Play

Completion #1

by Holly S. Roberts

Alternate cover edition for ASIN: B00FYYO4XG

When Killian MacGregor, the hottest quarterback in the NFL, eyes the perfect pair of female legs, he spends an hour tracking the gorgeous woman in a room filled with rowdy teammates until one gets out of line.

Rebecca Cavanaugh, a long distance runner for the state team, intimidates boys and men with her quick wit and majestic height. The pre-season jock party isn’t her scene, but she’s roped into attending to provide her sister a sober ride home.

Hiding in the kitchen to avoid the athletic sex fest, a drunken thug forces Rebecca to her knees, and waves a giant ding-dong in her face. Before Rebecca can extricate herself from the hairy situation, an unknown champion saves the night. When Killian assists Rebecca off the floor, she’s stunned into silence while staring at the sexiest man alive.

Will Killian’s bad boy rep and Rebecca’s need for commitment, make this the most impossible “Play” of the season? Or, will Killian’s haunting past and need for victory destroy the most important game of his life?

Play is intended for readers 18+. Enjoy with caution… this book contains adult situations, erotic sex, and more balls than a girl knows what to do with.

Genres: Sports, Romance, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Football

235 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Holly S Roberts is an award-winning author which includes appearing on the USA TODAY list multiple times and selling more than one million books worldwide. Her career as a homicide and sex crimes detective kept her in the romance genre for years because she needed happy endings. After years of therapy and speaking publicly on matters close to her heart, she’s turned her pen to dark survival thrillers with kickass women that encapsulate her unique perspective. The Carter Family Shark Thrillers are current bestsellers. Max, her Rottweiler, is never far from her side because he listens when she has plot problems and offers rare insights when encouraged by cookies.

For more information, visit her website at wickedstorytelling.com.

Reviews

[Ashleyjo]

So so so so many f'ing problems with this one that I honestly don't even know where to start. I made it to eight wtf's in this book before throwing my hands up and calling it quits. Sometimes, it's just not worth my sanity to stick it out.



1. Legs is shoved to her knees, her hair is yanked out, and has a cock almost shoved down her throat by a drunken football player. Drunk or not, that's not excusable behavior. Yet, she laughs it off after being saved by Killian, the QB. She has zero problem with what happened & zero problems being around the perv later in the book! Wtf!?!?





2. Legs is constantly referring to her weeping, leaking, clinching vagina and the fear that it will stain up whatever she is sitting on - stools, upholstery, etc. Nasty visual, man... Like a dog in heat, seriously!



3. Cliches, cliches everywhere.

• She's plain Jane.

• He is professional football sex Gawd.

• She has the black, gay BFF.

• He has anger management issues.

• Shes a blushing, weeping, vaginal doormat.

•Insta-love, insta-relationship.

• He's into kink rules and nudity.

• She's insecure about mosquito bite breasts, & she's so inexperienced she might as well be a virgin, on birth control already for her periods, of course, & that has a kinky BFF that allows her to be in the know, of course, about his brand of kink rules.

On and on I could go~



4. The author tries TOO HARD in her POVs. Overkill to be stereotypically non-stereotypical! Irony?!? Yes!

Quirky and innocent? Uhm, no! Legs comes off as a spastic, spineless, thirsty, hormonal dick-fan girl. She's the chick that you avoid being friends with like the chickenpox.

Alpha? Uhm, no! Killian comes off as a selfish, commanding, douche hat that belongs back in the era pre- women's rights movement.

NOTE TO ALL ROMANCE WRITERS: Alpha men are demanding out of need to provide, protect, & pleasure what's "mine." They don't want to show off what's theirs, they need to know it's theirs and theirs alone.

So, Killian is just a demanding dick with a God complex.



5. He drives her home from a party. He drives her home from a football game. They spend the night screwing. That's the extent of their interactions before the next am they go bareback. He's a professional athlete for f's sake and she has no qualms about this bareback shit?



Brings doormat vagina a whole new kind of visitor ;/ ehhh!



6. "Fuck pad" and "fuck toys." "Tapping the sweet pussy." Have mercy on me~!



7. The way he treats her and the way she concedes makes me feel dirty.

For example, she doesn't have on a bra and she already has two buttons undone on her shirt. He unbuttons two more before heading out on their first date.

"Killian, please, I don't feel comfortable." Mortification caused tears in my eyes.

"You are the sexiest woman I've ever seen. I don't understand why you hide that gorgeous body."

He kisses her to shut her up and she says: "what else could I do."

He unbuttons another button at the restaurant. Five buttons? So she's basically sitting there naked?!?



