✨ 𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: Red Card

Prescott University’s rugby team is poised for a phenomenal season. When Cillian, a transfer from London with a notorious reputation, joins midseason, the team dynamics and success is threatened.

As the coach’s daughter, Rory lives and breathes the sport and commands the respect and adoration of the entire team. But that also lands her in the friend zone with every guy she meets.

This is Cillian’s last chance to turn his life around and Rory might just be the key to earning the team’s respect. In return, he’ll teach her how to get out of the friend zone. What’s the harm in a mutually beneficial assist?

Tropes:
👀Dual POV
🙋🏻‍♀️Coach's daughter
🏉British bad boy rugby player
🏟️She's the Man meets She's All That
🗣️Banter
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
📋Sexy lessons
🌶️: open door

Rory is confident in her university courses and rugby but her perception of herself and ability to flirt is another matter. Cillian is devastatingly charming and handsome but there’s so much more to him beneath his broody and tattooed exterior. The author pulls back his layers, exploring his grief and regret. Rory slowly breaks down his walls while he builds up her confidence. I loved seeing them learn to trust and accept help. But what happens when their practice exercises start to feel a little too real?

This is my first rugby romance and I am *hooked*. The banter had me laughing out loud, the chemistry is off the charts, and the hot training exercises had me melting 🫠🪭. Hilarious, heartwarming, and deliriously hot, Red Card is a sports romance story sure to heat up your summer reading!

Huge thanks to the author and Forever for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.

When Cillian is kicked out of school (and off his rugby team), his old coach calls in a favor to have him enrolled in an American university and their rugby team, so he can at least still have a chance of playing professionally. But when the guys on the team no only hate his guts but seem bent on making is life miserable, his new coach threatens to kick him off the team if they can't find a way to work together. Cillian thinks he's out of luck, but when the coach's daughter, Rory, offers to help him bond with the guys she's befriended in exchange for helping her become less awkward around guys she's romantically interested in, there might be a path forward.

I subscribe to this author's newsletter, so I'm thinking I must have read one of her indie books before, but I can't recall which one. I don't read a lot of new adult romance, but my recent binge of Elle Kennedy's books made me pick this one up. It was overall a fun read and really brought the heat, but it had a bit of a slow start and I found Rory's transition from awkward tomboy to sex kitten to be a bit abrupt. I did really appreciate how there was no third act breakup or miscommunication trope. I think I would try another book by this author, as I enjoyed it, but it didn't blow me out of the water.

Thanks for Forever for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

I was not expecting this from Maren Moore but I was surprised and I loved every bit of it. Fans of she's the man will devour this. I love her sport romance. books so I was very intrigued when she delved into Rugby because I feel like we don't have enough rugby romance books and Maren delivered! It's a college romance with a British bad boy, Cillian and my girl Rory thats always been seen as one of the guys but that is absolutely not the case with Cillian. their dynamic is fun, explosive, full of wit and banter and spice. I love how he's the one who's supposed to give her advice but he falls hard and hardest for her and i love a good jealousy moment because it will always be amazing and he shows her that loving her is the easiest thing and makes her feel all the fuzzy warm feels. I actually loved their cute moments, the fun ones, and it's just so fun and spicy! Sport romance fans, prepare to fall!

This is a sweet and spicy rugby romance. This book focuses on our MMC Cillian and our FMC Rory. Cillian is a new player from London and Rory is the coach's daughter. Rory enlists Cillian's help with flirting so she can attract a partner, but the lines become blurred quickly between acting and reality. This was a quick, fun read and the spicy scenes were great. There were funny moments that had me giggling and more serious moments that gave this book a bit of depth. If you are a fan of sports romance, this one will definitely be one to pick up!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC REVIEW

4.5⭐️
2🌶

Y'all, this was SO good!! Finally, an MMC who wasn't afraid to show emotions and didn't push the FMC away when he needed her. 👌

Cillian was so misunderstood. He came off as a broody and a "bad boy" but in reality, he was a grieving, lost man who was only soft for Rory and his little sister. I LOVED the friendship Cillian and Rory had built unexpectedly. They were able to lean on each other when they needed it. Their love grew so genuinely and the growth they had as individuals was so so good.

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Rory and her dad. He trusted her to make her own decisions and didn't try to manage her or tell her what to do.

I was not expecting the "big drama" that happened toward the end. I knew something was going to happen but that threw me for a bit of a loop!

Tropes:
🏉 Rugby Romance
🩷 Coach's Daughter
💋 Dating Lessons
🇬🇧 British MMC
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found Family
🫶 Friends to Lovers

✨📖 Red Card by Maren Moore

Excuse me while I scream into my pillow because this book is so good.

