The Playbook series by Alexa Martin is hands down one of my most favorite sports-themed romance series that I have read so far, and I absolutely thought the series had ended with the third book, Blitzed. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that there was going to be a fourth book in the series! To say I was ecstatic would be an understatement. I was so excited to read Snapped!

Confession time … I am not exactly a fan of sports. I used to watch football all the time but had to stop because it made my anxiety skyrocket, which is not a good thing for me. When I started reading this series, I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Though football may be the theme, it’s definitely not the main focus of the stories, and because of that, I ended up LOVING this series.

Snapped is the fourth and newest book in the series, and it’s all about Elle and Quinton. These two characters had a bit of a rocky start and had a very, very slow burn relationship, but I really enjoyed them together. And that slow burn romance was very, very worth it in the end. I loved watching their relationship grow throughout the book!

I was also VERY happy to see some of the characters that we know and love from the previous books in this series again. I LOVE the friendships that these ladies have! And it was so great when they brought Elle into that friendship like she’d been there all along. Books with strong friendships are my favorite.

The storyline for Snapped has a bit more of a somber feel to it than the rest of the books in the series did. Both of the characters are going through major things in their lives, and you can definitely feel that as you read the story. There are also a lot of in the story that are relevant to things happening in the world right now, and I appreciate the author including her thoughts on these issues as well.

Overall; I really enjoyed this newest book in the Playbook series! I really hope that we get more books in this series in the future, and I’m thinking that we may see a book for Vonnie coming out soon? (I hope so because I LOVE Vonnie!) If Alexa Martin wants to keep adding books to this series, I will most definitely keep reading them. And if you’re a fan of romances, you should definitely check them out as well!

Happy Reading!

Snapped é um romcom que apesar de apresentar resoluções simples — não vejo problema nisso, pois é uma leitura leve que não quer depender de drama — trata de alguns assuntos muito importantes.

Essa é uma resenha delicada de se escrever, pois além do livro ser o 4º da série onde cada um se foca no casal, não sei até que ponto questões raciais foram discutidas na trama anteriormente. Em alguns momentos, senti como se tivesse perdido algo por não ter lido os anteriores.

No Brasil vemos todos os dias como o racismo ainda é um grande problema social. Como pessoas biraciais também sofrem com isso, e a autora trouxe uma discussão interessante e imagino que muitas pessoas possam se identificar, afinal, a maioria massiva dos livros de romcom — que eu conheço — são entre pares brancos.

Ainda assim, a autora, de forma leve, constrói um romance que aquece o coração dos leitores e prova que podemos falar sobre assuntos importantes e relevantes mesmo em estruturas cheias de clichês fofinhos. Honestamente, fiquei com vontade de acompanhar mais sobre Quinton e Elliot e de ler a série toda. Para quem ama esportes é quer uma leitura leve, mas que também te faça refletir, fica a dica da leitura

I'd pretty much given up on Alexa Martin since I gave each new release in this series a lower rating than the last. But something told me to give "Snapped" a chance and I'm very glad I did.

To me, this read leaned more toward women's fiction than romance. Even though the evolution of Elliot's and Quinton's relationship was a large focus, I felt with it having only Elliot's POV, and with her character growth and internal revelations and evolution so prominent, the romance kind of took a back seat. I really enjoyed that, especially since I wasn't expecting it. There've been a few times during past Alexa Martin stories that I wished that she delved deeper into the conflicts presented in the story, and I was very pleased that with "Snapped" she gave the story a bit more meat. This is still a relatively light read, even with the potentially heavy topic. So if you don't don't mind books that address current issues; if you enjoy modern relationships (both romantic ones and friendships), slow burn, character growth based on realistic and personal insight, humor, and just a good entertaining story, then I recommend "Snapped".

I really enjoyed the other books in the Playbook Series but this one fell flat for me. I usually of series issues with the romance genre is usually appreciate but this storyline just left them both a bit muddled. And more importantly I didn't really feel the chemistry for this couple. It read like women's fiction and not a romance.

Ok so here's the thing. I was looking for romance and although this book does have that, I felt like it wasn't the main focus. This is a great book that deals with racism in the football industry and I love how the author approached that topic. If I wasn't expecting romance, I would've given this book a 4/5. BUT I was expecting romance and that fell flat for me because the romance felt like an afterthought instead of it being intertwined with the issues the author wanted to address. I enjoyed the characters and the banter but the romance just really fell flat for me because the romance doesn't really kick in until you hit the 70% mark.

I absolutely loved this entire series. I didnt think I would like sorts romances but the hero turns out to be likeable characters. The heroines are often fiesty and dont take alot of crap. I will read everything Alexa Martin writes, shes has a flare for story telling! The audiobooks are just as pleasant as the physical books too.

Wow, this one has a VERY strong message! I love that mixed with steamy romance. I do hope the series continues because there’s one side story here that would love to see whats happens. I love that this is an #ownvoices story and that the author is writing from such a deep personal history as the wife of an NFL player. I appreciated that Alexa Martin addressed the similarities to recent events of a similar nature, and I enjoyed that this story is NOT that story.

