Dex & Margot.

This book was hilarious! Dex's character was insanely funny and outgoing. Margot is a single parent of a 10 year old who really stole the show in this book.

When we meet Dex he is swiping on his phone in a dating app. P.S. I have always wondered how boring it must be to just swipe and then trust the person you're meeting is what they say they are & in this case Margot thinks Dex is lying about who he is (which we know he isn't but she doesn't until they meet).

Throughout the book we see that Dex is trying to do better and be better for Margot. He isn't perfect by any means (but who is). The have to navigate the paps, her being a teacher & a mom, & him being a pretty boy clearly loves to look at himself. *cue the your so vain song*

I will say though as the book trudges on we do get to see different sides to Dex and it is refreshing to see a character evolve into a man that Margot can completely fall for and love.

Anyway, these two are amazingly funny and I ripped through the book like wildfire because it was so engaging.

Thank you to The Author Agency, NetGalley & the author for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Biggest Player

When you call out a NFL player as a catfish on a dating app, you never thought you would run into him in real life, let alone a fancy restaurant. And your 10yr old daughter is helping him get out of a bad date.

This was such a hilarious read!
Between the banter between Margot and Dex and the diabolical way that Wyatt came up with how to get Dex out of that date .... so many laughs

Love a good reverse age gap with a MMC that has growth ....
And a to smart for her own good 10yr old..

Would love to see more of Dex and Wyatt teaming up against Margot .....

I really enjoyed the first 80 - 85% of this book, I really did. But the last 15% just fell really flat for me. I had liked Dex for the whole book, but then he became someone I just didn't like. I liked Margot until the end as well. She forgave way too easily and turned into a doormat-she didn't practice what she preached. I won't go into details, but I'm giving this 3 stars - and those were all earned in the first 85%. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy-I'm so sorry I didn't enjoy all of it.

I really liked Margot and Dex’s story. Margot is a single mom with a ten year old daughter. And she’s a first grade teacher. Dex is an NFL player. Margot decides it time to get back out there and date. But when she see’s Dex profile on the dating app she calls him out as being a catfish. Dex is looking for something different then the typical women he dates. So he tries a dating app. His number one rule is no kids. When Margot accuses him of being a catfish he’s fine because she has a kid and he will not date that. Until by chance he ends up meeting Margot and her daughter. And tells himself that he can be friends with her. Dex was immature and a few years younger than Margot. But when they started hanging out they got along great. This was an entertaining and enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this book it wasn't my favorite. I had a hard time getting into the characters and believing the relationship. This just may not have been a good time for me to read this novel, maybe i'll pick it up again.

3.5 stars

Professional football player, Dex Lansing, is swiping right in hopes of finding a love interest. He comes across Margot’s profile and swipes right without reading it. Margot is a 29 year old teacher and single mother to her 10 year old daughter, Wyatt. She messages him and accuses him of pretending to be a football player.

The beginning of the book is fun and interesting with Dex and Margot’s texting. Fun banter. But— Dex is really immature and kind of full of himself. He made some dumb mistakes with Margot and she forgave him way too easily.

I didn’t really buy their relationship. It was only a few weeks and he was already saying “I love you?” Plus, for someone who didn’t want children he was saying he wanted one with Margot two months later? Doesn’t seem realistic.

Wyatt is the best character in this book. She stole the show!

Thank you to Montlake Romance for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fake dating a single mum to improve your playboy professional athlete image? Win win all round except your fake date doesn't even know about it... big oopsies! Dex is absolutely the biggest player, in size and stature, but hes starting to feel a little lonely now that his best friend is all loved up (book 1). Swiping right on a dating app for Margot was just a bit of fun, he totally knew the profile would be a catfish, but she did it anyway... turns out the catfish was Dex. Strangers to haters, to more - most definitely a Kissmet meet! Funny banter with a sassy 10yr old too. A standalone with interconnected characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a free advance copy of this book provided by the author. The opinions expressed are my own

Margot and Dex. Margot is a single mom to her precocious daughter Wyatt and she is just getting back into the dating game. She swipes Dex on a dating app and through a series of misadventures these two keep connecting. Dex is a star quarterback and a bit of a dill - totally a mantoddling himbo. In his defence is that he's funny and aware of his own cluelessness. Margot is tediously sharing custody of daughter Wyatt and I think the attraction of Dex is that he is a breath of fresh air, and easy on the eye (insert as many cliches as you like to describe Dex 😄).

