Title: Winner Takes All
Author: Erin Kern
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Champion Valley #1)
Release Date: August 30, 2016
THE LOVE OF THE GAME
Money. Fame. Endorsements. Blake Carpenter had it all—before his professional football career spiraled out of control. Determined to rebuild his life, he takes on coaching the high school team in his Colorado hometown. Despite a few fumbles, Blake knows he can lead these boys to victory. As long as he can keep his eyes on the prize and off the team's distractingly gorgeous physical therapist.
Annabelle Turner knows all about the scandal that cost Blake his NFL career, and she'll be damned if she's going to let hismistakes hurt her team. What she doesn't count on is the intense attraction that turns every heated run-in they have into a wildly erotic competition. Point by point, play by play, kiss by kiss, they try to keep things professional for the good of the team. But when the score is this close—and the passion this fierce—it's anybody's game...
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Hotness Rating 2 out of 5
I am a huge football fan, so when I read the description of this book I couldn't resist. I'm new to Erin Kern and didn't know what to expect, but I am so glad I gave this book a chance. Being the first of the Champion Valley series Winner Takes All does an awesome job of setting up the series for future books. The main characters are well developed and just seem so real that you feel apart of the story rather than a reader. The secondary characters are introduced in a way that you find them likeable and interested in learning their stories.
Blake Carpenter was a tortured hero that had so many demons I don't even know where to start. I enjoyed his character so much as he battled those demons, beat them and revealed the good man that he truly is - not that he hid that as well as he thought he did. I loved that he put his team and the boys ahead of all else. And I love even more that he was actually torn in this decision. His past as a professional player and his subsequent fall from grace haunted him and it broke my heart.
Annabelle Turner was the classic overachiever. She took care of everyone in her life. It didn't take but a few minutes in meeting Blake that she felt the need to help him. She wanted to kick him, but she also sensed he needed help. I loved Annabelle and how she handled pretty much every hurdle that crossed her path.
Together Annabelle and Blake were a sweet couple that drove each other crazy more often than not. Blake tried pushing her away and she pushed right back. Although, the romance was slow moving you always felt the attraction and knew it was inevitable. I can't wait to read more of this series.
This was a 4 star read for me:
The parking lot was almost empty as Blake left the field-house after the team’s win. He strolled toward his truck, keys dangling from one hand and his gym bag in the other. As he approached, he noticed a figure leaning against the driver’s side door.
A petite, luscious figure in a pair of tight jeans and a Blanco Valley High hooded-sweatshirt.
Just the sight of Annabelle turned his body on high alert. Over the past week, Blake hadn’t been able to get their kiss out of his mind. Not only the feel of her lips pressed to his, but how perfectly her body fit with his. Each one of her curves had molded seamlessly against his harder and bigger one, as though they were two pieces of the same puzzle.
And look at him with all the lame metaphors.
Blake approached the truck, twirling his keys around in his hand. Because if he didn’t keep them busy, he’d yank her away from the door and kiss her again.
“Hi,” she greeted when he stopped in front of her.
He tossed his bag in the bed of the truck. “Hey,” he replied. “You’re here awfully late.”
“I wanted to hang around and congratulate some of the kids. You guys played a good game tonight,” she told him.
“Thanks.” And why did her praise have to mean so much to him? The parents and the school district was what mattered. Not some hazel-eyed opinionated goddess.
Annabelle scraped the toe of her tennis shoe along the ground. And for some reason Blake found the movement endearing.
He was turning into such a pussy.
“Blake,” she said on a sigh. She pushed away from the truck and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry,” she told him. “About before.”
“For what?” he wanted to know. “The kiss or the apology?”
She blinked at him and inhaled a deep breath. “For the way I acted afterward,” she clarified. “To be completely honest, I’m not sorry for kissing you. I thought that maybe…” Her words trailed off. “I thought I had taken you off guard and acted inappropriately. I didn’t want you to think I was being too forward. The sorry just kind of popped out before I could think.”
Blake pocketed his keys. “You did take me off guard. But that didn’t mean I didn’t like it as much as you did. I think we both know I did.” She’d been pressed up against him hard enough to feel the evidence between his thighs.
As though sensing his thoughts, Annabelle’s gaze dropped down, lingering long enough to elicit a reaction. “I think it’s safe to say we both liked it. A lot,” she added. “Probably too much, actually.”
“And how much is too much?” Because that was part of his confusion.
One of her shoulders moved. “To be honest, I’m not sure. I’m still trying to figure that one out.”
“Maybe we should try it again, just to see,” he suggested.
Erin was born in Houston, TX. but spent the majority of her life in the Bay Area. She married her high school sweetheart and began her writing career while being a stay-at-home mom to her daughter.
Her first book, Looking for Trouble, was on the Amazon top 100 for four months, and on the indiereads.com top ten for four weeks. The second book in the Trouble series, Here Comes Trouble, was also a top seller on Amazon. Erin currently lives in North Texas with her husband and two children.
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