This was a beautiful and emotional story. I loved how Jazz and Mer had so much to work through and I'm so happy they did! This is a second chance romance story done right, and it keeps you hooked from beginning to end!

I just finished reading "The Trade" by Kata Čuić, the second book in the Underdogs series, and I'm still reeling from the emotional rollercoaster that I experienced. This second chance romance between Jezebel and Merrick is a masterclass in slow-burn tension, angsty drama, and steamy chemistry.

The story picks up three years after Jezebel's abrupt departure from Merrick's life, and Merrick is determined to uncover the truth behind her sudden departure. His persistence pays off, and he finally gets his answers, but the revelation is nothing short of heart-wrenching. Jezebel's secrets and insecurities are expertly woven throughout the narrative, making it impossible not to feel for her as she navigates the complexities of her past.

Merrick's growth as a character is also noteworthy, as he struggles to come to terms with his own role in their past and the consequences of his actions. The push-pull between them is palpable, and their interactions are often electrifying.

While the book did drag on at times, I was thoroughly invested in the characters' journey. The supporting cast adds depth to the story, particularly Merrick's grandparents, who provide some much-needed comic relief. However, the main villain's continued presence felt like a recycled plot thread from the first book, which slightly detracted from my overall enjoyment.

Overall, "The Trade" is a gripping and emotional read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. If you're a fan of second-chance romances, sports romances, or simply great storytelling, this book is definitely worth your time.

I received an advance review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Easy to read, and fun characters but a lot of reactions weren't realistic and Jezebel annoyed me a bit. Also, for the plot twist of why she broke up with MMC, I was expecting more and it was a bit of a let down with how much it was built up.

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
FMC: Jezebel – while working multiple jobs to afford the apartment her best friend moved out of, she gets an unexpected roommate- her ex-boyfriend and NFL wide receiver Merrick. After a fairly public breakup and not seeing him for years, they’re not being forced together in work, life, and love.
MMC: Merrick – after a blindsiding breakup from his college sweetheart, Merrick stayed his NFL course and continued toward his dream… but he never forgot about Jezebel. Once he gets the opportunity to move close to her again, he doesn’t miss the chance and will do anything in his power to get her back. Even if she’s just fake dating him due to blackmail and she has no idea that he’s her online pen pal.
POV: 1st person, dual POV
HEA: eh, technically but ends on a kind of cliffhanger for their friend group
spice: a couple open-door spicy scenes
TWs: adoption, parental abandonment, miscarriage, blackmail, cheating (not between MCs), sexism, mild SA
standalone: book 2 in The Underdogs series. Interconnected standalones. I was able to read this book without having read the first and had minimal problems understanding
final thoughts: I struggled through this one to be honest. The character introductions were so awkward and unnecessary. I don’t need to know the bathroom habits of my book characters LOL the drama/angst in this book was off the charts, but I felt like there were way too many outside forces instead of focusing on the MCs and their story. There were too many plot holes for me to love this story and want to continue the series, but I enjoyed it enough to give it a 3⭐ since it was easy to read and had some good tropes.

read this book if you love

🤐 miscommunication
😬 angst
🌀 plot twists
🏝️ forced proximity (same living arrangements)
💏 fake dating
2️⃣ 2nd chance romance
🤜 friends-to-rivals?-to-lovers
🛏️ one bed
🏫 college sweethearts
🏈 football romance
😷 secret identity
🤫 hidden truth

I wish I didn't have to say this but I didn't finish this book. I tried to pick it up several times, to carry on but I just couldn't finish it.

It felt like the plot was falling apart due to the turmoil of scheming, all the characters. I wish this focused on Jezebel and Merrick instead of some sort of confusing celebrity villain scheming. It could have been good but this just wasn't it for me. The book started out well, I liked the characters but it became too much very quickly. Sometimes less is more.

I wanted to like this book when I put in for it but I just felt that there was something off with the story. Maybe it was me but I really just could not get into it.

Second standalone book in the Underdog series, this is a second chance/fake dating between Jezebel (Jazz) and Merrick who is an NHL wide receiver. The two used to date in college until Jazz broke it off abruptly and badmouthed Merrick all over campus, now three years later they're forced together to save their friends from further heartbreak. However it isn't entirely clear what the friends are being protected from - this is never really clarified in the story.

Merrick sees this as a second chance to prove to Jazz that he is the man for her and he would do anything for her. Eventually he is able to find out (through a fake profile on a language app) the reason why Jazz walked away like she did - to protect him.

While I did enjoy the overall story I felt that it was difficult to follow and a lot of the ideas weren't clearly thought out or explained. There were times when so much seems to have happened between different characters without it having been covered in the story and I was left flicking back and forth between pages and chapters to figure out what I had missed. Only to find out, that part wasn't actually covered in the book.

I didn't read the first book in the series but I read enough about the main characters from that story in this one that I really don't need to go back and finish it. I also don't need to read the next one in the series as the two main characters in that one were well covered in this one - it's obvious what is going to happen and I don't need the rambling storytelling in between.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Note: Amazon review pending.

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to Netgalley.

General Thoughts: This is an interconnected standalone and the first I've read by this author and in the series. You can definitely read out of order, but I would definitely recommend reading in order if you think you're interested in the series.

This was an enjoyable, cute, fun read that hit on so many fun tropes: one bed, closed proximity, second chance, fake dating, hidden identities, roommates to more, and sports romance. The supporting cast was fun and interesting. The two main characters were also intriguing. I also felt it didn't have a forced "conflict" either, which is always a bonus in my book.

This is set during the off-season, so it's a romance with a dash of football. If you like sports romance or second chance romance, give this one a go.