Low-angst and a slow burn, told in dual POV, I love how we see Margot's attraction to Dex grow, and how Dex starts to trust his own judgment about Margot. He has a toxic family history, and his agent is a d*ck, so he doesn't receive good advice, or care. I'd have liked to see a bit more character growth for him, but he and Margot are great together and he (eventually) embraces the idea of kids. Young Wyatt is a delight!

A light and enjoyable read, rounded up to four stars!

Thank you Sara Ney and Montlake for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Margot is the single mom of a ten-year-old daughter and a teacher. Life is busy enough in both roles, but she tries a dating app in hopes of finding a connection. She swipes on Dex, who she is almost certain is catfishing, and is nothing like the men she has met before. Except it turns out Dex has no interest in dating a woman with a child. That should have ended things, but circumstances put them together soon afterwards in such a way that perhaps a relationship is possible.

This was a nice romance that had some bumps along the way. As expected, there are some secrets that created a bit of conflict in the relationship. The main characters were interesting enough and their romance is definitely plausible. Overall, a good read that I enjoyed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for giving me an advanced reader copy for free. My feedback is entirely voluntary.

This one was fine. It’s entertaining and a fun way to pass the time. Dex is 25 but really, really immature and it was really hard to get past at times. Margot is 29 and a single mom and has a bit of the same problem but it’s a lot more forgiving, as she became a mom at 19. That being said, at times it seemed like her daughter was the only adult in the room (even though she’s 10).

Margot and Dex have really fun chemistry but I didn’t really buy them as an epic love story, it definitely reads more on the lust side than love. Wyatt (Margot’s daughter) is easily the best part of the book.

It’s 324 pages but it’s a REALLY quick read, due to the fact that there are a lot of text conversations sprinkled in between Margot and Dex. It’s also a dual POV, and the chapters are relatively short, but I definitely enjoyed the first half better than the second half.

This book made me laugh so much and at time its was cute!
I love this author and I hope she is on your radar.

If you love sports romance this one may be for you

10/10 ⭐️

I love a good fluffy romance, and Sara's books always hit the mark. Dex is having lots of trouble finding the love that he sees his friends have. He wants someone to come home to, someone to spend his life with, but what he gets on the apps are women who just want him because of who he is. Enter Margot. She isn't afraid to tell him off, even if he is who he is. Dex doesn't want to date someone with kids, Margot has a kid.. and Wyatt is as feisty as her mother. He can't help but be drawn to them both.
Sometimes the thing you don't think you want, is the exact thing you need. Dex fought his feelings for Margot for a little too long for my liking and I thought the end of the book was a bit rushed, but even with that, it was a cute, fun story that was a perfect beach read.
Thanks to Montlake, Sara Ney and Netgalley for an early copy.

Throughout reading this, all I can think is how immature Dex is! The inner monologue did not help his case at all!

Margot is just looking for a deep, lasting relationship, but honestly, in the real world, I don't think that is Dex. Thankfully, this is fiction and was overlooked cause HEA is needed, right?! Hence why she forgave him his *eyeroll*

I gave this 3 stars purely for the hilarious and engaging factor of the first 50% or so of the book, and Wyatt (the daughter), now she's a character I loved reading (and compared to the adults, the more mature of the bunch!) She stole the show for me.

“I highly doubt Dex Lansing is the love of my life, but stranger things have happened.”

Biggest Player is a lighthearted sports romance that delivers fast-paced fun, cheeky charm, and a surprisingly heartfelt journey. From the moment Dex and Margot connect on a dating app, sparks fly—but not without a hilarious hiccup. Margot suspects Dex is too good to be true and accuses him of catfishing, setting the tone for their delightfully snarky dynamic.

When the two cross paths in real life, fate throws them together and their chemistry truly shines. Their banter is sharp, flirty, and packed with laugh-out-loud moments that make their evolving relationship a joy to watch unfold.

Margot is grounded and fiercely protective—not just of her own heart, but of her daughter’s happiness. Still, Dex's goofy charm and infectious zest for life gradually chip away at her defenses. He’s immature at times, sure, and a bit self-centered, but there’s something irresistibly lovable about him. Watching Dex grow and start to take responsibility added an emotional depth that balanced the humor beautifully.

