I thought I wrote this review already so I can’t say this book is super fresh in my mind anymore 😬

I do remember that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’d love some more rugby romances. I love a “teach me” book where the lines get blurry and that’s what this was. Throw in a complicated relationship (coach’s daughter in this case) and it adds so much fun. Rory is smart, knows her sport and Cillian is the bad boy who can’t resist her.

Red Card by Maren Moore is such a fun, flirty, and emotional sports romance. I am a huge sports romance fan and loved reading about a sport I rarely see. I need more rugby romance books! The story follows Cillian, a British bad boy rugby player, and Rory, the coach’s daughter. After Cillian gets kicked off his team in London, his last chance is at Prescott University. Cillian's reputation precedes him, and his new team doesn't want him there, regardless of how good a player he is. Getting is team to accept him will be an uphill battle. Enter Rory. She has basically grown up on the field and is always seen as one of the guys. Rory can talk sports with the best of them, but when it comes to relationships, she needs help. She agrees to help Cillian fit in with the team if he agrees to teach her how to flirt and finally escape the “friend zone.”

Cillian and Rory were so cute! I loved witnessing the development of their relationship. Cillian might look tough and closed-off, but underneath it all, he’s actually super caring. Rory is confident, funny, and totally in charge when it comes to rugby, but she also has this softer, vulnerable side. I can relate so much to her struggle of being a girl who loves all things sports, but also wanting to be seen as dateable. Through the steamy lessons and spending time together, Cillian and Rory realized they balance each other perfectly. I loved their banter, and their chemistry was sizzling. This is a slow-burn romance, but once things started to heat up, they were HOT. I loved seeing both characters grow with each other. Cillian helped Rory see her worth, and she helped him find a place where he belongs. I completely fell for Cillian and Rory and can't wait for more from the Prescott University crew.

Narration:
Stella Hunter and Matt Sykes perform this audiobook in dual-style narration. They both did an amazing job with this story. Stella and Matt were the perfect voices for Rory and Cillian, and put so much personality into their performances. I could really feel all of the emotions elicited by this story. I loved the accents! I was completely invested in this story and didn't want it to end. This was a fun immersive reading experience.

Enjoyed this rugby romance between killian and Rory. Loved that Killian made her feel seen and not “friend zoned.” Loved how the players came together for Killian. Loved the dynamic that Rory has with the members of the rugby team and the fact that they respect her and trust her judgment especially as a woman in sports was quite refreshing. Rory’s faith in Killian is ever lovers dream. Beautiful story, well written.

3.75 stars
There was nothing wrong wrong with this. I just feel like I've read this exact same book in a slightly different font a few too many times for it to throw any curveballs my way. Cillian and Rory meet when he joins the Prescott U rugby team. He's a bad boy and Rory is the good Girl always getting friend zoned because she's into sports and she's a little shy. Then the lessons come and they quickly turn to more. There's a lil twist at the end that I didnt see coming and was sorted out way quick
Otherwise this was a solid new adult college sports romance

Aww, this is a very cute new adult romance.

New kid Killian came to America for a redemption along with his diabetic sister, his only family. Already got bullied by his Rugby teammates, but he had to bear and grin it because this is his very last chance to get seen by scouts and go pro. Meanwhile, Rory, the sunshine of the coach's daughter, he knew better to be messing with. One unfortunate thing led to another, the two decided to strike a deal - like we've haven't heard that one before. He is to teach her how to flirt and land a guy, and she's to help him get 'in' with his teammates. It's all good and fine until someone gets jealous.

But after that though, he fell first, and mid point, he let himself be vulnerable and started to open up to Rory. She knew he was troubled, but didn't realized he has the world's weight on his shoulders, his grumpy/broody was not a chip on his shoulder as much as he has a lot riding on this, poor thing.

Then a scandal thru a giant monkey wrench, but good for him for owning it, and also realized over time, his teammates got his back. It's a good story. Thank you for not having a 3rd act.

Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette Audio for the ARC. Both narrators did a great job for this book with the various voices and emotions.

WOOOO, this was a fun time!

It very much gave me sports romance, but a bit off the beaten path in a good way! I loved the plot line that she’s constantly friendzoned and needs someone to help/show her how to flirt turned falling for each other. It was super fun and i was engaged with the plot and characters the entire time!

I really enjoyed our FMC, Cillian, and his overall demeanors! He was just so deeply misunderstood and a teddy bear waiting to be unboxed. I will say, I wished we got a bit more backstory / saw him in England at the beginning of the book. I think it would have overall showed even more character growth from him at the end.

The last 25% of the book was SO good, and had me going through EVERY emotion. I was swooning, kicking my feet, jaw on the ground, angry, sad and then first pumping the air! 😅

The narration was really well done, and kept me engaged from start to finish! I would definitely recommend the audiobook or immersive reading when you pick this one up!

