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.

Nathan and Mia have been best friends for years. Today, they need each other more than ever as they’re facing stressful life changes. Nathan is taking his father’s place as quarterback for his former team and has a lot of pressure as everyone expects him to live up to his father’s reputation. And Mia is starting her own sports management company. They both need stress relief but more importantly they need each other’s support. Throw in that they try to resist each other in order not to ruin their friendship and we’re in for a lot of sexual tension and hot talks.

The Final Score is a best-friends-to-lovers, sports romance kind of story. Two themes I absolutely love so it was almost impossible for me not to enjoy this read. Nathan and Mia have an amazing relationship. They trust each other in a way you can only admire and I loved how blunt and honest they were with each other. You could feel how deeply they cared for each other through the writing and that’s an exceptional job.

There wasn’t unnecessary drama about their relationship. The intrigue was something else and it made things so much more beautiful. I really liked this original approach. Also, if you like big loving families gathering, this series is for you!

All in all, it was still a light, enjoyable and sexy read. I definitely recommend for lovers of sports romance.

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.

Really had a hard time trying to read and follow this book. Especially after I knew the Hero was the son of the characters from the first book in this series. . I hate I couldn’t get into this book. :( :(

Mia Cassidy is all grown up with her very newly established Sports Management agency.  It's inevitable that she run into college friend Nathan Riley who's coming into his own as the quarterback for the local football team.  Since both are currently single and with no entanglements they decide to go the friends with benefits route in order to preserve their friendship and scratch their itch.  While I enjoyed their romance I did feel that the friends with benefits saga lasted a lot longer than it should have and duh! what this about Mia unilaterally decided what's best for them as a couple!!!!
Nathan Riley is delightful. He's somewhat nervous stepping into the Quarterback position replacing his famous dad and feeling the pressure of  the team and fans expectations from him.  It's great to see him settling into his role and taking over the mantle of his position until its a comfortable fit.
Mia is a complex character. With her famous people she's been around sports all her life so it comes as no surprise that she would use her college degree to set up a sports management business. From the get go she's very successful and somewhat overwhelmed at how easily success has come to her even as she works really hard.
Both she and Nathan have not forgotten their one sexual encounter from college days even though significant time has passed. It's no surprise that they decide to take advantage of their sexual chemistry and extend their friendship into the sexual zone. Even as they hide their extra curricular activities from their friends and family and I do feel that Mia is somewhat obsessive about this its clear that those close to them suspect.
In order to get that happy ending they're going to need to work on the secrecy and figure out how to be a couple in the limelight that comes from both their careers. It's hard given Mia's obsessive need to control things but Nathan will eventually win through.  A great feel good story with lots of familiar characters from the series.

In the thirteenth installment of Jaci Burton's Play-by-Play series, we see the youngest Cassidy paired up with the son of Mick Riley (The Perfect Play) to give us the start of a new athletic dynasty (and room to expand the series maybe?).

Mia Cassidy has just graduated college and has undertaken an ambitious and risky venture to open her own sports management firm in San Francisco, where here brother and best friend play a little pro football for the San Francisco Sabers. Luckily Mia's family athletic affiliations and sports knowledge have prepared her for the business and dealing with athletes. I liked Mia's ambition and courage to take on such a venture at her age. But my favorite aspect of Mia's character was that she is a planner girl y'all! I totally loved that and got quite a few chuckles about her lists, planner addiction, and the hero teasing her about planner stickers.

Nathan Riley is the adopted son of Mick Riley, and he is taking over the quarterback spot on the Sabers after his dad's retirement. Only recently out of college himself, Nathan has big shoes to fill at a young age. But Nathan was mature and seemed to work well under pressure, so he was ready to take on the challenge.

Unfortunately our hero was more willing to take a risk on a relationship than our heroine, so much of the story saw him falling victim to Mia's whims and getting thrown into the friendzone. Personally, I thought Mia was nuts for not wanting to parade their relationship down the street. So her reluctance started to weigh on me by the end, especially since Nathan was so patient and understanding. Though when they were together, things were quite steamy and entertaining.

