Quarterback Sneak, the third installment in the new adult sports romance series, Red Zone Rivals. This installment delivered a spicy, emotional forbidden romance between the coach’s daughter, Julep Lee and the starting Quarterback and captain of the team, Holden Moore.
Quarterback Holden Moore can have any girl he wants. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Quarterback Sneak
Author(s): Kandi Steiner
Series: Red Zone Rivals #3
Also in this series: Fair Catch, Blind Side, Hail Mary
Published by Self-published on October 19, 2022
Pages: 304
Genre(s): Contemporary Sports Romance, New Adult
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Format: eBook 
Purchase: Amazon
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Except me: the coach’s daughter.
With piercing green eyes, herculean biceps, and irresistible dimples, Holden is the number one target for every girl on campus. But according to his teammates, football is the only love of his life.
He’s their leader, their QB1 and team captain who is all business and no play.
But when I’m with him? Mr. Serious isn’t serious at all. He loves to push my buttons, to pin me with those sexy eyes of his and tease me until I bite back.
I remind him I’m off limits.He can’t have me, and I don’t want him — or anyone else, for that matter.
I’m here for one reason: to show my father I'm more than his greatest disappointment.
But when an old injury flares up and I’m forced to work with Holden every day as his athletic trainer, his attempts to get under my skin start becoming harder to resist.
We can’t give in, no matter how much the air crackles between us when we’re close.
I’m the coach’s daughter, and if Holden Moore wants to go pro, he’s got to play by daddy’s rules.
Otherwise, he’ll be off the team.And he’s not the only one with something to lose.
Holden Moore’s love of football and dreams of playing in the NFL, leaves him no time for a committed relationship. This is his final year of college and with the team being assigned a new coach, the pressure to prove himself increased exponentially. However, when he laid eyes on Julep Lee, the new coach’s daughter his plans to avoid a committed relationship changed. The daughter whom by her father’s proclamation was off limits to the members of the football team.
Julep came to North Boston University to complete her degree in sports medicine and work alongside her dad. Her focus is to prove to her father that she was no longer self destructive. She needs to keep her head down, focus on her grades and avoid intimate connections with any of the players. However, her attraction to Holden doesn’t make it easy. A situation made worse when her father assigned her to assist Holden with his recovery, after he got injured. Will they be able to heed the off limits rule or will they succumb to their burning desire for each other?
In Quarterback Sneak, Steiner delivered a delicious, steamy, emotional and forbidden romance. The mystery surrounding Holden in the previous books made me eager for his story. Coming into the story, I knew of his leadership qualities, reliability, and his passion for football. Quarterback Sneak revealed the heartbreaking truth behind what fuelled his passion for the sport. Football provided the source to deal with pain resulting from a tragic loss in his past.
Julep also had her share of heartbreak. However, her method of numbing the pain took her down a path of self destruction. Although back on track, the pain still lurks, threatening to derail her efforts. She attempts to mask the pain and tries not to feel.
Holden and Julep were both wonderful and relatable characters. The chemistry between them was off the charts. It was quite clear they were made for each and not just because of their sexual chemistry. They shared an emotional bond. Their similar experiences bonded them together. They brought out the fun side in each other and they helped each other to heal. I loved how they gained strength from each other.
Now, while I understood Julep’s father’s need to protect her, I didn’t appreciate the highhanded manner in which he went about it. Threatening to derail Holden’s prospects to play in the NFL was below the belt, in my opinion. Holden, however, proved to him he was worthy of his daughter, which led to the eating to a slice or two of humble pie.
In this installment, Steiner explored the impact the loss of a loved one has on individuals. Each person grieves in their own way. For some people, grief takes them down a destructive path and while others channel it into creating better versions of themselves while honoring those they lost.
Overall, Quarterback Sneak delivered a wonderful story which shows that love is worth fighting for.
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About Kandi Steiner
Kandi Steiner is an Amazon Top 5 bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal. An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs. When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, playing with her fur babies and soaking up the sweetness of life.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Sounds like this series continues to offer fab characters and situations.
I love when you are able to relate to the characters.
Great review for this Nadene, this author does solid work!
Nice review, Nadene! Thanks for Sharing!
This sounds like fun! I love that name Julep too.
I tend to like books that deal with grief and I like sports romances. This sounds like one that I would definitely enjoy.