I loved this book so much!!! It was the perfect follow up to Risky Play. I wanted Matt’s story and Rachel definitely delivered! I love that she’s able to write such strong females (they’re all bada**). Parker is troubled but tough and strong. Rachel also writes the best bromance! I love that we got more of Jagger and Slade in this one too. (Also the background story with Jagger was well done!). The only problem is that I always want more when Rachel’s books are done!

.Kickin' it totally kicked it!!!

Parker at first comes off as very angry & standoffish but what we don't know is that she is carrying a big dark secret that will have you rooting for this young woman who finally decides enough is enough and takes back control of her life.

Matt got wrangled into not only having his sister living with him but also her best friend Parker. Parker is in need of a sports agent and Matt eventually through coercion becomes her agent. It doesn't take long for the lines to blur and they both know they are not only feeling things that are professional but are on a much deeper level and connection.

Will they keep things on the straight and narrow or will the other side of the line be too tempting to ignore?

RVD has given us such a fantastic story that has some very sexy times but also some very emotional moments that end with the most perfect HEA!!

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

Red Card, Book Two...

One of the eleventy billion reasons why I love Rachel Van Dyken's stories is how she can take a hot button, relative issue and make it resonate with everyone.

Another reason? I am so glad you asked!  It's the humor she brings to her romance.  I absolutely flove to laugh out loud when I am reading a story and Kickin' It does just that!

This is Matt and Parker's story.  And I absolutely fell in love with the both of them. What Parker went through was horrible and tragic.  How she tried to overcome that, and how everyone let her down before, just made me want to hug her and stand behind her.  Just like Matt did.  

I also enjoyed the realistic approach that both Matt and Parker had with their relationship.  They knew what had to happen to make it work and that's what they did.

The dialogue was witty, fresh and hysterical! The smexy times were just gahhhh melt my heart into a puddle why don't ya.  

Even though sports romances aren't usually my jive, you cannot go wrong with this story! It's about so much more than just the world of soccer!  I absolutely love Rachel's stories and cannot wait to see what comes from her brilliant mind next!

Kickin’ It by Rachel van Dyken
Since being introduced to the world of Rachel van Dyken and her incredible story telling abilities I have devoured everything she writes! Kickin’ It is book two in the Red Card series and can be read as a stand-alone, but why would you want to when everything Van Dyken writes is worth 5-stars. Once again, this book is over the top swoon worthy. The story has great characters with some steamy romance and not only sports action but a little criminal mystery to go with it. This is a must read for your summer book list, which I highly suggest you put at the very top. Worthy of 5 points, I mean stars, Kickin’ It is a game winning book for Rachel Van Dyken.

Parker Speedman has graduated college and is now looking for her big break into the pro soccer world. With her best Willow, Parker moves to Seattle where she will be staying with Willow and Willow’s brother Matt Kingston. Matt just happens to be a sports agent and Willow is going to intern with his company for the summer, while Parker hopes to get Matt to represent her. Matt will have his work cut out for him because not only does he feel an immediate pull towards his unwanted houseguest, but Parker has an anger management issue and a reputation for being violent and loudmouth with her coaches. After just a few weeks with Parker, Matt can see there is more to her story then just having a diva’s attitude, somewhere under her tough exterior Parker has been broken. Parker starts to slowly trust Matt and now that she has let her guard down, she hopes on Kickin’ It on a new soccer team and hopefully in a new relationship?

This book was amazing!! is a great story about a girl who is suffering a real struggling topic right now in the world. I love the way the author wrote it, because it was so nice and you can really feel the struggles that the heroine had. The hero was a great character too because he helped her to accept her situation and talk about it and meanwhile that happened they fall in love. This book is my favorite of the series, and it's so great to know more about the other secondary characters that we love in the first book so much.

Rachel van Dyken always writes amazing and credible stories, that this is one of my favorites by her.

Kickin' It is book two of the Red Card series but can be read as a standalone if you haven't enjoyed the previous book yet. This book gives you everything; forbidden client-agent romance, a best-friends-older-brother, sexual tension galore, and so many sweet moments you'll be swooning all over the place.

Matt and Parker were amazing together and I loved the mix of Matt's grumpy old man behavior with Parker's sass. Parker was definitely more reserved and quite at times but when she opened up and we got to see more of her true personality it made for some of the best dialogue between her and Matt. We also got to see a lot of Matt's sister, Willow, who was so crazy and outspoken and I loved that she had so much page time. Especially getting to see glimpses of her own romance going on.