Sexy if that's what she wants and how she wants to dress. Not so sexy when she's about to cry over it and allows herself to be forced pressured into it.



8. Her a week into the relationship...



Oops, she's said that to other guys...



They...



He, the rich professional football player....







Unbelievable, right?

Plus, there is nothing at all romantic about her admitting that she's has done the exact same thing with ALL her other relationships . So what makes this shit special? Nothing! What's endearing about a chick that latches on and immediately wants HEA with any guy that pays her attention?
I dont know, but I do know...

[Barbara➰]

DNF @15%

Is anybody else bothered by the fact that the h, at a party, is held on to forcefully by her hair, almost forced to give a bj and it's all swept under the rug? The guy is "really a nice guy when he's not drinking". And that excuses his behavior how? He even says “The scunt owes me a sblowjob.” So he also thinks she "owes" him. Should she forgive and forget after an apology? I have a 22 year old daughter. If this happened to her I'd be telling her to press charges and I don't give a FUCK who the fuck it was, professional football player or not!

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars! A pleasant surprise!

As I started to read I thought...here we go again, this is going to be all about the sex...and yes, there certainly was plenty of it, but much to my delight there was a substantial amount of depth to the characters and the story. Not only that, but I found the sexual encounters layered with a good dose of feeling and passion, not just robotic meaningless filler.

Both Rebecca and Killian are struggling with personal issues that defines who they are, and while Rebecca's cause her to withdraw, Killian's brings his anger to the surface and it's not pretty. He doesn't physically hurt people, but subjects those he loves to emotional torture. However, once you find out the underlying reason, while not quite acceptable, it was understandable to a a certain extent. Killian could be a real ass, but at the same time you wanted to wrap him in love until the hurt inside him subsided. Rebecca tolerated his behavior to a point, and did her best to play it his way for a while. She knew for them to have any kind of a future he needed to think about the way he reacted and make some big changes in his behavior when things didn't go his way. Killian might have some issues, but he's also utterly adorable and when he's not in a funk, the boy shines! The sweet, sexy stuff that comes out of his mouth, made my heart go pitter-patter! He doesn't just have game on the field, he scores some major points in the bedroom...the kitchen...the shower...the lawn...I think you get the picture and it's a HOT one!

Their journey was a heartbreaking struggle at times, but also filled with incredible joy when they allowed themselves to just be and live in the moment and relish all the good in their lives! I found myself immersed in a story that had me pulling for these characters, because they deserved to be together. One was no good without the other, they were two halves of whole and just needed to get to that pivotal point in their lives, mostly Killian, when they realized what they could lose and grab on to forever. Killian needed to accept that you can't change the past, sometimes life hands you a crappy deal and you need to move forward no matter how much it hurts.

Without giving too much away there is a character that is introduced that will absolutely break your heart, then grab on and won't let go. You will fall in love! This character is key in setting Killian free. There is a beautiful, fitting, feel good ending too!

For a book that I didn't think I was going to care for it turned out to be quite the page turner, and I couldn't believe how quickly I became attached to the characters and invested in the story. I enjoyed it so much that I'm diving into the next book in the series, Strike, and hoping the author works her magic on me again!

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Pushing aside the issues with the almost-assault that later was forgiven(ish?) because the poor wittle man was drunk but he really is a nice guy when sober *go cry me a river* this was an okay story. The normal girl sought after by the hunk of a football player type of story, we've all read it and it's a guilty pleasure of mine at times so it was pretty much what I was looking for. I could have done with a bolder heroine but overall I found the story intriguing and it kept me reading to the end and I'm interested in reading more from this author.

[Rosebud · Rating 5 out of 5]

She should have known better. Rebecca Cavanaugh attends a party with her sister as her DD (designated driver) only to see her sister slip away with one of the players from the Scoripions Football Team. Not only does her sister go MIA but Rebecca finds herself trapped by another of the drunken players who won't take no for an answer. Enter Killian MacGregor, QB, who rescues Rebecca and does the gentlemanly thing by personally escorting her home safe and sound.

Rebecca is on a college scholarship as a marathon runner and has little time for distractions but if the hottest quarterback in the league can make time for her she certainly can make time for him. As they say ... enjoy the ride and "play" while you can.

This was a wet dream fantasy read that was page after page of yummy delicious toe curling adult content with a guy who will spoil things for every red blooded man out there. He's a dominant who exerts total control in the bedroom but always makes sure Rebecca is fully satisfied in the process. Again. And again. And again.......

