I was sooo excited to see Maren was writing a rugby romance! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this read now ARC🫶🏻

Cillian is the bad boy of rugby forced to join an American college team. There, he faces the team of guys that aren’t happy he’s joined. He meets the coach’s daughter Rory and they strike up a deal.

Rory is always friend zoned. She wants Cillian to teach her how to date and she’ll help him connect with his teammates. While he’s teaching her, they become attracted to each other. When they finally admit their feelings, sparks fly!

Cillian has a lot of past trauma and takes care of his sister. He’s not sure he’s good enough for Rory. When things get tough, Cillian and Rory have to fight for their love to prevail!

This was such a fun and unique college sports romance. 🏉❤️

This was a 4.5/5 for me! I think I just yearned for a little tiny bit more of the sport, or Rory’s take no shit attitude after the introduction we got to her lol. I think this handled grief and personal growth in a pretty relatable way, and I enjoyed that a lot. Very good book, I hope they’re together forever!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Maren Moore and her team, as well as the publisher for this copy!

This was a fun addition to the coach’s daughter and the bad boy trope world with a bit of “teaching the inexperienced” mixed in.

This was my first rugby sports romance and despite how spicy it was, it can best be described as cute? Cillian, the British bad boy rugby player and Rory, the coaches daughter had a fun relationship trajectory. Despite the fact that there was serious subject matter that came up throughout the book it really felt like a light, sweet story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an early copy.

What a delightful Trad Debut from Maren Moore! I’ve been a big fan of her indie published sports romance and this had all of the elements of those.

Rory St. James has always been one of the boys with her dad’s rugby team that she doesn’t always know how to interact with those that aren’t her friends. Part way through the season, her dad brings a new teammate, Cillian Cairney, to join the team. However, the team isn’t receptive, so Rory and Cillian come up with an agreement to help one another.

Their relationship was fun to watch grow. They work together to understand each other and what they want.

However, the most fun relationship to watch was Cillian with his sister and Cillian and the boys. They gave so much depth to Cillian, and truly shared the heart of the story.

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 ⭐️

Read if you love:
- sports romance (rugby)
- coach’s daughter
- “lessons”
- grumpy/sunshine
- college romance


I loved Cillian & Rory’s dynamic and that we got both POVS! 😍 Deducting half a star because I felt like we got a lot of info dumped on us all at once at the end but I appreciated everything being wrapped up. I’ve never read a rugby romance and this definitely won’t be my last!!

What I didn’t know I needed in my life was a rugby romance. Red Card is a coaches daughter rugby romance. While Maren Moore has been writing for a while this is my first book by this particular author and after reading it I need to read more! The spice was fantastically written. I loved the story line and while I do love a good football, hockey, baseball romance rugby I think is a dime a dozen…at least for me.
In this our MMC has moved to the US after having a rough time and being kicked out of his last school and rugby team following the death of his mother. This is last chance. I really liked Cillian. He seems a bit standoffish, a little broody but he just wants to get by. Rory Is the coaches daughter. She is the glue and everyone loves her. To be accepted into the team you have to go through her. She lives and breathes rugby. She was raised by her dad so it is only natural.
I really liked how the couple came together in this one. I love how it really wasn’t the fake dating trope really but a deal between the two that blossomed into more. The character growth between the two really blossomed. This book has awakened the need for me to go search for more of its ilk. I can’t wait to go dive into Maren Moore’s backlog and can’t wait to see what they do next!
Thank you to Forever for the complementary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yet again Maren Moore cements herself as one of my all time favorite authors.

Rugby romance seems to be having a moment lately. I mean... hot af men MMC's who aren't afraid to get dirty, aren't afraid to get physical, and have thighs the size of tree trunks? Sign. Me. Up.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Red Card and god damn, it did NOT disappoint. Something about a broody, closed off, tattooed MMC will get me every single time, and nobody writes inexperienced FMC, "teach me" moments like Maren Moore. In fact, she's the author who finally sold me on the trope.

Rory St. James is such a ball of positivity and enthusiasm. She's so genuine and honest and invested in the team and the friendships she'd made because of it. Cillian Cairney is fresh off the plane from London, following a slew of scandals and bad decisions, and pissed as hell to be shipped off to America with one last chance to clean up his act and save his future going pro in rugby.

At the start they were so opposite, but as the two worked together to help Rory gain dating confidence and Cillian connect with his new team they brought out sides of each other that few others had ever really seen. Their connection was so visceral. They way they kept showing up for each other long before either admitted things between them had grown into so much more than a mutually beneficial arrangement had me squirming in my seat. And the spice? Have mercy.

