Wren Porter fills her days with paint chips, tile samples, and uppity clients who wouldn’t know a sconce from a scone. When she clocks out of her nine-to-five as an interior designer, she swaps her sensible pumps for the red leather boots of the Rhode Island Red Cocks cheerleaders.
The east coast is the last place wide receiver Tatum Bryant wants to live, but trades happen in professional football. What’s the one upside of moving to a state the size of a postage stamp? The alluring designer who is renovating his new house.
What begins as instant chemistry turns into clandestine interludes as their worlds collide. With careers that keep them in constant motion, will Tatum and Wren hold on to the magic between them? Or will change pull them apart…
This has officially become a new favorite for me, and Tatum just might be my new top book boyfriend. The story truly lives up to its title, because with Wren and Tatum, it was nothing less than everything.
Wren Porter is living a double life of sorts. She’s an interior designer by day and a professional cheerleader by night. She’s sassy, determined, and working hard to prove herself in both worlds, but the last thing she expects is to fall for the newest player in town. Enter Tatum Bryant, star wide receiver who’s just been traded and is still trying to find his footing in a new city. Their first meeting sparks a connection that’s equal parts banter and chemistry, the kind that makes you grin and makes you giggle as you hurriedly turn the page to read more.
“Wren was the professional football version of Jekyll and Hyde. By day, she was a chaotic, colorful tornado of grit and pure sugar. She had eyes the color of a clear summer sky, and a laugh like a songbird. But when she put on that Reds uniform – she was all sex. She was dripping in power, sensuality, and the confidence of a woman who knew that she was a force to be reckoned with.”
What starts out as stolen glances and late-night moments quickly builds into something deeper. Wren wants to keep things simple. Like most, her heart has been bruised before, and she doesn’t want her career mixed up with her personal life. In fact, she can’t. Because if the team finds out she is involved with their star player, she will lose her job.
Tatum, though, sees what they have for what it really is: rare, real, and worth fighting for. Between paint chips, renovations, and not-so-innocent encounters, their relationship starts to burn hotter than either of them expected.
“You in this with me?”
Was I? I had everything to lose.
But also, everything to gain.
I squeezed his pinky back. “Yeah. I’m with you.”
“Good.” He said as he dropped his empty coffee cup in the trash can. “Because I promise to fight for you with nothing less than everything.”
Something rolled around in back of my head. “You say that a lot.”
Tatum shrugged. “Something the team says before games.” He paused as he passed me. “And we’re on the same team.”
I want to believe men like Tatum really exist. He always knows just what to say, gives Wren the space she needs, and takes care of her in a way that makes it clear she’s his entire world. He’s her safe place, for both her mind and her heart, and it reminded me so much of my own husband. She’s chaos, he’s calm, and together they balance each other beautifully. If only everyone could experience that kind of love at least once. I also loved seeing a man fall first, but be patient enough to wait for her to catch up. Their relationship wasn’t perfect, but it was exactly perfect for them.
“Everything you’re feeling – fear of the future, doubts, insecurities…Everything in your head that tells you you’re small and insignificant. Every voice that tells you to stay where you are because familiarity is better than failing…Let it go. Little birds like you fly through hurricanes and laugh at the wind as it pushes you to new heights.”
This book wasn’t about heated looks over the end zone. It wasn’t about sneaking around in coat closets or having steamy lighthouse sex. It was about change. It was about recognizing what you thought your dreams were and willing to accept that dreams can evolve and change, just like you do.
“Love has to be unconditional because everything else changes.”
I was addicted to this book. The connection between Wren and Tatum is palpable. You can feel it every time they’re on the page together. He’s thoughtful, grounded, and so easy to root for, while she’s fiery, witty, and just vulnerable enough to break your heart. The angst is light but the payoff is huge, and I loved how Maggie Gates balanced the swoony romance with moments of real emotion. Nothing Less Than Everything is heartfelt, spicy, and so much fun. It’s a sports romance that gives you exactly what you came for and then some.