As always, I loved the sports aspects of the story and Jaci does a good job incorporating the game without it taking over the story. I had fun with seeing some of the past couples and other Cassidy family members, and it made me want to go back and read the earlier books. (I'm a late comer to the series so I haven't been reading them in order.) I think The Final Score will be a hit with fans of the friends-to-lovers trope, and Jaci Burton in general.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Berkley.

Best friends to lovers is always a fun trope. Add in some smexy times, a little conflict, and of course, FOOTBALL, and you have a cute and sexy piece of escapism. I was happy to see Nathan Riley get his own story. We first met him as an awkward 15-year-old in book one-The Perfect Play– when his mother and Mick Riley, star quarterback of the Sabers, started dating and eventually married. Ten years later, Mick is retiring and Nathan is taking over as the quarterback for the Sabers. My my how times flies. :) Mia Cassidy is also all grown up and like Nathan, embraces the family dynasty by founding a sports management company. While I always had my suspicions they’d end up together, I was curious to see how Burton would play this one out.

The Final Score is number thirteen in Jaci Burton’s racy sports theme romance Play by Play series and not the final book despite the title. This series has certainly come full circle with the next generation of Rileys’ and Cassidys’ riding at the helm. A familiar storyline opens the door to smooth if not repetitive dialogue and some old and new faces as the protagonists, Nathan and Mia, are forced to face head on their professional and personal challenges. The biggest challenge their growing attraction to one another.

Mia and Nathan are best friends and it shows. Their one night stand in college was brushed aside for their friendship and they never brought it up again. Not until they both move to the same city and reconnect. I enjoyed how easy going their relationship. Strong communication and comfortable interactions only re-enforce how tight their bond is. They are way similar makeup; both are intelligent, loyal, and witty with a refreshing lack of emotional baggage or painful secrets that often sparks the tension and must have misunderstandings in these romances. Extremely hard working and career oriented, it was nice that neither were made dependant on the other for their happiness and they each had friends and interests beyond each other.

Steamy chemistry gives credence to the attraction brewing between them. I liked that Mia chooses to wait and think through all the pros and cons of having a sexual relationship with Nathan before falling into bed with him. It gave strength to her argument that their friendship was the most important aspect of their relationship. Sexually, they meshed well and seemed to have a penchant for possible discovery. *wink* I found it hilarious when Nathan proposes hay loft smexy times, Mia sets him straight about hay lofts (they’re hot and itchy) and the fact that no one wants to have sex right after mowing the lawn in 90 degree heat.

The main conflict wasn’t much of a conflict at all. Mia and Nathan are both starting their careers and set on proving to the world and themselves that they got where they are at because of their talents; not their family names. This causes some mild issues; mostly on Mia’s part. Some choices are made that require some groveling at the end but as always, Burton brings her couple through the fire, ready for their happily ever after.

The Final Score doesn’t offer much in terms of excitement or energy but it does offer a sweet and sexy friends to lovers romance that is perfect for a lazy afternoon of reading.

Grade: C+

The Play-by-Play series of books are the first books I ever read by Jaci Burton so the series has an extra special place in my heart. When you give me a book with both the Riley clan and the Cassidy clan, which are my 2 favorite families from the series, and I know I'm getting a book I won't be able to put down.

Seriously, Mia Cassidy and Nathan Riley together has been the story I've wanted since I realized they were at the same college. I absolutely loved that Mia and Nathan were best friends and always went to each other about everything. I even loved they had been together once in college when they had both had a little too much to drink and still remained best friends. I thought it was super sweet that Nathan really was the one that wanted to pursue them being more than just friends first, but was willing to only stay friends if that is all Mia wanted. I loved them as friends every bit as much as I loved them as a couple.

I love that while Mia and Nathan had decided to be friends only, once they were in the same city and allowed themselves more time together, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Seriously super hot times between Mia and Nathan! I have to say that while I loved their smoking hot love scenes, the times the took things slowly and were more gentle with each other, made me sigh just a little and completely fall for them as a couple.

Mia Cassidy is such a strong and intelligent female character. She has been working towards her dream of her own company and has had her dream come to fruition. She is an amazing businesswoman who sees the big picture when it comes to media perception and knows how to take care of her clients and friends. She is a bit shortsighted when it comes to matters of the heart though and messes up big time when handling a delicate situation with Nathan. I honestly believe she could only mess up this badly because of how much she loved Nathan, but it didn't change the fact that she was the one to make the mistake.