This book consumed me, plain and simple. I think it's perfect for readers who love enemies to lovers, bad boy x good girl pairings, teach me moments, forced proximity, trauma healing, sports romance.

Red Card was another homerun by Maren Moore. I loved everything about the story and couldn't put it down. I really lived the dynamic between Cillian and Rory and loved how eventually you saw the rest of the team also embrace Kill. I loved the representation of grief and how Cillian struggled to cope after the death of his mother. I wish we had gotten to see a little more of the relationship between the team form because I had honestly forgotten about Ezra by the end of the book.

Ok Maren, I see you! You outdid your self with this one. Freaking rugby bad boy and the coaches daughter 🔥🔥 Cillian and Rory are dynamite together and the slow burn was 100 percent worth the wait. I have read very few rugby romances, and after this one I may be doing a deep dive. You have created an addict. This couple is my new favorite. Also, the humor in this book made me laugh out loud several times.

In theory I mostly liked this however it really bothered me how much emphasis was out on how small she was. Most of the time that the "small" hand or her "small stature" was mentioned, it had no hearing on the story or the romance. Cut some of those adjectives. Please. Think about the broad spectrum of those you are writing for.
Otherwise, light and fun? Easy read.

I wanted a rugby romance and BOY did Maren deliver! I loved everything about these characters. It was so fun, flirty & the spicy scenes made me giggle (in a good way). There is nothing I love more than a coaches daughter x player & this was exactly what I needed. Reading this made me want to go to a rugby game & pray I find a man named Killian that is OH so sexy. Everything about this was *chefs kiss*!! The plot was so fun. The characters were relatable. I cannot explain how much I loved this.

A fun grumpy/sunshine sports romance. Can’t go wrong with a secret relationship between the coach’s daughter and the troubled new guy. Cillian is closed off and just trying to get by while Rory is everything he didn’t know he deserved. I was definitely rooting for the success of their relationship. A little long in the middle but otherwise an enjoyable rugby story.

To say I was excited for this book is an understatement. I’m a long time fan of Maren Moore. And I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her first trad published book. So big thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing and Maren Moore for allowing me to read and review this early.

Red Card was such a sweet, easy read! Red Card is a dual POV rugby romance following rugby player Cillian and team equipment manager/coach’s daughter Rory. Cillian was forced transferred from London after getting in trouble with his last team. Meanwhile, Rory is stuck forever being on of the “guys” and just wants guys to take her seriously in the relationship field. Cillian and Rory make a deal to help each other out and of course sparks fly from there.

Red Card hooked me right from the get go. I was so invested that I didn’t even realize I read past eating lunch. So make sure your I a comfy spot when you decide to tackle Rory & Cillian’s story. Speaking of Rory and Cillian I love them as individual characters as well as a couple. They both grow and lean on each other so much. I appreciate how healthy their relationship was. Plus no third act breakup!! Because y’all know I am an avid hater of those. Now that doesn’t mean there isn’t conflict. But our characters work together with honesty and open communication. I was so freaking proud of them.

My only small critique of the book was I wish it was longer and or some event more fleshed out. For example, I wish we could’ve seen more of Cillian’s relationship growth with his team members. And I wish that we had more to the third act conflict because it all felt very quickly resolved. Even with all that said. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. Easy 4 ⭐️ read and I would recommend this to anyone. Plus I can’t wait to own my trophy copy when it releases later this August!

Maren really brought her A game to the pitch with this one!! Red Card is a fast paced, sexy sports romance following Rory and Cillian. Rory can't help but feel that she is trapped as 'one of the guys' as she is consistently either assistant coaching or around the rugby team. Cillian has agreed to help provide dating lessons and to bring her out of her shell, hehe.

These two had such palpable chemistry and I was rooting for them to be together the entire time! Maren always does a great job building tension and this was no exception. It's also clear how much research she put into this sport and the dynamics behind it.

4.5 rounded to 5! Thank you so much for the early copy!

Red Card is a quintessential college sports romance read, and fans of the genre will no doubt enjoy this. Rory is tired of being one-of-the-guys and Cillian desperately needs to bond with his new teammates. Cillian and Rory teamed up seemingly to each help the other get what they want, and well, romance intervenes.

