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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Playing It Cool is the second installment of the Sydney Smoke Rugby series and it was honestly a pretty good one. In this book, you will meet Harper and Dex. If you've read the previous book, well.. you will notice that we do meet that couple in this as well. It was a short but sweet moment and I wish I got more of them in this book. Dex and Harper were a cute couple that basically had to be told that they loved the other.
Harper is a curvy girl with attitude. No, she isn't fat but if you ask her douchey step-brother and step-monster (I mean mother?) they will definitely tell you otherwise. I felt so bad for her because she was definitely treated like Cinderella. Maybe even worse? The only thing, well two things, she cared about were her younger twin siblings and they were freaking adorable. They loved the shit out of each other and I just hope that they never believe a single word out of that step monster's mouth... even if she is the real mother.. she's a bitch.
Then there's Dex, who plays on the Rugby team with Tanner (from the first book). He's also sort of kind of a play boy but that's mostly because of the tabloids. He doesn't date. Nope, he doesn't do that whole "girlfriend" thing.. yet, once he meets Harper he starts to change his mind. Little does he know that he's falling for the girl. It doesn't hurt that she's falling for him either.
Their relationship had so much chemistry that I was going to be completely frustrated if they didn't end up together. They had such fire and I laughed when they laughed. I would've cried if they cried.. I mean tears were shed.. but I felt nothing. I was so happy that they ended up getting back together and having their own little happily ever after.
These two were completely adorable. I loved the predictability and I can't wait to dive into the third book!
Harper is a curvy girl with attitude. No, she isn't fat but if you ask her douchey step-brother and step-monster (I mean mother?) they will definitely tell you otherwise. I felt so bad for her because she was definitely treated like Cinderella. Maybe even worse? The only thing, well two things, she cared about were her younger twin siblings and they were freaking adorable. They loved the shit out of each other and I just hope that they never believe a single word out of that step monster's mouth... even if she is the real mother.. she's a bitch.
Then there's Dex, who plays on the Rugby team with Tanner (from the first book). He's also sort of kind of a play boy but that's mostly because of the tabloids. He doesn't date. Nope, he doesn't do that whole "girlfriend" thing.. yet, once he meets Harper he starts to change his mind. Little does he know that he's falling for the girl. It doesn't hurt that she's falling for him either.
Their relationship had so much chemistry that I was going to be completely frustrated if they didn't end up together. They had such fire and I laughed when they laughed. I would've cried if they cried.. I mean tears were shed.. but I felt nothing. I was so happy that they ended up getting back together and having their own little happily ever after.
These two were completely adorable. I loved the predictability and I can't wait to dive into the third book!
When you finish a book and you go from smiling to one handed reading, then to crying and finally to swooning over "the big gesture", you can't help but to not want to close your kindle and to keep reading just to hold onto that feeling.
This story gave me everything I look for in a great book. Dex is what every book boyfriend should aim to be. He's sexy, smart, kind and doesn't give into the hype of what other people think of him or the pressure to be someone he isn't. Harper is insecure because of her step mother and brothers constant belittling of her curves, but she's also fierce, beautiful and honest.
From the moment they meet, to their agreement and the journey to becoming "more", I was in love with them as individuals as much as I was in love with who they were together. But don't get it twisted, when they were together it was fireworks and heat! That scene with the body painting...that was sexy as hell but also led to one of the more emotional scenes in the book.
When you feel the emotions between two characters so strongly that you find yourself crying for them, it's the worst feeling and the best at the same time. Being sucked into the story so much that it causes such a reaction is what makes reading so great.
I didn't even know this was the second book in a series but now I know I have to go back and read the first book and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This story gave me everything I look for in a great book. Dex is what every book boyfriend should aim to be. He's sexy, smart, kind and doesn't give into the hype of what other people think of him or the pressure to be someone he isn't. Harper is insecure because of her step mother and brothers constant belittling of her curves, but she's also fierce, beautiful and honest.
From the moment they meet, to their agreement and the journey to becoming "more", I was in love with them as individuals as much as I was in love with who they were together. But don't get it twisted, when they were together it was fireworks and heat! That scene with the body painting...that was sexy as hell but also led to one of the more emotional scenes in the book.
When you feel the emotions between two characters so strongly that you find yourself crying for them, it's the worst feeling and the best at the same time. Being sucked into the story so much that it causes such a reaction is what makes reading so great.
