Another fantastic read by Rachel Van Dyken. I absolutely loved the chemistry and banter between Matt and Parker. An enemies to lovers romance with a sensitive subject matter woven in and done well. I was definitely hooked from beginning to end and as usual loved the supporting cast and how they add to the story. I highly recommend this book!

In the second book of the Red Card series, Matt and Parker are front and center for another exciting story about passion, love, and finding yourself. Matt’s sister Willow drops a bomb on him – I’m coming to town and bringing a friend! Unbeknownst to Matt, this “friend” will become the greatest thing to happen to him. I love how Parker’s character brought so much to the table, being that she was part of a controversial action against her, and Matt stood up for her 100%. The reality that Rachel Van Dyken brings to her books is unlike so many other authors, and she weaves a story that is relatable to some, but felt by all. This love story was truly about finding mutual respect for each other and learning to trust again. As always, this story had a great energy to it and I can’t wait for the next in the series!

Successful, high-profile sports agent Matt Kingston thinks he can handle anything. Then soccer player Parker Speedman shows up at his door. She is young and gorgeous, has natural talent, and is looking for a team. She’s also a hothead with a punchy past who floored her last coach on live TV. Despite his misgivings, Matt agrees to be both her agent and her coach. Professional common sense says she’s off-limits. But what can he say about the raw attraction between them?

Parker plays soccer with her heart and soul. But after the events of the last year, she’s shaken. She’s already seen what a powerful man can do to a female athlete’s career. And her beloved dream is in the hands of a sexy, gorgeous man with the uncanny ability to slip past her defenses…and into her heart.

Now Matt and Parker are about to learn that when it comes to love, the only way to win is by breaking every rule they know. And by playing nice. Real nice.

Boy oh boy, Parker and Matt! This book somehow managed to blend humour, a very serious storyline and a bit of suspense all in one! I absolutely could not put it down! The tension and chemistry was off the charts, and Matt, started off questionable but ended up being so sweet and protective and perfect! Loved everything about this book!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!

Rachel Van Dyken is SO amazing ya'll. Every single one of her books is pure magic. This one is no different.

Read it. Read them all.

After meeting Matt in the first book, Risky Play, I was excited to pick up Kicking It to see what girl would win the broody manager over. After his sister decided to follow in his footsteps, she brings a surprise of her own, her best friend, a female soccer star with a bad reputation, who was in need of a new manager.

I really enjoyed getting to know both Matt and Parker. Matt was extremely good at his job, and although he was quite abrupt, he knew what he was doing. Parker had demons that she hadn’t quite dealt with, and she was hoping to forget them with her move to a new city and club. But we all know secrets resurface, and Parker needed to confide in someone to help her get through.

Parker and Matt had a love/hate relationship to begin with... they bickered over everything, and they were both easily angered and neither of them would back down. They both developed feelings for one another, but were reluctant to cross any lines. Matt treated Parker with care and helped her to open up which was really sweet.

The Red Card series has become one of my favourite Sports Romance series. The characters felt real, weren’t perfect, but found happiness together. Matt and Parker both made an impact on my soul, and I enjoyed every moment of being in their world, although it was difficult for both of them.

I was very excited to read this book after reading Risky Play (they are both stand alones but contain the same group of friends). I loved Matt and Parker. Parker is the best friend of Matt’s sister Willow and in need of a sports agent to try to get a professional soccer deal. On the surface, she seems angry, but we learn there is a reason behind her outbursts. The interaction with Matt, Slade and especially Jagger are laugh out loud funny but this book has a very important underlying message. I can’t recommend this enough!

I think RVD Should he commended for tackling the subject of professional female athletes and the situations they are put into by male authority figures. I love how you gave Parker a voice. You made her a beautifully scarred person who who was strong enough to achieve her dreams regardless of her setbacks. You made her vulnerable & strong enough to believe her own truth. With belief in yourself & having people believe in you no goal is unattainable. Kickin It is 100% relevant to the climate of female athletics both collegiate & professional.

There are not many sports romance novels out there starring soccer players. This is the first book that I've read starring a female soccer player. Parker is such a strong woman I loved her character. Matt is so understanding and wonderful. Kickin It, is perfect!

