I just didn't find this one or its characters as compelling as others in this series.

2.5 stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

The Final Score had potential. It was sexy. It had friends with benefits, oops what are these feelings? The cover, obviously, is hot.

But this book was so damn long and boring and went absolutely no where. We would spend CHAPTERS on just one damn, ordinary day in their lives and yet nothing would happen, it didn't move anything forward in the book. I don't even want to say this was a "slice of life" type story because I like those and frankly this was too slow and boring to even be trying to pull that off.

Pacing was just all over the place. Sometimes 10 hours would pass over the course of two pages, sometimes, as previously mentioned, one day spanned multiple chapters (and therefore dozens of pages). Which maybe wouldn't be a problem if stuff was actually happening in all those pages. I can't tell you how many times I just skimmed through entire chapters. Frankly it got to the point where the only time I stopped to read entire pages was if a sex scene was involved, and then I'd be back to skimming, just to make it end.

This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the hero and the heroine, Nathan and Mia. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Play-by-Play is one of my favorite sports romance series out there, so whenever I hear that Jaci Burton is publishing a new book in this series I know I'll have an amazing time. My realization that The Final Score is about Nathan, Mick and Tara's son, however, made me delay my reading of this book for so long. I knew I was going to be emotional while reading this, and I'm here to tell you that I was right. I was an emotional mess. But I also had tons of fun.

In 2011 The Perfect Play, the very first book in this series was published and seven years later the son of the couple from that book is all grown up and has his own story to tell. I know, of course, that there is another book in this series after this one, but for some reason this book makes me more emotional than the idea of the next one. It's strange seeing Nathan all grown up, have him be the quarterback and the star player of his dad's old team. The story kind of gave me "legacy spin-off" vibes, in the sense that it was nice to see the kids growing up, and Nathan become an adult. I honestly got emotional reading this book.

Nathan was just as wonderful as I remembered him. He's grown into a very fine young man and I am happy to see the path he's on. He's following in his dad's steps, becoming the QB for his dad's old team and he's doing a good job playing for the team. Nathan is very attracted to his best friend, Mia, and eventually they give in and become friend with benefits. He reminded me a bit of his uncle Tyler, more than Mick at times, which I loved because if I absolutely had to pick a brother, I'd pick Tyler.

Mia was a good match for Nathan. She's a young woman trying to start a successful business. She's hard working, she's passionate, and she wants to make it on her own. I understood why she felt like she needed to stay away from Nathan, because unfortunately rumors can make it hard for someone to have a successful career. I do believe she could have handled things a bit better, have an honest conversation about her fears with Nathan, but I did agree with her.

As I said, this book was a bit bittersweet. I've been following this series for 9 years, and it's the series that started my love of sports romances. There's only one book left as of yet in this series, and my heart isn't ready for that. I hope that Jaci Burton will return to it in the future, but for now I think I'll reread this series pretty soon.

*3.5 stars*

Friends to lovers to friends to….

Nathan and Mia have been good friends – the best of friends – since college. They were both focused on their careers yet they enjoyed each other’s company. One night with benefits was left at that, so their friendship remained. Now, both in the same city, Nathan was poised to launch his NFL career and Mia was opening her management company. When a bout of stress relief meant they were once again looking at their relationship in a new light, love was suddenly not off the table…

Jaci Burton is a queen of sports romance, navigating on and off the field comes effortlessly for her and her characters. That doesn’t mean there problems. Oh, there’s always something to throw a spanner in the works and this time was no exception. If there were faces beside angst in the dictionary, you would find Mia and, to a lesser extent, Nathan. Both were self-confident but that didn’t help when doubts and fears took over.

Despite the angst-y whiplash that bogged the story down in places, the characters – their humour, their love for each other, and the irresistible heat – made the story. If I didn’t agree with the turn the dramatic climax took, I certainly enjoyed the loving conclusion…

Such a disappointment. It's hard to put into words what my problem was minus the fact that they had not a lick of chemistry. The book just didn't work for me and it made me sad. I wanted to love it more but I just couldn't when there was no spark between the main couple. I will read more Burton to come though as she is one of the best at her craft. Just missed the mark for me with this one.

Little Nathan is not a teenager anymore. Loved his friendship and romance with Callie. They had to be together, because they belonged together! I wanted to shake her a few times, but it all worked out in the end!

