Claiming Carter

A Forbidden Relationship Sports Romance (Waverly Wildcats, Book 1)

De: Jennifer Bonds

Narrado por: Ash Beverly, Amy Hall

Three words to describe Kennedy Carter?

Smart. Driven. Killer legs. See also: my last hope of winning a national football championship.

Okay, so technically that’s more than three, but I’ve got bigger problems at the moment.

Thanks to a drunken dare, Waverly University is short a kicker and with the home opener in three weeks, I’ll do whatever it takes to lead my team to victory. Even if it means poaching talent from the women’s soccer team. Or recruiting a sassy, STEM-loving feminist who wants nothing to do with football or me.

Fortunately, Kennedy Carter has a weakness. One I’m not above exploiting if it gets her to play ball.

Sparks fly and the more time we spend together, the harder it gets to fight the sizzling attraction. But Carter’s off limits and if word of our teammates with benefits arrangement gets out, I’ll be riding the bench. I’ve always played by the rules, but this is one game I can’t afford to lose.

Not when it means choosing between my legacy and claiming Carter.

©2020 Jennifer Bonds (P)2025 Jennifer Bonds

i loved this so much

i can truly say this was a sports romance unlike anything i’ve read before! i loved Kennedy and Austin so much and I will definitely be back for more Jennifer books 📚

Austin is a star quarterback for the Waverly Wildcats and he’s trying his best to be noticed for the NFL draft. There’s just one issue… the Wildcats are down a good kicker for their team. Austin recruits Kennedy, star female soccer player, to try out as kicker. Kennedy is reluctant at first, as she’s sworn off football, but Austin sweetens the deal by helping her attain a nice athletic scholarship. They start spending more time together on and off the field but you’ll have to read to find out what happens next! 💓

Kennedy was such a cool female character! I’ve never read a female football player and it honestly was such a gratifying experience to read a character who can break into a male dominated sport. She was so smart studying to be an engineer and her banter with Austin was top tier! She didn’t take anything off the guys on the team!

Austin was this cool quarterback who is on the lookout for everyone but he had a soft spot for Kennedy. I loved how he helped her with her engineering competition and he realized by the end of the book that she was way more important than any football game or scout.

I listened to this one as an audiobook and Amy Hall + Ash Beverly do an amazing job on dual narration! They really brought the banter and relationships off the page in an amazing way. I felt like these narrators really captured Kennedy + Austin at a core level. 🎙️

You definitely have to check out this unique sports romance series! 🏈

Football, STEM, Spice…yes please👏🏻

This was such a sweet sports romance! I thought the storyline was good, I loved seeing the interaction with most of the team with the FMC. I love the relationship that forms between the MMC and FMC. I listened to the audiobook and Ash Beverly and Amy Hall did a fantastic job bringing Austin and Kennedy to life. 10/10 recommend!

Very cute!

I absolutely loved this audiobook and getting lost in Austin and Kennedy’s sweet story. When Austin approaches Kennedy about joining the football team as a kicker, she’s hesitant until she realizes the scholarship could be a game changer. Though she’s not thrilled about the idea at first, their undeniable chemistry and playful banter make for an irresistible journey. What starts as a “teammates with benefits” arrangement, set to end with the season, soon turns into something deeper, though not without its challenges.

Amy Hall and Ash Beverly were the perfect narrators for Austin and Kennedy, bringing their dynamic to life effortlessly. They captured the playful push and pull of their relationship, excelling in both the witty banter and the passion between them. If you love sports romances packed with humor, sizzling chemistry, and heartfelt moments, this audiobook is a must listen!

Austin and Kennedy

Claiming Carter is my first book by this author and won’t be my last. I’ve read many sports romance stories but never one where the FMC plays on the same team as the MMC. I absolutely loved the uniqueness of Austin and Kennedy’s story.

Austin’s football team needs a kicker and Kennedy is the best choice. Although Kennedy initially wants nothing to do with football nor football players, and is comfortable being a star soccer player, Austin makes it worth her while by offering a scholarship.

I loved Austin and Kennedy together. Their chemistry is electric and it doesn’t take long for their teammates with benefits arrangement to turn into more. This story is a page turner packed with lots of banter and laugh out loud moments. I loved the fun side characters and the team shenanigans.

Their romance is a slow burn, but the buildup of Austin and Kennedy’s relationship is worth the wait. Austin was down bad for her and there is nothing better than a grand gesture. Claiming Carter is a great start to this series and I can’t wait for the next book.

Narration:
When I found out who was narrating this book, I couldn’t wait to listen. Amy Hall and Ash Beverly did a fantastic job brining Kennedy and Austin to life. They really embodied the characters, and expertly portrayed the essence of their personalities.

Fantastic Story with Wonderful Narration!

Claiming Carter is the first audiobook in the new Waverly Wildcats series by Jennifer Bonds, and I must say, this series is off to a great start! When the football team loses its star kicker, their QB, Austin, thinks out of the box to recruit Kennedy Carter, a powerhouse of a female soccer player to take his place. Problem is she just happens to hold all football players in disdain, thanks in large part to a deadbeat dad who was a football player. These two can’t deny their off-the-charts chemistry, though. But when their teammates-with-benefits arrangement turns out not to be enough for either of them, they both struggle to accept it. This incredible love story with a backdrop of intense football play, witty team banter, and parental issues makes for a fascinating story. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series!

