*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I had some problems with this book and it made hard to review -- so hard I've put this review off for... months. Now, I have only a vague feeling of what I disliked, so take what I say here with a grain of salt. 

My first hint of unease came with a blackout rage from Maxwell. For such a sweet guy I wasn't sure if this would turn into an anger management issue, a football injury-related issue, or potential for domestic abuse. But, she forgives him so easily for destroying her property -- of damaging her livelihood-- and then this episode is never brought up again. Which is so weird for this author! I was incredibly surprised by how out of place this scene is. 
The ending and Brynn's reaction and actions and attitude totally didn't work for me. It felt super immature on her part. 

So, even though I enjoyed reading the book and most of the middle, the negative beginning shadowed most of the book and the ending brought it down. BUT, there are good things here too! I love the need of consent and how asking for it is done so well and sexy. 

I'll probably read the next one.

CW: talk of sexual assault

While the series had me excited for the story between Brynn and Maxwell, I don’t know another word for how I felt while reading except boring. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them and the turn from friendship to romance wasn’t believable to me.

Alexa Martin, please NEVER EVER STOP WRITING THESE BOOKS ❤️ they make me actually have hope that pro football isn’t as horrible as I usually think it is and the men are swoon-worthy and sensitive and the women are fierce and hilarious. LOVE. You could read this as a stand-alone but I’d start back at book 1 to get all the backstory!

An enjoyable read! It was my first book by this author but it certainly made me excited to read the previously published books in this series! I enjoyed the characters separately a lot & the romance was so entertaining to read and sweet!

First, let me thank netgalley and the publishers for approving my request for an early release of this book. All reviews of my netgalley books can be found on goodreads and youtube. Please be sure to check out the links attached.

Another fun installment of Alexa Martin's football romance series. What can I say that hasn't been said. I think these books are more than romances but also insights into a very particular space in popular culture.

This was cute. I enjoyed the story for the most part, but there were moments in the story that I thought were unnecessary.

I could have done more with the main characters without the congestion of the side stories. But I appreciate and understanding where the story was trying to go.

I think I connected more with the other two stories in the series, and that’s on me and my personal reading preferences.

Overall, I still inhaled this story and enjoyed it.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

As much as I love this series, I couldn't finish this book. No chemistry between the main characters and Brynn got on my nerves.

I loved the first two books in Alexa Martin's Playbook series. I was super excited for Blitzed pretty much from the minute I saw the cover. (Hello, that side-eye he's giving her? It gives me life.) It was a great read. Brynn and Maxwell were everything I wanted them to be and their romance gave me plenty of heat and swoons.

Brynn was my favorite kind of smart, driven and sassy heroine. She's a small business owner and she has no time for other people's bs. Things are pretty rocky initially between her and Maxwell — and understandably so — but their chemistry was never a question. I wasn't all that sure about Maxwell early on, but he was so much more than he seemed. He has a really good heart and would do anything for someone he cared about. Plus he was a hot as hell football superstar, so bonus.

There was only one thing about this book that really didn't work for me. That was the "revelation" that happened around the 90% mark of the book. It took me totally by surprise because it's in the portion of the book where I want the new couple smooches and swoons. There's still lots of good stuff between Brynn and Maxwell, but I could've lived without that particular twist at that time.

As much as I love the love stories and the realistic — if not always pretty — look at the sport I love so much in the Playbook series, there's something I love even more. What is it? The female friendships. Strong women supporting strong women through the good and the bad? I'm here for it. You can keep your "frenemies" books. I'll take real, solid friendships between kickass women any day of the week.

I thought Blitzed was the final book in this series, but I'm thrilled to know it's not. I'm super intrigued by Ellie and I'm so excited she's getting a book of her own. I'll admit I side-eyed her a bit during this book, but she wasn't what I thought at all. I'm ready for her story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Favorite Quotes:

If I have learned anything during my time at HERS, it's that nothing can make you feel less in need of a therapist than a well-produced reality show.

