False Start

Second Down Duet, Book 1

By: Sasha Marshall

Narrated by: Ash Kingsley

Football, a kitten, and 14 dates.

Zhanna Hale

Then

My father is a legend. Some call me football royalty, and in my hometown of Louisiana, I suppose I am. His legacy didn’t prepare me for Bryant Hudson. The quarterback. I swore I’d never date football players. Permanently. Yet Bryant had other plans. Three dates and a handful of conversations, I handed him my heart without realizing it. But, Bryant shatters my soul. I’m left picking up the pieces. If only erasing him from my heart was as easy.

Bryant Hudson

Now

I lost at the only game that matters. And it wasn’t even a game. It was and is my forever with Zhanna. I am the best quarterback out there. That should be enough, right? Achieving my dreams. But none of that matters without my woman beside me. When she left, she took my heart with her. Now I’m back. To remind her of what we had. To see me—the man whose heart she owns, not the quarterback. Our love is fate. Our lives are forever intertwined. I refuse to let a false start signal our end. I’m ready to repeat the play and show Zhanna she is my everything.

©2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Sasha Marshall (P)2025 Sasha Marshall

I had tears in my eyes while reading

I loved this story. It was heartbreaking how one woman could ruin a marriage, but Hudson never gave up. All the feels!

An admirable Debut

New author for me.... This story had great promise and I liked the narrator. However the Heroine's story line was quite underdeveloped. I had a hard time following at first because the heroine and her sister had such close names and neither character was explained or developed. I disliked the cutesy nicknames for the hero and heroine, I felt that at times this was the only thing holding the storyline together. As the chapters went on, I could feel more promise in the book but to no avail. I did at times get whiplash from the past and present. Also, without any spoilers, I felt that the heroine's role as physical therapist at the end of the book was over rated. That all being said, I am interested in the sister's story. It seemed she had more substance that the heroine many times

3.5 star listen

3.5 star listen
I really found this quite enjoyable. I liked that there was a theme of cheating and it wasn’t glossed over, it wasn’t made out that it was 100% on the other female and the male wasn’t at fault. I enjoyed the past and present timeframe. Worth the listen. I’d read/listen this author again.

I LOVE Leslie

Omgosh this story is a romcom, tear jerker, and HEA all wrapped into one. Sasha Marshall is a new to me author and holy smokes can she write. Zhanna picks up her life and moves for her man Bryant who is a professional football player. The struggles they have are crazy. When Zhanna returns to her hometown and finds a passion for her work at her dads college she meets a spitfire neighbor Leslie who is a drag queen/ interior designer. You will fall in love with Leslie. He was hilarious. He helps Zhanna see what’s she missing in life. Ash Kingsley nailed every single character in this book. You will melt at her voice, my only downfall is starting this book later in the evening and missed a night of sleep to finish 🤣. This author and narrator both get a standing applause from me and I sooo can’t wait for the next book to see these characters again.

Great story and performance

This was a good read with good pacing that allowed the reader to see the whole story and character development. So while I usually have mixed feelings with this troupe this one I wished they had went to counseling sooner so they could find their way back to each other.

second chance romance

What happens when the love of your life is in a tailspin and your dream marriage is going downhill fast? Then the unthinkable happens?
This story has it's fun, moments, emotional moments. Sasha Marshall is a new author for me. I really enjoyed this story and I am looking forward for more.
Ash Kingsley performance is emotional, passionate,. She gives each character their own voice and personality, making this a very enjoyable listen.
I was gifted this audio and.offered my honest review.

Great Story & Narration🎧 Riveting & Emotional!

I always enjoy discovering new authors and being impressed by not only their writing style, but also the content they have created, and Sasha Marshall was no exception.She created an original story with interesting storylines that are captivating from beginning to end. It was easy to relate to and connect with her characters, they were easy to fall for and root for as well. I enjoyed the way she presented the story, alternating back into the past to show how the characters got to where they are in the present, and it was done seamlessly. The story she created is original with interesting storylines that are captivation from start to end. Her characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they were easy to fall for and root for too. I enjoyed the way she presented the story, alternating back into the past to show how the characters got to where they are in the present, and it is done seamlessly. Zhanna Hale’s late father was a football legend, she her dad and the game, but she saw playing took a toll on his health and eventually cost him his life. This affected her deeply, and she vowed to never date a football player or get into a romantic relationship with one. That was until she met Bryant Hudson. They met in college and he was persistent in her going on a date or fourteen with her. I absolutely loved these two together and for each other. The chemistry between them was smoking hot and the back-and-forth dialogue between them was fantastic. It was great to watch their relationship grow and morph into so much more. She continued her education and became a physical therapist while he went pro. All was going well until it wasn’t and he blows it all away, losing the best thing that happened in his life, his wife Zhanna. This book came with a content warning about cheating, so keep that in mind if that is a trigger for you. While I do not condone cheating, this story is not about the cheating it is more about forgiveness and moving forward. And when I learned what really happened that night, it did not make it all better, it just made more sense. Kudos to the author for keeping it real. My heart went out to both the characters, for different reasons, and I was hoping they would work it out, because it was clear how much they still loved each other. This is a fabulous second chance sports romance, the writing, plotting, and world building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. There is never a dull moment, and the story has a perfect balance of drama, angst, some charming and heartwarming moments, heartrending moments, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. There were some great secondary characters too, especially Leslie, we could all use a Leslie in our lives. Sasha Marshall, thank you for this great story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧Ana Kingsley did a wonderful job narrating the story and giving each of the characters their own personality and voice. She is fabulous at covering the roles of both the male and female characters and was believable in every role she played. She set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters' emotions and had you feeling them all. This entertaining storyteller is a versatile voice artist and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this wonderful listen.

Healing through a book!!

I absolutely could not stop listening once I began. Such an emotional rollercoaster but so well delivered by the narrator. This had me wanting to scream in frustration, laughing out loud, brink of damn tears and everything in between. This was a beautifully written journey that I felt like I got to share in. The writer is brilliant!!