How can one not help but like anything by Jaci Burton??? The books she writes are just so so flipping good. And this one was exception.

She just has a way of writing the best sports romances, and final Score had all the things I look for in one of those. Plus I loved the characters. they were so fun and dimensional. And I enjoyed how well written them and the plot was. So many times you see sports romances drop that. But was not the case for this one. It had a little of it all. The intensity of the sport itself. The romance. The character interaction. The drama. Just Gahhh. I loved it all haha
5 stars for The Final Score for sure!!!

The read meets Nathan in book one of the play by play series and have peaks of him as he grew up throughout the series. Nathan and Mia have been friends since college and have grown closer as the years have past. Both in San Francisco to take on the world Nathan in football and Mia as the owner of sports management company. Mia and Nathan go from friends to friends with benefits to love.

As always hot sexy scenes in true Burton style. Along with catching up with past couples that Play by Play fans have fallen in love with over the years.

Mixing sex with friendship can be a dangerous game, but it sure does make for a great story!
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The friends to lovers trope is a favorite of mine and I really enjoyed Mia and Nathan's story-- the history established between the two in college, the secrecy because of Nathan's celebrity status, the "oops, I'm pretty sure I've loved you for years, but can't tell you and risk losing you as a best friend" moment...
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The chemistry between Mia and Nathan was off the charts and the banter between them and their friends and family was entertaining... I plan on going back and reading all the standalone books in Jaci Burton Play By Play series!

Giddy I say... I am giddy everytime a new Play by Play book hits my eReader! And I love that we are getting into the next Generation!

Nathan Riley has big shoes to fill, stepping in on his father's old team. Good thing he has his friend Mia to help him through the PR Ropes. Nathan and Mia have been friends for a while - and there has always been this chemistry between the two of them... it takes their friendship to a whole new level. Unable to resist the two start a friends with benefits relationship but they soon figure out that there is more there.

Mia is afraid of losing her best friend and Nate... well he's afraid of losing the only girl he's truly loved.

I loved every minute of this book and as soon as I picked it up, I knew I would up all night until I finished. This book was fun and playful but HOT HOT HOT.

Jaci Burton has a fan for life and this series can never end!

The Final Score by Jaci Burton. I am a fan of the previous books I had ready by Jaci but this book seemed more sex than story. If you are new to her I would not pick this as your first book. It is a friends to lovers story and Jaci found several situations to put them in that they would be lovers. There were some appearances of characters from other books for those that have been following the series.
The characters are fun and both seem to worry about their jobs a lot. I did like the fact she had her own business and was working hard. There just felt like something was missing in the storyline.
My favorite part was the comradery between the guys and their smack talking about sports and lifting.

I was surprised at the crude language.
F- 50, bit 4, Sh&t – 59, D*ck – 21
Sex – 4 several scenes, I lost count. They were more crude than romantic,

I like Jaci Burton books. She weaves a great story, and this book didn't disappoint.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review.

Again we have another Awesome book by Jaci Burton!!  Nathan and Mia have been friends since college. Mia moves into the town that Nathan lives in. Since that one night in college, Nathan cannot get Mia off his mind and they have nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with hot, sweaty sex. Mia don't want to start anything back up, because she doesn't want to lose their friendship. Mia has set up her own Sports Management Company in town. As they spend more time together, they must come to realize that they can date and still keep their friendship. I was always told that some of the best relationships and marriages come from being friends first, for there is no surprises for each other. They have already seen each other at their best and their worst. I recommend this book and series to everyone. I give The Final Score (A Play-by-Play Novel) 5/5 stars.

I have not had a chance to read this one (have been travelling and it has gotten fallen behind). I will get it read but not for a while yet.

What’s it About? Nathan Riley and Mia Cassidy are both from families that are famous for their athletes and they’ve been best friends since they met in college. Except for a one night fling, they’ve never crossed the line between friends and lovers. However, now that Mia has moved to the same city as Nathan to start her sports management business their friendship starts feeling like a prelude to something more and it isn’t long before Nathan and Mia start mixing their friendship with sex. When an incident forces Mia back to reality she and Nathan have to decide whether or not their new relationship is worth risking the friendship they both depend on.




