REVIEW: Red Card by Maren Moore

Red Card by Maren Moore: Cillian “Kill” Cairney arrives in New Hampshire with one goal: rebuild. After a career-crushing red card in London, he’s desperate for a second chance — even if it means joining a team that wants nothing to do with him. He’s carrying bruises no one sees, a reputation he can’t shake, and the sinking sense that this might be his final shot at redemption.

Enter Rory St. James — the coach’s daughter, fiercely smart, unfiltered, rugby-obsessed, and absolutely done with being underestimated. She’s spent her life proving herself in a sport dominated by men, fighting for space, respect, and the right to want more than people expect from her.

And when Kill’s starting position unexpectedly falls under her authority, the balance shifts. What begins as rivalry slowly edges into reluctant respect — the kind built through long afternoons correcting his footwork, quiet moments where neither of them is performing, and the growing realization that they understand each other in ways no one else ever has.

RED CARD throws you straight into a world of bruising tackles, sharp banter, and two stubborn people who want wildly different things… until those wants start to collide. What makes Maren Moore’s writing stand out is how she balances the fun and the weight so effortlessly — the banter is witty, the romance steamy, but she doesn’t shy away from real emotion. Kill’s grief feels raw and unfiltered, Rory’s awkwardness is completely genuine, and every moment of their journey lands as both entertaining and heartfelt.

The romance in RED CARD is that perfect mix of spice, tension, and unexpected softness. What starts as a “teach me” arrangement unravels into something neither Rory nor Cillian saw coming — a slow-burn pull that builds in every sidelong glance, every coaching session, every moment where their guard slips just a little too far. Their connection hits that addictive sweet spot between rivalry and vulnerability: sharp banter giving way to real trust, chemistry layered over grief, ambition, and the aching need to finally feel understood. Beneath the swagger and the stubbornness, they become each other’s rare safe place — the one person who sees past the armor. It’s flirty, tender, emotionally loaded, and exactly the kind of romance that sneaks up on you.

Tropes I loved

• Sports romance-Rugby
• Enemies → Friends → Lovers
• Forced-proximity training
• Off-limits coach’s daughter
• “Teach me” dynamic
• Bad boy, cinnamon-roll hero
• New adult / college setting
• Flirting lessons / dating “coaching”
• Grumpy x sunshine
• Secret dating
• Reformed bad boy

RED CARD is energetic, addictive, and full of beautifully layered tension — a story about rebuilding, reclaiming your voice, and discovering that the thing you’ve been fighting for might be the same person standing right beside you.

Book Info:

Publication: August 12, 2025 | Forever |

n this heartfelt sports romance, a British bad boy rugby player finds an unlikely ally in the coach’s daughter.

British bad boy Cillian “Kill” Cairney is ruthless on the rugby pitch. After getting a permanent red card from his team in London, the only team that will have him is an Ivy League school in New Hampshire. But the guys hate him, his coach doesn’t trust him, and worst of all? His starting position is in the hands of his coach’s fiery, rugby-obsessed, very off-limits daughter, Rory. He’ll have to earn the respect of both his coach and Rory—and nothing has ever seemed more difficult. That is, until she approaches him with a proposition that could benefit them both . . .

Rory St. James has spent all her life immersed in rugby. She’s tired of being friend-zoned. She wants to get the guy, and to do that, she needs the frustratingly charming Cillian to teach her. But the more time they spend together, the more lines begin to blur.

In a game where trust and loyalty are tested, who will be the winner? Or will love be the final red card?