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San Francisco Strikers #2
He's a Player
To the world, he’s a sexy soccer superstar.
To me, he’s the arrogant jerk who broke my teenage heart–and my new fake fiancé.
The last time I saw Tim Cheltenham, he was an eighteen-year-old soccer hottie with an irresistible English accent, a painfully gorgeous face, and an enormous . . . ego.
Fifteen years later, with a medical degree under my belt and a new dream job with The Strikers soccer team—his team—I’m not about to let Tim’s bad attitude and grumpy scowl ruin it for me.
But when my chauvinistic boss implies that he doesn’t trust single women to stay on the job long-term, I panic and tell him I’m engaged. And to my surprise, it’s Tim who comes to my rescue, offering to play my fake fiancé if I’ll do him a favor–cover up the truth about his injury.
The lie could derail both our careers, and I’ve got no desire to spend more time than necessary in Tim’s surly presence. And falling for him again? Ha! That’s never going to happen.
So with my job on the line, I say yes. Now, the more time I spend with Tim, the more I sense a softer side beneath those chiseled muscles and broody exterior. But the more I understand him, the harder it is to pretend that we're just for show.
And when a rival player threatens to expose our secret, I’m terrified I’ll lose everything.
They say you have to fake it to make it. But what happens when love is the goal?
He's a Player is a standalone second chance sports roomance
To me, he’s the arrogant jerk who broke my teenage heart–and my new fake fiancé.
The last time I saw Tim Cheltenham, he was an eighteen-year-old soccer hottie with an irresistible English accent, a painfully gorgeous face, and an enormous . . . ego.
Fifteen years later, with a medical degree under my belt and a new dream job with The Strikers soccer team—his team—I’m not about to let Tim’s bad attitude and grumpy scowl ruin it for me.
But when my chauvinistic boss implies that he doesn’t trust single women to stay on the job long-term, I panic and tell him I’m engaged. And to my surprise, it’s Tim who comes to my rescue, offering to play my fake fiancé if I’ll do him a favor–cover up the truth about his injury.
The lie could derail both our careers, and I’ve got no desire to spend more time than necessary in Tim’s surly presence. And falling for him again? Ha! That’s never going to happen.
So with my job on the line, I say yes. Now, the more time I spend with Tim, the more I sense a softer side beneath those chiseled muscles and broody exterior. But the more I understand him, the harder it is to pretend that we're just for show.
And when a rival player threatens to expose our secret, I’m terrified I’ll lose everything.
They say you have to fake it to make it. But what happens when love is the goal?
He's a Player is a standalone second chance sports roomance
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2023
101 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
About the author
Stacy Travis
32 books690 followersStacy Travis writes charming, spicy romance about bookish, sassy women and the hot alphas who fall for them.
Writing makes her infinitely happy, but that might be the coffee talking. She drinks a LOT of it.
She's worked as a journalist, camp counselor, TV writer, SAT tutor, corporate finance researcher, education technology editor, and non-fiction author. When she's not on a deadline, she's in running shoes complaining that all roads seem to go uphill. Or on the couch with a margarita. Or fangirling at a soccer game.
She's never met a dog she didn't want to hug. And if you have no plans for Thanksgiving, she'll probably invite you to dinner.
Stacy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and a poorly-trained rescue dog who hoards socks. And she's serious about the Thanksgiving thing.
VISIT MY AMAZON PAGE!
https://amzn.to/3bPwy8H
VISIT MY FACEBOOK!
www.facebook.com/stacy.travis.9699
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM!
www.instagram.com/stacytravisauthor
Writing makes her infinitely happy, but that might be the coffee talking. She drinks a LOT of it.
She's worked as a journalist, camp counselor, TV writer, SAT tutor, corporate finance researcher, education technology editor, and non-fiction author. When she's not on a deadline, she's in running shoes complaining that all roads seem to go uphill. Or on the couch with a margarita. Or fangirling at a soccer game.
She's never met a dog she didn't want to hug. And if you have no plans for Thanksgiving, she'll probably invite you to dinner.
Stacy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and a poorly-trained rescue dog who hoards socks. And she's serious about the Thanksgiving thing.
VISIT MY AMAZON PAGE!
https://amzn.to/3bPwy8H
VISIT MY FACEBOOK!
www.facebook.com/stacy.travis.9699
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM!
www.instagram.com/stacytravisauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
February 20, 2023
4⭐
Book 2 in the San Francisco Strikers series. I didn't read the 1st one and usually that would make me upset, but I don't recall seeing either name mentioned from book 1, so seems to totally be a stand~alone.
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, sports romance ~ soccer, doctor, sexism, fake relationship, office romance, slow burn, some steamage, second chance
Jordan & Tim
They first met as teenagers when Tim was a foreign exchange student with Jordan's family. They only spent a platonic month together and one embarrassing night had him hightailing it back across the pond.
Now, 15 years later, Jordan is the new medical director for the soccer team Tim plays for. Long story short Jordan has diarrhea of the mouth and now has a fake fiance. Can they put their true feelings for each other aside and make everyone believe in their love?
This was a slow burn that eventually leads to a bit of steamage, not too much, but their chemistry is undeniable. I really liked them together and am pleased with how it all wrapped up. There were some nice mother/daughter and father/son moments that while wasn't the focus of the story as a whole, but it helped to bring everything together. I'd be delighted to read more from Stacy in the future.
Side notes:
~ apparently Tim has some 'forearm porn' going on ~ not really sure what that is, but I'll be asking my hub to start working on his so I can be in the know.
~ there are a bunch of similar names for different characters that I thought was odd ~ Jordan/Jordy, Danny/Danny (one is a nickname), Cheltenham/Chet (one is a last name)
*Thanks to Stacy Travis and Social Butterfly PR for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Book 2 in the San Francisco Strikers series. I didn't read the 1st one and usually that would make me upset, but I don't recall seeing either name mentioned from book 1, so seems to totally be a stand~alone.
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, sports romance ~ soccer, doctor, sexism, fake relationship, office romance, slow burn, some steamage, second chance
Jordan & Tim
They first met as teenagers when Tim was a foreign exchange student with Jordan's family. They only spent a platonic month together and one embarrassing night had him hightailing it back across the pond.
Now, 15 years later, Jordan is the new medical director for the soccer team Tim plays for. Long story short Jordan has diarrhea of the mouth and now has a fake fiance. Can they put their true feelings for each other aside and make everyone believe in their love?
This was a slow burn that eventually leads to a bit of steamage, not too much, but their chemistry is undeniable. I really liked them together and am pleased with how it all wrapped up. There were some nice mother/daughter and father/son moments that while wasn't the focus of the story as a whole, but it helped to bring everything together. I'd be delighted to read more from Stacy in the future.
Side notes:
~ apparently Tim has some 'forearm porn' going on ~ not really sure what that is, but I'll be asking my hub to start working on his so I can be in the know.
~ there are a bunch of similar names for different characters that I thought was odd ~ Jordan/Jordy, Danny/Danny (one is a nickname), Cheltenham/Chet (one is a last name)
*Thanks to Stacy Travis and Social Butterfly PR for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
November 9, 2022
"Like if Romeo and Juliet had lived to fall in love a second time."
Second chance romance taken up a notch, He's a Player is the story of the one who got away. Fifteen years earlier, Tim lived with Jordan's family as part of an exchange program, trying to leave behind his father's disappointment in him for choosing soccer over the family business. One night, Jordan impulsively came to Tim's bedroom with the intent to give him everything but he turned her away and hightailed it back to England. Never getting over the rejection, Jordan followed soccer over the years and studied to become a sports medicine doctor. Finding her dream job with the Strikers, the team Tim now starts for after returning to the states, she sees him again for the first time since then, bringing old feelings of hurt and unrequited love to the surface.
