The Friend Zone (Game On #2) by Kristen Callihan

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The last thing star tight-end Gray Grayson wants to do is drive his agent’s daughter’s bubblegum pink car. But he needs the wheels and she’s studying abroad. Something he explains when she sends him an irate text to let him know exactly how much pain she’ll put him in if he crashes her beloved ride. Before he knows it, Ivy Mackenzie has become his best texting bud. But then Ivy comes home and everything goes haywire. Because the only thing Gray can think of is being with Ivy.

Ivy doesn’t have sex with friends. Especially not with a certain football player. No matter how hot he makes her…

Gray drives Ivy crazy. He’s irreverent, sex on a stick, and completely off limits. Because, Ivy has one golden rule: never get involved with one of her father’s clients. A rule that’s proving harder to keep now that Gray is doing his best to seduce her. Her best friend is fast becoming the most irresistible guy she’s ever met.

Which means Gray is going to have to use all his skills to get himself out of the friend zone and into Ivy’s heart. Game on.

There is no shortage of heat in The Friend Zone as this one picks up with Drew’s best friend and teammate, Gray. We were given a tempting glimpse in The Hook Up, and the wait was well worth it!

Where Drew’s confidence makes him oh so irresistible, Gray’s humor charms effortlessly and it’s one of the reasons why Ivy falls so hard for him. They have a bizarre start to their friendship when her dad, the sports agent trying to woo Gray, lends him her car while she’s away in England. Her car which happens to be very pink, is her baby. So she sends Gray a text warning him of consequences if any damage comes to it. Thus begins a peculiar but fun relationship through texts where they come to look forward to daily updates, bad jokes and anecdotes from each other..

Ivy returns State-side and finally meets Gray. Being face-to-face is rather intimidating considering how emotionally intimate they’d become. One thing’s for sure, they cannot keep their eyes of each other but they’re off limits. Ivy has plans to return to England and manage her mother’s bakeries while Gray has graduation and his career to think of. Also, Ivy has made a point of staying away from the sports world that her father lives and breathes. She eyes it with bitterness as something that’s kept him away from his family. That and the many temptations that her father experienced throughout his career have made her very skeptical of being in a long-term relationship with an athlete. As for Gray, he’s vague about his his post-college plans with good reason. He just hasn’t bothered to share that with anyone else yet.

In spite of these hurdles, Ivy and Gray’s encounters are often sexually-charged and hysterical. They get on easily and genuinely enjoy being together. They just refuse to be official.

Compared to The Hook Up, I felt The Friend Zone had more laughs due to Ivy and Gray’s playful natures. One particular outing at a bar provided a very audible laugh-out-loud moment that still makes me giggle hard. And as with The Hook Up, they’re faced with a life-changing event that could make or break them. 

The bigger question by the end of this book for fans of this series is are you Team Drew or Team Gray? I know I went into this thinking that there was no way anyone could usurp Drew in my heart but Gray has made a serious play for my affection. I mean, who knew the guys was so smart? Thank goodness this is just a fictional quandary!

If you’re into college sports romances and love knowing that there’s more to these hot athletes than just their looks and sexual prowess, then The Friend Zone is one that you just have to read!

~ Bel