Customer Reviews

Line of Scrimmage

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This sexy book is about a married couple of ten years who are ten days away from getting their divorce finalized. They have been separated for almost a year and Susannah Sanderson is about to breathe a sigh of relief because in less than two week she will be a free woman and able to marry her former high school boyfriend, Henry. Susannah is getting a divorce from Ryan, the start quarterback of the Denver Mavericks and overall MVP of the NFL. Ryan doesn't want to go through the divorce since he is very much still in love with his wife. But the past year has been hard on them both because Susannah feels Ryan is selfish, especially since they lost their first child together when Susannah miscarried. That was the last straw and Susannah filed for divorce soon after Ryan went back to work.

Because the judge decided to wait six months to make their divorce legal, Ryan has a plan up his sleeve where he will move back into his home where Susanna still lives. He wants this remaining time with his wife and if she doesn't agree, he will stop the divorce proceedings. Ryan basically blackmails Susannah into spending the time with him. Ryan feels he has changed and wants to show Susannah the new Ryan Sanderson. Susannah has no choice to go along with Ryan's sneaky tactics. She thinks she is strong enough to be around Ryan and not fall for his charm, just like she did when she was in college.

Both Ryan and Susannah are hurting because of a lot of misunderstandings on their part. Susannah is not the typical trophy wife for a larger than life star like Ryan. That is what Ryan loves so much about Susannah, that she keeps his head on straight and brings him down to Earth. Ryan's goal is to stay married to Susannah and through communication and some seduction on his end, he will show the love of his life how perfect things can be between them once again.

Line of Scrimmage is a nice romance, especially between a married couple. The love and passion between these two are still there, but there are some major issues they both have to work through. Ryan was never really accepted by Susannah's family and Susannah's friends, and her fiancé always tried to put seeds of doubt in her mind about Ryan because Henry always wanted Susannah back. Marie Force sure does know how to write a great hero with Ryan, who I fell for quickly, even though I did find Susannah to be a bit of a shrew at times. But when Ryan shut her up with his kisses, that was when things really go good between them. I am not a big fan of sports related romances, but this book was a treat and reminded me so much of Susan Elizabeth Philip's writing and her own football series. Overall, a great romance with steamy sex scenes, and a lovely story between a married couple who still love each other dearly.

Katiebabs

Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force is not only a fantastic read for the romance fan but also for the female sports fan. I found this story ripe with emotion, steadfast with passion and downright endearing. Ladies hold onto your hats cause this Line of Scrimmage is full of secret game plays.

Susannah Sanderson is a stunning blond who's had her fill of a one sided relationship. Marriage to a football superstar is marriage to the team and for Susannah it seems to be taking more than she can give.

Ryan Sanderson is superstar quarterback with three Superbowl wins under his belt but his ten years of marriage aren't quite getting him the awards that he needs. More money than he could possibly ever spend, good looks enough to snag any woman he wants, leaves this jock with happiness in his fantasy world and trouble in his real world.

Henry Merrill is an overly possessed, back stabbing creep who is so in love with Susannah that he sits on the sidelines waiting for his chance to pick up the pieces of her life as it shatters with her separation and upcoming divorce from her husband. Like a leach he sucks his way into her life and into a promise of marriage as soon as the divorce is final.

The story starts us out with Susannah and Henry having a dinner party with his parents to discuss their upcoming wedding. They have a short four weeks before they will be husband and wife and the only thing that can possibly go wrong is Susannah's court date in ten days. All is going well until her estranged husband decides to throw a money wrench into all of Susannah's carefully laid plans by showing up and saying, "Honey I'm home".

Ryan, Susannah and Henry immediately are in conflict over Ryan's presence and there is not a thing that can be done about it as the house still legally belongs to both Susannah and Ryan. Henry is put on the back burner so to speak for the immediate future and sparks of tension, anger and passion fly around our divorcing couple like flies around a rotten banana.

