Amazing book loved the characters and plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. I loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

As someone who devours anything by Elle Kennedy and adores the sports/college vibes of Hannah Grace, I came into Score to Settle with high hopes. And while it hit some of my favorite tropes—enemies to lovers, forced proximity, sports romance with a cowboy twist—the execution didn’t quite sweep me off my feet the way I wanted it to.
I actually loved the setup: a journalist stuck writing a redemption piece about the football star who broke her heart in high school? Sign me up. The tension was there in the beginning, and I enjoyed the banter and the slow unraveling of Jake’s “playboy” image. He was surprisingly sweet, and Harper had a solid backbone and ambition I admired.
That said, a few things pulled me out of the story. The relationship pacing felt off once the spark ignited—after such a strong build-up, I expected more emotional groundwork before they were all-in. And while I’m usually down for a juicy third-act breakup, the miscommunication trope just didn’t feel justified here. It felt a little too convenient and underdeveloped, especially considering how mature they’d seemed up until that point.
Another detail that tripped me up? The memory gap. I found it really odd that Jake and his tight-knit family couldn’t remember Harper from high school—especially when she had a connection to one of the brothers. It was a small detail, but it bugged me.
Still, I can’t lie—I flew through the chapters, and the family dynamics, especially with Mama Sullivan, were a highlight. There’s definitely potential in this series, and I’d be curious to read Dylan or Chase’s stories next.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. A fun, slightly flawed but enjoyable read. If you love second chances and small-town sports charm, this might still work for you.

I enjoyed reading this, it was a cute and easy read and had me wanting to read more. I enjoyed the dynamic between Jake and Harper, their banter was so good. I loved how caring and kind Jake was, it was a different side to what’s been shown in the media for him. Harper’s so hardworking and is a relatable character. Jake and Harper had undeniable chemistry, it was so strong. I enjoyed seeing Harper and Jake get to know each other better and see a side that other people don’t get to see, their relationship felt sweet and special. the other characters in the book are also really enjoyable to read and are sweet (except Scott and I was shocked with what he did, didn’t see that coming.) I liked Harper and Jake, they really understood each other and were cute and I enjoyed the ending, it was perfect. it’s really good for a debut novel. it was written well and flows easily, it makes you want to continue reading on. a good and easy read!

Enemies to lovers? Forced proximity? Yes please! I always look forward to books that include these tropes. However this read missed the mark. I personally felt that it was unrealistic and the relationship progressed way too fast once they got together. Would have loved if they kept that build up continued as their relationship progressed. When it comes to a sports romance, if when reading I start questioning the sport I think one needs to go back and edit to keep the sport be as realistic. There were inconsistencies regarding football that I myself who is not a sports fan was questioning. Come to find out, it wasn’t portrayed as it is in real life.

I couldn’t wrap my head around where the FMC was basically besties in a tessie with the MMCs brother but yet by the laws of science the MMC, his mom and the MMCs other brother don’t remember her? What in the actual twilight zone is this? Considering they all went to HS together…. For such tight knit family this portrayed the complete opposite. Definitely one main aspect that caused me to deduct more stars and give it a lower rating was that it has an unnecessary third act break up that has a ridiculous reason behind it. Any guesses?…. It was…. Miscommunication…like really 🙄

Overall I spent too much time questioning certain events/ scenarios rather than enjoy the read. Unfortunately it is why I gave it 2 ⭐️ thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Overall it was a good story line and a quick read for me. I would have liked a bit more character depth, weaving the relationships into a tighter weave that showed their feelings and vulnerabilities in greater detail (reducing a bit of the smut talk to convey feelings). In the end I would rate it a 3.5⭐️ I look forward to seeing how this author grows with future books.

*ARC review*

3.75 stars for me! It was a fun little sports romance with a past for the FMC and not so much for MC. I will say the relationship did a little rushed once they actually got together but I did enjoy the buildup/tension going into it. Loved mama sullivan and cant wait to hopefully read dylan and chases stories! Thank you netgalley for the arc!

I received this as an ARC and this was such a cute sports romance. The main characters went to high school together and 10 years later are pushed together when Harper is asked to write a story on Jake, a famous football player. They start as enemies and as the story progresses, they both start to fall for each other. Overall I really enjoyed this and I can see how the side characters may eventually get their own stories as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoture and Bella North for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Score to Settle is a heartfelt and engaging sports romance that strikes a satisfying balance between swoon-worthy chemistry and emotional depth. Bella North delivers a story that’s as much about second chances and personal growth as it is about love.

At the center of it all is the tension-filled reunion between an NFL superstar with a tarnished image and the sharp, determined journalist sent to polish it. What begins as a reluctant professional arrangement slowly evolves into something far more layered, revealing past wounds, hidden truths, and unexpected sparks.

