So This Is War

Meghan Quinn nails the whole forbidden romance trope in So This Is War, a completely addictive age-gap, roommates-to-lovers, hockey romance. I’ve been looking forward to Posey’s story since Meghan introduced him to her readers way, way back in the first book of the Vancouver Agitators series, Kiss and Don’t Tell, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait! The story revolves around Levi Posey, a charming and romantic hockey player, and Wylie, the confident and sassy daughter of the coach, who also happens to be his new assistant and his roommate. Their undeniable chemistry coupled with the constraints of their forced proximity and the off-limits nature of their professional affiliation make for a titillating yet heartwarming read. Quinn's natural storytelling skills shine throughout, effortlessly blending her trademark humor and sizzling romance with intense emotion into an engaging and entertaining plot.

The dynamic between Levi and Wylie is electric, their witty banter and steamy interactions pulled me right into their world. Quinn masterfully develops their relationship, balancing the tension of their forbidden love with moments of genuine connection and vulnerability. The challenges they face, both on and off the ice, add depth to their story, making the resolution all the more satisfying. So This Is War is a testament to Meghan Quinn's ability to craft an irresistible romance filled with heart, humor, and heat.

I listened to the audiobook, and it was absolutely fantastic. The natural chemistry between Teddy Hamilton as Posey and Emma Wilder as Wylie definitely made for a fabulous performance. But what pushed this audiobook into something truly special was the full cast that joined them. Jason Clarke, Connor Crais, Vanessa Edwin, JF Harding, Stella Hunter, Erin Mallon and Kelsey Navarro-Foster all turned in wonderful performances, making for a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable listening experience. Five smooches from me for So This Is War by Meghan Quinn!

I have been anxiously waiting for Levi Posey’s story, bologna sandwiches and all. I’ve loved reading about Posey in the previous Agitator books and this story is exactly what Posey deserves. He’s the most caring friend, supportive teammate, if not a bit quirky, a playboy for sure, and into. . . well his bedroom is decorated in all black. Who knew!!!

I couldn’t WAIT for this audiobook because I knew it would be amazing with all of these exceptional narrators. And. It sure is. I highly recommend the audiobook for this story. It adds so much!

She’s the Coach’s daughter. He’s the star defensive end on the Vancouver Agitators hockey team. Totally off limits. Keep your hands to yourself, Posey! Oh and the Coach terrifies these players (especially Posey) and is totally controlling over his daughter, Wylie. Not a likable guy.

So when Coach orders Posey to employ Wylie as his personal assistant and make her life miserable so she’ll want to return to school for her business degree, Posey feels trapped and reluctantly agrees. But soon Wylie discovers what her dad and Posey are up to and she decides to drive her boss crazy with “erotic torture.” Wylie is a force - I absolutely loved her!

Levi relies on the “Queens”for advice about Wylie (Levi’s name for the group text banter with his teammates’ women). They try to guide him thru the minefields of dealing with his attraction to Wylie, encouraging him to play the “erotic torture” game too and there are so many laugh out loud moments.

Wylie gives as much as she gets. She’s frustrated with her controlling dad and determined to forge her own way in the world. When Wylie and Levi finally give into their desire, it’s super hot. She definitely can keep up with Levi’s interesting “wants” because WOW. She’s his match in every way.

Ultimately, of course Coach discovers their relationship, and everything hits the fan. It was so perfect when Levi’s teammates stood together with him. And they showed Coach exactly what Levi Posey means to them and reminds Coach what Levi means to the team. Posey’s confrontation with Coach and his strong support of Wylie is everything.

One again, Meghan delivers steamy romantic comedy at its best.

Midway through the book I started to think about how I Need to write a review for this book.

The book is well written, The cast of characters is hilarious and relatable.

I loved meeting Levi and the agitators again. The plot was solid through out the book and the book is from start to finish scorching hot not an easy feet to achieve as soany books fail on the plot or the spice department when trying to achieve a balance between ROM com to heat ratio. This book didn't fail on either front, the plot as I said was solid through out the book and the spice scenes were never repetitive, mundane or boring.

You truly want to part of the cast circle and friends.

I was so happy to get to know Posey on a deeper level and Wiley was is perfect match.

When you make time to read this book (no ifs about it) make sure you have the house for yourself (no kids around) so you can take time for some adult fun alone or with you partner because this book will make pant and you will find yourself hot and bothered.

Meghan you outdid your self!

