PRAISE FOR ALEXA MARTIN’S PLAYBOOK SERIES
“Martin is an incredible storyteller and has a unique ability to blend fiction with real-life situations in the sports world.”
—New York Times bestselling author La La Anthony
“Get ready for sparks to fly . . .”
—PopSugar
“An emotional journey with an intoxicating romance.”
—NPR
“A fun and sexy romance novel set in the sports world.”
—Bustle
“If you like steamy romance with a side of sports, this fun, fast-paced novel is for you.”
—HelloGiggles
“The writing is snappy, the pacing is quick, the romance is sublime, and the humor is off-the-charts. Alexa Martin delivers a stellar love story, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.”
—USA Today
“Martin scores a touchdown of a debut with Intercepted, a witty rom-com set in the world of professional football players and their wives.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Fast, fun, and absolutely engaging. A smashing debut!”
—New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins
“Alexa Martin’s books are the ultimate reading escape filled with fabulous characters; witty, dazzling prose; and swoonworthy romances.”
—New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton
“Alexa Martin is so good at this; I’m so impressed by how nuanced and thoughtful this book is, while still being hilarious and sexy!”
—New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory
Titles by Alexa Martin
INTERCEPTED
FUMBLED
BLITZED
SNAPPED
A JOVE BOOK
Published by Berkley
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
penguinrandomhouse.com
Copyright © 2020 by Alexa Martin
Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.
A JOVE BOOK, BERKLEY, and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Martin, Alexa, author.
Title: Snapped / Alexa Martin.
Description: First Edition. | New York : Jove, 2020. | Series: The playbook ; vol 4
Identifiers: LCCN 2020007423 (print) | LCCN 2020007424 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593102503 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780593102510 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Love stories.
Classification: LCC PS3613.A77776 S63 2020 (print) |
LCC PS3613.A77776 (ebook) |
DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020007423
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020007424
First Edition: October 2020
Cover art and design by Colleen Reinhart
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Cover
Praise for Alexa Martin’s Playbook Series
Titles by Alexa Martin
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Author’s Note
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
To Anna and Paul, my grandparents.
I miss you every single day.
I’m forever grateful for every moment I spent with you.
Thank you for loving all of me.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
When I first started my writing journey, I swore I would never write about football. Having lived the sport for a while, I was having a hard time believing anybody would think this life was glamorous or romantic. However, as I wrote Intercepted and began the Playbook series, my opinion changed. I realized I didn’t have to tell the story that was expected of me; I was able to use my experiences to create stories that felt authentic to me.
And that’s what happened with Snapped.
I very clearly remember doing my first-ever podcast and Jenny Nordbak asking me if I was planning on writing a book that touched on players taking a knee on the field. I’m not sure I could’ve said no any faster. It was not in my plans to write this book. My husband retired before Colin Kaepernick began to take a knee on the field and in the height of the “controversy,” I wasn’t sure I could properly tell that story.
But when I found out I was able to write a fourth book for the series, it was the only idea I wanted to pursue. I figured enough time had passed that I would be able to tell the story I wanted to tell. I finished writing Snapped in October 2019. Little did I know that this book would be more relevant as it released than it was while I was writing it.
This is not Colin Kaepernick’s story. I respect him and the bravery he showed by kneeling on the field in 2016. He made a stand that has gotten more powerful over time. He was definitely an inspiration for this book, but I can’t tell his story. Only he can. This is a story about Elliot and Quinton. I know I do not speak for all Black experiences, or even all biracial ones. This is my story, coming from my perspective, based on my lived experiences.
Like Elliot, I am biracial. Also like Elliot, my Black parent died when I was very young, and I was raised with my all-white family. Understanding and accepting my racial identity has been a long journey for me. I grew up in the most amazing home with my mom and grandparents who loved me. Because of that, it was hard for me to see or acknowledge many forms of racism. Partly because I didn’t want my family, who loved me, to feel betrayed.
I also constantly felt like I was being pulled in different directions outside of the house. Being told that I wasn’t Black enough by some and that I was too Black for others. There was even a time when we went to visit extended family and one of my cousins could not understand how it was possible that I was Black and