Now, you may think that this is a pure smut read with no other redeeming qualities to speak of. Wrong. The story line totally sucked me in as the events played out. This is one of those books where I said I'd just read a couple more pages and stop. Wait. Maybe one more chapter to find out if she does or doesn't. K. Can't stop now until I find out if he acts like a jerk or does the right thing. Wait. That just isn't right. I have to find out if that's true. Oh forget it. I can't leave my fictional characters in limbo. The dishes can wait, the laundry can be done tomorrow, and I feel kind of sick of the way these two are acting so I guess I should call in sick for work to see how it all ends. The end already? What? Noooooooo.
Yup. This is totally that kind of book.

I do have to say that I'm really surprised this wasn't broken up into a trilogy as there are distinct phases to the relationship that could have been divided into that sort of thing. I am really grateful it wasn't and that I could get the full journey of ups and downs without waiting for months in between. I do appreciate an author who does that. If I was to comment on any negative it would be that the climatic ending was too compact when I considered the rest of the story. Can't go into more as it would be spoiler potential though.

Overall this was a book that featured two people who are at different phases of their lives who meet and have an intense physical relationship. It all seems cut and dried until roadblocks and unexpected events test them in ways you have to read to believe.

[Ivy Deluca]

Yeah I can’t with this. It starts with the heroine almost getting sexually assaulted by a drunk football player, but her main concern is the hero saw her with a “dick in her face.” She is constantly talking about her vagina leaking and slut shaming her sister and herself. I finally had to tap out when the “hero” says he’s taking her to dinner then heads home, immediately had the most boring sex with her and manhandles her into staying naked, which she’s not comfortable doing but does because he’s so hot. That’s a whole lotta NOPE for me. I’m out.

[Michelle [Helen Geek] · Rating 3 out of 5]

07/18/2014 --


Overall Rating = 3.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 4 / 4 / 1 = 3 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 3 Stars
Character Development = 4 Stars
Story Appreciation = 3.5 Stars
Ending = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$0.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Moderate
224 pages

I heard about this one on "Dear Author." One of the advertised Daily Deals. I LOVE a sports themed romance done well. Saying this, I almost put this one down at 10% or so. That would have been a shame.

What I liked about this one:
1 -- Loved Killian. He was a really good character. He had a story. He had some depth. He was hunky HAWT! Nothing not to like here.

2 -- Football was really well told in this one. So many times you have discussions in a locker room or you might have the character driving to the arena with thoughts in their head. Here, we actually had some FOOTBALL!

3 -- Michaels story. So sad. I actually know someone who had something almost exactly like this happen to them. Really tough on everyone. The author told this nicely too.

4 -- Rebecca's running. Again, so many times we have mentioned of some physical activity or another in a book without any real depth or detail. Here, we had some depth and detail. We were running along with Rebecca ... feeling what she was feeling. Loved it!

Okay .. so what didn't I like so well?
1 -- I almost stopped reading this at 10% or so because of the leaking, dripping, vagina stuff. Oh, the author never mentioned vagina, but she sure had it dripping to the point of Legs being fearful she would need a towel for a barstool or possibly staining leather car seats. This is beyond gross. Does ANYONE find this sexy? Seriously? So glad she calmed this shit down. If it had continued, this would have been a BIG FAT DNF for me. Just YUCK!!

Discounted points in the "Author's Voice" category for this one.

2 -- The cover isn't all that and what is up with the title? There are so many out there with this title, you have to put the author's name in the search to pull this one up. Hate that!

3 -- I thought the ending a bit rushed. Almost like the author lost her steam or she was trying to wrap things up to stay within a page limit and/or deadline.

I enjoyed this story. This is a new author for me and I'll go back and look at some of her backlist. I'm sure, if the price is right, this won't be the last Holly S. Roberts read for me. A real DEAL at $1!

Happy Reading!

[100sweet · Rating 1 out of 5]

So the h is almost assaulted by a football player at a party. He takes out his "thing" and tries to shove it in her face while holding her hair. This is of course after forcing her to her knees. She is saved by the H but doesn't really think anything of the incident. She even laughs about it right after. I mean what the hell!!!! The football player is a teammate of the H and gets a free pass for his behavior b/c the h doesn't want to press charges. The H explains that the teammate is actually a good guy who acts a little crazy when he drinks. REALLY!!! How many good guys do you know assault women when they are drunk??? Later in the story the teammate defends the H on the football field and the h is so glad she wants to buy him a drink. Oh, ok, so you want him to drink b/c he is such a great guy, never-mind what he turns into when he has alcohol in his system. I was appalled and disgusted when I read this.

