i’ve been telling myself i’m going to read jodie slaughter for years and then proceed to not do so, so when i saw this gorgeous cover and SAPPHICS and JODIE SLAUGHTER i knew i had to jump at the opportunity. sapphic sports romance is the only sports romance that ever works for me, and this is no exception. this is a tight, heartfelt, and just plain fun page turner. jade and francesca leap of the page both as individual characters and with their chemistry.

The passion in this book...Hot Damn! Jodie Slaughter's twist on the workplace, sportsball romance was so damn entertaining. The FMCs felt completely fleshed out. The dual POV allowed the reader to fully engaged in the story. Overwhlmingly enjoyed!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I can’t say this book was for me but it could very well be for someone else.

While I was not fully in love with the characters I just wished I had felt a more vibrant connection from the characters. While I enjoyed the dynamic or these beautiful head strong women wanting to make their way not only as a woman in sports but transitioning into sports leadership was a great journey to read and experience. I was just hoping the connection would have had a different build up.

🏈✨ Cleat Cute meets Friday Night Lights? Yes, please! Jodie Slaughter delivers a sapphic romance that’s equal parts fiery, heartfelt, and brimming with representation. This is the book you’ll want to devour in one sitting.

Jade Dunn is a badass assistant coach trying to smash through small-town football politics and snag her dream job. But just as she’s strategizing her way to the top, Francesca Lim—a sexy, sharp-witted art teacher with a Texas football past—shows up to challenge everything.

✨ Highlights that scored a touchdown:

Sapphic Sparks: The chemistry between Jade and Francesca is undeniable, with a perfect mix of slow-burn tension and spicy, high-stakes moments.
Authentic Representation: This book doesn’t just include representation—it embraces it. The cultural nuances and the dynamics of being queer in a football-obsessed small town feel deeply resonant.
Strong Female Leads: Jade is fiercely ambitious and unapologetically driven, while Francesca’s blend of resilience and vulnerability makes her impossible not to love.
Enemies-to-Lovers Goodness: Their biting banter and fiery disagreements make the eventual romantic payoff SO satisfying.

📖 Favorite tropes:

Enemies to Lovers
Small-Town Secrets & Scandals
Strong, Independent Women with Big Dreams

Beyond the spice and banter, Ready to Score hits you right in the feels, exploring themes of second chances, personal ambition, and finding love in unexpected places. If you’re looking for a sapphic romance with heart and heat, Jodie Slaughter just dropped a must-read.

🏆 Verdict: This book doesn’t just score—it’s a championship win. Grab it and get ready to cheer for Jade and Francesca! 🎉

Thank you to NetGalley, Jodie Slaughter, and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book.

Wow! This book was so cute! I absolutely loved the fun connections and the plot had me feeling ALL the feels! It was such a truly cute read, and we love a good romance that isn't over done, or too out there. This was fresh, entertaining and truly left me wanting SO much more of these two cuties.
5/5 would absolutely recommend this to everyone! Do NOT miss out on this one!

the enemies to lovers trope was so well executed and i really loved every second of it, at first it just seems like jade and franny really just don't get along for a variety of reasons but as the story and their relationship progresses, it all makes sense. i really loved jade's character a lot, she just had so much depth and her struggles felt so real and relatable. i felt like franny's character wasn't developed as much as jade's was and she sort of faded into the background a lot- i do like her as well, but she just felt a bit lackluster at times.

i loved the bits of cultural insight between both characters, franny with her asian heritage and jade with her black heritage. not to mention the added layer of southern culture on top of it all- chefs kiss. maybe it wouldn't have much impact if i wasn't a new england girlie who's never gone anywhere near the south, but i did think it was cool to see it all come together.

the spice in this was also well done. it was never over-the-top like a lot of books tend to have nowadays, it all unfolded in ways that made sense and it was never like 15 pages of pure sex. it definitely was the right balance of romance, other plot stuff, and spice.

one of my only real critiques is that there were some repeating phrases within a few pages of each other a lot; for example, "she smiled wolfishly" was added a couple times in one chapter. it's definitely not a huge deal but it's just something that bugs me a lot.

In Ready to Score we followed Jade a black female assistant football coach who is trying to prove herself worthy of taking the job of the head coach when he retires and her arch nemesis Franny, who is a beloved new teacher at the school who also wants an opportunity and chance to coach the football team. The two Engage in an unlikely enemies to lovers romance.

I was immediately hooked into the story and into the characters however, I believe that the way the romance bloomed was very unlikely due to how hateful Jade was towards Franny. The romance felt very one-sided. It seemed like Franny was falling for Jade. Well, Jade focused on her hate for Franny and viewed their whole dynamic as a competition for the job. It seemed like Jade just wanted to relieve herself of sexual tension when it came to Franny, but not engaged in a romance until the very end. at one point Franny was talking to her brother about feeling a connection with Jade and said that Jade was not wishy-washy however is that the entirety of the book except for the end?

I also believe that Jade was a very unlikable character and that she was very negative about everything and very hard on herself and hard on everyone around her and made the romance part feel very lackluster being that it was one-sided. She also makes a decision that could poorly affect the results of her getting the promotion that she wants. To shift the blame on her being a woman and having standards be too high for her because of her being a woman. However, the mistake that she made would put anyone regardless of gender or sexuality in jeopardy of losing their job.

The plot was still enjoyable. The book was still enjoyable, even though I didn’t really like Jade as a character. I did really enjoy Franny‘s POV..

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A teacher/assistant high school football coach, Jade Dunn, is vying for the head coach position when her boss announces he’s retiring. Unfortunately her least favorite person, the art teacher Ms. Francesca (Fanny) Lim, also wants to throw her hat in the ring and get involved with coaching the football team. The story follows the two teachers as they connect with each other as well as the small town cast of characters around them.

I really enjoyed this book. It is told in a dual POV which is my favorite way to read romance stories. I appreciated how they showed both MCs bonding with student athletes and focused on their love of coaching. Most of all I loved the romance between the two characters, I was screaming at them to just get together already!!

The two things I really wished for while reading this book was a little more backstory on Jade. I feel as though I learned a lot about Fanny and her background but I just wanted a little more about Jade. Other than that I only wish I had longer with the characters!

Releasing June 3rd, 2025

I normally don't read sport romances because I don't know anything about football but I'm so glad I picked this novel up. This is a sapphic, small town romance that's more rivals to lovers than enemies. The main characters Jade and Francesca have a lot of chemistry between them and their love story is so well done. I liked them individually and together which makes the stakes of their budding relationship going public all the more heartbreaking and interesting. This was a quick read, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet romance with likable characters and a happy ending. The only complaint that I have with this book is some pacing issues towards the middle of this book but the ending wrapped up nicely.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!

I love a good sapphic book! This one was a win for me. I enjoyed it a lot!! I finished it pretty fast. I enjoyed the main characters and the supporting characters. They all had great chemistry. I enjoyed the writing style!