Kickin' It is the second book in the Red Card series by Rachel van Dyken. It's the story of Matt and Parker. I really liked their story. It was sweet, full of feels and very well written.

I decided not to finish this book because I didn't feel a strong connection to the story or characters. I will not be rating it or writing a full review, but I appreciate the opportunity.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A great spicy read from Author Rachel Van Dyken who knows how to pull you in from Chapter 1 and keep you turning pages.

There's something about Rachel's way of writing and her story telling that sucks you in and the only way you are able to stop reading is once you finish reading the book. Love the love-hate relationship situation!!!

Another awesome book by Rachel Van Dyken

Oh how I love a good sports romance, and this by far was one of the great ones. The writing was smooth and fluid that you just couldn't help but get sucked into the story.

All the main characters were wonderful and entertaining, the love and dedication they have to one another was a nice thing to experience. Not only the working relationships but the real true friendships they have with one another. The chemistry between the two main characters was undeniable. Sure there was a bit of an age gap but not so much to be alarmed. It was a bidding romance that was inevitable.

What I really enjoyed was that this was not just a romance but a story. Am important story of something bad that has happened and the strength you have to overcome it. Sometimes life is hard and difficult and things happen but it's how you deal with them that makes you the stronger person. I really enjoyed going through Parker's experience, of her overcoming her fear and seeing the truth free.

Really great read and now I have to go back and read the first one because I just can't get enough of these characters. Plus soccer is fun to read about.

This is a very fun easy light read. Kickin' it is an angsty sports romance told from alternating POVs with an underlying frenemies/slightly forbidden romance tone. While this is part of a series each book can be read as a stand alone.

I love RVD and think she is an amazing writer and can create not only great characters to fall in love with, but all the angst that makes you continue to turn the page until there's nothing left and you're left aching to start another.

While this was the first of this series I had picked up from her I did not feel I was missing anything in the series and had gotten plenty of background info on all the characters without drowning out the main characters story and without being lost in the middle of a series. I also it was found it unique and interesting that the female was the athlete vs the male which is rare in sports romances and think she wrote it very well, with the other characters supporting her.

Overall it was a cute fun read about a female soccer player trying to achieve her dreams while overcoming her dark past with the help of her new (very reputable) agent who happens to be a pain in the a**. Throughout their training and time together they find themselves in some very compromising situations and things get heated time and time again until they lose themselves to their needs and wants. All the while getting to know eachother better (secrets included) and navigating their new founded relationship and the proper course to take with their professional and personal relationship. When history threatens to tear the two apart the main character shows her strength she has gained in her new relationship to successfully navigate both through ending in the expression of true love.

There were many points throughout this book that I did think the writing fell short. A few of the situations and characters were very cheesy to a point where I had to pause and re-read. I believe the intention was to bring humor and lightness to the novel, but a lot of the cliches were overdone. With that said RVD has a way with writing angst and I love when my Romance novels go more than half way through the book and the main couple still has yet to sleep together. RVD did this with precision that had my turning the page until I had the satisfaction of getting to that first sex scene. After that there was the typical loads of smut and romance and then the slight plot twist/exciting scene shoved into the last ten to twenty percent of the book. I still enjoyed it and felt it was a light fun quick read for anyone wanting to pick up a female athlete lead sports romance.

I had the fantastic pleasure of meeting Rachel and I am a huge fan of her work! This book did not disappoint and I was riveted from start to finish. I love that this series can be read in order as stand alone books. I am not a huge fan overly sexual romances so this book delivered with it sweet and fun sporty themed romance. Rachel is on my auto buy list so I will continue to read and promote all her work! Highly recommend!

Kickin’ It

**received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What happens when you start to fall for your sister’s best friend? Everything you thought you knew changes and you find that one person who will force you to look at your life and finally fight for what you want.

Matt and Parker challenge one another and also compliment one another well. They force each other to come to terms with their past and face their fears. The difference this time is that someone is there to catch them when they fall.

I have come to the conclusion that this author and I genuinely don't click. I've tried multiple times to read her novels because they have such interesting premises, but this is another one that just wasn't for me.

Matt and Parker had a wonderful story with deeper issues than what Slade and Mackenzie faced in book one. Though I didn’t connect with them as strongly as I did with Slade and Mack, their story was moving nonetheless.

Rachel van dyken is very hit or miss for me but this was an absolute hit. Really really adored this book. I wish it was longer just because I didn't want to stop reading it.

Despite this book dealing with such a heavy subject matter as rape, not only was it executed so well but the author wrote the main character Parker in such a way that you couldn’t help but deeply care for her and what she was going through. Despite having gone through what she went through at such a young age at the hands of someone she believed she could trust, Parker did not let her dreams of becoming a league soccer player. Thankfully her best friend Willow had just the connection through her brother Matt who just happened to be a famous sports agent. From the moment we met Matt in Mack and Slade’s story I fell in love with his personality and could not wait to read his own happily ever after. This book did not disappoint in any way, it had plenty of Jagger (who we also meet in the previous book) who just so happens to fall quickly for Matt’s sister Willow and these two characters? Made this book even more humorous with their antics ( I really hope we get a book on them soon!) and while it did have a couple trigger worthy scenes I think that the author did a great job of portraying the situation and writing Parker’s character not in a broken role but in a dile that showed that she would not be broken down by any man.

