Sacked (Gridiron #1) by Jen Frederick
Publication Date: September 6th 2015
Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Sport – American Football
Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Goodreads Summary
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.

As you can see my obsession with these sports contemporary romance has not waned. Now, I’m no expert in American Football but Sacked has sure turned me into a fan of the sport. The book focuses on the developing relationship between Knox Masters, the Warriors’ quarterback, and Ellie Campbell, a devoted sister and a woman that has no intention of getting romantically involved with a football player. Naturally her plans fall apart because following a chance meeting, Knox is convinced Ellie is the one for him and makes it his mission to make her see that they are meant to be. 

Let’s start by saying that the romance was everything I hoped it would be. It was steamy as hell but also very sweet and tender. Knox’s determination and devotion to Ellie was beautiful and it was so refreshing to read about a male virgin. I was nervous about how this was going to be explored but I was satisfied with the result. There’s no deep reason as to why he’s a virgin, it’s simply a matter of Knox being a guy who focused more on football instead of a random hookup. Knox is also very confident in his masculinity but doesn’t let it define him. Basically Knox Masters is my kind of guy and the faith he showed in his relationship with Ellie and his passion for Football made me love him even more. 

Ellie was equally as charming and while her standoffish approach to Knox was frustrating at times I could understand why she did it. Ellie’s already been burned by a football player once and it was her brother and Knox’s teammate, Jack, that felt the consequences of that split. Which brings me to my other favourite relationship in the book. I love a good sibling dynamic and the relationship between Jack and Ellie was wonderful. I love how supportive she was of him. Their parents have never been a great presence in their lives so they learnt from a young age to rely on each other. Some of the tension in the book stems from this family dynamic but I loved the way it was executed and how it highlighted just how loyal Ellie is to her brother.

I also loved the dynamic between Knox and his teammates. Seriously I think the camaraderie between these sport teams is the main reason I keep crawling back to these books. The banter between them is hilarious, especially with regard to how Knox should go about wooing Ellie. They’re hilarious but also very focused and dedicated to the game. More than that they have each others backs, no matter what. It’s that friendship that gets to me every time.

Overall this is a fun and sexy read and is very, very low on the angst. Ellie and Knox will have you smiling from beginning to end. If you enjoy sports contemporary romances, Sacked, is just the book for you.