I loved that we got to spend time with so many of both the Rileys and the Cassidys in The Final Score. While I've loved the various other friends that have gotten their books in this series, my love for these 2 families is strong. It was great to see so many of my favorite characters again as we watched Mia and Nathan each figure out their next steps in their careers and their relationship.

The Final Score is another winner in the Play-by-Play series from Jaci Burton. I loved ever moment of this story and didn't want to put the book down even to sleep at night. In fact, I kinda wanted to start reading it all over again once I finished reading it the first time. The Final Score is absolutely one of my favorite books in the series and has me chomping at the bit to know where Ms. Burton will take the series next.


Rating: 5 stars (A+)

I’ve been ITCHING to get this story. This is the culmination of two sports legacy families joining and about characters we’ve come to love. Nathan is the adoptive son of the first hero in this series, Mick Riley, who is now retiring and Nathan is taking over the quarterback position on his team. Throughout the years, his friendship with Mia Cassidy has been strong. Best friends through college, only tainted by that one night stand they had then after which Mia friend-zoned him again because she was too scared of ruining their friendship. Now Mia is dealing with the pressure of starting up her own PR company and Nathan has his father’s legacy to live up to with his team.

I often want stories that make the main characters jump through hoops to be together, but there’s something soothing about a story where there isn’t a whole lot keeping apart two people that make sense together. That’s what this book felt like for me. There are some obstacles that they have to overcome, but for the most part this was a sweet AND sexy best friends to lovers. They’re both still young, and are dealing with the start of their careers so a relationship was the farthest from both their minds. I liked how they got to the point they did and how organic it felt.

Nathan is that good boy hero that we don’t tend to talk about often. He’s just a nice guy, he doesn’t want to go from one woman to the next, he cares about his friendships and when he realizes he knows the woman he wants he goes for it. If you want a change of pace from the bad boys, you’ll fall for Nathan like I did. Plus it helps that he’s incredibly sexy. On the other hand, Mia is just as strong as I was expecting her to be from the glimpses we’ve seen of her before.

These two together were sweet to read about and I gobbled up this story so fast I just couldn’t put it down. In the end, I wish there would’ve been a little more keeping them apart and work through. I think maybe that was the reason they lacked a little spark and where this story could’ve felt a bit more romantic, it fell more on the comfortable friendship feel of the spectrum. Regardless, it was a fun read even if not quite what I wanted for these two and I can’t wait for the next one.

Oh how I love a good friends-to-lovers story. And this one has everything that I look for. This is my first read by this author but it will not be my last.
Nathan and Mia have been friends for years. They had one night together in college that neither can forget. I loved watching these two try to fight their feelings. I really enjoyed reading this one and can't wait to go back and read the other books in this series. I may have started at the end but I am hooked.

Love this series! Nathan and Mia 2 best friends become more! Love this book and always am left wanting more!!

Oh I loved it!!! I still can't believe that Nathan and Mia are all grown up!! I love this series! It never gets old! I love to read about past characters and fall in love with new ones. Jaci Burton's Play-by-Play Series is one of my favorites in the Sports Romance genre, and The Final Score is one of the best! OH AND BEST COVERS EVER!!!

I've been a HUGE fan of Jaci Burton's Play By Play series since the very first book, The Perfect Game, and I've loved every single book in the series so far! I've absolutely LOVED seeing her build up the Riley family, the Cassidy family and every other amazing character in between! We started with Mick and Tara in the first book...and now in THE FINAL SCORE we're making our way back to them with their son, Nathan...and his love interest happens to be Mia, the only daughter in the Cassidy family! We've met her four older brothers and seen them all find love, so it was absolutely wonderful to come back to see her budding romance with Nathan! Even better, I'm love friends-to-lovers romances and Jaci did an amazing job with this one!

