Name: Alyssa Rovella's review of Intercepted by Alexa Martin
Item: Intercepted
Rating: 5
Author: Alyssa Rovella

Alexa Martin

Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there's a new player on the horizon, and he's in a league of his own... Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She's definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There's just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights. Gavin fights to show Marlee he's nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team's wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee's return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation. Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin's relationship to survive the season.

Intercepted

Irina Mellark

I could tell I was going to love this book right from the beginning just from the tone of the writing and I was definitely not disappointed. I absolutely loved this book and I would highly recommend it if you also love a good sports romance. 

I’m obsessed with Marlee and Gavin. I love how witty and independent Marlee is. Plus, she’s a total badass and might be one of my favorite characters ever written. And Gavin is just swoon worthy, I love how fierce he is and his development throughout the book. 

And let’s just add that Courtney and Madison both deserved a bitch slap, or thirty. Add Chris to that list too. 

The ending terrified me and I thought it was going to break my heart at first, but instead it just made me love Marlee even more. 

Definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. 

Alyssa Rovella

I love Alexa Martin! 

I could tell I was going to love this book right from the beginning just from the tone of the writing and I was definitely not disappointed. I absolutely loved this book and I would highly recommend it if you also love a good sports romance. 

I’m obsessed with Marlee and Gavin. I love how witty and independent Marlee is. Plus, she’s a total badass and might be one of my favorite characters ever written. And Gavin is just swoon worthy, I love how fierce he is and his development throughout the book. 

And let’s just add that Courtney and Madison both deserved a bitch slap, or thirty. Add Chris to that list too. 

The ending terrified me and I thought it was going to break my heart at first, but instead it just made me love Marlee even more. 

Definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. 

Flavia Louise

Lauren Sullivan

I’m probably the last person you’d want reviewing a football romance, since my knowledge of the sport is pretty much zip, despite (perhaps because of) sitting through a relative’s endless high school football games as a kid. However, the cover was just so gorgeous that I couldn’t resist, and I’m glad I didn’t! This is a delightfully snarky debut romance, and one where you don’t really need to know much about football to enjoy.

He might’ve been a good guy today, but I’ve been around this life for too long to be tricked.
No more athletes, and definitely no quarterbacks.

After ten years of dating her high school sweetheart, she’s ready for Chris to put a ring on it. It’s not that they haven’t had their ups and downs – Marlee had a particularly memorable one night stand during one of their breaks four years ago – but that she’s basically settled into her life with him and, partly, is sick of the mean girls at the football wives’ charity club making snide remarks at her. Until she discovers that he’s cheating on – that he has been cheating on her – and swears off football players forever. The only problem is Gavin, the new quarterback on the team, who also just happens to be the man she had that one night stand with. Marlee can’t deny her attraction to him, but he keeps popping up whenever she needs help. A rebound fling is the last thing she needs, and he can’t possibly be as perfect as he seems – or can he?

Why is he thoughtful? There should be a limit on the charm one could possess. Like Chris, for example. He’s hot, but a giant douchelord, so the balance of the world is in check. Gavin, however, is unbelievably handsome, a gentleman, kind, a fantastic kisser and those skills do not diminish in bed, and he’s one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL. What the hell, universe?

There are several elements in this book that seemed more like women’s fiction than straight-up romance (starting out the book with her dating a man who’s not the hero, the focus on the mean girls, etc). While it worked for me – mostly because of Marlee’s voice – I definitely think it’ll turn off other readers. The voice really makes this book – it’s solely from Marlee’s first-person POV, and, honestly, it was the best part of the book for me. She’s snarky, hilarious, says her mind, and has the tendency to hashtag everything, which I thought would get annoying but was actually downright hilarious. After her break-up with her cheating boyfriend, she sets out on her own for her first time in her adult life, and watching her get her footing and blossom as a single person was very enjoyable. All the while, though, Gavin keeps popping up, and her attraction to him is just as strong as it was four years ago. Gavin may be her white knight riding to the rescue, but the problem is, Marlee doesn’t want him to fight all her battles. After ten years in a relationship that she admits, in hindsight, she knew was going nowhere, she’s afraid she’ll lose herself again in another person.
 
