Spinning Out (The Blackhawk Boys, #1) (2024)

Spinning out tells the story of Mia and Arrow. After a fatal accident, Mia loses her brother and her boyfriend Brogan is badly injured. But through dual POV and past and present narratives, you learn that there is more to this accident than what has been let on, Brogan wasn't Mia's first choice, and her and Arrow have a past and have been keeping their feelings for each other a secret as well. After the accident, Mia and Arrow are back in each other's lives since she is working for his father as a housekeeper/ nanny.

I went back and forth with this book, not really sure what didn't work for me but after some thought, it was a plethora of things that got on my nerves.

The whole thing was filled with convenient circ*mstances and some timelines that didn't add up which started to get annoying after a while.

Add on the annoyingly slu*tty BFF

and the really obvious plot twist, I was over this before I even finished.

And if I have to read about one more FREAKING VIRGIN having sex for the first time and being able to ride the guy like a cow girl while "pain gives way, edged out by pleasure", I may just shoot myself.

And the cherry on top of it all: can someone explain to me how a dull, blasé girl attracts all these men and has them falling head over heels for her? What is the appeal?? Can someone tell me? Because I don't get why this is so common. The heroine had the personality of a wet mop. Yet had two BFFS pining for her affection and falling instantly in love with her. PUH-LEASE.

Besides all this, I found the whole thing just..dull. The convos, the relationships, the twist, all of it. And I don't really see how this is categorized as a sports romance when maybe 1 or two football games are mentioned, and in the present the hero isn't even playing football. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm in a book funk. Maybe you'll like this way more than I did. But I am just so over mediocre books and don't feel like wasting my time on something that isn't going to blow me away.

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3.5 STARS

Lexi Ryan delivers a standalone story with a full cast of characters that are football players for BHU. Sadly, this book didn’t have ANY football scenes whatsoever in it. The story is told in the present and the past building the mystery as to what happened one night at Deadman’s Curve leaving one character dead and the other barely hanging onto his life.

The heroine's the special snowflake type. These types are the girl that every guy in the book wants to make their own and she just exhausted this reader. Mia Mendez in the past had fallen for two guys one the safe choice and the other the passionate choice. She dates the safe choice while to me always giving the passionate choice just enough hope to hold on. Oh the angst!!!!

”Maybe I’m scared to be alone. Maybe I can’t stand to see him hurting this much. Or maybe I’m selfish and need a buffer between me and Arrow.”

In the present, the mystery of what really happened that awful night slowly comes to light. Sadly it was so very predictable which shocked me since this author delivered on the twists in her Here and Now series. By sixty percent into the story I got just tired of Arrow’s heart getting crushed (Mia had SO many opportunities to change the course of this story) with Mia running to his bed on the one hand and pushing him away so adamantly with the other.

”You could never be second choice, Arrow. Because I never allowed myself to consider you a choice at all.”

Lexi Ryan's writing was highlight worthy and I was pulled into the plot immediately and then just got tired of whole thing. To be honest not even a wow twist would have saved Arrow and Mia’s love story from hitting epic levels and the fault fell on Mia. Mia’s thoughts and actions just wiped me out and somewhere along the way the story should have been condensed and shown more love on her part. To boot, there wasn’t even an epilogue and story ended far too quickly. Who the heck knows what these two are like together perhaps they won’t be able to stand one another when it’s all said and done.

2.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: This is another tough one to rate... I enjoyed some of it, but other parts bugged me. I was engaged, and I thought more than once that it was an unique storyline -- so there's that. I was frustrated with the fact that we didn't know any details of what had happened until around the 75ish% mark, because for the first part I kept on thinking "is this part of a series and I missed the first one?". That feeling of being lost was not so great. I think some bigger reveals earlier on would've helped the storyline flow smoother tbh. I also hated the hot/cold feelings I got with both of the mcs. They'd push away and then they'd want each other's attention. It became exhausting! The ending also left me with some major questions being unanswered, and that was frustrating. So, in this case I guess I just got what I paid for 😉

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Mia and Arrow's story. I'm going to keep this brief in hopes of not ruining it. Mia and Arrow meet one day because Arrow's roommate is hooking-up with Mia's best friend. They have an instant connection, but Mia is under the impression that Arrow is a mystery person she's been texting lately. That mystery person ends up being Arrow's best friend, and he is harboring a pretty strong crush on Mia so Arrow backs off. The story starts later when Mia is working in Arrow's home as a live-in nanny to his baby sister and he is on house arrest. We go from past to present and see how their story unfolds...and they get a HFN ending.

POV: This alternated between Mia and Arrow's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Not so great. It felt slow at times, and I did skim some at the beginning half of the book. It shifts in sections of the present and the past. The ending also felt too abrupt for my liking.

Instalove: No, but instant connection and instalust.