If you're new to the Play by Play series, you won't necessarily know the backstory for a lot of these characters, but don't worry, you won't be spoiled if you decide to pick it up now! You'll see who they're with, but with Jaci's books, the stories of how they got there are really what make them all so wonderful. Of course, if you start here, you're going to love it, and then you'll desperately want to get your hands on all of the books that came before this one...so don't say I didn't warn you! That being said, don't let the fact that this is a bigger series stop you from picking it up. Jaci Burton's romances are phenomenal, and if you're a contemporary romance fan at all, I seriously can't recommend her books enough. I read A LOT of romance, and Jaci Burton is an absolute favourite of mine! Her books are on my auto-buy list (especially her Play by Play series!!!), and she also happens to be the romance author that got me obsessed with sports romances in the first place!

If you're a fan of sexy stories with a whole lot of heart, then Jaci Burton is absolutely for you! Her characters are amazing! In the 13 books (and several novellas) that make up the Play by Play series, I have yet to run into any repetitive storylines or to feel like her characters are copies of each other! The characters, the stories...and even the sexy scenes, are all incredibly unique and she manages to keep her writing fresh no matter how far along in the series you get! I was actually a bit worried when I first heard about THE FINAL SCORE because I thought it was the last book in series and I didn't want her series to be finished yet (I don't think I ever will!)....don't worry though, it isn't! There's already another book planned for February 2018 called SHOT ON GOLD...and I can't wait to read it, too!

Somehow...despite being smitten with Jaci's books for years this is the first time that I've actually reviewed one on my blog, so I hope you don't blame me for gushing about how awesome she is before talking specifically about THE FINAL SCORE! ;)

As should come as no surprise by how much I've already raved about Jaci Burton in this review, I've loved every single book in her Play by Play series! I'd be hard pressed to ever pick a favourite, but for right now (until the next book comes that is ;D), THE FINAL SCORE is sitting right at the top of my list! Nathan and Mia were phenomenal main characters, and I loved getting to know them better! I also adored their dynamics together. As I mentioned, I love romances that are friends-to-lovers, so I was a huge fan of how their story developed. They were so open and honest with each other, and their chemistry was off the charts! All of the books in this series are sexy, but WOW! Mia and Nathan had hot enough chemistry that I thought my kindle might just overheat. ;)

Overall, I loved THE FINAL SCORE! It's the perfect addition to an already amazing sports romance series, and I can't wait for Jaci Burton's next book...SHOT ON GOLD!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Mia Cassidy has just launched her brand new sports management business, MHC Management, and they’re off to a great start! She has already signed more clients, then she had expected to in the early going and word-of-mouth keeps others coming in. She decided to set up her business in San Francisco and now she gets the bonus of being close to her brother, Flynn, and her best friend, Nathan, who both play for the San Francisco Sabers, the city’s professional football team.

Nathan’s dad has retired from football and this season Nathan will be replacing him as quarterback for the Sabers. His dad has left big shoes to fill this year and everyone expects him to be just as good and Nathan isn’t sure he can live up to the pressure.

Mia and Nathan met in college and became fast friends, a friendship they’ve kept alive all this time, despite a drunken sex filled night three years ago. And, now both of them have a lot on their plates, but Mia has noticed their conversations always seem to have a sexual vein to them of late. She chalks it up to being in a bit of a dry spell. Nathan has offered up his services, but Mia is worried if they add benefits to their relationship that she will end up losing her best friend, in the end.

But as you can expect in romance novels, they end up giving in to their carnal desires! And, they quickly realize that they don’t want to give up this new sexual side of their relationship, but have decided to keep the relationship secret. But can the two handle the pressure when family, friends, and the media all start suspecting something more is going on?

“So you’re going to live in denial?”

“That’s preferable, yes.”

“You realize you can’t live in denial land forever.”

“Why not? It’s nice here.”

Monique laughed. “You’re the most realistic person I’ve ever known, Mia. And you’ve never been afraid to face anything head on. So maybe whatever it is you’re feeling for Nathan that has you running scared might be love.”

Mia wrinkled her nose. “I can’t be in love. I don’t want to be in love. Love will ruin us.”

Monique rolled her eyes. “How will love ruin you?”

“If I thought sex was bad for our friendship? Falling in love could destroy us.”

“Sometimes your sense of logic is utterly mind-boggling. Falling in love might be the best thing that could ever happen to you and Nathan.”

This was another enjoyable read in the Play-by-Play series. It was a quick read with lots of steamy sex. You could easily finish this book in a day or two!

