4.5 stars.

I'm not a huge fan of the hidden pregnancy/child trope so I came into this book with some trepidation. But the moment, I started reading all those worries were laid to rest because Alexa Martin handled the trope magnificently.

This is so far my favourite book of hers and I can't wait to read more!

I adore Alexa Martin and her second in the Playbook series was just as good as the first. I really loved how this one yet again stars a confident and amazing heroine! I adored her son, Ace. And the hero, T.K. was fantastic! The entire storyline just grabbed me and didn't let me go. I love how Alexa took on the repercussions of being part of a sport where you receive concussion after concussion. The head injury storyline was quite well done. This one has it all - amazing characters, great story, and diversity. I really loved it - this is what romance can and should be!

I enjoyed Fumbled by Alexa Martin, book 2 of the Playbook series. It’s full of sassy banter, lots of chemistry between Poppy and TK, as well as their charming son Ace, who pretty much stole the show. There’s drama related to the football profession, such as serious health issues caused by the sport, and also drama between the past of the main characters. I really loved the special friendships formed between the Mustang wives and Poppy’ friends. Girl power!
An overall enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

A great sequel that deals with real-world issues without losing the escapism that many romance readers look for!! Alexa Martin does it again and marks herself as a standout among contemporary authors!
I would've loved a little more at the end but that's only because everything before it was so good

This was very enjoyable, but I have a surprisingly odd critique: the author hid sex. Like, TK would come home and the book would be like, "And then we did stuff."

Like. Okay. This is a romance novel. Don't hide the sex. If the characters are doing it, you gotta write it. Otherwise, just don't have them doing it.

Otherwise, I was into it. Cute story, loved how the conflict played out.

I was a huge fan of Alexa Martin’s debut novel, Intercepted, so when I heard she’d be writing more stories for the Denver Mustangs football team, I was ecstatic. And even more so when I discovered Fumbled would be a second chance romance, which is my go-to romance trope. Alexa Martin did not disappoint with this second novel – I love the way she writes tough, independent heroines, and the heroes who will do anything for them!

Poppy Patterson is a single mother whose life revolves around her beloved son. She’s worked hard to provide for them both, and she couldn’t be prouder of Ace. She’s built a good life for the two of them, but when her high school sweetheart, and the man who got her pregnant, shows back up in her life, all of the feelings she thought she’d moved on from come crashing back. She wants her son to have his father in his life, but will she be able to protect her heart from TK Moore this second time around?

TK is living the football dream he’s always wanted for himself. There’s just one thing missing, and he realizes what it is when he discovers Poppy and Ace – his family. There are secrets that need to be aired out, but bottom line, TK wants to be a part of his family’s life. Where Poppy is rightfully wary and hesitant to restart their relationship, TK goes all in with helping and providing for his family. He’s determined to win Poppy’s heart, and being the big sweetheart that he is, Poppy has no chance of guarding her heart from him.

While I liked TK, Poppy was what made the story for me in Fumbled. I admired the hell out of this woman, who created an amazing life for her and her child on her own. She’s smart, funny, head-strong, and an incredible mother. I was also impressed with the way the author chose to portray football, which is not always about money and glory. Poppy knows the dangers and risks that come with this professional sport and has important discussions with TK and Ace about it.

Fumbled is another fantastic sports romance from a romance author who knows how to write, and write well. There’s a good setup within this book for the next couple in the Playbook series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

The second book in Alexa Martin's hilarious Playbook series keeps the laughter rolling when a single mom reunites with her baby daddy and secrets explode to the surface. Martin's knowledge of football-especially the action behind the scenes-creates a cute, sexy, and at times bittersweet second chance rom-com that addresses the hardships of single mothers and the toll playing football can take on a body. As our heroine strives to be the perfect mom and lover, she soon learns that life, like football, is a series of fumbles.

I truly enjoyed Alexa’s follow up novel to Intercepted. This novel was a quick and fun sports romance that fans would enjoy.

