Review: The End Zone by L.J. Shen
Note: This ARC was provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.
Originally part of the multi-authored Team Player sports romance anthology which was released late last year, The End Zone is a friends-to-lovers romance novella penned by one of my favorite authors, L.J. Shen. Over more than a decade ago, during a time when nature and home life were in danger of drowning Sage Poirier, Jolie Louis came along and rescued him by telling her fellow ten-year-old that she would always be there for him. And stay she did. Even as twenty-one-year-olds, Sage and Jolie remain by each other's side, going as far as being roommates. They know almost everything about one another...well, except for the fact that Jolie has been in love with Sage ever since they met. That doesn't mean, however, that she's willing to put their friendship on the line, even as he insists on them satisfying the curiosity that came flaring to life when they got up close and personal one night. But Jolie isn't a one-night stand kind of girl, and Sage knows it. When one of his teammates shows a little too much interest in his best friend, Sage knows he's going to have to come up with a whole new game plan to play and win his Jolie.
I was able to read The End Zone when it was part of the Team Player anthology, and while I loved it--I gave it an individual rating of 4.5 stars--it felt like it was missing something. Well, L.J. Shen may have fixed that problem because she adds an extended epilogue with this release, and it wrapped everything up rather perfectly. Add to that yet another bonus in the form of an extended epilogue for Vicious, the first full-length novel in the author's Sinners of Saint series. You get more of Vicious and Emilia Spencer AND their son Vaughn PLUS enough crumbs about the new generation of Todos Santos. Spoiler alert: This opens the door to All Saints' Sinners, the young adult (YA) spin-off which kicks off next year. But back to Sage and Jolie! I loved re-reading their story and realized that I had missed the banter between them. Also, I can't believe I had missed this, but I do wonder about Mark Tensely and Chelsea (no last name mentioned), Sage's teammate and Jolie's bestie, respectively, especially with Mark's curious behavior in the original epilogue. A potential standalone maybe? Yes, please! Five stars go to The End Zone. ♥
I was able to read The End Zone when it was part of the Team Player anthology, and while I loved it--I gave it an individual rating of 4.5 stars--it felt like it was missing something. Well, L.J. Shen may have fixed that problem because she adds an extended epilogue with this release, and it wrapped everything up rather perfectly. Add to that yet another bonus in the form of an extended epilogue for Vicious, the first full-length novel in the author's Sinners of Saint series. You get more of Vicious and Emilia Spencer AND their son Vaughn PLUS enough crumbs about the new generation of Todos Santos. Spoiler alert: This opens the door to All Saints' Sinners, the young adult (YA) spin-off which kicks off next year. But back to Sage and Jolie! I loved re-reading their story and realized that I had missed the banter between them. Also, I can't believe I had missed this, but I do wonder about Mark Tensely and Chelsea (no last name mentioned), Sage's teammate and Jolie's bestie, respectively, especially with Mark's curious behavior in the original epilogue. A potential standalone maybe? Yes, please! Five stars go to The End Zone. ♥
Release Date: 03 April 2018
Date Read: 30 March 2018
Learn more about L.J. Shen.
Purchase The End Zone on Amazon.
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