When sexist remarks at work put Jordan's future with the team in jeopardy, she pretends she's engaged to ensure her longevity with the team. Tim steps in, suggesting they indulge in a fake relationship where he'll play the role of her fiancé. He has an injury that needs surgery, risks present every time he plays, but with soccer as his top priority, he convinces Jordan to make sure he's allowed to play, an inherent ethics breach from her perspective. So what happens when Tim's competition finds out their engagement is for show and poses a threat to both of their careers? And what happens when their fake relationship starts to become a little more real?
"Match. Strike. Boom."
Jordan still sees herself as the sixteen-year-old girl who had her heart broken. But Tim has been harboring feelings of his own since then as well. When they finally give in to their mutual attraction, kisses filled with promise and years of pent up desire and longing turn up the heat in quite possibly the most steamy scenes I've read by the author so far.
The author's female characters are always smart, independent women and I love how they make sexy, confident men fall to their knees. After a somewhat slow start, I loved where this story was headed. The intense chemistry between Jordan and Tim and their magnetic connection drew me in. Impulsive and messy but utterly perfect, their relationship was years in the making. And I think that's what made it even more powerful. The pain and hurt from the past fueled the fire of the present and I loved watching them fall so deeply for each other. I was wrapped up in stolen kisses and blushing smiles, heat mixed with emotions behind thoughtful gestures. I would have liked to see a bit more character development here but the friendships and family dynamics made this so enjoyable. And I especially loved Coach Jaynes and how he took care of his players on and off the field.
"What's the point of playing the sport I love if I want her more?"
What would you do for love? What would you be willing to give up? Would you put everything on the line for the chance at a lifetime of happiness? This book was about trust, knowing who to trust and trusting in love itself. It also focused on the importance of not letting the past negatively influence the future, embracing second chances like they may be the last. Angst filled tension culminated in the perfect ending with an unexpected little twist. And the fun in the epilogue kept the steam going right up until the very end.
"It was never going to be just fun with you. It was always going to be more. It was going to be everything."
** Special thanks to author Stacy Travis for sending me this ARC to read and review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available November 15, 2022. **
Second chance romance taken up a notch, He's a Player is the story of the one who got away. Fifteen years earlier, Tim lived with Jordan's family as part of an exchange program, trying to leave behind his father's disappointment in him for choosing soccer over the family business. One night, Jordan impulsively came to Tim's bedroom with the intent to give him everything but he turned her away and hightailed it back to England. Never getting over the rejection, Jordan followed soccer over the years and studied to become a sports medicine doctor. Finding her dream job with the Strikers, the team Tim now starts for after returning to the states, she sees him again for the first time since then, bringing old feelings of hurt and unrequited love to the surface.
When sexist remarks at work put Jordan's future with the team in jeopardy, she pretends she's engaged to ensure her longevity with the team. Tim steps in, suggesting they indulge in a fake relationship where he'll play the role of her fiancé. He has an injury that needs surgery, risks present every time he plays, but with soccer as his top priority, he convinces Jordan to make sure he's allowed to play, an inherent ethics breach from her perspective. So what happens when Tim's competition finds out their engagement is for show and poses a threat to both of their careers? And what happens when their fake relationship starts to become a little more real?
"Match. Strike. Boom."
Jordan still sees herself as the sixteen-year-old girl who had her heart broken. But Tim has been harboring feelings of his own since then as well. When they finally give in to their mutual attraction, kisses filled with promise and years of pent up desire and longing turn up the heat in quite possibly the most steamy scenes I've read by the author so far.
The author's female characters are always smart, independent women and I love how they make sexy, confident men fall to their knees. After a somewhat slow start, I loved where this story was headed. The intense chemistry between Jordan and Tim and their magnetic connection drew me in. Impulsive and messy but utterly perfect, their relationship was years in the making. And I think that's what made it even more powerful. The pain and hurt from the past fueled the fire of the present and I loved watching them fall so deeply for each other. I was wrapped up in stolen kisses and blushing smiles, heat mixed with emotions behind thoughtful gestures. I would have liked to see a bit more character development here but the friendships and family dynamics made this so enjoyable. And I especially loved Coach Jaynes and how he took care of his players on and off the field.
"What's the point of playing the sport I love if I want her more?"
What would you do for love? What would you be willing to give up? Would you put everything on the line for the chance at a lifetime of happiness? This book was about trust, knowing who to trust and trusting in love itself. It also focused on the importance of not letting the past negatively influence the future, embracing second chances like they may be the last. Angst filled tension culminated in the perfect ending with an unexpected little twist. And the fun in the epilogue kept the steam going right up until the very end.
"It was never going to be just fun with you. It was always going to be more. It was going to be everything."
** Special thanks to author Stacy Travis for sending me this ARC to read and review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available November 15, 2022. **
November 13, 2022
Thank you Social Butterfly PR & Stacy Travis for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts are my own.
This book 😍😍😍 What can I say that will convey to you the depth of my affection for this second chance romance?
Tim has been head over heels for Jordan since the moment he laid eyes on her when he was an 18 year old up and coming soccer player on an exchange program in the States and living at her home during that time. Little did he know that the feeling was mutual until one night that changed everything…. And not for the better. They went their separate ways but as fate would have it, they met again years later when Jordan joined the San Francisco Strikers as the team’s doctor…. which also happens to be where Tim plays as a defender. Sparks fly again but both are on edge for their own reasons. But before they know it, they tumble into a fake engagement that’s starting to feel all too real.
I love soccer romance. As a huge fan of the game, I was searching ages for a story that was capture my heart so wholly. So when I read He’s a Keeper, I knew I found a winning series. And Stacy certainly proved me right with He’s a Player! It’s the second standalone and can be read as such, but I encourage you to pick up both the books because the series is worth it!
Tim & Jordan. Sigh. I absolutely adore them. They are so in love with each other but both think it’s unrequited and so there’s all that delicious angst I enjoy at the start. But when it combusts?? Oooh there is nothing sweeter or sexier. The mouth on Tim is 🥵🥵🥵. And don’t get me started on the way he calls Jordan love, I don’t think I’m going to recover anytime soon.
I adore this story so much, and encourage you to pick it up, especially if you are a fan of second chance, unrequited but secretly very required, sports romance. You won’t regret it!
This book 😍😍😍 What can I say that will convey to you the depth of my affection for this second chance romance?
Tim has been head over heels for Jordan since the moment he laid eyes on her when he was an 18 year old up and coming soccer player on an exchange program in the States and living at her home during that time. Little did he know that the feeling was mutual until one night that changed everything…. And not for the better. They went their separate ways but as fate would have it, they met again years later when Jordan joined the San Francisco Strikers as the team’s doctor…. which also happens to be where Tim plays as a defender. Sparks fly again but both are on edge for their own reasons. But before they know it, they tumble into a fake engagement that’s starting to feel all too real.
I love soccer romance. As a huge fan of the game, I was searching ages for a story that was capture my heart so wholly. So when I read He’s a Keeper, I knew I found a winning series. And Stacy certainly proved me right with He’s a Player! It’s the second standalone and can be read as such, but I encourage you to pick up both the books because the series is worth it!
Tim & Jordan. Sigh. I absolutely adore them. They are so in love with each other but both think it’s unrequited and so there’s all that delicious angst I enjoy at the start. But when it combusts?? Oooh there is nothing sweeter or sexier. The mouth on Tim is 🥵🥵🥵. And don’t get me started on the way he calls Jordan love, I don’t think I’m going to recover anytime soon.
