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Even the Score #3
Playing for Keeps
I have one rule after my heart's broken. No football players.
Including my neighbor, the cocky linebacker who pulls fire alarms to get my attention.
My new college is a fresh start, somewhere where no one knows me as a football player's trophy. So when Adam "Marrs Manwh*re" Russell sets his sights on me, I turn him down flat. I don't need another playboy.
Especially after he fake-proposes to embarrass me. And I shove him into a pool.
But as the only girl on campus who doesn't get heart eyes for him, his coach sees me as an opportunity.
Keep him on his best behavior. Try to clean up his image.
Stay out of his bedroom.
But the more I get to know Adam, the less I'm sure about the act he's perfected. And the more time he spends with me, the harder he works to show where my silly, little dreams of true love will lead me.
Right to him.
Playing for Keeps is a slow burn contemporary sports romance, brimming with banter, a reformed playboy who's over the top for his ice princess, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Including my neighbor, the cocky linebacker who pulls fire alarms to get my attention.
My new college is a fresh start, somewhere where no one knows me as a football player's trophy. So when Adam "Marrs Manwh*re" Russell sets his sights on me, I turn him down flat. I don't need another playboy.
Especially after he fake-proposes to embarrass me. And I shove him into a pool.
But as the only girl on campus who doesn't get heart eyes for him, his coach sees me as an opportunity.
Keep him on his best behavior. Try to clean up his image.
Stay out of his bedroom.
But the more I get to know Adam, the less I'm sure about the act he's perfected. And the more time he spends with me, the harder he works to show where my silly, little dreams of true love will lead me.
Right to him.
Playing for Keeps is a slow burn contemporary sports romance, brimming with banter, a reformed playboy who's over the top for his ice princess, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
557 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2024
225 people are currently reading
1504 people want to read
About the author
Bree Hayden
6 books298 followersA lover of romances, it’s not unusual to find Bree Hayden curled up with a book, sobbing her eyes out. On the off chance she’s doing real-life things, she resides in Washington, tries to get birds to whistle along with her, and enjoys baking ancient recipes in the hopes one actually tastes good.
Check out Bree’s newsletter for playlists (they’re pretty good), upcoming character art (that’s way better), chances to read her books before anybody else (!!!), and free extra stories about the characters in her novels (the best!!!)
Check out Bree’s newsletter for playlists (they’re pretty good), upcoming character art (that’s way better), chances to read her books before anybody else (!!!), and free extra stories about the characters in her novels (the best!!!)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
July 25, 2024
✨️My thoughts- Woo! 🥵 If you're looking for a spicy, college football romance, look no further! Bree hit the mark! Piper is the RA at her dorm, and due to unfortunate circumstances, ends up having to "baby-sit" the playboy from the football team. At first, you think he's a bad boy, but you learn pretty quickly that Adam is a sweet golden retriever boy ❤️. I love that this is dual POV, so you get to learn his back story as well. I was a bit overwhelmed when I first picked this book up and saw that it was over 600 pages, but you really don't realize how quickly it flows. About midway through, I couldn't put it down! I ended up staying up in the wee hours of the night to read it 😅🤗.
✨️ If you enjoy these tropes, pick this book up July 30th!-
🏈College Football Romance
🏈Bad Boy x Good Girl
🏈Reformed playboy
🏈Forced Proximity
🏈Boy obsessed
🏈Boy falls first and harder
🏈Slow-ish burn
Thanks, Bree, for allowing me to read and review your book! I can't wait to start the next!
✨️ If you enjoy these tropes, pick this book up July 30th!-
🏈College Football Romance
🏈Bad Boy x Good Girl
🏈Reformed playboy
🏈Forced Proximity
🏈Boy obsessed
🏈Boy falls first and harder
🏈Slow-ish burn
Thanks, Bree, for allowing me to read and review your book! I can't wait to start the next!
July 27, 2024
I had the pleasure of being on Bree Hayden’s ARC team for this one. The opportunity arose and I decided to make it my first sports romance!
I’m going to be honest, at first I was not sure this one was going to work for me. It’s very long for a romance at over 600 pages and the pacing was on the slower side initially. But the more I got into it, the pacing picked up and so did my investment in the characters. The second half flew by and overall I really enjoyed this one! I’m going to break this one down a little differently than I usually do…
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Piper is an RA in the athletic dorm and Adam is the star linebacker on the football team. They have history, and it’s not good. Adam initially appears to be a morally grey slacker and Piper is tasked with basically being his babysitter. Insert the forced proximity trope. We get enemies to lovers, slow burn spiciness, morally grey MMC hiding a golden retriever inside, and lots of growth for both.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: I really loved the side characters here. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 gives off all the found family vibes, they are loyal and have each other’s backs the whole way. These are the friends that you hope you find in life. 𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 were absolutely delightful! One of my favorite parts of the book was the relationship between Piper and her parents and her parent’s quirkiness. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 were the absolute WORST, but this was part of his storyline. I do feel like this was taken to a point of not being realistic which took away from the impact it could have had for me. And lastly, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡. While he was a more distant side character, I felt he was impactful in that he was portrayed in a way that showed he valued his players as humans and not just as players. “𝘒𝘪𝘥, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.” He cared about their wellbeing first and their athletics second.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬: I really enjoyed the banter throughout, between our MCs and the friends. I could have done without the pregnancy prank. I feel like it’s a sensitive area for a lot of people and it really didn’t wind up adding anything to the story but could deter readers. I enjoyed the golden retriever masked as a bad boy vibe with Adam. Both he and Piper had some major self esteem issues that at times felt a bit over done and made the vibes feel uneven. One moment they would be fully into each other and seemed confident in their relationship (whether friend or romantic) and then so quickly it would shift and one or both of their insecurities would get in the way. That being said, when they were on it was so so good. And the insecurities allowed for a lot of growth for both of them, which I really enjoyed. Seeing Adam’s ego take a backseat and his heart come forward was really nice.
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥: I liked this one! The characters had depth and substantive backstories. While the pacing and vibes were uneven at points, when it was on it was really good. I felt invested in the characters and relationships. The book was long and the journey was not rushed, but the ending did feel a bit rushed. I would have enjoyed an epilogue! The only other romance I’ve read of this length is Lucy Score, and while the writing style was not as mature and refined, I believe this author can continue to grow and I would be interested to see her future work.
