Book Review - Well Played by J.S. Scott and Ruth Cardello

By -
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lauren:

Graham is my brother's best friend. He’s always been my protector and my confidant because he accepts me the way I am—and not many do. I can’t imagine not having him in my life.

Our weekend together was supposed to be a celebration. I graduated from college, Graham got engaged and signed with a pro football team, and my brother landed his dream job. It should have been the best time of our lives. 

Except that the weekend started with me walking in on Graham's fiancée going down on my brother.

I complicated the situation by having sex with Graham after that, but I wanted to comfort him and, damn, when I saw desire in his eyes—for me—I couldn’t say no. I’ve wanted him for so long.

Now he doesn’t want to see me. He says he has a darker side he needs to protect me from.

Where do we go from here? Do I try to pretend to be his friend again or push him to open up to me and possibly lose him forever?

Graham

Sleeping with one of my best friends was not exactly a brilliant idea. It made things complicated, and I didn't do anything that threw my life into chaos. The fiancée her brother Jack, had stolen had been part of my life plan, one more step I was taking to be somebody. Granted, I hadn't been in love with my intended bride, but I didn't really know how to love anybody.

I survived.

I pushed to achieve more.

I battled my way to the top of the heap in my pro football career..

I'm a total dick, and I don't want Lauren to see the side of me that would trample over anybody to work my way up in the world.

Lauren sees me as a hero, a title I'd never gain with anybody else in my life, so I wanted to keep her sheltered from the hard realities of my life. I wanted her to continue to think I was a nice guy when I was really just the opposite. 

We never should have crossed the line of going from friends to lovers. 

There's too much Lauren doesn't know about me, and I care enough about her that I don't want her to share my pain and the darkness that never sees daylight inside me. 

I want her, but she's a woman I can never have. She's too smart, too sweet, and way too good for a guy like me. 

Unfortunately, pushing her away becomes much more difficult than I'd planned...

REVIEW
This is a friends-to-lovers story written by two great authors J.S. Scott and Ruth Cardello. The story flows smoothly if not a little slowly but the main characters are likable and plot is well done. I really enjoyed the way the conflict is done and how Graham not only does not easily forgive his best friend for betraying him and Lauren doesn’t completely forgive Graham while still not forgetting their long friendship when he hurts her, which is often the case in contemporary romance novels. I think if these two authors continue to team-up on stories they will find amazing ways to overcome the traps of the normal tropes in the genre and find their footing on the pace. Overall this was a well written book and I would recommend to anyone who likes a friends-to-lovers story.
OVERALL RATING - 5 STARS!
MATURITY RATING - 18+ a little steamy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.S. "Jan" Scott is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of steamy romance. She's an avid reader of all types of books and literature. Writing what she loves to read, J.S. Scott writes both contemporary steamy romance stories and paranormal romance. They almost always feature an Alpha Male and have a happily ever after because she just can't seem to write them any other way! She lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and two very spoiled German Shepherds. 

 Ruth Cardello hit the New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers Lists for the first time back in 2012. Millions of sales are evidence that her her books are akin to potato chips, addictive from the first one. She has created a multi-series billionaire world with a combination of escapism and realism that has gained her a faithful following of readers. Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York--then came full circle and moved back to New England. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Release Blitz - Fallen Royal by Rachel Van Dyken

By -
Image
Fallen Royal by Rachel Van Dyken is now live! A mafia romance about betrayal and faith by Rachel Van Dyken, the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series. "The truth may hurt for a little while, but a lie hurts forever."—Ryan Bigge I grew up knowing it would happen one day. Believing that I would fall into my father's footsteps and become a monster of my own making. So I fought it. I lived. I loved. I teased. And then one day… I destroyed. And realized I loved the pain. Obsessed over the feeling. So I cut again and again and again. She saw my rage, my madness, and tried to stop me from destroying myself, and I hated her for it, pushing her away past the point of no return. Izzy Abandonato was supposed to be mine. But there are some things people can never come back from. I hurt her, she hurt me, and now I'm living a lie. Telling the ones I love that I'm on one side when for years I've been forced...
Read more

Book Review - Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee (Boked 1 Richter Series)

By -
Image
ABOUT THE BOOK Description From  New York Times  and  USA Today  bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the steamy first novel in her new adrenaline-fueled Richter series. As an employee of MacBain Security and Solutions, Claire Kelly can certainly hold her own. Armed with an impressive set of covert skills, she’s more than prepared to tackle any job that comes her way…except one involving Cooper Lockman. Cooper and Claire used to work together before his feelings for her sent him packing to Europe for six long years. But now he’s back and determined to ignore the still-smoldering heat that lingers between them. Their current mission: go undercover together at a California high school to root out the mastermind behind a prostitution ring targeting young girls. The closer they get to the truth and the closer they get to each other, however, the deadlier their task becomes. As Claire and Cooper risk their lives to bring down their target, will their hearts be the fi...
Read more

Book Review - Mafia King by Rachel Van Dyken

By -
Image
Mafia King: A Mafia Royals Novella, an all new must read standalone novella from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken and 1,001 Dark Nights, is available now! From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Mafia Royals series… One of the first rules they give you when you're undercover—never fall for the enemy. I didn't just fall for the enemy. I became what I was supposed to hate. What's worse: I fell in love with one. I live a double life, and both sides know it's only a matter of time before I'm forced to choose. Rebirth through mafia blood. Or death at the hands of the very government I swore to protect. I have one more job before my time's up. I just wish it was anything but babysitting a mafia princess who's half my size but knows how to pack such a brutal punch I worry about my ability to have children. Tin's small but terrifying. And I'm her new bodyguard while we all ...
Read more