**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**

Going Under is a new adult contemporary romance (with a college football player, main character- so maybe sports romance) and is the third book in the Blackhawk Boys series by Lexi Ryan. Going Under can be read as a standalone novel. I have not read the first two books in the series, but I am dying to now considering how much I adored this book. I completely fell in love with Going Under. I have been craving a true new adult college romance story for so long, but I haven't found anything that quite fit the bill. But Going Under was perfect! I love the whole childhood friend's brother aspect, I love a pseudo second chance romance and I love a good emotional backstory.

I really enjoyed the dual narrative in Going Under, between Sebastian and Alex. I was itching to find out what happened to Alex with her scars, and why on earth Sebastian has kept his distance for this long. I knew from the start it couldn't just be because Alex was "off limits" according to her brothers. Lexi Ryan does an excellent job weaving in the details of their pasts, along with creating a delicious tension between the two of them in the present. I could not get enough of their romance and of the story. I loved it. Going Under is probably my favorite college new adult romance I have read in a long while.

Alex has four very over protective brothers that have been shielding her from guys her whole life. Pretty typical, but I really liked that Alex was also a car fanatic. I thought this was a nice blending of the overly protective brother device and the just one of the guys device. Alex was interestingly unique in her own way. I can totally see why she captured the eye of Sebastian in high school. I really liked that most of the story takes place with the two of them at the same college. That is my very favorite setting for a new adult story, and Going Under has left me itching for more. I really loved this one. If anyone has read either of the first two books in the series, please let me know because I loved Going Under and if either of them are half as good, I need to be reading them as well.

Bottom line: Going Under is new adult romance done right. If you are a fan of the off limits romance, the best friends' sister trope or just sports romances in general you will love Alex and Sebastian. They totally stole my heart. Lexi Ryan never disappoints and I think Going Under might be my favorite book I have read from her yet!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs