This was such a fun miscommunication/enemies to lovers book. The main characters were witty and their verbal sparring was on point. The chemistry between the characters was crackling and when they finally get together, implode, then reconcile was electric. I loved the side characters in the story and can’t wait for the next book because this series was on par with Elle Kennedy or Lauren Blakely.
The narrators were perfect for this story. They kept it lively and interesting and really felt like they fit the characters.

ALC-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, slow-burn spice, and the banter is EVERYTHING. Jake’s grumpy charm vs. Harper’s sass kept me laughing and swooning, and the ranch setting gave it all the cozy small-town vibes. The audiobook narration by Andi Arndt and Sean Masters really brought the tension and chemistry to life. Sweet, steamy, and totally unputdownable—definitely a 4-star listen!

🎧🎧🎧
📚SCORE TO SETTLE by Bella North
🎤Duet narration by Andi Arndt & Sean Masters
💘 Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for this ALC

audio: 5/5
story: 3.5/5
overall: 4/5

What I loved:
-fun dynamic with the football star x journalist writing a story on him
-good twists to the story that I wasn’t expecting while also sweet & wholesome
-fall football setting but also small town vibes, very cozy
-audio was immaculate with duet narration, and they were both sooooo good

Otherwise, I do wish the FMC was a bit more.. confident? Which is ironic coming from me, but I think I just like to read fmcs I don’t always see myself in lol. I also think it quickly went to them hooking up, I wish there was just a bit more tension and build up in this scenario.

Overall a great read and I’m happy to have received this ALC - I am looking forward to the rest of the series. And if they’re all duet narration, I am even more sold. I just know Dylan’s story is going to be good and ohhhh Chase I love you already.

This book was cute. I liked the concept and it reminded me of Taylor swift and Travis kelce a bit. Jake was the perfect boyfriend for most of the book which made what happened at the end of the book feel out of character and unnecessary. Harper was sweet but had terrible friends. The third act breakup was the worst part of this book. I liked the audiobook and I liked most of the book

Score to Settle is the first sports romance in the Oakwood Ranch series. Harper Cassidy is determined to make a name for herself in the journalistic world after being let go from her dream job in NYC. Her latest assignment has her going to back to her past and shadowing football star, Jake Sullivan. The same Jake Sullivan that she had a crush on in high school. Jake has a reputation of being a playboy and in hopes of clearing his name he’s agreed to a story on him written by none other than Harper. Forced to face her past in order to succeed at her future Harper moves into Oakwood Ranch with Jake to get the best story possible. Will she be able to forget the past or will those old feelings read their heads as she follows Jake for the story?

Sports romance is my go to romance category and I thought with football season starting this was a good one to read next. It held my interest from the beginning and I enjoyed the history between Jake and Harper and how everything was woven together. I found this to be a fast read that was easy to get into. The characters were good and I liked getting to know some of the side characters. I definitely see potential for more on this series and look forward to what might come next. If you are looking for an easy to get into sports romance this is a good one to check out.

This was a very fun novel! The main characters, Harper and Jake, were likeable and interesting. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrators, Andi Arndt and Shawn Masters, were awesome. I believe their narration may have enhanced the reading experience for me. Although I have read some other stories where the playboy player needed help to fix his reputation, this one was still engaging. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sport romances and forced proximity. I will definitely be picking up more of Bella North’s novels in the future. Thanks NetGalley, Bella North and Bookouture Audio for this ARC.

I saw this was a sports romance, then I saw the narrators and I instantly signed up! The narration by Andi Arndt and Sean Masters is absolutely top tier. They brought Harper and Jake to life in a way that made this story easy to listen to, engaging and so much fun.

I loved the banter between Harper and Jake, and I’m always a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope. Add in the second chance angle, a little forced proximity and a slow burn that keeps you hooked and this debut hit all the right notes for me.

A great debut novel from Bella North and I’ll definitely be coming back for more from the Oakwood Ranch series!

