Illegal Formation - Shanna Swenson

Illegal Formation by Shanna Swenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Illegal Formation is the fourth book in the Gods of the Gridiron series and also perhaps the darkest. Our hero and heroine, Quillan and Vada have both been hurt and faced pain in their past. They seem themselves as damaged and it takes a while for them to realise that while they might be broken when they are together they are complete once more.
I have to admit that I struggled with Quillan at times, I'm not a huge fan of overbearing controlling types and he clearly shows lots of characteristics of this type of character. This book also deals with abortion, which can be quite a contentious topic. This probably isn't the place to enter into my thoughts on the topic, but it is quite a brave thing to talk about in a book. There's always the danger that by putting your characters into either the pro-choice or controlling women's bodies categories, then it might make readers who hold alternate views off that character.
Quillan is quite sweet when he finally understands what Vada is coming to mean to him. He does have to go through a few stages of trying to control her. I'm not entirely sure that someone as strong as Vada would have willingly agreed to all that he wants. It all works out in the end and for the purpose of an enjoyable read, I can let it go.
I liked Vada and Quillan as a couple, they both have a darkness that is part of who they are, but that also means that they work well together and make a good couple. I enjoyed this final instalment in the Gods of the Gridiron series.

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Pass Interference - Shanna Swenson

PASS INTERFERENCE by Shanna Swenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pass Interference is the third book in the Gods of the Gridiron series and deals with Paxton Guthrie, AKA Poseidon. He has no interest in a steady relationship or settling down in any way, but when Rebecca Ryan 'wins' a date with him, he finds that he can't help but want to be with her.
When Becca and Pax's date goes really well and they are caught in a slightly compromising position by photographers, they both find that their lives have been turned upside down. Becca loses her job and Pax is suspended from the team. To try and put everything right, they decide to pretend that they are much more involved than they really are. But, the more time that they spend together the more real their feelings become.
I do enjoy fake marriages that lead to love and while this isn't quite that, it does sort of fit into that theme. Becca is a studious quiet type and while she is very different to Pax, they work well together. Their relationship has a few stops and starts, but ultimately it's obvious that they make a good couple.
While this is the third in the series, it will also work well as a standalone novel. We see plenty of the characters from the previous stories, but it won't ruin your enjoyment not to have read about them. We do see little glimpses of the couple from the next story too, which I'm looking forward to reading.
This is a very enjoyable series, even if like me, you really know nothing about American Football. If you haven't read any of the previous books, then I would recommend you go and check them out.


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