4.5<b> forbidden </b> Stars
This is book 2 in the red card series and man is 2019 the year for me to discover and gorge this authors books. I must say I hate sport romance books but this series and the ways this author writes makes you forget that it is about sports. This book was the same level of steam I have come to expect from the author but it delved into some darker and really gut wrenching moments that I did not expect at all. I think the passion between Matt and Parker is off the charts good. If you thought the hot one night stand attraction you felt in book 1 with Mackenzie and Slade was the ultimate relationship then you are soo not even read for this book. Also the fan favorite bad boy Jagger is in book 2 and he has changed so much more than you would imagine! This story has a woman heroine who is all tough bark and has some serious bite as well. I love seeing a woman so in charge of herself and also able to admit weakness in a way that isn’t “oh woe is me”. Another good book in the series for me and I cant wait for book 3 or even book 11 at this point.. never end this series!

I loved Matt and Parker! We met Matt in Risky Play, and here he has met his match. Parker is lashing out because of something in her past, but Matt can see the true Parker. He tries to stay away, but Slade, Mackenzie, Jagger and Willow have other ideas for them. With her usual wit and humor, Van Dyken gives us a wonderful love story, some steamy sexy times and great banter. Plus there is a bonus love story mixed in!

You can never go wrong with a book from Rachel Van Dyken! There has yet to be a book that’s she has written that I haven’t absolutely adored. So you best believe any time one of her book drop on my kindle I’m dropping whatever I’m doing and diving into that baby! And once again she did not let me down. This story was so dang good and Parker’s story literally made me fall apart. I love that Rachel Van Dyken is always able to pull emotions that I deny evening having! She is always able to rip me apart yet still able to put me back together. She will forever be my go to authors!!

*ARC kindly given for my honest opinion.

It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of RVD. I couldn't wait to get ahold of Matt's story. I quickly got wrapped up in this book. Matt and Parker had instant chemistry and, the banter was fantastic. Parker, however, has a lot of her past weighing her down. Her story is similar to some current headlines. I couldn't wait to find out what happened and for her to get help moving forward. I was pleased with how Matt defended her and helped her self esteem. It's a fun story with an incredibly close group of friends. Let me wanting more of their stories. I'm dying for more Willow.

4.25 - 4.5 Stars

We all remember sports agent Matt from the first book.

He's a bit high-strung, he seems old for his age of only 30 years. His job is very hard - trying to keep all those famous athletes in check.

Enter his sister Willow. The one person to make his life even harder. Even though her wanting to join his agency should make life easier for him. But not when she moves into his house - and she's not alone.

Parker. She's a soccer wunderkind who got blacklisted with the league after she hit her coach on live TV. But all is definitely not what it seems with her past.

Matt is fascinated and extremely attracted - but he doesn't date clients!
Plus she's his little sister's friend. And she lives in his house!!!!

What will happen with Parker & Matt?
WILL THERE BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER???
BUY THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

══════════════════

LOL!

Poor Matt. Living with only his sister would've been enough to give him ulcers. But now here's this beautiful girl sharing a bathroom with him?! How will he survive these next few months!

And she's not a nice and sweet houseguest either. She's constantly fighting and arguing with him. And he hates it. Loves it. Grrr. LOL! ☺ He was kind of ready to finally settle down with the right woman. He longs for someone to come home to every night. And now he has two (way too young) someones at home and both are driving him crazy! LOLLL!

I really loved reading it this story!

It was funny and bantery and soccery. We have so many sparks between our darlings. We have adorable family moments and hilarious moments with Matt's other clients aka Jagger and Slade! And lots of sexy moments. But we also have very serious and sad moments from Parker's past. Her coach wasn't a nice man.... and he's not given up yet!

GREAT ROMANCE!
Funny, adorable, sporty, sexy, heartbreaking.
I LOVED READING IT!

I wouldn't mind if Netflix came along and made something out of this series!!

The only things that bothered me ... first ... the cover! I like the pink color, but the guy is not Matt. Matt is blond and doesn't have any tattoos. I like it better when the people on the cover fit the story - it doesn't make any sense if they just put random people on covers! This cover looks a bit like a ..? Biker mafia metal rock romance? ☺

Then the conversations were sometimes so weird for my brain. There were two or four people in the room and I had no idea who was saying what. There were not enough 'stage directions' for me to get it. But that's probably just me. Rachel's writing is not 100% my thing.

