5/5 ⭐ 
4/5 🌶️ 

Tropes
- found family
- body positivity 
- sports romance, American football 
- red-headed MFC
- dating “tutoring”

Mutual pining attraction with Everett thinking Penelope is out of his reach because she is the best friend and assistant to his brother’s girlfriend. When she asks if he can help her find a date for an event, he breaks down and confesses he wants her. I thought that was sweet. In today's environment, the body positivity message is a good subject to discuss in fiction. I have seen many women attacked because other people, sadly many other women, think they should not be able to have “hot” men due to their looks.

I thought it dominated the later part of the story a bit too much rather than focusing on their relationship, although both were intrinsically related. I was not very happy with the intro mentioning how he was such a playboy who used women, but much later in the story, we learn why he was that way when he was subjected to childhood bullying trauma.

The audiobook narrators, Juniper Young and Aaron Shedlock were just what the book needed to convey the emotion and tone of the book. 
Triggers: Snakes, mother death, fatphobia

, online bullying, serious sports injury, childhood bullying. Did I say there's snakes? Yep, SNAKES (not really center to the story, like the animals on the other stories).

Spice:

Their first time with him caring for her and telling her she was his all was really sweet. Her evolution going from insecure about what he will think of her body to acceptance in the bedroom is a very well written journey.

The spice, when it happens, was natural to the story, not gratuitous. 
Special Notes: The characters from the other series make an appearance, best to read in order. Includes a scene during Christmas season. 30 chapters plus epilogue.
The author graciously provided a copy of the Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.