* * * *
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