I enjoyed Mia and Nathan. Mia is driven to make her new company succeed, although I find her launching this business and to be so successful right off the hop to be a little unrealistic. She is definitely a person that thinks everything to death, which makes it hard for her to give in to her feelings regarding Nathan. Speaking of, I loved Nathan! He was just a laid-back go-with-the-flow kind of guy. I was surprised with how well he took Mia claiming not to have anyone special in her life to both friends and media. It felt a little Judas-like to me. I really thought that was going to be what they ended up having problems over, but it wasn’t.

And, I really wish I had a better memory with these longer series! I always struggle to remember who the couples are, especially those that books were in the earlier goings. I can mostly keep track of the Cassidy brothers and their parents, although I fail with whom most of the brothers’ spouses are. It really bothered me that I couldn’t really remember Nathan’s parents all that well… I kept thinking Nathan was Leo all grown-up, until we got to the point that Leo appeared in the book.

I was really surprised that there wasn’t more to the storyline about the photographer that kept showing up. I was really expecting some scandalous pictures to surface. And, I really thought Mia’s protective big brothers would have more of a role in her book, intimidating her man. I was kind of looking forward to it, if I’m being honest.

The book tied up everything nice and neat at the end, although I found the resolution to their problems to be a bit anti-climactic and was hoping for some big romantic gesture, but it just wasn’t there. I think this book really could have benefited from a good romantic epilogue!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

If you’re a fan of Jaci Burton’s Play by Play series (You should be!) you’ll really enjoy The Final Score. It has Ms. Burton’s signature well-written sports plot infused with sizzle. Nathan Riley is the adopted son of The Perfect Play’s Mick Riley, and he is now the quarterback for the San Francisco Sabers, his father’s former team. His good friend, Mia Cassidy, has moved to San Francisco to open her own sports management company, and both appreciate having each other close during this stressful time in both of their careers.

Mia and Nathan had a drunken night of passion in college that neither has forgotten. The chemistry simmers between, and Nathan thinks they should enjoy a friends-with-benefits relationship. Mia worries it could hinder his career, but, of course, Nathan proves irresistible. They begin a heated sexual relationship that will have them reconsidering if their friendship hasn’t evolved to something much more powerful. Their relationship is nicely developed, The Final Score is a fun, entertain and smoking hot read.

ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written.

Though the title of Jaci Burton’s new romance The Final Score might imply otherwise, it isn’t the final volume of her multi-sport contemporary romance Play by Play series. It is however a check-in of sorts for fans, with the couple getting their happy ever after being recent college graduates and relatives of previous fan favorites. I read some of the initial books in the series ( Taking a Shot is a personal favorite; I bought the audiobook to go along with my digital copy because I enjoyed it so much) but hadn’t kept up with recent volumes (too many books, too little time!). I had high hopes for this one based on those earlier experiences but found this to be lacking the energy that drew me to the series in the first place. It’s an okay if somewhat bland read but new readers would be better off starting the series at the beginning.
Nathan Riley, adopted son of Mick Riley (hero of The Perfect Play), has finished his college degree and gotten the chance of a lifetime – to play football with his recently retired father’s team, the San Francisco Sabers. He feels the pressure of following in Mick’s footsteps and worries about letting down the team and his family who all have high expectations of the rookie. One thing he’s always been able to count on is his best friend Mia Cassidy, whose brother Flynn Cassidy (hero of Rules of Contact) also plays for the Sabers.
Nathan and Mia met in college, and since they both came from professional sports families (and had relatives playing for the same team) they connected easily on a friendship level. There was that one time when they went a step further and slept together, but they were easily able to chalk it up to an excess of alcohol and slipped back into being friends with no obvious repercussions and fond memories on both sides. Mia has just started her own player management company in San Francisco and though she would love to sign Nathan on as a client, she doesn’t want anything to interfere with their friendship. She also can’t deny the attraction between them that has never really gone away. Nathan is keen on pursuing a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship with Mia, but she is hesitant, though more for professional reasons than personal ones. The paparazzi can be relentless and she doesn’t want anything to hinder his upcoming season. Still, there’s no doubt that sex with Nathan is fun and exciting. Now that they are both embarking on full time careers, is it time to think seriously about taking their relationship to the next level?
The story starts with Nathan and Mia having coffee and reminiscing about their college days, and their night spent together. It's a bit of an abrupt beginning, like the feeling you have starting a television program ten minutes in and trying to figure out what's happened. I think this is because you're expect to know who these two are and where they fit in with other characters in the series. This discussion of their college days and their night together is a recurring theme. Much is made of Mia's hesitation to pursue more of what Nathan is clearly offering, which gets somewhat tiresome. Even after they do hook up again, she's still hemming and hawing about what it means. While the sex scenes are on the steamy side (there's no doubt the author can write those well), the chemistry between Nathan and Mia is lacking, making for no investment on my part as to whether they stay friends or become more.
There are two main family events that bring previous characters into the story. One is Nathan's birthday party and the other is a wedding in Mia's family. At both events, the couple sneaks off to have sex in another room. This makes me cringe to be honest. I can't imagine having sex with a 'friend' (not even a boyfriend at this point) in the middle of a family party.
Another point of contention I have with the story is the idea that Mia as a fresh college graduate can run her own management company for professional athletes. Yes, she comes from a background with those kinds of contacts, but it would have been more believable to have her working for a company learning the ropes at her young age than being in charge of a crew of people. Nathan's role as a new addition to the Sabers on the other hand is credible, given his college football career. The football scenes are well written and this is no surprise as the author has always done an excellent job with the sports portions of her stories.
Mia's concerns about sleeping with Nathan again and the impact on his career are heightened by the presence of a rogue paparazzi photographer. This element of the story could have gone in several directions but the eventual culmination (without giving away any spoilers) is a disappointment.
For fans of the series, connecting with old characters and seeing how their lives have changed may be the best part of their reading experience with The Final Score. While Nathan and Mia are likable characters and resolve the minor conflicts that stand in their way to get their happy ending, the sizzling tension I associate with Jaci Burton's stories is missing. Here's hoping the next one in the series gets back that original spark.