What really stood out for me was how thoughtfully the characters are developed. The romance unfolds with a natural pace—never too rushed or too drawn out—and we get to witness both perspectives, which adds richness to the emotional arc. Beyond the romantic tension, the story explores themes such as family dynamics, career pressures, and personal identity, lending the characters a relatable complexity that makes their journey feel authentic.

This book is a great pick for fans of sports romance, particularly those who enjoy stories with strong emotional beats and a touch of celebrity glamour. If you’ve found yourself intrigued by the Kelce-Swift dynamic, you’ll probably find a lot to love here.

This was a solid enough book, if not a bit generic feeling. It goes pretty much exactly how you think it will from the summary. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you just want a romance that will check all the boxes. I wasn't entirely convinced by their love sotry but there are enough smut scenes to keep you entertained.

The third act break up was kinda silly. It was just a miscommunication but the characters literally were TRYING to miscommunicate with each other?? Like they were actively NOT listening to each other. So it's a third act breakup that won't really break your heart

ARC BOOK REVIEW
4/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

RELEASES: September 10, 2025

After reading fantasy books, what better way to cleanse the palette than a sports romance? This book was a fun, cute read! It follows Harper as she navigates getting to know Jake and write a feature on him to help clean up his reputation. But surprise! Harper has known Jake since high school and when you know someone that long, there is bound to be some eye daggers tossed at one another.

Harper and Jake’s relationship can only be defined as enemies to amiable friends to lovers, the best progression there could ever be. Harper grows through out the book and so does Jake. They start to break down each other’s walls and in doing so, recognize some truths about themselves.

If you want a fun sports read with a happy ending, this is it!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bella North for this eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own 💕

Overall a good sports romance book. The plot and character development was well thought out and made this an easy and fast read.

Now I don’t know a whole lot about football, but I do know a tight end is not on the field all the time and not for defense. While it is a book, the football aspect of it was a bit inconsistent with real life. It did not take away from the story but it did make me stop and say that’s not right.

To Harper’s dad… You do not get any after of the year awards. Even after fixing an issue that should have never happened. You left her alone her whole life and she needed someone to stick by her.

Jake, our grumpy but not grumpy sunshine, has the biggest heart. But it’s pretty well hidden under his tough exterior.

Grumpy x Sunshine
Slow Burn
Forced Proximity
Football Star MMC with a “bad rep”
One Bed
Third act breakup
Workplace harassment (ex and FMC)
Found Family

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️

I received an advance review copy of a Score to Settle. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture, for the opportunity to read to this book.

I loved this book so much! It was 100% swoon-worthy. I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout Harper and Jake's story! My favorite thing about this story is the raw topics it brings up. Bella talks tastefully about de*th, SH, and emotional neglect from a parent, making the story even more impactful. Also, I was a huge fan of Mia, and I need more of her, ASAP!

I DNF’d this book at 50%. It became really repetitive and to be honest, it was hard to get past the team names (which were mentioned a lot). They sounded like cheesy fake names. I felt like I could skip large chunks of text and not miss anything. I also found it hard to believe that the MFC was that close to the MMC’s brother and neither him, nor the mom, nor the other brother remembered her. Especially given that they are portrayed as such a close family. It just didn’t hook me enough.

3.75/5 ⭐

This was a fun, spicy read that gave me major Travis & Taylor vibes (if Travis was a reformed playboy NFL star on the brink of winning the AFL West, and Taylor was a sharp, recently-fired NYC journalist with a grudge from high school).

Harper and Jake have chemistry from the jump, but what stood out to me was Harper’s internal growth — her journey of figuring out how to confront her feelings and find her footing again after a professional setback. Jake, meanwhile, is kind of the dream: arrogant, successful, living that football-meets-ranch-life combo, but with emotional range and actual communication skills.

The spice definitely delivers (a solid 3🌶️/5), and although the third act breakup felt familiar, the resolution worked well and honestly added more to the story than I expected.

This wasn’t a five-star read for me — there were a lot of sub-plots that I just wanted more from. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Dylan book down the line! Excited for more from this series.

But overall, a fast, entertaining read that I’d recommend to sports romance fans.

Score to Settle absolutely had me hooked from chapter one! This is the kind of sports romance that delivers banter, heart, and just the right amount of steam.

🏈 Harper was everything. I adored her. She’s been knocked down so many times in her career, but instead of staying down, she fights—hard. She’s bold, she’s driven, and watching her try to shine in a career that keeps sidelining her was so empowering. She’s easily one of my favorite FMCs this year.