H rating: 3 stars. Arrow (not a huge fan of the name). He was so hot and cold that I could hardly keep up at times! He hated her, then loved her, then was mean to her, then wanted to have sex with her!

h rating: 3.5 stars. Mia. I liked her a little bit more than the H, but not much. She was also wish-washy, and while I understood her problems and where they stemmed from I didn't like the way she was so indecisive.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes The h and H both constantly push away (H more so), and they both pursue the relationship at times.

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not many scenes and not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

Safe sex: Yes Mentions of condom use, but I don't remember any mention of std status or previous practices for the H (h was a virgin).

OW/OM drama: Yes The h is with OM (who happens to be the H's best friend), and there is also an OW that causes drama for the two.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No Descriptive scene of h witnessing her boyfriend get bj from OW.

Cheating: Not between mcs The h was cheated on by her boyfriend. The H also sleeps with OW (past) and kisses same OW (present) after having feelings developed between h and H (but aren't together).

Separation: Not really. They only technically get together at the very end, so no separations.

Possible Triggers: Yes Drug/alcohol abuse (H - off page), loss of a sibling (h - off page), child abandonment (h - off page), alcoholic parent (h - on page), hit and run by drunk driver to cause side-character to be in vegetative state (on page), h was a virgin, and loss of a loved one (h and H - on page).

Closure: This didn't have enough closure for me, as I was left with quite a bit unanswered questions. I would call it a HFN ending.

How I got it: It was a freebie on Amazon.

Safety: This one is probably

When I first read Miss Ryan book, I remember I do not like it. And now with many many romance books, and ny taste has been evolving, I decided to pick up Spinning Out

And I love it! The plot is so complex but makes sense. I love tender moments between Arrow and Mia. They are truly soul mate. The plot/twist was written and build like I am spinning out with Arrow ans Mia.

This is a wonderful read. I can not wait to pick up another book by Miss Ryan.

5 stars

📚 📌 FREE on Amazon US today (8/22/2017) 📌 📚

Stand-alone book 1.
FREE: https://www.amazon.com/Spinning-Out-B...
BLURB:
Once, the only thing that mattered to me was football—training, playing, and earning my place on the best team at every level. I had it all, and I threw it away with a semester of drugs, alcohol, and pissing off anyone who tried to stop me. Now I’m suspended from the team, on house arrest, and forced to spend a semester at home to get my sh*t together. The cherry on my f*ckup sundae? Sleeping in the room next to mine is my best friend’s girl, Mia Mendez—the only woman I’ve ever loved and a reminder of everything I regret.
I’m not sure if having Mia so close will be heaven or hell. She’s off-limits—and not just because she’s working for my dad. Her heart belongs to someone else. But since the accident that killed her brother and changed everything, she walks around like a zombie, shutting out her friends and ignoring her dreams. We’re both broken, numb, and stuck in limbo.
Until I break my own rules and touch her.
Until she saves me from my nightmares by climbing into my bed.
Until the only thing I want more than having Mia for myself is to protect her from the truth.
I can’t rewrite the past, but I refuse to leave her heart in the hands of fate. For this girl, I’d climb into the sky and rearrange the stars.

FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day. I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 700 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

3.5 dreamy ★★★✬✩ for the heartache and the good flow of the story

This book is for you if… you're in the mood for a unsophisticated but gripping romance.

(Also finally found out how to use gifs in reviews, better late, than never, right?)

I am really excited I took the opportunity to register. Thank you so much, Lexi Ryan and Social Butterfly PR, for providing me with this free arc, the process of registering and carefully setting up a profile was SO worth it, if only for this book.

As the story unfolds, the reader is given alternating views from both Mia's and Arrow's perspective, as well as pre and post accident. I really enjoyed this way of telling the story a lot, as it seemed like I was getting two love-stories at once.
However, I did have a bit of a hard time connecting as to why exactly it was she couldn't give in to her burning feelings for Arrow. It is said explicitly that her father has a whole lot of anger towards the Woodison family but I feel like in favour of keeping it a bit mysterious, the author missed out on giving the reader the opportunity to properly be in touch with the heroine. It also was the reason that I was annoyed with her at one point while reading a pre-accident part of the book. I swear I was this || close to reaching into the story and smacking her head because it was just unrealistically stupid and ignorant of her to insist on Arrow and her being friends, as he had already made it quite clear is feelings where much deeper than your average crush.

What I really liked was the development of Brogan's character from a seemingly good guy to first class douche. I feel like this transformation is not often enough a theme and especially younger readers need to be confronted with it more. A lot of people feel I exaggerate but as a passionate reader and someone who always looks for a deeper message, I always look to include such things (or the lack of it) in my reviews. Not seldom, it is the reason I cannot rate a book as high as I would otherwise. TBH, I disliked Brogan from the start, mainly because he said:

It's refreshing, honestly, to meet a girl who doesn't think she has to drink half a bottle of cheap vodka to make friends.

The last thing I need to get off my chest is that I am sick of this "They made one mistake, why should it ruin their life"-narrative: In the book, an accident left two dead people behind. Obviously, I instantly connected this to cases of sexual assault as well, where white, privileged, patriarchy-imprinted people still believe that this is an okay measure according to which one judges somebody.
For those who made it to this point of the review I would like to add, however, this is not, how the story plays out at all, the story at hand is much more complicated than that, which is why I do not want to put too much emphasis on the whole matter. The story around this was thought threw and made sense. I did want to give a warning for those, whoever, who might be triggered by this due to personal experiences.
_________________________
Writing Quality + ease of reading= 4*

pace= 4*

plot development= 2.5* (it was rather predictable, in my opinion)

characters = 3* (I am glad to have friends like Bailey but am yet lacking an Arrow, although I do have this really hot guy at work who is also a football player *swoon*)

enjoyability = 5* I couldn't wait to get back to this book and even skipped my usual morning routine of chilling in bed, regretting I'd have to leave it soon)

insightfulness= 3* (I do have an issue with how the crime is handled. Y'all know it, this dogma of "Why should ONE mistake ruin his life?"... well, maybe because two people having to give their lives for it? Just a wild guess, but, yeah. But the uncovering of the asshole boyfriend was nice.).
___________________
This eArc was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dayum dat cover...

Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books

For me to love a story depends 75% on the female lead. I know. It's not fair but there you have it. Since I'm supposed to be studying hard, I'll forgo the summary and jump right into my thoughts.

Arrow was a wonderfully broken character. He was loyal to the bone and tried to adhere to the bro code when it came to his friend Brogan. He went through hell and back and took the penance for what he'd done and hadn't with grace.

Brogan was an idiot and why his friends stood by him the way they did I can't fathom. The author failed to convince me why he was the good guy he was supposed to be, there was all this talk about him being such a great guy but I didn't *see* it. He was one-dimensional and it didn't help that he screwed around on the heroine.

Mia fell flat for me. Throughout 400+ pages I couldn't get a read on her. I have no idea why these young men went all gaga over her. She wasn't not likable. She just...was. I wanted to care about her but I couldn't. I wouldn't be able to tell you much about her if you asked me, except maybe that she was a hard worker.

I'm still rating this with 3 stars because the story itself and the mystery were good and I did like the author's writing style, it had a pleasant flow.
It is written in dual-POV and additionally switches between before and after the accident. It has a somber tone throughout the story, there is nothing light-hearted to lift the darker mood. We are introduced to likable secondary characters and I think we will get at least two more stories about them. I will definitely read more of this author, I think these boys have potential!

4.75 "I'm all yours. /Finally." stars

Arrow Woodinson has fallen from grace. He tossed away his footbal prospects, dwelled into alcohol, drugs and "piss off" attitude.

Mia Mendez is working hard to pay off her college to becoming a lawyer BUT she's operating on automatic. One night changed the odds, the future is no longer bright and she's trying to cope but she's dead inside.

She's not living. She's surviving.

In one night between his betrayal and his apology, you were mine, but only because you couldn't be his.

New Year's Eve.
A fatal accident.
Two lives taken.

The chain of events that will start the guilty trip for them both,

It's too easy to give in to the game of what-ifs.
I hate that game. It's painful and pointless.

We all do the best we can. We just deal however we know how.
What's the point…I can't even feel anything.

This book kept me awake, and after a few hours of sleep I stole, I'm still reeling from the pent up feelings this story evoked in me. And that is the whole point. I LOVE when that happens to me, I love when the emotions grip me so tight I feel like my heart's gonna burst with palpitation and elation, the chills and goose bumps on my skin only serve as a manifest and on outlet of my being swept away by this sensation.

And that's what I seek from a book!

This story wasn't perfect, I could point out my remarks on main characters' „reasoning“ that eventually spurred them into action / re-action BUT the captivating tension in the described relations between them made me feel ALIVE.

Those emotional bursts were palpable and real and I couldn't just NOT feel or deny them, nor I would want to. In fact, it was so realistically and overwhelmingly portrayed that I forgot I really DO NOT like emotional triangles, (I'm not including menage here, just to state clear, sex is still being the devine carnal exchange not necessarily connected to the aspects of any kind of emotional span) even though, I personally acknowledge the possibility of loving several persons at the same time, just not in the same capacity nor we're talking about the same type of love or affection, and that was, in my opinion, the crucial segment that was realistically displayed and described in this story…and it worked, for me.

at first, I needed a FIX of a SPORT ROMANCE...

well, sport was only a background for one of the most complicated love stories with gripping twist, crippling secrets and emotional boombs that will make you vivid. Well, this story did THAT to me, and I guess it's all that matters.

I looked forward to "the more passionate, troublesome, messier - the better", oh and the forbidden love - well, i cant even begin to tell you what I jumped into!!!
I GOT MORE than I EXPECTED!

It s 3:42 AM right now, which means this book kept me up all night, sweating in angst, passion, then those bloody twists came to rile me up even more!!!

Yeah, so I did say i NEEDED to KICK some BALLS in the process...BUT honestly in the end, THIS BOOK kicked the hell out of me...

I dedicate this gif to myself...

The f*ckin feels...

For more info and reviews visit

**Digital ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I received this many months ago, but only now had the chance to actually read it**

***2 stars***

This is book number 80 this year and that means my reading challenge is compleeeeeete! So yay to that! :D

But putting that excitement aside, this book was SO DRAMATIC. It had this lingering sadness from start to finish, which quite frankly annoyed me a lot , because based on the cover and the blurb, I was expecting a hot, steamy romance. Welllllll, it was not.

What I got instead was a book about grief, lies, betrayal, unfaithfulness and what seemed like never ending drama.

To give you a quick glimpse inside Spinning out: it's about this girl Mia and a guy named Archer. They're in college and they meet in the dorms one day. She confuses him with a guy that she's been texting with and instantly falls for him, only to later find out he's the text guy's best friend and room mate. She then starts seeing 'texts guy' Brogan, because he's cute and funny and he gets her. But then there's still sexy, hot Archer that she can't get out of her head.

The story then starts to shift back and forth between present day and the past. In the present, Brogan has been in a car accident that left him badly injured, in a state where he's alive but only quite so and Mia's brother was killed. This tragic event leaves both Mia and Archer in a bad place, understandably so. But this is where my problems with this book start, because as the narrative unfolds, we find out that even though Brogan seemed to be this perfect guy, he cheated on Mia. His reasoning here was that he waited for a year for her to sleep with him (she was saving herself for marriage) and nothing happened, so he grew paranoid that she was cheating on him. Logical thing to do? Cheat back.

What blew my mind was the fact that it felt like the author was trying to excuse his behavior and even made Mia go back to him and accept his sorry ass excuses.

Then there's also the whole mystery around the accident, some weird stuff regarding Mia's mother... but long story short: this book just wasn't what I hoped it would be. I constantly had this lingering feeling of sadness mixed with annoyance. There were also a ton of other things that made it all a bad reading experience for me, but I think I spoiled enough of the story already so I'll stop here 🙈

Well that was just mean Lexi Ryan. I have been wanting to read this series every single time I see them but I keep putting it off cause damn does that blurb sound emotional and I have to be in the right mood to put myself through that. But the stars aligned this week and I just had to pick this up even knowing it was going to be an angsty read, I just really wasn’t expecting the amount of tears I shed while reading this book.

I also thought it was going to go in a lot different direction to the one it went in however I won’t tell you about that because it was so well written you have to take the journey yourself. And despite the fact I cried for most of the book it wasn’t one of those reads you walk away from feeling sad and heartbroken from. Infact I walked away with a huge smile wanting to rave about this awesome story and beautiful characters.

Mia was a character that I liked but I did go back and forth with her and I had a few moments I wanted to scream and pull my hair out but then we would get a little more of her story and I would see where she was coming from and I would feel nothing but love and sympathy for her. Everything she went through in this book would probably have broken me. But she was so forgiving and strong and I ended up loving her.

But not as much as I loved Arrow. Seriously that man owned me from the first. And although he did make a few stupid mistake and could (should) have handled things in a better way everything he did he did for the right reasons and with the best of intentions. And despite his mistakes he was a genuinely sweet guy who got dealt a really sh*tty hand.

I am so glad I picked this book up (finally) and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series, well you know next time I pull up my big girl panties enough.

I've read a handful of books from Lexi Ryan in the past, and while I remember thoroughly enjoying her writing, none of her previous books have stood out quite like Spinning Out. This story completely consumed me. Spinning Out opens with Arrow Woodison making it known that he despises Mia Mendez's existence and with Mia barely treading the water that is her tattered life. Something has happened between these characters, something has torn apart the lives they once knew and the journey toward unearthing all that's happened, all that Mia and Arrow once were to each other, is exquisitely slow, perfectly paced. This is a messy, ugly, tumultuous romance that's both devastating and satisfying all at once.

More than a romance, Spinning Out is a suspenseful, gut-wrenching story of secrecy, loss and a love that defies time and circ*mstance. Arrow Woodison has longed for his best friend's girl since the day they met. The undeniable attraction between Mia Mendez, an underprivileged student from a trailer park, and Arrow, a wealthy college football star, was mutual, but Mia's insecurities lead her to take the safer route: his best friend, Brogan. When tragedy strikes and the tenuous house of cards surrounding these characters is demolished, life as they knew it spins out of control and the trajectory of all their lives is altered forever. Spinning Out is tragic and raw and it completely blindsided me. I didn't expect to open this book and be so overcome with emotions the way I was, to be so captivated by this web of secrets.

This story evolves over a series of alternating "parts" between the past and the present, the before and the after, offering up a fully encompassing look into these characters. Adding even greater depth to the story, the chapters also alternate between the points of view of both Mia and Arrow, leaving no stone left unturned. The undeniable attraction, the raw desire, and sexual tension between these characters has always been obvious. But there were gargantuan roadblocks between them, both then and now, and the painstaking manner in which Lexi Ryan reveals the details, the pieces to this mystifying puzzle, to the reader is both addictive and brutal.

This storyline is sexy and it is angsty and it is wholly romantic. It's also deeply emotional, addictive, and beautifully written. This book is so much more than I thought it would be when I went in. The storyline is intriguing and perfectly paced, the details of this addictive puzzle revealed meticulously. This book was impossible to put down and the more I read, the more in love I fell with this author's luminous writing style and brilliant storytelling. Spinning Out clawed its way under my skin when I least expected it to and burrowed. I absolutely loved everything about it.

I liked this. It was good, well written, and intense! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but for some reason I thought it would be lighter that it was. That said, this is perfect for readers who love heavy emotion. It was NON STOP with the angst. The plot itself unfolded slowly like a puzzle. You got tidbits of the story as it switched between past and present in large parts. It's twisty, guys! Definitely twisty and it made my heart beat crazy several times. When I finished I needed a moment to sort out what I was feeling. And I'm still undecided. I feel bad for ALL the characters. It was just a heavy subject matter. A heavy book. One that left me a little drained. That said, I did like it.

My first Lexi Ryan book!! I really liked this one. I liked the emotion and the forbiddenness and the hurt between the main characters. I liked the side dramas and lover's woes. And I LOVED the angst. Though I will say it wasn't perfect, and at times, predictable. Mia made mistakes and she made some pretty stupid ones. I think this was drawn out much more than it had to be, simply because Mia was too busy being an idiot 'before'. But Arrow... wow, he was great. Can't wait for Cris's story next!

3.5 stars

This story was emotionally charged, mysterious and dark, with a layered plot that kept me turning the pages. The alternating pattern of past-present storytelling reinforces the suspense but can be somewhat confusing at times.

The Blackhawk Boys are a group of friends playing on their university football team. Arrow and Brogan are best friends since childhood. When both of them fall for the same girl, Mia Mendez, their friendship is put to the test. Mia is a hard working girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Her life has not been easy, living in a trailer with her alcoholic father and a brother in prison for drug dealing. But she is determined to make a better life for herself. Even if she is Brogan’s girlfriend, she is attracted to Arrow.

Arrow is the rich kid from the group. He has it all, the looks, the money and a promising football career. Brogan is the closest thing he’s ever had to a brother. However he wants Mia more than anything else.

“The thing you want so desperately that the idea of having it makes you as sick to your stomach as the idea of never having it.”

Misunderstandings, jealousy and bad choices will have tragic consequences when a hit-and-run accident will destroy lives.

After the accident, Arrow’s life is spinning out of control. His sense of guilt is overwhelming. After a stay in a drug rehab center, he has to serve a house-arrest sentence. Arrow and Mia’s life will never be the same again but can Mia help him and identify the person responsible for the accident?

Overall, this story was intense, emotional and tragic. So don’t expect funny banter between students ! My main issue is that I never really could connect with the characters. Their interactions felt a bit superficial. The story ended rather abruptly, but on a note of hope for Arrow and Mia. I look forward to reading more about them in the next book in this series.

ARC kindly provided by Season Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

I'm sad I didn't like this book. I know how Lexi Ryan can capture my attention with her ability to create intense and complex situation but it didn't worked for me.

First Spinning out grabbed my attention by his cover. I'm a cover whor*, always will be. Then the fact that she wrote a new series was intriguing. I loved her Here and now Series and I enjoyed her Real & Reckless one so I was all in.

I have two majors issues with Spinning Out: the book was depressing ALL THE TIME and I didn't get the attraction between Mia & Arrow :(

When I finished reading I told myself that I never, not once smiled while reading. The subject and what happened in the read is sad, both MC feels guilty for their own reasons but there are no light moment, not once.

Lexi built her story so you discover the plot between the past and the present and you're given pieces of what this is all about and also everyone's connections. While I thought it was a good idea at the beginning, it became frustrating after a few parts because there wasn't enough explanations about the attraction of Mia & Arrow.
I felt like they met, they feel a pull towards each other and one wants the other so bad he doesn't see anyone else. I didn't buy it. Even in their time together, I didn't buy their attraction.

In the book there is a quote that was perfect for my thoughts of the book:

"As has always been the case with us, so much is spoken with what’s unspoken"

That being said, I'm still going to follow Lexi's next book about Christopher. She gave us a glimpse of what is going to be and I'm very curious.

~ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review ~

2✨

Mia and Arrow’s story is not a fluffy romance. The two of them are drowning in self-loathing and guilt surrounding a mysterious hit-and-run that left Mia’s boyfriend comatose and her brother dead. Each cope with tragedy in their own ways, and the inner monologues about their guilt was just too much. I get a little bit of guilt and anger surrounding tragic accidents, but over 50 % of this book is will they, won’t they, no they hate themselves too much and want to punish themselves.

Not to mention, Mia is not the best FMC. She was in love with another man while in a committed relationship. Yes she doesn’t physically cheat on him and (spoiler, I guess?) her boyfriend cheated on her multiple times while they were together. Does that make emotional cheating okay? No. She clearly loved - and admitted to loving - Arrow but stayed with Brogan because he was “safe” (yet no he wasn’t because he cheated on her.) Mia is also a horrible friend to Bailey and is entirely selfish in the majority of her actions. I don’t usually hate cheating in books but this was done in such a hypocritical way that it didn’t sit well with me.

