Ex Libris

Goodreads appetizer: Okay, so I eat, sleep and breathe football and reporting the beautiful game is my dream career. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time for a major crush on the England captain, Lewis Tate. The bloke is sex on legs, hot with a capital H. Add in his awe-inspiring talent, his brooding good looks and what’s not to lust after?

So my excitement is sky-high as I set off with the official press team to cover England’s battle for the European Cup. But when a series of unfortunate, or as it turns out fortunate events, attracts Tate’s attention my way, who am I to say no?

Add in a misogynistic manager, an over-zealous colleague, two blue silk ties and some incredible ball-handling skills and it becomes clear the road to victory, for me, will be an intensely erotic journey. Determined to savor every moment, I hang onto my sanity as best I can while living the fantasy and wondering if it can ever become reality. Because once Lewis Tate has taken me to heaven and back, its clear no one else will ever compare.

Reader Advisory – Scored is an erotic romance suitable for mature readers.

My Thoughts: Lately I've been on a sport romance reading kick, and yet Scored is the very first story which featured a European football (soccer) player, until now I've only read about American footballers, hockey or baseball players. Having read Lily Harlem's Hot Ice series about sexy hockey players I knew I was in for a steamy story, and Scored most certainly did not disappoint. It was sexy yet heart-warming and romantic. The kind of romance that makes you sigh and dream of meeting (and especially be wooed by) such a strong and sexy athlete in person. ;-)

The heroine, Nicky is a sports reporter, and not only the fact of being a woman but also being petite definitely makes her life harder to be taken seriously by all the men in the game, because let's face it, all the other fellow journalists, players and coaches are rather sexist. But Nicky is tougher to let something like this discourage her. I loved how fierce and serious she was about sports and being treated as a sports reporter and not a tabloid/gossip writer. But besides her tough and feisty approach to her career what made her very relatable and likeable was that she was human due to her (semi-professional) crush on the football captain of the UK team, Lewis Tate.

And Lewis *sighs* He was dreamy. All big and strong, serious about being captain and inspiring his team, yet playful and warm-hearted despite being such a big star and having everyone fawn over him. I loved the way things progressed between him and Nicky, that first they talked and got to know each other a bit before taking things to the next level.

"I'm just trying to understand what you’re doing in my room again, Lewis." Maybe he was a sadist and enjoyed seeing women fall for him then tossed them aside and watched the carnage.

"You really want to know why I’m here?" His voice was low and serious.

"Yes." He moved over to me, did that thing again where he filled my vision and flooded all of my senses. He cupped my cheek in his palm and his gaze latched onto mine, soft but somehow burning with intensity.

"I'm just a guy who likes a girl, Nicky. That’s why I’m here."

And don't misunderstand that, he didn't come to her room to "get some" but to spend some time and chat with her.

His charisma was irresistible, I could feel it across the pages, and I was so there with Nicky when she just couldn't not be under his spell. Lewis exuded such raw chemistry that he gave me butterflies just reading about him. I loved his intensity. *sighs*

He paused for a second. Cocked his head. "You forget, Nicky, I am a man who gets what he wants." I swallowed tightly. The determination in his eyes, the way his jaw had set, sent a thrilling shiver of anticipation through me.

"And you want…?" He stroked the back of his index finger down my cheek then threaded his fingers into my hair and held the back of my head.

"I want you, Nicky. Don't you get that? I want you with me, next to me, in my bed, in my pool. I want to get to know everything about you."

And yet, he was also a thoughtful, caring man, just look at this part to see how he reacted, what he sent to her when Nicky was abed sick:

"And this, madam, for your comfort." The first man, who’d brought in the flowers, handed me a box. I looked inside. It had bandages and tubigrips, packets of painkillers, a Clinique pamper-me-set, manicure box, tampons and a pink fluffy teddy wearing an England top.

*sighs* The dream: a big, strong, virile man who is also kind, warm-hearted and caring.

Having read several Lily Harlem novels I believe Scored is one of her best stories, the story evolved smoothly, and I just loved how effortlessly the humour was interwoven in the sweet or smexy parts:

A nuclear bomb could detonate outside the hotel and I wouldn't notice. Lewis Tate was hard, for me. Life had never been so good.

I also greatly enjoyed what a crucial role the sport played in Scored. In some sport romances it is just mentioned that the hero is an athlete but you don't see much about what this entails for him, but here we got to read about matches and strategies, and I liked that a lot.

Verdict: I am sorry for the gushing review but I just couldn't help myself. I loved Scored and that was mainly due to its dreamy hero. Lewis was swoon-worthy both outside and inside: with a wet dream body and a caring and loving heart he was a dreamlike fantasy. If you enjoy reading about sexy athlete heroes you absolutely have to check out Scored, I'm sure you'll love it! 

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Cover: 8/10