But wait there is more. The h is tall and skinny and despite that she has body issues. So we are forced to read over and over again how she feels self conscious. Can we please find a h that doesn't have self esteem issues?? And let's not forget her gay best friend. That's right, she has a gay BF who is the stereotypical over sexed, sassy, loud-mouthed flirt, who wants to know everything about the H's HOT body. To any author that is going to write about a gay BF/character, please read the Up in the Air series by RK Lilley. That series had the most accurate and non-stereotypical depiction of a gay character. The h has sister that treats her poorly and is very slutty. Again, this character was so OTT bad that you roll your eyes at its absurdity.

There is a scene where the h is out with her friends and a wife of one of the football players. They ask really inappropriate questions about the H's "thing" and his performance in bed. Is that really how people talk? It was incredibly inappropriate and if the situation was reversed and it was the H with his friends, we would call him a pig.

The H does something really cruel and the h forgave him way too easily. I did not even see him change his ways. He just kept chasing after her to get her back. The h admits she gets way too into the guys she dates, I mean dreaming about marriage and babies. The h had such low self esteem and I didn't see how her fascination with him was different than her previous relationships.

[Simone · Rating 2 out of 5]

This lacked substance in so many ways.
The characters lacked character; brief overviews of time passing; talk of time spent together without detail; and the worst part - so much foreplay and then nothing else ie "he wanted to make me scream. And I did. Twice."

Boring much?

[Daisy Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Warning - There is a scene of attempted sexual assault in this book.

Killian MacGregor has to be one of the biggest jerks ever. EVER. But he’s also so lovable. I’ve never seen anyone who could take the crudest things ever said and make them romantic and panty melting. Yet Killian MacGregor does just that.

He’s bossy and used to getting his own way. At the same time he’s considerate, romantic, and OMG SEXY! He somehow knows exactly what to say to make things better, to make things right.

Rebecca Cavanaugh is the perfect foil for Killian. She has insecurities, as many people do. But she listens to Killian and he makes her feel sexy, desirable, wanted. She also learns how to handle Killian. She takes his quirks in stride and does the best she can. But she also stands up for herself. She won’t let Killian take advantage of her or abuse her.

I have to admit, this is a fairy tale story. Girl gets in trouble. Boy saves girl. Boy pursues girl. Boy gets girl. Boy is a jerk. Girl leaves boy. Boy does everything he can to win her back.

Add into the mix, boy is a hot, sexy, professional athlete and OMG!

One of the things I really liked about Killian was his alpha-maleness! He took charge of situations and took care of Rebecca. How did he take care of Rebecca? When her insecurities started surfacing or she rebelled against his demands, he would explain things to her, boost her confidence, or whatever else needed to be done in order for her to understand and enjoy herself.

This was a fun read! I really enjoyed it. It was a pretty straightforward romance. There was some conflict and a little angst. Just enough to make in interesting but not enough to turn it into a tear jerker or an emotional roller coaster. I definitely felt for Rebecca and Killian when things got tough but I didn’t feel like an emotional wreck when it was all over. Like I said, just enough to make it interesting!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this one. Quarterback Killian....adding him to my alpha book boyfriend list.

[Hollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of orgasms but not much else (and I'm a smut lover.....but this just didn’t work for me)

I'm surprised I finished this book, because after several cliché moments I wanted to discontinued, but figured at some point it had to get better, right? Wrong. The main reason this sucked for me was the lack of character depth and immaturity feel to this read. I have a hard time falling in love with a book where the heroine practically worships the hero, even though she really knows nothing about him aside from what she read online (of course he knows nothing about her either, purely physical). For instance, they meet; she can't talk at all, stutters, the works. Then she immediately starts imagining their children (she does this several times throughout the read and referencing having his babies, it got to the point where I cringed each time). That’s a deal breaker for me, the whole hero worshipping syndrome. It makes the heroine come across as weak and naïve. It was infatuation overkill and an extreme case of insta-love although they really knew nothing about one another. I never once felt a connection to the characters or got a feel for their bond/relationship or their personalities. It just continuously had such a high school/juvenile vibe to it. The sex was pretty hot, but I felt like when they got it on, the first time they had never even had one single conversation. And after that it was just continuous sex and little to no conversation. Perhaps that’s why I felt the character depth lacking? They were practically strangers and I never felt any sort of understanding of them. Aside from him liking her long legs, what else did he like about her????? They just felt so fictitious and one dimensional to me. Other than that, the overly predictable and cookie cutter mold plot just fell flat.