As the story plays out Ryan and Susannah go on a roller coaster ride of blackmail, love and anger, tears and laughter, trust and distrust, pain and sorrow, danger, unbelievable patience and devotion to bring them into a state of questioning possibilities.

Our author has given us an insightful look into true love, passion and undying devotion. She has given us a wonderful back story of team playing with football as it basis. I truly found it uncanny that the story back line is so close to my own beloved New England Patriots and the accomplishments that come with hard work and even harder struggles.

Our characters are totally believable in every situation thrown to them and the intensity of the story grabs us on page one and carries us to the very last page without a blink of the eye. A must read that will not disappoint even the most finicky romance reader.

A real treat by a new author. Don't let the cover fool you. This book is much more than a football romance. Characters are wonderfully developed and their story will keep you entertained from the first page through the last. Terrific read -- one I highly recommend. I'm looking forward to the next book by Marie Force.

This is a short and entertaining book , great for a summer afternoon at the pool. The story will not inspire you and I'm sure I will not put Line of Scrimmage in my "keeping shelf" but it was an agreable read.

Susannah Sanderson and her famous quarterback husband have been separated for months and are just ten day away from their divorce being final. While Susannah is entertaining her new fiancé's parents, she hears the tell-tale signs of an intruder, an intruder that has a Texas twang and dimples. That same intruder is responsible for Susannah's greatest joy and her most heart wrenching sorrow - Ryan, her estranged husband. Trying to get him to leave is a lesson in futility because he isn't budging and before she has time to think, Susie agrees to spend the next ten days with Ryan. She has no choice; without her cooperation Ryan promises to have their divorce proceeding halted, much to Susannah's horror. After all, her new life is just beginning or so she keeps telling herself.

Ryan Sanderson has come home to heal. Put in the hospital by a late hit during the Super Bowl, Ryan is a walking/talking tower of pain. He knows he has only one chance to convince his wife that their love and marriage are worth another try. Acting upon impulse, Ryan gives Susie an ultimatum - give him the ten days before their marriage is dissolved to convince her that their love is worth fighting for or he will postpone his agreement to the divorce indefinitely. Ryan bluffs his way through the proposal but lucky for him he knows his wife.

Susannah reluctantly agrees to Ryan's demand. She keeps telling herself that the love she and Ryan shared is gone but deep down she knows she is lying to herself and to Ryan.

To say that the cover of LINE OF SCRIMMAGE caught my attention is an understatement. I was drawn to it like a moth to a porch light. Reading the blurb, I was further intrigued and knew I had to read LINE OF SCRIMMAGE - and I did - in one entire sitting.

Susannah was the recipient of my sympathy but not in a "feeling sorry for her" kind of way. She had my sympathy because I ould relate to her. I could sense the barriers she erected around her heart and I could not blame her. She had wants and needs that Ryan was not meeting at the time and because of this, Susannah was afraid to believe that he had changed. I loved her attitude with Ryan's fame most of all. She is what kept him grounded and her witty comebacks to some of his statements made me laugh out loud.

Ryan Sanderson. This man made me sweat. Three times Super Bowl winning quarterback, Heisman trophy winner, favorite male athlete the world over, worshipped by women everywhere but despised by his wife and desperate to find one ounce of the love Susannah used to have for him. She was the one person with the ability to bring Ryan to his knees. As for his characterization, I loved every single facet of Ryan. From the tips of his dusty, well worn boots to the top of his cowboy hat covered head, Ryan Sanderson's charm and dimpled smile won me over pretty quickly - in fact, it was all over but the crying with me from the first scene in LINE OF SCRIMMAGE when he interrupts Susie's dinner party. The way he loved Susannah solidified my feelings.

A very strong debut novel for Marie Force, LINE OF SCRIMMAGE is one of the best contemporary romances I have read this year. Susie and Ryan's marriage was almost over but they agreed to try for each other. Their marital problems were discussed, they got angry with each other, they were honest. LINE OF SCRIMMAGE was intensely emotional and very honestly portrayed and I treasure that in a book above all things.

