Kim’s father and ex husband have done such a number on her, that she is not interested in men.
But when Kim meets Ronin at a wedding expo, their chemistry is so hot and undeniable that they end up spending the night together. Just when she is thinking of extending one night to a couple more, she learns that he is a football player and wants nothing to do with him.
But fate has other plans and she is pregnant.
I loved reading scoring the players baby. It was fun, hot and an emotional read. I enjoyed the way the relation developed between Kim and Ronin and the way they both grew.
This was a great read with witty banter, perfect supporting characters and sizzling hot chemistry.
Can’t wait to read Jason’s story.

Scoring the Player's Baby, by Naima Simone is a passionate contemporary romance story.

Kim Matlock is focused on her public relations career, despite her father's extreme negativity. After the discovery of her now ex-husband's constant cheating, she decided to never date another pro-football player, and she's hesitant to start another relationship. During a work event, Kim met Ronin, when he kissed her.

Ronin Palamo is devoted to his four sisters and mom, who is dealing with cancer, while balancing a popular pro-football career for the Washington Warriors team. After the love of his life passed away, Ronin abandoned the concept of love and relationships. However, he didn't expect to encounter Kim, which lead to a one-night stand and surprise baby!

In addition to the pregnancy, both Kim and Ronin are dealing with past issues affecting their possibility of a future relationship together. Even though it's the third book in the WAGS series, it may be read as a standalone. However, it's recommended to start with the first book, Scoring with the Wrong Twin.

Scoring the Player's Baby is geared towards those who prefer passionate and emotional contemporary romance books.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

To say that Kim Matlock has a general distrust for football players, is a complete understatement, she married one and he broke her heart, and she decided then and there not again!! She is a determined woman who wants to put her crappy marriage, with her two-timing football playing ex behind her, and close that chapter on her life. So she pours herself into her work, shifts her focus on living her best life and helping save her families company. Men are not on her radar at all, then she attends a wedding expo, and winds up finding herself in the arms of a handsome man, who is apparently trying to shake off a clingy ex, and she can't help but want to take him up on his offer for a night of strings free fun... maybe he'll be just what he needs to help her get over her disastrous divorce. Or he could be the start of something that leads to a whole lot of fun!!

Ronin Palamo doesn't do relationships, he knows what happens when love doesn't work, and he wants no part of it, so when he encounters a beautiful woman who wants to spend time with him, he makes a point to tell her that it's a one night kind of deal. But his last one night stand seems to have a hard time accepting that after their night between the sheets, and she makes an appearance at a wedding expo trying to get near him again, so he grabs the nearest woman and makes her believe he's moved on... in hopes she will take the hint and walk away. Not realizing that one little move is about to change the entire course of his life...

Scoring The Player's Baby is sure to score some serious points with sports romance fans, the moment they meet the star player Ronin their heart will be lost to him, he's a beast on the field, and a charmer off of it! I loved everything about this one, the sports related theme, the sexy heart stealing wide-receiver, and the ballsy heroine who gave him a run for his money, and the heartfelt story line that gave me a serious case of the feels!! I highly recommend readers get their hands on this one, it's guaranteed to leave them highly satisfied!

I requested an advanced copy of this title, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

4 Stars!! This was a super sexy, funny book! I’ve never read Naima Simone books before but I enjoyed reading this book so, so much!! Ronin, the main character, is described as looking a lot like Jason Momoa, the actor, and who has a hard time picturing that hunk of man in a romance book!? Not me!!! Both Ronin & Kim seem to have a lot of emotional baggage and because of this, they are both pretty closed off to finding/being in love, maybe even a bit too closed off?! I loved the witty banter between them. The parts with Kim’s brother’s wife-I loved her! She was hilarious! I really did like this book a lot! I definitely recommend it!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

Rated 4.5 Stars

Scoring The Player's Baby was funny, sexy, so damn hot and amazing. I found myself laughing loud many times while reading this book.

The sexy times damn near burned me to cinders. I loved every minute of it.

I loved watching Kim and Ronin not only fall for each other but grow as well. I loved that they found strength in each other, strength to overcome the things that had cast shadows over their lives.

I also loved the fact that the book highlighted the ways in which women, especially women of colour are treated/viewed in the workplace and relationships juxtaposing it with men.

I simply adored this story and highly recommend it.

I'm a sucker for the unplanned pregnancy trope that brings two people together so I loved the fact that this unexpected baby was the catalyst to both Ronin and Kim's broken hearts healing and lead them to a second chance at love. If this was just a story of two people dead set against love being brought together by their baby, this would have blown me away. Instead Ronin spends too much time putting up emotional road blocks at every turn and his back and forth, hot and cold routine with Kim was brutal. Both have emotional baggage that stands in their way until the bittersweet end and that drama and drawn out angst ended up bogging the whole romance for me.

