Blind Side

I spent the last few hours staring at my notes for this review, because where does one even begin when reviewing a brilliant Kandi Steiner book? I’m still gathering my thoughts, so I’m gonna miss stuff and there’s a good chance this sounds like gibberish at the end.When I was reading Fair Catch, I was convinced that Holden was going to be next and I was disappointed that he wasn’t. But then Kandi released the blurb and cover for this book and I was SOLD. I mean…the eyes and cheekbones on this man. Oof. Then we got so many great tropes tied together and in true Kandi style, she delivered it with a punch straight to my feels. I didn’t expect my emotions to be so intense, but here we are.Fake dating is my kryptonite. It’s a trope that I will read anytime and have been disappointed by many a time too. And of course, when it’s put in place to get the attention of other people or to make someone aware of what they lost or whatever, it does bother me. But the way Kandi crafted Giana and Clay’s relationship really won me over. It’s Kandi, she can do no wrong, so I put my favourite trope in her hands and was treated to absolute magic. Speaking of Giana and Clay, my god! There’s something about the awkward, shy, quiet girl and the popular jock coming together and falling in love that just gets to me. I don’t know what it is, but it’s catnip and I loved every minute of this.Giana and Clay are so wonderful, but before I get to their romance, lemme just take a minute to talk about them. Giana is a shy, quiet, middle child who likes living a quiet and attention free life, but in college she’s decided to step outside the box a little and got herself a job as PR for the football team. And she’s really good at what she does. Giana is incredibly endearing and also very relatable—haven’t we all had a crush on the hot musician at our favourite hangout spot? Then there’s Clay. I love that while he’s everyone’s favourite football player and is a stud and women love him, he’s been incredibly loyal to his girlfriend of many years (till she broke his heart) and even after that, he didn’t go around sleeping with random women. He’s got all the makings of a hot and popular jock, but with so much more to offer. And the fact that he’s got such a big heart, loves his friends and puts everyone else first just makes you love him even more!Their relationship? I think that requires an entire review on it’s own. They already have this working relationship/connection that’s grown into friendship and through it all, the desire and feelings start to grow. It’s such a natural progression of how their relationship evolves and I loved every minute of it. Their physical relationship is…oof, Kandi went all out. There’s lessons! Clay is teaching Giana to learn herself and him in the process and it’s beautiful. Also, praise kink! Didn’t know this was something I was into, but here we are. I really enjoyed all of the times that they ‘learned together’, because it really showed a growth for both characters. And not to be left behind, THE CONSENT IN THIS BOOK. Just *chef’s kiss* But you know what I liked more? Yes, the steam was STEAMY and beautiful. But it was how deeply these characters knew each other and were there for each other through the good and the bad. That was really special.I love this group of friends so much. Riley, Zeke and Holden brought their awesome selves to this story. Riley was especially brilliant with Giana and their bond, I want more! Holden is still my favourite of these boys and the way he just kept stepping in and checking on Clay throughout the book made my heart flutter. I just wanted more Holden all the time! And now he’s finally getting his book and I CANNOT WAIT.This book just…there’s romance novels, there’s lots of great humour, there’s fantastic amounts of friendship and there’s some hard parts to swallow, there’s some jealousy and ‘hurt her and I will kill you’ vibes, there’s lots of football and emotions and feelings. Blind Side is everything that you expect from Kandi Steiner, but with so much more. It’s like she’s making it her mission to go beyond and give us something so spectacular, we’re left wanting. And I am. Desperately.

So there are a couple of things I liked about this book and well a few I wish I did but somehow didn't end up liking.Things I liked: both the main characters - I really liked how they seemed like characters you might have read before but at the same time they were distinguished. I liked the opposites attract aspect here because the MCs fit together, Of course, Ilike the whole fake dating scenario- something i haven't read much of since it does not stick out to me. I also liked the side characters - though I know they have/will have their own books I wish that the friend circle as a subject could have been givenmore light.Things I wish I liked: the backstory of the MCs - meaning their respective relationship with their family. I just didn't really seem to connect emotionally with one of the MCs mom's struggles - it felt kind of repetitive. I also thought the chemistry between thepair even though was spicy and very much there, lacked a bit of development in the emotional category; maybe I read it too quickly and the spice overshadowed it but it just didn't click fully for me to absolutely fall in love with them. Other than this, I'm very intrigued by Holden's arc.This was an okayish good read (somewhere between)

This was a super cute, steamy and sizzling read! I love sports romances especially if there's fake dating involved. Giana & Clay were such a right fit for each other. Everything about them was cute and their chemistry gave me butterflies. This book was heartwarming with some emotional issues, also included a crew of good friends and some characters who got on my nerves. The writing was engaging but there was a plot twist in the end that messed some things which caused Giana & Clay's relationship to spiral and I wasn't fond of the choices they made. But regardless I enjoyed reading the book. I don't want to spoil anything but if you love a sports romance with a fake dating trope, an innocent heroine, an experienced hero and an angsty storyline, this book is definitely worth it! I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Holden's book next because it's surely something exciting!

This book is reallyyy good!!! If you are into fake dating and sports romance then this book is for you and even if you are not into sports romance i would say please give this book a try and trust me you won't regret giving this a chance because it's a complete page tuner for me. Every single chapter was so good and both the main characters are on fire and Clay is my new favourite book boyfriend now😍❤️

I am a sucker when it comes to fake-dating romances and this one, wow— it was hot and steamy as hell.He ! Reads ! Her ! Books ! To ! Please ! Her !inmorewaysthanone

Don't have words!!!Another best 5 star read of the year for me. This book had everything in it, fake dating friends to lovers, dual pov, written in first person. Gawdd I loved it.

A perfect fake date romance. Swoon worthy loyal hero. A bit awkward and shy heroine. Both made a perfect sense. Completing each other in odds. And the smut level was freakin GOODDDD

This was amongst light fun reads of Kandi s work for me. Loved the banter between the leads, fake dating trope in books is generally overused but it felt refreshing in this book and the chemistry and erotic scenes were very hot. A fun hot sizzling read!

Blind Side is the first book I’ve read by Kandi Steiner. It was was both sweet and angsty. A college fake dating sports romance where the footballer and the reporter decide to enter a fake relationship to make two other people jealous. Clay Johnson is trying to get his ex-girlfriend back, and Giana Jones wants to get the attention of the popular musician.Obviously, things don’t go to plan and they start to fall in love with one another. But that isn’t without hiccups along the way to being together for real. This book is filled with many sweet moments shared between Clay and Giana. And also some angst where you just wished it didn’t happen (but actually you secretly loved it). Let’s not forget about the spice either, that was very much an added bonus to their story. I was not expecting Giana to be a smut book enthusiast but I am so here for it!!Finally, I just want to comment on the character development here. Mainly, on Clay’s development. I found that I related to him a few times as he is one to always put the people he loves (especially his mum) before himself. This definitely took a toll on Clay and I loved how in the end he learned to put his wants and needs first by realising that he can still support others without making himself miserable and taking away his own happiness.

Clay is, well, blindsided when his girlfriend of five years dumps him with no real explanation.So when he notices that Giana, his football team’s PR liaison, has a thing for a guy who seemingly doesn’t know she exists, coupled with the fact that she is too shy to approach him herself, a plan formulates in Clay’s mind.If he can convince Giana to fake date him, he knows he can get the guy she pines for to notice her. To want her in return. And he knows that it’ll get Maliyah’s attention back on him too. Giana gets her guy, Clay gets his girl. Win win.What could possibly go wrong?I loved these two together! Clay was just suuuuch a good guy, but to a fault. He always put everyone else first so much that he constantly sacrificed his own happiness and often didn’t even realise it.And Giana was just so timid and overlooked for most of her life, I adored that she wanted to challenge herself. Face her demons and come out stronger every time.Now I generally have a love/hate relationship with the fake dating trope, because it almost always goes hand in hand with miscommunication which aggravates me. However, Blind Side didn’t really have too much in the way of that which I was grateful for. Yes there was a point around the halfway mark where I was cursing Clay. And again at 80% where the heartache usually resides but that didn’t really end up being miscommunication as such…more just Clay refusing to say anything for fear of being swayed from his (ridiculous but sort of understandable) decision.The poor guy had so many manipulative douchebags in his life, he deserved someone as wonderful as Giana in his corner.