I adore this story so much, and encourage you to pick it up, especially if you are a fan of second chance, unrequited but secretly very required, sports romance. You won’t regret it!
November 15, 2022
“It was never going to be just fun with you. It was always going to be more. It was always going to be everything.”
4.5 stars!
A fun, steamy and heartfelt sort-of-second-chance sports romance with a fake relationship, and a story of reconnecting with the one who got away. It’s the second book in the San Francisco Strikers series, but can easily stand alone, and I loved this one!
Jordan is a sports doctor who has just gotten a job leading the medical team with soccer team, the San Francisco Strikers. It’s her dream job, made slightly awkward because her teen crush, Tim, is on the team and she is now his doctor. Jordan and Tim met when he came to stay with her family on an exchange from the UK when she was 16. She loved him fiercely, and even asked him to take her virginity but she was mortified when he turned her down and returned to the UK the next day. It’s been 15 years, and she hasn’t spoken to him since, and she’s hoping they can ignore their awkward past and have a professional relationship… no matter how much he still gets her pulse racing.
For Tim, Jordan is the one who got away. He loved her back then, he thinks he probably still loves her now, but at the time he was an 18 year old, she was only 16, and he knew he had to return to the UK and focus on his soccer. It wasn’t the right time. Now though, the gloves are off. Except that Jordan is determined to be a professional and wants to keep things strictly platonic.
When Jordan’s boss implies that she can’t do her job because she’s a single woman, she makes up a fake fiancé. When she needs to present that fiancé, it’s Tim to the rescue, agreeing to act the part if she’ll help him hide the extent of an injury, while putting in time to get him back to peak fitness. She reluctantly agrees, throwing them back together in close circumstances, and creating a situation full of sexual tension and epic chemistry.
I call this a sort-of-second-chance-romance because Tim and Jordan were never together in the past. However, the love was there, and their feelings for each other are still very much there in the present, and impact every single interaction between them, which is exactly what I love about a second-chance-romance. The chemistry, the attraction, and the emotion is gorgeous, and Tim is fabulously flirty, holding nothing back and laying it all out there in his attempts to win Jordan over.
It’s fun, flirty and gorgeously swoony, and when the chemistry becomes too much, it’s passionate and steamy. I could feel the attraction and emotion between Tim and Jordan, and the depth of everything between them had my heart pounding. It’s a beautiful love story, and I loved these two together so much!
But the secrets they are hiding from the organisation add pressure to their relationship, as do their careers. They both need to figure out the balance of how to have it all while embracing the second chance they never thought they would get, and it’s a great journey as we watch them do just that.
This is a fun, flirty, sexy read with a gorgeous romance full of emotion and swoon. I loved it!
4.5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars!
A fun, steamy and heartfelt sort-of-second-chance sports romance with a fake relationship, and a story of reconnecting with the one who got away. It’s the second book in the San Francisco Strikers series, but can easily stand alone, and I loved this one!
Jordan is a sports doctor who has just gotten a job leading the medical team with soccer team, the San Francisco Strikers. It’s her dream job, made slightly awkward because her teen crush, Tim, is on the team and she is now his doctor. Jordan and Tim met when he came to stay with her family on an exchange from the UK when she was 16. She loved him fiercely, and even asked him to take her virginity but she was mortified when he turned her down and returned to the UK the next day. It’s been 15 years, and she hasn’t spoken to him since, and she’s hoping they can ignore their awkward past and have a professional relationship… no matter how much he still gets her pulse racing.
For Tim, Jordan is the one who got away. He loved her back then, he thinks he probably still loves her now, but at the time he was an 18 year old, she was only 16, and he knew he had to return to the UK and focus on his soccer. It wasn’t the right time. Now though, the gloves are off. Except that Jordan is determined to be a professional and wants to keep things strictly platonic.
When Jordan’s boss implies that she can’t do her job because she’s a single woman, she makes up a fake fiancé. When she needs to present that fiancé, it’s Tim to the rescue, agreeing to act the part if she’ll help him hide the extent of an injury, while putting in time to get him back to peak fitness. She reluctantly agrees, throwing them back together in close circumstances, and creating a situation full of sexual tension and epic chemistry.
Match. Strike. Boom.
I call this a sort-of-second-chance-romance because Tim and Jordan were never together in the past. However, the love was there, and their feelings for each other are still very much there in the present, and impact every single interaction between them, which is exactly what I love about a second-chance-romance. The chemistry, the attraction, and the emotion is gorgeous, and Tim is fabulously flirty, holding nothing back and laying it all out there in his attempts to win Jordan over.
“You’re the one who got away. The one I always compared everyone else to. The fantasy. And when I saw you again…I was outmatched. Couldn’t control how I felt about you.”
It’s fun, flirty and gorgeously swoony, and when the chemistry becomes too much, it’s passionate and steamy. I could feel the attraction and emotion between Tim and Jordan, and the depth of everything between them had my heart pounding. It’s a beautiful love story, and I loved these two together so much!
I feel myself edging down the near-vertical slope of falling in love with her. Not like it’s a new feeling. I’m just allowing myself to believe in it for the first time.
But the secrets they are hiding from the organisation add pressure to their relationship, as do their careers. They both need to figure out the balance of how to have it all while embracing the second chance they never thought they would get, and it’s a great journey as we watch them do just that.
This is me finally feeling like I’ve come home to a place I didn’t know existed for me. I didn’t think it could.
This is a fun, flirty, sexy read with a gorgeous romance full of emotion and swoon. I loved it!
4.5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2022
⚽️ ARC REVIEW 🩺
Review: 4/5 ⭐️
Steam: 2.5/5 🔥
#hesaplayer is book two in the #sanfranciscostrikersseries by @stacytravisauthor
Tim who’s originally from England, has been in the states long enough that it feels like his only home. He’s been in the MLS for years and has been earning his starting spot. But with some injuries his position is on the line. He had a regimen with the old medical director but with the new one in place things are getting shaken up. He never expected it to be the girl from his past. Can he put aside their history and trust that Jordan has his best interest at heart or is he stubborn enough to risk injury and avoid her at all costs?
Jordan has always wanted to prove herself. She’s believed in science and in the human body. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime with a pro soccer team. But earning the trust of these men is a little harder than she thought. Especially trying to get her teenage crush to trust that she has his best interest at heart and doesn’t want to make things worse. Can she prove she’s the right person for the job or will conflicts of interest change her direction?
I liked this book. I love a second chance and a fake relationship so it was a great mix. Jordan was quirky and really smart, she stood her ground when needed but also showed that she’s real and a little insecure. Tim had a chip on his shoulder and was set in his ways. Once he put aside his ego, he realized Jordan was more than a pretty face and was able to change his game quickly with little effort. I liked the side characters and hope to see more. Can’t wait for what’s next.
Review: 4/5 ⭐️
Steam: 2.5/5 🔥
#hesaplayer is book two in the #sanfranciscostrikersseries by @stacytravisauthor
Tim who’s originally from England, has been in the states long enough that it feels like his only home. He’s been in the MLS for years and has been earning his starting spot. But with some injuries his position is on the line. He had a regimen with the old medical director but with the new one in place things are getting shaken up. He never expected it to be the girl from his past. Can he put aside their history and trust that Jordan has his best interest at heart or is he stubborn enough to risk injury and avoid her at all costs?
Jordan has always wanted to prove herself. She’s believed in science and in the human body. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime with a pro soccer team. But earning the trust of these men is a little harder than she thought. Especially trying to get her teenage crush to trust that she has his best interest at heart and doesn’t want to make things worse. Can she prove she’s the right person for the job or will conflicts of interest change her direction?
