Member Reviews
A special thank you to the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Nolan and Lottie were a lot of fun to read! I love a strong career driven female and Lottie was that tenfold. I really admired her determination and tenacity to get Nolan to work with her.
On top of that, I really appreciated her inner turmoil and the work she put into herself to overcome difficult emotional barrier throughout the novel.
Nolan is a big grump but also a huge softie. The way he loves is a treat for anyone who could experience it. And also, without it being a spoiler, we love a man who sticks to his word!
Some of my favorite moments were parts of Lottie’s bucket list - having a big family Thanksgiving, the matching Christmas PJs, and watching the sunrise.
I’ve been loving all of Ally’s releases and am really looking forward to seeing where she goes next for this group of friends!
Ally Wiegand has done an amazing job at creating a spectacular romance that involves real topics in the sports world! She tackled the topics of a woman having a career in sports, and the doubt that she faces with others not knowing what she is capable off, just because she is a woman in sports. I also loved how she touched on Nolan's feelings about his injury and as well as get his perspective. I adored that this book was not just based on a romance between Lottie and Nolan, but it also had their own work conflicts, and even personal conflicts and stuff they went through!
I adored the romance between Lottie and Nolan, because Lottie was just so relatable to me in so many ways, so I loved seeing some representation of woman and real topics that happen in life, and it is so unique for a romance book to feel like a warm hug, but Ally did it so amazingly! And men written by women do not compare! Nolan is the biggest gentleman and I loved how he realized his mistakes, and although not being perfect, he tried his best to right his wrongs and really work for love!
I will always look forward to Ally's writing and anything she works on, this book was also perfect because football season is in play and this gave off cozy night football vibes!
This was a cozy lil football romance that just *did it* for my soul. I’ve been in the mood for wholesome, romantic vibes this weekend, and this book absolutely delivered! Nolan, a near-retirement NFL quarterback, and Lottie, the team physiotherapist, have a rocky and combative relationship. We follow them on their journey as they learn to be an unstoppable team, communicate their baggage and feelings, and hopefully reach their goal of getting Nolan one last pre-retirement Super Bowl win, despite his injuries.
This book has
🏈 sports romance
🏈 dislike-to-love
🏈 forced proximity
🏈 workplace romance
🏈 bucket list
🏈 healing from trauma
I adored this book! It was fun, flirty and the perfect read right now during football season. I thought the character development was so well-done and I loved the way that Ally created an entire family to be a part of. I'm excited to see what character she chooses to focus on next.
I also liked the way that she dove into the football world instead of staying with just baseball from the first book, It did feel a little random at first with the teams crossing-over, but I loved reading about the couple from "First Base".
It read quick which was perfect for a sports romance, but I also appreciated the depth of Lottie's father and the way in which Ally handled that. I thought it was beautifully done.
Good book but at time very drawn out. Drawn out to the point where I did skip some of it because it was highly repetitive. It seemed like a common theme was that MMC was always at fault and the FMC was never. In my own life certain aspects are not discussed at nauseum and then the MMC was attacked and punished it seemed. The FMC was constantly suspicious of the MMC motives give the guy a break. Probably not going to read others by this author but I can see the appeal for some readers.
Ally Wiegand is quickly becoming my go to author for sports romances and this is only her second book. But it feels so limiting to call it a sports romance because she writes a story that’s so much more than that. It’s a story about relationship dynamics, friendship, family, trauma, and love. It’s a story with wonderfully dynamic characters who you can’t help but love and root for. It’s a story created from really excellent writing, with passages that are poignant and beautifully written. It was such a joy to go back to Chicago and see how characters from the first book were doing while diving into the world of professional football from Ally’s lens. This book was a fun, easy read - so much so that I read it in one sitting with football on in the background. And no, I can’t tell you who won the game, I wasn’t paying attention! This book also couldn’t have come at a better time as baseball playoffs start and football season gets going. Very smart timing for publishing!
4.5 stars!
Synopsis:
Nolan Hill has one last chance at taking his team to Superbowl before he retires at the end of this season, but it means rehabbing an old injury. Enter Dr. Charlotte Thompson, his new physical therapist. Lottie has worked hard to secure her dream job with the Chicago Bobcats, and when she meets Nolan, sparks fly - and not the good kind. But as they spend more time together, they start realizing those sparks might mean something else ...
It's been awhile since I read a football romance and this one had me feeling so giddy!
I really liked Ally Wiegand's first book, but I LOVED this one! I could not put it down. I was completely enraptured by Nolan and Lottie's love story.
Lottie had a rough childhood and daddy issues (me tbh), and such a love for football (also me). She was such a force to be reckoned with in this male-dominated industry.
Our mmc Nolan is a grumpy cinnamon roll who I absolutely adored. He has to do some major groveling early on in the book, and I went WEAK in the knees for him! His character growth was just insanely good.