✨ Thank you to Bella North and NetGalley for providing me with this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book and all of its glory!! The high school football star has the heart of the school nerd and doesn’t even know it. Years later they are reunited when she has to report a story on him and his career.

It is the perfect amount of spice, banter, and love all wrapped into one. I would recommend this book if you love football and second chance romance. I wish i would have been able to read the article she had written about him, i think it would have added to the end of the story. But everything else is perfect!

Andi Arndt? Absolutely YES. Every time YES.

So that's how I ended up listening to the audio version of Score to Settle. I'm so happy too because it was so freaking good.

Harper is chosen to write an article on Jake. THE Jake, the jake that she had a MAJOR crush on in high school but who was two years older than her and was not interested at all. Maybe he won't remember her. HAHAHAHAHA

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and the author for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.

Harper get's a surprise assignment to profile NFL superstar Jake Sullivan. There are only two problems. First, that she doesn't know a touchdown from a touchback. And second, that she holds a grudge against Jake for sharing the article she wrote about him in high school that she'd left anonymously in his locker with the entire student body so they could laugh at it. Harper thinks this is her chance to expose the real Jake Sullivan, but she's about to discover she was all wrong about him.

Read if you like:
-High School Crush turned Lover
-Sports Romance
-Off Limits/Secret Relationship
-Grudges
-Flawed Impressions
-She Crushed First Then, He Fell First Now

Score to Settle was such a fun book. I think most of us have something that happened in high school that we would want a chance to do over. I know I do. And Harper got that chance for all of us. She also got the chance to stand up to her ex and alter her relationship with her dad. Okay, so maybe things between Harper and her dad still have a ways to go, but he's starting to change. I loved watching both Jake and Harper letting their walls down as the book progressed. But perhaps the most satisfying part of the book was Jake and his brother finally talking about what happened last season.

I read both the ebook and audio and loved having that dual experience. The audiobook narrators really brought out the emotions for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

First of all, it’s duet narration, so that’s amazing. Like it says, if you are loving the Taylor and Travis story, you will probably like this one. No, she’s not a singer. But they’re both past college adults vs high school or college age.

If I’m going to be picky (and I will because this is my review), I actually felt his voice was too deep for the character.

Overall, really enjoyed it and would recommend to all my football loving ladies.

I received this book as an ALC (audiobook) from NetGalley.

Harper had a crush on the older Jake in High School. To him, she didn't exist...or did she?

They reconnect years later...and their story really begins. If you like Sport Romance, you will likely enjoy this series.

The audiobook was a Duet Narration, by well known narrators, and they did not disappoint.
I would recommend this audiobook/book.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 if it were an option)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

*Review posted on Goodreads and in FB Groups*

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)

Okay, so Score to Settle was a fun little rollercoaster. Bella North’s writing has that cheeky, tongue-in-cheek vibe that makes even the more chaotic bits entertaining.

The banter? Loved it. The romance? Slow-burn-y with just enough sass to keep me grinning. The pacing, though… sometimes it zoomed ahead and other times it slowed a little like it was on a Sunday stroll. Hence the 3.5 stars.

One thing I really have to shout out though: the narrators. They were brilliant and brought the characters to life, nailed the sass, and made the fun bits even funnier. Definitely bumped up my enjoyment.

Overall, it’s not flawless, but it’s fun, quirky, and definitely worth a read if you like your sports rom-coms with a dash of drama and a heroine who doesn’t always play by the rules.

🌶️🌶️

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Light and easy story where the characters were easy to root for. Features funny interactions, sweet moments and low drama. AUDIOBOOK ALERT!! Duet narration, I repeat, FANTASTIC duet narration. I loved it.

This fun sports romance about enemies-to-lovers set against the backdrop of the NFL. This book, the first in the Oakwood Ranch series, is a charming and quick read. I would definitely recommend this read.

​The plot is engaging with the development of its two main characters. While the initial reason for the female lead's animosity towards the male lead felt immature, this premise actually allows both characters to show growth throughout the story. Watching them navigate their giid and bad feelings for each other is a satisfying. I appreciated the bit of diversity with the family and friends in the story.

