RELEASE BLITZ & 5 STAR REVIEW: Downed (Gridiron #3) by Jen Frederick

He’s the guy no one likes…

Despite winning two national championships, JR “Ace” Anderson was sent packing from his old school after losing the trust of his coach. At Southern U, he has a second chance to prove that his college legacy isn’t endless debauchery and selfishness. But his reputation precedes him, and his teammates offer a chilly welcome in the locker room. The one person who is willing to accept him is the very woman he should stay away from—his new coach’s daughter.

She’s the girl everyone loves…

Bryant Johnson’s only goal in life is to make others happy, even at her own expense. One look at her father’s new star quarterback, and she knows that Ace is her next project. With a reputation for being a “jerk whisperer”, Bryant has spent her last three years at college reforming sorry behavior and turning bad boys into the best boyfriends ever. In Ace, though, she’s met with surly resistance and a sizzling attraction she doesn’t expect. Fixing this wounded warrior will be her biggest challenge yet. Not falling for him will be even harder.

Between her big heart and his damaged one, a battle is ensuing. In this game of love, every defense will crumble.

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GER -> https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N3LJK58
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NL -> https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B01N3LJK58
JP -> https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01N3LJK58
IN -> https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01N3LJK58
Mexico -> https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B01N3LJK58
CA -> https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N3LJK58

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My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review. 

Here's the thing. Once I realized who Ace was (I read a lot of books and it took a bit to refresh my memory!) I was like "Oh no. He was mean to Lucy. He's an ass. I do not like him!" Then I thought "Well, Jen is a great writer, so I am sure that I will end up liking him eventually", but I definitely wasn't ready for this to be MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE SERIES. Holy crap. I could have my review just be me saying "I LOVE THIS BOOK" over and over again, but that would be silly. So I won't. But I kind of want to. 

First things first. Bryant. I. FREAKING. LOVED. HER. I've read books where I liked the heroine, but I'm having a hard time remembering a book where I instantly fell in love with one. She was fan-freaking-tastic. By the end of the first chapter I had a big ole lady boner for her. Plus she's a sassy southern girl and I'm pretty sure I was one of those in a past life as well. Bryant steamrolls her way into Ace's life and it was actually quite comical to see him come to terms with their relationship. Everyone around him, including her father, had them dating before could even figure out what the heck was going on. It was amazing. 

And Ace. This is a redemption story for him. And a damn good one. Throughout the course of the book he has to deal with a lot of crap. From his father. His teammates. The situation with Lucy. And while Ace is a fantastic football player, he's an asshole and doesn't exactly know the right way to handle things. But Bryant takes it upon herself to help him because that's what she does. It doesn't take long for her (or me) to realize that Ace is actually a great guy and he may not need her as much as she originally thought. He's just a little misguided. But at that point Ace finds that he doesn't want Bryant to leave him alone. See how that works? It's so great. 

While this is part of a series (one that you really should read if you haven't), the book can be read as a stand alone. There are parts where I found myself actually laughing out loud and others where I was swooning all over the place. I absolutely LOVED the fact that he was the one chasing after Bryant. I readily admit that Ace won me over pretty quickly, which I should have found annoying because I disliked him so much in the beginning. There were even moments when I felt sorry for him. And that my fellow readers is the sign of not only a great story, but fantastic writing.