Blind Side: Special Edition (Red Zone Rivals: Special Edition) Paperback – July 2, 2022

I want to give a big thank you to Kandi Steiner for hosting a giveaway in her Facebook group, Kandiland, that I won and received and e-arc of Blind Side to review.REP:TW + CW: discussion of rehab, alcohol/drug addiction, blackmailTropes: fake-dating, sports romance, hero falls first, virgin heroine, jock heroSimilar Books: The Deal by Elle Kennedy, The Perfect First by Maya Hughes, The Relationship Pact by Adriana Locke,When I won the arc giveaway, I did the biggest happy dance and squealed a little. Another Kandi Steiner book in my hands? HECK YEAH! Every book that I have read by her has 4 stars and above. She just never disappoints! Ever since I discovered her books last year, I have been down a rabbit hole trying to read her backlist. Let's just say it has been THE BEST TIME. I originally planned to take my time with reading Blind Side because I wanted to savor every bit of it but its Kandi Steiner, who am I kidding? I was not expecting to be just as OBSESSED with the main characters as I was with Fair Catch but, here I am!! Clay and Giana just found a spot in my heart and set up shop right next other characters written by Kandi Steiner.Blind Side is set in the same world as Fair Catch (I'm not too sure if this would be considered a sequel or a companion. Both books can be read on their own.) and follows the perspective of two characters, Clay and Giana. Clay is one of the most popular football safety players in the country and Giana works as Public Relationships Coordinator for the team. Clay is used to be the easiest for Giana to work with but after a devastating break up from his girlfriend, Clay is cold and not in the mood for any of it. As much as Giana would love to work with other players and move on, she needs Clay. When they meet up to discuss a new strategy, Clay takes notice of how Giana melts around her crush and comes up with a plan that could help the both of them. Clay and Giana will fake-date in public to get his ex jealous and running back and her crush to notice her. Also, he'll stop being difficult when she needs him for the media. The plan starts off simple but quickly becomes complex when the feelings Clay and Giana have change and Giana asks Clay to take her virginity so she knows what to do when she's with her crush.Kandi's Steiner writing has continuously gotten better over time. I swear each book I read is better than the last. Blind Side is also the spiciest book Kandi has written. I am very curious to see if that trend will continue or if there will be a surprise extra spicy book every once in awhile. In this one, Clay and Giana's chemistry was obvious from the jump. They already have an established friendship but there was room for them to build and grow that friendship. Having both perspectives allows readers to see that growth from both the character's eyes and how their motivations have changed. At first, I was skeptical of this because sometimes the POVs blend together or I really enjoy one character more. But Kandi succeeded in keeping me interested in both characters with every chapter. I wanted to know who was going to fall first and how the romance was going to play out. Who was going to cause the big conflict in the third act? Who will commit first? Giana just wants to do well with her career and get this guy to like her but she's a little lost in the romance category. She reminded me a lot of me during my past relationships because I felt LOST. I loved reading about her and watching her grow. Pet names like the one Clay has for her (Kitten) normally makes me want to gag but you know what, PURRRRRR. I was eating this up! Where are these men when I was going on dates with people from my college??With all that being said, I was a bit underwhelmed with the ending. If I were Giana, Clay would have to GROOOOOVEEELLL. The grand gesture was cute but I think Clay would need to put in some more work to repair that damage afterwards. I know Giana's heart took a hit and realistically, would probably have some trust issues from him. The way he handled the situation that caused the big breakup was not my favorite. I understand wanting to help and protect your mother but where would any of that gotten him? I did not see that playing out well for him in the end.Overall, Blind Side by Kandi Steiner is a fantastic read. It is definitely one of the best she has written and is going high on my tier ranking. If you are looking for a steamy fake-dating sports romance where the male love interest falls first and keeps you on your toes, this is a good one to check out! It will get you laughing, smiling, and hurting all within a few pages. You'll be dying for more (there's books set in the same university if you do end up looking for more!!!) 5/5 stars, I can not wait for the next one!If you're looking for exclusive information about what Kandi is writing or up to, join her Facebook group, Kandiland! Also, I heard there is a hockey romance book in the works?? Say less. Once the preorder link and "Want to Read" button is available, I'm on it!

Cute start. Fake dating to win over their personal targets. Perfect palette cleanser to read between dark smutty romance.FMC is shy and introverted, but not the typical naive girl (thank God). She’s strong and has a backbone, even though she feels like she has to fake it.MMC is sweet, thoughtful, and #1 safety in the nation (of course) and a very good *teacher*, listens and researches, and swoons.The first half of their journey was fun, light hearted, and comedic at times. Be prepared for a lot of romance book nods, (FMC is a big smutty romance reader) which makes the story predictable, but in a fun way; I think the author did a great job.Second half:Did the first breakup scene enrage me? Yes. I was so mad at the author; Clay seemed smarter and better than that. So it didn’t make sense, at least to jump into his decision so fast.Did the aftermath almost make me cry? Yes.Was the grand gesture, cringe worthy? Yes.Despite my distaste in climatic drama portion, author did a great job eliciting emotions.A fast, easy, fun read.

Fake DatingCollege RomanceFootball RomanceSpicy LessonsOpposites AttractFriends to LoversVirgin HeroineDual POVThis book was just so good. Kandi really has a way of making me like books that include some of my least favorite tropes. This is a very spicy book but the spice doesn’t take away from the plot. The spice is actually kind of important. The writing is incredible as always and the characters are so well made. My favorite thing about her books is that her characters are so relatable with their struggles and flaws.We start off with our FMC, Giana. She is the sweet bookworm Public Relationships Coordinator for the team. Giana is a shy girl who has a crush on a musician but doesn’t know how to flirt or anything. Clay is our MMC, one of the top football safety players in the country. Clay was focused on two things only – being with his highschool sweetheart forever and making it to the NHL. He used to be one of the easiest players for Giana to work with, but after a big breakup with his girlfriend, he becomes insufferable for her.After Giana and Clay meet up to discuss Clay’s recent attitude, he discovers Giana’s crush and comes up with a plan. They fake date to make Clay’s ex jealous and make her crush finally notice her. Clay also offers to help Giana gain some experience with guys. Despite both of them going after two different people, they begin to gain feelings for each other. Clay realizes he no longer wants his ex, and that he feels more like himself with Giana. But Gianna still isn’t sure of her feelings. Though when Clay feels he has to choose between Giana and his mother, everything falls apart. Only after he’s pushed Giana away does he realize he can’t prioritize his mother over himself and his life, and that there isn’t much he can do for his mother.I absolutely love this book. I really dislike the fake dating trope and the spicy lessons trope, but Kandi writes them in a way that I can’t help but love it. The ending was honestly so cute, but I do wish that Clay had done some more groveling. There are some pretty heavy topics in this book, and I absolutely recommend reading the TWs.⭐ 5/5🌶️ 4/5