Maddox
I’ve never been anything but the underdog. No matter how hard I worked, I was always good enough to be someone’s backup but nothing more. I thought being drafted by Cleveland’s brand-new expansion team would be a fresh start. But when I find myself taking the snaps, it becomes painfully clear that I need some extra help—in the form of secret meetups with the owner’s daughter. Livvy Grant is everything a guy like me could want—smart, beautiful, and knows the game of football better than anyone. But what happens when our midnight coaching sessions move from the field to the bedroom? Can we keep our heads in the game, or will we lose everything we’ve worked for?
Livvy
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a football coach. But when my dad decided to buy the city’s new professional team, every hope and dream I had for my life was pushed aside to focus on my family’s legacy. As the heir apparent of the Rock City Renegades, I’m expected to learn everything it takes to run a winning franchise. So, when I see that our new quarterback needs some work, who better than me to whip him into shape? Maddox Dane is a diamond in the rough, but when our professional relationship evolves into something more, I find myself scrambling to make the right play with the future of my team at risk.
There’s just something about a C.L. Rose football romance that hits all the right notes—obsessive, possessive, and absolutely delicious. Mr. Irrelevant kicks off her new series with Maddox Dane and Livvy Grant, and let me tell you, this one had me blushing, swooning, and grinning from start to finish.
Livvy grew up on the field. Football is in her blood thanks to her legendary father. She’s whip-smart, confident, and refuses to back down in a sport that constantly reminds her she’s a woman in a man’s world. While others might see her as “too much,” Livvy knows her worth and has the drive to prove herself as more than the owner’s daughter. She’s fierce, quick-witted, and could probably take on half the team and win, even if she is pint-sized.
“Before I tell you what I’m thinking, I need you to know that I won’t tolerate being treated as less simply because I’m a woman. I live and breathe for the game of football, and I’ve spent my entire life learning everything there is to know. If I were your size, I could make you cry on any given Sunday, without a doubt. So, when I speak, you listen. Got it?”
Damn. I’m kinda hard.
Then there’s Maddox Dane. He is the NFL’s Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick of the draft. He’s talented, but he’s been stuck in the shadows, always the backup, never the star. That is, until he’s traded to the Rock City Renegades and finally gets his shot…only to fumble, both literally and figuratively. Enter Livvy, who sees something in him no one else does. Determined to help him reach his full potential, she offers to secretly coach him, meeting under the cover of night to fine-tune his game, and ignite a chemistry that’s impossible to ignore.
“Because even though I told him not to fall in love with me, I may have forgotten to take my own advice.”
Their connection is electric. What starts as strategy sessions turns into something sizzling, dangerous, and downright addictive. Livvy challenges him, pushes him, and believes in him in ways no one ever has. And Maddox? He shows up for her in every way a man should, with patience, tenderness, and protectiveness, while still being filthy-mouthed and possessive behind closed doors. The dynamic between them is perfection: the give-and-take of equals who see each other clearly and love each other fiercely.
“You are the strongest, smartest, most intriguing woman I’ve ever met. If this idiot can’t see that, let him go find less. I promise it won’t make him happy in the end. And one day, you’re going to find someone with a monster cock and good credit—or whatever you girls are into these days—and he’s going to love every bit of your sassy fucking attitude. That’s what you deserve, Liv.”
And the spice? Off. The. Charts. C.L. Rose once again proves she writes some of the hottest scenes in the game. The chemistry is raw and real, but it’s the emotion threaded through those moments that makes them unforgettable. Maddox isn’t just ticking boxes off Livvy’s checklist, he’s showing her what it feels like to be truly seen, cherished, and loved without condition.
What I loved most about Mr. Irrelevant is how it balanced the heat with heart. Beneath the dirty talk and forbidden tension is a story about believing in yourself, breaking through glass ceilings, and letting love be the thing that helps you soar. Livvy fights for the respect she deserves in a male-dominated space, and Maddox fights to finally feel like he belongs. Together, they become the best versions of themselves—a true power couple on and off the field.
Maddox Dane might be Mr. Irrelevant to the NFL, but trust me, he’s anything but irrelevant to Livvy…or to readers who love a hero who worships his woman, on and off the field.