The big misunderstanding was one area I struggled with, and this was the one point in the book where I wished we could’ve had Gavin’s POV as well. I don’t think it was entirely out of character, as he’d done lesser versions of it before, she’d called him on it, and he’d apologized. The problem was, he kept doing it, and even escalating it, so it was obvious that he didn’t understand what he was doing wrong, even though he saw that his actions were hurting her. I did have some worries that that would be his default reaction again. To balance that out, though, at least he was an excellent groveler! The other issue was some of the conflict. Marlee’s biracial, and many of the other football wives were white, so there was a definite racial undertone in some of the barbs sent her way. I’m certainly not going to try to say that that’s unrealistic, but it did feel like a shorthand way of showing how basically irredeemably bad guy the other football wives were.

Overall, though, I absolutely adored this book, and I’m very much looking forward to Ms. Martin’s next novel!

I received this book for free from First to Read in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Becky

This book has been on my shopping list ever since I first heard about it. I knew it would be on my like list and that I'd enjoy it but the price put me off. 

Recently, though, there has been a lot of talk about how the romance genre is so very white and I thought it about time I talk with my money and buy this. I have no regrets that I did. This was well worth the money and I can't wait to buy book 2. Sports romance is always a favourite of mine and this was brilliant.

Marlee was awesome. I thought I wouldn't like her hashtagging her life but turns out totally worked and just made me want to befriend her. She was kickass and even though she had her issues I loved her and wanted to kick anybodies ass who was gonna bad mouth her. Including Gavin if he went and did her wrong.

Luckily Gavin was a sweetheart who honestly is putting men around the world to shame. If I can find a man that kind and considerate (most of the time) then I would be making sure no-one else could get a look at him. He would be mine. Not that Gavin was without flaws but I think that just made me like him more. He was never not a good guy and although he made some bad choices he never disrespected Marlee or treated her badly. He just didn't always consider his actions and how they might be seen and he didn't always think ahead. He was always a genuinely good guy, though. None of this bad boy nonsense you normally see in romance.

Sahi K

WOWWW…. This book was sooo much fun to read !!!! I went in expecting a sexy romance with some gossip on the side but this was full on chick lit drama and I was thoroughly entertained. Also, the author mentions in the note that she is an NFL wife, so I was really surprised to see some of the WAGs in the story and I really hope the author didn’t have to deal with so much bitchiness and drama during her time.

Marlee is an awesome protagonist to read about. She may have been an NFL girlfriend for a long while and just found out she was being cheated on all this time, but she is no pushover. She is confident, sassy, doesn’t take any shit from anyone and gives back as good as she gets. I loved her comebacks, how she deals with anyone trying to behave badly towards her. She can be a tad bit dramatic and lets go of her temper when it comes to football, but she is an amazing woman who loves her family, friends and her job. I loved her growth through the book, especially the decisions she makes towards the end, deciding to find herself before she makes one of the most important decisions of her life.

Gavin is too good to be true and the kind of guy who only exists in fiction and our imaginations😍😍😍 He is an excellent quarterback, is extremely hot, very charming and chivalrous and swoon worthy. But he can also be protective and overbearing sometimes. I liked that Gavin and Marlee could just be themselves with each other and not put up a front due to his celebrity status. They were like a normal couple, enjoying their dates, having fun without any care until the outside world comes knocking in. The slander that Marlee is put through just for being his girlfriend is very painful to watch but I was very impressed that he never wavered in his feelings and always had her back. I hated the conflict at around 85% of the book where Gavin messes everything up, because it felt so out of character for me. But I liked the way it was resolved, in a mature and reasonable way and it wasn’t what I expected.