Listen when I heard TK had a book coming out I was ecstatic! He was my favorite character in Intercepted and I was so excited to get a book from him. Although it didn't turn out the way I thought it would, it was still really enjoyable.
Poppy is a single mom doing whatever she can to make ends meet after she moved across the country to get away from an old relationship. But love has a way of turning up when you least expect it. TK, a wide receiver for a professional football team ends up at the club where Poppy is working. Old emotions rush back and alongside some old secrets....
The best thing about this book was hands down the characters. I really loved them all, but my favorite was hands down Ace. He was such a joy to read and he was so funny. Also, the stink and not wanting to shower was a very accurate description of little boys lmao My nephew is the same way! I also liked Poppy and how independent she was. And of course, like I said, TK was one of my favorites from the last book. Also, I need to have a Sadie book, even if it's just a novella.
But this was also the reason I didn't give it 5 stars. This book was mostly showing TK as a bad person when he was so good in Intercepted. I get that it was the situation, but it just didn't sit well with me. I went away from this book with a different look at TK and I didn't like that.
The plot was ok, but it was a really regular romance. It followed the troupes to a T! And because of that, by the time it got to the end I was terrified that they would have a super dramatic ending like Gavin and Marlee. I'm so glad it wasn't as dramatic because I was so worried that the main person hurt was going to be Ace. I'm glad she went a different route instead.
I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one. And now with the ending from this one, I think it's safe to say I might like that one more than this one because Brynn is awesome. This series is turning out to be one of my favorites.
Overall, I give this

I am always a little skeptical on reading a new author, but nonetheless I find some of my favorite authors by doing so. With that being said, I am so glad I took a chance on Alexa Martin. Her writing is flawless and I could instantly tell, she put parts of herself and her experiences into Fumbled. This was not only a second chance romance, but a book about the consequences of a career that takes a tole on ones body. This author hit points that are imperative in today's world. I truly am humble enough to have learned a few things that could be detrimental for my life so for that, I thank you Alexa Martin. Poppy and Tk were easily relatable, which in turn drawled my attention even more. They both had amazing character development, with witty but strong personalities. The secondary characters were also astounding, and I truly enjoyed the take in this story. Poppy and Tk's story was also very well developed, I just wish there was a little bit more about them together. All in all, this was a good read, I cant wait to see what else this author does in the future.

Poppy is one bad *****. She is honest and witty, but so strong. She has a bigger backbone than most men, she doesn't take to kindly to disrespect and will fight for what she believes in. She is a hard worker, and wants no handouts.

Tk, when I picture him I get goose bumps. He is mellow and comes off as soft spoken. He gives his all in everything he does, and that is why he is so successful. He doesn't trust to easily, but has always been a mommas boy.

When high school sweethearts cross paths almost 10 years later, there is a lot of emotions that rush back. But when secrets are spilled, are Poppy and Tk strong enough to withstand the unknown?

I really liked Intercepted. I loved Fumbled. Alexa Martin seems to be coming into her own as a writer with this book. Intercepted was good but there were a few debut-novel-issues with it. None of those are on display here.

Poppy Patterson is not happy to randomly run into TK Moore, her high-school sweetheart. TK, for his part, is stunned to see her, too. He thought she left Denver right after college, so he has no idea what she's still doing in the city.

Poppy's not happy because TK doesn't know about her son - his son, Ace. I usually despise secret baby stories, and, frankly, I don't know if I would have read this one if I'd known about it. This secret baby wasn't much of a secret, though. Poppy told TK she was pregnant when they were both sixteen, and TK told her he didn't want it. His mother gave Poppy a check so she could get an abortion and that was the end of it. She intended to get the abortion, but couldn't go through with it. And she never bothered to tell TK she had kept it.

I struggled with that a little bit. As far as Poppy was concerned, TK had said his piece. He didn't want her or the baby, so she never bothered to tell him that she hadn't gone through with the abortion. But..... see this is why I hate secret babies. Saying you don't want a baby that's still, in your mind, theoretical, is completely different than looking down at an infant and turning it away. And, yes, to a 16-year-old boy, the baby was theoretical, not real. I really wish Poppy had tried at least once after she had the baby to talk to TK again. At minimum, she would have learned that TK had no idea what she was talking about, because his mother had intercepted Poppy's messages and had never given them to TK.

When Poppy does finally tell TK about their son, he's vicious to her. Just cruel. To the point that I wasn't sure I could get on board with her deciding to get back together with him. But his cruelty ends up playing into a larger piece of the plot, which is how TK has changed over the years. He's much more quick to anger, he's forgetful, his mood swings give Poppy whiplash. She knows that this is a lot more than just TK changing with age. She knows that the hits he's taken and continues to take in his career as a wide receiver are causing early signs of CTE. I thought this aspect of the story was dealt with well, though not deeply. It's clear that TK has issues, and while Poppy is eventually able to get him to see that and start to deal with it, it's mostly just a side story, one that I would have liked to have seen more thoroughly explored.