There is also a heavy undertone of slu*t shaming in this book and “saving yourself for marriage” messages and how it’s wrong if you don’t that just didn’t belong in the type of romance book Lexi Ryan seemed to be trying to write.

The saving graces of this book, and what made it 2 stars for me, was the mystery surrounding who was driving that night and the multiple timelines. The present timeline in the book was so slow, drawn out, and awfully boring. I finished the book to find out who was driving.

Okay, before I continue with my review Rant, I'm going to say that I'm going to try Lexi Ryan's other books because they look interesting, but this one was just...ugh.

I'm going to Try to keep it short because I need to go to sleep (Please excuse my lack of punctuation and occasional spelling/grammatical error. This book just lifts all of my Feels):

The Characters and their many attributes:

Mia--the girl that everyone calls beautiful and smart, yet she spends most of the book not being very smart. Apparently, all that is needed to be smart in this book is the mention that she wants to be a lawyer and she's studied in the library a couple of times. But also, I mean, she GOT BACK TOGETHER WITH HER BOYFRIEND AFTER SHE SAW HIM GETTING A blow j*b FROM ANOTHER GIRL BECAUSE SHE FELT BAD THAT HE HAD SELF-ESTEEM ISSUES. POOR BABY!! . This girl's chip is bigger than the fact that her brother and boyfriend were either hurt or killed in such a horrible accident. Also, she was basically an object in this book. She was a thing for these boys to fight over. Hey, let's lose our virginity to my boyfriend's best friend because I'm secretly in love with him even though I told him I was saving myself, but let's not tell him I'm a virgin, because, surprise, he might want to do the honorable thing and stop. But you don't want him to stop because you kind of sort of enjoy the attention from these two guys.

Arrow--Tortured, rich, dark, moody new adult love interest. I mean, I'm usually okay with this, but like, he was all over the place. At first, he was a dick, then he was so passionately in love with Mia (within the span of like a chapter) that I had to add some of that sugary sweetness to my coffee. Also, Mia isn't my favourite character, but like, dude. Seriously. I get the whole fight for your love thing (hoorah!), but respect the girl's choices, too. Arrow was a hot mess who couldn't decide between being a complete asshole or a complete cinnamon roll.

Bronan--I swear, when I first read his name I spent way too much time making bro jokes. I'm probably a horrible person for joking about this because of what happens to him after the accident. But here's one of the things I disliked most about this book: Bronan and how he was a victim of that thing people do when they make the dead, or half-dead into saints. Which I find ironic because they mention it in this book and then proceed to completely do just what they said they wouldn't do. Bronan was an ASSHOLE. He was not "one of the great ones." For all the talk these characters did of how great this guy was, I only saw mainly his worst attributes displayed in this book. I think there were about two things mentioned in this book that showed how good of a guy he was. He was abusive--physically (before the accident), and emotionally because he totally f*cks with Mia's guilt over not giving him her virginity. He was a cheater--and he even excused it by whining about how Mia looked at Arrow, or by saying he had low self-esteem so he HAD to cheat, besides, Mia wasn't giving it to him, so why not? He put Mia in danger by drinking and driving, and then proceeded to drink even more while in the driver's seat.

Bailey-- Not a lot to say about her, mainly just that she's that cliche bestie who works in a strip club and loves sex and is barely given any dimension because this story is all about Mia and Arrow. I mean, who needs to give side characters, who are best friends, a storyline that doesn't include sex and a wronged potential lover? Also, really salty about how she's all okay with Mia and Bronan.

Mia's brother, Nic--For all the talk Mia did about her brother's reformed ways, she sure talked a lot about him and his drugs. What was her brother like? Over-protective? Okay, awesome tell me more! He was...older than her? Oh, cool, what else? Um...Mia is grieving but while so much attention is given to Bronan and his situation, Mia does exactly what she accuses everyone else of doing to her brother--she mentions his negative attributes and barely describes what he was like beyond the drugs. Okay, cool, he got out of jail, but what did he do after?

Overall, the story, in my opinion, is a hot mess. The mystery in the story is casually mentioned and then is revealed in a way that makes you wonder how people didn't solve it earlier. The familial relationships were so easily fix, or were just casually fixed because it was simply time to just have some sense of closure. Man, that was funny how characters spent a good chunk of the book bitching about their parents and, oh, look, it's all good now since we fixed sh*t in a chapter or in like a paragraph. All's forgotten! The past? What's that?

Finally, the drama. Oh. My. God. The. Drama. Let's not mention the addition of a random male character who is added to make the protagonist slightly confused emotionally (but hey, not really, because even though she said she's not interested and she's dealing with her grief, he still asks her out. So classy.). Or, how about the angst thrown in near the end because the Good Guy has to do The Right Thing (T.M.). But finally, let's not forget the suddenly bitchy rags to riches side-character who's thrown into the mix to add some lovely slu*t shaming. Hey, why not?