I’m going to be honest, at first I was not sure this one was going to work for me. It’s very long for a romance at over 600 pages and the pacing was on the slower side initially. But the more I got into it, the pacing picked up and so did my investment in the characters. The second half flew by and overall I really enjoyed this one! I’m going to break this one down a little differently than I usually do…
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Piper is an RA in the athletic dorm and Adam is the star linebacker on the football team. They have history, and it’s not good. Adam initially appears to be a morally grey slacker and Piper is tasked with basically being his babysitter. Insert the forced proximity trope. We get enemies to lovers, slow burn spiciness, morally grey MMC hiding a golden retriever inside, and lots of growth for both.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: I really loved the side characters here. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 gives off all the found family vibes, they are loyal and have each other’s backs the whole way. These are the friends that you hope you find in life. 𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 were absolutely delightful! One of my favorite parts of the book was the relationship between Piper and her parents and her parent’s quirkiness. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 were the absolute WORST, but this was part of his storyline. I do feel like this was taken to a point of not being realistic which took away from the impact it could have had for me. And lastly, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡. While he was a more distant side character, I felt he was impactful in that he was portrayed in a way that showed he valued his players as humans and not just as players. “𝘒𝘪𝘥, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.” He cared about their wellbeing first and their athletics second.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬: I really enjoyed the banter throughout, between our MCs and the friends. I could have done without the pregnancy prank. I feel like it’s a sensitive area for a lot of people and it really didn’t wind up adding anything to the story but could deter readers. I enjoyed the golden retriever masked as a bad boy vibe with Adam. Both he and Piper had some major self esteem issues that at times felt a bit over done and made the vibes feel uneven. One moment they would be fully into each other and seemed confident in their relationship (whether friend or romantic) and then so quickly it would shift and one or both of their insecurities would get in the way. That being said, when they were on it was so so good. And the insecurities allowed for a lot of growth for both of them, which I really enjoyed. Seeing Adam’s ego take a backseat and his heart come forward was really nice.
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥: I liked this one! The characters had depth and substantive backstories. While the pacing and vibes were uneven at points, when it was on it was really good. I felt invested in the characters and relationships. The book was long and the journey was not rushed, but the ending did feel a bit rushed. I would have enjoyed an epilogue! The only other romance I’ve read of this length is Lucy Score, and while the writing style was not as mature and refined, I believe this author can continue to grow and I would be interested to see her future work.
July 27, 2024
Playing for Keeps by Bree Hayden
This book was amazing it had me falling for another fictional man so hard and fast here were my thoughts while reading the book:
- Adam had me giddy and giggling I love him
- Grumpy x sunshine reversed he gets under her skin but you know damn well they like each other I love that tension and connection the writing is so well done you feel the connection through the pages
- So many funny moments that had me giggling to myself and looking around and making sure no one saw me
- Adam and Piper lives rent free in my mind
- Adam literally finds any excuse to get closer to her he even suggest for her to be his RA lol
- I also love that piper puts him in his place especially when he’s being cocky it catches him off guard and I eat it up
- Adam is so adorable he remembers every detail from the first time they met
- He got all her fav products for when she sleeps, He acts like he doesn’t but he would literally 💀for her I can’t Adam is my dream man
- I love how confident and boss Piper is I feel like we’d be great friends, she knows what she wants and fights for it
- the book did long at times being that the book is pretty hefty but it still kept me hooked and intrigued
- there’s something that Piper does that made me not fully enjoy the book by the end but still such an amazing book
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was amazing it had me falling for another fictional man so hard and fast here were my thoughts while reading the book:
- Adam had me giddy and giggling I love him
- Grumpy x sunshine reversed he gets under her skin but you know damn well they like each other I love that tension and connection the writing is so well done you feel the connection through the pages
- So many funny moments that had me giggling to myself and looking around and making sure no one saw me
- Adam and Piper lives rent free in my mind
- Adam literally finds any excuse to get closer to her he even suggest for her to be his RA lol
- I also love that piper puts him in his place especially when he’s being cocky it catches him off guard and I eat it up
- Adam is so adorable he remembers every detail from the first time they met
- He got all her fav products for when she sleeps, He acts like he doesn’t but he would literally 💀for her I can’t Adam is my dream man
- I love how confident and boss Piper is I feel like we’d be great friends, she knows what she wants and fights for it
- the book did long at times being that the book is pretty hefty but it still kept me hooked and intrigued
- there’s something that Piper does that made me not fully enjoy the book by the end but still such an amazing book
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 31, 2024
This was An amazing book. It was a definite page turner . I definitely recommend reading the series in order to understand the basics of this book. I love the fact that it’s football related because both college football and nfl is right around the corner.
July 22, 2024
This was such a fun read! The humor, friendships, banter, and sizzling tension made this book such a joy to read. Adam, the MMC, is so far gone for Piper, the FMC, and it’s completely adorable. They were endearing and so obviously meant to be together. I was cracking up over all of Adam’s shenanigans and swooning over all of his sweet moments with Piper. I really loved the development of Adam’s character. He is so much more than he appears to be in the beginning of the book. I also loved the FMC, Piper. She was so lovable. As were all of the side characters. The found family/ community they created tugged at my heartstrings.
Overall, 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔 is a fantastic read. It was my first book by Bree Hayden and it definitely will not be my last 🫶🏼
Tropes:
📚 College Romance
🫶🏼 Found Family
💕 Dual POV
✨ Good Girl x Playboy
🏈 Sports Romance
Thank you so much Bree Hayden for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Overall, 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔 is a fantastic read. It was my first book by Bree Hayden and it definitely will not be my last 🫶🏼
Tropes:
📚 College Romance
🫶🏼 Found Family
💕 Dual POV
✨ Good Girl x Playboy
🏈 Sports Romance
Thank you so much Bree Hayden for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
July 21, 2024
✨Playing for Keeps✨
This is solidly a 4/5 book!!! The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking this would be such a good TV series!!
I really loved this book. The characters were full bodied which I feel like doesn’t happen often in Romance Books. I felt like the details were articulated without being overly wordy - not too little, not too much. I love the friends to lovers/forced proximity dynamic. This is one of those books where you feel like you’re there watching the story, not just reading it.
I wish the ending was a little more substantial, but this is an ARC read so it might be at some point! (Fingers crossed) I feel like either there will be another book to make this a series, or hopefully in the future there will be an epilogue.
This is one of those books that I could easily come back and read again. However, I definitely would prefer print version.
This is solidly a 4/5 book!!! The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking this would be such a good TV series!!
I really loved this book. The characters were full bodied which I feel like doesn’t happen often in Romance Books. I felt like the details were articulated without being overly wordy - not too little, not too much. I love the friends to lovers/forced proximity dynamic. This is one of those books where you feel like you’re there watching the story, not just reading it.
I wish the ending was a little more substantial, but this is an ARC read so it might be at some point! (Fingers crossed) I feel like either there will be another book to make this a series, or hopefully in the future there will be an epilogue.
This is one of those books that I could easily come back and read again. However, I definitely would prefer print version.