And then the one thing that will always take away half a star from my ratings .... nothing to do with the story, but the author. Rachel's first thank you in the acknowledgements? She thanks god. I just can't deal with that in my romances. If I wanted to read christian romances, I'd buy them. Which I never in a million years would do. And before I go on another anti-religion rant, I will stop this here.

► KICKIN' IT was a really adorable & funny & emotional sports romance!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Matt - this one is MINE!!!!

Parker's dream is to be a professional soccer player, but she made headlines in her last year of college for all the wrong reasons: she punched her coach in front of the press. Now no teams will touch her, unless she can find an agent who will fix her image and get her back in shape. Luckily, her friend, Willow, offered her a place to stay at her brother's house, and he just happens to be a sports agent. Except Matt doesn't appreciate the giant chip Parker has on her shoulder about men in general, and he's extra annoyed that he's so attracted to her that he can't think straight. When Matt finds out that Parker has as secret, he'll go to any lengths to protect her...even tear down the walls around his heart. Will they risk their professional goals for a chance at winning the game of love?

This is the first book I've read by this author, and I really enjoyed it! It's the second entry in a series, but it absolutely works as a stand-alone. You won't be lost if you haven't read the first one (though now I can't wait to go back and read it to see more of these characters!). Van Dyken writes good banter, and the characters are charming and well-developed. It was impossible not to sympathize with Parker and want a happily ever after for her. Matt was strong and willing to admit when he was wrong, plus he's got a great sense of humor which I always appreciate. The only issues I had were with the transitions between scenes. Things were a little choppy in places, but that could very easily have been because this was an early copy that hasn't been fully edited.

I'm hoping there are more books to come in this fun series, and in the meantime, I'll be checking out some of Van Dyken's other work!

**Thanks to NetGalley and Skyscape for the ARC!**

Matt and Parker are my favorite RVD couple! Matt and his “old” grumpy ways has his world imploded by not only his sassy sister but her best friend Parker! Their attraction was instant but their journey was a battle because Parker had demons that she didn’t know what to do with!

I loved this beautiful story and all the emotions it brought out! I will admit I didn’t like Willow at first haha and felt bad for Matt because my gosh his sister was crazy but she won me over because I get it . I’m an older sibling I’m also a younger sibling so I get the crazy we give to them plus she was an awesome sister in the end. I loved revisiting with Jagger and Slade and I HOPE this isn’t the end of the series because once grown to love this group of crazy people because they are so unapologetically themselves!

Love, love, love this book. This is the second in the RedCard series. I love Matt and Parker. You find yourself wanting to find a Matt. You feel for Parker and her story hits close to home on much of society today. I can imagine the turmoil she is going through because I have heard some stories about the topic and how women feel. I recommend this book because you laugh, you cry and you root for them to get together. You can’t help but love Willow and Jagger and want to know their story.

When Matt agrees to let his sister intern with his sports agency he gets more than he bargained for when she moves in with her friend Parker. Rising female soccer star with a chip on her shoulder Parker is trying to get a position on a team but the drama from her past is keeping her from her goal. But once Matt sees just how much talent she has and decides to help her land a try out, he also realizes she has a huge skeleton in her closet that she has hid from everyone. Can she overcome her past? Will she become even stronger with Matt by her side? I loved these characters. Matt started off as a stuffed suit but ended up with his heart on his sleeve and Parker is so broken you just want to hug her. Throw in great supporting characters and this was a perfect read.

Would like to start this review with a HUGE Content Warning : Includes details and depression on rape.

I really enjoyed the romance and building of the story in this book. As a fan of the author I knew it would be sweet and steamy but it is so much more than that. It focuses on learning to consent and understand what makes a good relationship. It does focus a lot on past hurts and pain and growing as well as facing it. This could be potentionally triggering for some readers and should be noted early on in the synopsis or front of book.

This was a good book that was slow for me to get into actually. I am glad that I kept going with it to finish the book. The writing was as always good and enjoyable. I just had trouble getting into the characters and story this time round. The characters were ultimately enjoyable.