Quinten and Elliot must work together to handle the media fallout of Quinten taking a knee during the National Anthem. There is a slow burn romance that ends up happening between Quinten and Elliot as they both break down walls around their hearts.

FULL AUTHOR INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND ON FRESHFICTION.COM

Hi, Alexa! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your new book, SNAPPED.

Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I’m Alexa, I’m a mom of four adorable and wild children and I’m married to my high school sweetheart. He played in the NFL for 8 years which is what inspired my Playbook Series. SNAPPED is the fourth book in the series and focuses on Elliot and Quinton. Elliot does PR for the Mustangs and when Quinton takes a knee on the field and covers the league’s logo on his jersey, she’s sent in to help manage the media storm. They get off to a rocky start, but eventually, sparks fly as they both work through some pretty big issues they’re both facing.

Some of our readers may not know this, but your husband is a retired NFL player. How much of your experiences did you incorporate into the Playbook series?

He is! He was drafted to the NFL my freshman year of college, so I was pretty much a baby when we moved in together. The women that I met during that time really molded me into the woman I am today. It's why female friendships play such a huge part in these books. Most of the drama is crafted from my time at Real Housewives University from Bravo!, but I think the heart of these books is pulled directly from the time my husband played. Whether it’s the friendships and bonds the women create or the look into some of the deeper issues within the NFL, I’m not sure I would write about either if it weren’t for my time spent in that world.

Female friendship is so important in your books. What is your favorite thing about featuring women who lift each other up? Who are the women your heroine, Elliot turns to when she needs help?

Female friendships are my absolute favorite thing to write! Nothing makes me happier than when I see a review and they touch on the friendships in these books. I just think it’s so important to show women lifting each other up when the world seems so stuck on this weird trope that we don’t support one another. I also love when relationships are starting, showing those moments when we gush about the guy to our friends or overthink every little detail until that one friend tells us to chill. I don’t want my heroines to be completely lost in a relationship, so having these strong women around them add an important balance to their lives. In SNAPPED, the Lady Mustangs are back in full force. Brynn, Poppy, and my favorite, Vonnie, play a huge part in Elliot and Quinton’s relationship. Elliot also has a couple close friends who join the crew.

4.25 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

Snapped is the fourth book in the Playbook series, and I will say that Alexa Martin placed so much of herself into this story. I appreciated the author's note at the beginning of this book because I was very hesitant to read this book. The storyline does deal with a football player kneeling and using his professional status to voice personal beliefs. I appreciated that Alexa Martin addressed the similarities to recent events of a similar nature, and I enjoyed that this story is NOT that story.

Quinten and Elliot must work together to handle the media fallout of Quinten taking a knee during the National Anthem. There is a slow burn romance that ends up happening between Quinten and Elliot as they both break down walls around their hearts.

Video review available in Week 1: Jan 3 – Jan 9, 2021, full weekly book reviews available on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

Loved the other books in the Playbook series, but this one didn't do it for me. Romance felt wedged in and forced within the plot. Social issues felt out of sync, maybe 5 years too late. Would have hit harder if this came out before Kaepernick kneeled, but the reaction to his actions made the book feel like a fantasy. Also the constant references to diet coke and The Real Housewives made the book feel even older.

Once again, Alexa Martin uses her knowledge of footfall and romance to write a sweet, sexy, and laugh out loud story that steps out of the wheelhouse using current events and the socio and economic ramifications of said events. A bit more serious than her first three, Snapped makes you think as it digs deep into the emotions, values, and politics of professional sports, the players, and their fans.

I discovered this series by Alexa Martin last year and I couldn’t read them fast enough! The first thee books in the series- Intercepted, Fumbled and Blitzed - were fantastic romantic comedies set in the football world of the fictional NFL team the Denver Mustangs.

Intercepted took a more serious note and less of the light hearted tone the previous books did. I’m not saying I didn’t like it, just that it was different from the others. So if you are expecting it to be on par with the series you know, you might be surprised liked I was.

I would say this is more of a women’s fiction novel that happens to have some romance in it. It covers the topic of the treatment of professional football players in correlation with race, retirement, concussions and other health problems that are related to the sport.

The romance part of the story felt like an afterthought since it was too easy and pretty bland. After all, the first “date” doesn’t happen until about 80% in.

I also really enjoyed the pop culture references in the previous books, yet in this one the show Scandal was mentioned almost to excess.

It was a good women’s fiction novel that covers important and relevant topics, but as a rom com book it falls short. I do hope there are more in the series as rom coms!

I just adore Alexa Martin and everything she writes. Her creativity makes her books so unique and this one in particular was a pleasure to read. I recommend her books often to our romance fans.

Alexa Martin closed off this series with a great piece centered around truth, politics, football, and most importantly romance. I loved every page of this book. The main characters were sexy and witty, the setting of Denver had me itching to travel ASAP and the plotline was well developed.