July 22, 2024
I absolutely adore this book it was cute yet so much banter between adam and piper. There was so many time adam had me laughing out loud
January 15, 2025
I really tried to like this book, but I didn't connect with the characters nor with the story and I also think this one way too long 😔
July 30, 2024
Thank you to Bree Hayden for the arc of this book and reaching out to me for a review!
Sport romances aren’t always my thing. They can be hit or miss for me. But this one hit. It was very enjoyable and I had a fun time with this book. This story follows Adam who is the star football player. And Piper is the new RA who just got cheated on by her ex. Adam is in need of help to stay on the team and raise his grades these insists the help of Piper. Of course Adam starts feeling things he’s not supposed to because he is known to be a player. Together they must work together to bring up his grades as well as maintain good character for the school.
Piper is quirky and adorable. She just went through a cheating breakup and doesn’t want anything to do with boys especially those on the football team. But when she meets Adam and has to spend all of her time with her, she realizes that she needs to make a decision and open up about her feelings. To which we do see growth and see her learn to love with a real love and to be respected and appreciated in a relationship.
Adam is the player who wasn’t supposed to fall in love. That is until he meets Piper. He can’t help himself. He is an acts of service man and shows Piper he appreciates and cares for her from the beginning. He shows up and shows out. I really enjoyed his scenes where he’s learning to put in the work for his classes and to care and be cared for in return.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The spice wasn’t for me, but that’s not anything against this books. But I think if you like spice this book will be good for you!
4/5⭐️
Sport romances aren’t always my thing. They can be hit or miss for me. But this one hit. It was very enjoyable and I had a fun time with this book. This story follows Adam who is the star football player. And Piper is the new RA who just got cheated on by her ex. Adam is in need of help to stay on the team and raise his grades these insists the help of Piper. Of course Adam starts feeling things he’s not supposed to because he is known to be a player. Together they must work together to bring up his grades as well as maintain good character for the school.
Piper is quirky and adorable. She just went through a cheating breakup and doesn’t want anything to do with boys especially those on the football team. But when she meets Adam and has to spend all of her time with her, she realizes that she needs to make a decision and open up about her feelings. To which we do see growth and see her learn to love with a real love and to be respected and appreciated in a relationship.
Adam is the player who wasn’t supposed to fall in love. That is until he meets Piper. He can’t help himself. He is an acts of service man and shows Piper he appreciates and cares for her from the beginning. He shows up and shows out. I really enjoyed his scenes where he’s learning to put in the work for his classes and to care and be cared for in return.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The spice wasn’t for me, but that’s not anything against this books. But I think if you like spice this book will be good for you!
4/5⭐️
July 25, 2024
~3.75 stars - ARC reader
—
UGHH this book was just so freaking cute!! i definitely believe this is one of those books that are a “grower not a shower”.
In the beginning it was just giving normal cocky bad boy pines over the goody two shoes in college, which isn’t my favourite trope ever, but i knew to give it a chance regardless.
BUTTT, as the book went on, there was just so much more depth to the characters than what i anticipated which made me enjoy the book a lot more!! I thought the character of Adam especially, was unraveled in such a beautiful way, clearly showing that he was a lot more than a “dumb jock that has gotten around”. AND UGHH he was just so cute and warm towards Piper, I LITERALLY was just grinning at my kindle when reading some scenes.
I actually really loved Piper’s character!! I thought Bree did a great job at not letting the “goody two shoes” stereotype get too overwhelming and allowed her to have a personality and backbone despite her wanting to always follow the rules.
AND ALSO THIS BOOK WAS JUST SO FUNNY?? There were SOO many scenes were I was just laughing to myself, especially the scenes within their friendship group: so freaking cute !!
I will say, I thought the book could’ve been a little shorter, with some scenes extracted as i felt there was just a little bit of filler. Adding on to that, i really wish their attraction to each other was better described in the beginning. I would say I FELT IT within the middle to the end, but the initial attraction could’ve been more intensely written so that i could really FEEEEL it.
Despite this though, this book was still super super cute and adorable and i will 100% be going back to read the book before this ANDDD the future books too!!
—
UGHH this book was just so freaking cute!! i definitely believe this is one of those books that are a “grower not a shower”.
In the beginning it was just giving normal cocky bad boy pines over the goody two shoes in college, which isn’t my favourite trope ever, but i knew to give it a chance regardless.
BUTTT, as the book went on, there was just so much more depth to the characters than what i anticipated which made me enjoy the book a lot more!! I thought the character of Adam especially, was unraveled in such a beautiful way, clearly showing that he was a lot more than a “dumb jock that has gotten around”. AND UGHH he was just so cute and warm towards Piper, I LITERALLY was just grinning at my kindle when reading some scenes.
I actually really loved Piper’s character!! I thought Bree did a great job at not letting the “goody two shoes” stereotype get too overwhelming and allowed her to have a personality and backbone despite her wanting to always follow the rules.
AND ALSO THIS BOOK WAS JUST SO FUNNY?? There were SOO many scenes were I was just laughing to myself, especially the scenes within their friendship group: so freaking cute !!
I will say, I thought the book could’ve been a little shorter, with some scenes extracted as i felt there was just a little bit of filler. Adding on to that, i really wish their attraction to each other was better described in the beginning. I would say I FELT IT within the middle to the end, but the initial attraction could’ve been more intensely written so that i could really FEEEEL it.
Despite this though, this book was still super super cute and adorable and i will 100% be going back to read the book before this ANDDD the future books too!!
July 28, 2024
Wow! I'm really glad I got the opportunity to read this because it was incredible!
This was such a great book — the writing style is easy to engage with and, combined with super short chapters, it makes you devour the story. The book is a bit longer but it never felt like it was too much. There are a lot of cute moments, a lot of funny ones, and spice too! The banter between Piper and Adam was a joy to read; I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions from the very start and how obsessed he was. I loved both of them and I didn't think Adam's behavior was too much at the beginning. He's a prankster and his actions made complete sense once I got to his background. Both of them were complex and I loved how they dealt with all of the problems that occurred. The found family made me all fuzzy inside and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series to see more of these characters!
Highly recommend this one! I believe you'd love this if you love books by Liz Tomforde and sports romance in general, as well as new authors with a lot of potential to become huge and widely loved!
A huge thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book!
This was such a great book — the writing style is easy to engage with and, combined with super short chapters, it makes you devour the story. The book is a bit longer but it never felt like it was too much. There are a lot of cute moments, a lot of funny ones, and spice too! The banter between Piper and Adam was a joy to read; I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions from the very start and how obsessed he was. I loved both of them and I didn't think Adam's behavior was too much at the beginning. He's a prankster and his actions made complete sense once I got to his background. Both of them were complex and I loved how they dealt with all of the problems that occurred. The found family made me all fuzzy inside and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series to see more of these characters!
