Nothing But Trouble: an ex-quarterback, his assistant and a love neither of them saw coming

Nothing But Trouble is the first book in the Credence, Colorado series by Amy Andrews. For the past five years, Cecilia “CC” Morgan’s life has revolved around the personal assistant to Wade “The Catapult” Carter, a former NFL quarterback. She has decided she has had enough and prepares to quit, but then his father’s health fails and she finds herself in his hometown. CC will stay, for now, but seeing Wade outside the bright lights of Denver has her thinking things she has no business thinking. CC’s plan to quit throws Wade for a loop as he cannot imagine his life with his “left tackle,” his Girl Friday. Now they are under the same roof in his hometown, bantering like an old married couple, Wade starts to see CC as just more than his assistant. Will Wade open his eyes and his heart to the woman he cannot live without? 

Nothing But Trouble is a sweet romance with a bit of spice as well as great banter, sigh worthy moments and humor. I loved CC and Wade from the moment they appeared on the page and their attraction together is apparent to everyone but them. To see them slowly come to that realization were great moments, especially Wade’s. The moment it hit him brought a smile to  my face and I enjoyed his grand gestures. Yes, multiple. He fumbled a few times. Their supporting characters were awesome too. The small town characters were alive and well in Credence. The family banter, the friendly insults and touching moments helped boost their story. I loved this story and I was sad to see it end; however, I look forward to the rest of this series. If you love a sweet spicy romance with great moments, I highly recommend Nothing But Trouble. 

Nothing But Trouble is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Something Like Hate: an enemies to lovers football romance

Something Like Hate is the first book in the Chicago Grizzlies series by Piper Rayne. Miles Cavanaugh is the best safety in the league and when he was traded to the Chicago Grizzlies, Bryce Burns was ecstatic. She couldn’t be happier. They have had a love-hate relationship since college. Finally, she has breathing room. That is until she lands her dream job with a national sport magazine in Chicago. The city is big enough for both of them…right? The best laid plans soon go awry when she temporarily takes over reporting on the Chicago Grizzlies which means traveling with the team, interviewing the players and all with an all-access pass. Miles and Bryce decide to play nice for the sake of both of their jobs. However, they soon realize that the attraction between them is stronger than their mutual hate. 

The Chicago Grizzlies series is a spin off of the Kingsmen Football Stars series and picks up after that series ends. Something Like Hate is a spicy enemies to lovers romance. Bryce is a nonsense reporter so calls it how she sees it, regardless of the players’ ego. Miles takes criticism very seriously and he is still steaming from an article Bryce wrote in college. However, he feels drawn to her as she builds a fire under his feet to be better, to do better. As they spend time together, they both realize there is more to the other than meets the eye. Miles isn’t your typical football player and Bryce is fighting past hurts. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this series and I look forward to the rest of the series. If you enjoy enemies to lovers, football romance, I highly recommend Something Like Hate. 

Something Like Hate is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Me and Mr Just Right: a messy public break up, an escape and a forced proximity rom com

Me and Mr Just Right is the first book in the Enchanted Forresters series by Kaylee Baldwin. Singer/songwriter Aurelia “Lia” Halifax needs to flee from the spotlight. After a messy public break up and a betrayal, she seeks an escape at an Alaskan island. It was perfect. Deserted with minimal communication. The island isn’t as deserted as she wanted and she is surprised when three hot brothers arrive. To say they weren’t happy would be an understatement. When a sudden storm hits, they are stranded on the island together. Haydn, the oldest brother, is a photographer, and the kind of person she was hoping to avoid. Soon, she is inspired to write again by Hayden and feelings she never thought she would feel again. However, trust isn’t going to come easy for Lia especially when Hayden has a secret, a secret that could be behind the biggest betrayal of all. 

Me and Mr Just Right is a cute sweet rom-com with great banter and humorous moments. They were great characters but with not a lot of depth. The story wasn’t filled with a lot of romance but Lia and Haydn together were sweet. The interactions between the brothers were fun and filled with sibling squabbles. There wasn’t much to the plot and the story behind the betrayal and breakup was obvious and I thought, even in the beginning, that there was more to the situation that Lia knew. The ending was a bit cheesy for me even for a rom com. Overall, the story was fine. However, I was not pulled into the story enough to care about the other characters and I will not be continuing the series. If you like sweet, cute rom com that would be a cozy weekend read, I recommend Me and Mr Just Right. 