I wish I could rate it higher because I liked Kim and I liked Ronin. The story was fast paced, the writing smooth and the smexy times were off the Richter scale! The MCs were really good together, they had amazing chemistry, flirty banter and definitely had an instant connection. Ronin was a man after my own nerdy heart! He knows Harry Potter and loves LOTR, people! But his constant pushing away and denial of his feelings for Kim because of his past got old fast. When the hero of a book mentions his constant rejection of even the possibility of real feelings or a lasting relationship with the heroine because of OW, it sort of kills the romance. I can't really root for a couple if the H does too good a job of proving again and again that his love, his devotion, his whole emotional arsenal is already fully committed to another.

The fact that he finally has an epiphany at the very end and somehow turns the blame around on Kim - making her out to be the coward running scared from her feelings - I felt was a low blow. Yes she was wary of trusting him (she had good reason!) but Ronin did plenty more rejecting of her and his own feelings for the majority of the book to now sign a different tune! To me she had a more valid reason for walking away from him and in her shoes, I wouldn't believe (after everything that has happened between them) Ronin's sudden and out of the blue declaration either.

A little less of his hangups on repeat would have gone a long way to a higher rating. At the very least give him more page time to prove this wasn't some spontaneous knee jerk reaction. Bottom line, I needed inside Ronin's head space more after he realizes he is in love with Kim. I was left unconvinced that he was ready to move on and not even the cute epilogue complete with soft glow of new born baby could save this one.

A perfectly executed third book to the WAGS series. Ronin was able to elicit from me laughter, heartache and tears within just a few pages. A more sensitive man I have yet to find between the pages of any book. Kim’s pain was palpable, it look his gentle (regardless of being a Pro ball player) and caring nature to bring about their HEA.

The characters from the first two books in the series were a pleasure to see play a part in the couples journey to the healing of both their past pain. This has been one of the most emotionally rewarding books I have read in a long time.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Where to start?

Oh, I know. Let me tell you how much I loved it. Everything about it. The characters, the plot, the writing style. Those insanely H-O-T as hellll scenes that I will never ever forget because, oh boy!

So! The hero is perfection. Like, truly. Move over, every other book boyfriend, Ronin has just bulldozed his way into my heart, that big beast of a football player! Shall I spare you the details of how he's big, badass and looks like Jason Momoa? Or how he's funny, swoon-worthy and very, very dirty? Really, need I say more?

As for our heroine, Kim, she's awesome. She's had it rough - Ronin too, as a matter of fact - but everything she is, everything she has, is thanks to her. She has achieved everything by herself, no help whatsoever from everyone else, no matter what other people say. Vice President of a PR company? She's my role model. She works hard but, unfortunately, she doesn't play anymore because of her idiot ex-husband.

Seeing them together, at the beginning of the story makes you wonder how will they make it work? But you see, Ms. Simone kicks major ass because she wrote a story where these two opposites are perfect for each other. Truly, one of my favorite couples.

It's fun seeing their banter; how they get to meet and how their relationship develops, especially after the whoopsie nobody was expecting. I want to mention how much I loved that, even with a baby on the way, they didn't jump into a relationship, for the sake of it, like you usually read in books. I won't say more because you gotta read the book.

So really, I rest my case and I highly recommend you read this one because you will not regret it. Or hey, if you do, no hard feelings, people and tastes. I, for one, loved it and will reread it, in the future.

I voluntarily agreed to read an early copy of this book through Netgalley and my rating is 5 stars.

oring the Player's Baby was my first read by Naima Simone, and I’m seriously disappointed that I’ve missed the first two books in this series. That said, this was an enjoyable story, with believable characters, some fun moments, and a whole lotta sexy going on too! I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

Scoring the Player’s Baby is Kim and Ronin’s story. This is the third book in the series, so it was also nice to be able to catch up with the couples from the earlier books as well as with Kim’s brother and sister-in-law from A Millionaire at Midnight. It was obvious from the title that Kim would become pregnant with Ronin’s baby, but the premise of her being divorced from an unfaithful pro football player and then finding out that Ronin shared that profession added a unique twist. Their story was a fun and quick evening read!

***5 ‘Oh My Giddy Aunt’ Stars***

After finishing Scoring Off the Field I had secretly prayed that Ronin would be getting his book next, because he was my fav of the bunch, so imagine my giddy joy when the cover dropped (which is all KINDS of nummyness) and it just so happened to be Ronin’s??