I liked this book. I love a second chance and a fake relationship so it was a great mix. Jordan was quirky and really smart, she stood her ground when needed but also showed that she’s real and a little insecure. Tim had a chip on his shoulder and was set in his ways. Once he put aside his ego, he realized Jordan was more than a pretty face and was able to change his game quickly with little effort. I liked the side characters and hope to see more. Can’t wait for what’s next.
March 23, 2023
4.75 ⭐️
Loved this!! It was sporty and adorable.
Loved this!! It was sporty and adorable.
November 15, 2022
Almost 4 stars. This was a fun, flirty, and steamy sports romance featuring a soccer player and the team’s doctor. Most of the sports romances I read feature hockey or football players, so I liked that this Strikers series switches it up and follows an American soccer team. Do I think that Travis reinvented the wheel with this one? No. Is that a bad thing? Also no. Sometimes it’s just nice to know exactly what you’re getting into with a book, and He’s A Player the type of book you would think of when you hear sports romance, fake dating, second chance romance tropes. Honestly, this kind of reminds me a little bit of Sawyer Bennet’s hockey romance series, and those books are seriously bingeable. So If you like that style of sports romance, I think you’ll enjoy He’s A Player.
Why not 5 stars? If I had to comment on something, I’d say that I didn’t always feel the chemistry between the leads in this one. Sure there was physical chemistry, but I didn’t always get the emotional chemistry. Also, their emotional relationship moved very quickly and some parts felt like more tell than show, if that makes sense. But, given that the pair had known and been into one another since high school, it does make sense why they would have an almost instantaneous emotional connection. I just wish I felt it more/ got there as quickly as they did. But, all in all, this was a fun and quick read. There’s also a little bit of a gesture/ grovel type of situation at the end, which if you follow my reviews you will know that I LOVE. If you’re looking for an enjoyable sports romance that features the listed tropes and has just a bit of steam, then He’s A Player would def be worth the read. I also think this one is available on Kindle Unlimited for those interested.
Thank you to Stacy for hooking me up with an ARC. I truly enjoyed this and will absolutely be reading more from the Strikers in the future. For those that didn’t read book 1, you can totally read He’s A Player as a standalone. This is my honest review.
Why not 5 stars? If I had to comment on something, I’d say that I didn’t always feel the chemistry between the leads in this one. Sure there was physical chemistry, but I didn’t always get the emotional chemistry. Also, their emotional relationship moved very quickly and some parts felt like more tell than show, if that makes sense. But, given that the pair had known and been into one another since high school, it does make sense why they would have an almost instantaneous emotional connection. I just wish I felt it more/ got there as quickly as they did. But, all in all, this was a fun and quick read. There’s also a little bit of a gesture/ grovel type of situation at the end, which if you follow my reviews you will know that I LOVE. If you’re looking for an enjoyable sports romance that features the listed tropes and has just a bit of steam, then He’s A Player would def be worth the read. I also think this one is available on Kindle Unlimited for those interested.
Thank you to Stacy for hooking me up with an ARC. I truly enjoyed this and will absolutely be reading more from the Strikers in the future. For those that didn’t read book 1, you can totally read He’s A Player as a standalone. This is my honest review.
November 18, 2022
The opportunity of being the team doctor for the San Francisco Strikers is a dream come true for Jordan however it also comes with challenges. When management believes that being single is a detriment, she decides to pretend to have a fiancé, but she never expected that her pretend fiancé would turn out to be the man who broke her teenage heart and then left without a backward glance.
Tim is a professional soccer player who spent some time with Jordan’s family when he was a teenager. He may have had deep feelings for her, but he also realized that they were too young and their lives were heading in different directions. Now that fate has brought them together, he isn’t about to walk away a second time, but secrets have a way of being exposed at the worst possible time and the aftermath might just destroy both their careers.
Even though Jordan and Tim were young when they originally fell in love that didn’t diminish their feelings for each other. They understand how special the chemistry and connection is between them and are willing to fight for it despite all the challenges they must overcome.
Tim is a professional soccer player who spent some time with Jordan’s family when he was a teenager. He may have had deep feelings for her, but he also realized that they were too young and their lives were heading in different directions. Now that fate has brought them together, he isn’t about to walk away a second time, but secrets have a way of being exposed at the worst possible time and the aftermath might just destroy both their careers.
Even though Jordan and Tim were young when they originally fell in love that didn’t diminish their feelings for each other. They understand how special the chemistry and connection is between them and are willing to fight for it despite all the challenges they must overcome.
November 16, 2022
If your looking for a second chance romance, sports romance and fake fiancé this is the one for you.
Jordan and Tim reconnect with one another when she becomes the team doctor Tim plays for. She has worked hard for the career she has made for herself. Tim has worked hard for the spot on his team. When both of them find themselves in jeopardy they agree to help one another. Tim agree to be her fake fiancé and she agrees to help Tim with his Injury. When real feelings are shared and out in the open. It was great to see their defense down. This story had it all. When you find out why she loves soccer it’ll bring a smile to your face.
This was my first read of this author and I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.
Arc provided for honest review.
Jordan and Tim story was so good. It had me smiling throughout the whole book. I loved to see how they both felt for one another.
Jordan and Tim reconnect with one another when she becomes the team doctor Tim plays for. She has worked hard for the career she has made for herself. Tim has worked hard for the spot on his team. When both of them find themselves in jeopardy they agree to help one another. Tim agree to be her fake fiancé and she agrees to help Tim with his Injury. When real feelings are shared and out in the open. It was great to see their defense down. This story had it all. When you find out why she loves soccer it’ll bring a smile to your face.
This was my first read of this author and I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.
Arc provided for honest review.
Jordan and Tim story was so good. It had me smiling throughout the whole book. I loved to see how they both felt for one another.
November 26, 2022
You can check out my FULL REVIEW on my Review Blog -> CLICK HERE
November 15, 2022
I love second chance romances. It’s one of my favorite tropes! This is a second chance romance and also a fake fiancé, sports romance.
Tim is a determined soccer player crushing on the one who got away and trying to prove his worth to his family and himself.
Jordan is the team doctor digging herself deeper into her accidental lie everyday and putting her career on the line for a second chance with her childhood crush.
I can always count on Stacy travis for great character development and a swoon worthy happily ever after 💜💜💜
Tim is a determined soccer player crushing on the one who got away and trying to prove his worth to his family and himself.
Jordan is the team doctor digging herself deeper into her accidental lie everyday and putting her career on the line for a second chance with her childhood crush.
I can always count on Stacy travis for great character development and a swoon worthy happily ever after 💜💜💜
November 13, 2022
This book is the perfect combination of second chance, fake relationship and sport romance. This story is really lovely. You are going to fall in love with Tim in a snap. Tim is definitely swoon worthy. Jordan is a sassy one, everything he needs. She is perfect for Tim now in the same way she was for him in the past. This second chance is the best chance they have to show each other their love. And they did a wonderful job showing it in every way, if you know what I mean. Both of them are really stubborns and that brings all the hilarious stuff in the story. I love them both and how they fall in love. Can’t wait for more of this series.
November 25, 2022
This didn't work for me, even though objectively there wasn't anything wrong with it. I kept being told that these characters had this whole history and intense connection, but I never really felt it.
November 15, 2022
Amazon / Amazon Worldwide
Jordan being rejected years ago when she offered up herself to Tim and he ghosted her, has left its toll on her. And now she's going to be working with his soccer team as their team physician. Working in close proximity to the man who broke her young heart. She can be professional, work with him as if they don't know each other. Right?