Sure, I'll never have enough money to carry around a new iPhone without a case, but I will also never flip a table on national TV. That, my friends, is called balance.

NF @ 58%, so no rating. (Except on Netgalley where I have to rate in order to review.)

I really wanted to hang in there and finish this one, but I just couldn't do it. Having met Brynn earlier in the series, I was convinced that this book was going to be my favorite. Brynn owns a successful bar geared towards women, she's fun and vivacious, and everyone loves to be around her. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand...she's not in this book. The name might be the same and it might be taking place in her bar, but Brynn was nowhere to be found in this book. The woman in this book was, as one of my blogger buddies put it, a hot mess. A hot mess I can deal with. But Brynn is so judgmental and I think she's supposed to be snarky, but her jokes are way off their intended target. They made me cringe instead of laugh, and wanted to quit before I really started to hate her. I'll remember the Brynn from the previous books, thank you very much, and pretend that Maxwell (the star of this book and a man who has the patience of a saint,) ended up with someone who treated him better than Brynn did.

I really wanted to get into this one, as I loved the premise, but I couldn’t connect with the characters or the author’s writing style. It all felt a little dramatic (I know, I know, drama is the name of the game in romance novels - but it didn’t feel genuine) to me.

5 STARS

I freaking loved it!!Alexa Martin delivers a heartwarming , fun and story!This series is getting better and better! Brynn and Maxwell were perfect for each other!I devour it in one sitting!


Their relationship developed naturally , both were well developed characters.They were sweet and there was sexual tension between them!Maxwell is a swoon worthy hero!

I love this series, each book is refreshing and fun!

Each time I read an Alexa Martin book, I enjoy it more than the last. Seriously, I said that Fumbled was my favorite of her books, but now it's definitely Blitzed. I love Alexa Martin's writing style, her humor, and her characters, and will read whatever she publishes!
Blitzed is the third book in Martin's Playbook series and follows Brynn, the owner of HERS a bar run by women for women, and Maxwell a player for the Mustangs. This novel can technically be read as a standalone since it features a different couple than the previous two books, but I highly recommend reading all the books in the series. When I picked up the book, it took me a few chapters to get into it because it's been a while since I read the last book, so when I was thrown into conversations with characters from previous books, it took me a minute to remember who everyone was and get fully immersed into the story.
Okay, so Brynn's bar sounds so cool, and definitely a place I'd go hangout with my friends. It's a bar by women for women and sounds like such a fun place with such a fun vibe. I love that HERS was such a big part of the story, we got so many glimpses of it in the previous two books, and in Blitzed it really got it's time to shine.
"It's my baby! I conceived it. I labored it. I birthed it. Plus side, HERS doesn't pee on me and I don't have to worry about sending it to therapy in twenty years."
There was so much I loved about this book. Both Brynn and Maxwell were amazing, independently and together. I loved Brynn's sense of humor, how weird she was, and how she was so completely herself. I do wish we got to know Maxwell a little better. I feel like I connect more with stories when we get both points of view, so not having Maxwell's made me a little sad. I also really loved how Martin writes female friendships. She's done it in all her books, but it really stood out to me here because it was so obvious to see that all the women care about each other, and are always going out of their way to help each other out.
My one complaint is that I wish the stuff at the end was written differently, and had more time to be explored. It felt kind of thrown in there and I wish there would have been more dialogue about it.
Overall I loved Blitzed. I loved getting to know Brynn better, and getting glimpses of characters from previous books. I don't know if there will be more books in this series, but I do know that I'll read whatever Alexa Martin publishes next!

Having loved both Intercepted and Fumbled, I had been eagerly awaiting Alexa Martin’s next entry in the Playbook series. Brynn was a secondary character that featured prominently in the earlier books, so I was excited to get her story. Unfortunately, I found myself wishing Brynn would return to the background and that another character would be front and center.