Overall reaction to the story? Since I remember both Nathan and Mia from earlier books (They were just kids a second ago!), I felt a little emotional seeing them all grown up and falling in love. I can’t quite put my finger on why though, maybe because the Play-by-Play series has always been very connected in terms of the characters so it was like stepping back into a huge family and suddenly the little kids aren’t so little anymore. I know Mia and Nathan aren’t the first of the next generation to get their story but for some reason, The Final Score felt like an emotional homecoming.



Describe the hero in five words: Humble. Charming. Fun. Loyal. Loving.

Did you like him? Absolutely.

Why? Who knew Nathan would be so awesome? Unlike most athletes in romance novels I found that Nathan was missing that arrogance that usually defines these kinds of heroes. Did that make him any less of a leading man? Heck no! It made him an even better one! Nathan didn’t need to show off or be bossy and possessive to prove he was tough and manly. Nathan didn’t need people to Ooo and Ahh over him to feel good either. He didn’t care about the attention, and the people in his life loved him because he was kind, funny, and supportive. How could he not be a total book boyfriend? He was such a normal, humble guy who just happened to be a football player with a very famous father.



Describe the heroine in five words: Strong. Intelligent. Caring. Stubborn. Fun.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? Mia was a businesswoman with the drive to succeed and I loved that about her but at the same time she was a generous woman with the people she loved. Mia had this spark inside her that made her impossible not to like much less want her as a buddy. She was just so normal and had a bold, sassy personality that made her stand out. Like Nathan, she was all about her family and loved them to death. She could stand out in the sports management field without being cold, conniving, or manipulative which was a bonus. She was just Mia and let her skills and intelligence speak for itself. I really liked her.



Let’s talk about the romance: Nathan and Mia had such an unshakable friendship before they became lovers and even after they became lovers that friendship was still there. Their friendship was one to envy and one of the best male/female friendships I’ve come across in romance. Ugh, I wanted to hate Mia for having such an awesome friendship with Nathan but I couldn’t because she was so dang cool. As for their romance, their transition seemed so natural to everyone but them because they just had this seemingly easy way with each other. They liked to talk to each other about everything, they laughed, they spent time just being together, and then there was the physical chemistry that never went away and that neither of them denied. These two were just so good together!



How about that supporting cast? Nathan and Mia both come from large, supportive, and loving families and I’m so glad Jaci Burton included as many of them in The Final Score as she could. The warmth from those scenes stole my heart. Everyone should be so lucky as to have a families like theirs.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Nathan and Mia’s romance is one of the best of the whole series. One of the best friends to lovers romances I’ve read this year.

While I enjoy Jaci Burton and sports romances, this one just wasn't my favorite. I thought that Mia and Nathan's relationship was two dimensional and their chemistry seemed scripted rather than genuine. While there were some sweet moments, the book was very predictable and there wasn't enough heat, drama, or humor to take it above and beyond. It most likely will satisfy romance readers, but didn't stick out to me as being particularly unique or strong.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
One girl who is afraid of the unknown and one guy who’s afraid of losing the woman for him so he plays by her rules. Being best friends is better than nothing, unless he can convince her that they can have it all.

Nathan Riley has been in love with Mia Cassidy for years, and except for one night during college, he’s kept his feelings to himself. To stay close to her, he’s played by Mia’s rules: nothing but best friends. But now, they are both in the same city and the rules are evolving. She’s willing to be friends with benefits and Nathan is going to do his best convince her that she can have it all. A thriving business and a man who loves her.

To avoid the pain of losing what she fears she can’t have, Mia is strictly friend-zoning Nathan. She doesn’t want to be a distraction as he embarks on his NFL career and she will sacrifice her own happiness to ensure his success.

I enjoyed this book, but at times the relationship seemed a bit… off. I loved the premise of the book and hope we see more of them in future books.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
Nathan and Mia have known each other for a long time. But because their jobs are so heavily reliant on public figures, Mia has placed Nathan firmly in the friend-zone.

This was a strange story because I felt that there was a lot of history, but the story didn't quite portray the history. This was more of a young adult story in terms of how the characters related to each other.

I did like that the secondary characters were all fun and able to play a large role in the story.

I do wish that Mia and Nathan had more of a relationship in this story – it was less about their romance and more about their public image and how it is portrayed. This had a lot of potential, but it just didn't really deliver.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is part of a fabulous series, and whilst it is a very good story in its own right, it is so much richer for having the knowledge from the previous books. Nathan has come of age... that is how long this has been going!