Bottom line, I loved this book and I definitely recommend it. There is a brilliant mix of characters happening between these pages, as well as some crazy storyline and some amazing romance that will have you captivated from page one.

4 star Review Kickin It (Red Card #2) by Rachel Van Dyken
Matt Kingston and Parker Speedman are like fire and ice, they shouldn’t work but they do.
Matt is a successful, well jnown sports agent and Parker, a talented soccer player who wants him to not only represent her but to coach her. Parker has a colourful and fiery past and Matt to his surprise finds himself agreeing despite himself.
The chemistry between them is intense but they both know the last thing they should be doing is crossing the line. Even though Matt knows that getting involved with Parker is a bad idea he cannot ignore the passion and attraction that arcs between them.
Matt cares for Parker, that is a given, but the question is how far will he go in his support and care for the feisty soccer player? I liked how hard he fell for her and that Parker is such an interesting character, strong on the soccer field, but vulnerable off it and at times my heart hurt for her. I loved that Matt saw through all of this and was supportive and uplifting in so many ways.
The secondary characters were great, particularly Willow, Jagger, Mackenzie and Slade and were just as entertaining as Matt and Parker. The banter between them had me laughing out loud and there were some seriously hot scenes.

Thank you for this book, Rachel. It's a beautiful love story combined with an important message. There's nothing better than that, especially when it's done so right!

I was looking forward to this book a great deal after getting to know Matt in Risky Play. Matt is a sports agent and Parker has recently moved in with him along with his sister, Willow. Parker is hoping he can help her achieve her goal to gain a spot on a professional soccer team. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Matt and Parker. Initially, he couldn't be grumpier about having Willow and Parker under his roof. As time progresses, he sees that something in Parker is damaged and begins to treat her in a kinder way. Even though they were instantly attracted to one another, both of them have fought the attraction. It's forbidden for many reasons - she's his younger sister's friend, he's her manager, he's older, he's helping coach her and so on. Eventually, they crack and succumb to their desire. Then the challenge becomes trying to keep everything separate - the boyfriend and the manager/coach relationship.

Throughout all of this, the reader gets to catch up with characters from the last book, Slade and Mac. Also, Jagger is very present in this book as he decides to woo Matt's sister, Willow. That in itself gave me numerous giggles. Matt is absolutely livid over it but the two of them together seem to be a perfect match.

Kickin' It does deal with some serious topics. Parker was abused by a previous soccer coach and battles the effects of that throughout the book. It is a timely issue and is handled in a respectful manner. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it not only for fans of sports romances but also somewhat forbidden relationships (brother/sister's friend).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kickin’ It focuses on Matt Kingston, former soccer pro and Slade’s sports agent from Risky Play, and Parker Speedman, a talented young soccer player with a bad reputation. After punching her last coach on live TV, Parker is looking for a change and a new team.

This is a bit of a forbidden romance, there’s an age difference and both Matt and Parker know they shouldn’t start a romantic relationship while he’s her coach/agent, but the attraction is still there. On top of that, Parker is experiencing some trauma from the abusive and inappropriate coach on her last team. This aspect of the story is quite heavy at times, but I really appreciated how Van Dyken wrote these characters to address Parker’s trauma.

Like in Risky Play, the chemistry and banter between Parker and Matt was so well done. Van Dyken is magic at creating hilarious and lovable side characters, Jagger and Willow (Matt’s sister) are absolutely delightful in this story. After reading Risky Play, I was hoping the next book would be about Jagger, but I was not at all disappointed with the side storyline he got in this book. Seriously, the interaction between all the characters is so great! This was a 4 star read for me!

If you’re looking for a fun, sports romance with heart, banter, and addresses tough topics, I highly recommend Kickin’ It! But do yourself a favor and start with Risky Play, trust me, you’ll want to spend as much time with these characters as possible!

3.5 Stars

If rape is a trigger for you I would skip this book.

I ended up liking Kickin' It better than Risky Play, but it was a really rough start. One that caused me to almost DNF'. Thank Parker and her story for the reason I didn't. It definitely wasn't to do with Matt. He didn't make or leave the best impression. All I kept thinking was: what the hell is with all the dick headed dudes in this series. Our introduction to Matt is a bad one. His dick headedness rivaled Slade's and there was no death of his father to use as an excuse. I still don't get why RVD made him such a jack ass. It wasn't endearing or attractive. If I hadn't met him in book one I probably would have moved on quickly. Luckily I loved his girl to pieces, which kept me turning the pages, giving me a chance to see the Matt I originally liked from Risky Play. About halfway through I fell in love with him and began rooting for him to get the girl. Only then did I think he deserved Parker. And only then did I consider him book boyfriend material.

