Review: Making a Play (Abbi Glines)

Making a Play
Series: Field Party, #5
Author: Abbi Glines
Narrators: Ali Andre Ali, Caitlin Davies
Publication Date: August 20, 2019
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Sports

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Ryker Lee is finally enjoying his senior year—he has great friends, hangs out with hot girls, and is on track to get a football scholarship that will set him up for college. Despite this, a small part of him wonders if there’s more to life than parties and meaningless hookups—and if football even means as much to him as it does to his fellow teammates. And when he meets the new girl at school, his world totally changes…

Aurora McClay is new to Lawton. She’s grateful that her twin brother, Hunter, is star of the football team and can help her adjust to her new school, but she’s not grateful at how overprotective he is over every person she meets. Just because she is deaf does not mean people have to treat her differently. When she meets Ryker Lee, the two of them spark an instant and intense chemistry, one that proves to be controversial not only because of Ryker’s reputation as a player, but also because of Aurora and Hunter’s father’s bigoted views about who Aurora can and can’t date.

Aurora and Ryker know in their hearts that they are meant for each other. But can their relationship endure the turmoil of rumors and prejudice?


There’s something about the Field Party series that keeps bringing me back to it despite the fact that each book isn’t as good as the one before it. It’s the small town, Friday Night Lights vibe of it and wanting to know what happens to the characters I love from the previous books. Making a Play is my least favorite book in the series so far. I didn’t completely dislike it, but I had a few issues with it that kept it from being great.

Let’s talk about the things I loved first.

  • The narrators did a great job bringing this book to life. It was a quick listen and I was instantly pulled in.
  • Aurora was deaf and I enjoyed reading about how she lived her life to compensate for not being able to hear. I loved how her confidence grew in this book relating to that.
  • Aurora and Hunter had a great twin relationship. I loved the dynamics of it in their family.
  • I didn’t think I would like Ryker as much as I did. He has definitely grown up some. I loved how he treated Aurora and the things he did for her and their relationship.
  • Nash and Tallulah were adorable.
  • Aurora is white and Ryker is black. Aurora’s dad did not want his daughter dating a black boy. I was impressed that Abbi Glines tacked racism in this book.

All of that was great, but…

  • Most of the stuff happens within a matter of a couple of weeks. Weeks. It just wasn’t believable. I loved how Ryker fell for Aurora, but I wish it had been over months rather than weeks. It was insta-love and not the good kind.
  • Remember how I liked that racism was tackled? Well, it wasn’t done as well as it should have been. Aurora’s dad got over his prejudices a little too quickly in my opinion. Again, if this book had taken place over months rather than weeks maybe changes in his beliefs would have been believable. It just wasn’t.

Even though Making a Play wasn’t my favorite book in this series, I still enjoyed listening to it. It brought me back to a town and group of characters I love. Anyone who has read and loved the previous books in the Field Party series will want to read it. I’m curious whether there will be more books in this series because I would like to read a book about Hunter.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall 2019 TBR

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is:

Books On My Fall 2019 TBR
1. Beard Necessities
Author: Penny Reid

2. The Play
Author: Elle Kennedy

3. Getting Player
Author: Emma Chase

4. The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street
Author: Karen White

5. The Second We Met
Author: Maya Hughes

6. The Fall of Legend
Author: Meghan March

7. Gypsy King
Author: Devney Perry

8. Headstrong Like Us
Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie

9. Call Down the Hawk
Author: Maggie Stiefvater

10. Blitzed
Author: Alexa Martin

Review: Team Player 2: A Sports Anthology

Team Player 2: A Sports Anthology
Authors: Charleigh Rose, Ella Fox, Emma Scott, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Kate Stewart, Mandi Beck, Kennedy Ryan, Meghan Quinn, Rochelle Paige, Sara Ney, Teagan Hunter
Publication Date: September 20, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: Each novella is rated below.

Synopsis:

Our love of hot jocks is never-ending.

Muscular football players. Passionate tennis pros. Sexy soccer stars. All sorts of alpha hotties, on the field and off.

Have no fear! The team is back again, and this time…it’s thicker. You’ll get your sports romance fix with brand-new stories from eleven bestselling authors.

Need one last summer fix? Dive into this anthology.