UPDATE:

As promised, here is my full, honest review now that the book has officially been released. I always love books I can deeply relate to, especially when the author does an amazing job making us fall in love with their characters. We've been hearing from Posey throughout the entire "Agitators" series by Meghan Quinn, and it was so satisfying to finally see him receive the love he's been giving everyone since the very beginning when we were first introduced to him in book one 🥹🤍

I love age-gap romances. There's something about a younger woman being with a much more emotionally mature and intelligent man vs ahem “boy” that just does it for me. ❤️

The boss-assistant trope is one of my favorites as well, and I might have lived through it myself at one point in my younger days. 😉

Wiley's relationship with her father also hit close to home. Her father tries to control and dictate her future, which, while not as extreme as my own experience, felt very relatable. The way they eventually overcome their differences and difficulties, with her father admitting his own trauma and realizing his mistakes, was touching. His effort to accept his wrongdoings and understand that his daughter was not to blame for his past issues made a significant impact.

The level of teasing in this book was incredible—it truly felt like a declaration of war every time they tried to outdo each other! 🤣🤣🤣

Posey's supportiveness was another highlight for me. Seeing the little Easter eggs about other couples, like Halsey and Blakely being married and Ollie and Silas loving each other, was delightful.

Now the comedy was also just perfect🤌🏼. I usually don’t like comedic books but this was absolutely perfect. Meghan does such as great job in depicting a specific scene that it feel like I am the character and living the scene 🤣

Overall, I loved this book. As the final installment of the "Agitators" series, it provided a fantastic conclusion. Watching these boys evolve into the men they were meant to be, working through their trauma, striving to heal for their own sake, and becoming better partners and friends was a beautiful journey. The portrayal of male friendships and the importance of men having other men to talk about their emotions, fears, and joys was genuinely touching. This book wonderfully depicted the strength and beauty of these relationships. 🌟

ARC Review_

I had the privilege of receiving an advanced reader copy of this book through Kindle and the audiobook version, and I am incredibly thankful to Meghan’s team for including me.

I experienced the book by both listening and reading simultaneously, and I have to say, the audiobook version was PHENOMENAL ✨. The full cast did an excellent job, delivering a performance that truly enhanced the story. I’m so glad that more and more authors are getting behind this kind of audio rather than just for relying on one or two narrators.

Without giving away any spoilers before the official launch date, I can say this book had me laughing from beginning to end. The title, "So This Is War," is perfectly fitting. The wait for this book was absolutely worth it. 😩

The spice was deliciously executed, and this entire book featured some of my favorite tropes like the age gap, boss/assistant relationship, and a slow burn.

I'll provide a more detailed review after the book's release to avoid spoiling it for others. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. 🤍

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

So This Is War is the fifth and final book of Meghan Quinn’s Vancouver Agitators’ series and it couldn’t have been anymore perfect! I thought that no one could beat out Halsey’s book, He’s Not My Type, but Meghan said, “Hold My Beer!”

Wylie Wood and Levi “Posey” have explosive chemistry right from the start of this book when they meet in a hotel bar. Wylie knows exactly who he is, but Levi has no idea that he’s trying to hook up with his coach’s daughter! The hook up never happened, but WOW the steam coming from the book started there and DID NOT LET UP! A year later, Coach Wood, Posey’s hockey coach, asks/tells him that he needs his daughter to be his assistant and to assign her so many outrageous tasks that she will quit and go back to grad school instead of pursuing a career as a digital artist. Posey gets the shock of his life when he discovers that Wylie is the girl he met in the bar that he hasn’t been able to get out of his head! Then he finds out that Coach Wood has kicked Wylie out of the house to teach her more hard lessons, so he has no choice but to let her live with him, in his spare “nanny hole”! Can you say forced proximity? The story becomes HOT and steamy, while also being one of funniest books I’ve ever read as the pair try to “break” each other by “erotic torture”! Will Wylie be able to convince her dad that she is an adult capable of making her own decisions? Will Levi be able to go through with Coach Wood’s ridiculous plan and be able to keep his hands to himself or will the erotic torture be too much for him?

In my opinion, this is the steamiest book that Meghan Quinn has written and I’ve read all of her books! What makes this book even hotter and more hilarious is the audiobook! Teddy Hamilton had me cackling like a fool, and Emma Wilder was spot-on as Wylie. And let's give a round of applause to the amazing supporting narrators who brought their A-game: Jason Clarke, Vanessa Edwin, Erin Mallon, JF Harding, Stella Hunter, Connor Crais, and Kelsey Navarro Foster. This audiobook is not just perfect, it's a 5 star masterpiece that you won't want to end! If you can’t already tell, I highly recommend both the book and audiobook! I had tears in my eyes when I hit the epilogue because the Agitators’ series has become my favorite of all time! Thank you Meghan Quinn for always writing books that make me laugh!

This is the best book I’ve read this year (writing this on June). It was the best book to finish the Agitators series. All the boys are great, and hot. But Posey, for me at least, takes #1 spot. He is sweet, loyal and super hot!!!