I'm just. Ugh.

Okay, this rant has gone on longer than anticipated. I love new adult and romance novels, but this was just a collection of everything I dislike in this genre and age group. This book just has me so bitter and I'm so disappointed in the overall rating this book has. So disappointed.

Happy reading!

Tava muito sem vontade de ler, mas acabei pegando esse livro de uma autora que eu não conhecia e curti bastante. Tanto que li direto, sem parar. Adorei a história, amei os personagens e adorei a escrita da autora. É uma série de 5 livros, todos os caras aparecem nesse primeiro livro e eu fiquei interessada. Agora quero ler os outros.
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I was in a book funk, but I got this book from this author I didn't know and I enjoyed a lot. I read non stop because I just couldn't put it down. I loved the story, the characters and the author's writing. This is part of a series of 5 books, and all the boys made and appearance in this story so I got interested. Now I want to read the rest of it.

ARC received for review

2.5 stars

It feels like it took me forever to read this. It was a great idea, but so depressing. Plus the BFF, Bailey, was over the top slu*tty, and there was no resolution to Bailey's relationship with her on again off again boyfriend. The best part was the last 5 chapters. There are lots more hunky football players to read about. And up next is Chris who I want to know more about, so I'll give her another chance.

4/5 Stars

If you fancy a romance book that is heavy on angst, then this book is definitely for you. The story got me falling in love with the characters. Mia Mendez and Arrow Woodison are definitely the book couple anyone would be rooting for. Their love story is a bit messy and complicated in a way that so many obstacles were in between them, including Brogan who played a very important role in the book. Family drama, a little bit of love triangle, and a series of emotional, tear-jerking scenes that will crush your hearts-- this is Spinning Out by Lexi Ryan. The romance in this book was slow-burn and one thing I would have wished should be longer after-conflict romantic scenes between Mia and Arrow which would have proved and convinced that their relationship is strong and working out well after the storm. But as a whole, the story is beautiful and will surely be glued in my mind for a long period of time.

3.5 stars

Predictable, but overall enjoyable.

Woah. What angst.

This one started off a little slow for me. There was a lot unknown about the night of the accident and I'm not a big fan of so many flashbacks. But when things started to really unveil, that's when things really started heating up.

I really loved how Arrow had such unrequited feelings for Mia and the barriers that kept them from being together. It's been a while since I've read a book about the hero yarning for the heroine.

I'm normally a series freak, I love to binge them, but I don't know how far I'll get in this one unless the next one really wows me.

So here’s what happened …. I read book two of the series, Rushing in, last year for a blog tour. If you read the review you will know that I f*ckING LOVED IT. And I meant to go back to book one, Spinning Out, and then life happened or something and out of nowhere, book three, Going Under is happening and I’m like whaaaaaaaaaaat … but wait, life again and book FOUR, Falling Hard is coming up for promo and #anxiety And then the best thing happened … I met Lexi Ryan in person a couple of weeks ago at the Romantic Times Convention and got to spend some time with her chatting about books and life! *happy sigh* ( she is BEYOND lovely) SO, I get back from the convention and #bingereading began! :)

So I’m gonna roll these last four books out for you in one review by saying Lexi is CRAZY WITH HER WORDS! Lol

1.The #f*ckingFeels have #Feels that sometimes have #Feels (I aint even playin)
2.She loooooooooooooooooves her triangles that sometimes are possibly pentagons hiding in a hexagon (I’m seriously not playin)
3.Her books are NOT short so prepare yourself :) But every word in her books means something. Every event will lead to something. But pay attention because she’s crazy with her words ;)
4.No matter where YOU are in life, these stories will touch you. They will resonate in your heart and it will sing! LOUD. You may not prefer New Adult (as I mostly do not) but you will still love the heck out of these kids. And you will root for them. EVERY.STEP.OF.THE.WAY. #TRUST
5. This series is more than just a series of HEAs … It’s a series of friendship and family. It’s a series of growth and forgiveness and redemption. It’s a series of regrets and broken promises. There are twist and turns and sometimes some cliff diving that will keep you glued to your kindle. I promise you this! But most of all it is a story of love and unity and cohesiveness and trust!

So I’m not going back and doing an individual review of the stories I haven’t reviewed but I will say that ….

•Arrow and Mia, you weighed heavy on my heart. Your road was not an easy road for such young kids but you made it just fine to the other side! Well done!
•Grace, you touched my heart the hardest. I’m really happy you found Chris to stand by you, but I’m even happier you learned to stand on your own!
•Alexandra, I am in awe of you and you inspire me. You touched my soul the hardest. Your journey is/was unfathomable to me and you made it to the other side tall and strong.
•Emma and Keegan … If I had to read a story after yours right now I just would not be able to. Keegan, you are inspiring to all young men out there! I wish more read romance fiction because you are and exceptional young man! Emma … your journey gutted me from beginning to end. I saw it all coming and I was powerless to the havoc it playing in my heart. I cannot think of a more deserving couple than you two for a second chance at getting it right. #ditto <3

Okay, so this turned out a little longer than I expected but I mean every word. These are NOT just sports romance stories and these are NOT just new adult stories. You just have to trust me on the power that Lexi Ryan has with a pen!