Brynn is the owner of HERS, a woman-centric bar whose success has skyrocketed with the regular patronage of professional athletes and as the setting of a reality show featuring their wives and girlfriends. Max is a professional football player and, while he may be a beast on the field, outside of the game he is quiet, reserved and humble. And very much smitten with Brynn. What ensues is the stumbling beginnings of a relationship between Brynn and Max, despite baggage from the past – both his and hers.

Right off the bat I felt confused by Brynn’s character. I really enjoyed her in the previous two books; strong and capable, and acting as both friend and mentor to the main characters. But in Blitzed, those qualities I admired were nowhere to be found. This Brynn was insecure, immature, flighty and petty. (At one point she actually thought, "If only I had the emotional maturity of an actual adult woman." My feelings exactly, Brynn!) I couldn’t believe this woman had the wherewithal to be a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman. The complete change in who she appeared to be in the earlier books left me feeling like I didn’t want to know this Brynn at all. But what really sunk this ship for me was Brynn’s decision to trust a virtual stranger over someone she knew and trusted. Never mind that what this person said was totally contrary to what she knew. No matter that she had already been warned that this person was up to no good and should be avoided. It made no sense. It made me angry at Brynn for acting so capriciously and it made me angry with the author for using such an illogical plot device to create conflict and unnecessary drama. By the time that happened (at the 90% mark), I was ready to chuck the book at the wall in disgust and frustration.

The saving grace in Blitzed was Max. When we meet him in the opening scene, he has a surprising outburst but it’s quickly obvious that it was completely out of character. Because Max is kind and respectful. He is an elite athlete, successful and affluent, but handles it with humility and maturity. When it came to Brynn, he didn’t play games and he treated her with such respect and care. The fact that he got unfair accusations in return (without ever being given the benefit of doubt) made me ragey on his behalf because everything he had presented to Brynn previously screamed that he was a stand-up kind of guy.

While Blitzed was something of a letdown for me, I am still such a fan of the series as a whole. Intercepted and Fumbled were among my favorite reads of 2019 and I'm excited to see what's next from Alexa Martin.

Alexa Martin's books in the Playbook series are so good — until the endings! I was so into Brynn and Maxwell until some intense drama showed up and was resolved pretty easily. I wish they had to fight a little more to be together. BUT it was still a fun, sexy book, and I'll keep reading whatever Alexa writes.

This is my first experience with Alexa Martin's Playbook series. It was not difficult to jump in on the third book though since each installment follows a different couple.
The premise of the story sounded really interesting, but the book fell flat when it came to the chemistry between Brynn and Maxwell. It just was not there at all. Which was disappointing because I was really hoping I would love this.

So why the three star rating? I loved the other characters in the book. The bond between the Lady Mustangs and how they always had each other's backs reminded me of the group of friends in the Hot & Hammered series by Tessa Bailey. I really enjoy it when books feature strong female friendship circles like this.

I liked Maxwell even though I think his character had serious anger issues. It was a bit over the top at times and uncalled for in my opinion. Brynn was hit and miss as a character for me. She tried to come across as a empowered feminist but she doesn't quite pull it off. I think the author was trying to make her a strong female character with a vulnerable side, but it didn't work for me.

Even though Brynn and Maxwell's story was a miss for me, I will still try the other books in the series. I really like the friend group in this so I have a feeling I might enjoy the other books more.

This was a nice addition to this world, unfortunately the ending was just too convenient for me despite the build up for it.

There's nothing like landing on a series and enjoying each book more and more. That's how I feel about Alexa Martin's Playbook Series. They've been everything you want in sports romances - fun, sexy, thoughtful stories featuring strong women and impressive men. Blitzed took it to another level for me with Brynn being an entrepreneur managing a unique bar - HERS - aimed at catering to women, and Max who's the antithesis of the ego-driven sports hero.

