ARC Review: Playing to Win by Jaci Burton

4.5 Feathers

Playing to Win

by Jaci Burton

(Play by Play # 4)

Cole Riley is a bad boy.  Not only because of his reputation with women but also his behavior on the field and with his teammates.  He is now with a new team, back in his hometown, and management needs him to clean up his act.  So they've brought in an expert.  Savannah Brooks is the image consultant that will change the fans perception of Cole as well as hopefully get him to play nice with his team.  To do that, she will have to be with him...a lot.

My favorite thing about this book is seeing the change and growth in Cole.  From how he interacted with his teammates, how he isolated himself and was surrounded of empty relationships to a man that wanted what his cousins already had.  A family, a woman that loved him and that he could love, true friends even.

"You have a beautiful mouth, Savannah."
Her gaze snapped to his.  "What?"
"Your lips."  He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip.  "I've been thinking about kissing you since the first time we met."

Cole and Savannah were actually a great couple.  She got him to change and let the good side of him come out.  He got her to let go of her inhibitions and the past that still haunted her.  The sexual tension between them was thick for quite some time since they had been attracted to each other from before he even knew what she was there to do.  And as that took a while to finally develop into something else, Savannah just wove herself in Cole's life.  Perfect story!

"I think I might take you right here in the hall," he said, his voice rough and low.  "I don't think I can wait."

We also get to see Liz and Gavin's wedding and I thought that was great.  I loved them as a couple and Liz being Savannah's friend, she was in this book as a main player in the story.  Seeing her get all flustered about her wedding, then the actual wedding and the honeymoon talk (wish we could've been a fly on the wall for that one!), it was very nice and felt like visiting family.

Ms. Burton manages to write stories that are both very sweet and very hot in this series and, although this was not my favorite couple or story, this still had all the charm I've come to love and expect from these books.  Definitely not a book to be missed, and not just because of the drool-worthy cover.

*ARC provided by author

Purchase Links: Amazon