Second Down and Second Chances by Leah Dobrinska: Book Review

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

The Book

Three months. Two enemies. Under one roof. Everything could go wrong. But what if they’ve stumbled into something right?

Lawrence Poe, tight end for the Green Bay River Foxes, is a type-A control freak who functions best when his house is clean, his spreadsheets are updated, and his protein shakes are precisely measured. Adding a four-year-old to his structured schedule isn’t going to be easy, but his sister needs him to watch his niece, and he always shows up for his family. Still, with training camp and other football commitments, Lawrence can’t watch Ana alone. Enter Beni Fitzgerald—his sister’s best friend and Ana’s Godmother—a woman who threatens every aspect of his controlled, orderly life.

An artistic free spirit, Beni Fitzgerald is a type-B dreamer who lives by the mantra all will be well. No, she wouldn’t choose to spend the summer living with a man who is her polar opposite, but she’ll do anything for her Goddaughter, even if that puts her directly in the path of Lawrence Poe. Beni has always yearned for a place to belong, and Lawrence made it clear it’s not with him after he gave her the best kiss of her life five years ago only to pull away and call it all a mistake.

But their forced proximity requires compromise, and as the duo grows in understanding and trust, both Lawrence and Beni realize this could be a summer of second chances.

Second Down and Second Chances is a snappy and sizzling closed door romance with kissing only and no implied intimacy, perfect for fans of the opposites attract and enemies to more tropes. This is the second book in the River Foxes Football Romance series. All titles can be read as standalones.

The Author

Leah Dobrinska is the author of the Songwriter Sleuth Mysteries, the Larkspur Library Mysteries, the Fall In Love romcom series, and the Mapleton novels. She earned her degree in English Literature from UW-Madison where she was awarded the Dean’s Prize and served as a Writing Fellow. She has since worked as a freelance writer, editor, and content marketer. As a kid, she hoped to grow up to be either Nancy Drew or Elizabeth Bennet. Now, she fulfills that dream by writing mysteries and love stories.

A sucker for a good sentence, a happy ending, and the smell of books—both old and new—Leah lives out her very own happily ever after in a small Wisconsin town with her husband and their gaggle of kids. When she's not writing, handing out snacks, visiting the local library, or doing projects around the house, Leah enjoys reading and running. Find out more about Leah, join her newsletter community, and connect with her through her website.

Book Review

Oh my goodness, this book! Sports romance. Grumpy/sunshine. Second chances. Best friend's older brother. An early first kiss. Honestly, it's like Leah took so many of my favorites and put them together in this story... and what a good story it was! Right from the start, the chemistry between Lawrence and Beni was flying off the pages. That first kiss, my goodness! I couldn't help but love these two... and then, that romantic fire took a turn and suddenly we're in an enemies to more situation... and I was truly here for it all. As a perfectionist control-freak, I have to say I related to Law entirely more than I would like to admit. He definitely could come across as more of an uptight grump, but there was reason behind it... and so much more to him beyond that! I loved how these two not only balanced each other out well, but also fully accepted those very different parts of their individual personalities. Leah Bobrinska never fails to deliver stories that I love, and this one was no exception. And with the intro to the next story... oh, I absolutely cannot wait! 

Second Down and Second Chances is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language. It is the second book in the River Foxes Football Romance series, but I do think it could be enjoyed as a standalone as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Td2L5K