'She was the yin to my yang. The chaos to my order.' 

A sapphic workplace romance? SIGN ME UP!📝

I absolutely loved being swept away into this gloriously gorgeous tale... 

The banter, flirtation and chemistry is unmatched! 
There are so many 'will they, won't they?' and 'we're doing this, but shouldn't be' moments throughout the story. 

While this is a sizzling slow burn, the connection and chemistry between Khadijah and Shea is undeniable from the outset. 
The tension is palpable, the story is packed with passion and copious amounts of spice - I'm so here for it! There is a sweetness and tenderness to the two of them together, which is just adorable. 

Dijah is a prime example of how we, as women, can be in our heads too much. So much so, that we unintentionally put up barriers that inadvertently prevent our happiness. 

Shae's influence softens Dijah and it's beautiful to see her very gradually let her guard down and let Shae in. 
As well as bringing a new found happiness to Shae's life, Dijah provides her with stability and acts as an anchor for her. 

This book is home to an amazing cast of supporting characters.
With humour, sarcasm and sage advice, they each play a pivotal role in Dijah and Shae pursuing their happiness. 

As for the sport aspect of this delicious romance... I know there is a ball that goes in the net. That is both the beginning and end of my knowledge! 😂

I'm so excited that this is the first in a series of upcoming books. I can't wait to delve in further! 💘✨

This book was not only fast paced, but the chemistry between the characters was unreal and had me hooked.

There were so parts that could've been adapted more as I was unsure on the time period of their relationship. However, the way Dijah was written and how she wanted work to be priority stuck with me. The overall book focused on both characters in their own ways and how you can compromise.

Lets be real.. it was never going to just be one night.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I this being a sports romance, which is a genre that I don't often read nor enjoy as much, nut I highly recommend this sapphic romance.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

when Khadijah Upton went out with her sister it wasnt to have a one night stand but thats what happened.. what she wasnt expecting was for that one night stand to turn up and her new job...

things were going to get awkward and shae wasnt making it any easier with that winning smile always being sent her way...

a fun read that at times made you really frustrated with how khadijah treated shae with her lists and goals...

but really enjoyed this book so will be keeping an eye out for more from this author

Love and Sportsball is a steamy, dual POV sapphic workplace sports romance featuring a Black professional basketball star, Khadijah, and her trainer, Shae. After an intense one-night stand, the two soon discover they will be working closely together. While Khadijah isn’t looking for a relationship, Shae, ever the determined player, sees this as a challenge she’s not ready to walk away from. The story combines sizzling chemistry with the complexities of balancing personal desires and professional boundaries.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Firstly, I would like to give praise to the artist who created the front cover. The artwork is beautiful.

I was excited to receive this as an ARC for an honest review.

Khadijah starts her new job, which she hopes will lead to bigger career plans with the basketball team 'The Cannons', but she gets a surprise on her first day. Shae is the captain of
'The Cannons' and shares the surprise but in a more happy way. (Trying not to give spoliers)

I enjoyed this sapphic sports romance. It was an easy read and had some funny lines and lovable characters.

I enjoyed the writing style of the author as I felt it was the right representation of black women and the way we speak, but it also showcased different sides that aren't always shown.

Shae was the fun-loving go with the flow character, yet at the end of the book you saw her vulnerable side.

There were some steamy scenes, but I did feel some of the language was repetitive.

Overall, I would recommend this book to romance lovers, especially if you also have a love for sport romance.

3.25 stars

*eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

this book was a fun post-Olympics read with a good setting and team of side characters, and it's so great to read sapphic romances with two Black MCs. i found the writing style very straightforward though, and the two POVs weren't particularly distinct. i was happy with the ending but found the continual "will-they-won't-they" a bit boring by the end.

So, I just finished Love and Sportsball by Meka James, and I have a few thoughts. First off, if you're looking for some serious spice, this book absolutely delivers. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, and I was a thousand percent there for all of those steamy moments.

That said, I felt like the book leaned a little too much on "telling" rather than "showing," which made it hard to fully dive into the story. There was a lot of pining, which is fine, but when it's practically the only thing happening, it can feel a bit repetitive. I also wished there was more going on outside of the main relationship. The other characters felt a bit two-dimensional, and I would have loved to see them fleshed out more.

Considering this is a sports romance, I was hoping to feel more immersed in the sports aspect itself. Instead, it sometimes felt like the sports scenes were just there to give the characters an excuse to get close and touch each other. Don't get me wrong, I’m all for those moments, but I also want the sports to feel like an integral part of the story.

Lastly, there's a character in this book who seriously needs therapy, and while that added an interesting layer, it was a bit frustrating to watch them struggle without really addressing it.

