The Interception by M.J. Padgett: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

When the opportunity of a lifetime knocks on your door, you probably shouldn’t slam it in his face.

Chef Layne Rossi is determined to prove her personal twist on popular foods can build a successful restaurant. She only needs to convince investors to take a chance on her. But with each failed attempt to impress, her dream of becoming a popular chef loses a bit of its sparkle.

When Layne enters a cook-off in Charleston, she doesn’t hold out much hope that it will be her big break. After all, she is going against six-time champion, Ender Langley.

The Charleston Timberwolves running back Ender Langley is in deep trouble. Between practice, games, and helping his widowed sister and her daughter, he doesn’t have enough time for sleep, let alone the cook-off. But winning again means providing a home for his sister and niece, so he pushes through the exhaustion.

He doesn’t anticipate his partner attempting to murder him with seafood. Then again, he also doesn’t mean to get her tackled by a linebacker. And he definitely doesn’t mean to kidnap her.

The Interception is a sweet, meet disaster, “rivals” to lovers romance with light faith elements and a side of comedy!

The Author

M. J. Padgett is first and foremost a mom. Her free-spirited daughter has quite a vivid imagination, and her antics sometimes find their way into her mommy’s work. She is a lover of all things chocolate, a Grimm and Dickens addict, a self-proclaimed smarty-pants, and an introvert to the core.

Writing is her true passion (after raising her daughter, of course), and she writes as often as possible. One of her favorite things about writing is creating a world where people can escape reality for a little while, maybe even walk away feeling hopeful about the real world around them. When it comes to reading, she loves a book that can make her forget where she is no matter the genre. If she can get lost and feel like the characters are her real friends, she’s a happy reader.

Book Review

M.J. Padgett has quickly become a must-read author for me... and with stories like this, is it any surprise why? She always does such a great job of creating characters that draw me in and blending romance that will have me swooning with elements of faith that feel very natural within the story/characters' lives. And I love it all. Layna and Ender didn't get off the best start, to say the least. As competitors in a cooking competition, they both have good reason to need the prize money-- her to open her own restaurant and him to help out his sister. But this rivalry between them doesn't last too long once they're paired up as a team and forced to get to know each other. The chemistry between them was evident right from the start. I loved how they kind of became a safe place for each other, and just really made a fantastic team... both in their competition and personally. It was the perfect blend of moments that made me smile and those that brought more emotion, and I loved it. If you're a fan of sports romance and cooking competitions, this will certainly be a must read. 

The Interception is a faith-filled closed-door romance with kisses only and no language. This is the second book in the Southern Sports Sweethearts series. While those who have read the first book will see some familiar characters make an appearance, I do believe this one could be enjoyed just fine as a standalone as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/415Wn0I