Ready to Score

Two years ago, I enjoyed Jodie Slaughter’s romance, Play to Win, so I was excited to read more from her. Her newest book is Ready to Score, a rivals-to-lovers romance between two women aiming for the same head coach position at the high school where they work. Though both books (and Bet on It) are set in the same world, Ready to Score works as a standalone.

What I Liked:

• Representation in a male-dominated field. American football, including the high school variety, is very much a men’s club. I liked seeing two queer women of color working in high school football and aiming to become head coach. Both have to navigate misogyny, but they’re passionate enough about the sport to persevere.
• The characters feel real. Both Jade and Francesca are complex characters who jump off the page. Jade, in particular, has a lot of growing to do, and I appreciated her arc and learning from her mistakes.
• The story is engaging. Despite its shortcomings (detailed below), I did find the world and characters easy to immerse myself in. It helps that I read the previous book in the series (though not the first one yet).

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Jade is too mean. For most of the book, Jade isn’t just acting like Francesca’s professional rival; she’s acting like she truly hates her. Even before they were aiming for the same coaching position, Jade was always dismissive of or cruel to Franny. I don’t understand why?? And for some reason Franny has a crush on Jade the whole time anyway? Girl, find someone nicer.
• Their romance doesn’t really work. Because the enemies aspect goes too far here, I found it impossible to root for Jade and Francesca as a couple. They just shouldn’t have been together. If the novel had taken them on a different journey, maybe to teaming up or at least just becoming friends, it would have helped. But as it is, they just don’t have chemistry.

Audiobook:

Esme Ramos does a great job of narrating Ready to Score. This is the second book I’ve heard her narrate (the other being Ms. V’s Hot Girl Summer by A. H. Cunningham), and both times I’ve enjoyed her gentle tone of voice and skilled characterization. Here, she provides a Southern accent to several characters, helping to bring the setting to life. She allows the book to shine with her subtle narration.

Final Thoughts

Though I wanted to like Ready to Score, and although I enjoyed the previous book in the series, this one fell a bit flat for me. It’s well-written and engaging, but I just couldn’t see the two main characters ever having a good relationship. They needed something more to connect the dots between mean rivals and women in love.

While I didn’t like this one so much, I do still want to go back and read the first book in this series, Bet on It, and I’ll try out more books from Jodie Slaughter.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Ready to Score here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Ready to Score by Jodie Slaughter
Audiobook Narrator	Esme Ramos
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	South Carolina
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	June 3, 2025
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

Cleat Cute meets Friday Night Lights in this funny, spicy, emotional new sapphic romance from Jodie Slaughter.

Jade Dunn has spent years trying to climb her way to the top of the southern high school football food chain. Now, the only thing standing between her and that future head coach spot is years of small-town good ‘ol boy politics. When she scores an invite to a highly coveted monthly poker game perfect for networking, she jumps at the chance for a seat at the table. Only to find the one person with the ability to shake her there. An infuriatingly sexy art teacher who plays her cards like she’s gunning for Jade’s deserved spot.

Francesca Lim never thought she’d be happy in a small town, not after living and breathing hardcore Texas football her whole life. But two years ago, the promise of forever love had her leaving behind a burgeoning coaching career for a new life – only for it to burst into flames. Now, she has a chance to gain back a piece of her life she thought she’d left in Houston. The only one standing in the way? The prickly assistant coach that Francesca can’t keep her mind or hands off of.

Not wanting to risk losing out on a dream job, Jade and Francesca can’t afford to give in to the iron hot attraction that simmers beneath their biting interactions, so they try desperately to ignore it. Too bad their hearts don’t seem to be as on board with the game plan.

Jodie Slaughter’s Ready to Score shows how sometimes you have to go big or go home to get the life – and love – you deserve.