Me and Mr Just Right is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Finding Jack: a reverse Rapunzel romance

Finding Jack is the first book in the Fairy Tale Flip series by Melanie Jacobson. Emily Riker is smart and practical. She just landed her dream promotion and is in a steady relationship with her boyfriend, Paul. When she finds herself engaged with an internet prankster, hired by her best friend, her world turns upside down. While at first Emily is annoyed and yet she finds herself drawn to the mystery man on the internet. Jack Dobson has a great sense of humor with a generous spirit and yet he hides a great deal of pain and secrets. As she travels to meet her new friend, their time together is marred with his biggest secret. A secret that might break apart their unique relationship. Can their online flirtation turn into something real? Can one secret break it all apart? 

I opened this book looking for a fun romance with a little bit of heart. It did not live up to expectations. Right off the bat, I did not like Emily. I did not find her relatable. I know I was supposed to hate her boyfriend, Paul, but Emily seemed happy and content with him. I did not like her friend, Ranee, as she started the pranks and did not stop when she was told to. I did not find any humor or fun in this story. Jack’s secret was very poignant and a very emotional moving moment in the story. However, the story around it fell apart. Overall, I did not enjoy this story and I will not be continuing this series. I do not recommend Finding Jack. 

Finding Jack is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Agony: a football, best friends and secret love

Agony is the first book in the Entangled Hearts Duet by Kaylee Ryan. Cooper Reeves and Reese Latham have been best friends since childhood. They were inseparable until college. Tired of being in the friend zone, she made a move and it didn’t play out the way she had hoped. After college, Cooper plays professional football and leaves Reese behind with a broken heart. What she doesn’t know is that Cooper is in love with her. Refusing to ruin their great friendship, he didn’t act on his feelings. Even when he knew she felt the same, he pushed her away to preserve their friendship. The longer they are apart, the more he realizes that Reese is more than just his best friend but the love of her life. Now she is engaged and the thought of living without her is agony. 

I love football with a friends to lovers romance and Agony was filled with funny friendship banter, romance scenes and plenty of drama. The story quickly moves through Cooper and Reese’s college years. My favorite character was Cooper and while there were moments when I wanted to reach through the book and tell Cooper to just tell Reese the truth, like many of the other characters urged him to do, I understood his fear. I loved their supporting characters who added humor and a dose of reality when needed, even when it is not heeded. I could not put the book down and eagerly read through the day. It does end on a cliffhanger and I am so eager to read the second book for the continuation of Cooper and Reese’s story. I recommend Agony. 

Agony is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Mixtape: a story of grief, healing and strength

The Mixtape by Brittany C Cherry is a story of grief, love and the harsh limelight. Being a part of powerhouse duo, Alex & Oliver was a mixed bag for Oliver. When his twin brother died in a tragic accident, Oliver is caught between pleasing their fans and finding himself. Emery is raising her daughter while struggling to hold down her job as a bartender and keep their apartment. Until Oliver walks into her bar. He is determined to drink his problems away but the fans and the paparazzi won’t let him. Emery helps Oliver lose the mob and when they find themselves alone, they learn they are both walking a path of pain and loss. As they find comfort together and find a hope for their future. Can they survive the harsh criticism of the public? Can their newfound love win over any battle in their personal lives? 

The Mixtape was brought to my attention in an “You May Like” recommendation email. I was intrigued by the premise and eagerly read this story. The opening of the book hooked me and I was ready for a great story. This book has everything, grief, angst and drama except romance. I expected a great and sweet romance between Oliver and Emery. They were great characters and a great couple; however, their romance seemed to be lacking something. There was a lot of drama between Oliver and his ex-girlfriend that his romance with Emery was in the backseat. Overall, while The Mixtape did not have the romance I was expecting, however, I still enjoyed the story of Oliver’s healing from grief and finding himself without his twin brother. I also enjoyed Emery’s strength to fight for her daughter, Reese. If you enjoy a story of grief, healing and strength, I recommend The Mixtape. 