I also enjoyed Marlee’s friendship with Naomi and Brynn. Because of the extreme bitchiness, girl on girl hate and slut shaming in this book, I was glad to see she had atleast a couple of female friends who understood her and always backed her up. Their banter and interactions are so much fun to read about and reminded me of my own girl gang. We only get glimpses of both the families and it was nice to see such supportive parents, but I particularly loved Marlee’s dad. His protective nature was just too cute. The less I talk about the other WAGs in the team and Marlee’s ex, the better – they are bitter, nasty and extremely offensive and I’m glad Marlee always takes a stand, but they really put her through hell.

The writing is very easy flowing and it’s very hard to put this book down. I finished it in a single sitting and laughed out loud many times. There is some sports talk but not a lot, so even a football noob like me could follow along comfortably. My only complaint is that Marlee thinks in terms of hashtags a lot and it got repetitive very soon… and I definitely didn’t want a hashtag in the middle of a lovemaking scene. However, the book is very easy to read and lots of fun and I’m definitely very excited to read more by this author.

Kath Lau

*Huge thanks to BerkleyPub for my free arc. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

Marlee is dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. She thinks a marriage proposal is coming her way, but instead, she finds herself being cheated on. She is now done with athletes but a guy, who she spent a one unforgettable steamy night with, appears. And this guy happens to be her ex-boyfriend's new teammate.

It's been a long since I read a romance novel, a sports romance to be specific. I was quite skeptical at first because I'm not into sports. But thankfully, I ended up having fun while reading this book. Marlee is a very sassy and lovable character. She loves her family, friends, job, and has a great sense of humor. I liked how she deals with her problems and people who are trying to put her down. Her decision towards the end made me admire her much more. Her chemistry with Gavin is on-point! Speaking of Gavin, this guy is swoon worthy. He's protective and supportive as well. I liked that he respected Marlee's decision. One of the things I liked in this book is the female friendship. The over-the-top dramas in this book worked out good for me. I honestly didn't have any idea about WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends of high-profile sportspersons). There were maybe far too many hashtags used in this book but it didn't bother me at all because I found Marlee's inner monologue hilarious. I thought this was a great debut novel. The author's husband is a former NFL player and being an NFL wife for eight years has inspired her to write the Playbook series.

Amanda J 

b.andherbooks

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair review! Thank you!

Forever the girlfriend, never the wife, Marlee Harper finally dumps her NFL boyfriend of ten years after finding incontrovertible evidence of his cheating. 

Determined to reclaim her identity and life and NEVER ever date a professional athlete again, Marlee packs her bags and runs smack into Gavin Pope, famous quarterback. And the man Marlee had an unforgettable one-night stand with during her last "break" with her boyfriend. Shit.

Gavin's had a torch for Marlee since that night but Marlee really wants to figure out who she is, minus the world of NFL wives and girlfriends, but Gavin is irresistable.

Against her better instincts, Marlee's back and better than ever, until an unexpected wrench means Marlee will again have to choose between herself and her love.

A lovely first novel from new author Alexa Martin. I immensely enjoyed Marlee, but found Gavin to be a bit one note. The book is entirely in Marlee's perspective which made Gavin even less interesting to me. I also didn't like the constant threat of bodily harm to Marlee from various other characters. While Marlee did have some good female friends, I was also disheartened by the portrayal of many of the others as stereotypes. The bitchy rich wife. The sneaky "friend that is a girl" who carries a torch for the hero and will do anything to have him. Slut shaming.

But, all in all an enjoyable read. Solid, and looking forward to watching this author mature.

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads.


I will forever be grateful to Alexa Martin for snapping my week-long book/bookstagram/blogging slump, which I'm now referring to as the Great Slump of Late Summer 2018. Intercepted was one of my most highly-anticipated releases of the year and it exceeded all of my expectations. It was such a fun, swoony and sexy book.

I absolutely loved Marlee. I spent a good portion of the book literally laughing out loud thanks to her. She was super sassy, too. Gavin was everything I want in a hero, too. He was so sexy and swoony and he treated Marlee how she deserved to be treated. (Unlike the POS she was dating at the beginning of the book.) Who doesn't love a sweet and devoted quarterback? Rawr. They played so well off each other and their chemistry was fantastic. I loved their second chance romance.

