Lisa’s struggle with overthinking hit way too close to home for me. I loved watching her step out of her comfort zone during this trip. And Jake? Absolutely swoon-worthy. If you are looking for a college athlete romance book where the hero is actually protective, honorable, and respectful, Jake Richards is your guy.

Okay, let’s be honest: we’ve all read sports romances where the guy has absolutely zero personality outside of being good at his sport and looking good shirtless. That is not the case here. Jake Richards has so much quiet integrity and genuine vulnerability. This is hands down the most refreshing, character-driven college football romance book I’ve picked up this year.

Yeah, I’m definitely not the target audience for this. I usually read thrillers or biography books. But my girlfriend wouldn’t stop talking about it, so I gave it a shot. The sports side of things actually made sense—usually writers totally mess up the backup quarterback dynamic and team politics( probably the author’s military background helping him write about team discipline). Also it is a good slow burn romance novel for me.