ARC Review: Score to Settle (Oakwood Ranch #1) by Bella North
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Series: Oakwood Ranch #1
Author: Bella North
Published September 10th 2025 by Bookouture
Goodreads Synopsis
In high school, he broke her heart—now he’s the famous football player whose image she’s meant to clear. Game on.
NFL superstar Jake Sullivan’s playboy reputation is finally catching up with him. To keep his sponsors happy, he needs to wipe the slate clean—and fast. He’s never backed away from a challenge, so he’s confident he can charm the hotshot city journalist sent to write a glowing piece on him without revealing the real reason behind his behavior.
Harper Cassidy is determined to show the world the real Jake. The one who broke her teenage heart. Pulling up to his (admittedly idyllic) family ranch, Harper steels herself for his ridicule once he realizes who she is. But when his stormy dark eyes and stupidly handsome face give nothing away, her blood boils. He doesn’t even remember her! Her boss wants her feature to convince people he’s a good guy. Yeah, right.
They would both rather be anywhere else, but for the next five weeks they’re stuck with each other. So why does Harper’s heart flutter when Jake offers up his sweatshirt and their hands accidentally brush? Why can’t Jake resist taking Harper to places he’s never shown anyone? And stranger supposed playboy Jake hasn’t glanced at a single woman since Harper arrived in his spare room…
They both came into this game determined to win. But somewhere along the way, the rules have started to change…
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Years ago, Harper and Jake were just high school students, trying to get through the semester. Jake never really saw Harper, but even so, he left her devastated for years to come. Now that Jake has made it big, a few too many negative stories about his reputation has left him reeling, and he needs to have a complete shift in his public image, before it's too late. Enter Harper, who is tasked with shadowing Jake for the next 5 weeks, including living on his family's ranch, and following his every move, to get the story. She's ready to tell the world who the real Jake is, but maybe she needs to learn that for herself first?
Now, I'm a sucker for sports romances and second chances. I'm English, so American football is something completely unknown to me, but even so, this was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I loved the family dynamic at Oakwood Ranch, and it was clear that Mama Sullivan ran the ranch with an iron fist, but she was beloved by all. Both main characters had their flaws, but that made them real, and human. The journey they took from being at least standoff-ish with each other, to head over heels in love, was done with such care and story telling which made it completely believable. I know this is a debut novel, but my god, it's one of the best sports romances I've read - and I've read a lot! A great book, and I can't wait for the rest of the series.
Dates Read:
July 19, 2025
Rating
4 Stars
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