Loved the heroine of this book. She is the star of the book, because she carries it all She's feisty and fiery. Now, both her and the main man, her romance partner have good chemistry but she's what makes the book just as fun and witty to read. I love that they also bring into play what it means for a woman to work in sports can be and how that is a battlefield because of inequality.

Alexa Martin has written a timely romcom, the perfect blend of romance and social justice. While The discussion of racism in football made this book a little heavier I think it would be remiss if the author did not address the treatment of black players in a series about the NFL. Alexa handled the subject matter perfectly, in a thought-provoking nonjudgmental way. Elliot (can I just say I love this name for a girl) has her dream job working with the Denver Mustangs. One of her first assignments is to “deal“ with Quinton Howard star quarterback who has recently started taking a knee during the national anthem. Elliot is biracial but was raised by her white father in a white world and has been taught to be colorblind. Elliotts interactions with Quinton are eye-opening and ignite a spark in her that was not previously there. there is also an attraction between Elliott and Quinton that is undeniable. BUT ken they find a compromise given all the differences between them?

This was a great story that gave me a lot to think about. My youngest brother is biracial, raised by white parents, in a white world, and I had a lot of aha moments in this book. now I will never truly understand what it’s like to be biracial but I appreciated the insight in this story. I really liked both Elliot and Quinton as characters and liked them even more together. I definitely felt the pole and liked how they listen and learn from one another. The issue of racism and how it impacts the NFL was handled well. I read a few reviews that said they didn’t want any social justice issues in their romcoms and all I could think was, your privilege is showing. Additionally I read several reviews that did not like the ending... here’s the thing, I think the ending was wrapped up nice and neat with a tidy bow, but had it been messy I think people would have complained about that as well. Alexa Martin Took on a huge challenge with trying to balance a feel good romcom and tossing in a generous dose of social justice. I think she did an excellent job of it. 🏈

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I don't read a lot of sports romance novels, but I've really loved Alexa Martin's playbook series, and this was such a great bonus novel to the series. I loved how the relationship between Elliot and Quinton included so much about racial injustice both within football as well as broader in our communities, as well as information about CTE.

From the author's note, it seems like Elle's journey to finding where she belongs as a biracial woman comes from Alexa Martin's background. I think it really comes through how a lot of that characterization is coming from a real place.

I absolutely love the Playbook series and Snapped fit right in. The drama, the romance and all that banter. The writing is so great and I loved all the education packed inside this book. Alexa Martin threw in some knowledge in this book in regards to social injustices and racism and in a time where those conversations are needed.
Elliot was a great character including her flaws and so was Quinton. I loved watching them grow together and individually in this book.

There are several different things going on here and some aspects of this novel are significantly more effective than others. First and foremost, Snapped is an unusually candid and insightful portrait of a biracial woman coming to terms with the internalized anti-black attitudes she swallowed while growing up in a white family and predominantly white community. And the toxic folly of the color blind philosophy she was steeped in for so long. Author Alexa Martin knows this territory from the inside out— this aspect of the story is very personal for her— and she writes Elliot incredibly specifically and well.

As a result of Martin’s insight, Elle is infuriating at times but she’s also very real. Some Black people raised the way she was go out of their way to deny racism as a form of self protection and protection for the families that raised them. That’s a serious phenomenon and I haven’t seen that laid out so clearly in romance before in a story that acknowledges how messed up that is. It’s humane but honest.

That said, there were some things I didn’t get about Elliot, however, parts of the portrayal that undermined the strengths Elliot was supposed to have. She’s supposed to be good with people but doesn’t think that Quinton might have a really good reason for keeping his father out of his movement and his foundation? People have complicated relationships with their family for many very good reasons and yet she assumes he’s just ungrateful or petulant. That’s a silly way to generate more conflict. The far bigger issue though was how someone who knows football and prides herself in being at least sensible to really blatant racism even if she doesn’t see racism as ubiquitous doesn’t understand that the league has discriminated against black quarterbacks. That’s a pretty big part of NFL history and it tips her turning a blind eye to race to the absurd given the industry she works in. But apart from that, all the other ways that Elliot has swallowed micro and macro racial aggression in order to get along generally tracked.

Snapped is also a romance and that works too even if the burn is very slow. It’s also a fictionalized version of a Colin K type character with a secret, very personal motivation for his activism pushing for better more equitable treatment of Black athletes and veteran, retired football players struggling with the devastating health effects of the brutal sport they play. I liked Quinton as a romantic hero, but the portrayal of the movement politics he’s engaged in is by far the weakest link, especially at the climax which goes off the rails and it far too simplistic and ahistorical about how change is made. Overall Snapped tells a difficult and meaningful story about a woman coming to terms with her family and identity imperfectly but well. For me it was well worth the time and consideration.

I have loved this series and appreciate how personal this story was for the author, but I have set this book aside twice, and regretfully, will not be finishing it. I don't mind a bit of social justice in what I am reading, but I felt like the romance was taking a back seat to it, and when I read a romance book, I like it front and center.