Maybe it’s been a while since I’ve dropped into the world of college sports romance where there’s usually a whole cast of characters lingering in the corners, but I found it a little difficult to immerse myself into this world. I felt like I wanted to focus on the main characters and their development, but I was also being pulled into different little pockets about the various side characters (presumably as they’d eventually get their own books, and this being the first book in the series means we’d be given bits and pieces of all these other characters so they’d make their appearances later?) However, while I feel this book wasn’t for me personally, it’s not difficult to say that anyone who enjoys similar books will like this one, a low stakes, comforting quick dip into college sports romance.

📚🏉 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪: Red Card by Maren Moore 💋🇬🇧
✨ Pub Date: Aug 12, 2025 | Forever Romance
⭐️ 5/5 — SWOONY, SPICY, & FULL OF HEART

“𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” 😭😭😭

𝗖𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 “𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹” 𝗖𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 just redefined the book boyfriend bar. If you love a grumpy British baddie who softens for exactly one woman, buckle up because this rugby star is going to ruin you in the best way.

Maren Moore delivers with her trad pub debut! 🥂 Rory is the coach’s daughter, a firecracker who’s always one of the boys—but never the one they see. So when she makes a deal with Kill to teach her how to get the guy? Let’s just say the only one getting played is HIMSELF. 😏

💘 The friendship-to-lovers arc? IMMACULATE.
🔥 The jealousy? DELICIOUS.
🌀 The Twister scene? UNHINGED PERFECTION.

I laughed. I blushed. I fell HARD. And the fact that this was a slow burn with A+ spice and heart-melting “I was made for you” lines?! Inject it directly into my veins.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘:
🏉 Rugby Romance
💔 Broken Boy x Sunshine Girl
🇬🇧 British Bad Boy Energy
🏡 Found Family Vibes
🔥 Friends to Lovers
🫣 Forbidden-ish Romance (Coach’s daughter!)
📚 Fake Dating-Lessons
💋 Tension You Can Cut With a Knife
✨ “Patience, baby.” (This line lives rent-free.)

Maren Moore, this was a TOTAL try-worthy red card moment—in all the best ways. Add it to your TBR NOW. You’ll thank me later. 🫶

#RedCard #MarenMoore #RugbyRomance #SlowBurnRomance #FriendsToLovers #BritishBookBoyfriend #GrumpyXSunshine #NewAdultRomance #SportsRomance #FoundFamily #Bookstagram #RomanceReaders #RomanceRecs #BookReview #ForeverRomance #EnemiesToLoversVibes #BookTokMadeMeDoIt #NetGalley #ARCReview

𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐞
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★

I truly believe Maren can do absolutely no wrong! Every single book of hers that I have read I have loved and this one was no different!

I adored Cillian and Rory and the fun they had with their agreement to help each other out. The lessons Cillian gave Rory, the friendship that they formed and the chemistry that developed made this such a fun and easy book to binge! This was my first rugby romance and I honestly loved the team dynamics, the family vibes and of course the coach’s daughter/forbidden feel to the story.

If you are looking for a deliciously addictive sports romance with all the spice and intriguing characters, then be sure to add this one to your TBR!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
Rugby Player
Coach’s Daughter
He Teaches Her
Hilarious Banter
British MMC
Fake Dating w/ “lessons”

4.5!
Red Card is Maren’s first traditionally published book! It follows Cillian, a rugby player who moved from London; and Rory, the coach’s daughter.

This is truly probably the fastest I have ever read a book. I absolutely loved their story. I loved seeing their dynamic together and letting Rory break down Cillian’s walls. Their relationship had me blushing & kicking my feet. It was exciting to have such an angsty third act! I loved seeing Rory’s confidence blossom as the book went on, and even making her first girl bestie! I also absolutely loved Aisling and I hope she has a book soon! 🤞🏼 (lowkey rooting for Aisling & Fitz)

I don’t want to give more info away but this book was amazing and I’m already antsy for Book 2.

Cillian is in desperate need to start over after blowing up his life after his mother died. He's on his last chance thanks to a coach who called in a favor. His new team is not very receptive to his arrival. Rory is the coach's daughter and the team's equipment manager. she's also best friends with the team and seen as one of the guys...... which is starting to drive her crazy. Cillian is struggling to fit in and Rory desperately wants to be seen as a woman, not one of the guys. Soon, they see each other as a solution to their problems. Rory will help Cillian bond with the team and Cillian will help Rory be less awkward around guys she's interested in. We can see what's going to happen a mile away and I'm here for it. Soon, they can't get enough of each other. He opens up to her and they're everything to each other. His teammates, except for one, become a family. There's dealing with grief that's handled well too.i enjoyed this book very much.