Parker's story is a hard one. She was so inspirational and brave. Even when she was down and vulnerable she was so very strong. My heart hurt so much for her and I wanted her to find her HEA. I wanted her to find that special someone who could help her heal. I wasn't sure if that would ever happen with Matt being a Grade A Prick. She deserved much more than the man she met in the beginning. I'm so glad that he finally snapped out of it and became that man.

I guess with the way Slade and Matt were written I'm glad Jagger didn't get his own book. I don't think I could have taken him being a dick like the others. At least this way we still got fun, flirty Jagger with no drama or angst. Him and Willow made me smile throughout the whole book. I loved them.

[I received a digital for an honest review]

Kickin' It by Rachel Van Dyken is the second standalone in her Red Card series. This one brings us a talented soccer player named Parker who turns to her best friends brother, Matt, to manage her and help her land a team. The chemistry and connection between them is hard for them to ignore, but they try to stick to the boundaries of their agent/Client relationship. As their hearts get involved and Parker opens up to Matt, she might have found something she loves more than her soccer career.

Kickin' it is a mixed bag of emotions. The banter between the characters is light-hearted and funny. However, this book deals with the serious topic of men in a position of power using it as a form of control over a female athletes career. It was well written with enough positive and light moments to keep the book from being too heavy. Rachel Van Dyken created a strong character with Parker. Her struggles with her situation and her way of working through them felt real. All the characters in the book were great! Parker was a fire crackers who had no filter. She and Willow had me laughing out loud. Matt was such a damn sweet heart, even if he was a bit prickly when in agent mode. The way he cared for Parker and only wanted the best for her no matter what makes your heart melt. The two of them together were absolutely adorable with the way they would goof around and push each others buttons, in and out of the bedroom.

Overall, Kickin' It was a great addition to the Red Card series. I am intrigued to see who will get a book next in the series.

I have been a longtime fan of Rachel Van Dyken and could not jump on Kickin' It fast enough. I absolutely love love loveeee soccer stories and am borderline obsessed with coach and player stories (thank you Kulti!) We saw Matt and his clients/friends from the first book in this (standalone) series, Risky Play, but I am officially obsessed with him after this book. Matt and Parker were so delicious and he was just so sweet. I think he made me swoon and melt more times than I could count!

I just loved this story! I loved how the author successfully balanced current sensitive issues prevalent today with an amazing love story filled with fiery sexual chemistry, friendship and protectiveness. Matt was just perfect. He was strong and assertive without being overbearing and everything Parker was used to from her former coach. I loved that Parker made him feel again and be excited not only for the sport but the idea of love and committment. 

Likewise, Parker was so damn strong. She is one of my favorite RVD heroines to date. She had a hard exterior but an even softer and more vulnerable interior. She was betrayed and hurt by someone in power and it took an even stronger man and friend to instill that trust back in her. I loved everything about this story!! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula

In “Kickin' It” (Red Card #2) by Rachel Van Dyken we are thrown back into the professional soccer world. Overstressed sports agent Matt Kingston has his sister and her best friend, Parker, as temporary housemates. Parker is looking to get on a team but her reputation for being a hotheaded diva seems to be getting in the way. But Matt seems to see through her hard exterior and as he breaks through the layers, he likes what he sees. But will Parker confide in him about her fears or will her defenses and her past be too much.

The characters from “Risky Play” are back – including Slate and Jagger which add to the fun banter and make the uptight Matt seem like a human being.

Another hit and a definite read. I received this book through Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Matt is a hot, young agent for various sports superstars. Parker is an even younger hot soccer player who is looking for a second chance to break into the big leagues. Matt's sister, Willow, moves in with him to learn the ropes of being an agent and brings along her friend, Parker. From the minute that Matt lays eyes on Parker, he realizes that things just got a lot more complicated. And once Parker got a look at Matt's abs - well, let's just say things get really interesting and I was just glad I was along for the ride.

