thank you to Bookoutre and Netgalley for this arc!

I loved Score to Settle. I'm in my sports romance era so this was right up my alley. I loved seeing our FMC and our MMC's relationship grow. and of course the HEA. I thought the plot was good and the writing was also great. Looking forward to more books written by Bella North!

I really enjoyed this book about Harper and Jake. At first, the pace was a bit slow, but it got much better and kept me hooked. Harper felt very relatable with her struggles, and Jake was a sweet guy trying to grow even after past mistakes. Their journey showed good personal growth and had emotional moments that made me feel happy, sad, and even a bit angry at times. The sports side, especially with American football and Jake’s ranch background, added a cool layer to the story. Overall, it was a solid read with a cozy, homey vibe, and I’d like to see more from this series. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

A sports romance set on a ranch, say less, I am already sold! I really enjoyed Jake and Harpers story and how we had some hidden identity from Harper’s side. Both Jake and Harper had demon’s they had to deal with from their past and I really liked the push and pull between them before finally deciding they could actually help each other out.

The side story between Jake and Dylan was so good and I really felt for them both, especially since Dylan didn’t know the truth of what happened. For two brothers to be so close then torn apart by something, which changed both their lives, was such a heartbreaking situation but I really liked how the author dealt with this.

Harper and Jake had the sweetest connection throughout the book and whilst it took a while for them to get together, when they did they were absolute end game. I loved that they put each other first and nothing was going to stand in their way of being together. There were fears on both sides for both their careers with being together but for them the risk was worth it. Harper might have fallen first but Jake definitely falls harder.

I think the side characters were brilliant, we saw them so much throughout the book and I definitely have a few I would love to see have a book in the series. I would absolutely recommend this book, I really enjoyed it and wouldn’t hesitate to read more from this author in the future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the slow burn between Jake and Harper. The tension, the build-up, and the payoff were so satisfying. I’m a sucker for a good sports romance, and this one hit all the right notes. The forced proximity made their connection feel even more intense. The truths that come out at the end added an extra layer of depth that made the story even more rewarding.

I give this 3.5 stars, which not many romance books do I go above 4, so to me this was a great read. Loved our FMC who is sharp, has a history with our MMC, with her banter and commanding presence. Our MMC is really a golden retriever, not well understood only what social media wants him to see.

Loved Bella’s writing in this - it flowed and before I blinked, I was finished with the book. Fans of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift I can see enjoying this book (especially since our star is a TE!)

I love this book. if you're a Hannah Grace/Ruth stilling/Becca Mack fan this is up your street.

Harper is a journalist newly aligned to writing about sport. she's tasked with writing an article about Jake after some negative publicity - he's a football star with a bad reputation. However she knows nothing about Football and had a crush on Jake back in high school. Can she get the story? (and maybe the guy)

Harper was a really likeable character - I loved her independence and her energy to do the right thing.

Jake had golden retriever vibes in the best way.

The spice level was just right - enough without taking away the plot.

Look forward to Book 2 (please say there's a book 2 😊?)

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for my honest review.

I'm very disappointed that I didn't enjoy this. I did not like the characters and could not relate to any of them.

Miscommunication is never my favorite nor is 3rd act breakups and this book had both.


The writing style was fine. I'd be willing to read more from this author.

2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Rating: 4 🌟
Spice: 2 🌶

As someone who’s a total sucker for sports romance(don’t care what kind of sport it is), I had to request this book the second I saw it and it did not disappoint. Bella North did not disappoint and it won’t be my last book from her!
The background story, the buildup, and the plot were great. The romance between our MC Harper and Jack was realistic. And the spice we got in the book, I was surprised by how much spice there was!


I really enjoyed their journey, and I’m hoping that the other brothers get their own books. I highly recommend reading this book when it releases!

Oh this book was just too perfect. I love how the author got some inspo from Travis and Taylor like that just makes everything even better. I absolutely loved the yearning these characters had and how much they loved each other. I love how they both feel incomplete without each other. I also thought this book was incredibly unique. I’ve never read anything quite like it.

Thank you, Netgalley, Bookouture, and the author, for sending me an early ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this story was super cute! I really liked the plot line and Harper's character/storyline. I struggled a little bit with Jake's character and the whole "I'm misunderstood" part of him (but I know that is the main plot line of his character), I think I just struggle with that back and forth for so long when reading. BUT if that is your thing, then that is okay!! Even though that was a downside for me, I clearly couldn't put the book down to figure out what happened at the end, lol.

