.... truly one of my favorite books of all time..... Not only because I am obsessed with sports, dancing, and the NFL, but because it is so perfectly written I could not put it down.... I walked into a wall and tripped several times. 

Content Warning: Rough Relationship with Parents
Romance Rating: Closed Door Romance... mention of nudity.... No Hanky Panky:)

Thank you to netgalley and Sarah Adams for this amazing book for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Nathan and Bree have been unlikely best friends since high school. Now living in LA, Nathan is an NFL quarterback and Bree runs a dance studio for unprivileged youth. Each are madly in love with the other, but they don't know it, keeping themselves firmly in the friend zone. But a drunken confession that lands on TMZ forces the pair into a fake dating scheme that might just be the thing to push the two together for real.

I simply loved this friends to lovers, closed door romance. Sarah Adams is the queen of slow burn, sexual tension. She constantly brings Bree and Nathan to the edge of pulling the trigger and then quickly backs them away, building massive chemistry. I was rooting for the pair the entire book and loved how they just got each other. Together they made each other happy and complete.

Bree's character has the biggest heart and just wants to give back to the community. Having her own future ripped from her, she wants to give others a fighting chance that she didn't have. She also understands how Nathan ticks and the way she comforted him and knew exactly how to make things better was touching.

Nathan is the most tender and vulnerable man ever and I freaking loved him. He loves Bree with all his heart and the way he shows up for her, sometimes without her knowing, melted my heart. I LOVED his teammates and how they pushed him to just go for it with Bree. Their interactions were hysterical and I can only hope that we get another book for one of these men, because they are the absolute best.

I beyond appreciated the real and frank depiction of panic attacks and anxiety. As someone who struggles with this, I felt the portrayal was spot on. Nathan seems strong on the outside, but he doesn't understand that even though he's strong, he can still struggle with his mental health. He's used to taking the weight of the world on his shoulders and being the provider, the doer in his relationships. He pushes himself to be perfect, and that can be crippling. I related to Nathan in this regard on a deep level and appreciated the sensitivity note from the author at the beginning of the book.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This book deserved 10 stars! One of my favorite reads of the year so far! I love this author and so far I have loved all of the books she has put out.
The characters were 100% relatable- I get like they were real people.
There were several spots where I was laughing out loud- my family thought I was nuts.
This is one book that you will need to clear your schedule for because once you start it you will not be able to put it down.
This book has a bit of heat to it, but for me there was nothing offensive or embarrassing to be reading. It’s maybe a PG13 type of book, but I really enjoyed it.

5 STARS! Loved this book, which is no surprise because I love all of Sarah Adams books. This rom-com definitely delivers! I laughed so hard I cried and to me that is the measure of a great comedy! Then add on how sweet and romantic Nathan is… this book is a WINNER! I whole heartedly recommend it as well as all of Sarah’s other books, you will not be disappointed!

Sarah Adams has done it again! This book has everything: swoony moments, hilarious moments & heartwarming characters. Bree & Nathan are absolutely adorable - their friendship is endearing & their story is so charming it will suck you in from page 1. If you like romantic comedies with super sweet heros, pick this book up ASAP! I can not sing it’s praises enough!!

The cheat sheet is a best friends to lovers slowburn romance with just the right amount of sweetness, comedy and teasing to leave you wanting to devour every page.
Their journey was delightful to read because you could see how much these two people deeply cared about one another, and how vulnerable they are time and time again sharing their feelings with each other. So it’s not a surprise to acknowledge they truly are each other’s safe place to land.

Nathan and Bree as individual characters only brought so much more to the overall enjoyment reading experience, both their stories showcasing how they’ve overcome the things that haunted them. Their resilience was beautiful to see. And the fragility, specially with Nathan’s arc, warmed my heart.

Another thing that I loved, was Nathan’s teammates and friend group. Their scenes genuinely had me laughing out and wanting to read more of each of those characters.

Sarah has, not surprisingly, not disappointed with this one. In fact, each book keeps getting better and better.

So if you’re looking for an emotional will they won’t they romance story, an adorable and wholesome friend group and the sexy teasing of fake dating this book is definitely for you.


*Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Bree and Nathan’s friendship is precious! Nathan is the sweetest man alive, I am convinced!! Bree and all of her side comments are hilarious. I loved that Nathan’s team was behind him with their fake dating “cheat sheet,” and all of the dancers that attend Bree’s dance studio were totally team Bree and Nathan.

