Saturday, March 27, 2021

Focused (Ward Sisters #1) by Karla Sorensen ~ Review

Focused (Ward Sisters #1) by Karla Sorensen


Source: KindleUnlimited.

If you've ever seen your teenage crush ten years later, and he turns out to be a complete jerk, then you know how Molly Ward feels.

The last time she saw Noah Griffin was the regrettable day that she decided to climb into his bedroom window and turn her unrequited crush into something more.

That day was bad enough, but things are about to get worse.

Noah has become one of the best football players in the country, and he’s just landed on Molly’s front step.

As a new addition to the Washington Wolves roster, Noah's presence is the key to Molly’s promotion in the front office.

The problem is, Noah wants nothing to do with Molly, and his surly attitude is making her job very difficult.

But he's got another thing coming if he thinks Molly will be intimidated by one grumpy football player, no matter how much he hates being around her.

Once these two go head to head, their mutual dislike explodes into undeniable chemistry. But with what they have at stake, they just might detonate everything else along with it.


*Available through KindleUnlimited!*



Lately I've been trying to fill my reading time with anything that will hold my attention as I wait for the new Mariana Zapata book. Therefore, I was naturally looking for something that would scratch that kind of itch when I picked what to read. And I remembered a friend saying that Focused gave her The Wall of Winnipeg and Me vibes, so I gave it a chance. And you know, I'm glad I did. Because I really enjoyed this book.

In regards to the Winnipeg vibes, I could totally see it. The main male character, Noah, is a super focused defensive football player. So focused that he lives, breathes, and sleeps football. 100% football all the time. Watching film, working out, at practice, focused. And because of this it takes him a little longer to realize the chemistry and feelings brewing between himself and the main female character, Molly.

As a whole, there was a whole lot I liked about Focused. I enjoyed Molly and Noah, and since the book is dual POV this is always nice. I also liked the side characters--Molly's family, Noah's grandmother, the people from the show that hung around all the time. I also liked that there wasn't really a time in the book where I felt like things were too slow. It didn't drag even a little. 

And of course, the biggest thing I loved about Focused was the romance. It was a more medium burn--not instant but not drawn out enough to really be considered a slow burn for me either. But it was sweet to see them grow comfortable with each other after their initial unpleasantness. And I ADORED how much Noah cared for Molly. It took him a little bit to get there, but once he was there? It was the best. Thinking about it now makes me so happy, it was that good. 

My only criticism for Focused would be that we didn't get to know much about Noah and Molly's past. This is a second chance (already a hard sell for me), but we don't know all the much about their first chance other than it was a mistake. We know they were neighbors, and we know ~the incident~ but I'd have liked to know more. I think it could have given them more depth. 

Overall, Focused was a sports romance well worth the read. A delightful medium burn with a dash of enemies to lovers and a grumpy hero that was easy to grow to love. I'd only planned to read this book and then move onto something else, but I've already started book 2 in the Ward Sisters series because I couldn't help myself!


4 stars - A delightful sports romance with a loveable grumpy hero!


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