Not one I would personally recommend - Maybe for some young adult fans, even though it had lots of sex??? It just felt as if it has the plot/characters/storyline of a young adult book, but the sexual scenes for a mature adult/new adult read. It didn’t work for me as either genre.

[Feisty Girls · Rating 5 out of 5]

~~Joni’s review~~

I was hooked into the book from the go. Talk about an introduction to an NFL players party. Then to be saved by the gorgeous star quarterback. Oh yeah, I was hooked. After Killian takes Rebecca home from the party a month goes by before she hears from him again. Once they meet up again sparks fly every moment they can spend together they do.

Killian is very focused on game day and Rebecca was basically invisible to him on those days. She had a very low self esteem and this didn’t help her. But, when he focused on her with that same intensity she felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. She fell quick and hard.

I kept waiting for the bad things to happen. I mean, come on, he’s a football star and we all know women through themselves at them. Well when I got to that part that you dread getting too, I wanted to punch him in the throat. Everything that he had given Rebecca he shattered in a matter of a few moments.
I was so worried he wasn’t going to fix it and neither of them would break down and seek out the other. I was reading as fast as I could to see what happened next. I wasn’t disappointed! The things that he done to get her attention again made me fall in love with him all over again and I no longer wanted to punch him.

I loved all the side characters also. Killan’s mom took no shit from him at all and I loved that about her. Her friends were hilarious and always there for her. This book had me laughing as well and there was one special character in there that really touched my heart.


I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more from the author!!

I give Play 5 AWESOME Stars!!!

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sexy and steamy football-themed contemporary romance by a new-to-me-author.

Both main characters are written with substance and depth to their personalities, along with a bit of heavy baggage as well. I loved that readers were blessed with solid background on each character and visits with their families as well. The relationship between Killian, who is a star quarterback for the NFL, and his brother, Michael, is very touching and emotional and the author is to be commended on her skills in presenting this part of the story. We also get a strong and athletic heroine as well. Rebecca is a star long distance runner on scholarship at the local college and the author has made her athletic performance as equally important as that of Killian’s in the story. Kudos for that remarkable equality approach!

There are numerous sexual encounters that are hot and heavy. The author does a great job with them. One strong criticism though: There is an overdone ick factor – the “dripping vagina.” I could have done without this repetitive “ewww.” It almost totally discolored the otherwise well-written romance. I'm glad I kept going because the storyline is really strong and enjoyable. Just be forewarned of that one real blip on the radar.

What seemed like a rush at the end was another small disappointment. But if you’re a fan of sports-themed romance, then this is a great choice that provides plenty of fun-to-read laughter, witty banter, and the love of sports. It worked for me!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

My oh my, this is one scorching hot book.



Play starts off with a bang and there was never a dull moment in this story about the superhot quarterback, Killian and the leggy Rebecca. Rebecca first meets Killian after he saves her from one of his rowdy teammates. There's instant attraction between them and so their way to happily ever after begins.

This is yet another book I recently have come across by coincidence and ended up enjoying a lot . I read this book while waiting for another book to be released for us outside the U.S. I just wanted something quick and fun to read while I was waiting and let me tell you, Play by author Holly S. James did not disappoint. This was perfect for me, especially since I'm still high from the Super Bowl 2014. I believe the way Killian is portrayed could melt most panties out there.

This book is all about insta-lust and -love. If you this is something you do not enjoy, I would steer away from this. Personally, I really enjoyed this book and it kept me very entertained that I went straight to Amazon and bought the second book.

[S.M. Soto]

DNF

[Lula Pantoofle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long distance runner Rebecca meets quarterback star Killian at a frat party turned bad. After saving her from being drunkenly accosted by a fellow player, he escorts her home and kisses her.

A month later he gives her some comp tickets to a game, they get hot and heavy straight afterwards and fall into an intense romance.

Rebecca or ‘Legs’ as he calls her is not a party girl and is quite self conscious as she is tall and gangly and a bit awed by Killains attentions. This annoyed me a bit sometimes. I get that he’s the dominant alpha, but I wanted Rebecca to have a bit more hutzpah. I did like that she was a runner and never let her training slide. I also liked that she played hard to get towards the end.

The book mainly focuses on their ups and downs and the stresses of being with a professional football player. I found it a bit angsty sometimes. I liked how the storyline was focused on why Killian was so driven but sometimes it all got a bit sombre.

I enjoyed this story and really like this writer. My only gripe was that I never quite got the initial attraction. Why did Killian like her so much? She barely said anything. I felt no real connection. It would have been a much higher rating if there had just been a bit more getting to know you dialogue or banter. Slightly more humour overall.

It all works out in the end though.