A 👏🏻 MAZ 👏🏻 ING 👏🏻

Did I read this in pretty well 1 sitting? Yes! Did I love the characters? Yes! Do I wish I could read this again for the first time? You bet!

Bree & Nathan’s friendship was full of fun & loyalty 🥰 and you couldn’t help but cheer for them! You could feel their love for each other, & you laughed along with them through it all.

The mental health aspect was handled with so much care, & I loved the fact that it felt normalized in a way, by Bree especially. It was refreshing to see a character react in a way I hope everyone learns to ♥️

I loved this from front to back! Friendship, working through anxiety, having hopes & dreams, & learning to put yourself out there 💕 it’s got it all & is out August 17th!

You best believe I am going to read Sarah’s backlist ASAP!

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Adams for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating, slow burn.

The Cheat Sheet is a great rom-com with lovable characters and depth. The story follows Bree and Nathan, best friends since high school who have secretly pined for each other for years (thought they fell out of touch during college), as they enter into a fake dating scheme. While Adam's writing provides great banter between the two leads, lots of laughter, and some gut-wrenching romantic tension, she also navigates mental health with incredible care. As someone who deals with anxiety and panic attacks, I really appreciated her realistic depiction of these situations and also the ways that other characters reacted to them with love, support, and understanding.

My one small critique is that in the very beginning of the story when Bree is interacting with Nathan's girlfriend, she came across as very mean and I really didn't like her... I actually understood where the girlfriend was coming from and agree with her!! This didn't by any means ruin Bree as a character or mess with the story, it just seemed like it was a bit unnecessary or maybe just a little too much right when you are first meeting her.

Overall, a fun read and I look forward to whatever Sarah Adam's writes next!

Gah! This book!! It was an excruciatingly slow burn, but completely worth it.

This friends to lovers has me head over heels in love. It was sweet and cute, as well as hilarious and it also is filled with real raw moments of vulnerability and struggles.

I loved Bree and Nathan’s friendship, how it started to how it evolved. It just made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy. But also their chemistry and attraction towards each other was amazing.

There were definitely moments I got choked up and had tears in my eyes. I loved it all.

How is it possible that Sarah writes the sweetest stories in existence?!
Freaking swoon. I loved this! I am addicted to sports romances right now so I was so excited when Sarah announced this book!

Super relatable female protagonist
Straight up sweet man who doesn't even pretend to be a jerk EVER.
Friends to lovers with the sweetest relationship ever

One of the things I love about Sarah's writing is I feel like I am reading the main characters journal entries. The internal dialogue is just so realistic! I always find myself laughing because I'm like OMG I would be thinking the exact same thing!

This comes out August 17th and everyone needs to read it!!!!

It’s always a good day when you get to read a book by Sarah Adams. Her books have been my favorite bookstagram discovery of this year!

I was so excited to receive an ARC from @netgalley and read it right away! Bree and Nathan are such a fun couple! They’ve been best friends since high school but neither knows how to cross the friend zone- or that the other one wants to.

Thankfully Nathan’s NFL buddies help him come up with a plan. In my opinion the group of guys in The Cheat Sheet was better than in The Bromance Book Club. They were so funny and supportive and I loved reading this whole book!

It’s a great friends to lovers story and was a true joy to read. The ending: perfection!! It publishes August 17th.

If you’re a fan of
💕friends to lovers
💕sports romance
💕laughing
💕The Bromance Bookclub (or even if you weren’t because I just thought that one was ok and this one was great)!

So I’ve never read a sports book… but I trust Sarah Adams to write an incredible book no matter what and let me tell you it did not disappoint! I was only 40% of the way thru the ARC before I decided I need to buy the paperback for my shelf! Cannot wait til August 17 when it releases!

Where to begin?!? Friends to lovers sometimes is tough but this was spot on. Sports were heavily involved BUT as a non sports fanatic it didn’t take over the book and I wasn’t lost. I liked that cranky mom was a very small part and most of the drama is the tension which is pounding out of the book.