Highly recommend this one! I believe you'd love this if you love books by Liz Tomforde and sports romance in general, as well as new authors with a lot of potential to become huge and widely loved!
A huge thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book!
July 24, 2024
A huge thank you to Bree and her team for this ARC! All opinions are my own. 💕 (slight spoilers, read at your own risk)
Let me start this out with the fact that I did not read book one in the series. I would highly recommend it so you can get the full context and know the other characters all little better, and have some more background knowledge. I think that would’ve really helped my experience going into this book.
I’m not gonna lie, when I first started this book I wasn’t sure it would be my jam. On the surface, Adam seemed like a cocky college football playboy with a chip on his shoulder and was used to getting his way. Piper was a little socially awkward and had some cringy moments. But oh my gosh - the ✨growth✨ both of them experienced!!! Adam turned into this golden retriever boyfriend who I would die for. Piper became more confident and her cringy moments honestly turned into relatable situations/responses. Her wanting a better college experience I think is something all of us struggle with and relate to. I really appreciated the friendship aspect of that goal being so highlighted and seeing Piper really meet her people. Loved that that was part of the story as much as the romance between her and Adam was. I loved the banter and humor, it had me giggling during multiple spots. Let’s also add that the spice was spicin’ in all the right ways. I’m not normally a football romance girly, but maybe I should switch gears 🤷🏻♀️ Can’t wait for the next book - hockey romance!!!
Tropes (guys I’m not good at picking these up, I’ll probs miss some 🙈)
Sport romance 🏈
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
He falls first (and harder)
Childhood trauma
Let me start this out with the fact that I did not read book one in the series. I would highly recommend it so you can get the full context and know the other characters all little better, and have some more background knowledge. I think that would’ve really helped my experience going into this book.
I’m not gonna lie, when I first started this book I wasn’t sure it would be my jam. On the surface, Adam seemed like a cocky college football playboy with a chip on his shoulder and was used to getting his way. Piper was a little socially awkward and had some cringy moments. But oh my gosh - the ✨growth✨ both of them experienced!!! Adam turned into this golden retriever boyfriend who I would die for. Piper became more confident and her cringy moments honestly turned into relatable situations/responses. Her wanting a better college experience I think is something all of us struggle with and relate to. I really appreciated the friendship aspect of that goal being so highlighted and seeing Piper really meet her people. Loved that that was part of the story as much as the romance between her and Adam was. I loved the banter and humor, it had me giggling during multiple spots. Let’s also add that the spice was spicin’ in all the right ways. I’m not normally a football romance girly, but maybe I should switch gears 🤷🏻♀️ Can’t wait for the next book - hockey romance!!!
Tropes (guys I’m not good at picking these up, I’ll probs miss some 🙈)
Sport romance 🏈
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
He falls first (and harder)
Childhood trauma
July 28, 2024
Firstly, thank-you to Bree for reaching out and offering me this college romance to read and review before its release. I have to be honest, I was a little sceptical when I realised that the book was 640 pages long and there wasn't any sign of this on Goodreads, socials or anywhere for that matter! (I like to know how long to give myself before reading an ARC so pages give me an estimate!) That being said, I actually really enjoyed reading this book and found it a lovely read despite how long it was! 🥰 I feel like it could have been slightly shorter but that is only my personal opinion!😊 It follow Piper who has sworn off football players after a bad break up and Adam who is football player that needs to sort himself out to stay on the team! I fell in love with both characters 😍 and loved that this didn't have the traditional ending to most romance books and had you guessing the outcome til the very end! I would recommend picking this up as I did enjoy it and did end up reading 60% of it in one sitting! ❤
May 16, 2025
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶.5
HEA: Happy Ending
❗️Safety and Small Spoilers Below❗️
📌 Triggers: Violence (on-page), Cheating ( not between MCs), Harassment (on-page), Child Abuse (past; mentioned)
📌 HEA: MCs are together, but there is still some unresolved storyline drama.
📌 No Cheating/Sharing
📌 No OWD
📌 MMC is a manwhore He's known for throwing parties and hooking up with lots of girls. He's even nicknamed "Mars Manwhore" However, the FMC is very aware of his past but isn't jealous. And no OW makes a comeback or starts drama.
📌 Slight OMD: FMC has a cheating ex that harasses her. She's been with him since high school, and he's her only experience.
📌 Third-act breakup: There's some storyline drama that causes MMC to break up with FMC. He does this to protect her. Their breakup lasted a week or so.
(spans over a couple of chapters)
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶.5
HEA: Happy Ending
❗️Safety and Small Spoilers Below❗️
📌 Triggers: Violence (on-page), Cheating ( not between MCs), Harassment (on-page), Child Abuse (past; mentioned)
📌 HEA: MCs are together, but there is still some unresolved storyline drama.
📌 No Cheating/Sharing
📌 No OWD
📌 MMC is a manwhore He's known for throwing parties and hooking up with lots of girls. He's even nicknamed "Mars Manwhore" However, the FMC is very aware of his past but isn't jealous. And no OW makes a comeback or starts drama.
📌 Slight OMD: FMC has a cheating ex that harasses her. She's been with him since high school, and he's her only experience.
📌 Third-act breakup: There's some storyline drama that causes MMC to break up with FMC. He does this to protect her. Their breakup lasted a week or so.
(spans over a couple of chapters)
July 28, 2024
This was such a fun enjoyable read full of college drama, banter and a loyal friendship group. As this is book three in this series I would recommend reading the other two first as we meet a lot of the main characters in these books. Adam and Piper are complete opposites and I love the way we saw the growth of Adam and the chemistry between the two is intense. It was a longer book yet I still wish there was a little more as so many questions were left unanswered maybe if the series continues we might get the answers. This was a great read. I received a complementary copy from the author.
August 8, 2024
I had the pleasure of ARC reading this book!
I am a sucker for sports romance! This was so good and I loved the banter back and forth between Piper and Adam. I truly loved getting to know these characters and learning Adam’s back story. They both compliment each so well in the end. Such a fun book to read with so many laugh out loud moments!
I am a sucker for sports romance! This was so good and I loved the banter back and forth between Piper and Adam. I truly loved getting to know these characters and learning Adam’s back story. They both compliment each so well in the end. Such a fun book to read with so many laugh out loud moments!