Yup, you got it, squealing and internal happy dancing commenced and his, and Kim’s, story was everything I’d hoped it be. Sweet, smexy, frustrating (okay, maybe not this one, but expected) funny and filled with all kinds of heartmelting swoony goodness that made turning those pages so easy and has me wishing it didn’t end.

Ronin is so much more than the sum off all his parts and had my heart all kinds of twitterpated and my lady bits cheering. His past and his family have all molded him into the man that he is and while he has constructed a few walls around himself, he has a huge heart, charm and charisma which combined with his looks makes him absolutely lethal.

I adored Kim. She’s sassy, snarky and intelligent and despite what happened with her ex, she has picked herself up and taken charge of her life. This isn’t to say she isn’t a little bruised and nursing some wounds, but she is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

The whole one night stand with a stranger that ended up with me being pregnant thing was already going to be all kinds of interesting, but add in both Ronin and Kim’s pasts and all bets were off. I actually really enjoyed the push/pull between these two because it was so obvious that they fit well together in so many ways and the smexy was HAWT! OMG HAWT! The major roadblock wasn’t all that much of a surprise, but I loved what was done to get them back together and couldn’t have been happier with where they were at when the book was done.

This was another fun, smexy read and I really liked how the whole “Surprise! You’re a daddy!” situation was done. As for the crazy, wonderful supporting caste of characters, it was a lot of fun hanging out with all of them and meeting a couple I hadn’t met before, but now need to add their book to the never ending TBR list. But now the question is...will Jason and Renee’s book be next???

P.S. The muse for Ronin is spot on and I never saw the movie but I know the scene :D

This is another great read by Naima Simone! She writes characters that feel real and books that are a joy to read. The plot moved along at a good pace and I found this book hard to put down. The description of Ronin was hot in itself. He sounded like the perfect boyfriend and is one of my new book boyfriends! I loved reading how Kim and Ronin tried avoiding the sexual chemistry between them till it reached that peak...great read!

Two beautiful people afraid of deep involvement fight the attraction and end up falling for each other in “Scoring the Football Player’s Baby”, by Naima Simone.
There’s a lot (I mean, a lot!) fully described steamy erotic encounters, but also tenderness love, kindness, unselfishness between Ronin and Kim. Their chemistry is immediate and undeniable and quickly evolves to something more.
I loved Ronin (what’s there to not love about him?); besides his size and gorgeousness, he’s a feminist alpha, protective, yet kind and loving, and super-sexy. However, I think that his powerful physique and good looks were mentioned too many times.
The backdrop of football, friends and family, lends substance to the story and the main characters backgrounds of loss and grief make them relatable.
The author painted such a vivid image of the super-handsome hero who has such a strong relation with his mother and sisters - and I enjoyed knowing, in the end, the identity of real man who was her inspiration.
The story is predictable, yet enjoyable.

I am going to start off by saying that I don't like books where the Hero or heroine is still in love with a previous boy/girl friend who has died.
So when I started this book I hadn't realised that this would be an issue.
That said it is well written and at times there are emotional scenes.
It was a bit too push/pull for me. Driven basically by lust.
They didn't really resolve things until quite late in the book where as I was expecting there to be more of an issue or confrontation with her ex. Really showing him she moved on as he didn't seem to believe she would earlier on.
It's okay, I don't know if I'd read anymore.

Ronin is not afraid to call Kim out when she's being irrational. But he also stands by her side when things get tough. What a man.

Ronin is such a smar****, “flirting with you? Ill-timed, maybe, but not inappropriate. Now, if I’d leaned over that table, fisted all that gorgeous hair— which by the way, I have no problem at all imagining sliding over my chest— dragged you close, and took your mouth in a repeat of what some idiot might call a kiss, but I call foreplay? That would be inappropriate.” Yeah... Ronin isn't really good with surprises, good,” he finally muttered, tone hoarse. Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Good.” Ronin is slowly learning its best to not state his thoughts on some things, “because I don’t want my balls handed to me in a Dixie cup, I’ll refrain from commenting on that,” he grumbled." I loved this book, and I loved Ronin, he was such an easy character to fall in love with.

Straight forward, intelligent, funny, and oh so sexy, Ronin was a great book boyfriend! I don’t normally picture my characters as celebrities, but with Jason Mamoa as a muse, it was super easy channeling him as Ronin! Now Ronin had a phobia about relationships, hence his very blunt one night stand stance, but after his heartbreaking reveal, his huge heart didn’t want to be put through the wringer again and I couldn’t blame the guy. And then he meets Kim. It was insta-lusty lust from the get-go that morphed into something tangible. Something bigger than either one expected.