The Mixtape is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Is anxiety a sin?

I came across a TikTok that made the claim that anxiety is a sin. As someone who has anxious moments from time to time and has experience dealing with anxiety in others, I was concerned as well as curious. Is anxiety really a sin? There are numerous verses in Scripture that tell us not to worry. Jesus talks about not worrying many times throughout the gospels. But is worry the same as anxiety? I have always thought worry and anxiety were somewhat different. Worry is defined as feeling troubled about actual or potential problems. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety is defined as “an emotion characterized by apprehension and somatic symptoms of tension in which an individual anticipates impending danger, catastrophe, or misfortune.”  Is anxiety a sin? In what context can anxiety be sinful? What do we do with anxiety when we experience it? 

According to John Piper (2014), yes it is as Paul says Philippians 4:11-13 that we must learn contentment in our circumstances and trust in God. He cites Matthew 6:25 in which Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry about our lives, our food, drink or our body. Jesus concludes this lesson on worry with “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). According to Mr. Piper, “the physical brain and the spiritual soul are interdependent in ways that we cannot fully see” and since the spiritual and the physical are connected, as we grow in faith, the less anxiety we can experience” (2014). Anxious thoughts can trigger the fight or flight stress response in our bodies. And if we are in constant fight or flight mode, the stress can wear down our bodies and can mimic serious conditions like heart attacks and digestive issues. This has been true for me in many aspects; however, I think anxiety goes a bit deeper than that. 

According to Joe Carter (2019) of The Gospel Coalition, if anxiety is a sin depends on the context. Fear and anxiety can have four types. First, it could be a God-given emotional response for our benefit. Anxiety is an emotional response to a real or perceived future threat. A warning system of impending danger for survival. This could not be perceived as a sin. Second, it could be clinical anxiety. Clinical anxiety is a disordered physiological response. A malfunction that can be debilitating and interferes with daily functions such as eating, sleeping and social interactions. This could not be perceived as a sin. Third, anxiety could be the result or natural consequence of sinful behavior. For example, some long term recreational drug use can lead to the development of anxiety disorders. Another example is someone with a gambling addiction and then worries about paying their bills. Lastly, anxiety could be a sinful response to God’s providential care. This anxiety results because an individual has a lack of trust in God. This is what Jesus is referring to in Luke 12:22-30 and Matthew 6:25-34 when he teaches about worry. 

So which type are we dealing with? When we encounter anxiety in other people, we need to be careful how we approach it because we do not know which type someone is dealing with. Proverbs 12:25 says that “an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” If you come across a person who is dealing with anxiety, speak softly with comforting words. Do not assume someone’s anxiety is due to sin when it could easily not be due to sin. However, when we are dealing with anxiety ourselves, we can have a clearer picture of our circumstances. We should search our hearts and examine our emotions to determine whether our anxiety is stemming from something we cannot control or it is connected to sinful behavior. If the anxiety is due to a psychological stressor, we can learn the various breathing techniques to help relieve the physiological response such as the Box Breathing technique. Box Breathing is inhaling for 4 counts, holding the breath for 4 counts, exhaling for 4 counts and holding again for 4 counts.

In conclusion, a blanket comment that anxiety is a sin can be damaging and simply wrong. Can anxiety be the result of sin? Yes. Is all anxiety sinful? No. It is important to remember to never assume someone’s anxiety is due to sin. So, what can we do? In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells us to “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Simply, turn your anxiety into prayers. Take your concerns to God and open your heart to him about your worries and concerns. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Let God shine a light on where our anxiety can be the result of sin and let him take it away if it is not. 

References

American Psychological Association. Anxiety. https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety. Retrieved January 18, 2026.

Carter, Joe (March 26m 2019). Ask TGC: Is Anxiety a Sin? The Gospel Coalition.  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/ask-tgc-anxiety-sin/. Retrieved January 7, 2026.

Piper, John (February 19, 2014) Anxiety: Sin, Disorder or Both. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/anxiety-sin-disorder-or-both. Retrieved January 7, 2026.