I absolutely loved Matt in Risky Play (book one of the Red Card series). His interactions with his "clients/friends" is always absolutely hilarious to read. Some of the best banter ever. Matt is everything a woman is looking for, smart, successful, fit and handsome as heck. He might have been a player at one time but doesn't come across as one...at least not to me. Parker is an unforeseen consequence of Matt's inability to say no to his sister as well as not actually listening to her, but he is stuck with her in his home for the foreseeable future. What he doesn't count on is that something she seems to have that draws him in completely. But Parker has demons and Matt will have to dig deep in order to get to those and convince her that she is worthy of a future both with love and with her career. While the banter is not as entertaining as it is with his boys, it is still fun and witty and just...sigh...swoon-worthy.

Another amazing book by Rachel! I really loved Matt and Parker! I especially loved that when Parker met Matt she was scared and lashed out to perfect herself. But Matt made her see that she can he strong and brave and stand up for yourself and what's right!

Matt's sister needs a place to stay and convinces Matt to let her stay for a couple of months but Willow wants to bring her friend because she would be homeless. So Willow and Parker move in and immediately sparks fly. But Parker thinks that everyone is the same and won't let anyone in!

Can Matt see past is grumpy old self to see that there's a beautiful talented woman standing in front of him and can parker forget her past and focus what's in front of her?

I hope this series continues with Jagger I'd love to see him get his happy ever after!

Oh my, all the yesssssss to this series! Matt has definitely become my favorite in this series so far. He's looming and demanding as an agent, a friend, and even a coach. But he's good at what he does. And seeing him trying to avoid crossing that blurry line between him and Parker was an absolute sight.

Everything about these two was intriguing. Parker definitely has a story to tell, but it isn't an easy one. Her character development was something that I was eager to read about. The pain she has endured, she's doing everything she can to move on with her life. But the only way she be able to move on is to face what happened to her.

Matthew was such the perfect person to have in her corner. Despite these two being like oil and water in the beginning, there was always this simmering layer underneath all of that. I just loved how fierce and protective he became of Parker almost instantly. And I can respect a man that changes his tune when he knows he was wrong about something.

We got the see more of the bromance between Matt, Slade and Jagger. And it's just the absolute best, can these 3 go on a boys trip. I would love to read about it. Their banter alone could seriously be it's own book.

Overall, just a solid read with real issues that need to be brought forward more and more. Parker was so bold and strong by the end, and I just admired her so much. And Matt was just EVERYTHING!

Loved this book so much and everyone in it!

Brilliant! Such a fantastic follow on from book one.
I was looking forward to see what happened with Matt and I wasn’t disappointed.
I fell in love with Matt and Parker straight away, there chemistry was electric.
I liked that there was more to the story than I originally thought, and was written beautifully.
Highly recommend this book.

It’s time for the second half

Round 2 for the “Red Card Series”.

Kickin It is the second book in this series and in my humble opinion is even better than the first (which also already was amazing, btw).

Matt Kingston is a successful sports agent who ends up with his little sister Willow talking her way into his business and dragging along her best friend, Parker Speedman, who also happens to be an upcoming soccer star.

He soon agrees to be not only Parker’s agent but also her coach for upcoming try-outs, cause, let’s face it, he immediately knows he is not letting anyone getting near her enough to touch her.

The chemistry between Matt and Parker is sizzling right from the beginning. Especially as both of them try to fight it due to professional reasons as well as a not so small difference in age.

On top of that Parker is still dealing with the remnants of her last soccer team and what forced her to leave and start new all over.

Also we get to meet again those lovable characters from the previous book and believe me you will fall in love with them all over again (or will make you hungry for more and get back to the start to find out how it all began).

I just love Rachels writing and that she is not afraid to go into some touchy topics which she is handling with such care are emotions.

The playful banter á la Rachel between Matt and Parker is as always hilarious.

Don’t miss out on another this great read by Rachel. It’s really Kickin’ It 😊

The phrase "opposites attract", definitely applies to Matt and Parker. Going against all the rules, this romance is a must-read that'll have you wanting to throw caution to the wind and take chances you never would have before. A wonderful addition to the Red Card series!

