Reviews

Played by Jen Frederick

melly2966's review

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5.0

so cute!!!!

ameretet's review

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2.0

such a rushed conclusion. this book was like 80% meh and 20% hurry and take your pants off so we can get this HEA

jen286's review

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4.0

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland

Played was a cute read. I love friends to lovers story and this was a great one.

Ara and Ty have been bff since freshman year when they literally ran into each other. Ara may have a crush on Ty, may love him, but nothing will ever come of it. Friendships last forever, but romances don't and she doesn't want to loose him. So she will be his friend forever and only that.

Ty has like Ara from the first moment he ran into her. But she has placed him firmly in the friend zone so that is where he is trying to stay. Only he keeps imagining more with her and he can't get it out of his mind. Especially now that the rest of his life is in a bit of turmoil. He has never been a particularly good boyfriend, but maybe that is because he has never dated the right girl. And he is not one to give up, so once he decides Ara will be his there is nothing stopping him when he knows she wants it too.

I really loved Ty in this story. Sure he is a bit dense at times, he is a good guy, but a bad boyfriend. He just kind of coasts through his life outside of football, his one true passion. Football is his life and girlfriends always seem to get tired of coming second. Even so I really liked him. He was so sweet with Ara. Even when things get crazy and he doesn't have much time he always makes time for her. I loved reading his chapters and seeing how he saw her and what was happening between them. I loved him. He knows how to push when need be so they both get what they want.

Ara was an interesting one for me. I loved her at first, but then she started driving me batty. I know she has seen a lot of not so good examples of relationships, but Ty is so sweet and she is such a coward. She never really goes after what she wants by telling herself she doesn't really want it. She could be annoying at times, but I still enjoyed reading her story. Sure everything gets reasolved a little too quick and easy in the end, but it was a fun read regardless.

krbeers4's review

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5.0

I loved this book. Unsurprising, since I remember loving everything this author has written. Really sweet relationship between the characters. Heartwarming & I couldn’t put it down.

readingvalkyrie's review

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3.0

3/5

I liked this book, there's nothing really wrong with it, but I didn't feel as engaged. I'm not a huge fan of the whole friends-but-one-has-been-in-love-with-the-other-since-forever thing, and if I had to be brutally honest I would've preferred for Jack to get his book over this one. Obviously, for now, Jockblocked remains undefeatedly the best of this series.

timitra's review

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4.0

Played is a slow burn, friends to lovers that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved watching Ty and Ara fall for each other. This author has a way of making me fall in love with characters even when I'm not a fan of all the decisions they make, I love that.

If you love sports romance I recommend this book as a matter of fact I recommend even if you don't like them because this a great story of self discovery, of finding your own path.




ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review

ailinnr's review

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3.0

Reread, April 2021:

3.5 Stars


So Ty got drafted first, while Knox got third in his best season. Are you telling me that Ty is the better twin? Because I will 100% believe you because I already knew it lmao. Anyways I still love Knox, of course, but Ty stole my heart ♥

Let me just say this is possibly the only secret-crush, friends-to-lovers I truly ever loved and I just want to appreciate how good it is. The fact that Ty describes how he fell for her is so beautiful, especially because he has his brother's experience to compare.

"Then why the fuck did you say we had to do the twin test?"
"So you'd feel good about her."
"I don't need that to feel good about her. I already love her!"


I just have to say, it was so interesting to see how Ty was the one who wanted his own identity, to not be compared to his twin. Whereas Knox was too into these twin games and tests he always pulled. I love that contrast, and that, for me is what made Ty be closer to my heart. For Knox, the fact that the girl he chose as the one could tell him and Ty apart was one of the most important parts of the relationship. But when the moment came for Ty to realize he loved Ara, he knew it was because she was his match and not because she could tell him and his twin apart. For Knox, this was the base of his relationship, but for Ty, it was just the cherry on top.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the fact that Ty and Ara were best friends made it so much better in their case. They knew everything about each other and had so much chemistry because of it. So much that he always put her first, even before all his temporary girlfriends. Ara was always a priority for him just as much as football and that's what sold me on this trope. Kudos to Jen for making a friends-to-lovers really enjoyable!!

~

First Read, February 2018: Aaaw I loved this book! It was honestly much better than I expected. I was a bit doubtful I'd like this couple because I'm usually not into the long-time crush, but the way this one was played out made it so lovely and enjoyable I couldn't help but to... well, enjoy it!

I'm sure now which Masters twin is my favourite, and he goes by the name Kintyre *-*

P.S.: I'm still upset that Jack Campbell didn't get a book (or that he's not getting one any time soon that we know of), so I'm not forgetting that fact!

