Blog Hop & Giveaway: Celebrating Romance Reads with Kate MCCarthy and the XOXperts!

by Reviews by Tammy and Kim - Saturday, August 15, 2015

I am so excited to be celebrating Read-A-Romance Month with you, my fellow XOXperts, and one of my all-time favorite authors, Kate McCathy.

The End Game is the epitome of romance. Brody & Jordan the definition. Their journey may not have been all unicorns and glittery rainbows, but their absolute love for one another is definitely one for the books. I know somewhere along the way I fell pretty damn hard for soccer's golden girl and footballs bad boy. And what a better way to spend a Friday evening than with this power couple. I am so excited to be sharing bits and pieces of Brody and Jordan with you today as they sit down for a chat and a drink with little ole’ me.

I’ve just settled into the booth at the bar opposite Brody and Jordan. I’m a little flustered, having encountered traffic and a little old lady with a rampaging case of road rage. Now I’m seated across from two of the most athletic people I’ve ever had the fortune (or misfortune to meet because right now, sadly, I’m feeling the need to do a few push ups or Olympic sprints to prove myself). Jordan Elliott is a star soccer player and Brody is well…Brody Madden. A delicious six foot two inch wide receiver with muscled shoulders so broad I just feel the need to pinch myself because Jordan’s watching me like I’m about to have a stroke over her boyfriend.

I do just that, giving my thigh a sharp pinch where no one can see to bring myself out of the Brody trance. Nothing like a twenty something year old football player making you feel like quite the cougar!

“Sorry I’m late,” I mutter, trying desperately to catch the eye of the waitress. They’re halfway through their own drinks already and here I am—late, a sweat-dampened mess, and drooling over a football star like I’ve never seen one before in my life.

Well I haven’t, actually. Not in the flesh, and let me just add, the flesh is spectacular.

The waitress arrives, I order a drink, and with introductions and some small chit chat dispensed with, I rummage through my bag for my iPad, call up my notes, and clear my parched throat. Where is that damn waitress with my drink?

“Thanks for taking the time for this interview with Reviews by Tammy & Kim today.”

Brody winks and I flush, I freaking flush. “It’s our pleasure, Tammy.”

Oh good lord, what a sweetheart. I’ve never been really religious but thank you, Jesus, for creating this man and this moment. So I could ramble and babble, which I did a bit of during the interview, but you don’t need to hear how I made an idiot of myself! Here is how it went down.

Me: Would you say you have any special skills or talents?

Brody: Besides being good in bed?

Jordan: *shakes head*

Brody: What?

Jordan: Maybe answering with football would have been a less egotistical option?

Brody: Why do you always have to be so wordy? Ok then. I’m good at listening to Jordan when she tells boring stories.

Jordan: *gasps* Boring?

Brody: Would you prefer I lie?

Me: *clears throat* Moving on. Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Jordan: Cadbury Caramello.

Me: What’s that?

Jordan: It’s a family block of chocolate with oozing caramel on the inside.

Brody: That is so not your guilty pleasure.

Jordan: Oh? *folds arms* What is then?

Brody: Chris Hemsworth. You basically lick the screen whenever an image of him pops up on your Facebook newsfeed.

Jordan: So you’re saying my guilty pleasure is licking images of Chris Hemsworth?

Brody: Yes, that’s what I’m saying.

Me: You sound a bit jealous, Brody?

Brody: *silence*

Me: Would you say you have a certain type of reputation?

Brody: *goes to speak*

Jordan: I’ll answer this one. Reputation can be made and destroyed in a matter of minutes. It’s strength of character that lasts a lifetime.

Me: Did you want to expand on that, Jordan?

Jordan: No, not really.

Me: What’s the weirdest text you’ve ever received from each other?

Jordan: *laughs* Brody drunk texts alllllll the time.

Brody: It’s true. I do.

Me: So what’s the funniest he’s sent?

Jordan: *gets out phone* Here.

Jordan showed me a screenshot which I’ve shared below.

Brody: She left me there in the garden.

Jordan: I did. I found him passed out under the azalea bush with his phone plastered to his left cheek.

Me: Oh my god! *laughs*

Brody: She still loves me.

Jordan: I do.

Me: Name a place on your body where you are most ticklish?

Jordan: Ribs

Brody: In between my toes.

Jordan: That’s true. I gave him a foot massage once and he kicked me in the face. Never again.

Me: *laughs* So it’s just you getting the foot massages now, Jordan?

Brody: Yes, but I get other special kinds of massages, so I’m cool with that.

Me: Oh? Do tell.

Brody: Ahhh *scratches chin and eyeballs Jordan* I better not…

Me: Okay, Brody. I have some ‘would you rather’ questions here. Can you read them out to Jordan?

Brody: Sure.

Brody: Would you rather date a good boy or a bad boy?

Brody: Ummm is this a real question? She’s dating me.

Jordan: I think Tammy means if I wasn’t dating you.

Brody: But you are, so the question is void. Moving on.

Jordan: You can’t do that.

Brody: I just did.

Brody: Would you rather kiss my best friend or your best friend of the opposite sex?

Jordan: Oh, so you’re going to let me answer this one?

Brody: Hell yes. I want to know.

Jordan: Well, Jax is your best friend, but he’s also my best friend of the opposite sex.

Brody: So you would rather kiss Jax?

Jordan: Well, not really. It would be like kissing Nicky. Gross.

Brody: *looks smug* I’m going to tell Jax you said that.

Jordan: *shakes head* Just don’t mention anything about bananas.

Brody: One day you’re going to tell me about that private joke.

Me: I’m just going to pipe in here and mention that Nicky is Jordan’s brother.

Jordan: He is, Tammy, so I’m going to say Eddie, Brody’s other best friend.

Brody: *gasps* You would kiss Eddie?

Jordan: I would rather kiss Eddie than Jax. I’m not actually going to kiss him.

Brody: *flares nostrils*

Thankfully the waiter arrived at this point to deliver drinks and defuse the slightly tense atmosphere. Jordan visited the ladies room and Brody treated me to a dissection of the football play airing on the TV by the bar. Jordan returned after five minutes and saved me. Back to the questions.

Brody: This one is easy. Would you rather me lick whipped cream or chocolate off of you?

Jordan: Definitely whipped cream. Brody doesn’t like chocolate.

Me: *mouth falls open* You don’t? Seriously?

Brody: I don’t. And what’s worse, it looks like shit. Have you ever seen a Picnic Bar? Jordan eats them all the time. They look like a poop.

Brody: Would you rather watch porn or a romantic movie with your boyfriend?

Jordan: Definitely romantic. We just recently watched The Age of Adaline and I loved it.

Brody: We did *whispers to me* and don’t tell Jordan but I fell asleep in the last half hour and missed the ending.

Jordan: Brody fell asleep.

Brody: I did not! But if you ask me, I’d rather watch porn but with Jordan in it.

Jordan: What? *looks horrified* You want to watch me in a porno?

Brody: I’d be in it too. A homemade sex tape.

Jordan: I don’t see how you could want to watch yourself having sex.

Brody: I don’t specifically want to watch me, I want to see myself doing you.

Jordan: Oh my god, can we edit this out?
Me: Nope. Sorry.

Brody: Would you rather give up your cell phone or boyfriend?

Jordan: Right now? I’m going to have to say boyfriend.

Brody: Say it ain’t so!

Jordan: Really, Brody. Sex tape?

Brody: Isn’t that a movie with Cameron Diaz? We should watch it.

Me: Okay I have some questions here for you to ask Brody, Jordan.

Jordan: Great!

Jordan: So, what did you really think of me when we first met?

Brody: That you made me hungry.

Jordan: Seriously?

Me: *shakes head* There’s no big romantic story?

Brody: I first saw Jordan in a lecture at college. She was using this vanilla shampoo at the time that smelled like ice cream. It made me hungry.

Me: What about after that?

Brody: Well, actually, Jordan and I got off on the wrong foot.

Jordan: Hmmphf.

Brody: But we started dating that very day.

Me: You work fast, Brody.

Brody: Jordan knows a good thing when she sees it.

I’m just going to state here for the record that I have visual confirmation that Brody really is a ‘good thing.’

Jordan: So who is your dream girl…besides me of course?

Brody: This question is a trap. You’re my dream girl.

Me: You can be honest, Brody.

Brody: I am. Totally.

Jordan: *looks at me* It’s Jennifer Lawrence.

Me: You have a thing for badass women?

Brody: Next question.

Jordan: Personally, do you think size matters in reality?

Brody: You should be answering this. I’m going to say yes, because I have the size and I matter.

Jordan: That makes no sense.

Brody: Because I’m hungry. Can we order some food now?
Me: Yes, Brody, we can order food now. I would hate to deny that amazing body of its nutrition. Oops, did I really just say that out loud?

Dinner and drinks turned out to be so much fun. We sat and chatted for hours about everything and anything. I’d thought I knew all there was to know about them; however, Jordan and Brody proved they were so much more than the two famous athletes portrayed between the pages of The End Game.

I can’t help but smile as I think back on last night. After all the goodbyes and promises to get together again, I was running out to my car when B & J came running out calling my name. They'd forgotten to give me one of Brody’s jerseys he’d brought with him for my little guy. Evan was wicked excited. As you can see from the photos below our house indulges in #MaddenFever. Team Brody all the way!!

If you want to get to know Brody and Jordan as well as I did keep an eye out for their story, The End Game, publishing September 8th!

Add to Goodreads

“Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.”

The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do. What started out as a promising career in college football, spiraled into scandal and shame.

But being a hero is easier said then done. Especially when there are those who expected to see the great Brody Madden fail. I craved nothing except being the best—willing to do anything to prove them wrong. But I went too far, and I tried too hard, and it broke me.

“At the time of going to print, Jordan Elliott was unavailable for comment.”

I met Brody Madden in my senior year of college. An Australian native on an international scholarship, I was the female soccer sensation with stars in her eyes and no room for a hotshot wide receiver with a chip on his shoulder.

But a heart bursting with ambition and a driving fire to succeed isn’t made of stone. I became his strength, his obsession, and the greatest love of his life. Only I wasn’t there when he needed me most.

This is a story about love and a game that takes everything. Where the path to glory is paved with sacrifice. Where pressure makes you, or breaks you, and triumph is born in the ashes of failure. Where two people’s end game will change everything.

Visit all the blogs and XOXperts this month!

August 1st: Victoria from Art, Books, & Coffee

August 5th: Katrina from Bookish Things & More

August 6th: Kat from KT Book Reviews

August 9th: Chrissy from Reading Past My Bedtime

August 13th: Shelley from Tsk Tsk What to Read

August 15th: Tammy from Reviews by Tammy and Kim

August 19th: Samien from Wild Wordy Women

August 21st: Alana from Dark Obsession Chronicles

August 24th: Nina at The Literary Gossip

August 25th: Kimberly from Caffeinated Book Reviewer

August 27th: Kathy from My Nook, Books & More

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(1) ARC of The End Game: Kate McCarthy (INT) ARCs will not be sent out until the end of August.
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