The Vibes:
-Rugby Romance
-Forbidden Romance
-Coach’s daughter x Player
-Opposites Attract
-Teach Me How To Flirt

Oh I ate this book UP. I know when reading any Maren Moore book that I am going to leave completely satisfied. When she told me she was going to write a rugby romance?! Sign. Me. Up.

First, the narration was absolutely delicious. And listening to the British narrator made this book so much better. Now, the storyline and the tropes in this book are ones that o completely fein over. Friends with benefits, sports romance, coaches daughter, grumpy x sunshine.

Trust me when I say, everyone needs to listen to this audio. It did the book so much justice!!

Red Card is about a rugby player, Killian, who has to leave England after the death of his mother and his subsequent breakdown. Suddenly, he finds himself in a new country, at a new college, taking care of his sister who has diabetes, and pretending that everything is okay--until he meets Rory and he can't get over how great she is. Rory doesn't see it though--every guy she's ever pursued has put her in the friend zone--not surprising given that she has all male friends, her father is the school's rugby coach, and she knows more about rugby than most of the players do. Can Rory help Killian rehab his image and bond with the team and can Killian help Rory learn to attract a guy for real? What could go wrong with a little fake dating? I really enjoyed the dual POV and how it developed not only Rory and Killian's romance but the two of them as people. I thought the book was going to unfold in one direction (largely that someone had secretly been harboring feelings and got jealous when Killian and Rory started fake dating) but I appreciate that the book kept surprising me. Moore did a great job realistically portraying grief and the trauma Killian and his sister went through and how that continues to manifest in their lives. I really love romance books that aren't just about the romance but about the characters and what they learn about themselves and this book is a great example of that. Rory and Killian both learn to be vulnerable, to trust, and to share with each other. Their chemistry was strong and the book was very fun. I loved the positive vibes the team was able to develop and how it felt like Ted Lasso at times with the positive male friendships and distinct lack of toxic masculinity. This is a great read for you if you like sports romance, complex characters, romance, or a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you much to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of Red Card.

This was a quick and fun read. Sports romances are quickly becoming a favorite of mine to read. So a sports romance mixed with the “teach me how to flirt/date” trope was perfect. Let me tell you… the spice was spicing in this one. I also loved the found family aspect in this book. Definitely recommend it!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a wonderful job.

This was an easy listen. It’s your typical sports romance. A little forbidden aspect. And sure enough, spice. I think it was just lacking for me. I was so excited to read this one but I wasn’t completely invested in the story. I was mostly just reading cause I was driving and I wasn’t able to find a different book to listen to? This had so much potential and it just fell flat for me.
Thank you NetGalley and hachette audio for this alc

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
📖 Story Thoughts : I was debating my rating on this one. It was engaging, funny, and cute, but at times I felt the spice overshadowed the storyline. In the end, I went with the higher rating because I loved the found family aspect and the emotional depth the male character showed. If you are looking for a spicy sports romance, this one is for you!

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts:
Narrated by Matt Sykes; Stella Hunter • 9 hr, 37 min
I’m always down to listen to a guy with a British accent narrate a book to me. I have to admit I was blushing hard while listening to this one because it was much spicier than what I usually pick up. I enjoyed the dual narration, but when the guy voiced the girl and vice versa, it threw me off since the voices got so low and hard to understand. Overall, it was a fun and flirty listen that had me blushing more than once.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🏉Rugby college romance
👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻Forced proximity
🫶🏼Found family
☯️Good girl x bad boy
☀️Grumpy x sunshine
❤️Redemption arc
🌶️Spicy reads
🗣️Dual POV

🏉𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🏉
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: “𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃'𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓅𝒽𝓎𝓈𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁, 𝒞𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓃. 𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓈𝓉, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝓊𝓇𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓉𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒."

🙏Thank you @readforeverpub for this free book and @netgalley, and @hachetteaudio for this ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.💕

This was my first Rugby romance book, and I was here for it. Now learning all I can about the sport. This was such a fun take on a coaches daughter. And the FMC is soooo relateable. This is one sports romance that you dont want to miss out on! Matt Sykes and Stella Hunter do an amazing job bringing this story to life. They def left me wanting more! Thank you so much netaglley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!

The book was an emotional & steamy sports romance with the perfect balance of both! And the audiobook?!?!
The
narrators did a great job switching between accents (English male and American female). The whole aspect of flirting/ dating lessons was a lovely, tension filled approach to how they begin to fall for each other. The emotions between her feeling like 'just' one of the bros, and him never catching a break were so powerful. I was very pleased with how the conflict was dealt with in a found family/collaborative way.

