TW: I’d recommend this book for 17+ because there are some scenes with sexual content, but also because sexual assault/rape is described/mentioned. 

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*Check out my ARC review of “The Second Coming”

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Synopsis:

He’s supposed to be the ruler of this kingdom.
The prince poised to take his rightful place on the pitch.
Instead, he plays the jester, shunning his legacy.
Only I am privy to his lion heart.

Kingston Phillips is the heir to England’s football dynasty. The offspring of two of the world’s greatest players, the expectations set on his shoulders could crush the universe. But the golden-haired Adonis chooses to live his life as a game; a series of nightclubs, brawls, pranks and different kit chasers parading through his sheets.

I’m the last woman he should chase, and I’ve told him so. My cheeky mouth and icy demeanor guard the secret no one can learn. But when the Casanova I’ve been avoiding becomes the bloke next door, he quickly begins to thaw the frost around my heart. Kingston shows me the ferocious, loyal, protective side of himself that no one else gets to witness.

I begin to realize that he’s just as damaged as I am.
That as much as I try to deny it, we’re the same.
And … that might just be our undoing.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

Carrie has delivered yet another sweet, swoon-worthy, sports romance. ‘The Lion Heart” is the sequel to “The Second Coming,” and is written from two points of view — Poppy and Kingston. Although I’m not quite sure how much time has passed between the end of the first book and the beginning of this book, a scene that we see from Aria’s point of view in “The Second Coming” is referenced in “The Lion Heart.” I loved getting to see glimpses of Jude and Aria’s future in this book! One of the things that Carrie does so well in her books is setting up her sequels. (She previewed a storyline with Jude and Kingston’s other best friend, Vance, that I’m hoping we’ll read soon enough.)

As I just alluded to, we first met Poppy (albeit, briefly) when Jude, Aria, and Kingston were at a club when the boys were still in the Rogue Academy, before they moved up to the professional team.

Something that I’ll probably write a blog post about soon is about how continuing to pursue someone after they’ve made it clear that they don’t want anything to do with you really means that they secretly like you and want to be worn down (i.e. “playing hard to get”) This book starts off with that, but as the story develops, Kingston realizes the error in his ways and really grows a lot as a character. Blatantly having his character acknowledge to the audience that his past actions were wrong seems like it should be a common occurrence in books, but unfortunately, it’s not, so it was refreshing to read.

Poppy grows as a person as well throughout the book (as she, and all characters, should). She’s an interesting, multifaceted, and independent character, and Kingston complements her well. I loved her scenes with Aria, and I hope to see more of her in the next installment of the series.

Overall, this was a fun read, and I’d recommend it if you like new adult sports romances!