Spinning Out (The Blackhawk Boys #1) by Lexi Ryan was a good start into a new series. It was my first book by this author and I liked it.

The author makes drawing complicated relationship strings amongst the characters look easy and I can easily see some of the content of the next books.

But some of the characters are very deeply developed – others not so much – unfortunately just some of the more important ones were less developed than some of the secondary. So the balance felt a little of for me.

The basic plot twist is quite easy to guess when you think about it for a minute – drawing the conclusion though might take you a minute or so.

There are quite a lot of clichés hiding under the surface of the plot but they are worked nicely into the story. But some things you should better not wonder about – like the reasons for some of the stuff that is happening.

Just like with some movies – sometimes is better to not dig to deep into the story and simply take stuff at face value. And doing that – this book works out nicely.

It was easy to understand the dynamics of the group and feel with the leading characters.

And there were really some wise text passages in some of the chapters that deserve to be quoted – but would give away to much of the plot so I refrain from doing so.

I am looking forward to reading the next books of this series as I see some interesting plots in the future.

I am a huge Lexi Ryan fan so I was super excited to start this new series! And that cover—wowza!

This story was extremely intense and made me feel all the feels! It was actually much more powerful than I expected, though I shouldn’t have been surprised since Ms. Ryan always makes me feel!

We meet Mia.

“She’s not living. She’s surviving.”

After going through more than any one person should have to endure, she is just going through the motions and doing the best she can.

Until he came home…

Arrow. I adored him. Even when he was cold, I understood where he was coming from.

“This nightmare my life has become – having her so close and knowing she can’t ever be mine. This isn’t heaven or hell. It’s f*cking purgatory.”

The connection between these two was electric! You could feel it through the pages. I enjoyed every minute of this story and cannot wait Chris’ story next! I hope we get a Bailey/Mason story too! ~ Tiffany, 4.5 stars

3-2.5 Stars!
I really liked this book until around 70% and then after the reveal later I almost quit reading it. I couldn't stand either one of them the last 20%! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!

Will I be continuing on with this series? Probably. Loved these boys and hopefully it won't be as bad as this one. lol

Whew......what a rollercoaster ride this book became! I didn't even know what to expect when I started it.

Mia is suffering terribly.After a horrible accident which takes her brother, Nic's, life and severely injures her boyfriend, Brogan, she has sunk so low that it appears there's no recovering from this tragedy.

As she takes on a nanny position to make money, she is barely living a life. Enter Arrow (love that name)! Arrow has been suffering also.....you see, Brogan was his best friend, and the guilt is heavy all the way around in this book. With a promising future in football, he goes off the deep end and manages to significantly screw his life up.

Without giving away too much and spoiling anything, this story jumps from present to past and that it where we see how everything actually played out. Wow.....so much heartache.

While there was a little bit of predictability to this story, I wasn't exactly right in what I was thinking, so great job to Lexi Ryan for fooling me!!

If youlikedthe Wrecked and Ruined Series by Aly Martinez, you will really like this book too! I'm looking forward to the continuing series, and even though there's been a lot of bashing of Bailey (Mia's best friend), I think there is more to her story which I'll be anxious to read about. Not to mention Chris, Mason, and Keegan's stories!

Too much drama.

First, I want to say that I promised myself I wouldn't read another book until December. The fact that I just can't keep a promise to myself is just... sad. I am really dissapointed on me.

About the plot:
-Boy (Arrow) meets Girl (Mia).
-Boy's best friend (Brogan) asks Girl out.
-Girl says yes. Girl liked Boy better, but Boy's best friend sounds reliable.
-Let's not forget that Girl is beautiful. That's why both Boy and Boy's best friend like her.
-Boy falls in love with Girl.
-Boy's best friend cheats on girl. Girl sees it.
-Girl rushes to Boy's.
-Girl has sex with Boy, even when he tells her that she is going to regret it.
-Girl gets back together with Boy's best friend, after he cheated. And she saw it. (I hate cheaters, and I just don't understand how can someone forgive such a thing).
-Boy's best friend dies.
-Girl and Boy are miserable.
-Girl and Boy get together, because they have always been in love with each other. Even though Girl dated Boy's best friend for a freaking year.

I realize that there may be a few spoilers in the plot. I just couldn't help myself.

All in all, it was good. Too much drama, like I said before. And I really think Arrow would have been better with other girl (he deserves better).

3.5 Stars

The first in a new series and I'm into it! Lots of angst and emotions so if that's not your thing, you may not enjoy this one. Very sexy and angsty. Really interesting story with lots of layers. Emotional, tragic yet at times funny and sweet. I really enjoyed it and recommend it if you're ok with angst!