*This anthology contains original, never-before-seen stories from Ella Fox, Mandi Beck, Teagan Hunter, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Sara Ney, Rochelle Paige, Meghan Quinn, Charleigh Rose, Kennedy Ryan, Emma Scott, and Kate Stewart.
We still aren’t responsible for melted devices.


Since this is an anthology, I’m going to break my review down by each novella I read in it. Here we go!

Arena Lights by Mandi Beck – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I think this might be my first Mandi Beck book and I loved it! Maeve and Benny were so adorable! I am excited that there will be more to come with this couple, but that the novella also ended well enough to wrap up this short story. It didn’t leave me hanging like some other previews.

End Goal by Ella Fox – ★ ★ ★ ★
I wasn’t quite sure what to make of End Goal when I first started it. I wasn’t a big fan of what happened between Addison and Law in the beginning. I did really like when things moved to present day, though. It was a sweet love story. I like that it ended solidly, but also said there might be more to come.

A Slice of Love by Teagan Hunter – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Teagan Hunter hit it out of the park with this novella. It was so adorable. I loved how it felt like it was a complete story even though it was a novella. Frankie and Jonas had such a cool story.

Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Dear Ava reminded me of some of Madden-Mills’s older novels. I loved that! It was a little darker, edgier, and angsty. It was a great short read and I loved Ava and Knox. I would have been happy to read a full length novel about them!

The Teaching Hours by Sara Ney – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I never thought I would want a book about Rex, but The Coaching Hours redeemed him a bit in my eyes and I found myself excited about the prospect of him getting a book. This novella hit the spot. It was such a quick, fun story. Hannah and Rex were adorable together. I could have read a whole book about them!

Body Heat by Rochelle Paige – ★ ★ ★ ★
This is my first time reading anything by Rochelle Paige. Body Heat was a fun little novella. It was very insta-love, but that is to be expected with a novella. I liked the characters and how the suspense part of the story worked out.

The Strike Out by Meghan Quinn – ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
Meghan Quinn is such a tease! This one-sided enemies to lovers story was just a preview of what’s to come in a future book. I thought it was cute and loved the story. Holt was a little much at times, but it was perfect for his wooing of Harmony. I liked being back in this baseball world so soon after The Dugout. I just wanted an ending!

Guys Like You by Charleigh Rose – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This novella reminded me that I really need to pick up a Charleigh Rose novel. I’ve only read a couple of her novellas, but I adore them. Guys Like You was hilariously sexy and I adored the characters. I would have loved for this to have been a full-length novel.

Fast Break by Kennedy Ryan – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
If you have read the HOOPS series, you’re going to love this novella. It’s Banner’s best friend Quinn’s story. Quinn’s an amputee who has created a motivational business. Her love interest is August’s quiet NBA coach. It’s sweet, sexy, and heart-warming. Once again, Kennedy Ryan taught me some things I didn’t know. It ended sooner than I wanted it to, but it was an amazing novella.

Love Game by Emma Scott – ★ ★ ★ ★
I love Emma Scott’s writing and this book was a sweet romance. I also like that she took on tennis since there aren’t many sports romances that feature it. I just wasn’t as into it probably because of the tennis stuff. I am not a big fan of that sport.

Fair Catch by Kate Stewart – ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
I really, really wanted to give this novella 5 stars. I absolutely loved it. The characters were amazing, the story sucked me and had me wanting more… It’s that wanting more thing that has me giving this 4.5 stars. This wasn’t truly a novella. It was more like a preview to The Guy in the Middle. I didn’t realize that prior to reading it, so I felt a little let down when it just ended without an ending.

Review: The Dugout (Meghan Quinn)

The Dugout
Author: Meghan Quinn
Publication Date: September 19, 2019
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Sports

Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

Let me ask you a question:

If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose?

Word around campus is . . . it was no accident.

That injury has cost me everything; my starting position, my junior year—and the draft. Now, I’m a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, fidgety, girl with freckles, in the dining hall.

They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. She’s the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way.

One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth — Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again — no matter how good my forearms look.

Little do we both know, she’s about to become more than just my fairy ballmother.


If you’re looking for a new adult romance that’s low on angst, step right up to The Dugout. The Dugout is a college baseball romance. Carson Stone is a second baseman who is trying to claw his way from injury to drafted in his senior year of college. Milly Potter is a baseball fan. She’s not a groupie, but a woman who knows everything there is to know about the sport. When Carson needs help with his swing, Milly steps in and the rest…Well, you just have to read it for yourself. It’s so stinking funny and cute.