For all her quirks, I really liked Kim. She was dealt some hard knocks from life early on, but prevailed in a screw-you-world fashion. She was feisty, stubborn, and determined to do things her way to avoid heartache, and who could blame her after her the way she was treated by her “father” and ex-manwhore hubby?!

Ronin and Kim’s romance was a five alarm fire with lots of heat and sizzle! Their sexy chemistry burned the pages, but the emotional battle was the big test. The banter, movie references (of course, Love Actually is the best romcom movie ever!) humor, gah! I gobbled that stuff up! Back to the serious.... Getting Kim to crack open her shields took everything Ronin had. His subtle persistence, surprises and reliability took her by storm, making me hold my breathe wondering if she’d relent and really let him in.

As the title implies, yes pregnancy and baby are involved. Imagining their baby coming out looking like a superstar with Kim and Ronin’s diverse backgrounds had me grinning at the weirdest moments! Overall, this was a great read. I couldn’t stop at just one chapter and read the book in one evening, enjoying every minute of this battle of hearts!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Scoring the Player's Baby was such a fantastic read and I finished this book within a few hours. I absolutely enjoyed this book and the characters within the story. The chemistry between Kim and Ronin was off the charts from the very beginning. I loved the back and forth banter between them and if I wasn't laughing out loud at their banter, I was smiling. I wished Kim's dad would have changed his ways but she was better off without him. She had her brother Alex who adored her and I am glad they developed such a strong bond. I also enjoyed Ronin's teammates. Overall, this was a fantastic sports romance read that readers will enjoy. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! I can't wait to read the next book from this author.

This entire series has been a huge hit for me. I'm really loving this author's voice, and her style, and her fun, sexy, and exciting characters.

Kim Matlock is a boss. She's the VP of PR for a huge corporation. The CEO is her half brother, but there was no nepotism involved here. She earned her job, and she's great at it, regardless what her jerk of a sperm donor, or anyone else, thinks about it. She's moved from Boston, and is living in Seattle for about a year, working on her current work project. She had a horrible, painful divorce from her ex, about a year before. He is a pro football player, and he cheated on her. When she's working a booth at a wedding expo, and meets the sexiest man she's ever seen, she thinks taking one night for herself is exactly what she needs to get back on track, with everything in her life.

Ronin Palamo is a god among men. He's the only boy in a family of 5 kids, raised by his amazing single mother. He's a starting wide receiver for a professional football team, and from the outside, has anything and everything a man could want. But, he's still struggling with things from his past that he hasn't recovered from. He's been using sex as an outlet for a long time, and when he's with his sister at the wedding expo, and catches sight of Kim, that's exactly what he wants from her too. But, he has no idea the ride that's in store for them.

Ronin and Kim's chemistry was palpable, and HOT right from the first moment. Their witty banter was top notch, and I loved watching them circle each other. They are both very emotionally damaged people, trying to figure out how to work through their stuff. Neither of them are doing a very good job separately, but together, they start to find a way to really deal with their baggage, for good. Their coping mechanisms were both highly faulty. For her, withdrawing from the world, for the most part, except for her work. For him, indiscriminate sex, never with the same woman twice. For both of them, AVOIDANCE. Neither of their actions actually worked to make them feel better, at least not for long. They both had to realize what they were doing to themselves, with their actions, and they had to figure out a way to stop skirting their issues and actually deal with them for good. I really appreciated the soul searching each of them had to go through to come out the other side.

The side characters here were great. I loved seeing the couples from the prior books, and I was very intrigued by Kim's brother and his wife. Apparently they have their own book, in a different series (A Millionaire at Midnight), and I'm adding that book to my tbr pile right now! I love when friends and family come through with honesty and help the hero and heroine to realize the mistake they've made. In this case, the heroine was the one who needed to grovel, and the way she did it was fabulous, and made me quite teary!

I highly recommend this to anyone! If you love sports romance, damaged characters learning to heal, fun side characters, a great grovel, steamy sexy times, surprise babies, and gorgeous multi-cultural characters, this book is for you!

This is my first Naima Simone book and I am happy to have requested it at Netgalley!

Ronin endeared himself to me straight away as the only brother in a family with 4 sisters. He is with his sister at a wedding expo because their mom has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is not able to do this with her daughter. When he needs to get rid of a persistent clinger he begs Kim for help and there is instant chemistry.
After a hot night, Kim discovers she is preggers.... and Ronin is there for her.

I really enjoyed this story! Just what I needed on a quiet afternoon in a warm garden.