“I know we’ve only known each other a hot minute, but when I picture what a relationship and love should be like, I picture you.”

Together, Margot and Dex are electric. Their journey is messy, hilarious, heartwarming—and so much fun. If you're looking for a feel-good romance with wit, warmth, and characters you genuinely root for, Biggest Player is a perfect pick.

Easy to read lighthearted book. But lacked any depth
Humorous at times, sassy with some heat.
3 stars

This was a good romance for when you want something humourous and on the lighter side. Despite Margot only being 4 years older than Dex, she was light-years ahead of him in terms of maturity.

I think Dex showed some personal growth towards the end of the book, but he still has a ways to go. I didn't like that he tried to use Wyatt to get back in Margot's good books (I didn't like Landon's suggesting it, either). Pitting a kid against their parent isn't cool. I also wish there had been a scene where he couldn't just be the 'fun adult' and have to play a disciplinarian role alongside Margot. That would've helped show some maturity on his part.

I thought it interesting that there was no safe sex talk, either from the perspective of a brief exchange beforehand to say, 'I'm clean/I'm on birth control' or one or both characters voicing concerns after realizing a condom wasn't used (or even Dex possibly being concerned about not being concerned).

Wyatt was a bit overly precocious. And what's up with unaccompanied kids talking to strangers?

Margot’ is a single mother of a 10 year old and also a teacher living in Scottsdale, AZ. She joins the Kissmet dating site and was matched with Dex, a football player who Margot thinks is a catfish. Margot calls Dex out on it and they banter back and forth using the app. When they accident;y meet in a restrurant where Wyatt, Margot's daughter pretends to be Dex's daughter to get him out of a date, Margot decieds to give him a chance. Dex isn't ready to start dating a single mother but is attracted to Margot. This is a steamy and funny book that had me laughing out loud at. Just like the first book in the series Not Your Biggest Fan it leaves you wanting more from the characters. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Montlake. for letting me read to an advanced copy of this novel

Dex Lansing, a 25-year-old professional football player, decided to give an online dating app a try since all his friends were pairing up. He came across Margot’s profile and found it intriguing, so he swiped right. However, Margot mistook Dex’s profile for a catfish and started messaging him, criticizing him for using someone else’s picture and bio. They engaged in a brief exchange before Margot blocked him. This marked the beginning of their meet-cute.

The second part of their meet-cute unfolded when Margot was out to dinner with her 10-year-old daughter, Wyatt, and her parents. While Wyatt was in the bathroom, she stumbled upon Dex trying to escape from a disastrous date. Wyatt agreed to help him get rid of her for money to buy her favorite Lego set. When Margot checked on Wyatt, she found her with Dex. Although she wasn’t thrilled with either Dex or Wyatt, she decided to reopen her direct messages with Dex.

Dex convinced Margot to go out with him to apologize for using her daughter as a wingman. This heartwarming romance features very likable characters, and is a nice addition to the series. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

He’s a football player, she’s a single mom - sparks fly when they meet on a dating app but can they work when they’re not looking for the same things?

They got off to such a rocky start! Accusations of catfishing, differences in what they want from life and plenty of sassing. I loved them together, they brought out the best in each other and had such good chemistry.

My favourite character was Wyatt - she had such an old head on her shoulders for a 10 year old and spoke the most reason out of all of them!

A situation of fake dating, but one of the parties doesn’t know it’s fake? Dex did a lot of growing up throughout this book, even if he made some questionable choices!

Overall I’d recommend for a quick fun sports romance - lighthearted with plenty of spice and a lovable cast.

ARC copy provided by Montlake & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Ah yes, the wonders of the dating app world... not. Of all the pitfalls of the right swipe I've heard, the ankle monitor - as in house arrest- is one of the strangest.
Margot and Dex must be made for each other because they found each other on and off the app - twice!
Margot, as a single mom, doesn't want to waste time on something that has no potential. Dex is the complete opposite, long term and single moms are not on his radar.
A friendship seems like the only thing in the cards for them. And they can help each other out on their dating delimmas. Sounds like a perfect plan. Not.

Of course this had the laughs and had the steam. A perfect combo from Sara Ney as usual!