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emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Playmaker is a brother's best friend, second chance romance between two childhood friends who find their way back to each other during spring break.
I liked the idea of this storyline but unfortunately a few things bothered me whilst reading.
My biggest problem whilst reading was the characters ages. They were quite immature so their 19 and 21 made sense, however I didn't like that their previous encounter/where everything went wrong was when they were 13 and 15. To me, it seemed too young for them to have this epic heartbreak, especially with a near-kiss. It felt like the kind of thing that may have happened between a 16 and 18 year old, and the way they described everything, with them being in love, his screwing around after and them never letting go just didn't fit for me with a 13 and 15 year old. So I struggled with their main 'love story' because of this - I'd have liked them to have been a bit older when they had their big fallout.
As this jarred me quite early on, I then struggled to connect with Cam and Maddie, as individual characters and together. Quite a few of Cam's choices, especially around his routine and food, just seemed a bit contradictory, especially as he was supposedly an amazing future nfl player. This was discussed towards the end but I just didn't see him as an NFL player in terms of his behaviour, even with it being Spring Break.
I'm not a fan of third act breakups and this one seemed so pointless/lasted so little time that it just seemed there so that something could happen at the end.
Unfortunately, this was just not the book for me, although it has a lot of tropes I enjoy!
I liked the idea of this storyline but unfortunately a few things bothered me whilst reading.
My biggest problem whilst reading was the characters ages. They were quite immature so their 19 and 21 made sense, however I didn't like that their previous encounter/where everything went wrong was when they were 13 and 15. To me, it seemed too young for them to have this epic heartbreak, especially with a near-kiss. It felt like the kind of thing that may have happened between a 16 and 18 year old, and the way they described everything, with them being in love, his screwing around after and them never letting go just didn't fit for me with a 13 and 15 year old. So I struggled with their main 'love story' because of this - I'd have liked them to have been a bit older when they had their big fallout.
As this jarred me quite early on, I then struggled to connect with Cam and Maddie, as individual characters and together. Quite a few of Cam's choices, especially around his routine and food, just seemed a bit contradictory, especially as he was supposedly an amazing future nfl player. This was discussed towards the end but I just didn't see him as an NFL player in terms of his behaviour, even with it being Spring Break.
Unfortunately, this was just not the book for me, although it has a lot of tropes I enjoy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent
Minor: Blood
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The highlights: brother’s best friend, childhood friends, dual POV, spicy.
The tension at the beginning of the book was so good, as was the spice. Then Cam dropped his flirty player vibe as soon as they hooked up. Tension, gone.
The first half was easily five stars. After the 60% mark it kind of dropped off for me. Maddie became insecure and whiny.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for the ARC of “Playmaker” by Deanna Faison.
I like a good college romance novel and when I saw the cover and read the description, I thought I was getting a sports romance novel. Unfortunately, aside from the fact that the MMC Cam is a football player, there is no mention of sports (aside from when he goes to work out or goes on a run).
This story follows the classic trope of childhood friends-to-lovers and the brother’s best friend. Given that they grew up together, I can understand how quickly they end up falling in love with one another. However, I did find the timeline for this story a bit absurdly tight. It’s supposed to take place over a few weeks on spring break and the sheer volume of outings and activities that take place over this time period seems implausible.
I feel like the flashbacks that were written into the story did a nice job of adding a bit of backstory to the characters and their motivations, but I would have liked to see a bit more of these sooner.
There are major flaws with both characters - it’s clear that Cameron really needs to go to therapy. The fact that he hasn’t spoken to a therapist after his mother died and he’s using alcohol and sex as coping mechanisms are major red flags. Maddie is also not without her faults - she is delusional when it comes to Cam and refuses to acknowledge any of the glaring red flags he’s giving off. She also needs therapy if she’s truly as “breathtaking” as Cam consistently claims she is and yet she doesn’t seem to have any real life aside from pining over him. She definitely gives off low-key stalker girl vibes with Cam.
Overall, it was a cute story and it had some good points, and if you’re looking for a bit of fun, you can give it a read. If you’re into sports college romances, however, I definitely would suggest looking for another book, because this one isn’t it.
I like a good college romance novel and when I saw the cover and read the description, I thought I was getting a sports romance novel. Unfortunately, aside from the fact that the MMC Cam is a football player, there is no mention of sports (aside from when he goes to work out or goes on a run).
This story follows the classic trope of childhood friends-to-lovers and the brother’s best friend. Given that they grew up together, I can understand how quickly they end up falling in love with one another. However, I did find the timeline for this story a bit absurdly tight. It’s supposed to take place over a few weeks on spring break and the sheer volume of outings and activities that take place over this time period seems implausible.
I feel like the flashbacks that were written into the story did a nice job of adding a bit of backstory to the characters and their motivations, but I would have liked to see a bit more of these sooner.
There are major flaws with both characters -
Overall, it was a cute story and it had some good points, and if you’re looking for a bit of fun, you can give it a read. If you’re into sports college romances, however, I definitely would suggest looking for another book, because this one isn’t it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol