Snapped
Score: 5/5 Bookmarks
Steam rating: 🍆🍆.5 /5
Thanks to Berkley Publishing for gifting me a review copy of Snapped by Alexa Martin.
This is the fourth in the Playbook series, and while you don’t have to read them in order you should definitely read them all, because they’re amazing.
While the first three in the series had loads of hilarious moments and dialogue (spit tea out your nose funny) Snapped definitely has a more serious vibe, and it’s so, so good. It deals with issues of race, identity, privilege, institutional racism, brain injuries, parental death, and so much more.
Elliot Reed just started what she thinks is her dream job, working in PR for the Mustangs team. Football was something she always shared with her father, and now that he’s passed away she just knows this job would have made him proud.
Star quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. is taking a stand against, and raising awareness of, the racism and mistreatment of Black players, by becoming the first player to take a knee during the national anthem and covering the team logo on his jersey. Elle is assigned to work one-on-one with Quinton and ‘manage’ public perception.
Elle is forced to confront the feelings she has about her own identity, looking more like her Black mother who died when she was young, but having been raised by her white father. She also feels like more than just her job is on the line right now.
This book was so moving, and the characters gave me a glimpse into an experience other than my own and made me consider some of the complex emotions that accompany racial identity. The book also shone a light on how companies and institutions can be perpetuating racism while publicly looking like they are doing the right thing. It’s definitely a book that’s going to stay with me.
It goes without saying that I love the romance in this series, but what tugged at my heartstrings more than the relationship between the two main characters, was the female friendships. Their bonds, their ride-or-die loyalties to one another, that’s what really made this series a stand-out for me. Of course, it didn’t hurt that they’re all set in Colorado—my favorite place I’ve lived so far.
I really can’t say enough good things about this whole series, I think they’re a must for any romance-reader (and even if you don’t consider yourself one I think you’ll love these books). Here they are in order:
Playbook Series
The audiobook narration for all of the books is stellar too, and Snapped is performed by Soneela Nankani (which you might recognize from Accidentally Engaged, The Marriage Plan, and A Burning) and Cary Hite (which you’ll recognize from The Voting Booth, and Good GIrl, Bad Blood). The audio is 11 hours and 21 minutes, and I guarantee you’ll fly through it. You can get a copy of the audiobook here, or grab a physical copy via the button below.
Synopsis:
With the stakes this high, it’s no longer just a game for the quarterback in this romance by the author of Blitzed.
Elliot Reed is living her best life—or pretending to. She owes it to her dad’s memory to be happy and make the most of her new job as Strategic Communications Manager for the Denver Mustangs. Things are going well until star quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. decides to use the field as his stage and becomes the first player to take a knee during the national anthem.
As the son of a former professional athlete, Quinton knows the good, the bad, and the ugly about football. He's worked his entire life to gain recognition in the sport, and now that he has it, he’s not about to waste his chance to change the league for better. Not even the brilliant but infuriating Elliot, who the Mustangs assign to manage him, will get Quinton back in line.
A rocky initial meeting only leads to more tension between Quinton and Elliot. But as her new job forces them to spend time together, she realizes they may have more in common than she could've ever imagined. With her job and his integrity on the line, this is one coin toss that nobody can win.