So, I have to admit, I was a little concerned when I started reading the book. But it was my own fault. I have a terrible habit of not reading a blurb before starting a book. So here's this amazing heroine paired with this complete jackass and I'm like "Oh man, what did I get myself into? I can't read an entire book with this dude." Except with more profanity. Thankfully that is NOT the story I got. That'll teach me not to read blurbs. (No it won't.) But, I digress. Marlee and Gavin get an A+.

As a rabid football fan, I loved the behind-the-scenes look at the world of the NFL, too. If the WAGs in real life are anything like the ones in this book... whoa. The cattiness, the drama? Dang. It made for a good book, though. Marlee did a good job handling these women and I appreciated it. No doormat heroines for me, please and thank you! Such a great book all around. I loved the diversity and, well, everything about Intercepted. I can't wait to get my hands on Fumbled!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FAVORITE QUOTES

Sometimes I like to hashtag my life. #CheaperThanTherapy

The problem with being an adult is absolutely everything. Bills. Work. The bone crushing disappointment of knowing the guy you want isn't right for you. A slowed metabolism.

In the words of the infamous Ice Cube, today was a good day. #GangstaRapInspiration

window

I liked Marlee's sass and really appreciated the freshness of having a non-white/bi-racial main character in a mainstream romance. The hashtags in her internal monologue at first were amusing but then rapidly started to feel gimmicky and contrived.

As others have pointed out, there is a fair amount of "girl hate" here, mostly Marlee's interactions with the other team wives as well as the H's publicist (who really wants to be his GF), but to me, it's believable that the wife of a super-wealthy, starting QB for an NFL team could be superficial and judgy. 

There were a few dead end elements in the plot, one of which was her relationship with the homeless man in her building. While I know it ultimately led to (view spoiler)[her being set up for (presumably) mugging, which turned into an attempted assault, there was a lot of word count devoted to set this up when ultimately it could have just as well been a random crime. More word count is devoted to follow-up info on the capture of her attacker and all of this made me feel that surely the homeless man/attacker would show up again in some fashion later in the book but nope. (hide spoiler)] 

I liked how Marlee put the brakes on her relationship with Gavin so that she could first figure herself out before continuing to pursue the relationship and I enjoyed the few scenes with her dad.

Alyssa Jacunski

This was a fun read! I've been meaning to pick this up for awhile and I'm so glad that I did. Couple things I didn't like: the unnecessary conflict and drama, the hashtags and that's pretty much it.

Things I did enjoy / love: the inclusion of sports (but it's not the sole focus), the romance of the main characters, the growth of the main character. I also felt that it had pretty good representation (probably could've been better, but it wasn't bad). 

Overall, I enjoyed watching Marlee grow as a person from beginning to end. I could've lived without the cattiness and drama (although, this is not specific to the book). However, I do like that the book showed two main things with the cattiness and drama: quality friends are better than a large quantity and that you don't have to get along with everyone, but you do need to be respectful. 

I'm excited to continue on in the series and read more from the author!

Trigger warning: cheating; assault.

Lacey

What a wonderful debut!! I had so much fun reading INTERCEPTED. I adored the heroine – Marlee is hilarious, down-to-earth, and so lovable. She and Gavin had great chemistry together. I loved that this was a different take on sports romance, that was get more of a behind-the-scenes thing from the POV of an SO of a famous athlete. I highly recommend this one for sports romance fans who are looking for something fun and lighthearted!

Full review to come!

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Kate

A super fun and adorable sports romance. 
The characters were wonderful, the plot was utterly addictive and the audiobook narrator was brilliant! 
I wasn't a fan of the constant hashtags, which just felt out of place and odd and the girl on girl hate was a bit much (although it thankfully petered out). I also didn't love the regular negative comments towards bodies.
However, overall, I had a lot of fun with this and would especially recommend the audiobook.

Irina Mellark &
Intercepted by Alexa Martin

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