But TK and Poppy have a wonderful reconciliation journey. They both have their legitimate issues with the other, and they deal with them. They communicate so well together, which is a piece I miss in a lot of romances. It's so easy to introduce conflict by not having characters talk to each other, so Fumbled was a refreshing change. I can't wait to see what else Alexa Martin has coming for us in this series.

After reading Intercepted I was pumped to read this book. And again it did not disappoint. This time around the story focuses on Poppy, her son Ace and also TK.

We briefly meet TK Intercepted. And this is the first time we meet Poppy. Poppy hasn't seen TK in years so when her past and present collide, her choices also come out.

However, her perception of events didn't match to the actual reality and now she has to learn to trust that all is not what it seems.

With Poppy comes her best friend Sadie and I love her. She adds so much to the story.

"I know you just met her, but Sadie is very dramatic. Always keep that in mind when listening to on of her stories."
"I do have a certain flair for the dramatics," Sadie agrees

As the story evolves Poppy lands into Brynn's world colliding more into the posse of Intercepted. We briefly get to see Marlee and Gavin again as well.

Now I can't wait to get Brynn and Maxwell's story and fingers crossed Sadie gets a story or at least we get to see her more in the series.

Alexa Martin follows up her debut novel with a football romance involving reunited childhood sweethearts. Despite class differences, Poppy and TK were a solid team in high school, until he started his freshman year of college and left her to deal with an accidental teen pregnancy on her own. At least, that’s what Poppy always thought happened. A decade later, they cross paths at her place of work and their relationship, as complicated as it is, is rekindled.

Yes, folks, this is a secret baby romance! This tends to be a trope that people either outright love or hate, and it’s one that I feel has been on the decline in recent years. I dislike the usual iterations of the trope, but I’m always on the lookout for an execution that works for me. I need a reason beyond “I didn’t want to tell you” and, from that perspective, this execution works pretty well. The secret baby aspect is not the main conflict between the main leads and is mostly dealt with without a lot of drama after some initial rockiness and some sorely needed “come to Jesus” moments.

While Poppy and TK make a good pair, my favorite thing about this book is easily Poppy. I just love her. She’s made mistakes and can be messy, but she’s straightforward and honest. I also love her glittered-up best friend, her emerging girl gang, and the friendships she makes with other wives and girlfriends during training camp. She knows what she needs and isn’t afraid to draw the line and not accept less. She’s a force to be reckoned with and I appreciate that in a heroine.

I am not the biggest reader of football romances, but I’m definitely sure I’ve never read one before where the heroine is firmly on the side of “Hell no, football sucks. CTE is hella dangerous.” In fact, I’m pretty positive that I’ve never come across CTE in a football romance at all before. Concussions are a major hazard for football players and it’s nice to see that not swept under the rug. Whether the portrayal of CTE side effects in this story is realistic, I can’t say.

I enjoyed Alexa Martin’s voice in her debut novel last year, but that book wasn’t without issues. This follow-up was a more successful book for me overall. I enjoyed the heroine and her friendships, the easy rapport between the leads, and the dose of realism. I’m definitely interested in reading whatever Martin writes next.

I absolutely adored this book! Poppy and TK were dynamic, and Ace stole the show. So excited to read more from Alexa Martin!

Sports Romances are one of my favorite tropes to read. And Alexa Martin definitely did not drop the ball when it came to Fumbled. 
I adored everything about this book. It has that perfect mix of fun, football, flirty, friendships and family sprinkled over with a dose of seriousness. I loved how Poppy owned everything she was and wasn't. She was not apologetic in the least for who she was and how she got here. Her relationship with her son was adorable. 
I found it very interesting to see how the downsides of playing football professionally were handled. I thought it was done very well and appreciated that it came from the spouse's pov.
TK is absolutely swoonworthy! He is fun and playful and all kinds of hot. His interactions with Poppy and Ace just melted me. His mom... not so much! 
Friendship played such a central role to this story. The women that Poppy is surrounded by - what a fabulous, fun group! I want to head out to HERS to have a drink with them! Plus how wonderful would it be to have friends that really ALWAYS have your back?!
I am loving Alexa Martin's words and can't wait for her to publish more!