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is exactly as advertised. A fairly typical Alpha romance, this story includes family, anger issues and building the self-confidence of the female lead. But most of the story was about sex. It was not exceptional but did deliver everything it promised.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in place of an honest review.

Rebecca Cavanaugh is a long distance runner and is going to college on a full scholarship. She is in her last year and finally gives into her sister and go to a party. To say that things really gets out of hand and Rebecca is out of her comfort zone is an understatement. When she is just sitting there and a football player comes up and puts himself in front of her for a little fun, she gets saved by the star NFL quarterback Killian MacGregor.

Killian has a reason that he plays football and he has a big temper when things don't work out the way he wants them to. He waits a month before he gets back in touch with Rebecca. When they get together things start happening really fast. Rebecca can handle just about everything Killian wants her to do. The thing she hates is game day because Killian gets into the zone and doesn't talk.

I liked that Killian done what he could for Rebecca's self image. He makes her see herself in a different way which is the way he sees her. I was going back and forth on my feelings for Killian. I also liked Michael and the things that Rebecca did for him. This book was well written and I hated when the book was over. I had just got so involved in the story that I didn't want to let it go. I will honestly say that this book will remain on my kindle so that I can read it over and over.

I loved the ending and I was almost crying because this book is pretty emotional. This book deals with a lot of issues. I love football so this book was a little more interesting. After I have read this book I will be reading more from this author.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

College student and long distance runner Rebecca Cavanaugh has mistakenly let her sister talk her into attending a pre-season party - a party filled with inebriated NFL players. She soon finds herself being forced to her knees by a huge football player, with his manhood shoved in her face. Unable to fight off the behemoth of a man, Killian MacGregor comes to her rescue. “The” Killian MacGregor, the sexiest and the best football player in the league. Little does Rebecca know that Killian has been watching her all evening long. Giving her a ride home, the sparks fly but the two somehow don’t let them ignite. A month later....Killian decides he can’t wait any longer and pursues Rebecca. She really can’t believe he wants to be with her. Once Rebecca finds out about Killian’s past, and his all-out need to win, will she be able to handle his game day rituals, or will she find a different end zone to play in?

If one likes football, this is be the perfect book! Ms. Roberts has a knack for drawing one into the story, and making them want to stay (even if they don’t like sports!) The story is funny, emotional, snarky and written from experience as a football wife. Her characters are down to earth, and honest. There is a lot of sex in this story, and that’s GREAT... but it becomes a bit too frequent, which may leave some yearning for a bit more story. Still, “Play” is one of those books that is hot, sexy and downright fun, and will make one wait impatiently for the next installment!

[Gab Howell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pacing was off, dialogue unbelievable and choppy, little actual plot, and characters were undeveloped. You never got Killian saw in Rebecca, besides Sex and appearance he made no mention of her inner qualities such as personality, smarts or anything else of importance. Narrated by Rebecca she always underplayed everything about her and even now I can't get a clear picture of her; she insists she's ugly but other characters ask her point blank if she models. I felt like Killans brother and Rebecca's sister were added to make others seem sympathetic however they weren't developed enough to make a difference. Also a sexual assault was treated very badly, basically it's ok because the person was drunk but since when he's sober he's a great guy AND he apologized so now were all friends. Had to force myself to finish borrowed it from a friend would not pay money for this.

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a big fan of the beginning of this book...

The H was almost forced to do something she didn’t want but then just swept it under the rug and forgave after a stupid ass apology that should have been more, nah, that really got to me and annoyed me.

Then the story continues and although it’s an ok-ish storyline I just couldn’t connect with it. I found myself flipping pages and becoming bored. I just couldn’t finish it.

[Mick C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story totally threw me for a loop. Not at all what I was expecting. I love me a good sport story, but this one had so much depth in it. I finished it one day. It's a hard story to put down, especially when you learn the depths of one's determination to succeed and be the best.

[Bones · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cero personalidad para todos los personajes. Aburrido, abusivo y falta de desarrollo.

[Peggy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I read of this writer and it won’t be the last book. I enjoyed this new adult story very much. I didn’t know what to expect but it was funny, emotional and steamy.

The story is told from Rebecca’s POV. She’s a 21 year old student and she got a scholarship as a long distance runner. Rebecca is very tall for a woman and the fact that she has little female curves makes her feel very insecure about her body. Especially because her sister is the total opposite of her, little with curves. Her sister may enjoy wild parties and guys but Rebecca is the good student, who spends her time studying, working, running and with her two best friends.