I LOVED the vulnerability that Parker had and loved watching her overcome the things that happened in her past to become a stronger version of herself. I really felt like her vulnerability and the idea that someone who had it all could have it taken away so abruptly really drew me to her character. I loved that Matt pushed her to be the best on the field, but then, once he knew the truth, pushed her again to make her realize that she is stronger than she thinks. The chemistry between the two of them was burning up the pages and made me keep turning each and every page - which I did until 2 am when I finally finished it.

One of the best parts of the book was that characters from the previous book were brought into the storyline. I had forgotten how much I had missed them and really enjoyed reading as the guys continued to egg on "Matty". The three friends definitely draw you in and make it feel like you are visiting old friends. I also loved the addition of Willow to the picture. I definitely hope that Willow and Jagger get their own book -- or books?

As always, Rachel Van Dyken delivers a great story with enough steam to keep you very interested in turning that page. When you get to the end, you can't wait for the next one!

Author Rachel Van Dyken has become one of my favourite authors, her books always have that special quality that grabs hold of you & doesn’t let go. This story was no different with the past hanging over Parker’s head as she tries to make a dream come true. Matt struggling with his conscience between his duty to Parker as her agent & his feelings for her as a lover. There was also some matchmaking going on from Matt’s sister Willow, as well as the comedy of Jagger & Slade Matt’s friends & clients. The drama surrounding Parker was sad but the chemistry between her & Matt was so hot it was off the charts. Kickin’ It had me laughing, crying, swooning & cheering throughout. I’m hoping there’s a book three coming. Definitely recommend.

I found myself really liking this book! Told in dual perspectives we get to know Matt and Parker. Matt is a sports agent and Parker is a soccer player as well as his little sisters best friend. Parker is in need of an agent and a place to stay so Matt’s sister, Willow, invites her to stay at his house. Sounds like a fun experience right?
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While this is a fun romance it also has an important aspect presented in the book. Parker was taken advantage of by her previous coach so she is weary of men. She becomes known as the person who punched her coach. While Parker and Matt to head to head a few times, they slowly see that they have a connection. But can he have a relationship with her is he’s her agent? Will she speak up about her previous experience with her old coach?
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This is the second book in the series but I was still able to enjoy it without reading the first book. I really enjoyed the the dynamic they had with their friends!
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Thank you to Skyscape and NetGalley for my review copy. It will be available June 11th.

This is the second book in the Red Card series by this author and can be read as a standalone, but I would suggest reading the first book to get the full enjoyment out of the entire cast of characters - and they are a cast of characters! I loved the first book and this one was just as much fun to read--steamy, sexy, tons of chemistry, but funny as well. I loved Matt's character after meeting him in Risky Play, but we get to really know him in this read and I loved him! I'm not usually a fan of the "forbidden, little sister" genre, but this is more than that. There's a heavier secondary storyline that is very well done. I'm looking forward to reading Jagger's story--I'm sure it'll be an interesting one! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kickin' It is the second book in the Red Card series by Rachel Van Dyken. It is currently scheduled for release on June 11 2019. Each of the books can be read on its own, but there are returning characters so it is simply more fun to read as a 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 defense 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.

Kickin' It has some great laughs, and some very hard moments, which balance the book. I love the banter and spark, not just between Parker and Matt, but with the entire group of friends and family that make up the main characters. I liked the set up, and simply love Willow and the way Jagger and Slade offer their own quips through the story. I think that the support offered to Parker through the entire book was fabulous, and I thought that her anxiety and self doubt were very realistic and sadly something that many will be able to relate to. I think her battle and strength will help readers that have been in similar situations embrace their own inner strength and stand up for themselves and others. More importantly, it might show someone who needs to know it that they are not alone, and that it is certainly not their fault no matter what. I enjoyed getting to know Matt and Parker's characters more, and getting to see them find happiness and peace.

Kickin' It is the second book I have read from this author, but it will not be the last. She delivers contemporary romance with heart and tackles some tough topics.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I love these older brother/ younger sisters best friend books. This one is different in that they did not grow up together.
The characters and story are well written. A serious subject is handled in a realistic way. I did not read the first book in the series but don’t feel like I missed anything related to these characters.
Parker had a horrible experience and then her reaction was used against her. She’s pissed and scared. Her prickliness keeps people away.
Matt is a workaholic. He’s great at his job but is not prepared for his sister and her friend to disrupt his life.
These two have problems that have to be discussed. They don’t just go away like magic. There is the potential if fall out for both.
I’m not sure that Willow and Jagger were necessary but they didn’t detract from the story.
I look forward to reading more books in this series.