The dual narration is provided by Amy Hall and Ash Beverly, who are both brilliant in these roles. They bring this fantastic story to life with real and nuanced portrayals of these wonderful characters. I loved every minute of their performances!

Great start to this series!

Story -❤️❤️❤️❤️
Spice -🌶🌶
Narration -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Claiming Carter is book #1 in the new sports series Waverly Wildcats. This is a new author for me and I enjoyed the story. Austin Reed and Kennedy Carter are navigating their senior year of college as athletes. He's a star QB for football and she plays soccer. When the Wildcats lose their kicker, Kennedy is recruited to take his place. He doesn't date because he doesn't need distractions. She doesn't date football players because her father was a deadbeat. Coach's no fraternizing rule means they have to fight their attraction...FAIL! The author really gave us a complete picture of the characters, their family issues, school pressure, and peer problems. So many good things going on with this story and the team, I just know the rest of this series is going to be good!

The narration was fabulous. Ash Beverly (Austin) and Amy Hall (Kennedy) delivered their characters angst, their slow-burn passion, and their emotions with self-discovery brilliantly. Loved this duo!! 5/5 stars! ⭐️

lovely story

This is my first Jennifer Bonds and won't be my last. I loved it and couldn't put it down! Plus, it's such a unique storyline with the FMC becoming the kicker for the men's college football team. The chemistry between Austin and Kennedy is so much fun as they try to fight it and eventually give in. I love that he challenges her, having faith in her ability to try this new gig. I also love that she supports him and his dreams. As their relationship grows, they learn to lean on each other which is huge considering they've both struggled with that in the past.

Amy Hall and Ash Beverly are fantastic as Kennedy and Austin. I love the confidence Amy is able to voice in Kennedy's character giving her not only that fierce FMC personality but the vibrant go getter attribute as well. Her performance in the more vulnerable moments truly shined through for me. Ash Beverly was incredible and convincing as the charming MMC Austin. His tone leaves no doubt that he's passionate about Kennedy and will show up for her. The banter between these two is so much fun and Amy and Ash both delivered.

A FMC Playing D1 Football

Claiming Carter is the first in the Waverly Wildcats series by Jennifer Bond. After a dare led to a broken leg, Waverly University’s football team needed a new place kicker, and Quarterback and Team Captain Austin Reid found the best replacement in Kennedy Carter, a member of the women’s soccer team. Lured to the sport she hated by the promise of a full scholarship, Kennedy committed to becoming the team’s new Kicker. The Coach insisted on “no funny business” and her mother extracted a promise that she wouldn’t get involved with a football player. However, there was a spark between Austin and Kennedy that was impossible to resist. It would be fine as long as it was a secret, physical only relationship and ended at the end of the football season. So what we ended up with was a spicy, New Adult, enemies to lovers, found family, slow burn, secret, forbidden, sex only, time limited relationship where he fell first. I really liked Austin, who was the antithesis of everything Kennedy’s mother had told her about football players. I liked Kennedy, who was a smart, accomplished mechanical engineering student athlete. I loved that she did learn to appreciate her teammates and acknowledged when they didn’t all lend themselves to the stereotype that she had been raised with. Both Kennedy and Austin had issues they had to overcome in relation to their parents’ expectations and their own happiness. While they did stumble (third act breakup,) they did get there in the end. The narrators, Ash Beverly and Amy Hall, both did a great job with their respective POV. This was a fun audiobook, and I would definitely recommend it for listeners who enjoy contemporary sports (soccer, football) romance and the tropes mentioned above.

I would like to thank Pinup Audio for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Dual athlete story

I will never say no to a sports romance, but when both main characters play sports, it is even better!! I loved the premise of this book. I thought that I was going to despise Austin, but he turned out to be an excellent book boyfriend, once he got his head out of his behind.

Narrated by: Ash Beverly & Amy Hall
I definitely enjoyed this narration duo for this audiobook. Both are relatively new to me but I think both portrayed the characters well.

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
* College romance
* Football - Quarterback & kicker
* Teammates
* Forbidden romance
* Sneaking around
* Found family

Thank you to Pin Up Audio and Jennifer Bonds for the advance copy of this audiobook.

Interning college football romance

Overall thoughts: I listen to a lot of sports romances, but this is my first with a female football player (American football) and I adored the challenges that come with a female playing in a male team for a man sport. Jennifer was able to dig into all the issues and insecurities Kennedy has and uses it to fuel her to prove herself. The maturity that Austin has for his future and looking about for his team as captain is refreshing and endearing. Amy and Ash are one of my favorite narrating duos and the knocked it out of the park. They were perfect for these characters and truly brought them to life.

Narration: Dual, first-person, multi-POV

Tropes: football captain, female kicker, daughter to single mom/absentee dad, son of a widower, college, secret relationship, enemies to lovers, miscommunication, he messes up, familial expectations

Overall: 4.5 ❤️
Spice: 2.5 🌶️
Humor: 2 😂
Drama: 2 🎭
Darkness: 1 🖤
Narration: 5 🎧

Kennedy is a star on the college soccer team and is working two jobs to help put herself through college, when she is approached by the captain of the football team.

When their kicker breaks his leg, Austin is forced to think outside the box in order to ensure his team makes it to the National Championship and help secure his spot in the NHL draft.

When Kennedy finally relents to try out for the team, she does whatever she can to put up a wall between her and Austin, but little by little like breaks through, but will it be enough for a girl who wants nothing to do with football players?