This was defensively a slow burn, but so worthy. Their chemistry is so intense that when they are finally together is mind blowing!

And let me tell you I laughed so much throughout the book. But that’s new, if you have read anything by Meghan you know she brings the comedy to most of her books.

I stumbled upon this one and hadn’t read the others in the series. It can totally be read as a standalone book. This is so well written. It’s got the perfect mix of spicy and sweet. It is romantic but not sappy. I love the banter between the characters. Levi’s relationship dynamics are so relatable. You feel like you really KNOW Levi and Wylie. I don’t want to give too much away in the review, but it’s really a mostly positive, good vibe giving, sweet and sassy off limits type of romance. My only criticism (my personal opinion and I understand that others don’t think it’s a big deal) is the expressions of frustration or pleasure with saying “Jesus” or “Christ” or “GD.” It’s not written in a derogatory sense per se, but just makes me cringe.

Well, that is the end of the Vancouver Agitators, and what a way to go! Levi has been talking about Wylie for a while now, ever since meeting and losing her at a hotel bar a year ago (without catching her name). So, to say that this man was distressed about her father, his coach, forcing him to hire Wylie as his personal assistant and make her life a living hell (I mean, a bagel run at 1 am, two nights in a row?) is an understatement. When she finds out about this, she is livid and makes his life a living hell (erotic torture commences). These two are something else, okay. But once they lay down their (metaphorical) weapons, they realize they are actually kind of perfect for each other. Now to convince her father of that...

Wylie is funny and so determined to make her own way. Her father? Well, he is a dick, and it is sad to read how, despite knowing what he has done, she is determined to prove to him that she can still follow her dreams and make him proud. It is heartbreaking to see how he just does not see that. The fact that Levi is the first man to support and believe in her is incredibly sad.

Levi is freaking amazing. Yes, he is goofy, says the weirdest things, and is obsessed with bologna, but this man cares so deeply about his people. Having read the previous books in this series, I already knew that, but it is so clear in this book. He is so supportive of Wylie's art, attentive, kind, and apparently kinky? Wow, who'd have thought?

It was great to see the girls come together to help him with Wylie and then later to see the guys ready to support and defend him!

As always, Meghan Quinn delivers, giving us a hilarious, spicy read that will have you laughing out loud one minute, swooning the next, and fanning your face the other. Now, on to the next lovable hockey player, OC! What is he going to get himself into? 🏒❤️🔥

This book was everything I wanted and more for Posey. Posey has been my favorite character in the Agitators series since day one and having to wait for his book and his moment to truly shine was TORTURE, but so worth the wait. Am I sad that this series has come to a close and we won't get to spend time with my favorite group chats and sassy women and men who are obsessed with them? Yes, of course I am, but man oh man was this a beautiful way to end their stories. It was funny, it was sweet, it was a little chaotic via Posey shenanigans, and it was heartfelt. It truly was a wonderful book and I can't wait to re read it eventually and to laugh until I cry all over again.

“I’ve found someone who understands me, who matches me in energy, and who cares but challenges me at the same time.”

So This Is War (The Vancouver Agitators, Book 5) Author: Meghan Quinn Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

A year later and Levi Posey is still looking for the one that got away. She left his life as quickly as she entered it, without even giving her name. So you can imagine his surprise when he is called into coach’s office and there she is, Wylie Wood. The girl he hasn’t stopped thinking about, the one he hired a private investigator to help him find has been this close to him the whole time and is now completely off-limits. She is the coach’s daughter and he is demanding Posey take her on as his assistant. But coach wants to play puppet master, giving her tasks to make her life miserable, but it really just makes her question Posey’s sanity. This little plan doesn’t last long, Wylie quickly catches on that her dad is involved and now she is on a mission. A mission to get Levi Posey to stop listening to her dad and to give in to the lingering attraction between them. She is ready for war.

Posey has been introduced to us as the bologna loving goofball who is always inserting himself into everyone else’s love life but he develops into so much more in his book. We get to see the protective, supportive, and loving side of Posey. I would argue that those sides were there all along but just in his friendships so him being able to express those sides to Wylie made my little book heart so happy. Posey really caught me off guard, not only with his soft side but with his spicy side too…and in the best way possible. Posey and Wylie had a year of anticipation to make up for and make up for it they did. The passion, humor, and genuine love for one another between these two made the wait for Posey's book totally worth it. Get ready for this book to make you laugh, cry, and fall in love but that is Meghan Quinn special so you already knew that.

If you like: Forced Proximity Second Chance Coach’s Daughter

Reviewed by: Karley🧡

This review was written by members of the Sporty Spice Book Club (sporty.spice.book.club on both Instagram and TikTok).