Sports agent, Matt Kingston has his work cut out for him when his two best clients are also his best friends. His sister is heading to live with him and work as an intern, only when she arrives she has a friend with her who needs a place to stay. Parker Speedman is a soccer player looking for a new start. She is hoping Matt can help her find a new team while she is living with her best friend (and his sister) for a time.

I loved the addition of Parker to this group of friends. She can hold her own, even as she is working through the reasons she had to leave her previous team and trying to keep those reasons a secret. And her role as a women’s soccer player made her a great, timely lead. I was a little disappointed in Matt though. He always struck me as a workaholic, and I blamed his short attitude on the shenanigans of the guys he worked with. But in this, his own book, he transitioned from the cranky agent we met in the first book to a different personality so quickly that I felt like he wasn’t following his own character arc.

The storyline had a lot going for it though. I really enjoyed watching these two as they worked through the balance of working together and falling in love, dealing with the past and working on a future. This was a fun, forbidden romance with sports elements and a few heavily elements as well.

I breezed through this book, it was so enjoyable and I loved the dynamic between the two main characters.

This has a little bit of a forbidden element along with a little bit of love/hate and I ate it up. At first Matt's got a bit of a douchey attitude towards Parker. I mean I get it, he's a bit blindsided by her sudden appearance and the circumstances in which these two meet was so funny, I was giggling early on in this.

Parker has a bit of a speak first, think later and I loved it. At times I did cringe with some of the things that came out of her mouth, not in a bad way though more in a ohhh girl you didn't just say that to him. Honestly this book was super entertaining.

Rachel Van Dyken manages to infuse comedy with some pretty sad and serious subject matter, but does it amazingly as only she can do. It's one of the many reasons that I continue to gobble up whatever books she puts out. She's consistently on point and always delivers romances that I find myself powering through with ease.

Kickin It is a fun and sexy book with some emotional moments that will grab you and suck you into this book! Matt and Parker are an amazing couple. I enjoyed watching them turn from a grumpy old man and a sassy woman to a couple so in love! I love the forbidden romance part of it, the sports agent/client who shouldn’t be together. The secondary characters were outstanding and I enjoyed seeing Slade and Mack (from Risky Play) again as well! Great fun, great laughs and great sexy times make Kickin It a GREAT read!

This was one powerful emotional read. I loved every word of it and had a hard time putting it down. Parker was so brave and strong and I loved her. Matt was a bit of a butthead at first, but he turned out to be such a great guy. These two weathered the storm in a magnificent way. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I would like to thanks Netgalley and Skyscape for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge RVD fan so I'm not sure why I am having a hard time thinking of what to write for this review. This book hit all the things you think a sports romance would hit. Powerful female lead. Sweet moments. Sexy, yet not a jerk male lead. An issue that society faces today. A pretty quick read and perfect summer romance. Yet, something held me back in this book. Maybe the romance or chemistry felt a little rushed. I would have liked a little more build up in that area.

I do like the overall message in this book that empowers women, especially in sports. I like how Parker was able to get through the what she went through and come out and speak up about it to help other women/girls who may be experiencing the same thing.

I think the best part of this book is Willow. Matt's sister. That girls stole the show and I hope her and Jagger's book is next.

All in all I gave it a 4 star read. I think the ending was a little much or not as believable and a little more chemistry between Matt and Parker.

Have you seen that meme?
“Welcome to Adulthood, I hope you like ibuprofen?”
If Matt had a facebook, that meme would be his profile picture. Poor guy, he has so much patience for the crazy women in his life.
My favorite kind of female characters are the ones that have no apology for their prerogative of being a complicated and self-loving/respecting woman. My favorite male characters, are the alpha men who love and understand these females and this book has an abundance of both!
Parker is a confusing woman. You can see that she wants to be the carefree and dedicated woman but her past hurts put such a strain on her daily life. It is heartbreaking watching her trying to live and overcome what she has been through.
Matt is what dreams are made of, slow and steady is sexy and exactly what Parker needs.
What is also fun, is you see Matt’s best friend and sister get together as well. This book is a twofer! And I hope we get to read more about Jagger and Willow!
This book can easily become an absolute favorite of mine.

