Jockblocked
Gridiron #2
Jen Frederick
Genre: Sports Romance, New Adult
Publication Date: February 11, 2016
She’s always played it safe…
College junior Lucy Washington abides by one rule—avoid risk at all costs. She’s cautious in every aspect of her life, from her health, to her mock trial team, to the boring guys she dates. When a brash, gorgeous jock walks into the campus coffeeshop and turns his flirt on, Lucy is stunned by the force of attraction. For the first time ever, she’s willing to step out of her comfort zone, but can she really trust the guy who’s determined to sweep her off her feet?
He’s always played around…
Entering his last year of college eligibility, linebacker Matthew “Matty” Iverson has the team captaincy in his sights. And it’s his for the taking, if he can convince his quarterback Ace Anderson to give up the starting position. Luckily, Matty already has an edge—the hottie he’s lusting over just happens to be Ace’s childhood best friend. Getting Lucy on his side and in his bed? Hell yeah. Matty is more than confident he can have both, but when he falls hard for Lucy, it’s time for a new game plan: convince the woman of his dreams that she’s not sleeping with the enemy.
I have always enjoyed a well written sports romance. Jockblocked hits all the markers for a well rounded and fun new adult sports romance. This genre is so much fun to read. Romantic stories are better when you add in another theme, and in this case, sports adds so much. In a story about athletes, you get a glimpse into a new dynamic. There is a team, a family by choice that is bound together by a common love and goal. There is dedication, adrenaline, and cocky, fun-loving characters. Jen Frederick does a great job of blending the romantic elements with the sports elements set in a new adult world. There is emotion, drama, and angst that gives the reader a fun and intriguing book that you want to read.
The characters in this book are spot on. Matty is the epitome of the cocky athlete with the world at his finger tips. When a challenge presents itself in the form of the beautiful Lucy, he finds a drive to something different and exciting. On the surface these two characters seems like complete opposites and the story starts to seem like a classic opposites attract tale. But the more you read, the more you being to see their similarities. The differences only attract them to one another and the similarities cause a common ground to grow on. Matty and Lucy are two fantastic characters that represent their role in the genre so well. He is the unapologetic athlete with the world at his beck and call, but Jen makes him into something deeper the more you read. Lucy is the uptight leading lady, but she evolves into a woman who learns confidence in who she is and striving to hold onto and go after what she wants.
Jockblocked is a story brimming with humor, passion, steam, and personal growth. I loved watching these two main characters grow together and, more importantly, seeing them learn things about themselves that allowed them to grow individually. This book bands together an unruly cast of characters and when I finished reading, I was so excited for more from this series. Not only are the main characters fantastic, but all the secondary people you meet are intriguing and deserving of the spotlight in their own right. I am hoping for many more stories in the Gridiron series and getting to see glimpses of Matty and Lucy in the future!