Twenty-five years old quarterback Killian MacGregor is a cocky, alpha guy who can be a gentleman if he wants to (he likes to take care of Rebecca in little ways). He’s also a bit of a bad guy, who’s dominant in the bedroom. He can be the perfect boyfriend but sadly he also has a temper. Game days makes him very grumpy and silent and when he loses, nobody wants to be around him. But he also has a good side and it’s for that guy that Rebecca falls. The guy that loves his mother and twin brother very much and would do everything for them.

Rebecca and Killian were great characters. The chemistry between them was fast and steamy. The sex scenes were hot. Killian was possessive, dominant and stubborn. I liked how he handled Rebecca’s insecurities. He could be very charming. He was also very obsessed with football, a bit too much and his anger problems made it all a difficult for their relationship.

Rebecca was a lovely character. I liked how her confidence grew during the story. She was shy, kind-hearted and funny and I liked that after what Killian did to her that she didn’t immediately took him back. He hurt her very much but he also made it clear that he was sorry.
There was an epilogue, I loved that!

Rebecca’s two friends were wonderful and funny secondary characters. They were loyal and very supportive.

‘Play’ is a good story and I will definitely try more books of this writer.

[Tbird London · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever come across a book that just makes you feel comfortable? Gives you a good feeling even though you see the characters struggling to find their way, it still just makes you feel good? Well that is what Play did for me. The two main characters just opened their arms and invited me into their world and I never looked back.

Rebecca never had a chance to see her beauty. Being the tallest in her class as a child, she found comfort in running. Her ability to run gave her a college degree, but she still just blended in. Never drawing attention from others, she put one foot in front of the other in life and accepted this was the best it was ever going to get. She was average in college on the running team, she lived in an average apartment, she bought her clothes as cheaply as she could and she was ok with all of that. Being at a party one night with her sister left her on her knees needing to be rescued by the handsome and outstanding Killian.

He was the star in football, had the looks, personality and was the top QB of the league and he became the knight in shining armor for Rebecca that night. After a month of no contact he surprised her with tickets to the football game. At first he couldn’t explain why it took him a month to reach out to her, but later in the story she finds out and it melts her heart. From there the journey for those two started. Rebecca had to learn what it was like living with a football star and that wasn’t an easy task to take on. Game days were the hardest, Killian was somber, quiet and in his own space. The traveling and being apart was also an adjustment for her, but she kept herself busy with college, running and working. Plus her two best friends, which I might add are adorable, kept her in check when her mind would go to the place of doubt. What would Killian want with an average wall flower when he could have any woman he wanted? Killian wanted to use his money to buy her things, her pride wouldn’t allow that. They went back and forth, but he usually won the battle.

As the story goes on we see what drives Killian to be perfect and why he beats himself up when he fails. We also learn why he needs to protect Rebecca and take care of her. It isn’t all ego on his part, it is a necessity for him. If I hadn’t already loved Rebecca before, when his secret came out, she handled it with such compassion, she became my hero. His secret was a twist that I didn’t see coming, but it made me love him more than I already did. Yes there is angst and yes they split up for a time, but the author did such a great job at keeping the reader engaged, even their break ups still brought comfort to me, because I knew they were meant to be together.

I loved how the author had Rebecca grow from this shy average person, to someone who took the lead in Killian’s family. She gained the confidence to fix what she could in his family and to teach Killian the world was not all about him. She found the self-worth to demand more from him, while showing him the compassion and love to allow him to stumble as he made those changes. Killian, while not the alpha male we read about more lately, was a confident take charge kind of man. He was also a broken soul who allowed Rebecca to fix his cracks and found strength in himself to forgive his past mistakes.

This was just a feel good story that you could wrap yourself up in and enjoy. I can hardly wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend Play……….

[ᗰ.ᑕ. ❄️ O͎L͎D͎E͎R͎ ͎&͎ ͎W͎I͎S͎E͎R͎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 2017 & 2020
Reread 2022 to write a review

I skimmed a lot, so I couldn't give it more than 3 stars.

If you can get through the first half, you will find a much better second half, that surprisingly enough, turns quite serious and has some depth that is heartbreaking.

🄼🄲🅂:
Rebecca, a college student and long-distance runner
Killian, the star quarterback of the local NFL team

The MCs have a few issues and are far from perfect. Rebecca struggles with low self-esteem and insecurities. One of Killian's biggest issues is his anger, especially after losing a game. The reason for this is learned later on.

They meet at a pre-season party, where Killian rescues Rebecca from a sexual assault. After that, there's a month where Rebecca believes she'll never see Killian again. Then, she gets tickets to his first pre-season game. They reconnect after the game, and suddenly, their relationship moves very quickly from sex to love. It felt very "insta" to me. I prefer a slower build-up where the relationship develops naturally.

