Best Friends Backups & Something More by Ranee S. Clark: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

A sweet sports romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility.

If “best friends at first sight” were really a thing, Eli Dash would say that’s how his friendship with the new private school teacher, Court Edwards, began. She’s the only person who understands his determination to prove himself as the new L.A. Rays quarterback. She, and nobody else, completely relates to his drive to make everyone forget about last year’s disastrous season with his old team.

She’s also stolen his heart and run off with it, faster than any running back he’s ever met.

The problem is, she’s secretly dating another teacher who also happens to be her department head. She’s completely clueless about Eli’s feelings and seems content to keep him in the friend zone forever. For those reasons alone, Eli should take a sideline bench. Speaking up may risk their friendship, and then he could lose her altogether.

But Eli Dash isn’t the sidelines type. It’s the most critical season of his life, and he refuses to let others call the shots this time—not with their happily-ever-after barely within reach.

Can the new QB take them from friend zone to the end zone? Or is it game over for them both?

In a house overrun by boys, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Raneé loves football and enjoys watching (and playing!) other sports as well, like basketball and baseball. When she’s not chauffeuring three busy boys to various activities (and sometimes while she is!), Raneé is either writing, reading (usually romance), obsessing over clothes in the form of her online boutique, or figuring out how to get a Crumbl cookie in rural Wyoming. When her real-life love interest can drag her away from imaginary worlds, she doesn’t mind spending some time with him in the great outdoors that he loves.

Find out more about Raneé at www.raneesclark.com

Oh, what a sweet story this was! 

Eli and Court were just the cutest together... both as friends and as more. Unlike many stories using the best friends to more trope where there is a LONG history of friendship behind them, that's not the case in this story. In fact, Eli and Court had only actually been friends for a few months. Still, both being new in town they'd connected instantly and became best friends instantly... even if his feeling for her were always a little more than friendly!  While I enjoyed both of these characters very much, I must say Eli definitely won me over the most. I loved how he looked after his younger sister and how great of a friend he was to Court... but it was definitely his 'kind words' list that endeared me to him most! 

This was a very quick read, but it didn't feel rushed and left me smiling throughout. There were also several great side characters introduced that I truly hope to see more of later in the series! 

Best Friends, Backups & Something More is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.