🏈 Bookish Thoughts
This was a rough one and I have a bit of a rant. I went in expecting a rivals to lovers romance, but it felt more like a bully dynamic, especially with how Jade treated Franny. Jade was mean and emotionally immature. She belittled and embarrassed Franny. Also, both FMCs felt like they were written as high schoolers rather than grown women.

The pacing was inconsistent, the book felt too long, and the “romance” just did not work for me. Franny deserved so much better. I cannot give a high rating to a book that suggests this kind of treatment is acceptable in a relationship.

I also did not enjoy the audiobook narration. The narrator was inconsistent with delivery on certain voices.

😒 What to Expect:
• Bully dynamic
• Workplace tension
• Sports setting
• Small town
• Poker night
• Forced proximity

📖 Final Score: 2 stars
🎧 Audio Score: 3 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo

📅 Pub Date: August 6, 2024
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

Ready to Score is high-energy, bold, and unapologetically sexy. If you love sapphic sports romance with clashing rivals, steamy banter, and emotional ambition—this will keep you engaged. But if you lean toward emotional subtlety and believable character growth before attraction, the intense rivalry may be off-putting.

I appreciated the strong representation and Slaughter’s sharp prose, but Jade and Franny’s chemistry didn’t fully convince me. Still, it’s a spirited addition to the genre and worth picking up for fans of queer, athletic romance with real-world weight.

One of my reading goals for this year is to read more queer, and specifically more sapphic, books. I was able to count this as another one but sadly it wasn't for me.

I really got into sport romance in the past year and thought that this matches perfectly. On top of that it's also spicy AND enemies to lovers. There was literally no way I wouldn't like it.

Looking back I think one of the main aspects why I didn't enjoy the book as much was the fact that the story was dual pov but most of the time I needed to be halfway into the chapter to realize it. It was probably easier to realize if i had read it physically. I had a hard time getting into the story and sadly the story also didn't really captivate me.

Jade and Francesca as the main characters were interesting and I enjoyed learning more about each of them. At times it still felt a bit like the characters had more potential than they were given.

Even if the book wasn't really for me, I enjoyed the female representation. In general were the different representations very well and interesting written.

I think the next Jodie Slaughter book I read, will be physical and I will hopefully like it more!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audio-Arc!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Women in sport, wait—queer women in sport, wait, nope—queer women from the global majority in sport!!

Picking up this book was a no-brainer. A slow burner, with very few stereotypes (I appreciate that so much). Jade is gunning for the head coach position in her school; she wants to be the first queer Black woman to hold that position, and there are a few competitors. and one new specific competitor, Francesca Lim, who looks like she could take that spot. Not to mention Jade feels some sort of way about Lim and has steered out of her way on purpose. But guess what? Things that have to happen will happen.

I truly appreciate the conversations surrounding women in sports, queerness, race, resources in school-level sports, grief, healing, being home, and giving yourself grace. I also appreciate that the cultures of the characters were not just there for the sake of it but were baked into the story as much as they could have been.

The narrator did a brilliant job in getting all the characters just right and keeping us engaged.

Enjoyed the MCs development. A lot of sports talk but it was easy to follow and I enjoyed the climax

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It was a "meh" for me...
I went in semi blind as I usually do and realized an American football romance isn't something I quite fancy for myself.
Elements of this story felt rushed and some dragged.

The characters were interesting but something lacked. Or maybe I just didn't relate, didn't get swayed by them. That happens.

I'm a sucker for emotional depth and maybe that's the thing that was lacking for me.

"But is there spice?" you ask. My dear friend, there is a bit of it (3 or 4 scenes). And, it was chef's kiss.

Bonus points for the narrator and her accents that I *loved*.


Audiobook ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley for honest review.

I'll start by saying, the spice between Jade and Francesca, oh my. I loved parts of this book, but at times it felt a little incomplete. I would have loved more time after they got together to sit in their relationship. The ending seemed rushed and the epilogue felt unnecessary.

This book was a little fast paced for me. I think it is really fun seeing a sapphic poc sports book but there were a lot of points for me that fell a bit short. The "hate" was brushed off too quickly for me. Jade was set up to hate Francesca because she was charming her way onto the coaching team and her suspicions of her was proven right, but then it was never further addressed and brushed aside for a "but we are in this together" storyline. I think there definitely had some potential for more tension to be built between them before getting together and a few too many spice scenes for the sake of spice. I definitely thing their dynamic was fun and the plot was interesting enough but I do think the tension and build up could've been more drawn out to make them feel more like rivals to lovers. They were more mild petty annoyance to lovers. Overall, it wasn't too bad, it was entertaining but just not for me.

