Playing the Player (Sydney Smoke Rugby #3)

I think the only thing I don’t like about this series is that the books are always so damn short. Playing the Player is no exception from the rest of the series—it’s hot, funny, intriguing, and heartwarmingly beautiful. Linc and Em couldn’t be any more different, but it’s what ultimately brings them together. Sometimes opposites do attract. We’ve known Linc since book one, and we’ve known he was the biggest player of them all. Only caring about rugby, money, and women. But what about his past made him the player who closes of his emotions so completely? But I also couldn’t wait to see him fall, fast and hard for Em. And I love Em! First off, her real name is hilarious. Those mean parents haha Secondly, I’ve had a very specific image of her in my head after Harper’s book, which thankfully was not actually the case. But I loved how much she changed and grew throughout the series. Yet, both Linc and Em have had a rocky childhood, one that damaged both of them in a very different way. Can they overcome the scars inflicted by their parents? Or will they let them tear each other apart? I think what I liked most about Playing the Player was not just the chemistry between the two—and boy was that hot—but also the fact that while I thought I knew what was going to happen, it actually didn’t! I was sure this one thing will happen and tear them apart—color me surprised, and ecstatic when it actually did not happen. I love when authors manage to take me by surprise and throw my preconceived notions out the window, proving me wrong. Well done, Miss Andrews, well done! Despite this however, I enjoyed this book due to its well-developed writing and characters. It drew me in from page one without hesitation and didn’t let me go. If you are in the mood to see a sexy, arrogant rugby player be brought to his knees by a science teacher, then Playing the Player is the book for you! It’s full of hot steamy scenes as well as the sweet love story I’ve come to crave and expect from Amy Andrews. Playing the Player—another book in the “Sydney Smoke Rugby Series” that did NOT disappoint.

I have had this one waiting for me since release day and I have been really looking forward to it seeing as how much I loved the first two in the series and boy did I love it MS Andrews has such a way with words she brings out the best on the pages and this one is a hot sexy awesome story one that I could barely put down I laughed and smiled throughout this journey to a very sexy HEA with Rugby star Lincoln Quinn and school teacher Em Newman, my advice get yourself a drink and sit back and enjoy. Em has had enough of men she is over them, been celibate for four whole months and even re-virginalized, you see she wants someone permanent someone who will love her and stick around, marriage not like her father who took off and she is determined that the next man she dates will be the one. It is a bit harder than she thinks when hot rugby star Linc Quinn who is a player is asking her out because wow the sparks that shoot between them could light up the footy field but she shows some strength. Linc is good at gambling, he has no intention of ever getting married, woman are easy for him oh he treats them very well but does not want permanent so when at a poker game his team mates make a bet with him about Em well who is he to refuse. He works very hard to get Em on a date and soon the bet is forgotten because Linc is so drawn to Em he really likes her Em has such an amazing personality they are so well suited and the sparks are getting stronger and their time together is heating up. WOW this one is a cracker of a story, steamy, sexy and so well written Linc and Em just come to life on the pages, it is moving, beautiful and really a story that you should not miss of course they both have to come around to an amicable solution to their love for each other and what they both want and it is done is such a great way. I absolutely loved Linc he is to die for and Em well what a woman what strength she shows woohoo thank you MS Andrews for a fabulous story. Bring on more of this smoking hot team 

Em and Linc…WOW! I need a fire extinguisher because this book was SCORCHING HOT! Don\’t get me wrong, their physical attraction is fantastically combustible and their emotional connection just snuck up out of nowhere..but these two give new meaning to foreplay! The shower scene alone had me speechless, lol! Linc is the manwhore of the Sydney Smokes and wears the title proudly. He\’s a charmer and panty melter for sure with his blonde good looks, but underneath his playboy exterior lies a personality full of loyalty and a gruff version of love to those most important to him. He more than meets his match with Harper\’s best friend Em and I admit, I was not expecting the sparks to fly the way they did! Oddly enough, I think Em-a sexy science teacher-is the perfect fit for Linc. She appears demure on the outside, but under those teacher clothes lies one sexy little vixen! She\’s sassy, funny, and a sweet romantic at heart. Em gave ridiculous reasons why she couldn\’t date Linc, but his response went above and beyond in response every. single. time! Amy\’s Sydney Smoke Rugby series is scorching hot and this book was one sinfully decadent read! I mean who doesn\’t love reading about devilishly sexy men and the women they fall for?! I love the team camaraderie, the off the wall humor, and, of course, the sexiness that is Linc… I happily recommend picking up Playing the Player!