The characters… ummm… amazing. Nathan… should also win swooniest man award along with his other titles… The white board planning session had me giggling. This group of guys crack me up and I love their involvement in the story. They are so protective of her and are such a great cheering squad for the relationship. Bree is adorable and I loved her growth throughout the book and the courage she found. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to change from friends to more and the scariness of risking that.
This book is fantastic, incredible, hilarious, delightful, fun, ect ect ect… like all of her books. This actually might be my favorite even tho I highly recommend the others too. The wit and antics are off the wall amazing.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.
Review posted 7/29/21 on instagram - @beautifulmessreads
https://www.instagram.com/p/CR7S72cr2yB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This is my first Sarah Adams book and I am so glad I picked this up.
Sport romances are my favorite and this athlete-athlete book exceeded any expectations I had.
I can't wait till I can order a paperback for my shelf.

The Cheat Sheet was friends to lovers perfection!
I loved the fake relationship aspect of the book.

I am also so glad Sarah brought in the importance of mental health for athletes!
Some examples of athletes who have spoken out about the importance mental health:
- Naomi Osaka recently withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon due to mental health reasons.
- Liz Cambage cited mental health when announcing she would not participate in the Olympics for Australia.
- Simone Biles also withdrew from the Team Finals and All Around Finals at the Tokyo Olympics.

The male friend group was similar to the Bromance Book Club crew. Wait till you learn about the cheat sheet!

This was my first book by Sarah Adams and I Will definitely be reading more. To sum it up, GET YOURSELF A NATHAN. Holy cow. This was the cutest thing I've read in awhile. It made my heart swell. I loved it so so so much. I loved that we got to see Nathan's side of the story too. This was just do adorable.

This was my first book by Sarah Adams, though I had heard a lot about her from bookstagram. I found this book to be a super cute Rom-Com, that was PG in steam level. I am generally fine with closed door romances, but the whole "let's wait until we are married" business was really strange and off-putting to me. That really threw me, to the point I stopped reading and was going back trying to decipher if I was reading an undercover purity culture book, which bothered me. If I had known going in, that might be different, and perhaps all of her books are like that? Some of us have trauma associated with purity culture and I just didn't think from the blurb or marketing or anything that that was what I was going to be reading.

Sarah Adams has created another absolutely, perfect RomCom that has stolen my heart for sure. The Cheat Sheet in concept was something that I was dying to read as soon as it popped up on my radar. Ballerina meets football player was truly something I never knew I needed a romance story for, until now. I stayed up all night reading this book, my eyes glued to this slow burn relationship that kept me in its clutches from the first page on. Adams’ execution on all parts of a romance—the buildup, the emotions, and the resolution was positively perfect in my mind. I think from just the novel’s idea, and the story it entails, this book is destined for success. I cannot wait for Bree and Nathan’s story to make its way out into the world.

What do I even say? I LOVED this book. I’ve adored all of Sarah’s books, but this one is easily my new favorite. Bree and Nathan are two goofballs who have been head over heels for one another since day one, but have never told each other. Watching their love story develop and getting to know these characters was a true joy. They were funny, inspired, and dealt with real problems. If you love friends to lovers, fake dating, and a big mushy love interest, this book is for you!

TW: anxiety, panic attacks, strained relationship with parents, traumatic car accident.

I have a new favorite Sarah Adams's book!!! I know, I know. I say that with each new release of hers, but I can't help myself! I love them all and they just keep getting better and better. 

What did I love about The Cheat Sheet? GAH! Everything! I love a best friends to lovers romance, and this one hit the spot with both Bree and Nathan secretly pining for each other for YEARS. Years, people! Their secret love for each other was so sweet. I couldn't get enough of it. And then for Bree and Nathan to be brought together by a possible fake dating situation? There's another one of my favorite tropes that was adorable in this situation. Add in some help by Nathan's teammates in getting them together and there wasn't really anything else I could ask for. I guess I could have asked for some funny or swoon worthy moments, but Sarah Adams had those covered, too.  The Cheat Sheet was one of those low drama, highly entertaining contemporary romances that made my heart happy. I could have read 100 more pages about Bree and Nathan. 

As I say with each new Sarah Adams' release: I LOVED IT! I'm so sad it's over and I can't wait for her next book. I really hope she decides to write another book in this Cheat Sheet World. I would love for all those football teammates I met and loved to get their own books. They're so worthy!

I am not sure that this book could be any sweeter and the burn any slower. It was the slowest burn with the highest tension that I have read in AGES. I loved it. This is the story of Bree and Nathan. They have been besties since high school, but when she accidentally tells a reporter in a drunken moment about her feelings for him in a video that goes viral, everything changes. Sarah Adams writes books that keep you turning the pages and NEEDING more. They are sweet and funny and this one is just a tiny bit steamy. You need her books in your life.