Fumbled by Alexa Martin was a disappointment to me as I really loved Intercepted but it did have an uphill climb for me because it was a secret baby trope and those don’t work the greatest for me so YMMV. Full disclosure – I DNF this around 15% so things easily could have improved but it just wasn’t for me. Story opens with the heroine working in a strip club, but as a waitress – which wasn’t clear right away and that left me wondering if the readers were supposed to assume she was a stripper at first?

But my big problem with this was that the secret baby had been a secret for 9 years and it was clearly based on a misunderstanding that I could spot and identify at the MOMENT it was introduced. I could understand that they were in High School when this happened…but it had been 9 years, the heroine was on her own and desperately needed money. There’s a bit more to it, but I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief with that and DNF.

LOVED IT. Alexa Martin is now on my list of must-read authors, with her second book being even more delectable than her first. Fierce, strong, hilarious and smart female leads with men who worship them - SO GOOD. I loved how little drama and angst this story had, and it cements my theory that I care zero about football unless it’s in an empowering romance story.

This is 2nd in a series and while it has different main characters I would still recommend reading Intercepted first since that storyline is mentioned in this one. And it’s amazing, so why skip it???

Loved this story of real life, romance and football. Just as good as Intercepted. In this one, Poppy, the protagonist, is strong and sassy - she knows who she is and what is important. And TK can either get on board or walk away. I loved her strength. And the circle of support she builds is a treat, too. Don't miss this series! (Language, sex)

My first thought as I closed this book was “Dammit, why isn’t there more!” which should go a long way to explaining why this second book from Ms. Martin is a DIK from me. As far as I’m concerned, here are the criteria for you to buy this immediately. Do you like contemporary romance? Do you either enjoy or tolerate American football in said romances? What about strong female friendships that, while formed through the dude, are not dependent on said dude? How about a child who is a fully realized human and not a trope machine? Finally, do you love second chance romances? Yes? Buy this now.

If you answered yes to any or all of the above, you can skip the rest of this review because you don’t need me to tell you this one is worth your time. The dialogue is sparkling, the characterizations are so grounded that this could be non-fiction, and I am kind of in love with most of the characters.

If you’re still looking for some convincing, here’s the skinny: Poppy Patterson is a single mom who, when we meet her, is making ends meet without the help of her child’s father. They were high school sweethearts and he abandoned her when she was pregnant, so Poppy did what women throughout time have done - she made it work. When we meet her, she’s working as a cocktail waitress at a joint that involves corsets and stilettos (that’s a pass from me, y’all, and gave her hero points in my book), and raising her son, Ace, largely by herself.Turns out that Ace’s dad - TK Moore - is actually one of the prime stars of the local NFL team, but Poppy had never gone out of her way to contact him since she revealed her pregnancy. Now, this is where the oft-maligned “secret baby” trope could easily take over the story, but Ms. Martin deftly does not allow it to do so. We learn why TK wasn’t involved in Poppy or Ace’s life and it’s entirely plausible. When TK and Ace do meet, there’s not a lot of hand wringing over past decisions and both Poppy and TK choose to make the new relationship work.

Through that process, the readers get an inside peek into the behind-the-scenes life of NFL players and their partners, just as we did in Ms. Martin’s first book, Intercepted. Both are stand-alones, by the way, so don’t hesitate to just dive into this one, but both books are DIKs from me.What I appreciated about this book - beyond the fact that I laughed out loud many times and feel like I know these folks like they’re my own - is that the confrontations were emotional but never angsty. TK and Poppy have a lot to work through and they do it through conversations, negotiations, and - let’s be honest - suuuuuper hot sex. They’re both honest with themselves and each other as they learn to be this new version of family they’ve found themselves in. The resolution to everything may come fast for some readers - it’s perhaps a tad rushed - but it didn’t bother me as it fit with TK’s personality as we had come to know it.

All in all, DIK from me for all the above reasons and more that I can’t reveal without spoiling specifics. We’re heading into summer reading season and this one will easily be one of my key recommendations for any and all vacation reads.

Buy it at Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes and Noble/Kobo

This book was a nice follow up to Intercepted. I liked Intercepted more than Fumbled, but I still think it had it's strong points. I love that female friendships played a large part in this book. I thought it was a very nice touch.