5+ Stars!!

I am so glad I took a chance on this book! I have become a big fan of Rachel Van Dyken’s writing; however, I am not a fan of sports romances, so I nearly passed on reading Kickin’ It. I would have missed out on a strong, truly amazing heroine!

Parker is a talented athlete who plays soccer with her whole heart. Unfortunately, she has a reputation for being a hotheaded diva and her career is on the brink of ruin. Things are not always what they seem, though, and I knew within a few pages why Parker seemed so unapproachable and angry. She is, in fact, one of the bravest, toughest women I’ve read in a while.

Matt was a bit of a jerk at first in my opinion. Yes, Parker had a reputation, but she was also his sister’s best friend. Nevertheless, he did make up for it in the end, and he was definitely a great big brother, friend, and agent.

The plot was interesting and somewhat angsty. Had I known going in that the book had a trigger for me, I probably wouldn’t have read it. I loved the book despite the trigger and hope to see more of Willow and Jagger.

So we met Matt in the last book of this series. He's a sports agent, fierce when needed and loyal to a fault. We meet Parker in this book, she is Matt's sisters friend who comes with her to stay at Matt's house for a while. While there we watch Matt be a total jerk to Parker then move to friend and then to more. I felt terrible for the characters and what they were going through at times and others I was laughing out loud at their shenanigans. This book had great character development, it was a joy to watch them change and grow. It was fun to watch Parker grow from a scared shell of a woman and become brave enough to fight for what she wanted and what was right. I enjoyed everything about this book.

Wow. Van Dyken takes a "ripped from headlines" topic and gives it an intense treatment surrounded in a touching love story.

Poor Parker has been through too much off-field drama that threatens her brilliant soccer career. Too many women will identify with the situations Parker has been forced into. Her way to deal is to shut others out, be defensive and isolated.

Like everyone else who's seen Parker's story in the news, Matt's too quick to believe the worst of his sister's friend. He sees her amazing talent and after some manipulation by his sister (she's really good at it!), he agrees to take Parker on as a client.

The couple must deal with all the normal getting to know each other stresses but Parker has so much more she's still dealing with. Can she trust Matt? Can she get through the PTSD? Can she land that big pro contract?

I found this book so compelling beyond the romance angle. Van Dyken did an amazing job describing all the ways the abuse effects Payton and it was all very realistic. A good read with a hard to come and heartwarming happily ever after.

Kickin' It comes out swinging and scores big. Van Dyken puts her heart in this fight to the finish tale. Parker is a hotheaded athlete with talent to spare. Matt is an all or nothing agent, who finds himself in heart deep with his new client. Their alliance breaks all the rules and maybe a few hearts along the way. Parker is my favorite type of character. She's not afraid to be herself, even at the worst of times. Her temper is epic, her smart mouth is legendary and her spirit is a force all it's own. Matt is no match for this firecracker.

3.5 stars!

This story was one I was curious about. I liked Matt from Risky Play so I’m happy to have his story.

I enjoyed this story. It was a little more than friends to lovers but it was very sweet at times. There was a bit of a twist that I didn’t see coming and that made this story all the more interesting. Matt and Parker were fun to watch as they try and stay professional with each other. Of course that doesn’t last for long.

The usual banter and snark you’ve come to know, from a RVD book, is weaved throughout this story. And it’s always nice to see some familiar faces as well.

I'm a sucker for the best friend's sibling romance and Kickin' It didn't disappoint. Loved this one! Can't wait to read the others in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is the second book among the Red Card series but can totally be read as a standalone, although you might get to know Matt more if you've read Risky Play where he was first introduced.

Broody Matt + feisty Parker = banter galore that will makes you laugh if not smile. They tried to resist their attraction towards each other until they couldn't anymore that eventually leads to some sexy times. I like that even though Matt is grumpy at times, he has a sweet side and he could see the real Parker.

I love Matt's sister, Willow! A book about her would be great.

An enjoyable read with low angst.

ARC copy provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review

I have read many books written by Rachel Van Dyken and I have loved most of her books.

I have to say I very much liked this book. I was hooked from the very beginning. And I love Matt and Parker.

I am giving this 4 out of 5.