Serenity Harper is working mutiple jobs to pay off her father's gambling debt. Serentiy gets her dream job as a professional cheerleader for Canyon Bay Mutineers football team. Serenity has to hide her double life from her new job and is not allowed to date any of the football players. Well luck would have it, Serenity meets Jake Walsh a professional player while she running some errands. Serenity does not know that jake is a football and Jake does not know that serenity is a cheerleader for his team. Serenity and Jake form a connection but must keep it a secret from their jobs.

This was such a fun read! I needed something fun and lighthearted to escape to and I was pleasantly surprised. It had all the elements of a good sports romance. Great characters, good chemistry, and a good amount of obstacles to get the HEA but so worth the wait! Highly enjoyed

Serenity Harper is struggling to keep her head above water and keep herself and her father alive. She's working 3 jobs, including at a strip club trying to pay off her dad's gambling debt. When she meets Jake when he pays for her groceries at the store, she just thinks he's a nice guy. Meanwhile, he's already swept away and wants to know more about her. There are a lot of challenges to them being together, and just when Jake thinks he's broken down all of Serenity's walls AND the barriers to them, there's one more thing. Can they learn to trust one another and find a way to be together, despite all of the factors that want to break them apart?

It took a little time for the whole story to unfold to Jake, and there were points it seemed to drag, but overall this is a cute story. I admire how he didn't take no for an answer, even though Serenity kept pushing him away. I think he knew she didn't mean no, but she just didn't see how they could work. I hope this book is a series and we get to learn more about the other teammates.

Off Limits had me in a chokehold from start to finish! I don’t usually read sports romances (it’s been years since my last one), but this book pulled me right out of a reading slump. The writing was exquisite, the pacing addictive, and I couldn’t put it down.

The story follows Serenity, an NFL cheerleader chasing her dream, only she’s bound by a contract that forbids her from interacting with players or bringing any disrepute to the team. Trouble is, she already has her eye on Jake, the cute new rookie, before realizing he plays for the very team she cheers for. On top of that, Serenity secretly works nights as a stripper, adding even more risk and tension to her double life.

Between forbidden romance, sizzling chemistry, and the rollercoaster of drama that unfolds as secrets come to light, this story had everything I could want. There were moments that had me literally squealing, closing the book to take a lap around my house from sheer nerves and excitement, before diving right back in because I had to know what happened next. Jake refuses to let rules or contracts keep them apart, and the twists kept me hooked until the very last page. I absolutely loved every second of !

I really enjoyed this novel. It was such a cute, fun and easy to follow read. The story was easy to follow and perfect for when you want to switch off from everything. I also loved the great mix of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.

This book was deliciously good!! I can't recommend it enough. I read it in one sitting and just couldn't put it down even though I had a million things that I needed to be doing! Serenity and Jake make a great couple and I loved the tension between them! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that loves a good romance. You don't have to love football but if you do, you will love this book even more! I can't wait to read more by Emma Rae in the future!

A warning to anyone diving into this spicy romance - there are some serious triggers to be mindful of, including:
- scenes at a private club
- full nudity stripping
- almost forced intimacy
- stalker-ish behaviour
- intimidation using texting
- threatening behaviour in person
- power tripping family (the Conway’s need a takedown!)

Besides the above, it’s incredible the journey the characters go on throughout this book, for Jake he learns how to be a man, and for Serenity overcoming her struggles to move forward so that they can be together.

Learning about the power imbalance between cheerleaders and the team was insane!

I love a good sports romance and this book was exactly it for me!! I really liked the MMC Jake and FMC Serenity, I’ve never read a book with a backstory like hers, and what she was doing and was going through really gripped me throughout!

The plot was informative yet intriguing and went at exactly the right pace for me. I liked that the side characters were always connected and involved too, especially Harmony and River!

As my first read by Emma Rae, this book has for sure made me want to pick up more of hers in the future!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC! Thoroughly enjoyed!

I enjoyed this sweet romance about overcoming the obstacles life has sent Serenity. Jake her athletic hero and her cheerleader friends go head to head with the women who fired Serenity from her dream job. The end showdown was epic with a sweet ending for the Main characters.

So this cover completely threw me off. This was a little bit darker than I anticipated and I have to say it was pretty good.