My favorite thing about The Dugout was Milly. She was this adorable tomboy-ish young woman. Baseball was her thing, and she didn’t let anyone’s opinions about that sway her. Milly worked hard towards her goals. She was also hilariously awkward. Certain people made her nervous and it was so funny to watch her struggle for composure. There was this time with a cookie that had me roaring with laughter. I simply adored Milly. She made the book.

Carson wasn’t all that bad either. I really liked how he saw beneath Milly’s awkwardness and layers of clothes. The way he pursued Milly was so sweet. I couldn’t do anything but like him after that.

Carson and Milly’s romance was smooth sailing for the most part. Actually, it wasn’t really smooth sailing for them — things were awkward (see Milly above) and unclear for them, but smooth reading for me. Their relationship was so much fun to read. Yes, there was some drama. This is a romance novel after all, but it was low on the angst. That made it feel light even when things were getting stressful.

The only thing I would have liked to see more of was the end of the story. Everything wrapped up so quickly. I wanted more time with Carson and Milly. Maybe that’s just selfish of me, but I loved them so much. I needed more of what their HEA looked like because I absolutely loved their road to love.

Bravo, Ms. Quinn. Bravo. I hope there is more to come in this baseball world. I would love a book about each Potter brother, please.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Things to Eat/Drink While Reading

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is:

Favorite Things to Eat/Drink While Reading
1. Water
2. Starbucks Grande Decaf Caramel Macchiato
3. Hot Water with Lemon
4. Chocolate
5. Cookies
6. Pretzels
7. Crackers
8. Breakfast
9. Lunch
10. Dinner

Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me what I eat while reading. I normally just have a big bottle of water sitting next to me.

Review: Love on Lexington Avenue (Lauren Layne)

Love on Lexington Avenue
Series: Central Park Pact, #2
Author: Lauren Layne
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne comes the second delightfully charming installment in the Central Park Pact series, following a young widow whose newfound cynicism about love is challenged by a sexy, rough-around-the-edges contractor.

There’s never a bad time to fall in love in the city, right? Wrong. According to the recently-widowed Claire Hayes, it’s very, very wrong. In fact, after finding out her late husband was a liar and a cheat, Claire’s convinced there’s never a good time for romantic notions. Determined to rid her home of anything that reminds her of her philandering husband, Claire sets out to redesign her entire Upper East Side brownstone and make it her own. But when she meets gruff and often-cantankerous contractor Scott Turner and realizes not all men are scumbags, Claire must decide if she’s ready to risk her heart again.

Scott needs a change of pace from the corporate offices and swanky hotels he’s been building lately, and bluntly makes it clear to Claire that he only took on her house for that reason, adding that he has no patience for a pampered, damaged princess on his job site. But when long work days soon turn into even longer nights, their mutual wariness morphs into something more complicated—a grudging respect, and maybe even attraction…? Scott knows he’s not one to settle down, but then why can’t he bring himself to put the finishing touches on Claire’s house and move on to the next job?

Filled with laugh-out-loud scenes that blend perfectly with the touching friendships Layne brings to life on the page, this “hugely entertaining” (USA TODAY) novel is perfect for fans of Lauren Weisberger.


If you know me, you know I love a Lauren Layne romance. She’s one of my go-to authors for all things contemporary romance. That being said, the first book in this series, Passion on Park Avenue, wasn’t my favorite. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It made me wonder how I was going to feel about Love on Lexington Avenue. I had nothing to worry about. I absolutely loved it! Love on Lexington Avenue was everything I expected it to be. It continued the strong friendships from the first book, had a cute romance, and was fun to read.

Claire, Audrey, and Naomi were back and ready to support each other. This was Claire’s second chance at love so she was the star, but it was nice to see her friends there to give her advice. Even Oliver and Clarke got on the advice giving. It was fun for them all to be involved. I also liked seeing things from Claire’s perspective since she was Brayden’s wife.

I was surprised at how much I identified with Claire. It had nothing to do with the relationship aspect of the story and all to do with the way she felt about herself. I liked that Claire knew what she didn’t want out of life, but needed help figuring out what she did. It was inspiring to see her step out of her normal self-imposed boundaries. This didn’t pertain to me, but I also liked what LL had to say about having children through Claire.