3.5 stars!

shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review

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4.0

I enjoyed Ty’s story. Even more when Knox started demanding the twin test. A fun read.

ninadonata's review against another edition

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5.0

Hallo meine Lieben Hello my lovely readers I'm back form my absenscem Was habt ihr denn letztes Wochenende so schönes unternommen? Jetzt gibt es meine Meinung zu Played dem vierten Teil, der Gildron Series von Jen Frederickhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSFred2?fref=mentions Ich hatte erneut das große Glück eine ACR zu erhalten thanks a lot to Nina Bocci https://www.facebook.com/neens.bocci
I got the acr in replacement to an Honest Review



Important information



Title: Played [b:Played|29011314|Played (Gridiron, #4)|Jen Frederick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506554613s/29011314.jpg|49255758]

Series: Gridiron

Author: Jen Frederick [a:Jen Frederick|6995972|Jen Frederick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1365899087p2/6995972.jpg]

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Released on: 10/09/17

Pages: 267

Price: 13,37€ (Paperback) 0.99€( Kindle Edition or free on kindle unlimited)


About the writer




Jen Frederick ist die USA Today Bestseller Autorin von Unspoken, der zweite Teil der Woodlands Reihe, und auch von Sacked, erster Teil der Gridiron Reihe. Genau so hat sie die Charlotte Cronicals verfasst und sie hat einige Bücher auf der Kindle Top 100 besten Liste. Heute lebt sie mit ihrem Mann und ihrer Tochter im Mittleren Westen der USA. Zur Familie gehört ebenfalls ihr Hund, der ihr nicht immer Freiraum zum Schreiben lässt









Jen Frederick is the USA Today bestselling author of Unspoken, part of the Woodlands series, and Sacked, part of the Gridiron series. She is also the author of the Charlotte Chronicles and has had several books on the Kindle Top 100 list. She lives in the Midwest with a husband who keeps track of life’s details while she’s writing, a daughter who understands when Mom disappears into her office for hours at a time, and a rambunctious dog who does neither.




Content

Ara Martin und der College Football Star Ty Masters sind schon seit langer Zeit beste Freunde. Ihre Freundschaft begann als Ty sie buchstäblich über den Haufen rannte. Denn damals verliebte sie sich sofort in ihn. Aber weil sie immer Schatten ihres Vaters eines Künstlers stand, war ihr klar das eine Beziehung mit Ty nur mit einem Herzen auf ihrer Seite enden würde. Vier Jahre Versteckte sie ihre wahren Gefühle. Doch ein Zusammentreffen im alkoholisierten Zustand ist im Begriff im einem Zuge Aras meist gehütetes Geheimnis zu entlüften und die Beziehung, die ihr am meisten bedeutet zu zerstören.

Obwohl Ty im Begriff ist einen Vertrag in der NFL zu unterzeichnen, ist sein privat Leben das Reinste Chaos. Angefangen bei einem Agenten den er nicht leiden kann über einen Bruder der immer zu allem seine Meinung abgeben muss, bis hin zu einer schönen Frau die er begehrt aber nicht haben kann,ist alles dabei. Er kann seinen Agent feuern, seinen Bruder ignorieren, doch er hat keine wie er mit Ara umgehen soll. Er wird mit jedem Quaterback fertig der ihm gegenüber steht, doch seine sture beste Freundin rinnt ihm immer durch die Finger.

She's been playing it close...

Ara Martin and college football star Ty Masters have been best friends since the first day of school when Ty literally ran her over. She fell for him immediately, but having lived under the shadow of her famous father, she knows a relationship with irresistible Ty would only end in heartbreak. For four years, she’s kept her feelings hidden. But one drunken encouter weeks before graduation is about to expose Ara’s biggest secret and destroy her most treasured relationship.

He’s been playing for keeps…

Ty is about to be drafted into the NFL, but his personal life is a mess. He’s got an agent he doesn’t like, a brother who can’t stop offering his opinion, and a beautiful woman he craves but can’t have. He can fire his agent and ignore his brother, but he’s not sure what to do about Ara. Ty’s been able to run down every quarterback he’s faced, but his sexy, stubborn best friend keeps slipping through his fingers.

Luckily, he's not one for giving up, and once he gets his hands on her, he's never letting go.




