A review by carlamonticelli
Fair Catch by Kandi Steiner

4.0

“𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐞.”
Zeke and Riley were once childhood best friends until a tragic accident drove them apart. This incident not only altered the course of Riley’s twin brother Gavin’s life but also deepened Riley’s intense dislike for Zeke. With Gavin’s football dreams shattered due to the accident, Riley vowed to carry on in his place, driven by her own passion for the game. Now, years later, Zeke and Riley find themselves heading to the same college to play on the same football team, but to their surprise, they’re assigned as roommates.

This book was so much fun to read! This is my first time reading something by Kandi Steiner, but it definitely won’t be my last! Her writing is so immersive, and I loved her way of describing and building the story.

Riley is the kicker for the football team, and what a surprise that was. I’ve never read about a female player on a boys’ team, but I absolutely loved it. She radiates talent and confidence that rivals her male teammates. She's not always the most open or friendly, and she also tends to overthink things a lot, but she goes through a lot of growth throughout the book, and I really liked seeing that. 
Zeke is the opposite of Riley. Despite his flaws, he’s genuine and has the kindest heart, and I adored how he cares for her. He always makes sure their teammates respect her, even though she insists she can fight her own battles. Most of all, I appreciated that Zeke never questioned Riley's football career but instead encouraged her and opened her eyes to the possibility of playing at the next level.

There are a couple of reasons I didn't give this book five stars, the main one being the third-act breakup. The fight over plagiarism and risking their relationship over that seemed excessive. Also, the miscommunication about their feelings was frustrating. They clearly wanted to be together, but not talking about it led to them being just friends with benefits.

Overall, Fair Catch was an amazing read with the perfect blend of angst and sports romance. After reading the epilogue, I'm excited to see what the next book in this series will bring!

Tropes:
🏈 Childhood Friends
🏈 Enemies-To-Lovers
🏈 Forced Proximity
🏈 Sports Romance
🏈 Brother's Best Friend