July 31, 2024
firstly, i want to thank bree hayden for the arc in exchange for a honest review <3
playing for keeps is "so high school" coded and we love tswift coded books. i also see the potential of the author because her reading style is easy in the best way.
please only read this if you like spicy romance because the books has explizit scenes
playing for keeps is "so high school" coded and we love tswift coded books. i also see the potential of the author because her reading style is easy in the best way.
please only read this if you like spicy romance because the books has explizit scenes
September 21, 2024
ARC Review
When I first saw this book was over 600 pages, I was intrigued as you don’t see a lot of sports romance books this long but honestly, it could have been 1000 pages and you wouldn’t hear me complaining. I have completely fallen in love with Adam and Piper and the whole story gave me very much American Pie vibes and a nostalgic feeling I haven’t really had in a book before.
The things Piper and Adam get up to are hilarious and I love that they have such fun together, even if it isn’t always legal or morally right. Adam is such a prankster but when he starts to fall for Piper, he puts her at the forefront of his every decision and even when they aren’t speaking, he is still making sure their friends rally round her to make sure she is okay.
Piper was so badly hurt previously and hadn’t had the University experience she had always wanted and I love that she found everything she needed and wanted throughout the book. The found family is brilliant and I love that Adam’s friendship group really took Piper in and made her part of the group no question.
This was a slow burn and being honest, whilst the spice was hot, the ferris wheel is all I am saying on this, I wouldn’t have minded if it wasn’t there as the story had me captivated from page one. Reading how Adam and Piper fell in love organically and turned from enemies to friends to lovers was really emotional at times and their story did have me crying at several points.
The author has managed to put everything into this book, strong main characters, brilliant storylines with good subplots and side characters I can’t wait to read about in other books from the series. The book doesn’t have an epilogue, which I would have loved, however the author closed all the storylines and left it for the reader to come to their own conclusions about Piper and Adam’s future. I have it very clear in my head where they would be in time and I love that the author has left that up to the readers own imagination.
Overall, this was an easy book to give five stars to and it’s definitely one of my favourite books of this year so far. I would say anyone who likes a college romance needs to pick this up.
When I first saw this book was over 600 pages, I was intrigued as you don’t see a lot of sports romance books this long but honestly, it could have been 1000 pages and you wouldn’t hear me complaining. I have completely fallen in love with Adam and Piper and the whole story gave me very much American Pie vibes and a nostalgic feeling I haven’t really had in a book before.
The things Piper and Adam get up to are hilarious and I love that they have such fun together, even if it isn’t always legal or morally right. Adam is such a prankster but when he starts to fall for Piper, he puts her at the forefront of his every decision and even when they aren’t speaking, he is still making sure their friends rally round her to make sure she is okay.
Piper was so badly hurt previously and hadn’t had the University experience she had always wanted and I love that she found everything she needed and wanted throughout the book. The found family is brilliant and I love that Adam’s friendship group really took Piper in and made her part of the group no question.
This was a slow burn and being honest, whilst the spice was hot, the ferris wheel is all I am saying on this, I wouldn’t have minded if it wasn’t there as the story had me captivated from page one. Reading how Adam and Piper fell in love organically and turned from enemies to friends to lovers was really emotional at times and their story did have me crying at several points.
The author has managed to put everything into this book, strong main characters, brilliant storylines with good subplots and side characters I can’t wait to read about in other books from the series. The book doesn’t have an epilogue, which I would have loved, however the author closed all the storylines and left it for the reader to come to their own conclusions about Piper and Adam’s future. I have it very clear in my head where they would be in time and I love that the author has left that up to the readers own imagination.
Overall, this was an easy book to give five stars to and it’s definitely one of my favourite books of this year so far. I would say anyone who likes a college romance needs to pick this up.
January 15, 2025
Thank you @breehaydenauthor for the ARC 🫶🏻
This baby is thicccccc but every second of it was so good you could barely even tell 🤩 Piper has sworn off football players after her ex, Thomas was caught red handed via a picture on social media of him cheating - posted by none other than Adam Russell. Transferring colleges to get away from her ex, she is brought into Adam’s orbit. To say Piper is not Adam’s fan at first is an understatement. Until she is forced to “babysit” him by his coach to monitor his bad behavior, and to be a good influence on him.
The banter, the tension, the chemistry ❤️🔥 everything was so so good, I could not put it down!! I was kicking my feet giggling, Adam was so uncommitted to relationships but he fell fast and HARD for sweet innocent Piper girl. 🥹💗 the way they brought out something for the other, Adam brought our Piper’s recklessness and spontaneity, and Piper brought out Adam’s drive to do better, be better, all the good things. They were so fun to follow and be part of their journey 😭🩷 I’m obsessed. Adam spoiling her made my heart pitter patter, I mean, the dress?! come onnnnnn 😭🙊 I’m deceased. So so good!!!
What to expect:
2️⃣ Dual POV
🏈 Football Player x Dorm RA
❤️🔥 Open Door
🎡 Good Girl x Playboy
🩷 He Falls First, and HARD
🫂 Found Friendship
🛏️ Forced Proximity (neighbors)
This baby is thicccccc but every second of it was so good you could barely even tell 🤩 Piper has sworn off football players after her ex, Thomas was caught red handed via a picture on social media of him cheating - posted by none other than Adam Russell. Transferring colleges to get away from her ex, she is brought into Adam’s orbit. To say Piper is not Adam’s fan at first is an understatement. Until she is forced to “babysit” him by his coach to monitor his bad behavior, and to be a good influence on him.
The banter, the tension, the chemistry ❤️🔥 everything was so so good, I could not put it down!! I was kicking my feet giggling, Adam was so uncommitted to relationships but he fell fast and HARD for sweet innocent Piper girl. 🥹💗 the way they brought out something for the other, Adam brought our Piper’s recklessness and spontaneity, and Piper brought out Adam’s drive to do better, be better, all the good things. They were so fun to follow and be part of their journey 😭🩷 I’m obsessed. Adam spoiling her made my heart pitter patter, I mean, the dress?! come onnnnnn 😭🙊 I’m deceased. So so good!!!
What to expect:
2️⃣ Dual POV
🏈 Football Player x Dorm RA
❤️🔥 Open Door
🎡 Good Girl x Playboy
🩷 He Falls First, and HARD
🫂 Found Friendship
🛏️ Forced Proximity (neighbors)
August 11, 2024
I wanted to love this book so bad. The story is cute, it’s just way too long. It just keeps going. Life is too short, i had to throw in the towel.
July 23, 2024
“I wasn’t like any of the lovesick idiots on the team that trailed behind their girlfriends like she had a leash around their neck. I was worse.”
—
Rating: 4✨
Smut: 🌶️
-
One thing about me? If there is a bookish boyfriend with a traumatic past who is soft for his girl AND a reformed playboy? I will eat that book right up every. Single. Time.
Adam freakin Russell was no exception to this and he was the kind of bookish boyfriend that I fall hard for.