Maren Moore has officially solidified her spot on my must-read list. She never misses, and this rugby romance? PERFECTION.

Cillian Cairney is a British guy who is moody but super charming, and Rory St. James is strong, funny, and totally holds her own. Their chemistry was off the charts.

The friends-to-lovers vibes? Chef’s kiss.
The twister scene? Burned into my brain.
The slow burn? I was literally on the edge of my seat.

This book has all the good stuff:

🏉 Rugby Romance
❤️ Coach’s Daughter
🇬🇧 Fake Dating
🔥 Slow Burn
👨‍👩‍👧 Friends to Lovers

Red Card by Maren Moore is a friends-to-lovers, good girl/bad boy, rugby romance that is absolutely wonderful!! Rory is the the coaches daughter and friends with all the guys on the team, even though she is desperate to get out of the friend zone with someone, anyone! Cillian has been banned by his team in London and his last chance is to join a team in New England. They form a quick friendship, with Kill helping teach Rory how to flirt and Rory helping Kill get in good with the team. I absolutely LOVED this book! The chemistry between these two was perfection and I could hardly put the book down. The author did a great job with the progression of their relationship as well as the development of friendship between Kill and his teammates. I can't wait to read more books from Maren!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Red Card is an upcoming sports romance from Maren Moore! This was described as having She’s All That meets She’s the Man vibes. It’s college setting, British bad boy rugby player x the coach’s daughter, a bit of a friends to lovers vibe, where she asks him for “flirting lessons”!

I flew through this read! Such an easy one to drop into the story and get to know these characters. Cillian got kicked off a rugby team in London and is now playing for a college rugby team in New Hampshire. He meets Rory, the coach’s daughter and the equipment manager for the team. Rory lives and breathes sports, especially rugby and knows the ins-and-outs of the game better than most players. She’s super close with all the guys on the team and because she’s always jumping into sports-talk she’s always being seen as “just one of the guys”. Tired of being friend-zoned or becoming their wing woman, she asks Cillian for help with flirting.

The team bonding was fun, Cillian has some grief in his life he’s dealing with, Rory is determined to “win” at flirting, and it was cute seeing how easily he and Rory fall for one another. They really become a part of each other’s lives easily and it’s not really forbidden since they don’t really have to sneak around and her dad is totally fine with it later too. I wanted a bit more of actual sports time but otherwise this was a fun one and it’s out later this summer in August!

I received an ARC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own.

Sometimes I wonder if we should be sick of sport romcoms...but Red Card makes me say a resounding NEVER LOL. Cillian the bad boy rugby player is kicked off his team in London and is forced to play for an Ivy League School in New Hampshire. He is approached by Rory, his coach's daughter who has a proposition for him. Rory is tired of all things rugby because she has always been surrounded by it. She wants to find love, and slowly finds herself falling for Cillian. This book was super binge-able and very fun to read!

Cillian, a British rugby player looking to rebuild his career, finds himself with a second chance on an American team after a rough year back home. Enter Rory—the coach’s spirited and savvy daughter—who’s tasked with helping him find his footing both on and off the field. He needs her to gel with the team; she needs his insight to navigate her own romantic misadventures. What starts as a mutual exchange quickly spirals into flirtation, faux-dates, and sizzling tension in this charming, spicy rom-com.

This is a well-crafted rugby romance with a fresh twist. Cillian brings that irresistible British charm, while Rory holds her own with sharp wit and heart. The teammate ensemble adds plenty of personality and banter, making the story feel lively and immersive. Though the plot leans light and sweet, there’s just enough heat and heart to keep you hooked. A fun, feel-good read perfect for fans of sports romances with chemistry, comedy, and a touch of emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book. I’m not usually a sports romance type, but when I saw the MMC was a Brit in the US, (and I’m a Brit in the US – don’t come for me ICE, I’m a citizen!), I had to read and I loved it! Rory is amazing, girl crush and she is just a dream! Cillian is your British bad boy, but you know there is just so much more to him. This is a slow burn, spicy romance that stretches across the pond and I will definitely be buying up other books from Ms. Maren!

It was quick read! It is cute funny and spicy! It is a different sports romance with a rugby element. It is bad British boy and coach’s daughter . Check it out!

🏉 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠🏉

𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🗓️August 12th

“𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗥𝗼𝗿𝘆. 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
♥️Good Girl x Bad Boy
🏉Coach’s Daughter
♥️Rugby Romance
🏉Fake Dating with Lessons

“𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘁. 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲.”