First I read by author, but it won't be the last.

Steam Meter: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥.5 Not the most graphic or frequent steam but definitely there. 18+.

Romantic Tropes
-interconnected standalone
-dual POV
-sports (football romance)
-fake dating
-one bed
-hidden identities
-second chance
-roommates to more

You can read more of my reviews at mylastromance.com. You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

A steamy, exciting, page turning story that just doesn't stop. Loved the drama that Kata created between the characters. I felt like was in the room while things were happening.

I started reading this, and normally I am interested in sports romances, but by the end of the first few chapters, I could have written the novel myself. Overall, I found it rather fomulaic and to close to the trope.

This book unfortunately did not work for me- I felt like the plot was complicated in a way that ultimately made the action feel choppy and hard to follow and it was hard to get on board and want to root for the characters. I also felt like the way all of the different subplots came together and were resolved was very unsatisfying and didn’t feel in line with how the characters acted up until this point.

Although on the whole, much of this book didn’t work for me, I did enjoy aspects of both Merrick and Jazz as characters - I thought the past miscommunication was actually well integrated into trust issues in the present day. I appreciated that the second chance was rooted in something that felt meaningful and deep.

I would consider reading from this author again in the future!

DNF after chapter 4.... Would have loved to have a different introduction of Merrick and not him on the toilet for two hours... idk i just couldn't read it after that. (but huge thanks to the publisher for letting me read)

The second chance pretext for The Trade was a good one, given the way the relationship between Merrick and Jezebel ended. There was enough angst and enough time passed, without the couple being able to resolve their issues. What was clear from early on in the book was that both these people still loved one another. That was the biggest positive in this whole book - and I have to say, sadly there weren't many.

TBH that would have been enough, with perhaps a little padding to the storyline and a little tension or threat of a third act break up. That story would have been good.

Instead we got a really confusing, drawn out storyline with so many characters it made my head hurt. I get the needing to elaborate on the Brook/QB1 story for people reading this as a standalone and not having read the first book as I didn't but it was all too much. THAT much information wasn't really necessary or could have been dealt with much more succinctly.

We had villains, other people's shitty marriages, some TV show that we never see much of and then never find out exactly what happened, an online fake persona, two jobs, bosses, grandparents (though I have to say they were actually adorable), club going, very little football, and all these storylines going every which way. It made the book far too long and seemed like there was some indecision about what storyline was going to get plucked out as the strongest to proceed with. Pared down and focusing on the romance, and the challenge to the romance (even with just the villain and that story not all the other stuff) would have been plenty. The loving and steam got a little lost in all the details as a result.

Unfortunately I skimmed some of this particularly where there was so much dialogue wanting it to be done and nearly didn't finish it. Definitely a case of too much telling and not enough showing.

I'm really at a loss with this book and am disappointed for what this book could have been.

I liked the second chance element of the story and the two main characters.

However, I found the story didn’t always make sense. It also a bit tricky to follow why the characters did what they did. It seemed to be to be quite easy to resolve yet there was quite a bit of drama. There were a lot of characters which if I’d understood the characters better I think would work.

This was a great story filled with heartbreak and love that was meant to be. You will laugh at the funny parts, cry at the heartbreaking moment the secret is revealed, and most of all you will be rooting for them to make it through everything. Merrick is willing to do just about anything to get the one who was his from they met at a party in college. Will Jazz be able to open up hear heart after 3 years have gone past?

The Trade is an emotionally charged second chance romance that is destined to give your heartstrings a work-out, these two have a past that is destined to wreak havoc on their lives and our hearts. I loved this, couldn’t put this down; I loved this pairing, their story packed an powerful emotional punch and their undeniable chemistry kept things steamy. There is some intrigue and suspense as the story progresses which helps you to understand why some things happened, I found that amazing! If you enjoy second chance romance with some intrigue and angst you’ll love this

Really enjoyed this book! Well written, great characters, and phenomenal spicy scenes. Absolutely can't wait for the next book in the series!

A second chance, fake romance with a little bit of steam. I rate the story 3/5 and the steam 2/5, it was the perfect amount thrown in to keep the story moving along without it overtaking the plot. Merrick and Jezebel were beautiful characters overcoming emotion and healing their relationship together.

I loved to see pregnancy loss represented in this book. I hope more authors follow suit as I think it needs to be included more in contemporary romances. Many times, as we saw in the book, miscarriage can be so isolating and the emotions can be incredibly confusing. Hopefully, this will allow people to feel represented in their experience.

ARC received via Netgally in exchange for an honest review

I am always on the hunt for a new to me author and this book sounded cute. However the plot quickly became convoluted with scheming villains, secrets on top of secrets, and Serbian grand parents. None of the major drama made sense to me. It all seemed so easily dealt with by having a few key conversations but everything kept dragging on and taking the focus off of the relationship we were supposed to care about. Not for me.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

that's it I give up. I made it all the way to chapter 4 I didn't even know how. 2 chapters in and this man has diarrhea???? and so many pages go on to mention his bowels his a** his poop the smell the flushing like omg MAKE IT STOP. I seriously wondered if the author was scattophile because WHY on God's green earth would you give the reader as the first image of the love interest, him shi**ing his brains out in full details??????? unwelcomed and unnecessary. quite rude actually to make anyone read this. how are we supposed to see him as hot and sexy when you paint him as stinky and poopy?? those things should never be mentioned in a romance story in my humble and unsolicited opinion.

I read another chapter after that just to see if it got better but it doesn't, it felt like a promotion of the previous book by mentioning the first couple's love story again and again, and the first plot drama/tension introduced super early and out of nowhere. I can't do it I'm sorry I'm out