​I was looking for make-up romance scene at the end as that is what you typically expect in a romance. Additionally, I could have done without the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce references, especially with the female lead wearing red lipstick to the games and sitting in the box with the male lead's mom.

​Despite these minor critiques, Score to Settle is an excellent choice for a cozy night in. I initially picked it up intending to read just a few chapters, but I was so invested that I ended up finishing the entire book in one sitting. I’m already looking forward to the next books in the Oakwood Ranch series.

Score to Settle by Bella North

It is a romance between a football star MMC who has ‘Rhys from ACOTA’ looks (Im sold from here) and sport magazine reporter FMC. They went to the same high school and the their conflict starts from there.

I listened to the audiobook, and from the very beginning I found myself wondering, who is this male narrator? His voice was incredible! Deep, emotional, and completely fitting for the story.
The plot was somewhat expected, but in a good way. It gave me exactly the kind of enjoyable, comforting romance I was looking for.

The chemistry builds gradually, leading to a spicy element later on, but it never felt overwhelming. Overall, it was a fun and engaging listen.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ALC copy. This is my honest review.

Harper & Jake are forced into 5 weeks together on his family ranch so she can write an article on the “Real Jake”. His reputation is in need of a rehab, and her job security is on the line.
It’s a slow burn but worth it to see their friendship develop first. Harper has to thaw and Jake needs to let his walls down. I loved seeing their preconceived notions crumble as they spent more and more time together.

Also Mama is a gem. She gives me Donna Kelce vibes!

There is a 3rd act breakup and I won’t lie… it made me roll my eyes. The way Jake and Harper never face things head on and lash out at each other got old. I’m choosing to believe they eventually get over doing this in their HEA 😅 the only redemption is it got everything out in the open, including Jake to finally resolve things with his brother.

Overall it was a very cute book and I look forward to more stories from Bella North!

Sean Masters and Andi Arndt narrate this in duet style. Andi is a seasoned pro and was a great Harper. Sean is a new to me voice and his deep timbre fit Jake perfectly. The only critique I have is I wish he would annunciate a little more. Some of the words sounded slurred but it definitely didn’t detract from the story. I listened at 1.25x so maybe it was user error too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bella North, and Bookouture Audio for the early copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC. This was quite painful because of the characters. Harper held on to a long time grudge. It was so childish that I found myself dreaming of this ending. Not for me.

4.5⭐️😍 Thank you Bookouture for this ALC!

I love a duet narration anyway but the narrators for this were both really good!!!!

I loved this story it was fab! Perfect fix for those who love sports romance for fans of things such as the windy city series but with American football!

I loved the characters, the plot, the spice 😍
Jake is the perfect book boyfriend!!

Will 100% be recommending this to my booktok friends!!!
🏈🩷

TROPES I LOVED:
🌶️ Enemies-to-lovers
🌶️ Forced proximity
🌶️ Sports romance
🌶️ Grumpy sunshine
🌶️ Slow burn
🌶️ Workplace romance (sports star 🏈 vs journalist 🖋️)
🌶️ Found family
Review:
Bella North nailed it with this one. I adored this story—it gave me total Never Been Kissed vibes with the newspaper/journalist angle, and I was hooked from the start.
The audiobook was a standout! The dual narration was beautifully done, and honestly? Hearing Jake's voice in my ears was a full-on experience. The narrators brought so much emotion and chemistry—it made the story hit even harder.
Now let’s talk characters:
Jake is so much more than a star football player. He’s compassionate, grounded, and deeply invested in helping others, especially kids dealing with loss. That man has a massive heart, and it showed in all the best ways.
Harper stole my heart too. I loved her resilience, her passion, and her slow journey back to love. That said, I do wish she’d stood up for herself sooner—especially when it came to her dad. Her insecurities were understandable but tough to watch at times.
Overall, this was a sweet, heartfelt, and totally swoony romance. If you’re into sports romances with substance and chemistry, definitely give this one a shot.
And the audiobook? Absolute 🔥🔥🔥. Highly recommend!