Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I really loved the writing, the story and the characters. The chemistry between the two main characters is so well done, and the growth from enemies to lovers with their banter and yearning was excellent. My reason for it not being a true 4 ⭐️ or even higher is that, as a football fan, the scenes of the football games took me out of the story a bit. I understand wanting to include game scenes, however having the details wrong on the way the game is played, such as having the tight end playing defense, and what seemed like the entire offense playing defense, it felt almost as though this football world was melded with soccer. However that being said, I did enjoy reading this, and loved the way that the author handled grief, self doubt, and finding your strength and being able to trust not only someone else, but yourself enough to let them in and take that risk. It looks as though this is going to be the start of a new series, and I will continue reading because in the end it was the story and characters that pulled me in and made me stay, and the football was just an extra point.

The description got my attention, and it did live up to my expectations. I liked the development of the story, it felt natural. The time line was a little short and a little longer of a timeline would have made it just a little more realistic for the romance aspect. The writing style was perfect, it was easy to understand, and it made the flow of the story just effortless for me.
I don’t really like the whole ‘manwhore’ type of a trope just because I feel like are we still shaming for how many people someone sleeps with, however I did enjoy how the author actually portrayed the male main character to be 1. Upfront and honest about enjoying sex and to have slept with x many women, and 2. Very vocal about consent- I think just good representation to have this. His entire personality like being the type of person who just cares with their entire being, motivating and caring to the female character. A great MMC. Another thing that I appreciated was a positive portrayal of a male with a great relationship with their mom. I also thought the fact both characters had experienced loss of a parent was something that definitely allowed to relate to one another, especially in the sense of now looking back and seeing the impact it has. Definitely included a lot of traits we would love to see in ALL men!!
The only thing that I didn’t like about the female character was the needing some type of a male to ‘heal’ you. It is a sad reality but still. He was a pretty nice guy all round.
I liked Harper, there was plenty of times throughout she made me laugh out loud, she was relateable.

Solid 4 stars! I loved both Harper and Jake. They both seemed so genuine in who they were. There was true dislike in the beginning, there was mutual attraction but it did not feel like some "enemies to lovers" where its all about how hot the other person is and no good reason for them to be enemies. The beginning of this book gave me series Elsie Silver vibes, in the best way. The tension in this book was strong and then it got pretty spicy in the second half of the book. Overall, I really enjoyed this. There are some cheesy parts but it also gave me the feels and had some super sweet parts. I wish we could have maybe had an epilogue or one more extra chapter at the end but I was still satisfied. I can not believe when I looked this book up and saw that this seems to be the authors debut novel. I can not wait to read more by Bella North and hope that maybe Dylan gets his own story next!

Thanks Bella North, NetGalley, and Bookouture for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

rating: 🌟🌟🌟⭐️ (3.5/5)

💭 thoughts:
It took me a little time to get into the story, but one thing I really appreciated is that Jake and Harper actually start off as proper enemies. Not just tension-lite — they genuinely don’t like each other, and they don’t pretend otherwise. But with stakes high and personal goals intertwined, they’re stuck with each other in the best way.
North does a great job of fleshing out each character’s motivations. Every time you catch yourself thinking, "Why would they say that?" or "Why are they acting like this?" — The next chapter answers you. It makes the miscommunication trope feel justified and purposeful rather than frustrating (a rare win 👏).
The story is both spicy (yes, like that 🥵) and full of tension. Jake and Harper have undeniable chemistry, and it’s matched by vivid Football action scenes and well-written insights into the media/journalism world. The setting felt lived-in, like you were at Oakwood Ranch yourself, and I appreciated how the side characters and the protagonists’ backstories were written with care and intention.
The story was well-paced, complete, and definitely enjoyable, but it didn’t quite *click* for me in the way my usual 5-star reads do. I didn’t fall in love with the characters the way I wanted to, and while the ending took a turn that was interesting, I personally wanted a bit more emotional satisfaction in the conclusion.
That said, there’s a part of the story (no spoilers, promise) tied to the characters’ pasts that gets revealed toward the end — and it *did* keep me turning pages because I really wanted to find out what happened.
Overall, this was a fun, well-rounded read, and while Score to Settle didn’t make me scream into a pillow (the gold standard), it did keep me hooked, and I’d recommend it if you’re in the mood for enemies-to-lovers with a solid plot, actual stakes, and a satisfying slow burn.

As someone who’s a total sucker for sports romance, I had to request this book the second I saw it and man it did not disappoint. Harper is such a relatable character. I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of holding on to anger and blaming others instead of taking accountability, so seeing that reflected in her made her feel so reel to me. And then there’s Jake. The misunderstood but loving guy who, yeah , messed up in the past, but is really making an effort to grow. Is he perfect? No, but he felt real. I really enjoyed their journey, and I’m hoping that the other brothers get their own books🤭🙂‍↕️

Cute sports romcom great for the weekend or vacation. Journalist with a grudge has to shadow her high school crush who is now a famed football player, in every way. Nothing really new, rollercoaster of obstacles and slimy ex add turmoil as feelings run hot and cold - and pretty spicy hot at times.

Cute, easy to read book with an interesting mix of cowboy x sports romance and some spice - what's not to love!
Enemies to lovers, forced proximity and a whole lot of history between the main characters...
NFL star Jake has a bad reputation off the field, mostly regarding his private life and rumours about woman! His manager/mama decides enough is enough it's time to clean up his image and prove there is more to Jake than the fake stories about him so hires the local city journalist firm to write a tell all piece about her son.
Queue Journalist Harper who is assigned to the job - what could go wrong i hear you ask...
What Jake doesn't remember is that he and Harper went to school together with Harper being a few years younger and in his brothers year. With a massive crush on Jake, he unknowingly breaks her heart all those years ago leaving her with a score to settle but also an important job to do.
I enjoyed the writing style in this book and found it easy to read. It is my first novel from this author and a solid start. I enjoyed that there was ranch life with the sports romance I love mixed together. Not something you see very often but we need more of!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the free copy. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.