Opinion

Bei Played war ich sofort im klaren darüber, das ich es lesen muss. Denn meiner Rezension zum ersten Band dieser Reihe entnehmen konnte hat mir der Reihenauftakt zu dieser Reihe sehr von sich überzeugen konnte war mir bewusst, das ich diese Reihe weiterlesen muss. Also kam played zu mir geflogen.
Natürlich war der Schreibstil von Jen Frederick einmal wieder bombastisch. Ich war sofort in der Geschichte drin und konnte das Buch auch nicht aus der Hand legen.
Diese Idee der Beziehung zwischen besten Freunden ist ja nichts neues aber ich finde es sehr gut wie die Autorin es geschafft hat durch das Einführen bestimmter Charaktere und ihrer Eigenarten die Idee aufzupeppen aber es gleichzeitig nicht gekünstelt wirken zu lassen.
Mir hat es zusagt, wie Jen ihre Nebencharaktere in die Haupthandlung integriert hat ohne das sie fehl am Platz wirkten. Sehr gut fand ich es ebenfalls das ein Wiedersehen mit Figuren aus dieser Welt zum Beispiel Knox.
Auch die Verbindung zu zwischen Zwillinge is tin diesem Band wieder ein Thema und ich finde sie hat das Geschichte auch wieder spannend gemacht. Auch wenn ich es zum Teil ganz schön gruselig ist wie diese Verbindungen zwischen Zwillingen funktionieren.
Super interessant war es auch das College erneut aus der Sicht von zwei neuen Charakteren kennen zu lernen. Denn man hat alles aus einem anderem Blickwinkel gesehen. Ich finde es immer toll andere Blickwinkel auf alles zu erhalten im Verlaufe einer Reihe.
An der Reihe finde ich es toll das man die chance hat etwas über einen Sport zu lernen der hier in Deutschland nicht ganz so populär ist. Außerdem bekommt man einen guten Einblick wie es ist wenn man Übergang vom Collegesport zum Profisport im Football schafft.
Ara war eine Junge Frau die mir gleich sympathisch war, denn ich mochte ihren Humor und auch wie sie Ty immer zur Seite steht. Obwohl es es mir gelang ihre Ängste im Bezug auf eine Mögliche Beziehung mit Ty nachzuvollziehen, weil Jen sie plausibel Begründet hat, teile ich sie nicht, denn auch wenn Ty in einer Eigenschaft ihrem Vater gleicht ist er noch immer ein andere Mensch. Irgendwie gefällt ihre treue gegenüber ihren Freunden. Auch das sie über manche dinge zu viel nachdenkt hilft mir sehr gut sich mit ihr zu identifizieren.
Ty und seine Leidenschaft für Football ware in diesem Buch zwei untrennbare Dinge. Aber ich fand schön das er so zu seinen Gefühlen gestanden hat und sie auch ausgesprochen hat. Auch sein Biss und er nicht aufgeben hat als es schwer wurde machen ihn mir sympathisch.


After i enjoyed the fist Book of these series it was sure that i have to read more books in these series. So played had to move to my bookshelf.
Again Jens Style of writing was amazing. At the moment i started reading i dove in to the story and i wasn't able to put these book down. I took me only one Day until i finished this book.
The Idea of best friends falling in love isn't anything new but the author was able to give it her own note by bringing in Charakters and their quirks.
It interested my personally how Jen placed Side characters in her story with out letting them like What do we have to do here? Also i was happy to meet characters i know form the first three books. Like Knox.
Again the special conjunction of mind between twins is a theme in that book. In my opinion these fact made the story much more interesting. But sometimes it was bit scary how the conjunctions between twins are working.
It had been super interesting to see to college from new points of view. Because its so nice to learn more view of different Colleges or Schools while reading a series.
in the series I find it great that one has the chance to learn something about a sport here in Germany is not quite as popular. In addition, you get a good insight as it is if one creates a transition from college sports to professional sports in football.
Ara was a girl who had been sympathic to me. because loved her humor and how she was supporting Ty all the time. Although I succeeded in understanding her fears regarding a possible relationship with Ty because Jen had plausibly justified her, I do not share them. Even though Ty is like her father in one characteristic, he is still a different person. I really admire it how loyally she is with her friends, Also like that she overthinks things sometimes because I'm the same way exactly.
Ty and his passion for football were two inseparable things in this book. But I thought it was nice that he had confessed to his feelings. Also his bite and he did not give up when it was hard to make him sympathetic to me.

Conclusion

In the end there is to say that Jen Created a nice story with addiction potential. I loved Ara and Ty together. I had a lot of fun while reading and also i had moment where i have to fight tears. Perfect mixture of sport and love story with cool Side Kicks,
Five of five horses.
🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇 / 🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇




















digitlchic's review against another edition

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4.0

4–