This was a cute enemies to lovers office sapphic romance.

Jade has been working diligently at her southern high school to become the top dog and the coaching staff for the football team. She’s been putting in the hours and the time in her small town school and it’s now her time to shine…

That is until Francesca, the new art teacher steps onto the field and shows her intention for the top coaching spot as well!

Jade and Francesca are exact opposites, but they have to start working together to show that they have what it takes to not only be a team player, but take the lead!

I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two characters in the interesting choice of two diverse females trying to earn the role of head coach for a southern football team. I think my favourite part of the book is when they stop fighting each other and start cheering each other on because they’re both fighting towards the same goal in the big scheme of things.

The audiobook narrated by Esme Ramos had great pacing and was enjoyable to listen to. Ramos does an excellent job differentiating the characters voices for Jade and Francesca.

I had a good time with this rivals to lovers romance! Watching Jade and Franscesca vie for their place in the school was so fun. I really enjoyed the conversations about being a queer woman of color trying to navigate small town politics. Jade is a complex character. As much as I understood where her defensiveness came from it was hard watching her be so antagonistic to Franny when she hadn't done anything to deserve it. The sex scenes were super hot though. If you're looking for a steamy, sapphic rivals to lovers story this could be the one for you!

I loved the narrator's voice! The Southern accents were so fun to listen to. I struggled to tell the difference between the two main characters at times though (which is a problem when both main characters are the same gender). I could usually figure it out but I wish the narrator had distinguished between their voices a bit more.

A sapphic enemies to lovers sports romance. Jade is working her way to become the head coach of a high school football team. The only person in the way of that dream is her colleague Francesca Lim who is also interested in coaching football. I feel like the enemies portion of the book took a very long time to move to the lovers portion. Also I didn't really see the chemistry between the two to get to lovers. The narrator did a pretty good job with the various voices. Sometimes Jade & Frannies voices would get mixed up. Thank You to Net Galley for the Advanced Audiobook..

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A heartfelt romance with a different take on sports romance

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
“Sports” romance- high school football coach
Enemies to lovers
Small town
Found family
Sapphic romance
Dual POV
Witty banter
Locker room spice

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Diverse characters
Great character growth
The narration

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The romance felt a little rushed
Jade was too harsh sometimes

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook ARC of Ready to Score by Jodie Slaughter. While I was excited for a sapphic adult romance set in the world of high school football, a refreshing premise, I ultimately found this one difficult to engage with.

Both main characters, Francesca and Jade, felt underdeveloped to me. Francesca’s seemingly sweet demeanor often came off as manipulative, while Jade, portrayed as strong and commanding, lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for. Their connection felt rushed, with little buildup to make their chemistry believable or compelling.

The audiobook narrator unfortunately didn’t help; the narration was fairly monotone throughout, with minimal vocal distinction between the characters, which made it hard to stay immersed in the story.

Despite my issues with the story, I appreciated the representation of women in sports and the effort to spotlight sapphic love in a typically male-dominated setting. This one just wasn’t a hit for me, but I look forward to seeing what Jodie Slaughter writes next.

Ready to Score is a contemporary romance novel that blends sports, passion, and personal growth. Centered around a driven female protagonist navigating the high-stakes world football, the story captures both the emotional vulnerability and fierce ambition of its characters. With snappy dialogue, steamy chemistry, and moments of heartfelt reflection, the book delivers a satisfying mix of romance and empowerment. While it follows some familiar tropes, the engaging writing and relatable characters make it a fun, fast-paced read for fans of sports romance.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this gifted audiobook.

I enjoy a good enemies to lovers trope and this did not disappoint in that aspect. There was great tension and escalation that led me straight to passion and explosive chemistry. I’m not sure that I enjoy “sports romance” (this story being my first, that I can recall), but I appreciated the placement of queer women of color in the space, emphasizing their value and contributions. I especially appreciated the emphasis on how so little space for people of color in a mainly white, cismale field causes undue competition and rivalry for those needing to fight for opportunities and recognition. I struggled a bit with the narration and writing: the tone of voice for the characters seemed aged, which felt contradictory to their actual ages and young vibes. Additionally, the use of the phrase “the other woman” was excessive. I imagine it was to avoid overusing the character names, but it was exhaustive and diffused the good energy particularly in the spicy scenes. That said, once the characters really leaned into their chemistry and released inhibitions, the language shifted along with the story and I was happy to see that transition over to lovers.

