Fumbled Beginning by S. Jones

 

Title: Fumbled Beginning

Series: The Atlanta Arrows (standalone)

Author: S. Jones

Genre/Tropes: Football Romance, Brother’s best friend, Mutual pinning, Fun and sarcastic banter, All the feels and swoons goodness, Broken hero with a past

Release Date: October 12, 2023

Cover Designer: Sarah Grim Sentz, Enchanting Romance Designs

5 FUMBLED BEGINNING STARS!! I read this book in 2 hours; I could not put it down—Rhonda, Goodreads reviewer

I know every time I start one of this author's books, I'll be hooked, and that's exactly what JP and Rylee did. They captivated me from the beginning. I absolutely loved their story. —Vicky's Magical Book Blog

JP and Rylee were captivating. The ending was perfection, and I wouldn't change a single thing about this book. I could not put it down! —Kazia, Goodreads reviewer

One of the perks of being one of the best wide receivers in the league was having my pick of cleat chasers looking for a good time. Unfortunately, the only one to hold my attention was the feisty brunette who wanted nothing to do with me.

Did I still try to flirt with her—you bet I did.

Did she fall for my charms? That would be a hard no.

Instead of laughing at my jokes, she pretended I didn't exist.

Until I tried to rescue her from a bad date, did she thank me? Of course not, but she did try to kiss me (at least, that was my version of the story). The girl was trouble with a capital T.

She was also smart, gorgeous, and all wrong for me—just ask her brother.

My best friend.

Dating her would be a terrible idea, but then again, I was famous for making bad decisions.

So, when her car broke down, and I came to her rescue, I offered up a way she could pay me back—one dinner! That's all I needed to prove I wasn't just a player.

I should have put a stop to things right then and there. Because now she wasn't just under my skin, but under my sheets too.

Until I messed up—big time, and now I have to prove to her that I deserved a second chance, because I refused to accept that it was game over.

I knew the rules, I knew the stakes, and I was playing for keeps.

I unrolled my window, and the sight of him made me wish I had walked or called my dad instead. His playful green eyes smiled down at me. 

  

“Thank you for coming. I hope I didn’t tear you away from anything too important, like a date or something like that.” 

  

His brow raised, and I suddenly felt the urge to pound my head against the steering wheel. Maybe it would reset my brain and get it to start working right again.  

  

I felt like Baby in Dirty Dancing when she blurted out, “I carried a watermelon.” 

  

“You didn’t tear me away from anything. I was up watching ESPN.” His face broke out into a full-blown grin. “Would it bother you if I was on a date?” 

  

“Of course not. It’s none of my business what or who you do.” 

  

He snorted. “Yeah, I can tell.” 

  

“Whatever.” I sighed because it was obvious that I was lying. “How much do you know about cars?” I asked, leaning back slightly. His large frame was taking up so much room it was hard for me to think clearly.  

  

“What seems to be the problem?” he asked, sticking his head farther into my personal space. I could practically feel the heat coming off his body, and with the smell of his cologne, that was a dangerous combination for me.  

  

When I looked up to answer him, I swallowed, and my attention immediately went to his tattooed arms, gripping the end of my door. Every tiny movement would cause the hem of his shirt to ride up his toned stomach. I averted my eyes up to his sharp jawline and noticed his newly trimmed beard, it was short, and I liked it—a lot. It made his lips more noticeable, and I wanted to kiss him so badly that I envisioned what it would feel like. No doubt I would savor every second because a man as confident as him had to be skilled in that area. 

  

He cleared his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. “Rylee?” 

  

“Yeah?” I blinked up at him, trying to remember what we were talking about before I slipped into fantasy land. 

  

“Your car?” 

  

“What about it?” I was confused and distracted and making a complete fool of myself.  

  

His eyes were sparkling. “You mentioned something about overheating.” 

  

“Yes, right, that would be me.” My eyes flashed to his in mortification. “I mean my car! My car is overheating. Not me!”

S. Jones is a contemporary romance author from Upstate New York. She has a strong passion for writing and reading stories that will rip your heart out before it’s put back together again.

If she’s not buried in her writing cave, she’s usually reading or planning out her next vacation. She loves to travel to different places and spends all her free with her husband, and two college age children.

When the weather permits, you can find her outside walking her golden retriever, or enjoying a nice cocktail by the pool. She loves cooking and entertaining for her family and friends.

When she’s not holding a glass of wine in one hand and her kindle in the other, she loves to hear from her readers at:
Authorsjoneswrites@gmail.com

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Such an amazing book. I went into this a little bit blind as I have not read anything from this author previously. But as I am a lover of all thing's sports romance novels, I was more than happy to give this book a go. And I was definitely not disappointed.
JP & Rylee's book had a couple of tropes that I just love to read. What I enjoyed about the brother's best friend dating part was that Maverick (Rylee's brother & JP's best friend) was told about them dating fairly early on in the story. Now I believe his reaction was contradictory to what happened in his own book - and this just made me want to read that one too, but all in all there wasn't any major blow up which I was thankful for.
There is a bit of sadness in this story, which comes when JP reveals his past. It honestly broke my heart especially with the guilt he has over it all. But the way this was resolved was just beautiful to read.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough and I know it will be one that I will reread again and again.