ʙʟɪɴᴅ ꜱɪᴅᴇ- ᴋᴀɴᴅɪ ꜱᴛᴇɪɴᴇʀ ✨☆ ☆ ☆ ☆.5“𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤-𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖.𝕗𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘.𝕧𝕚𝕣𝕘𝕚𝕟 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕖.𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥.𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚-Football star Clay Johnston’s high school sweetheart dumped him after 5 years together, Giana Jones is a shy girl that has a crush on a local musician that doesn’t know she exists. They both decide to fake date eachother so that musician boy notices Giana and Clay’s ex what’s him back. What started as a joke soon turned into something so much more..___________________________𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄-i am utterly in love with this couple. I was really excited to read Clay and Giana’s story after reading fair catch when ur first came out.Clay is actually perfect like I adore this guy so much and the way he treated Giana 😭😭 he is LITERALLY THE book boyfriend.I found myself internally screaming because I wanted the ex and the musician to GTF ASAP, I loved everything about this book and I cried when clay had to do something’s that you will learn about in the book. I needed a grand gesture and the man didn’t disappoint on that front I was so so happy with what he done for her.Giana knew Clay so so well and it showed throughout the book same goes for Clay with Giana, she saw so much more than this bubbly jock and I loved that about her. They so deserve eachother.I’ve been waiting on Holden’s book since meeting him in Fair Catch I’m sooo excited for Quarterback Sneak 🥳

This was my first Kandi Steiner book and man it did not disappoint!Clay is a safety on the Boston University football team, he’s newly single and completely heartbroken after is high school sweetheart broke up with him. Worst of all she’s just started at the same college AND is on the cheerleading team. Giana is interning as a member of the teams PR team. Usually quiet and timid she really comes into her own when she’s telling these big burly players where they need to be. However away from the team she’s only got eyes for the college musician, only problem is she’s never had a relationship before and can never find the confidence to approach him to make him notice her. When one evening during a meeting Clay realise’s this, he proposes a fake relationship where he can get his ex back by making her jealous and in the process he can help Giana catch the attention of her crush. However like in all fake relationships, lines begin to blur… and maybe just maybe this is where they’re meant to be after all.I adored this book. I adored Clay and I adored Giana, and together they just blew me away. I love the fake dating trope, seeing them deny their feelings for each other, but then also seeing them realise that they quite clearly in love with the other. The build up and the tension between the two of them was perfect and the spice was so hot! Clay is the most perfect book boyfriend ever!My heart ached for Clay and his home life, and the sacrifices he made to look after his family, I felt broken for him, I just wanted to give him the biggest hug! I didn’t like Maliyah at all or her dad.I loved watching Giana come into her own, and become this confident woman! I loved this book so much and I now need to go read Fair Catch because I adored Riley and Zeke in this story and need to see how they ended up together!

Okay let’s start with Giana, I didn’t quite love her and I didn’t hate or dislike her either so a happy medium I guess. She was the typical nerd she had the glasses, the big curly hair and the unique dress sense. She was kinda too full on sometimes even tho she came off shy or quiet to other people, like she pounced on Shawn every time and the staring at him before the fake relationship started weirded me out a little.Clay, for him I just kept imagining clay from 13 reasons why 😅 again I didn’t love nor dislike him so happyMedium again but saying that I did like him a little more than Giana. He wasn’t the typical football player you usually read about, he was the nice one, the one you could count on and the relationship guy not that player guy which was a nice change I guess but I duno something about him felt off maybe he was too nice and a definite pushover with just about everyone except his friends & Giana.The whole plot of this book I liked it, I liked the blurb but reading it I duno there was something about it that just didn’t hit the spot for me maybe it was the fact that I’m not used to reading about the nice guy football players but I do like a fake relationship from time to time and it was just what I needed to get me out of my book slump 🤷🏼‍♀️ I won’t be reading the rest of the books in the series I think the blind side was enough for me.4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