Wowza, think I need to cool down after some of the scorching scenes in this book! I’ve been eagerly awaiting Em and Linc’s book since the end of the last book and this so did not let me down. Playing the Player is a fun and sexy romance between two people emotionally hurt by love in their pasts. Em and Linc, who tell the book through dual perspective, have a strong attraction and sweet chemistry that develops as they grow closer over the book. While Em (who has a name you really couldn’t predict) and Linc appear as two complete opposites, Linc a typical cocky player manwhore and Em a good girl science teacher who knows what she wants but also how to have fun, their backgrounds actually make them more alike than you would expect, although the way it shapes their view on future love is different. I loved how the author builds up their relationship and intertwines some smoking hot scenes into the budding romance without it feeling rushed. For those who have read either of the previous books, it’s nice to catch up with those characters as they help shape Linc and Em’s at the same time. Playing the Player is a fairly light hearted, well written sports romance. While this book does mix in a common theme of a bet, I actually liked the reaction of the female lead because it wasn’t as I expected it to be (which is always a good thing). In relation to the sports elements, you don’t have to understand to fully follow along. There is some last minute drama thrown in to twist things and has you questioning whether two people with such emotional scars can really find a HEA. The book ties up all things relating to Em and Linc to make this a true standalone. Overall, if you are looking for a fun and sexy sports romance but with a bit of an emotional undertone, definitely give this book a read! *I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

*I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Playing the Player is by far the best book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby Series. I loved Playing by Her Rules (Book 1) and Playing It Cool (Book 2) but this one resonated with me on a very deep level. For me, in the previous two books, Andrews\’ portrayal of Linc Quinn is a pure manwhore whose solution to everything is getting laid. You knew that this boy was going to fall, and when he did he\’d fall hard, and fast, and the poor love would not have a clue what the hell had happened to him. From the outset he\’s a typical young stud, who knows who and what he is, what he\’s got and boy does he take advantage of his celebrity privileges. He\’s scarred by his childhood and he has not intention of ever settling down or getting married. High School Teach Em, has some serious abandonment issues and after a string of broken hearts she\’s sworn off men until she finds Mr Forever. For Em, happily ever after equals loves, marriage and kids. And no matter who attracted to Linc she is, she knows he\’s another broken heart in waiting and she\’s willing herself not to fall for his charms. One of the things I love about this author is that she\’s not afraid to tackle the tropes and opinions that cause debates. The opening chapter truly shows Linc in his original form when he takes on the challenge to bed Em, even though she\’s given Linc a frosty reception whenever they\’ve been together. His team mates have challenged his manhood and taunted his competitive side, he can\’t walk away from that without looking like a wuss. By the time he\’s got Em on a date with him, he\’s demonstrated that not only is he appalled by the bet itself, but that he truly is a great guy, with room to improve, and he\’s genuinely interested in the girl rather than the goal. Em and Linc\’s journey is hot and the steamy scenes happen in unexpected places. They have a lot a chemistry, the banter is laugh out loud funny in places, and their selfies had me chuckling away. I loved their story. I was smiling from cover to cover, with the exception of the break up scene. It is one that broke my heart. And trust me, as a girl who had stood in Em\’s shoes for seventeen years, settling / compromising / being happy with what you have, or whatever else you want to call it, doesn\’t stop the ache for something you\’ve been dreaming about since you were little. You just have to decide what it is you want more and learn to live with that choice. Another hot and spicy read from one of my favourite authors!

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