Bree Hayden created this beautiful character that experienced so much growth and vulnerability throughout the story and I never wanted to stop reading about him.
She also created such a perfect match for him in Piper Fontaine. The no nonsense, slightly socially awkward & incredibly kind Piper.
I loved the way Piper fell for Adam, the way she saw past all of his outer layers and reassured him that she wanted to stay anyways. I also loved how she brought out all the good in him that he didn’t even necessarily think was there.
This romance also had everything I loved: amazing tropes, hilarious banter, characters that I would actually love to be friends with and fantastic found family vibes. I found myself giggling & laughing at what these characters said more often than not & i loved that! I will definitely be going back & reading book 1 and the novella since I loved these characters so much!
While this book was hard to put down after the 50% mark, I did find the beginning a little slow to get into. I also didn’t enjoy the third act breakup, nor the reasoning behind it 🫠
Considering the book was quite long, I was surprised by how abrupt the end felt. I definitely would have liked to have a bit more towards the end in terms of “tying things up” so I’m curious to see if we will be getting a continuation of this book or a wrap up in subsequent books in the series.
Overall, y’all are going to fall head over heels for these two characters, especially for Adam Russell in all his book boyfriend perfection😩
And if you love:
🐢 Boy obsessed + he falls first and harder
🐢 Girlie getting away from her past & looking for the college experience
🐢 Slight enemies to friends to lovers
🐢 Found family
🐢 He loves to spoil her
🐢 Football sports romance
🐢 Text & friend group banter that will actually have you laughing out loud
Then this one is for you♥️
Thank you to Bree Hayden for trusting me with this arc!🫶
—
Rating: 4✨
Smut: 🌶️
-
One thing about me? If there is a bookish boyfriend with a traumatic past who is soft for his girl AND a reformed playboy? I will eat that book right up every. Single. Time.
Adam freakin Russell was no exception to this and he was the kind of bookish boyfriend that I fall hard for.
Bree Hayden created this beautiful character that experienced so much growth and vulnerability throughout the story and I never wanted to stop reading about him.
She also created such a perfect match for him in Piper Fontaine. The no nonsense, slightly socially awkward & incredibly kind Piper.
I loved the way Piper fell for Adam, the way she saw past all of his outer layers and reassured him that she wanted to stay anyways. I also loved how she brought out all the good in him that he didn’t even necessarily think was there.
This romance also had everything I loved: amazing tropes, hilarious banter, characters that I would actually love to be friends with and fantastic found family vibes. I found myself giggling & laughing at what these characters said more often than not & i loved that! I will definitely be going back & reading book 1 and the novella since I loved these characters so much!
While this book was hard to put down after the 50% mark, I did find the beginning a little slow to get into. I also didn’t enjoy the third act breakup, nor the reasoning behind it 🫠
Considering the book was quite long, I was surprised by how abrupt the end felt. I definitely would have liked to have a bit more towards the end in terms of “tying things up” so I’m curious to see if we will be getting a continuation of this book or a wrap up in subsequent books in the series.
Overall, y’all are going to fall head over heels for these two characters, especially for Adam Russell in all his book boyfriend perfection😩
And if you love:
🐢 Boy obsessed + he falls first and harder
🐢 Girlie getting away from her past & looking for the college experience
🐢 Slight enemies to friends to lovers
🐢 Found family
🐢 He loves to spoil her
🐢 Football sports romance
🐢 Text & friend group banter that will actually have you laughing out loud
Then this one is for you♥️
Thank you to Bree Hayden for trusting me with this arc!🫶
July 21, 2024
****Releases on KU on July 30th**** Welcome to Marrs University!!! In this book, you get Opposites Attract, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Good Girl Meets Playboy, and Boy Falls First, Fast & Hard. It is written in dual POV, which is great because you get the story from both sides and not just from one character. This book had me really rooting for the “bad boy.” Adam is a guy that has a big backstory that is slowly told in pieces throughout the book, and while he is trying to live his life in the present and leave his history in the past, he ends up with a big part of it in his lap (literally and figuratively speaking 😉) in the form of Piper. Piper is a woman who is also trying to leave her past behind and look toward the future. To say these two have chemistry is putting it lightly, and you can tell when you read that they have building se**al tension between them and when they collide 🥵 If you read any of Bree’s other books then you will see some familiar faces throughout this book. It is a college sports romance so it’s gonna have the usual parties, s*x, rough housing and acting out while drinking. Most of which happens with a big percentage of college kids in real life so it follows like a real semester in the life of a college student. The book has 113 chapters, and I was a little concerned that the book would drag and maybe be inconsistent and bounce between things to make it long, but it wasn’t anything like that. The chapters are not excessively long, and the book flows smoothly through with no gaps in storyline and no long-drawn out situations where you read about it in chapter 6 and get the rest of it in chapter 97. The story is interesting and keeps you wanting to read along to see what happens next, so the chapters fly by quickly. If you are looking for a book that keeps you interested and is full of more than just s*x and football, I recommend that you get this book. It releases on July 30th, but before it releases, the first two books are called Change Your Play & Out Of Bounds. Give those a read (so you have background on some characters in this book) then get this one when it releases. It is so worth the wait!
July 30, 2024
Playboy Adam needs someone to watch over him. His football coach thinks Piper, his crush from high school, is just the one to do it.
Playing for Keeps surprised me in the best way. I enjoyed reading this book so much!
I’m not always a fan of a reformed playboy, but Adam’s story worked for me. His moving backstory is unique and the reason why he hides behind his “Marrs Manwhore” persona. Adam doesn’t let many people get close to him. Within his great circle of friends, they see him as the good guy that he really is and a caring person who would do anything for them. He stole my heart!
Piper gives her heart and her all to everything she does. Unfortunately, her ex didn’t value what he had. But Adam recognizes it immediately and falls hard for her fast. He was a boy obsessed!
I was hooked on this book from the moment Piper was first assigned to babysit Adam. The mix of conflict, jokes, chemistry, tension, and shenanigans between these two was perfect. I was smiling and laughing!
But it quickly becomes clear that Piper and Adam balance each other. He helps her loosen up; she makes him more serious. I loved these two as a couple.
Fans of college romances and found families will love Playing for Keeps! I can’t wait to read the previous book set in this same world.
I received an early copy of this book.
Playing for Keeps surprised me in the best way. I enjoyed reading this book so much!
I’m not always a fan of a reformed playboy, but Adam’s story worked for me. His moving backstory is unique and the reason why he hides behind his “Marrs Manwhore” persona. Adam doesn’t let many people get close to him. Within his great circle of friends, they see him as the good guy that he really is and a caring person who would do anything for them. He stole my heart!
