A review by squill23
Zone Protection by Ava Sutton

emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really enjoyed Archie and Emma. I thought that they balanced each other out very well. His laid-back to her serious—I love this dynamic. and because they are just opposites, they really bring out the best in each other. I really loved the development of their relationship. That while yes, they are literally going from strangers to parents, they make it a point to get to know each other and to see where the relationship goes, and while yes, it is clear Archie wants a relationship with Emma, he is not forcing anything to happen. I really loved that he valued what she wanted—his momma really did raise him right. It wasn't an "Oh, I am going to be in the NFL so drop everything and I'll take care of you." It was "we are in this together and I know it's going to be hard, but we will work together to make both our dreams come true." 

If you read Counter Play, Archie's behavior now makes complete sense. But I really missed the friend group aspect of this novel until the first one. It also really bothered me that they kept it a secret for so long. I mean, I understood the reasoning, but I think it was unfair of Emma to ask this of Archie.

The major thing that threw me was the overly descriptive writing. When there wasn't dialogue or smexxy scenes,where the writing was spot on, everything else felt like a play-by-play of what was happening, what steps they were taking, and what they were wearing and because of this, it took me out of the story.

I am looking forward to the next in the series however.

 Thank you Ava Sutton and Wordsmith Publicity for the ARC in return for an honest review.