Tim never told Jordan back then how he felt about her. Instead he turned tail and ran back across the pond. But when he came back to the US, back in her neck of the woods, he was hyperaware that she was close. And now she's more than close, she's working for his team. And he just offered himself up as her fake fiancé. He's not looking for a second chance, though. Of course he is, and only time will tell if the fake ends up real.
Fake relationship. Second chance. Sports. Check. Check. And check. I love these three tropes so I knew I had to read this story. The best part of the story ends up being Jordan. She's smart, she's strong, and she's adorable. Honestly, though, I wanted Tim to do better at times. He pulled a bonehead move near the end and he took forever to make up for it. I know he had demons, though, thanks to his dad, so perhaps he got a pass from me. He got one from Jordan, though, and that's what counts. These soccer players of Stacy's are fun, now I can't wait for the next one to fall in love.
ARC provided by author for an honest review.
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November 15, 2022
I really wanted to like Tim’s story - he was fun in He's a Keeper so I had high hopes for this book. Tim lived up to my expectations, but his love interest, Jordan, brought things down for me.
Tim Cheltenham is a professional soccer player who left England behind to play in the US and run away from some family problems. He’s been playing on an injury for a while and is incredibly nervous that his backup is going to take away his starting spot so he plays on it even when he shouldn’t. Tim needs surgery to fix his injury but doesn’t want to take the time off the pitch to recover so he’s relying on the goodwill from the team’s doctor to keep him playing, He has a reputation for being a bit of a player off the field, always with a new girl and never getting serious but when a certain woman from his past shows up at a team event, he can’t help imagining what a future together could look like.
Jordan Page is a sports medicine doctor who is starting a new job with the San Francisco Strikers where she’s tasked with fixing the mistakes and problems left behind by the last team doctor. She’s good at her job and knows she can make an impact but she’s also intimidated by being a woman in the professional sports world. She gets along well with her dad but her relationship with her mom is strained since all she seems to want is for Jordan to get married. Jordan was a character just wasn’t for me - she felt like a stereotypical quirky/awkward/nerdy girl with her clumsiness, social awkwardness, lack of self-confidence, frumpy clothing and refusal to hold her male co-worker accountable for his misogyny. I wanted to like her more, but she made it so difficult for me at every turn to be on her side.
Tim and Jordan have a history before they started working together - Tim stayed with her family in high school during a foreign exchange program and they both developed feelings but ended up heartbroken. They meet up again years later and they’re both still interested and end up faking an engagement to get Jordan out of a (completely unnecessary) bind with her co-worker. I felt a physical connection between these two but absolutely no emotional connection there. Things progressed fast between them and it felt really abrupt when they decided to be more than fake. I wanted more from their relationship because of their history and it just fell kind of flat.
I really like the concept of this series and I feel invested in the overhaul that’s happening. Looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!
Tim Cheltenham is a professional soccer player who left England behind to play in the US and run away from some family problems. He’s been playing on an injury for a while and is incredibly nervous that his backup is going to take away his starting spot so he plays on it even when he shouldn’t. Tim needs surgery to fix his injury but doesn’t want to take the time off the pitch to recover so he’s relying on the goodwill from the team’s doctor to keep him playing, He has a reputation for being a bit of a player off the field, always with a new girl and never getting serious but when a certain woman from his past shows up at a team event, he can’t help imagining what a future together could look like.
Jordan Page is a sports medicine doctor who is starting a new job with the San Francisco Strikers where she’s tasked with fixing the mistakes and problems left behind by the last team doctor. She’s good at her job and knows she can make an impact but she’s also intimidated by being a woman in the professional sports world. She gets along well with her dad but her relationship with her mom is strained since all she seems to want is for Jordan to get married. Jordan was a character just wasn’t for me - she felt like a stereotypical quirky/awkward/nerdy girl with her clumsiness, social awkwardness, lack of self-confidence, frumpy clothing and refusal to hold her male co-worker accountable for his misogyny. I wanted to like her more, but she made it so difficult for me at every turn to be on her side.
Tim and Jordan have a history before they started working together - Tim stayed with her family in high school during a foreign exchange program and they both developed feelings but ended up heartbroken. They meet up again years later and they’re both still interested and end up faking an engagement to get Jordan out of a (completely unnecessary) bind with her co-worker. I felt a physical connection between these two but absolutely no emotional connection there. Things progressed fast between them and it felt really abrupt when they decided to be more than fake. I wanted more from their relationship because of their history and it just fell kind of flat.
I really like the concept of this series and I feel invested in the overhaul that’s happening. Looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!
November 19, 2022
Title: He’s A Player
Author: Stacy Travis
Hero/Heroine: Tim & Jordan
Tropes: Second Chance, Sports Romance, Fake Relationship
TW/CW: Death of a parent (off page),
THE GOOD 😀
This was my first Stacy Travis book and, just so you know, it’s definitely not going to be my last. And I’m not just saying that because of the bloke on the cover with abs like a xylophone, wearing a wet shirt (although I did appreciate this). Tim and Jordan were such a great couple, and I loved the fact that Tim wasn’t your usual cocky, arrogant sports star. He was so down to earth and humble, I could clearly see why Jordan had been crushing on him since she was sixteen.
The fact that these two had history laid a great foundation for their fake (and real) relationship. Having met as teenagers when Tim lived with Jordan’s family for a year as a foreign exchange student, things didn’t end too well between them. So when Jordan gets a job as a medical director for the San Francisco Strikers, where Tim is one of the top players, they’re reunited once again, and their chemistry is off the charts.
I loved everything about this story and these two wonderful characters. The whole fake relationship aspect had me literally clutching my kindle wanting to shout ‘JUST TELL HER HOW YOU BLOODY FEEL TIM FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!’. I didn’t though as I didn’t want the neighbours to start talking. And Jordan. What an absolute queen. Smart, accomplished and an all round sweetheart, she only ever wanted to do the right thing, so when Tim asked her to do something that went against het medical training, she felt conflicted, and I just wanted to give her a big ol’ hug.
He’s A Player was a wonderful trope filled story that had me smiling throughout. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
THE BAD ☹️
Steiner. Slippery little turd. Into the bin he goes.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Wonderful second chance sports romance with fabulous characters
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Stacy Travis
Hero/Heroine: Tim & Jordan
Tropes: Second Chance, Sports Romance, Fake Relationship
TW/CW: Death of a parent (off page),
THE GOOD 😀
This was my first Stacy Travis book and, just so you know, it’s definitely not going to be my last. And I’m not just saying that because of the bloke on the cover with abs like a xylophone, wearing a wet shirt (although I did appreciate this). Tim and Jordan were such a great couple, and I loved the fact that Tim wasn’t your usual cocky, arrogant sports star. He was so down to earth and humble, I could clearly see why Jordan had been crushing on him since she was sixteen.
The fact that these two had history laid a great foundation for their fake (and real) relationship. Having met as teenagers when Tim lived with Jordan’s family for a year as a foreign exchange student, things didn’t end too well between them. So when Jordan gets a job as a medical director for the San Francisco Strikers, where Tim is one of the top players, they’re reunited once again, and their chemistry is off the charts.
I loved everything about this story and these two wonderful characters. The whole fake relationship aspect had me literally clutching my kindle wanting to shout ‘JUST TELL HER HOW YOU BLOODY FEEL TIM FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!’. I didn’t though as I didn’t want the neighbours to start talking. And Jordan. What an absolute queen. Smart, accomplished and an all round sweetheart, she only ever wanted to do the right thing, so when Tim asked her to do something that went against het medical training, she felt conflicted, and I just wanted to give her a big ol’ hug.