Both characters have some internal and external conflicts going on, but I really loved the way Ally handled it all while mostly avoiding the miscommunication trope. And the epilogue in this one was one of my favorites I've ever read. Their HEA just made me so happy.
I can't wait for the next installment to this series.
TROPES:
- enemies to lovers
- grumpy x sunshine
- football romances
- workplace romance
- forced proximity
- close door romance (but things get steamy dw)
Going for Two by Ally Wiegand
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(4.5)
I want to thank Netgalley, 8th Note Press, and Ally for the opportunity to be able to read this before the release🫶🏼 (October 1st it comes out!!) Although this is book two of her Chicago Heartbreakers series, this is my first book of hers I have read and now I will be most definitely buying the ebook of the first as soon as I am able and reading that one too!
This was such a cute perfect little football sports romance especially since the season is starting back up now! I admired the characters, I enjoyed the authors writing a lot, and I truly can’t wait for more! I am eager to read more of Ally’s work!
Lottie is one hell of a FMC. I really absolutely liked her. One hardworking, smart, and honest woman who tends to know what she wants (even if she’s battling against it in her thoughts). It was lovely to watch her character develop and become stronger for herself as the story went on.
Nolan was enjoyable and so cute. At first definitely a bit of an ass and such stubborn man, but watching himself defrost and become the man he is was incredible to read. He was so determined and also knew what he wanted and I admired that a lot.
I love the tropes in this book, the characters, and the side characters (who I am so ready to read about, especially since I haven’t read book one yet!). I giggled and kicked my feet so much. I love feeling so giddy with romances.
This is an interconnected series, but I so wish I read the first before this just so I could get some insight on some of side characters. But I will be reading the first soon once I get through some planned TBR reads!! (:
Tropes:
📖 workplace romance
📖 physical therapist x football player
📖 He falls first (and hard)
📖 Grumpy x sunshine
📖 Closed Door Romance (little bit of angst)
& more!! 🏈💓
I absolutely loved First Base, Wiegand's first novel, and was so excited for this one to come out. I don't know if going in blind the last time made a difference because I was a bit underwhelmed this time. The story was slow to start, but did pick up. I don't remember the last being as low spice, but that is a total me thing and I should have checked. I definitely like more spice content in a sports romance, and while I felt like something was missing in that regard, there was a good bit of angst that kept the momentum up.
Lottie and Nolan were fun characters to read. I especially loved how Lottie was written. She had made so many goals so far in her life career wise, and she recognized that there was more that she wanted. I liked how she wasn't averse to dating and was excited about this new chapter in her life. I liked how in tune she was with herself and her desires, while also being career driven in a male dominated industry.
Nolan was the obstinate one here for a while, but Lottie quickly melted his grumpy persona. I liked how his place in life was opposite of hers and that he had enough of a relationship past to not be the 38 year old perpetual playboy. I also liked how he fell hard and fast for Lottie even though he did not want to. She brought out the best in him, and knew just what to say to encourage him to be better and do better. It was a fun dynamic to read!
Overall, quick and cute football romance that has me itching for what's next!
I typically don’t gravitate towards sports based romance, but I love the Chicago Heartbreakers series!
This is book 2 in the series. While it can be read as a stand alone, it does reference characters from the first book. This isn’t essential to understanding the story, but it makes it more fun to know the characters.
I enjoy the author’s writing style. The female main character is witty and likable. I feel like the FMC and MMC had a lot of growth throughout the story which is always satisfying.
Thanks to NetGalley and 8th Note Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I love a good football romance! Lottie and Nolan were just the perfect match! They were absolutely adorable and had good chemistry. Thank you ally and NetGalley
Going for Two was a cute romance between the physical trainer of an NFL team and the aging quarterback hoping to win one more Superbowl. I was really excited about the premise and enjoyed the buildup of chemistry between the main characters, but the middle dragged a little for me. The emotional payoff at the end was very sweet and made me tear up a little, especially as a former athlete reading about someone experiencing so many of their "lasts."
I adored Ally's first book, First Base, but I seriously think I loved this one even more! We have a legendary quarterback who is still navigating an injury from the previous season and a highly-decorated PT whose job is to make sure he's game ready. Both are stubborn and passionate about their careers,
I love how we're seeing multiple different sports in the same series and how the books are tied together, but not in an overly obvious way. We get to see characters from the first book and get glimpses into their lives, but we also get to meet a whole new cast of people to fall in love with. With a trope list that includes: workplace romance, enemies to lovers, broody mmc, and in a professional sports setting, it's difficult not to devour the story.
