The Recommended Reading Path
If you are new to Alexa Martin's books, the absolute best place to start is with Intercepted, the first book in her acclaimed Playbook series. Because Martin draws heavily from her real-life experience as an NFL wife, this sports romance series represents the core of her writing style: fast-paced dialogue, relatable and flawed heroines, strong bonds of sisterhood, and a healthy dose of behind-the-scenes realism about professional athletics.
For readers who prefer to steer clear of sports romance, starting with her standalone books is a fantastic alternative. In that case, Better Than Fiction is the ideal entry point. It is a delightful love letter to book lovers, featuring a romance author protagonist and a meddlesome senior-citizen book club that will immediately win you over.
The Playbook Series (Denver Mustangs)
The Playbook series is a collection of interconnected sports romances set around the fictional Denver Mustangs NFL team. While each book centers on a different couple and can technically be read as a standalone, reading them in publication order is highly recommended. The female protagonists form a tight-knit support group—the "Lady Mustangs"—and their friendships, inside jokes, and personal growth develop sequentially from the first book to the fourth.
- Intercepted (2018): The book that started it all introduces Marlee Harper, a freelance designer who has spent ten years navigating the cliquey, drama-filled world of NFL wives. After discovery of her boyfriend's infidelity, she vows never to date an athlete again—until she crosses paths with the team's charming star quarterback, Gavin Pope.
- Fumbled (2019): This emotional second-chance romance follows Poppy Patterson, a single mother doing her best to raise her son. When she unexpectedly runs into her high school sweetheart, wide receiver T.K. Moore (a character inspired by NFL star Travis Kelce), they must decide if they can rebuild trust and become a family.
- Blitzed (2019): Brynn Owens is a bar owner focused on her business and protecting her heart. When she meets Maxwell Lewis, a shy and gentle Denver Mustangs player, he slowly works to break down her walls and prove that not all athletes are players.
- Snapped (2020): This topical novel follows Elliot "Elle" Reed, a biracial communications manager trying to prove herself in the team's front office. Her world is upended when star quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. decides to protest systemic racism by kneeling during the national anthem. Elle is tasked with managing the PR fallout, sparking a tension-filled romance that forces her to confront her own racial identity.
Starlight Ridge Series
In 2026, Alexa Martin launched a brand-new series, moving away from professional football and shifting to cozy, small-town romance aesthetics.
- By the Bootstraps (2026): The first entry in the Starlight Ridge series introduces Luna Starr, a romance novel enthusiast who decides to leave her old life behind and move to Celestial, Texas, to renovate a farm. She quickly clashes—and falls—for Tate Jacobs, the local handyman and coach.
Standalone Novels
If you want to read books that require zero commitment to a series, Martin has published several standalones that focus on female friendship, modern careers, and neighborhood rivalries.
- Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes (2021): A contemporary women's fiction novel centering on lifelong best friends Jude Andrews (a struggling Instagram influencer) and Lauren Turner (a single mother and med school dropout). When they move into a townhouse together to get their lives on track, they navigate custody battles, toxic family members, and the pressures of social media.
- Better Than Fiction (2022): Drew Young is a self-proclaimed book-hater who inherits her late grandmother's Denver bookstore, the Book Nook. The shop's resident book club, a group of meddlesome elderly women called the "Dirty Birds," plays matchmaker by introducing her to bestselling romance author Jasper Williams. Jasper takes Drew on a series of Colorado excursions while she helps him find inspiration.
- Next-Door Nemesis (2023): A classic enemies-to-lovers story. After a series of setbacks, Collins Carter is forced to move back into her parents' house, only to find her high school nemesis, Nathaniel Adams, living next door and running the local Homeowners Association (HOA). When Collins decides to run against him for HOA president, neighborhood warfare turns into intense romantic chemistry.
- How to Sell a Romance (2025): Kindergarten teacher Emerson Pierce gets caught up in a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme called Petunia Lemon. When she teams up with Lucas Miller, an investigative reporter trying to expose the predatory nature of the company, they find themselves falling for each other while trying to take the business down.
Complete Alexa Martin Publication Order
If you prefer to read everything in the exact order the author wrote and published them, follow this chronological list:
- Intercepted (2018)
- Fumbled (2019)
- Blitzed (2019)
- Snapped (2020)
- Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes (2021)
- Better Than Fiction (2022)
- Next-Door Nemesis (2023)
- How to Sell a Romance (2025)
- By the Bootstraps (2026)
What to Know Before You Start
Alexa Martin's sports romances carry a level of authenticity that sets them apart from other contemporary books in the genre. Because she was married to Derrick Martin, a veteran safety who played eight seasons in the NFL and won two Super Bowl rings, her depictions of the extreme stress, grueling travel, constant insecurity of player contracts, and cliquey dynamics of player wives are drawn from direct experience. Rather than painting a glamorized portrait of sports fame, she explores the emotional toll and physical risks that players and their families face daily. Her books also do not shy away from serious issues, touching on topics like concussion-related anxieties, racism in sports media, and the challenges of single parenthood, all while maintaining her signature humor and pop-culture references.