Red Card is exactly the kind of college sports romance I eat up. Cillian is the broody, soft-hearted rugby player carrying the weight of a tragedy in his past. He starts out as Rory’s friend and then catches feelings he can’t shake. Rory is the coach’s daughter who’s always been “one of the guys,” which hasn’t exactly made dating easy. Cillian offers to help her out with dating advice while low key hating every guy she talks to. The slow burn here is so good.

The back and forth between them is funny, flirty, and full of tension, but the story also has a lot of emotion. Rory’s hilarious and so easy to relate to, and I loved watching her step into her confidence. Cillian might seem rough around the edges, but when it comes to Rory, he’s pure melt. The friendship they start with makes everything that follows feel more real, and yes, there’s spice, but there’s also plenty of heart.

I listened to the audiobook, and Stella Hunter and Matt Sykes were perfect casting. The dual narration made every scene pop, and Matt’s British accent for Cillian took the experience up a notch. You can feel every shift in emotion, which made the whole story even more addictive. I’m already counting down to the next book in this series, especially if we get a brother’s best friend romance next.

Thank you @authormarenmoore, @readforeverpub and @hachetteaudio for the #gifted ebook and audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am auto approved by Hachette and was looking for an audio book to listen to on a very heavy driving day when I stumbled across Red Card by Maren Moore. This was my first book by her and I can’t wait to go back and read more books by her as well as anxiously await her next book in the Prescott University Series.

Rory St. James has found herself always in the friend zone. Working so closely with the Rugby team that her dad coaches, she has lots of male friends. However, that is all they are. Friends. When she tries to flirt with other guys and show interest, she finds herself just rambling about Rugby.

📖When the Rugby team gets a new player from London, he has a hard time fitting in with the rest of the guys. Cillian Cairney is a beast on the pitch but lacks the social skills especially since dealing with his past trauma. But he needs to form positive relationships with his teammates and he needs to fast.

Then the perfect opportunity arises for Rory and Cillian to help each other out. He can help her learn how to flirt and date, and she can help him fit in with his teammates. What could go wrong?

📝This was a fun fast paced romance that had me smiling while driving. The narration was awesome even though I did struggle with the male’s impression of the female voice… but that seems to be something many male narrators struggle with. I really enjoyed this book and the growth that Cillian showed throughout it. The side characters were great as well and I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!

Read if you love
-Sports romance
-Witty banter
-British bad boys
-Spice
-Forbidden Romance
-Teaching how to date

This was a great college romance; it felt mature but realistic and I enjoyed getting to learn about rugby.

I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book! The writing was fantastic, the characters were believable, and the narration was spot-on. I'm not really a contemporary romance or sports romance reader but the premise included that it was for fans of the movie "She's the Man", which just happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time, so I was in. I'm so glad I decided to give it a try. Loved that were English had believable English accents, that they clearly used different voices for each of the characters, and breathed life into the story. I'm highly recommending this to my romance reader patrons!

Red Card by Maren Moore was everything! wanted out of this book and more. It hit so many of my favorite tropes from grumpy x sunshine, good girl x bad boy, no third-act breakup, rugby romance, and so many more. Each trope was delivered in such a heartfelt yet fun way. The relationship between Cillian and Rory felt natural. They both showed growth and fought for each other, it was the perfect balance of chemistry. banter, and tension. The audiobook narration made reading this book an even better experience. The duet style made it easier to connect to both characters. Both narrators were amazing, but the male narrators accent in particular made Cillian for me. If you love sports romances, grumpy sunshine dynamics, and audiobooks that completely pull you into the story, and sexy accents) Red Card is a must-listen/ must-read!
Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC!

This book was so good!!

It definitely felt a bit different from the other books ive read from Maren Moore but it was still so so great!

I really loved how soft this book felt. Nothing felt rushed or awkward. The way the characters so naturally gravitated towards each other and how easy it all felt was exactly what I needed from this book. I loved how give and take their relationship was. How he softened for her and how she fought with and for him. The pacing of it all was so so well done!

The audio was also so incredible! I loved the voices, Killians accent and Rorys sweet voice. I truly think the audiobook made the experience reading this so so elevated! The narrators really freaking nailed this one!

This was actually super cute and a fun, easy listen!

Cillian Cairney is the bad boy, troublemaker transfer from London. Rory St. James is the coach's daughter. Cillian needs help bonding with his new team and Rory needs to step up her flirting game. Kill and Rory come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. What they didn't expect was to fall for each other in the process.

-sports/college romance
-She's All That meets She's the Man
-rugby player + the coach's daughter
-hilarious banter
-fake relationship with

I thought the audiobook was so well done and I really enjoyed the narrator pair - Matt Sykes + Stella Hunter. Dual narration with a great performance.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the gifted listening copy!