Hail Mary: Special Edition (Red Zone Rivals: Special Edition)

Okay, wow!I have put this book off for about a month, because I just wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready for this series to come to an end. This series has held such a special place in my heart the last year since I found it, and I wasn’t quite ready to give that up. To close that chapter…But yesterday, I sat down as the snow and wind whipped outside thinking I was ready for Leo f*caking Hernandez, and I can assure you, I WASN’T ready! 🥵😍😅Leo is a perfect enigma. Enticing in every way. I will be the first to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Leo, but I surely wasn’t ready for what I found. But I loved him from the word go, and with every turn of the page, I fell for him harder.Mary, well to be frank, Mary is an absolute bada$$. I resonated so much with her vulnerability, questioning her place in the world, questioning her beauty because she was curvy. But I loved her confidence and sass.These two take you on one heck of an journey, but I loved the ride. The banter, the angst, the drama, the swoon, the spice…perfection in every way.And when I tell you the epilogue is everything, I mean it is EVERYTHING 😭 I just have so many emotions and feelings about this book and this series, I’m struggling to put it all into words. This series is an absolute masterpiece. A piece of my heart will always belong to the North Boston University Rebels.❤️Thank you, Kandi, for bringing these amazing characters and stories to life. I can’t wait to head to the ice rink with you next! 🏒💙Also,CAUTION, SPOILER AHEAD:Can we talk about the ending of the bonus scene?! 🥹 I have loved all 4 of the books in this series, but Blindside will always be my favorite. Clay and Giana are just next level. And her announcing her pregnancy using a book trope reference, I CANNOT. Oh my lanta, I hope someday, somehow we get to see a snippet of Clay as the amazing husband and father I have no doubt he will be. It was such a treat to get another scene of these two, but it definitely left me wanting SO MUCH more. 🥰

I read this in a span of hours. HOURS!Once I started, I couldn’t put it down, I absolutely devoured it.I think the miscommunication set up between Leo and Mary when they were teenagers was done really well. You could understand why Mary was angry and upset with Leo. The way the characters acted made sense and I was intrigued how they would interact once the miscommunication was resolved. I also liked how the forced proximity/roommates trope played out. I loved how the other players accepted Mary and treated her like a sister. Plus the close proximity added tension to the romance which is always a plus. There is a third act breakup (so be warned) but I felt it wasn’t misplaced and made sense for the story.The romance is a delicious slow burn filled with sexual tension, banter and mutual pining. There’s plenty of angst and will they/won’t they to keep the reader turning the pages to see what’ll happen next. I think the pacing was a great choice and made the moment when their sexual tension snapped that much better. I also loved Mary and Leo’s banter. It was clever, cute and funny. I also loved them teasing each other (the kitchen scene!). Leo is so gone for Mary from the moment he meets her. He’s definitely for the girlies who love a boy obsessed. I also liked that Mary made Leo work for her forgiveness.The romance was sweet and the sex scenes were steamy! My favorite was their first time (it was so hot! *phew*).Oh! I also thought the tie-in with the title was super clever.Overall, I lost sleep because I needed to read this all in one sitting. If that’s not a sign that I loved it I don’t know what is.Rating: 5/5🌶️ rating: 3/5Recommended for readers who like: slow burn, “I hate you because I love you", roommates/close proximity, mutual pining, delicious sexual tension, great banter, hero falls first, boy obsessed, baddie heroine, plus size heroine, found family, sports romance, and steamy romance.

Each book gets better and better! I think Hail Mary is my favorite out of the four!I started reading this book at 9 pm and was getting sleepy, but no way... I had to finish. Leo is so freaking cute, and Mary is so badass!!!Leo is this misunderstood person, and I admire him for who he is. When you read his POV, you would get it too. I loved reading his POV because it felt so real. I mean... I wouldn't know what it's like to be a guy, and how they think confuses me. But I felt so much for him. The way he thinks is so cute. I also love the bilingual Spanish that pops up here and there and then a translation right after. I do that too sometimes, lol the second language coming out of nowhere. I love how Leo is so different than how other people see him compared to how Mary sees him. Also... the sidewalk rule?! the letterman jacket?! hardcore swoon!I love them so much! The things Leo would do for Mary! Where is the fainting emoji?!This book wasn't as spicy as the other ones, but it was totally worth the read.Lastly, there is a surprise at the end of the book, you do NOT want to miss!

Hands down the BEST book of the Red Zone Rivals series and officially my favourite of Kandi’s books TO DATE.I have been so invested in this series and I had a feeling that Leo Hernandez was going to own me, but I wasn’t prepared for how much. Something else I wasn’t prepared for? How deeply I was going to fall in love with Mary; she was slightly standoffish in Julep and Holden’s book and I wasn’t sure how she was going to compare to the other girls that I love so much. Boy, did she prove me wrong, and I hate myself for doubting her. She was incredible and she was more than a match for Leo - and I’m obsessed with her.The chemistry between these two was INSANE. It’s no secret that Kandi can bring the spice, but this was some next level shenanigans, and I was HERE. FOR. IT!The characters in these books are such a tight knit group and it’s been incredible to see them grow. Knowing that Leo and Mary’s book was the last in the series was so bittersweet, but she gifted us with the most epic epilogue which left me in tears.I’m already so jealous of everyone who gets to read this for the first time on release day. I’m pretty sure I’ll be rereading this over and over again in the future, and don’t be surprised to see this topping my BEST READS OF 2023 list.