I didn't even know this was the second book in a series but now I know I have to go back and read the first book and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I absolutely adored Dax and Harper. It was a fun and sexy read! I highly recommend it!!
This was lowkey trash. It’s only interesting part is the smut. The MMC is shit. He says all of the wrong things and his thoughts about the relationship are also red flags. It’s very imbalanced, the way he thinks. His world revolves around him, even when thinking about a potential relationship with her. It’s gross and I skimmed the majority of the last half of the book. I think the FMC could do much better.
Also the rounds near the end of breaking up, then only having sex, then breaking up again, then grand gesturing was horrid. This book is only 200 pages. Why did all that have to happen??
This was a great read - sporty, sweet & steamy! I loved Dex & Harper, both as individuals & as a couple, and seeing them get together warmed my cold, dead heart. I enjoy reading fake dating stories, and this turned into real dating pretty fast, even if it took some time for both parties to realise their feelings & sort their issues out. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series & seeing Linc meet his match.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From author Amy Andrews comes book two in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series...
Harper Nugent is a big girl. Always has been, always will be. When her douche of a stepbrother insults her in front of rugby star Dexter Blake, she is embarrassed and just wants to get on her way. She is more than a little surprised (and sceptical) when Dexter stops her from leaving to ask her on a date.
Dexter Blake's whole life is rugby. It was his ticket out of poverty, and there is no way he is going to let anyone, especially a woman, come between him and his career. When he overhears some douche reporter call the woman he has been eye-f@cking "fat" he finds himself asking her on a date.
One pretty great date later, and a plan has been hatched. Harper and Dexter will pretend to date. A little bit of fourberie to get one over on Harper's stepbrother and stepmother.
But when one date leads to another, and another, and another. Will these two be able to keep their hands and their growing feelings to themselves??
"“Hey, you want to talk masturbation? I’m up for that. But you’re talking to an expert here.” Her lips quirked, dragging his gaze south to their full, glossy pillows. “Expert, huh? “A Jedi,” he deadpanned. She laughed, but it was husky, the sound going straight to his balls. “A Jedi?” He nodded. “Obi-frickin-wan, baby."
To say I was excited to get an ARC for this book would be an understatement. I ADORED book one in this series Playing by Her Rules and could not wait to dive right into this one. I was NOT disappointed. The same great characters. Fabulous writing. Humor and heartache. A great supporting cast. Like the first book there isn't any OW/OM drama. No groupies hanging around. Neither were virgins. Dexter wasn't a manwhore. In fact very little space is given to their past sexual history (thankfully).
Harper was a great heroine. She was funny and strong, and a bit nerdy. Very likable, and wasn't a pushover. She had issues with her size due to her stepbrother and stepmom, but I didn't think they overshadowed the book. She got over them quick when the sexytimes with Dexter started and they only popped up a bit again towards the end. That said. "I" did have a slight problem with her size, or rather the way she is described. It's why I enjoyed this one SLIGHTLY less than the first. Harper is described on several occasions as "amazonian" and "big" and "thick" She is 6´ tall and stands the same height as Dexter. Her calves at one point are described as "muscular" and her thighs could "crack a walnut" Now had this been mentioned once I would have been OK, but it's repeated several times and all I could picture was a giant "mannish" looking woman with "tits and ass." That said, it was only slightly distracting to me so I only took half a star off.
"I think you may just be the perfect woman.” “Oh?” She kicked up an eyebrow. “Curvy,” he said, his gaze drifting to her breasts then lower to her hips and belly and lower again to follow the line of her thigh, “and kick-ass. My two favourite traits."
Dexter was a fabulous hero. Not as great as Tanner from book one, but still right up there. He was sexy and sweet and smokin hot. The friendship (with benefits) he developed with Harper was cute. They were both secret nerds that loved gaming and Star Wars. That isn't to say I didn't want to slap him upside the head and tell him to get his head out of his ass. Thankfully Tanner did that job for me. The conversation Dexter and Tanner have near the end of the book was hilarious.
Overall this was yet another fabulous read in this series. I enjoyed it just a SMIDGE less than the first book. It had the perfect combination of laugh out loud moments and teary eyed agnst. I can't wait to read who from the Sydney Smoke team is going to fall next (except Link. I am not totally sold on Link yet) Two thumbs up from yours truly...
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
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