He’s A Player was a wonderful trope filled story that had me smiling throughout. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
THE BAD ☹️
Steiner. Slippery little turd. Into the bin he goes.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Wonderful second chance sports romance with fabulous characters
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 14, 2022
He's a Player by Stacy Travis is a second chance with the one that got away love story, with a steamy second chance, fake engagement, and the perfect happy ending. Tim and Jordan knew each other back when they were teens and are reunited when both are working for the Strikers soccer team, Tim as the soccer star and Jordan as the new medical director. Tim needs Jordan to overlook his injury so he can finish the season, while Jordan needs a fake fiancé to appease her chauvinist boss. They enter into a mutually beneficial fake relationship with Jordan taking over Tim’s medical treatment, postponing the possibly of season ending surgery and Tim being the doting fiancé. They have both worked hard to get where they are in their careers and are afraid, cautious, to act on their feelings, as it could be a potential conflict of interest. There is baggage, misunderstandings and hurt feelings that get in the way of them just being honest with each other.
Ms. Travis presents a peek at Tim and Jordan’s shared past in addition to how they end up back together. I absolutely love that they have always had feelings for each another, but neither realizes that about the other. Tim has always loved how smart and independent Jordan is despite how oblivious she is to it. There are sparks, sizzle, attraction, and misunderstandings but as the story progresses, these two not only understand each other but balance each other, being perfect together. I This might have been my first book by this author, but it is definitely not my last. highly recommend He’s a Player to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Ms. Travis presents a peek at Tim and Jordan’s shared past in addition to how they end up back together. I absolutely love that they have always had feelings for each another, but neither realizes that about the other. Tim has always loved how smart and independent Jordan is despite how oblivious she is to it. There are sparks, sizzle, attraction, and misunderstandings but as the story progresses, these two not only understand each other but balance each other, being perfect together. I This might have been my first book by this author, but it is definitely not my last. highly recommend He’s a Player to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
November 14, 2022
When Tim and Jordan’s paths collide years after a heartache full of rejection and pining for the one that slipped through their fingers, they can’t help all the emotions swimming around them. Tim was an exchange student that stayed with Jordan’s family, and he let her go because he just couldn’t get over feeling undeserving to her, but soccer was his focus in life and distractions weren’t an option. Now fate has them crossing paths and with all the questions and angst swimming around there’s also that feeling of unrequited love still looms over them. Jordan has worked hard all her life to get to her dream job and now that she must work with the guy that shattered her heart all she wants is to keep things professional, but her feelings never went away, and some sexist words has her scrambling for his help. As these two embark on a fake engagement journey the attraction grows so much that they can’t stop this from happening and they don’t want to, but with so much hurt in Tim’s past will he let that ruin the best thing that has ever happened to him, or will he finally find peace in the past? I loved their journey because the emotions were so real, and Tim was such a swoon worthy character you can’t help but to fall for. Jordan was a strong independent woman who knew what she wanted but sometimes insecurities got the better of her and she had to find ways to overcome those. If you’re looking for a great second chance read with a strong smart heroine and an emotionally damaged athlete this is a must read and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
November 15, 2022
We were an accident waiting to happen. Bound to disappoint. The perfect storm of attraction.
Tim goes to America to do something he loves and make a name for himself. While there, he lived with Jordan's family, and then he went back home.
Fast forward to the present, and he's a known soccer player in the States. Jordan started her dream job as a soccer team's doctor, coincidentally Tim's team. Tim was surprised to see her at first because she went by a different name growing up.
Sometimes you make decisions subconsciously. Maybe you don't know why at first, but there's a reason for everything. For example, it might seem like fate that Tim and Jordan meet again to give them a chance. But was it fate?
Jordan wants to be accepted; she wants the team to see that she wants to help them. However, Tim and the others are wary of her. Jordan and Tim need each other for various reasons, and they must work together to get what they want.
These characters were relatable. The characters you are supposed to dislike, it's obvious why, but that's subjective, so to each their own. There were many frustrating moments. But not enough to keep me from reading; there was a nice balance. He's a Player can be read as a standalone. Even though it exists in the same universe as He's a Keeper, they're on the same team even; they're two different stories. I enjoyed He's a Player, and I can't wait to read more from Stacy Travis.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.25)
November 17, 2022
He’s A Player by Stacy Tracy is The 2nd standalone book in the San Francisco Strikers series which is not complete.
Tropes:
✔️ FM Romance
✔️ Second Chance Romance
✔️ Workplace Romance
✔️ Fake Fiance
✔️ Sports Romance ⚽️
✔️ Available on KU
POV: First Person Duel 👩🧑
Rating: 7/10 (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
🌶/3
🌶 Starts about 60%
I really loved Jordan & Tim: their history, chemistry, and banter was both precious and entertaining. I always love a brainy FMC and Jordan definitely fits the bill, she definitely doesn’t take any shit from the players on the team and you have to love that. And I won’t lie I definitely teared up at that mother daughter moment. In fact both of these two gave me teary eyes with their family heart to hearts.
I do wish we could have had gotten some cameos from Holden in this, but I guess I will survive.
✨I’m pretty certain everyone sees us, but I really have no fucking idea because all I see is her.✨
The last time I saw Tim Cheltenham, he was an eighteen-year-old soccer hottie with an irresistible English accent, a painfully gorgeous face, and an enormous ego.
Fifteen years later, with a medical degree under my belt and a new dream job with The Strikers soccer team—his team—I’m not about to let Tim’s bad attitude and grumpy scowl ruin it for me.
One lie and a fake engagement could derail both our careers, and I’ve got no desire to spend more time than necessary in Tim’s surly presence. But the more I understand him, the harder it is to pretend that we're just for show.
𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨
Tropes:
✔️ FM Romance
✔️ Second Chance Romance
✔️ Workplace Romance
✔️ Fake Fiance
✔️ Sports Romance ⚽️
✔️ Available on KU
POV: First Person Duel 👩🧑
Rating: 7/10 (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
🌶/3
🌶 Starts about 60%
I really loved Jordan & Tim: their history, chemistry, and banter was both precious and entertaining. I always love a brainy FMC and Jordan definitely fits the bill, she definitely doesn’t take any shit from the players on the team and you have to love that. And I won’t lie I definitely teared up at that mother daughter moment. In fact both of these two gave me teary eyes with their family heart to hearts.
I do wish we could have had gotten some cameos from Holden in this, but I guess I will survive.
✨I’m pretty certain everyone sees us, but I really have no fucking idea because all I see is her.✨
The last time I saw Tim Cheltenham, he was an eighteen-year-old soccer hottie with an irresistible English accent, a painfully gorgeous face, and an enormous ego.
Fifteen years later, with a medical degree under my belt and a new dream job with The Strikers soccer team—his team—I’m not about to let Tim’s bad attitude and grumpy scowl ruin it for me.
One lie and a fake engagement could derail both our careers, and I’ve got no desire to spend more time than necessary in Tim’s surly presence. But the more I understand him, the harder it is to pretend that we're just for show.
𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨
February 4, 2023
Sometimes good books come to you when you have least expected.
This book is a new release (15th Nov'22) and all thanks to Kandi Steiner and her newsletter that made me read this book. NO! It's not a Kandi Steiner masterpiece. Instead, this sports romance is written by Stacy Travis. And it is definitely a good book. Good story that will hook you up.
It is a second chance romance which intrigues me everytime. There's a thing about this trope which makes me curious. The story is about a pro soccer player Tim and his team's new doctor, Jordan. Turns out, Jordan is the Danny of his past, the daughter of the household where he spent his senior year as a foreign exchange student. They could have been together fifteen years back, but one step changed everything.
After fifteen years, they come across each other. This time too, there are complications and this time Tim needs to trust her for his career. On the other hand, Jordan needs to prove herself as a working WOMAN! And ofcourse, it has FAKE DATING!!!!! Guys come on!!
The story is not much lengthy and has enough spice and suspense. This makes me give it a 4 star cuz I love pain, and there isn't much of it. But, this doesn't stop me from giving it a full 5 to the spice and to the conversations lased with SARCASM!!! This book is fun to read and I am definitely recommending this for light romance lovers ❤️🔥
Sports Romance ✔️
Second Chance ✔️
Fake Dating ✔️
Spice ✔️
This book is a new release (15th Nov'22) and all thanks to Kandi Steiner and her newsletter that made me read this book. NO! It's not a Kandi Steiner masterpiece. Instead, this sports romance is written by Stacy Travis. And it is definitely a good book. Good story that will hook you up.
It is a second chance romance which intrigues me everytime. There's a thing about this trope which makes me curious. The story is about a pro soccer player Tim and his team's new doctor, Jordan. Turns out, Jordan is the Danny of his past, the daughter of the household where he spent his senior year as a foreign exchange student. They could have been together fifteen years back, but one step changed everything.
After fifteen years, they come across each other. This time too, there are complications and this time Tim needs to trust her for his career. On the other hand, Jordan needs to prove herself as a working WOMAN! And ofcourse, it has FAKE DATING!!!!! Guys come on!!
The story is not much lengthy and has enough spice and suspense. This makes me give it a 4 star cuz I love pain, and there isn't much of it. But, this doesn't stop me from giving it a full 5 to the spice and to the conversations lased with SARCASM!!! This book is fun to read and I am definitely recommending this for light romance lovers ❤️🔥
Sports Romance ✔️
Second Chance ✔️
Fake Dating ✔️
Spice ✔️
November 18, 2022
Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️
Stacy Travis’s He’s A Player is a cornucopia of delicious tropes: second chance romance, adversaries-to-friends, fake relationship, complex parental relationships that inform the characters’ sense of self, opposites attract, and sports romance. It follows the handsome, playboyish Tim, one of the stars of Travis’s San Francisco Strikers - a professional soccer team, and Jordan, the newest team doctor. Tim and Jordan have a past. In high school, Tim, as an international student, lived with Jordan’s family. When she eventually propositions Tim to take her virginity, he denies her request and leaves her family’s home shortly after. After this humiliation and being confronted with Tim’s presence on the Strikers, she’s intent on remaining professional. However, at their reunion, she finds herself in an embarrassing situation. In the wake of that, Tim and Jordan try to deny their attraction to each other, but Tim is dealing with physical issues and needs Jordan to protect his position on the team, and Jordan needs Tim’s help with team management. Their solution becomes a fake relationship and eventual engagement. However, the past is never far as a reminder of Jordan’s humiliation. Are Tim and Jordan fated for a happy ending?
I am absolutely enjoying Stacy Travis’s newest series, the San Francisco Strikers. I’m a big fan of sports romance, and Travis balances sports with character development and romance well. To date, He’s A Player is one of my favorite stories from her after Isla’s story in her Berkley Hills series. Traversing the many tropes of this book, you never lose sight of Tim and Jordan’s journey, and Travis balances her book well. If I have any suggestions, it would relate to the ending. It felt rushed, but I may be the only reader who wanted more after Tim’s recognition he can be everything Jordan needs. However, that aside, I’m ready for more stories in Stacy Travis’s newest story world.
Stacy Travis’s He’s A Player is a cornucopia of delicious tropes: second chance romance, adversaries-to-friends, fake relationship, complex parental relationships that inform the characters’ sense of self, opposites attract, and sports romance. It follows the handsome, playboyish Tim, one of the stars of Travis’s San Francisco Strikers - a professional soccer team, and Jordan, the newest team doctor. Tim and Jordan have a past. In high school, Tim, as an international student, lived with Jordan’s family. When she eventually propositions Tim to take her virginity, he denies her request and leaves her family’s home shortly after. After this humiliation and being confronted with Tim’s presence on the Strikers, she’s intent on remaining professional. However, at their reunion, she finds herself in an embarrassing situation. In the wake of that, Tim and Jordan try to deny their attraction to each other, but Tim is dealing with physical issues and needs Jordan to protect his position on the team, and Jordan needs Tim’s help with team management. Their solution becomes a fake relationship and eventual engagement. However, the past is never far as a reminder of Jordan’s humiliation. Are Tim and Jordan fated for a happy ending?
I am absolutely enjoying Stacy Travis’s newest series, the San Francisco Strikers. I’m a big fan of sports romance, and Travis balances sports with character development and romance well. To date, He’s A Player is one of my favorite stories from her after Isla’s story in her Berkley Hills series. Traversing the many tropes of this book, you never lose sight of Tim and Jordan’s journey, and Travis balances her book well. If I have any suggestions, it would relate to the ending. It felt rushed, but I may be the only reader who wanted more after Tim’s recognition he can be everything Jordan needs. However, that aside, I’m ready for more stories in Stacy Travis’s newest story world.
November 11, 2022
A second chance with the one that got away. Tim and Jordan knew each other back when they were teens and now have reunited both working for the Strikers, Tim as the soccer star and Jordan as the new medical director. Tim needs Jordan to overlook his linger injury so he can finish the season and Jordan needs a fake fiancé to appease her antiquated boss. They enter into a mutually beneficial fake relationship with Jordan overhauling Tim’s medical treatment and Tim being the doting fiancé. But can they keep their relationship fake or will old feelings reignited a new passion?
I like the balance Tim and Jordan bring to each other and the passion they share for not only soccer but those around them. Tim comes off as a grumpy butthead but he softens completely for Jordan. Jordan’s nerdiness and her passion never phased Tim and that was a comfort to Jordan as it was something she wasn’t used to. This is the second book in the inter connected series about The Strikers soccer team; I have a feeling I know who the third book might be about but we’ll just have to wait and find out.
Thank you @socialbutterflypr_ and @stacytravisauthor for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
I like the balance Tim and Jordan bring to each other and the passion they share for not only soccer but those around them. Tim comes off as a grumpy butthead but he softens completely for Jordan. Jordan’s nerdiness and her passion never phased Tim and that was a comfort to Jordan as it was something she wasn’t used to. This is the second book in the inter connected series about The Strikers soccer team; I have a feeling I know who the third book might be about but we’ll just have to wait and find out.
Thank you @socialbutterflypr_ and @stacytravisauthor for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
January 25, 2023
She fought hard to get to the position she now holds and vows that her first heartbreak would not jeopardize it.With her head held high she faces him head on as one of the team medical team. Tim ne’er forgot the girl he fell in love with in high school. The girl that would have had him abandoning his career. Now faced with the one that got away, grown into an even more beautiful woman, he fears he will never be able to love another.
A second chance romance that has been thrown together through fate. Two people that are not only attracted to one another but need to help each other to succeed. Will they be able to keep their true feelings apart from their careers?
This is a beautiful twist of a story, usually we get the second chance romance where the boy and girl have a wild young romance only for him to break her heart. In this we have Tim we kept himself apart from the one he loved, out of respect for her and the knowledge that he was to young. A young man that was focused on his career, who then fought hard to be the man she deserved.
A five star read fir Stacy Travis with twists and turns that will have your heart melting.
A second chance romance that has been thrown together through fate. Two people that are not only attracted to one another but need to help each other to succeed. Will they be able to keep their true feelings apart from their careers?