You have the FMC, serenity, she’s a cheerleader who moonlights as a private dancer to pay off her father’s gambling debts. Then there is the MMC, Jake, he’s in his first rookie year of the NFL takes one look at Serenity and is in “insta-love.” There was definitely some darker elements once you find out that the FMC is doing these private dances under coercion. I think the most ridiculous part overall was the clause where the cheerleaders aren’t able to fraternize with the players whatsoever which is what makes it “forbidden.”

Overall this book was way more emotional than what I originally thought.

Thanks to Netgalley & Emma Rae for giving me this ARC in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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

oh my this book should definitely not be off any readers limits. it might make you heart beat fizz out of it limits though. this book was a brilliant book. its had all you need from the tension, the push and pull. the chemistry and the heart. these book always need the heart to work. and this one captured the real life issues and people whilst also giving us a little escapist read too.
this book brings us to Serenity who is just trying to keep her head above water. oh and her dads of course. but shes struggling. shes doing all the jobs she can manage at a strip club but it sometimes feels like it not making a dent.
at the market she meets Jake who appears kind, nice and she cant help but feel something.
from his point of view hes already somehow smitten.
these two are clearly made for each other. but they both have their walls to climb over particularly Serenity. there feels like far more for her to fall with if anything were to go wrong. and she doesn't want to be hurt again. she couldn't actually bear it on top of everything else.
does there feel too much trying to keep them apart? how much bravery and hurdles should one couple face? but then love? what if this is love?
i actually appreciated Jake and his persistence. it was pushy or controlling. it didn't seem like it was a inconsiderate. he wanted to be with her and he also wanted her to choose her. and he kept going every time she pushed him away. that takes something special. because hurt people always pushed others away. and its takes someone breaking through that to make the person finally feel the most cherished and then it completely turns their world around. when someone pushes passed your fear like Jake did for Serenity it made all the difference.
there is a few more things that might be against this pair. not least the rules around players and cheerleaders.
i was so worried for this pair. and that shows how much i cared for them. and that shows how brilliant a book is for me. when you are nervous of whether these two can get it together! i almost wanted to peek ahead or not finish at all haha. what if they didn't make it work?
but im so glad i got the chance to read this book. what a brilliant time i had.

I do enjoy a sports romance but this book was so much more . It wasn’t just a romance story or 2 people desperate to be together but it has so many great moments and when Serenity came to light and all her struggles and how she was trying to cope alone hit the feels. She was doing it all and when Jake came on the scene it seems like it would never work how when she had so many obstacles in the way. But one by one Jake broke them down with the help of teammates & cheerleaders . It was truly a great story and I enjoyed the background elements and how they overcame each problem . Brilliant story kept me on the edge of my seat til the end. How there love for each other was greater than anything. High praise for this book!

Fabulously spicy American football romance with a huge heart. When Serenity makes the Canyon Mutineers Cheerleaders squad she has to sign to say she won't bring the squad into disrepute or fraternise with the footballers. Trouble is she's already unknowingly swapped numbers with the team's hottest new recruit Jake, and she lives in fear that her late night stripper job she's forced to do to pay off her sick father's debts will be found out. Can love touch down for Jake and Ren, or will her dancing dream get the red card? Rae keeps the pages turning and includes a great cast of supporting characters. My favourite is Jake's sister River.

🏈✨ ARC Review: Off Limits by Emma Rae ✨🏈
Pub Date: Nov 6, 2025

She’s the cheerleader. He’s the star player.
And they’re absolutely not supposed to fall in love.

When Serenity Harper lands her dream job as a Canyon Bay cheerleader, she swears to keep her double life under wraps. No one can know that her nights are spent dancing to pay off her father’s debt. But then she meets Jake Walsh, football’s golden boy with a heart of gold and everything gets a whole lot more complicated.

Their chemistry? Instant.
Their connection? Undeniable.
Their relationship? Totally forbidden.

💋 Forbidden love
💋 Secret relationship
💋 Sports romance
💋 Golden boy x girl with secrets
💋 Swoon-worthy notes + slow-burn steam

Jake and Serenity’s story is full of stolen glances, secret notes, and tension that burns hotter than Friday night lights. Fans of Tessa Bailey’s banter and Ali Hazelwood’s heart will eat this up. The ending was sweet, satisfying, and gave me that perfect HEA sigh.

Thank you @Sourcebooks & @EmmaRaefor the early copy, I couldn’t stop reading this one! 💞

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