Brynn and Max have been crushing on each other awhile now but neither has made a move. They simply engage in comfortable chit chat until one night when Max receives a phone call that turns the otherwise laid back, quiet guy into Godzilla. His change in demeanour wreaks havoc on her bar and she hopes never to see him again. When he finally comes back months later, he doesn't bother with an explanation but does attempt to make things right. Brynn, though is not ready to forgive and forget no matter how good looking or sweet he's being. Her guard's up and Max knows how much he screwed up and has to get back into her good graces. The best way to do that is to get to know what she loves the most: her bar. All her blood, sweat and tears have gone into HERS and it's always going to be her top priority.

Getting to know Brynn and learning about how she manages HERS was fascinating for me as I'm not a beer drinker or much of a bar person, really. Her explaining how she feels women have been overlooked when it comes to specialty beers and how she determines what to serve shows that she's a pragmatic person who reads the market well and knows her client base. I enjoyed tagging along on those beer tastings. Brynn's also such a steadfast supporter of her hometown, still in love with all that it has to offer. I just think that's a wonderful feeling to have - to be proud of where you live and excited to discover new things about it. Where she's a force to be reckoned with business-wise, her personal life has been neglected a bit. There's no time for a full on relationship so she's looking for a no strings attached situation. Max is a confounding presence in her life because he's not pushy but rather gentle about insinuating himself into her sphere. Despite that one encounter, even Brynn can see for herself that it was completely out of character for him and their friendship deepens.

I think what Blitzed does best is showcase female camaraderie in such a positive light. Brynn's bar attracts some famous clientele - the wives and girlfriends of the Mustangs - and she's either developed friendships or fondness for the ladies. She even surprised me in how she coped with a potential rival for Max's attention. Initially she was not a fan of this person but eventually came to like her adversary and I was so impressed that she left any kind of cattiness behind to treat this person fairly. I just think that's so impressive and it's nice to see that subtly affirmed in this story. However, our confident, trailblazing entrepreneur is not as brave when it comes to her own feelings and relationships thanks to abandonment issues and general distrust of commitment, which is why I'm so grateful that Max is patient and so low key.

I love how Martin allowed Brynn and Max to take their time, letting them develop their relationship in a natural way that felt right for both their personalities. Plus, they have Parks and Recreation to thank for helping to move things along. People, I love Parks and Rec and that they were bingeing it, too made me so incredibly happy! My only hesitation is the ending which has me conflicted. That phone call at the beginning that set off Max? When the details finally come to light it's a seismic event that throws Brynn into a further spiral after the stress of other recent events. She handles it poorly and I understand why. What felt off to me was how quickly it was resolved, kind of like a hurry-to-the-finish-line move. I think I just needed for Brynn and Max to hash it out a little longer since it dug so deep into her own insecurities.

Blitzed is a terrific novel and I enjoyed every moment of reading it. Martin's writing is so inviting and I can't help but feel like one of the girls whenever I read any of the books in this series. You might have heard that the first book, Intercepted, has been optioned for TV and will air on Starz. I am so over the moon thrilled about it because I think it'll make a fantastic show, especially as I said earlier, there are some strong women in these books. Until then, we have Blitzed to keep us in good company.

~ Bel

I didn't love this, which makes me sad! I like Alexa Martin's Playbook series, Fumbled in particular is my favorite. While this is much of the same premise, there wasn't a lot of conflict in the plot, nor was did Brynn/Maxwell blow me away as a couple. I also wasn't fond of the rape accusation plotline. They do a good job of acknowledging that a rape survivor's word shouldn't be doubted but even then, the plot required you to doubt the accusation to make it work. It felt weird. However, overall, it was cute, fluffy and quick which is what I want out of my romance novels.

P.S. I need more Poppy!

3.5/5 STARS

I was very pleasantly surprised by this one! It had a lot of the things I like about a romance - depth and a quality relationship. I loved Brynn and Maxwells' relationship progression and their working through real life challenges. I do think that some of the real life stuff was a little rushed through - but the main focus of this book was Brynn and Maxwell.

I liked the sports / reality TV aspect of it as well. Overall this was a fun, sexy and light read -a perfect break from some heavier books I've been reading.