Chasing the Ring (Football and Feels #1) by Lauren Rowe

 

Summary (from the publisher): When a wronged bride and an NFL quarterback find themselves sharing the same Hawaiian vacation, a no-strings, just-for-fun encounter quickly becomes unforgettable in this warm-hearted, extra spicy football romance for fans of Sarah Adams, Tessa Bailey, Monica Murphy, Kristen Callihan, and Lucy Score.

Iris Benedetto’s wedding day just went viral . . . for all the wrong reasons.
After a heated blowout with her lying, cheating fiancé at the altar, Iris storms off on a solo honeymoon—loudly announcing that she’s finally going to find out what good sex is all about. Rebranding from small-town preschool teacher to #Horny Runaway Bride was not the plan, but the insanely hot stranger who ends up double-booked in her bungalow on the island of Kauai is an opportunity even devastated Iris can’t ignore.

It’s not often NFL quarterback Roman Maguire meets someone who doesn’t recognize him. Even rarer to have that someone barge in while he’s taking a shower and quickly make him an irresistible offer. Roman is in Hawaii to secure the deal that could finally land him a Super Bowl ring—and closer proximity to his son. A sexy fling in paradise is a perfect way to spend a week with a surprise roommate . . .

Except . . . suddenly a week doesn’t seem nearly enough. And once the truth about Roman’s identity, Iris’s internet infamy, and all kinds of loyalty-testing secrets are revealed, will they both be willing to step into the real-life spotlight together?

Review: One the eve of her wedding, Iris finds out her fiancé is a lying, cheating scumbag. And now she's gone viral for going off on him at the altar. Now the preschool teacher is fleeing the scene to spend her honeymoon on Kauai alone. Except there is a mix-up and she finds a really hot stranger in her bungalow. And she doesn't know he's actually NFL quarterback Roman Maguire. 

These two have SUCH a cute meetup. They have instant attraction and I loved how they get to know each other beyond his fame and the glare of the spotlight. Yes, Iris does feel betrayed when she finds out who he really is, but Roman had such a solid and real reason for not telling her who he was, and he makes it up to her in the end. 

I frequently struggle to stay invested in stories when couples get together straight out of the gate and their relationship begins through casual hookups, but I thought this story did a good job of building tension even though they'd already had a steamy week together in paradise. I also loved Roman's son and how sweet Iris is with him. Dating a preschool teacher is honestly the perfect flex move for a dad looking to find a great bonus mom for his kid. Roman is almost TOO perfect but Iris does acknowledge this and honestly, she deserves it after how awful her ex is. 

I did think they made a jump between Iris saying she would never date him and wasn't interested to her being all in too quickly. The duet narration on audio was great, but I did find the male narrator's voice a bit robotic. And while I really liked the epilogue where we got to see this couple and their family several years down the road but the unhappy ending for her ex was too over the top. 

Overall, this is a cute, spicy sports romance with a happy ending. There were a few elements that bugged me a bit but it was a fun read and I'm happy that Iris got her man. 

Stars: 3.5