This review is posted at All About Romance and feedback has been updated with the link.

This was a nice story. The lead characters were fine and it was interesting to see the growth of their relationship as the book progressed. Nathan and Mia were really good friends but there was an underlying chemistry that they couldn’t hold off anymore. Seeing these two navigate with their feelings was sweet to read. Their friendship was a great foundation and seeing these two together was great and hot. We did get to see the previous couples from the series and that was nice. I did like how the storyline flow and how everything played out but I still wanted more. I felt like an extra chapter or an epilogue was needed. But seeing as this series will continue, I’m sure we’ll get a glimpse of Nathan and Mia. Overall, a likable pleasant story.

THE FINAL SCORE is book thirteen in Jaci Burton's Play- by-Play series. Nathan Riley is the new hotshot QB for the San Francisco Sabres. Mia Cassidy is a clever entrepreneur. This is a terrific friends-to-lovers romance with a slight twist. The twist is that Nathan and Mia have been intimate once before while in college. Now, the true-blue friends are a few years older, living in the same city, and making their dreams a reality. While dealing with the expected stress from their new careers, neither can resist the temptation to get carnally reacquainted. This is a story about the delights and pitfalls of mixing sex and love with a BFF.

Jaci Burton does a bang-up job of establishing how close Nathan and Mia are, and the particular dynamics of their relationship. I love how the friendship is something they both put a premium on. These two friends just differ on whether their relationship should progress to another level. For Nathan, his feelings for Mia are clear. His conviction about how great they could together make Nathan more of a romantic, rather than horndog sports superstar. Mia is reluctant to trust her feelings for Nathan because she fears ruining the all-important friendship, but also because she worries how any fallout might adversely impact her fledgling business. Throughout THE FINAL SCORE, I like how these two kindred spirits unconditionally support each other. It's a great component to the relationship that they both come from sports families and can relate to how ingrained and important sports are in their lives. Having this story told from alternating perspectives gives the reader a window into the anxieties and longing that the characters occasionally hide from each other.

THE FINAL SCORE is a frankly fabulous romance with sizzle and substance. The enjoyable teasing between Nathan and Mia balance the sexual fireworks and intense character- driven story. This works as a great standalone story, but reading THE FINAL SCORE will make you want to go back and read about Nathan's parents in THE PERFECT PLAY. I look forward to Jaci Burton's next Play-by-Play novel.