Overall, Love and Sportsball has its moments, especially when it comes to the heat, but it could have benefited from more depth and a stronger connection to the sports element.

i don’t tend to usually go for sports based romance novels but this was actually super cute! It took me a while to get into and i felt it had a slow slow start even though the events happened quick i didn’t feel like i had time to connect to the characters properly. I liked how the storyline progressed and even though we was aware it was a workplace romance it was interesting to see how Meka would depict this and you’ll just have to read it to find out! I love the supporting characters, being a team sport the other team members were equally as important i loved aspects of Jah’s character also! Overall a good read but the reason for the 3 stars was i just had to push myself to read the first quarter of the book and it makes me feel not as drawn to it as much as some others! But thank you Netgalley & Meka and Mills&Boon for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review 😊

I really wanted to like it, and I kept pushing through hoping to like it but sadly it never happened. The beginning was SO good and I’m obsessed with the start but then it felt like everything else wasn’t as good and there was time skips in between it where I wished the build up of feelings would have been. I’ll be honest spice was spicing and I loved it. Sadly everything else felt like a bit of a let down

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc.

Wow. This done what it needed to do. I binged this book and read it in one sitting. It did not disappoint at all! I really enjoyed it. I loved getting dual POV, it worked really well and I liked how there’s personalities were so different. Also how they acted seemed so natural and real like the author was just recounting what was happening and not making the characters do anything they didn’t want to.

This book was the perfect length and I loved how it was clear what the timeline was and that it all happened over 6 months! A solid 4.5 stars from me .

I love a sapphic sports romance. The basketball element was done really well. There's enough information that you're not lost if you don't know anything about the sport but not too much that it takes over. I adored the team and the sisterhood. I'm so glad this is the start of a series because there are so many lovable women on the team and I can't wait to see their stories.

The chemistry between Khadijah and Shae was sizzling. The flirting and tension were done perfectly along with the balance of sweet and spicy. They were pretty damn cute together. The book starts with pretty instant spice. Then we get to see them try and resist their attraction while at work which builds the tension beautifully.

I did struggle a bit with Dijah and her list. She didn't seem to fully understand that compromise is a two way thing. Some of her actions were frustrating. However I love Shae, she seemed like such a great person. Both of their families were pretty lovable as well. The conflict worked well with the story and both of their personalities, and added to their relationship. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Meka James.
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This was a fast paced read. While I did enjoy the characters. This is the type of relationship where I just don't see them lasting. Sadly. I felt even by the end things aren't truly resolved in a way that is good longterm.
But overall this was a cute read.

I loved this book. It was a lighthearted romance where the sports element of the book was not as centered with most sport romances. It was an easy book to read for me as the writing style is amazing. I am so happy that this book is part of an upcoming series as I really enjoyed the other characters and can’t wait to see their stories unfold.

I recently got into watching the wnba, so imagine my excitement when I stumbled across this book on netgalley. This book essentially combines to of my current favourite things– women's basketball and romance books.

Love and Sportsballs follows Khadijah, who achieves her dream job as an athletic trainer for the women's basketball team the Atlanta Cannons. However, a night of celebration leads to a passionate one-night stand with a captivating stranger, an encounter she planned to put behind her. However, on her first day at work, she comes face-to-face with the beautiful stranger and she just so happens to be one of the players on the team.

This was a fun read, a sapphic sports romance which I rarely see a lot of. Khadijah and Shae have sizzling chemistry on and off the court and it was a treat to see them navigate the line between resisting the passion between them and trying to uphold the professionalism that comes with their jobs. The plot outside of the romance wasn't anything special, and I only really stayed for the romance. The only thing I wished for more of was better depth around the plot and the characters.

I do hope the author continues to write sapphic basketball romances because the world needs it (me).

3 stars.

I was excited about this one and it was fun but didn’t quite flow. Some of the actions and dialogue felt a little clunky and it just took me out of the story so that’s why it’s a 3 star review. Good potential and enjoyable nonetheless!

Love and Sportsball is a fun, very spicy fast paced debut sports romance.

Khadija likes things to follow her plan. So far in life that seems to be falling into place with a lot of hard work and the next step is for her to start her new job as an athletic trainer on a women's NBA team. She's so happy that her sister manages to persuade her to let her hair down for one night only, and it ends very well in a bed with a woman she has an instant spark with. The only problem is, the following morning she turns up to work and the woman from the night before is on the team.

This was fantastically written, the scenes flowing and not falling into clichés. It felt fresh and easy, standing out in a very packed romance market. Absolutely loved it, and excited to read more in the series.

~ ARC received from NetGalley & Mills and Boon in exchange for my honest review~

im not usually massive on sports romances but the two black women on the cover and the spin on a classic black romance for the title enticed me & James definitely delivered. the sports element wasn’t huge which i enjoyed because it made the book more accessible to people, like Dijah, who don’t have a massive interest in sports. this spicy sapphic sports romance is a perfect lighthearted read.

the flirting and tension between the couple was so well written i literally found myself grinning at my kindle 😭. these two opposites attracted so well. the intimate scenes were HOT and well varied so it didn’t feel like i was reading the same formula multiple times.

i am so happy that this novel is the start of a series because im so in love with the cast of characters Meka James has introduced us to. the sisterhood between the players is so heartwarming and i can’t wait to see them interact more as the series develops.

I really enjoyed this book. There seems to be a lot of sports romance novels around at the moment but I still found this one enjoyable. It was easy to follow and had a good cast of characters. I look forward to reading more by the author, I highly recommend it to other romance readers.
💓Thank you to Mills and Boon, netgalley and the author for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.