This is a beautiful twist of a story, usually we get the second chance romance where the boy and girl have a wild young romance only for him to break her heart. In this we have Tim we kept himself apart from the one he loved, out of respect for her and the knowledge that he was to young. A young man that was focused on his career, who then fought hard to be the man she deserved.
A five star read fir Stacy Travis with twists and turns that will have your heart melting.
November 8, 2022
He's A Player is a double unrequited love story with a steamy second chance, fake engagement, and the perfect HEA.
This story is a mega slow burn that is totally worth the wait! I love that we get a look into their shared past and how they end up back together. Tim is grouchy at first but he ends up such a sweetheart. He's hardworking, sexy, and steps up to help Jordan when she needs it. She finally has her dream job as the Strikers lead physician, and she let's it slip that she's engaged. Jordan was definitely not engaged. Then Tim steps in and they start their "fake" relationship.
I absolutely love that they have always had feelings for one another, but they didn't realize it. The slow burn is epic! Tim has always loved how smart and independent Jordan is and how she's seems to be oblivious to it. These two just get each other and are so perfect together. Their story has it all! Will they won't they, steamy goodness, angst, trouble, misunderstandings, and of course love.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
This story is a mega slow burn that is totally worth the wait! I love that we get a look into their shared past and how they end up back together. Tim is grouchy at first but he ends up such a sweetheart. He's hardworking, sexy, and steps up to help Jordan when she needs it. She finally has her dream job as the Strikers lead physician, and she let's it slip that she's engaged. Jordan was definitely not engaged. Then Tim steps in and they start their "fake" relationship.
I absolutely love that they have always had feelings for one another, but they didn't realize it. The slow burn is epic! Tim has always loved how smart and independent Jordan is and how she's seems to be oblivious to it. These two just get each other and are so perfect together. Their story has it all! Will they won't they, steamy goodness, angst, trouble, misunderstandings, and of course love.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
November 26, 2022
He's a Player is the perfect combination of second chance, fake romance and soccer!
Tim and Jordan began 15 years ago as teenagers. He was an exchange student that made soccer his world as his family life was falling apart. Jordan knew that he would be gone soon so she made the play of her life, but it did not work out the way she planned. Now she has just gotten the job of her dreams as the team physician for The Strikers. She knows that he will be there as a player, but this job is what she has dreamed of well besides what they could have had.
Tim has worked hard to get to the top of the soccer world but now an injury has him playing with a bum knee. He has tried everything to get out of having surgery and taking him off the field for the season. The medical team has been helping stay on the that field but now there is a new Doc in town, and we will play by her rules! This has such great chemistry and energy. They are funny, snarky, emotional and are playing by their own rules and they are making them up as they go!
~~Michele McMullen ~~
Tim and Jordan began 15 years ago as teenagers. He was an exchange student that made soccer his world as his family life was falling apart. Jordan knew that he would be gone soon so she made the play of her life, but it did not work out the way she planned. Now she has just gotten the job of her dreams as the team physician for The Strikers. She knows that he will be there as a player, but this job is what she has dreamed of well besides what they could have had.
Tim has worked hard to get to the top of the soccer world but now an injury has him playing with a bum knee. He has tried everything to get out of having surgery and taking him off the field for the season. The medical team has been helping stay on the that field but now there is a new Doc in town, and we will play by her rules! This has such great chemistry and energy. They are funny, snarky, emotional and are playing by their own rules and they are making them up as they go!
~~Michele McMullen ~~
December 9, 2022
Tim and Jordan met as teenagers when Tim came to America for soccer and broke her heart. Years later Jordan joins the Strikers soccer team as the medical director where Tim is now the superstar. While her predecessor had allowed players to play while hurt, she is charged with evaluating the players and determining if they can play. When one of her bosses implies that single women are a risk to hire, she quickly comes up with the story of being engaged. Now she must either confess her lie or find someone to be her fake fiancé. Tim volunteers to fill the fake fiancé role but soon the lines get blurred for both. Can they overcome their past and the lies that threaten to expose them?
He’s a Player is the second book in the San Francisco Strikers series, but I had no problem reading it as a stand-alone. It was well-written, easy to read, and had characters that were lovable. It was a great second chance with a fake relationship romance. I enjoyed reading it and I recommend it.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
He’s a Player is the second book in the San Francisco Strikers series, but I had no problem reading it as a stand-alone. It was well-written, easy to read, and had characters that were lovable. It was a great second chance with a fake relationship romance. I enjoyed reading it and I recommend it.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 9, 2022
Sports Romances are my Kryptonite, I could eat them up all day, every day! This is only my second book by Stacy Travis and even though I devoured them both within 24 hours, I loved this even more than the first. I really enjoyed the pacing of this second-chance romance and seriously who doesn't love a fake engagement story!!
I thought it was nice to see these characters navigate family dynamics and witness some resolution within the story. I will admit that it took me a second to be on board with the fake engagement scheme because it felt messier than the other options- I understand/it was explained why they decided to do it, but sometimes, personally, I find it hard to connect with impulsive or irrational decisions.. but that's a me thing and was not the point of this romance book!
In the end, it's a sweet and spicy, second-chance sports romance... so how could I not love it!
Thank you to Stacy Travis for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I thought it was nice to see these characters navigate family dynamics and witness some resolution within the story. I will admit that it took me a second to be on board with the fake engagement scheme because it felt messier than the other options- I understand/it was explained why they decided to do it, but sometimes, personally, I find it hard to connect with impulsive or irrational decisions.. but that's a me thing and was not the point of this romance book!
In the end, it's a sweet and spicy, second-chance sports romance... so how could I not love it!
Thank you to Stacy Travis for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
November 12, 2022
I enjoyed He’s a Player. Jordan had a crush on Tim when they were younger, but he broke her heart. Now just ahead and Jordan has landed her dream job with the Strikers, which is the team Tim plays for. Tim is shocked when he finds out Jordan is the new team Doc and has mixed feelings. Jordan’s feelings from the last start to resurface, but she is determined not to be fooled by Tim. That is until she ends up engaged to Tim to keep her job. As these two put on a show for Theo colleagues, the past resurfaces and these two start to realize what actually happened all those years ago, but when they continue to put on a performance those feelings and connection start to become hard to ignore and determine if they are all fake as their engagement or becoming real? Jordan and Tim take us on an adventure of second chances and enough steam to have to devouring this book to see what will happen between these two!
November 12, 2022
When Tim Cheltenham was 18 he came to the US as an exchange student to live with a family and go to school. They had a 16 yr old daughter that lived there as well and one night she came to him but he knew he couldn't and went back to England. Now he lives in the US and plays soccer for the San Francisco Strikers.
Fifteen years later that girl, Jordan Page is a scientist / Sports doctor and she just took the job as Director of Sports Medicine for the Strikers soccer team. She has followed soccer all this time and now has her dream job but how is Tim going to react?
When she gets backed into a corner by her chauvinistic boss about her career and whether she was single or married she said she was engaged and Tim comes to her rescue as her fake fiance. But he wants something from Jordan that goes against her principles as a doctor, will she agree?
They get close but is this still fake or something more?
4 stars
Fifteen years later that girl, Jordan Page is a scientist / Sports doctor and she just took the job as Director of Sports Medicine for the Strikers soccer team. She has followed soccer all this time and now has her dream job but how is Tim going to react?
When she gets backed into a corner by her chauvinistic boss about her career and whether she was single or married she said she was engaged and Tim comes to her rescue as her fake fiance. But he wants something from Jordan that goes against her principles as a doctor, will she agree?
They get close but is this still fake or something more?
4 stars
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