If you are looking for a football sports romance with some cowboy vibes, forced proximity, and found family, I recommend this book!!

3.75/5⭐️(rounded up to 4)

3.25/5 stars! This was definitely a cute football romance! Jake is a tight end and Harper is a reporter sent to write an article in hopes to help his reputation! This story had me hooked from the first chapter, when you find out Harper knew Jake in high school and there aren’t good feeling there! It gives off Travis kelce and Taylor swift vibes and is a fill good romance that everyone should read at least once!

I really enjoyed this book. Bella North captured the feeling of being a young professional trying to find their way in the world so well, with some amazing insight into the world of journalism and football.

Harper was such a relatable character, especially for someone like me who's become a little jaded about making the news. She was smart, funny, and real in a way a lot of writers can't seem to manage. I loved her relationships with the supporting characters, and wish there had been even more chances to explore these further.

I also loved Jake, his nature, his humour, and all the sweet little things he did that just made me want to swoon. I do think his story arc wrapped up slightly too quickly, it would have been good to see him get a tiny bit more closure over his complicated feelings around his dad and Dylan, but overall this was a very enjoyable book that hit a lot of the notes it was aiming for!

I do think a lot of readers will really enjoy this one, but it wasn’t quite for me unfortunately.

This follows journalist Harper Cassidy as she moves into Oakwood Ranch with footballer Jake Sullivan in order to write a feature on him.

I thought I’d love this because forced proximity and enemies to lovers/hate to love are huge tick boxes for me. However, I didn’t love the characters and struggled with the writing style (just personal preference rather than it being ‘bad’).

I thought it was well paced and do think people will like this one, especially if they’re into the aforementioned tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an eARC copy to review!

Harper and Jake's story is so cute and I fell in love with them from the first time the meet each other. As a girl who loves football, something that stuck out to me was the amount of actual football in the story. I love a good Sports Romance but feel the game gets glossed over. This book had the perfect amount of actual "game play" to go along with the swoony love story you probably are really looking for. 10/10 on banter, enemies to lovers, and HEA that was wrapped up beautifully.

I could not put this down!!! There is seriously something so addictive about this book and I was so invested in Jake and Harper’s love story. I loved the character growth and recognition of how important it is to own our own insecurities and choices. Anyone that loves sports romance will eat this up and I am so excited to see more from Bella North!

ARC REVIEW —

Well thank you Bella North and Net Gallery😍😍

I loved Jake and Harper story, the way the story came to it I loved how the past elements came into the present elements, I loved the pining for each other and the absolute firework chemistry between them!

Anyone who is team Scott just leave right now!

Definitely one for the slow burn girlies I found the start to be a slow burn but so glad when we got there because I was flying through.

I really felt involved in the story, the details of the sport, about the scenery and the ranch I want to live there too!

The fact that Harper finally found all of her confidence and got everything she wanted was a proud moment 🤭🤭

This story is one for the second chance, grumpy x sunshine and sports romance girlies but I loved it so much🫶🏻

Arc Review !!

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, sports workplace romance, forced proximity, slow-burn

Okay this was a pleasant surprise! I say this because I'm not actually a football fan lol...maybe that's why I resonated so well with the fmc because she had no idea how football works (literally me). But seriously, this book was super cute and fun to quickly read through. Also, covering topics like workplace harassment which I think is really important.

Go read this on release day (sep. 10)!!
Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bella North for the chance to review this ARC!

This book was really good. I in particular liked the characters and the depth that they had. I also really liked to hear about what happens behind the scene of journalism. The only thing I was really missing was to hear more about the characters struggle with grief and how the could connect with their shared experiences. Overall I definitely think this is a book worth reading and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

This was such a cute read. I love all the college sports romance novels that are around at the moment and Score To Settle certainly didn't disappoint. It was such a cute and easy to follow read. It's the perfect novel to read over the summer months or when you just want something light and fun. The story was cute and easy to follow and had a good cast of characters and the pacing was just right. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Score to Settle was such a fun and easy story to read. I really liked the our FMC, Harper, having to be to rediscover what she thinks she knows about Jake or MMC who happens to be a professional football player. Harper is forced to write about Jake to save his imagine but Harper knew Jake in high school and he left a bad impression. I really liked this idea of Harper learning who Jake really is as a person just like the reader is. I loved the chemistry between the two characters along with the tension and banter. I also will never not love a one bed trope and particularly loved that scene. The vulnerability within the both the characters and them finding a connection was so worth the slow burn.