Sapphic Sparks on the Sidelines

4.5 out of 5 stars
I had so much fun with this enemies-to-lovers sapphic slow-burn! Ready to Score blends small-town football politics with genuine emotional growth, and I was hooked from the moment Jade and Francesca shared a scene together. Their dynamic was deliciously tense, equal parts attraction and ambition, and watching them navigate that fine line kept me smiling for far longer than I expected (did I mention this is a slow-burn?)

What I really loved was how much growth both characters went through. Jade and Franny weren’t just two women falling in love; they were two women learning how to let someone in without losing their drive or identity. While also being enemies for a good portion of the book. Jodie Slaughter did a fantastic job showing that evolution, and it really came through in the little moments, the vulnerability, and yes, the spice, too.

The whole “rivals but not exactly” setup was super clever. They’re not at odds because of teaching, but because they’re chasing a similar coaching dream in a world not quite built for women, the “boys club”. Their different approaches—Jade’s calculated persistence versus Francesca’s heart-led instincts—made them a perfect pair once they started seeing each other for who they really were.

And I have to shout out Esme Ramos’s narration, which added so much to the story. She nailed the tension, the tenderness, and the individual voices of both women. Those emotional beats, especially the ones tied to their past heartbreaks and career hopes, hit even harder thanks to her performance.

In the end, Ready to Score was a story about love, ambition, and learning to stand together. I adored it.

This was cute and enjoyable! If you’re looking for a sapphic, rivals to lovers romance I think you would enjoy this one. Theres a lot of banter and chemistry between Jade and Franny. They both showed some growth throughout the story which was nice. I absolutely adored the bowling league characters. It took me a little while to get into but overall the narrator made this one a good quick read! Thank you to the publisher for the ALC and ARC copy to read and review!

I did like this book, but there were a couple of obstacles before I could settle in and enjoy it. First, on Frannie’s second day at football practice, she sexually harassed Jade by saying something to the effect of, “I know you want me.” Jade could’ve ended the rivalry right there with a, “sexually harass me again and I’ll ensure you lose your job along with any coaching opportunities in this town.” You might think that would be too threatening, which brings me to my second obstacle: this story is rivals to lovers. I enjoy the trope. However, if one of your MCs is still being needless cruel to her rival beyond the 50% mark, you’re going to lose a lot of readers. It takes time for a reader to forgive and understand the behavior in order to back their relationship, So yes, threatening Frannie’s job due to sexual harassment may be extreme, but so was the repeated cruelty by Jade. I never felt the urge to DNF, thanks to the uniqueness of the storyline and the quality of the writing. Once Jade stopped the cruelty and the romantic relationship really kicked off, it was delightfully spicy and sweet. Starting it around 10-15% sooner would’ve bumped it from 3.5-4 stars. The narrator was great and i appreciated her performance.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this audiobook ARC.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC!!

As a lover of enemies to lovers tropes while listening to this I just kept thinking are they really supposed to get together?! Jade f*#king hates her.... I couldn't imagine dating someone who was so cruel to me. I loved the narrator! The spice was 😉👌🏻 but I had a hard time seeing them actually work out long time.

Spice Level: 2.5/5 Open / Explicit Door

Jade Dunn is an established coach within the Greenbelt High School football team. As luck would have it, her mentor and head coach is planning to retire which leaves his job up for grabs and she has her sights locked on the position. She wants nothing more to not only be the head coach but to be the first queer female PoC head coach of Greenbelt High School and the surrounding area.

Francesca Lim was born and raised in Texas, so football naturally runs through her veins. However, after leaving Texas for a girlfriend, she finds herself alone in South Carolina after the relationship doesn’t work out. Franny gets word that there might be an opening for a coaching position, and she weasels her way into a poker game that puts her in the running. This doesn’t sit well with Jade, who feels she has to up her game against the competition.

I “read” this book as an audiobook and I really enjoyed this rivals-to-lovers story. It was refreshing to have a different setting for a rivals-to-lovers story in someplace other than an office setting. I love football and in the sapphic literary world, there is not a lot of sports books. I think more are starting to be written but this is the first I have come across for football, at least.

I love the sarcastic and witty banter that takes place between Francesca and Jade. It ramps up their rivalry but it also ramps up the angst and the competition. This is no criticism to the story at all but Jade was such a frustrating character. There are instances through the story where you can tell she cares but her bravado causes more issues. You just wanna shake her and be like “wake up woman!!” Highly suggest this book.