Scott Turner was the perfect person for Claire. He was one of the good guys. I liked how her experiences meeting him to falling for him made a difference in her life. He was the opposite of what Claire expected to want, and I thought that was cool. Plus, he had a cool dog named Bob. I also liked how he was connected to the gang through Oliver.

I really loved Love on Lexington Avenue. It was fun, sweet and just a feel-good romance. Now, I cannot wait for Audrey’s book!

Review: Sinful Like Us (Krista & Becca Ritchie)

Sinful Like Us
Series: Like Us
Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie
Publication Date: September 10, 2019
Publisher: K.B. Ritchie
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

HOW CAN IT BE WRONG
IF IT FEELS SO GOOD

Dating an American princess comes with a massive amount of baggage–all of which I’m willing to carry strapped on my back in quicksand and through seven hells. But Jane Cobalt’s baggage, I’m unprepared for. It comes in the form of her five equally famous and notoriously hard-to-please brothers.

I want Jane.
Completely.
Unconditionally.

But when there’s a trip scheduled that I can’t be a part of, I only have one option. It’s immoral.
Something I’d never consider until now.

But, hell, there’s got to be some perks to being a twin. So I’m doing it. I’m switching places with my brother.

Done and done.

It should have been easy.

There were little consequences.

Until the storm hit.

The Like Us series is a true series, one continuous timeline, that follows a family of wealthy celebrities and the people that protect them. It must be read in the following order:


The Like Us Series Reading Order:

1. Damaged Like Us (Maximoff & Farrow)
2. Lovers Like Us (Maximoff & Farrow)
3. Alphas Like Us (Maximoff & Farrow)
4. Tangled Like Us (Jane & Thatcher)
5. Sinful Like Us (Jane & Thatcher)


I have to admit I was a little hesitant when I started this book. I blame it on the ending of Tangled Like Us and that Tony jerk. (You know who I’m talking about if you read that book.) His part in the story left me with some icky feelings about what was coming next. Things worked out better than I thought, though. Tony was an issue, but he didn’t make the story as uncomfortable as I was expecting.

Sinful Like Us was all about Jane and Thatcher solidifying their bond and relationship. I really liked how emotions were dealt with and how their relationship evolved as they began to speak their minds and delve deeper into their feelings for each other. It was all so sweet.

That makes things sound easy. They weren’t. Jane and Thatcher had a whole bunch of junk to deal with — and I’m not talking about their relationship. There were family things, Tony things, other bodyguard things, celebrity status things… a lot of things going on. I liked how they leaned on each other during those times because they were crazy times. It almost reminded me of that book in the Addicted/Calloway series where they went on that trip during filming… It was that dramatic. All the drama was fun (well, most of it was fun) and highly entertaining.

When I was done reading this book, I was sad it was over. I wanted more of these two and their families. You would think 511 pages would be enough, but it wasn’t. Luckily, I don’t have to wait all that long to see this gang again. I’m looking forward to the big wedding coming up!

Review: Faker (Sarah Smith)

Faker
Author: Sarah Smith
Publication Date: October 8, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

Debut author Sarah Smith nails this fun and sexy multicultural romance where two office foes hammer out their differences to build a love that will last…

Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she’s tough as nails–the complete opposite of her easy-going real self.

One thing she doesn’t have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie’s friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can’t stop staring at his Thor-like biceps…

When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get…heated. Emmie’s beginning to see that beneath Tate’s chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.


Faker is Sarah Smith’s début novel, and it’s a strong one. I was very impressed with the writing. It pulled me in right away. I loved the banter between Emmie and Tate. Their relationship was definitely solid in the hate to love game. I liked how things changed for them in a way that felt natural. I enjoyed reading their romance.

There a couple of things that bothered me, though. One was Emmie’s attitude toward Tate. I got why she put up a front with him, but I didn’t always like the way she antagonized him. I loved that she played a part to keep her co-workers respecting her in a predominantly male workplace, but a lot of the time Tate didn’t deserve what Emmie was dishing out. The second thing that bothered me was the twist. It’s not a twist I like in romance novels. I was disappointed that the author took the story there because there were a couple of opportunities for other twists that would have been less…disturbing?

In the end, I did enjoy Faker. Things ended in a way that I was good with and that brought back some of the happier feelings I had in the middle of the book. Emmie and Tate’s relationship was really cute for the most part. I’m looking forward to seeing what is next for Sarah Smith.

