Clay Johnson has the abs of Adonis and the deadly smirk of the devil, himself. There’s hardly a day he’s not headline material during football season, and never a day he isn’t a bullseye target for every girl on campus.
He used to be the easiest of all the players for me to wrangle as the Public Relations Coordinator, but after a nasty breakup with his high school sweetheart, he’s a mess.
And a complete pain in my ass.
We meet to discuss his behavior and review media relations standards. But when he witnesses how I fall to pieces in front of my guitar-toting crush, his wheels start turning. And he cooks up this absurd plan.
He helps me get noticed.
I help him make his ex jealous.
All by pretending to be in a relationship.
What he doesn’t realize is that this bookworm is a virgin, and far from versed in seducing a musician. So, to sweeten the deal, I convince him to help me — not just to get my crush’s attention, but to knock his socks off once I have it.
But the more I come unraveled at the hands of Clay Johnson, the more trouble I have discerning what’s fake and what’s undoubtedly real — particularly, the way my heart flutters every time that breathtaking man touches me.
We set the rules. We put the safeguards in place.
But they say rules are meant to be broken.
They probably should have added that hearts are, too.
Title: Blind Side (Red Zone Rivals, #2)
Author: Kandi Steiner
Publication Date: June 15, 2022
Genres: New Adult, Sports Romance, Contemporary
WOW! I loved this book! Definitely one of the best fake dating books I’ve ever read. And I love that it was a new adult novel. We don’t get enough of them imo.
This was genuinely a fabulous fake dating book and there are a few reasons for that. One is that there was a good reason behind the fake dating. Clay wanted to make his ex-girlfriend want him back and Gianna wanted to make her longtime crush notice her. Second, I liked that planned things were happening during the fake dating. It wasn’t just random meet-ups and kisses. They were going on planned dates and outings that were strategic. And, Clay was teaching Gianna different things along the way. Third, there was enough angst to make the end reunion so worth it.
The romance in this book was also really well done. I liked that they didn’t just fall in love all at once. It took time and effort. Clay was so good to Gianna. He was kind, patient, and really thoughtful. And Gianna was so understanding and patient with Clay as well. They were a perfect match!
Overall, this book was everything I was hoping it would be and more! If you like fake dating, college, sports romance novels, this one is for you!
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Kandi Steiner is an Amazon Top 5 bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, playing with her fur babies and soaking up the sweetness of life.
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