Cillian Cairney is a British, tatted bad boy who has been red carded from his home team. Now in the states, Cillian receives a less than warm welcome from his new teammates. The last person he expected to form a friendship with is the coach’s daughter, Rory St. James.

𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
Maren in her Rugby era, yes please! Cillian is a dreamy, tatted bad boy with a heartbreaking past. Rory is “one of the guys” and struggles with dating. The good girl/bad boy plus fake dating trope gets me every time. I loved these two together. Their friendship is so heartwarming, I loved the way they communicated. Cillian was able to heal and grow so much having Rory by his side. Lessons in flirting, a practice kiss, and the feeling of jealousy… Cillian and Rory finally realizing they were no longer pretending was everything. The spice in Red Card is top tier! Cillian, you sir, are the ultimate book boyfriend! There’s a steamy shower scene.. 🥵😮‍💨🔥

She was the first person to show him love and he loved the hell out of her in return.

𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙙 is my new favorite Rugby Romance! It is packed with adorable banter, impeccable spice, team drama, friendship and love.

Thank you Maren Moore, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read early!

The way I ate this book up, absolute perfection.
Cillian the bad boy rugby player is kicked off his team in London and is forced to play for an Ivy League School in New Hampshire. He is approached by Rory, his coach's daughter who has a proposition for him. Rory is tired of all things rugby because she has always been surrounded by it. She wants to find love, and slowly finds herself falling for Cillian.

This was one of the easiest books I've ever given five stars to, I loved it so much.
My only fault with the book was that it wasn't longer, so I could spend more time with the characters. I would absolutely love working with this author to help promote any of her books!

Title: RED CARD
Author: Maren Moore
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Re-readability: Yes, a funny read.
Binge-Read Score: Read in 2 days!

Overall Thoughts:
With two rugby obsessed characters, RED CARD was full of moments where I truly laughed out loud!

I very much enjoyed the voice Maren Moore brought to both the main characters perspectives. Another aspect I appreciated about this romance novel was that the characters were fun, but also there was maturity in the back-and-forth and the conflict in the book felt natural and well written. This book in my mind is 4.3 stars overall, where the author could have brought the book to that 5 stars mark for me was primarily with the plot surrounding the sport itself and Rory’s background in general with Rugby. There is comedy throughout the book and I recommend the read. 😊

Thank you to the author, Maren Moore, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC.

This was the sports romance of my dreams, man. I've been on a heater lately with the sports romance. Loved the rugby aspect of this, and that is was a major part of the plot. This covers some of my favorite tropes maybe ever; coach's daughter, reformed playboy, spicy lessons. WE Stan a book with no third act breakups too. Honestly, this is one I will need to have on my physical trophy shelf.

I stumbled upon this book and wasn’t sure at first. I know absolutely nothing about rugby but when the description claims it’s She’s the Man (which is my favorite movie) and another classic She’s All That, I was sold.

I’m glad I took a chance on this book because it did NOT disappoint. The slow burn was delicious. I will say I’m not a huge fan of the “Friends to Lovers” trope but I feel that for this story and how it played out it was perfect for our characters and truly enhanced the story..

Oh my gosh I read this in one sitting I loved it so much!!

Red Card is Maren Moore's first traditional publishing release and it is EVERYTHING. Sports romance, coach's daughter, flirting lessons, sexy MMC with an accent and tattoos? Absolute perfection.

Rory and Cillian were such a great pair together. Their relationship started out a little rocky and then turned into a mutually beneficial arrangement - Rory helps Cillian fit in with the rugby team and Cillian helps Rory be better at flirting and dating. Their banter was so much fun and had so much tension! Seeing Cillian's dynamic with his sister was so tender and the discussion of grief was done so well it made me tear up.

Thank you Forever for the advanced review copy.

Red Card by Maren Moore – 5 Stars
I loved this book. As someone who’s prior military and definitely a guys’ girl, I related so hard to Rory and what it feels like to be one of the guys. I also tend to eat up sports romances like candy, and this one had everything I love—quick, spicy romance, real emotional depth, and characters working through actual trauma.

And let’s talk about Kill… our British bad boy was hot, spicy, and completely head over heels for Rory. I was sold the moment it gave “She’s the Man meets She’s All That” vibes. Scratch that—I was sold the second I saw it was written by Maren Moore. She never misses.

Loved, loved, loved.

I seriously loved this book; it’s got all the fun, cheeky vibes of a classic rom-com with a fresh, sporty twist that totally won me over. It’s about second chances, fighting for what matters, and discovering that sometimes the biggest risk is letting someone in. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down.