Fourth Down by Kristen DeMuzio

During the biggest football game of his life, Ford Walsh makes a split second decision that will change his life. For the worse. Three years later, Ford is still stuck in that moment - when his leg was broken and his dreams along with it. Not able to move on, Ford trudges through his life, each day more depressing than the last.

Poppy Mitchell has dreams of being a doctor, and she will work night and day to get there. Sweet, focused, and hard working, Poppy forges ahead when obstacles get in her way. When circumstances bring them together, Ford and Poppy develop an unlikely friendship. As they grow closer, Ford is faced with another fourth down decision. Will he go after his old dreams when given the chance? Will Poppy sacrifice her dreams for his? Or will she let him go?

**This book is recommended for a mature audience, age 18 and older, due to language and explicit content.

I just finished Fourth Down and I just absolutely loved it.  If you have been reading the series and I really hope that you have because you are missing out, this one is about Ford and Poppy.  1st in the series is Safe With You (Wyatt and Taryn) 2nd in the series is Just One Reason (Lindsay and Grady) and now followed by this one.  Ford is friends with Grady and Lindsay and is in a stump.  Football career ruined by a bad injury is really just going through the motions. The other thing that he cannot let go is his mom is dying, has stage 4 breast cancer and she has decided not to accept any more treatment and now will be having an aide come to her house to help take care of her.  This would be Poppy.  She is studying to be an Oncologist and as a part of her school she is a hospice aide.  We have already met her in Just One Reason because Ford works at the local bar and she had been there with her friend Brooke for drinks when Ford turned her down because she underage.  Let’s just say that there was already animosity on his side.  For him this just adds to his already pent up anger.  They both have an attraction to one another but Ford doesn't do relationships and Poppy is not a one night stand kind of girl.  What do you think will happen lines are crossed and desire will not be denied?  You will have to read and see...

Squeal!!!  I had been waiting for this one.  Ford already had me in Just One Reason with his surly self-pity attitude.  I just love the grumpy ones!  I can understand he pain and his denial, he just needs to let things go and think about the important things.  Poppy is just amazing.  She has to be one of my favorite characters to date.  She really is selfless and just wants Ford to be happy.  They are so sweet and I love how it was friends first before anything else was tried.  I feel like you learn more from a person when you become friends first.  I can tell you no matter if they were friends first, the sexual tension was freaking hot!  They were just yummy.

I loved all the characters; everyone was there with the addition to Brooke.  She is in the next one and I cannot wait to see how her story develops.  All the characters were amazing and it was good to see them and see what they were all up to.  I loved how this story did co-inside with Just One Reason, you got to see a lot more than if this was done after that book.

Honestly, this series keeps getting better and I can’t even imagine how much further up it can go.  This author has really sucked me in and I am in it for the long haul.  This story was bitter sweet because of things that will happen and trust me, it will make you cry, it will make you happy and most of all, you will love!