Title: Make the Play
Series: Nashville Rampage #1
Author: Kaylee Ryan
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Tropes: Football Romance/Brother’s Best Friend
Teammate’s Sister/Forbidden/Secret Relationship
Release Date: June 24, 2025
BLURB
Corie
Knox Beckett is heartbreak in a helmet. He’s also my brother’s best friend, and so far out of my league, he’s untouchable.
But a few stolen glances turn into a welcome home that blindsides us both.
The rules are clear. We just chose not to follow them.
Now we’re sneaking around like we’re running a trick play, hooking up behind closed doors, and pretending our actions don’t have the power to blow up our lives.
Knox is under my skin and tackling his way into my heart. Ready or not, it’s time we make the play.
Knox
She’s the last girl I’m allowed to want—my best friend’s little sister. She’s all grown up and looking at me in invitation.
The second Corie crashes into me, with her tanned, toned skin, in a barely there bikini, I know I’m in trouble.
I shouldn’t look. And I sure as hell shouldn’t touch. My hands are already on her waist, one second longer, and I’ll do something we both might regret.
What I do is even worse. I help her land a job working for the team. My team.
Now I can’t get her out of my mind, or my way. And keeping my hands to myself is a penalty waiting to happen. Because Corie isn’t just off-limits—she’s one line I swore I’d never cross, yet I’m sprinting toward it.
I’d risk the season—my entire career—for her just to make the play.
PURCHASE LINKS
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Make the Play kicks off a new series by Kaylee Ryan. Corie has always had a crush on her older brother’s best friend, Knox, and tried to put him out of her mind while she’s been away at college. She even dated a guy who messed with her confidence. But now she’s home — well, at her brother’s house, since she feels like she hasn’t had a “home” since their mom died several years ago — and all those feelings come rushing back. Knox, meanwhile, is metaphorically knocked off his feet when a grown-up Corie knocks into him at her graduation party, and suddenly, he can’t stop thinking about his best friend’s little sister.
I really enjoyed the development of this couple. Aside from her best friend helping them out, their relationship progressed in secret, not only because Corie was afraid to let her brother know until they were sure what it was going on between them. The longer their secret romance went on, both of their jobs were in jeopardy because she also worked for the Rampage. I loved how when they were exposed, Knox stood firm on the fact that Corie was more important to him than any championship ring.
Two things that stuck out to me were Knox’s backstory and the connection with her ex. Knox is the baby, now all grown up, from KR’s book Unexpected Reality. While I have read a few of this author’s books, I am not familiar with that series, and I found that the references to Knox’s parents’ past were too vague; I had to go read reviews of that book to get the backstory. I think that his unique background could have been slightly summarized to give newer readers his origin, and it wouldn’t have taken anything away from Make the Play being a standalone. My other issue was with Corie’s ex-boyfriend. His presence is the twist in this story, but when it was revealed, I was left shaking my head because it was just dropped into the tale, and there was no acknowledgement from her about his connection. I don’t know; I get why Knox was blindsided, but I felt like she should have brought it up at some point. And had a bigger reaction than she did?
Overall, this was a solid start to a new series, and I’m looking forward to the other books. Since this story is in Nashville, there was a mention of Everlasting Ink — I would love to see some cameos when the football players go to get tattoos in the future!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
I really enjoyed the development of this couple. Aside from her best friend helping them out, their relationship progressed in secret, not only because Corie was afraid to let her brother know until they were sure what it was going on between them. The longer their secret romance went on, both of their jobs were in jeopardy because she also worked for the Rampage. I loved how when they were exposed, Knox stood firm on the fact that Corie was more important to him than any championship ring.
Two things that stuck out to me were Knox’s backstory and the connection with her ex. Knox is the baby, now all grown up, from KR’s book Unexpected Reality. While I have read a few of this author’s books, I am not familiar with that series, and I found that the references to Knox’s parents’ past were too vague; I had to go read reviews of that book to get the backstory. I think that his unique background could have been slightly summarized to give newer readers his origin, and it wouldn’t have taken anything away from Make the Play being a standalone. My other issue was with Corie’s ex-boyfriend. His presence is the twist in this story, but when it was revealed, I was left shaking my head because it was just dropped into the tale, and there was no acknowledgement from her about his connection. I don’t know; I get why Knox was blindsided, but I felt like she should have brought it up at some point. And had a bigger reaction than she did?
Overall, this was a solid start to a new series, and I’m looking forward to the other books. Since this story is in Nashville, there was a mention of Everlasting Ink — I would love to see some cameos when the football players go to get tattoos in the future!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
COMING SOON
Releasing August 19
AUTHOR BIO
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan has been crowned the Queen of Swoon by her readers. With nearly fifty romance books under her belt, she’s known for penning happily ever afters with heart. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand or hanging out with her family where she resides in her home state of Ohio.
AUTHOR LINKS
Sunny Shelly Reads 