In my humble opinion, LINE OF SCRIMMAGE is a must read just for the plot alone. Add in the sensual love scenes between Ryan and Susannah and even the most jaded of readers will believe in romantic second chances and forgiveness. I know I do!

***Natalie S. for Wild on Books***

In just ten more days Susannah Sanderson's 10 year marriage to her famous quarterback husband will be officially dissolved. Good thing, too since she's scheduled to marry her High School sweetheart, Henry Something-or-the-other, at the end of the month. Not so fast, Susannah...

Fresh off his third Super Bowl win, Ryan Sanderson is bruised, battered and looking to reunite with his ex before their divorce is finalized. He "blackmails" Susannah into spending the next 10 days with him, but will 10 days be enough time for him to win her back?

Actually, it only take a little over 24 hours.

This story didn't work for me and I'll try to explain why. I haven't been very careful about **SPOILERS**, so proceed accordingly.

I felt a twinge of dislike for Susannah early in the book when she's checking out her appearance in the mirror and thinks "better than most". The twinge grew into active dislike when she would remind Ryan that she was going to marry another man whenever they were taking a short break in their sex-a-thon...while still wearing Henry's engagement ring. By the midpoint of the story I absolutely hated Susannah, who cries at the drop of a hat and blames everyone in the world for her marital problems - except herself. Awful, awful heroine.

On to Ryan. Actually he's just about the only character in the book that was even slightly sympathetic, despite suffering from "Romance Novel Leading Man Syndrome". Anyone afflicted with RNLMS will be perfectly perfect - handsome beyond compare, famous and outrageously wealthy. Putting aside Ryan's RNLMS, at least his character displays some realistic traits. Every once in awhile he'd get impatient with Susannah and I'd be cheering him on: "Please Ryan, please dump the whiny Jell-O mold and find someone worthy", but alas, he didn't heed my heartfelt advice. And he did walk around downtown Denver in an ankle length leather coat and a Stetson, so my sympathy only went so far.

Henry undergoes some kind of odd character transformation. He starts out as a bow tie wearing, near-sighted nerd and winds up a violent sociopath. One has to wonder how Susannah, who has known Henry for over half her life and professes to love him, didn't notice that something was a little "off" there. Obviously, the author didn't want the reader to waste any time sympathizing with the poor schmuck, so she gave him the sex appeal of a toaster. Buh-Bye Henry!

Putting aside the characters, the story itself just didn't hold up. Ryan and Susannah reconcile almost immediately, which made me wonder how they'd gotten to the brink of divorce in the first place. From what I gather Susannah felt that Ryan was inattentive and resented that he went back to work after they had suffered a family tragedy. Um, Ok...but maybe something less drastic than divorce could have been considered. And why the heck did Ryan wait until the last possible second to try to mend his marriage? The best the author could throw out there was that he was busy? Susannah clearly still loved Ryan, so why rush into another marriage with a man that you have no physical attraction to? Why did Susannah's family dislike Ryan so much? Why was everyone so concerned for her welfare when she was with Ryan? There wasn't even a hint of any type of physical or mental abuse, so why did people close to Susannah assume that every little bruise she had was inflicted by Ryan? So much of this plot was shaky and the characters' actions were just inexplicable.

But it wasn't a total waste, because I did learn a few things:

(1) Judges who preside over divorce cases in Denver have a lot of time on their hands. They follow the couples escapades in the local gossip columns, insert bizarre clauses into divorce agreements to slow down the process and impose lengthy delays in an effort to get the couple to reunite. Wow.

(2) If you're hungry the morning after you've had sex then you must be pregnant. Hmm, my stomach is growling...better go dust off that old crib I've got stored in the attic.

(3) If you see your husband talking to another woman at a public event, then by all means you should start a fistfight with the woman and a screaming match with your hubby. After all, they must be having an affair - what other explanation could there be? Very 1980's Dynasty...great stuff.