Piper gives her heart and her all to everything she does. Unfortunately, her ex didn’t value what he had. But Adam recognizes it immediately and falls hard for her fast. He was a boy obsessed!
I was hooked on this book from the moment Piper was first assigned to babysit Adam. The mix of conflict, jokes, chemistry, tension, and shenanigans between these two was perfect. I was smiling and laughing!
But it quickly becomes clear that Piper and Adam balance each other. He helps her loosen up; she makes him more serious. I loved these two as a couple.
Fans of college romances and found families will love Playing for Keeps! I can’t wait to read the previous book set in this same world.
I received an early copy of this book.
August 21, 2024
Playing for Keeps was such a cute read! Adam and Piper were super sweet. It had a bit of a slower start for my personal liking and was on the longer side, but everything took off towards the middle and I got hooked. I loved seeing how Adam and Piper slowly built their relationship and trust with each other. The banter was on point and there were so many times I found myself laughing and relating to Piper and Adam. After getting a better understanding of Adam and his past, I loved that he was actually a sweetheart to Piper and his friends under the asshole persona he showed everyone else. Both characters grew so much and the burn was indeed slow! There were some minor scenes that didn’t work for me and that I felt weren’t needed, but I overall enjoyed Playing for Keeps. Highly recommend if you love extremely slow burn, college age and football romance! Thank you so much Bree Hayden for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“I want you. I want all of you. Not half. Not part. I want all of you.”
⭐️3.5
🌶️2
“I want you. I want all of you. Not half. Not part. I want all of you.”
⭐️3.5
🌶️2
August 4, 2024
I was gifted an Arc of Playing For Keeps.
“What did I do to deserve a girl like her?” -Adam Russell
After a disastrous end to her relationship, Piper Fontaine transfers schools and takes a job as her college building’s RA. Only to end up babysitting the resident football bad boy, Adam Russell. Adam Russell is the star of the football team, but off the field, things aren’t great. His grades are failing and without them, he’s not going to have anything to fall back on. So when Piper gets stuck as his babysitter she starts to help him work on his grades. But with Piper’s ex constantly sending her hateful messages, and her expectations of herself, Adam starts to notice Piper falling apart. Can he help keep her together or will he fail her?
I loved reading as Adam and Piper went from disliking each other to falling in love. Bree reached out to me with an arc of the book and I was thrilled to receive it. I really enjoyed diving into this book. Bree has written an adorable collage romance and I’m so happy I got to be one of the first people to read it.
This book is 113 chapters which does sound like too many chapters. However, you will fly through this book so fast. When you get to the end you’ll find yourself wanting more! I don’t know how Bree did it but she did!
The writing style was really good. You could tell Bree had put a lot of effort into the story.
Both Piper and Adam had their ups and downs. I really loved Piper’s enthusiasm for her job, and how much dedication she puts into what she does!
Adam started off as your typical bad boy (and was really annoying) but as the book continued I started to like his character.
I liked the side characters and would love them all to get their own book. (I’m starting Ryan and Kassie book soon and can’t wait for that!)
Overall I enjoyed Bree’s book and am so thankful she reached out to me!
“What did I do to deserve a girl like her?” -Adam Russell
After a disastrous end to her relationship, Piper Fontaine transfers schools and takes a job as her college building’s RA. Only to end up babysitting the resident football bad boy, Adam Russell. Adam Russell is the star of the football team, but off the field, things aren’t great. His grades are failing and without them, he’s not going to have anything to fall back on. So when Piper gets stuck as his babysitter she starts to help him work on his grades. But with Piper’s ex constantly sending her hateful messages, and her expectations of herself, Adam starts to notice Piper falling apart. Can he help keep her together or will he fail her?
I loved reading as Adam and Piper went from disliking each other to falling in love. Bree reached out to me with an arc of the book and I was thrilled to receive it. I really enjoyed diving into this book. Bree has written an adorable collage romance and I’m so happy I got to be one of the first people to read it.
This book is 113 chapters which does sound like too many chapters. However, you will fly through this book so fast. When you get to the end you’ll find yourself wanting more! I don’t know how Bree did it but she did!
The writing style was really good. You could tell Bree had put a lot of effort into the story.
Both Piper and Adam had their ups and downs. I really loved Piper’s enthusiasm for her job, and how much dedication she puts into what she does!
Adam started off as your typical bad boy (and was really annoying) but as the book continued I started to like his character.
I liked the side characters and would love them all to get their own book. (I’m starting Ryan and Kassie book soon and can’t wait for that!)
Overall I enjoyed Bree’s book and am so thankful she reached out to me!
July 29, 2024
“The truth was I’d never felt exposed like how Piper casually operated on me.”
A huge thank you to Bree Hayden for sending me the arc read of this!
The playboy meets the sunshine.
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Adam as much as I did. I knew he’d be fun to read from his appearances in Out of Bounds, but I wasn’t expecting him to go on such a journey. I was still expecting a party guy, but his arc was huge. There was so much more behind the party boy than I expected there to be.
Piper was such a sweetheart, I loved watching her confidence grow, how she was able to stand up for herself finally. How Adam gave her the push she needed to be who she was all on her own.
Adam is obsessed with Piper, like the other boys from this series, he’s one obsessed boy!
The appearances from past characters were amazing! And the little digs at the hockey team, I can’t wait to see more of those! Now I just need a story for King!
Also need more of coach, he’s been amazing in all the books so far, all his people he treats like family no matter what.
And the rodeo! Just everything that happens at the rodeo, is just wow
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
“Piper? You angry, is absolutely, fucking delicious.”
A huge thank you to Bree Hayden for sending me the arc read of this!
The playboy meets the sunshine.
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Adam as much as I did. I knew he’d be fun to read from his appearances in Out of Bounds, but I wasn’t expecting him to go on such a journey. I was still expecting a party guy, but his arc was huge. There was so much more behind the party boy than I expected there to be.
Piper was such a sweetheart, I loved watching her confidence grow, how she was able to stand up for herself finally. How Adam gave her the push she needed to be who she was all on her own.
Adam is obsessed with Piper, like the other boys from this series, he’s one obsessed boy!
The appearances from past characters were amazing! And the little digs at the hockey team, I can’t wait to see more of those! Now I just need a story for King!
Also need more of coach, he’s been amazing in all the books so far, all his people he treats like family no matter what.
And the rodeo! Just everything that happens at the rodeo, is just wow
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
“Piper? You angry, is absolutely, fucking delicious.”
July 23, 2024
Adam and Piper are SO SWEET!! Their banter was so good! Adam was a huge goofball which is ex’s let what Piper needed to come out of her shell a little bit!! I loved watching their friendship become so important to the both of them. Piper needed a fresh start and Adam needed someone who could really see him!