🔥 And Jake? Oh, the character growth. He starts off a total… okay let’s say arrogant jerk (it’s giving “do not make eye contact with me” energy), but by the end? SWOON. The way he opens up to Harper?? Literal butterflies. 🦋 His walls come down in such a raw, believable way, and I loved every second of that transformation.

💥 Their chemistry is off the charts, and yes—it gets tense. But what I really appreciated was how the big blow-up didn’t drag on. Could Harper have made him grovel a bit more? Probably. But I liked that they handled it like actual adults. No unnecessary third act drama stretched over 10 chapters..

⏳Also can we talk pacing?? The story unfolds over just five weeks, but it never feels rushed. The bond between Jake and Harper builds with depth and intention. You feel every moment. It’s fast, but not fake.

✨If you love enemies to lovers, a heroine who won’t quit, and a grumpy sports guy with golden retriever potential deep down—Score to Settle needs to be on your TBR. ASAP.

Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 2.5🌶️

Tropes:
- Football Romance
- NFL Superstar MMC
- Sports Journalist FMC
- Forced Proximity

With football season just around the corner, this was the perfect football romance book and I’m so excited for it to release September 10th!

I really enjoyed the background story between our FMC and MMC and the buildup following that throughout. The plot was fun and the amount of actual football mentioned in the FOOTBALL romance was so good! I feel like many times a sports romance is advertised as such towards a specific sport, but then you barely get more than a few pages of the actual sport. This book DELIVERED on the football side and I’m so happy about that.

My only complaint was that it was a little slow in the first 40% or so but it definitely paid off for everything else we got in the book.

Also, the romance between our MCs was realistic and the spice… I was surprised by how much there was! 🤭

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for the eARC! Highly recommend picking this up when it releases on September 10th!

Love love loved this book!!!!!!

As a huge fan of Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce I saw this and started to read it immediately! It was everything I wanted from this book and more! These characters are so perfect!

If there was a book I did not want to end it is definitely this one!

I need more from this author asap!!!!!

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC!

I thought this was a light-hearted enemies to lovers sport romance story. Harper and Jake were well fleshed out characters who had depth to them beyond their careers. I really enjoyed how the storyline played out with Harper's ex and the realness of Harper's relationship with her dad.

Only thing that bothered me was Jake was portrayed to be this guy who cared about everyone around him but when him and his brother finally hash everything out Jake felt the opposite of empathetic to what Dylan was trying to share. It just rubbed me the wrong way. I also feel like Jake got off way to easy with Harper in end and she took a lot more responsibility (at least internal monologue wise) than she should of.

Still excited to see what others books in the series might be.

Well it’s 1am and I’m laying here with tears streaming down my face because North has completely blown me away with this book. I have no idea how any written review could do this justice, but I’ll give it a go.

North is definitely one of my favourite authors EVER. Without a doubt, she is one of the best of our time. This extremely talented and beautiful lady can write just about anything. Everything this lady puts out just ooze fabulousness. This book is no exception.

Jake has stolen my heart. Everyone needs a brooding, grumpy and scowling man who underneath is so much more. Harper is a character who has really made me think (thanks Mrs N). She is a character who has changed her life since high school. However, this comes with many walls and a fake it till you make it attitude while attempting to constantly prove herself to others. I can say that I’ve seen a lot of myself in her.

Jake and Harper together…. Well they have stolen my heart. From wanting to drive each other crazy to the very final page, I’ve been team love for this pair. North has included moments that have full on made me belly laugh. However, there have been moments where the tears have flowed uncontrollably.

You know you have an incredible author when your emotions are taken 360 and you’re left with the biggest book hangover of all time. This book has taken my heart, played with it, broke all the pieces and put them back together again.

Can Mrs N pull off a great romance? No! SHE’S INCREDIBLE! This isn’t a great romance, it’s a phenomenal one! This masterpiece is one that needs to be on the TBR of all romance readers.

This masterpiece has been impossible to put down. I have devoured page after page in just one sitting. I have zero regrets. This is a book highly deserving of ALL the praise and recognition.

I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who will listen. This is quite possibly my book of the year.

Score to Settle by Bella North is an enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity football romance and such a fun read! Jake Sullivan is an NFL star with a terrible reputation, prompting his mom/agent to arrange for a magazine feature piece. Harper Cassidy is a new probationary journalist at Sports Magazine who is assigned to cover Jake, who happens to be her high school crush. Harper plans to expose the real Jake (at least the version she believes is real), but everything changes over the weeks they are together. Overall, this was a fun sports romance to read. As a huge football fan, there were several aspects of the game description that were not accurate and therefore distracting. However, I really enjoyed the love story, role of the side characters, and banter.

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