Review: The Billionaire Book Club (Max Monroe)

The Billionaire Book Club
Author: Max Monroe
Publication Date: September 12, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

The Billionaire Book Club Questionnaire

#1: Who is your least favorite character in the book?
Me—Caplin Hawkins. I am an absolute idiot.

#2: Who is your favorite character?
Gorgeous, addictive, insanely challenging Ruby.
She’s smart, driven, self-confident, and so beautiful, she makes my chest ache.

#3 What is your biggest takeaway from the story?
Ruby Rockford and I are meant to be.
I just have to prove it to her.

For the entirety of my adult life, I’ve been content.
Content in my single lifestyle, content in my stressful-but-extremely-successful job as the main corporate counsel for almost every Fortune 500 company in North America, and content in my playful, spontaneous ways.

I had no idea it was possible for someone to change my mind.

The endless women and work are no longer enough, and just as Ruby Rockford told me—it’s about time I grow up.

It’s going to take a strategic attack from more than a couple brilliant minds to win her affection, but luckily, I know exactly where to find the right guys for the job…
The Billionaire Book Club.

It’s safe to say that I, Caplin Hawkins, the man most women would call The Ultimate Player, have finally met my match, and man oh man, has my end game changed.

I’m coming for you, Ruby.
And soon, you’ll be coming for me, too.


There’s nothing like a Max Monroe romantic comedy. They know how to bring the laughs in the most ridiculously funny way, and they did it again with The Billionaire Book Club.

Cap has reminded me of a Thatch Junior since I first met him in The Billionaire Boss Next Door. He’s not quite as zany as Thatch, but what he lacks in zaniness he makes up for in confidence. Womanizer Cap has a lot of confidence. Not quite enough to make his cockiness a complete turnoff, but enough to know he’s going to have to prove himself to the amazing Ruby.

Ruby is a normal chick with the ability to stand her ground when it comes to Cap. She’s a law student who is juggling a bunch of stuff (some of it super cool). I liked how down to Earth she was. Her level personality leveled out the craziness of Cap’s in the story.

I really loved Ruby and Cap’s story. Cap was chasing Ruby in a way that is guaranteed to make bookworms happy. It all revolves around that club mentioned in the title of the book. With the help of his book club, Cap woos Ruby in ways he’s not expecting. It was sweet, funny, and cute. (It reminded me a little of The Bromance Book Club, but in a happier way.)

As for that book club, there are some billionaire members you probably already love making some cameos. They add to the humor and it’s pretty priceless. Oh! And I have to mention Ruby and Cap’s parents. They were to die for. So perfectly fitted to Cap, Ruby, and the story.

Overall, this was just a super fun, hilarious romance. It’s another A+ novel for Max Monroe. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My TBR I’m Avoiding Reading and Why

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is:

Books On My TBR I’m Avoiding Reading and Why

These are all books I own but haven’t picked up for some reason.

1. From Sand and Ash

I love Amy Harmon’s books and I love historicals when I read them. For some reason the combination of the emotions and the historical aspects scare me with this one. I need to buck up and read it.

2. The Hate U Give

It’s the hype and the sheer size of the hardback I have. I also know it’s going to give me major feels after reading On the Come Up.

3. Thieves 2 Lovers

The first book in this series was okay. The second book I loved. I don’t know what’s keeping me from picking this one up. I liked the preview of it… Mood, I guess.

4. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

I want to read it, but I won it and it’s a hardback. I prefer reading on my Kindle. I am going to read it ASAP, though, because I just read another of her books and loved it.

5. Against All Odds

This book made the Huffington Post’s Ugly Cry book list a couple of years ago. I had planned to read all of the books on the list, but didn’t finish. I am basically scared this one will make me sad.

6. Fighting Redemption

And another on that list…

7. Next Year in Havana

This is another case of I want to read it, but have the physical copy. I will read it soon, I swear!

8. Midnight Lily

I’ve wanted to read all of Mia Sheridan’s books since I read Archer’s Voice. I have been too scared of the emotions to pick this one up.

9. He Will Be My Ruin

I love K.A. Tucker’s writing, I just have to be in the right mood for a thriller. Maybe this will be my next book club pick.

10. Flight Patterns

I love Karen White’s writing. I don’t know why I haven’t picked this one up. I guess I just haven’t been in the mood.