The whole lead up to Parker and Matt was the absolute best, because though Matt denied it, we had plenty of characters making sure that he saw the error of his ways and gave in already. Not only does Matt help her reach her goals and dreams but he helps her realize just how much of a strong woman she is.

Kickin It is my first read from author Rachel Van Dyken, but I have to admit this book is a truly enjoyable one.

It was fun, steamy, and heartwarming, too. Though it is the second installment of the series, I didn't feel left out or confused about the lead and side characters.

I think that the male lead, Matt, has exposure on the first book of this series, so I would really like to pick up that book as well.

I had to make a confession, though, even if I was sent an eARC of this book, I was able to read this via audiobook. Regardless of the change in medium, the story was very likeable. In fact, I think the narrators even made me even more attached to the characters.

Matt, the male lead, was a powerful businessman who truly knows what he wants and what he does. He pretends to be strong but he loves his sister dearly, as well as his friends. On the other hand, Parker has a brave and strong aura, even though she is struggling and hurting inside.

The dynamic between the two leads was amazing to discover. The banter was really cute, but the attraction was intense.

Something that I really loved from this book is the role of the friendships in the story. The friendship of the leads, as well as their friendship with the support characters, were depicted so real, which was a plus point for me.

Overall, this is a book I enjoyed and an author that I hope to read more from.

This was a really good read! The writing flowed well, and I loved Matt and Parker together. They had great chemistry, and I felt like they were good for each other. Parker was a lot stand offish in the beginning, but it wasn't long before we find out why. Although that situation gets resolved in the end, I would have loved for Parker to stand up for herself before then. Matt was a great guy, and he was always looking out for Parker. There were funny moments, although not quite as many as the first book had. Slade and Jagger make appearances in this one as well. The ending was perfect for Matt and Parker, although I'm really hoping that situation with Jagger is explained in the next book!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

Another great book!!! I love anything Rachel Van Dyken writes! She never disappoints me. Her storytelling astounds me!! Can't wait for her next book!!

I enjoyed this even more than the first book! I liked that this is a sports romance where both characters are involved in said sport, because it’s what initially brings them together. There was just the right amount of smut as well. Definitely recommend Van Dyken’s books and look forward to reading more ASAP!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I am a huge fan of Rachel Van Dyken.

In Kickin It, Matt is a very successful sports agent. His sister comes to live with him (she wants to join his company) and she brings her best friend, Parker, with her. Parker is a soccer player (I love stories about soccer players) who got the short end on her college soccer team. She is hoping that Matt will become her agent. That is the very beginning of the story. It was a slow build up to the romance between the two main characters, which made it feel more authentic. This book also has a very strong support cast, which I always like. I cannot wait for the next book in this series as I have also read the first book, Risky Play, and it was really excellent as well.

Loved the book so much I purchases a copy!

Matt was a former professional soccer player, successful sports agent, and everyone's best friend. He had it all - a beautiful home, fast cars, expense accounts, his own prosperous business, great buddies, connections, fab clothes, and opportunities of a lifetime. He was happy. Or was he? What good is having it all with no one to share it with?

Parker was striving for a soccer career, but one moment may have derailed her future forever. Being best friends with Willow has many perks aside from her being awesome, one of them being that she's the sister of the best agent around. Can Matt save her reputation and secure her the deal of her life? When spending time with Matt has her formidable walls crumbling apart, will he keep her and her fragile heart safe?

I absolutely loved Matt. I became quite fond of Willow and Jagger. And Parker had her moments. I enjoyed the heck out of all of the banter between these characters and I swooned so hard over the many ways that Matt wormed his way into Parker's heart (and mine). I appreciated how the author illustrated Parker's talent and how hard being on top can be. What she suffered is all too common and the author did an amazing job of bringing it to light. I'm so in love with these characters that I now have to go back and read the first book of the series, Risky Play, and I'll definitely be reading the others when they're released. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about first love, friendships, redemption and hope.

Holy WOW! I am a long time fan or Van Dyken’s. Everything she writes, she sucks me into. I can literally read one of her books in 24 hours. I absolutely adored Risky Play when I read it, falling in love with all the amazing characters like Slade and Mack. Reading Kickin’ It…..wow! Even better than the first, and the first was absolutely amazing!

Parker. Bless her soul. I felt so much for her! She had a lot of anger built up, but who can blame her, with a past like hers? But, when she comes to town, and she meets sports agent Matt…….holy hell! The intense, passionate sparks that fly between them is all consuming! Matt’s character was my favorite. I felt his feelings fly off the page. They were raw, they were mind blowing, they were LIFE.

If you are looking for a fantastic, 5 star read, then look no further than this incredible story. You’ll find everything you need in this romance novel……perfectly flawed characters, passionate emotions, a story of letting go and moving forward and so much more. It is book 2 in Van Dyken’s Red Card series, and I highly suggest you read them in order. It’s definitely a book for the keeper shelf!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Kickin' It was a sweet, sexy, sports romance that worked well enough to keep you on your toes. The forbidden romance (brother's best friend AND client-agent) made it all the more angsty but sweet once Matt and Parker finally get together. The group dynamic was probably my favorite and this book did a great job of leaving you wanting more.