Once they start really feeling their feelings everything was SO SOFT. It’s what’s the loudest people who have the most tender heart and Adam was exactly that. No one takes him seriously, but he’s really holding on to a lot of hurt from his past. And I loved that Piper was able to dig deep and get him to open up to her!
Again I am a big supporter of long books! But I feel like most of the first half (?!) was unnecessary. I did like seeing Piper and Adam becoming friends, and doing their little flirty do they or don’t they like each other dance. The ‘third act conflict’ happened in the last like 15% and felt so forced. Like it was something that was SORT OF mentioned before but then all of a sudden it was huge deal and then it was sort of wrapped up quickly?? The ending left me unsatisfied…it didn’t even feel like the end??
But again the vibes were good! I would definitely five this series/author another shot! If anything to see where Kassie and Ryan and Piper and Adam end up!!
Thanks to Bree Hayden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Once they start really feeling their feelings everything was SO SOFT. It’s what’s the loudest people who have the most tender heart and Adam was exactly that. No one takes him seriously, but he’s really holding on to a lot of hurt from his past. And I loved that Piper was able to dig deep and get him to open up to her!
Again I am a big supporter of long books! But I feel like most of the first half (?!) was unnecessary. I did like seeing Piper and Adam becoming friends, and doing their little flirty do they or don’t they like each other dance. The ‘third act conflict’ happened in the last like 15% and felt so forced. Like it was something that was SORT OF mentioned before but then all of a sudden it was huge deal and then it was sort of wrapped up quickly?? The ending left me unsatisfied…it didn’t even feel like the end??
But again the vibes were good! I would definitely five this series/author another shot! If anything to see where Kassie and Ryan and Piper and Adam end up!!
Thanks to Bree Hayden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
July 24, 2024
ARC Review of Playing for Keeps by Bree Hayden📚🐢🩵🏈🎓🍺🚗❄️👑
I absolutely loved this book! I am completely and utterly obsessed with Piper and Adam!💘
I'm so so so glad Bree sent me this book, it completely sucked me in, I devoured it, I was on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t stop reading until I finished it, and honestly I'm completely obsessed. After that ending, I genuinely can't wait to know what will happen next! I adored the banter and all the Adam jokes, I couldn’t stop laughing out loud.
This book is a whirlwind of emotions and feelings, I genuinely had no idea what to expect, but I loved with all my heart! Absolutely grateful to Bree for the ARC, cause I enjoyed every minute I spent in this beautiful universe she created!🥹💘
✨Tropes✨
🐢Sport romance
🐢College romance
🐢Enemies to friends to Lovers
🐢Forced proximity
🐢He falls first (and harder)
🐢A lot of Childhood trauma
🐢Football playboy x Good girl
🐢Across the hall Neighbors
🐢Slow burn to High Heat
‼️Book available July 30th on Amazon, so go preorder it, cause I'm already ecstatic for everyone to read it and love it as much as I did‼️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
@readinglauraslibrary
#HappyReading
I absolutely loved this book! I am completely and utterly obsessed with Piper and Adam!💘
I'm so so so glad Bree sent me this book, it completely sucked me in, I devoured it, I was on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t stop reading until I finished it, and honestly I'm completely obsessed. After that ending, I genuinely can't wait to know what will happen next! I adored the banter and all the Adam jokes, I couldn’t stop laughing out loud.
This book is a whirlwind of emotions and feelings, I genuinely had no idea what to expect, but I loved with all my heart! Absolutely grateful to Bree for the ARC, cause I enjoyed every minute I spent in this beautiful universe she created!🥹💘
✨Tropes✨
🐢Sport romance
🐢College romance
🐢Enemies to friends to Lovers
🐢Forced proximity
🐢He falls first (and harder)
🐢A lot of Childhood trauma
🐢Football playboy x Good girl
🐢Across the hall Neighbors
🐢Slow burn to High Heat
‼️Book available July 30th on Amazon, so go preorder it, cause I'm already ecstatic for everyone to read it and love it as much as I did‼️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
@readinglauraslibrary
#HappyReading
July 28, 2024
Thank you Bree Hayden for the Arc!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it <3
Playing for Keeps is an easy light hearted read with the best tropes. If you’re in a reading slump or just want a fluffy read…this is the one!!
Piper being the RA for his floor of the athletes’ dorm…sign me up!!!!
Their banter was entertaining and fact that Adam falls first..wow because I’d def be swooning if I were in Piper’s shoes 😭
This is the first book I’ve read by Bree Hayden and even though it’s the 3rd book in the series I don’t feel I missed anything. I’m definitely going to circle back around and start the series from the beginning just so I can get more of her writing and her characters because I loved them so much!
🏈 Tropes 🏈
Sports Romance
Forced Proximity
Playboy x Good girl
Dual POV
Playing for Keeps is an easy light hearted read with the best tropes. If you’re in a reading slump or just want a fluffy read…this is the one!!
Piper being the RA for his floor of the athletes’ dorm…sign me up!!!!
Their banter was entertaining and fact that Adam falls first..wow because I’d def be swooning if I were in Piper’s shoes 😭
This is the first book I’ve read by Bree Hayden and even though it’s the 3rd book in the series I don’t feel I missed anything. I’m definitely going to circle back around and start the series from the beginning just so I can get more of her writing and her characters because I loved them so much!
🏈 Tropes 🏈
Sports Romance
Forced Proximity
Playboy x Good girl
Dual POV
October 26, 2024
Playing for Keeps by Bree Hayden — ★ ★ ★
Tropes 🌷
- enemies-to-lovers
- forced proximity
- sports romance
“I’d been cocky, I’d been arrogant, and I’d never known any other type of pride. Sitting in those hard fucking seats, I discovered that pride could be born out of love.” — Adam
Piper, the RA at her dorm, somehow ends up babysitting Adam—a total party-loving, playboy football player.
With the dual POV, you get to see both of their thoughts as they’re thrown into a situation that makes them keep it together. The tension between them is chef’s kiss, and I had so many laughs while reading. Plus, their friend group is amazing!
If you’re up for a spicy sports romance, this one’s definitely right up your alley.
Tropes 🌷
- enemies-to-lovers
- forced proximity
- sports romance
“I’d been cocky, I’d been arrogant, and I’d never known any other type of pride. Sitting in those hard fucking seats, I discovered that pride could be born out of love.” — Adam
Piper, the RA at her dorm, somehow ends up babysitting Adam—a total party-loving, playboy football player.
With the dual POV, you get to see both of their thoughts as they’re thrown into a situation that makes them keep it together. The tension between them is chef’s kiss, and I had so many laughs while reading. Plus, their friend group is amazing!
If you’re up for a spicy sports romance, this one’s definitely right up your alley.
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