Sacked (Gridiron, #1) by Jen Frederick Series: Gridiron #1
Published by Self-Published on September 4th 2015
Pages: 396
Amazon
What he wants he gets...
Knox Masters is a quarterback's worst nightmare. Warrior. Champion. And...virgin. Knox knows what he wants--and he gets it. All American Football player? Check. NFL pros scouting him? Check. Now, he's set his sight on two things. The national title. And Ellie Campbell. Sure, she's the sister of his fellow teammate, but that's not going to stop him. Especially not when he’s convinced Ellie is the one.
...but he's never met her before.
But Ellie isn't as sure. She's trying to start a new life and she's not interested in a relationship...with anyone. Beside it's not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother's teammates that keeps her away, but Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing.
Knox has no intention of losing. Ellie has no intention of giving in.
The Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy and the Game On series by Kristen Callihan are probably the two most popular series in the college sports romance sub-genre. Jen Frederick makes no secret that their work was the inspiration for Sacked, and in many regards it’s a successful homage.
In a fresh take on the desirable 20-something virgin saving herself until she finds “the one” theme, this time it’s a guy—an All American defensive tight end. Once Knox Masters decides Ellie Campbell is the one he’s been waiting for, he relentlessly pursues her. Ellie doesn’t date football players however, and especially not members of her brother’s team. Of course we know it’s only a matter of time before Knox wears down her defenses.
Unfortunately, Sacked falls into the dreaded insta-love trap. After talking with Ellie for five minutes, Knox is 100% sure he wants to spend his life with her. It’s eye roll worthy, and it’s a huge pet peeve of mine. It’s football season though, and I was in the mood for a little feel-good sports themed college romance, so I decided to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the journey.
The plot is actually very engaging, and not quite as predictable as I assumed. The characters are well-developed, and the chemistry between Ellie and Knox is fantastic. However, Knox comes across as weak at times by unnecessarily apologizing to Ellie frequently.
I loved all the supporting characters. There are some hilarious players on the Warriors team, and I can see a lot of potential for extending the series.
The ending is a bit abrupt, and I think the epilogue is more silly than satisfying. Overall, however, Sacked is a highly enjoyable new adult football fantasy.
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