Ｒｅｂｅｃｃａ:
▪️"In forty-eight hours, I was now zero to Killian MacGregor, in love, and totally addicted to sex."
▪️"I started dreaming of having your babies on the night we met."

🤢 Examples of the nasty wetness in the first half:
💦 I had absolutely no control over my body, and my panties flooded.
💦 It was hard not to check the counter to see if there were any telltale liquid signs of what this man did to my panties.
💦 I needed to stop thinking about what he did to me in those dreams, because it was either girl sweat or my lady bits had just leaked again.
💦 I tried to pretend his words didn't flood my panties.
💦 His voice dipped to that sweet, sexy octave that made my panties wet.

The disappointing sex scenes: There are quite a few, but they're all short, with mostly telling rather than showing. It's either just a couple sentences long, or it starts and then fades to black. For a story with a very sexy football player, I expected at least two or three well-detailed scenes. Instead, there are brief bits scattered throughout.

Drama in the second half: We learn more about Killian and why he is the way he is. His backstory is very tragic, especially when we meet his brother and find out what happened to them both. 😥 It was just too sad for me. Also, you can tell that something bad is going to happen—like a dark cloud hanging over your head. When it hits, it hits hard.

Killian gets seriously injured playing football and ends up breaking up with Rebecca, making her worst fears come true. The good thing is, Rebecca really makes him work hard to win her back. She's definitely no pushover.

The writing is decent, and the story is interesting. The characters are well fleshed out and detailed. There are plenty of football scenes, probably because the author is married to a former football player. As well as many scenes involving Rebecca's long-distance running for her college team. So, anyone who likes sports will enjoy those parts more than I did. Overall, a pretty good read, though it’ll never be a favorite.

BTW, I thought the parts where Killian bosses Rebecca around were pretty hot—he comes across as a bit of a Dom. I wanted more of that!

[Bethany Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was on the edge reading this book. I usually don't like sport stories, but this book changed that.
And Holly thank you for making me cry reading this book.

[What Makes Patri · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club, to know more about this book, read an excerpt, our review and an interview with the author, go to the post in our website:

Play by Holly S. Roberts

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The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club's Review:

Review:

Definitely, Holly S. Roberts' book, Play, is a sexy and hot romance story that reminded us why we love to read New Adult.
I really liked the characters. They meet at a football player's party. Killian is the Star Quarterback of the team and Rebecca would never be to that party if it wasn't for her sister. And this two were meant to be together from the start.
Killian McGregor was the perfect definition of hot mess. He's bossy, damn sexy and wants Rebecca. He also has its own way of getting everything he wants and also has a bad side that makes him a jackass and you want to punch him in the face. However, you still love him, because there are more to that.
Despite, this tiny little thing, he's a gentleman, too, and like every good, nice boy, he "saves" Rebecca in a party.
Rebecca Cavanaugh starts as a nerdy girl full of insecurities and fears and ends up in love with big bad boy Killian McGregor that makes her be more outgoing and more secure with herself. But he also makes Rebecca feel wanted and important. At first, Rebecca lets Killian do whatever he wants, but then she stands up for herself and brings some attitude to the relationship (about time). I liked that.
However, the very best character in this story is Killian's brother. I really, really liked him and loved to read his scenes. I also liked his relationship with Rebecca and how good she is with him.
And the funniest part of the story, for me, was Killian trying to win Rebecca back with the "help" of his brother. I couldn't stop laughing.
Overall this story is not something new, but it's definitely something you would really enjoy reading. To sum up everything, Rebecca goes to the party, she is trouble, Mr. McGregor saves her. He cannot stop thinking about her and her long, long legs and asks her out. They fell for each other, have some trouble, and Rebecca helps Killian heal. Love them.
With an ending that every love story should have, this book is the perfect read if you are looking for a little bit of sexy romance. It's such an enjoyable read, that you would want to know everything about these two, and, most important, how their relationship ends up. That's why we are giving this book four of our gorjuss dolls.

Holly S. Roberts' Dream Cast:



Adrianne Palicki as Rebecca
Liam Hemsworth as Killian

[Marlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the things i hate in books, (romance mainly) is when the girl falls in love for the guy immediately after basically just meeting him. i hate that. in this book it happened, but the character actually points out that that's one of her flaws, so she got a few points for owning up to it.
other than that though, i really liked this book! it was well written, fast paced & an easy read. i just wished it was a longer story.