Things I loved:
- Lottie is a career-driven badass who is SO good at her job in a male dominated field (love love love to see it)
- Lottie and Olivia's relationship is precious
- Nolan helping with Lottie's bucket list was too freaking cute
- Nolan's parents and how they seem to heal a little bit of Lottie's trauma with her own family
- Watching Nolan's icy persona thaw the more time he spends with Lottie
- the found family.. this group is so easy to love
Thank you NetGalley and Ally Wiegand for the advance copy! I'm beyond eager to see who the next book is about!
3.5/5⭐️
This was a cute football romance and I really liked this author and her writing style! Lottie is such a hardworking and incredibly smart woman who knows what she wants (sort of). I really enjoyed seeing her work through her issues that she got from a rough childhood and finally finding happiness again.
Nolan is a hardworking headed stubborn man but once he saw Lottie its like the whole hard shell exterior just melted away. He’s definitely a workaholic who needs a hobby outside of work. But watching him and Lottie grow their relationship was adorable.
I think Olivia was definitely my favorite in this book!
Closed door romance with a small amount of angst!
An easy, quick sports romance 😍 the whole theme of this book was so beautiful. Just because you reached your goals and dreams doesn’t mean that’s all life has to offer you. Sometimes it takes the right person to show you or an opportunity you didn’t know you wanted until it presented itself. Lottie and Nolan are so perfect for each other, no debate there. Loveddddddddd reading this book sooo much! I’m excited to see where the next Chicago Heartbreakers book takes us 😉
Favorite quotes:
“I had been a ship lost at sea until I realized that Lottie was my shining light in the distance, bringing me home.”
“Souls never meet by accident, and it seemed that we were always meant to show the other was it meant to truly live.”
Tropes:
FOUND FAMILY 🥹
He falls HARD
Grumpy x Sunshine
I can already see so much growth in Ally’s writing from the first book to this one! Love love love to see it!
Thank you NetGalley, 8th Note Press, and Ally Wiegand for the opportunity to read book 2 in the Chicago Heartbreakers series.
This was a 4.25 stars for me. I think the dynamic of Nolan and Lottie was great since it showed who they were as individuals but also them coming together as a couple. But also that being who you are and not just doing what’s best for the other person you’re with is important. I think too often we forget that our self should be a priority and we end up making decisions that better align for a partner instead. So seeing them choose themselves but realize that those decisions actually make them a stronger couple was inspiring.
Going for Two by Ally Wiegand
Genre - romance, sport romance, dual pov
Page count- 352
Chapter count- 36
Spice 🌶🌶.5/5
Rating ★★★★\5
Thoughts
This book is great, it fun showing the relationship between Lottie who is a physical therapist for the NFL team our MMC, Nolan, plays for, the developing dynamic between Lottie and the whole team is a lot of fun. The developing relationship/situationship between Lottie and Nolan is a fun development, theres a little bit of a one sided enemies to love, a little bit of a secret relationship coworkers to lovers going on, there are some spicy scenes but theyre not taking up the majority of the book nor are they a heavily provided description. I lives this book though it can be a tad slow at some points it was a great read, i am thankful for the oppertunity from netgalley, and i cant wait to check out any other book Ally puts out in the future
I chose this book because I enjoy a sports romance and I loved the idea that the main female character, Lottie, was the physical therapist for the football team. Finally, a main lead who is smart, confident, and determined to be the best of the best in her field. She took no nonsense from any of the players and focused on getting them healthier!
Overall, I liked this story. I thought it was cute and had so much potential. But I felt like it lacked something that made it stand out. There were times that the story dragged without much happening. I thought it could have been wrapped up earlier- I thought it was over and I was only at 70%. I also felt like the story lacked the romance once the main characters got together. That scene where Nolan showed Lottie what it means to lean into someone had so much tension and I loved it, but I did not feel much of that afterwards. I also disliked how indecisive Lottie was with the relationship- she was in, then she just wanted to be friends, and then back together- it was too much. Lottie needed to work on herself before she started having a relationship with Nolan. She was so confident in her work but lacked it in her relationships. I thought this was a cute and fun romance, I just wished for more!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely adored the writing style in this book! The chemistry between the characters was to die for! You can really see the tension and chemistry build up which is super nice! The plot feels well structured and well paced aswell, so it felt fluent and easy to read. One minor thing was that certain parts felt a bit cheesy and cliché but its not really an issue.
I really felt like this was mostly just a feel good nearly closed door romcom. There was no major drama, spice or miscommunication etc. Also these characters felt a bit more mature than some of my other romance reads so I enjoyed that!
An absolute must read!! Best sports romance l've read in a long time! For me, a sports romance needs to have sports actually in it, not just have the main character play. Going for Two has so much actual football in it!! I really got to know the characters and what they were passionate about. You could truly relate and understand them so well. The relationship development was out of this world. I loved the relationship that all the main characters had with each other. Everything about this book just makes me so happy. There is literally nothing bad to say. I will 100% re-read, and can't wait for more in this series and from this author!