Despite the many things that I didn't like about this book, it had a few good points. I'm no expert on Football, but I thought the author did a good job of incorporating Ryan's NFL career into the story...it seemed plausible. And towards the very end the story takes a realistic turn when Ryan expresses his frustration with Susannah's insecurities and Susannah herself acknowledges that things feel forced and artificial between the two of them. That seemed in keeping with a couple working to get their marriage back on track.

Occasional strong language and moderate sexual content.

Coming off his 3rd Superbowl win with the Denver Mavericks, you would think Ryan Sanderson was riding high on life. Instead, he finds himself desperate to reconnect with his estranged wife, Susannah, before their marriage ends in divorce in 10 days. There were so many good things about Ryan. He knows how badly he messed up in the marriage. He doesn't come to her expecting that she'll take the blame and fall at his feet. He's cocky in a confident way that will make you smile. Oh, and the way he says "darlin'" I can almost hear his honeyed Texas drawl. Mmm! Sexy, assertive, and so in love with Susannah that it was almost painful to watch him trying to right his wrongs. I would've fallen at his feet - happily!!

Susannah has moved on with her life and is preparing to marry another man in less than a month. When I first picked up this novel, I was skeptical that there would be anything about the heroine that I liked. Call me old-fashioned, but cheating is cheating. Moving past those first assumptions, the more I read about Susannah, the more I liked and the more I understood. One, she still loves Ryan. That was pretty obvious from the get-go. Two, Susannah was a young bride and allowed her identity to become so enmeshed in Ryan's that she lost who she was. Three, she's not in love with her fiancé, Henry Merrill. He is possessive and weak. He's spent years pining for Susannah; standing on the sidelines waiting for Ryan to mess up. There are no redeemable qualities about the guy.

Luckily, Ryan swoops in demanding that she spend the last days of their marriage with him! He's determined to show her he's changed and wants to make her and their relationship top priority in his life. Their history is filled with love and tears. I'm talking problems that were real, honest, and heart-wrenching. I felt completely invested in their relationship! They have a lot to overcome during the final chapters. It's a true test that will tug at both of their insecurities.

This was the first book I've read by Marie Force. Can't wait to read more!


*Reviewed @ SPARKS FLY | Romance Reviews*

This is my first book by this author and I bought it based on the positive reviews. I really liked the story at first as the characters were engaging. This book has all the elements for a romance, true, but it was a bit sugary, more transparent & predicable than most romances. It quickly took on a cookie-cutter feel to writing a romance and I was ready for it to be over with halfway through. I found myself flipping through all the sex scenes after the about the 25th encounter. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but you get the idea. Not a lot of meat in this story.

The thing about adult romance novels is that they are typically pretty predictable. I think that's why the majority of the adult romance novels that I read and review are rated 3 STARS, and that is also the case with Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force.

I really enjoyed the characters in Line of Scrimmage. Ryan and Susannah's journey to find forgiveness and love was really sweet. I loved watching Ryan fight to get his wife back, and I really appreciated the character's honesty and willingness to admit their shortcoming. In the end, I truly believed that the characters matured and redeemed themselves.

This was my first novel by Marie Force, and I don't think it will be my last. Her story kept me entertained and engaged.

The plot was enjoyable, but predictable. It wasn't OMG amazing; for the most part this was your typical adult romance novel.

I gave Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force 3 STARS.

-XOXO

READING, EATING AND DREAMING

This was another nice romantic read from Marie Force! I really enjoyed this story as it was a great contemporary romance with plenty of hot steam between the hero & the heroine, Ryan & Susannah! Marie Force did a fantastic job with the characters' development & the storyline. Although, I felt that the plot was a little weak, Force still managed to pull through & did a solid job by keeping the reader interested. This is a beautiful story about Ryan & Susannah getting a second chance at love & you can't help but be happy for them! Overall, this was a great read & I highly recommend it!