This is a fun read, where pretty much everyone is with the programme but the two people at the centre of it all. It is undoubtedly true that a great friendship is worth everything; these two just need to get past being uninterested in a long term romantic relationship and trust each other. The people around them are brilliant, and give them so many hints and tips. And as hard as they deny it, they also spend all their time together.

I am not a football expert – being a Brit, I don't even call it that 😉 – but I love the detail and the backstories about the sport. There is even mention of other sports, thanks to Mia's family being all round professional sports stars.

I have to admit I never quite got the spooky photographer angle, assuming it would be an issue later, but I am always waiting for drama. Luckily there was little of it here; mostly two people recognising that the chemistry that they had in spades needed to be enjoyed. Once they did, it was super hot, and definitely inevitable that they would get their happily ever after.

Fun for romantics everywhere, especially those who love sexy sportsmen and women.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆
3.5 Stars

I was super excited for the prospect of the two characters from this story getting together, and though they’re great together, I was a tiny bit disappointed that their story wasn’t as strong as it could have been. By this I mean that both Mia and Nathan are embarking on huge career changes and though it starts off being such huge part of the story, it was lacking towards the middle and end.

Nathan is now the starting quarterback for his father’s old team just one year after his father’s retirement, huge shoes to fill! Mia has started her own business in the Sports Management industry and spends 99% of her time working her butt off. Mia and Nathan mutually agree that sex would be a great stress relief and though Mia goes into with the thought that it’s going to be a one-time thing, it doesn’t take long to realize it’s so much more. Though they have a ton of sex, there isn’t much talking and it felt like connection between Mia and Nathan was nonexistent.

If you’re into a book that is mostly sex scenes, this one is definitely a read for you – though I loved Mia and Nathan’s happy ending, it felt abrupt and I wasn’t cheering for them like I’d hoped and like I have for previous couples in this series. Not sure I’ll be reading the next book in the series.

The Final Score by Jaci Burton is the latest in the Play-by-Play series and it was a highly anticipated story for this reviewer. When I heard that the hero and heroine were going to be Nathan Riley, the adopted son of Mick Riley from book 1, with the youngest sister of the Cassidy brothers, Mia, of books 9-12, I was intrigued and excited about this prospect. Here are two young people who come from high profile sports families, who become good friends in college, and had one night of sex after drinking, now living in the same town with budding new careers. Both can’t deny that it was spectacular but Mia is the one that put the brakes on it from happening again because she wants to stay friends. Nathan agrees but he can’t forget. What I thought would be a great story fell short of the mark even with these very likeable characters.

Mia and Nathan are both embarking on exciting careers and are very absorbed in succeeding. Nathan is taking over the starting quarterback job from his own father after he retires and feels the pressure. He has big shoes to fill and doesn’t want to let the team down and his father. That conflict could have been played up a bit more but wasn’t and I thought it could have been a missing factor for this story. Mia has started her own sports management company and is out recruiting new clients working long days with little breaks for fun and relaxation. They both think an orgasm would be a great stress reliever and Nathan is more than willing to help out in that department. Mia thinks long and hard about it and finally gives in. She thinks one and done and all good, but finds out that one time together is not enough. Of course in the back of Mia’s mind is that sex is going to wreck the friendship and she isn’t sure if it’s a good idea. The conflict she feels takes her to the point of a bad decision and ultimately their friendship breaks apart. Mia was so worried about how things looked instead of worrying about hers and Nathan’s feelings that are going from friends to lovers. What I didn’t see was either of them communicating their feelings while all that sex was going on. Granted there is nothing wrong with the sex; and believe me it was very hot sex indeed, but no one was talking about where it all was heading. Mia would rather ignore and/or push aside her commitment issue than face them. The couple did get their happy ending but for some reason it just didn’t quite feel enough for me to warrant a big smile at the end.

The way the story is written is well done, and I love the whole multi-generation of both families showing up throughout the stories, along with a wedding thrown in, just made the story easy to read and flow extremely well. I love seeing the previous couples all showing up and getting caught up on what is new in their world. I hope this review doesn’t discourage anyone from reading it because it was a good story. It just wasn’t a great story and I really had high hopes for it to be one. I hope we get another chance to see this couple in a novella because I would love to see them in a few years and how things are going for them.