Fair Catch: Leighton U, Book 3

What could possibly go wrong? Everything. From the first moment of meeting on a rainy Monday morning. I loved both Kason and Hayes. We’ve already been introduced to them in books 1 & 2 of the series. There are many humorous moments in this book that had me laughing waaay too hard! Especially when Hayes seemingly loathes his new roomie, who makes more noise than a monkey 🐒 playing the cymbals when he’s trying to sleep. The two are not compatible. Hayes comes up with a plan to get Kason out of the apartment as much as possible by helping him choose dates with whom he matched on a dating site. It all backfires epically. Unexpectedly. And whew! That plot twist was one that was an eye opener for both Hayes and Kason. Yet it’s the poignantly sweet moments that make this such an excellent book. I’ll never be able to look movie theatre popcorn 🍿 in the face again without remembering the scene between Hayes and Kason on their first movie date. I swear it’s one of the best moments in the book. Quinton and Oakley make cameo appearances, as do Phoenix and Holden. The audiobook is excellent and I highly recommend it. There are a few typos and grammatical errors.

Hayes and Kason surprised me. Expecting a snarky, grumpy MMC and a meek, bumbling one based on previous books, I found a much better story. They start off hating each other, which is justified, but their turning point to friendship and then love was well-developed. Their journey from dislike to lovers was believable, and the love declarations felt inevitable. The demi rep was new and interesting; Hayes's quick epiphany was surprising and fun to watch unfold. Kason's character also changed dramatically—more confident and flirtatious than I expected. However, Hayes's transformation from a mean grump to someone more loving felt too sudden; I wish there had been more hints he still disliked people. I didn’t like the subplot with Hayes' parents; it felt out of place. Overall, my favorite in the series is still the first, but this one is second, and I’m curious about Mr. Theo and his stepbrother.

This book. I have been WAITING for this book and omg did it exceed all my expectations. Hayes and Kason are my favorite couple from the Leighton U universe, and that is something I did NOT expect because I wasn’t a huge Kason fan in Caught Stealing. But this book? This book flipped my whole world because their love story was so beautiful and funny and genuine. And Hayes being a nerd???? SOLD. IMMEDIATELY. I think it added so much personality to their dynamic and their relationship in general, and Jason being the sweet southern boy from humbler beginnings? He stole my entire heart and I never want it back. But I have to say, not only was the love just making me smile like a fool and kicking my feet, but the portrayal of friendship in this one was EVERYTHING. The way their friends were there for them every step of the way? And the care they showed in wanting to make sure everything was okay? I couldn’t stand it because it was so sweet. Fair Catch made me smile. Laugh. Cry. Angry. And I loved every second of it.

I hate to write less than stellar reviews- I realize authors work their butts off and pour their hearts into their characters. But, I'm just really stunned to know this was written by the same author that made me fall in love in her "River of Rain" duet. I became a voracious reader of CE Ricci with that set of novels and it's hard for me to see even a glimpse of her here. The writing is incredibly different, and not as carefully done. I caught errors in grammar, basic editing that needs a second look, but that's not my issue with this novel. I want to preface this by saying that, in just a handful of books, I became an avid reader of CE Ricci and looked forward to every release. I'm still devastated that her "Enclave" "series" started and ended with a single book and never went any further. I just don't see the same level of writing here. I enjoyed the first 2 books of this Leighton U series much more than this one and my problems are a few. I wanted to like these characters but really had a hard time. With every "nice" thing Hayes does he says kind of awful things in his head. He's really a dick that I find it hard to relate to. I have a child on the autism spectrum so I can understand and relate to a variety of personality types- everyone is different. He's just not nice. And honestly, Kason doesn't seem like the same guy I liked in book 2. He comes across as a bit meh for me. Not nearly as strong a character as I'd thought. Strong enough to take a break from virtually his…

I absolutely loved seeing Kayson get his happy ending, seeing Hayes fight for him in the end was everything. This one didn’t gut me as much as the first two, but still had me in the fells! and seeing Nix and Kayson redem their friendship made it even better!