Playing for Keeps

Playing #1

by Lainey Davis

As the rookie goalie for the Pittsburgh Fury, I have one job: keep my eye on the puck.

I finally made it to the pros, like my father before me, and I have to prove I belong here. But lately, I’ve been distracted.

There’s this woman. I met her after a game in Vegas, and we got a little drunk—and married.

My new wife is stunning, a cellist whose music breaks down my defenses. Amazingly, she’s moved to Pittsburgh to be with me and she even fits in with my rowdy family. Everything should be perfect.

But while I fight to keep my spot between the pipes, she’s struggling to find a path away from her controlling family. And now, her father is feeding nasty rumors to the press and I think my coaches believe them. The team is icing me out.

Was this marriage a reckless gamble after all?

Playing for Keeps is a sizzling sports romance with a tight-knit hockey family, a marriage of convenience, and two people learning to trust their hearts.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Hockey, Audiobook, Sports, Hockey Romance, Contemporary

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2025

Reviews

[Brooke]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-> ♾️🌟
🌶️🌶️.5


🏒 Hockey Goalie X Cellist
✨️ Curvy Heroine
🩵 He Falls First
✨️ Woke Up Married In Vegas
🩵 Found Family
🐕 Rescue Dogs 🐕
🩵 Golden Retriever Hero


✨️ ALC 🎧 REVIEW ✨️

🎙Narrated by: Ehlen Valentine & James Cassidy 🎙

Ehlen and James really did an amazing job on giving this book and these characters life! Ehlen gave Emerson the perfect voice! I loved that she truly embraced Emerson! James truly gave Gunner the best voice! I couldn't imagine either one of these characters having anything different. This is the first audiobook with either narrator and now I want to listen to more with their voices!!

Okay now onto the main event: THE REVIEW

I'm a newbie to Lainey Davis' work but I couldn't have picked a better book to start with! I absolutely 😍 ADORE 😍 Emerson and Gunner! They couldn't have been a better match for each other. They were the balm to each others wounds and complimented each other in the best ways!

Emerson has definitely been through some things within her life. But that didn't stop her from trying new things or hinder doing what she truly wanted to do! I really enjoyed seeing her grow as a person and be able to spread her wings like a butterfly 🦋. She deserved so much better than she had and she definitely found her person when she found Gunner!

Gunner is such a whole treat of a man ❤️. I absolutely loved his love for Emerson even when he couldn't recognize those feelings. He had thr best reactions to so much even though it could have been the opposite. He was loving, and caring in such a way that helped foster Emersons trust and love. But also the trust with her body. She had never been cherished like she had been with Gunner and came to love ❤️ her body like all women should.

Gunner trust had one of the best families that I have read! I loved how loud, rambunctious and loving they all were! It didn't matter to them if Emerson just joined the family or not they were going to riot for her! Tjis truly made my ❤️ swell so much 🥰.

Not only did the characters compliment each other but they made sure that they gave back to their community! Emerson volunteering at the local place where she could teach kids all about music 🎶 ! I was LIVING for how much they involved their local animal adoptions! I am a huge animal lover and seeing that they wanted to make sure these dogs 🐕 got to have their Fur-ever home was so precious!


🔥 Let's Talk About Sex Baby 🥵:
🌶️🌶️.5 /5

Thank you so much to Lainey Davis & Home Cooked Books for the free ALC copy 🫶🏻. All opinions✨️ are my own, honest and voluntary✨️.

[Bridget Bell]

I stayed up until 1am reading this and have many regrets.

[Lynn_G]

Cellist Emerson has endured life under the oppressive thumbs of her unforgiving maestro father and her overbearing mother, but in an act of rebellion she eschews an interview with the symphony of their choice in favor of a flight to Vegas and uncertainty. At her first cash-paying gig she catches the eye of a towering Viking-like professional hockey player and upon awakening the next morning, they find themselves wed.

Suffering from impostor syndrome, newly minted goalie Gunnar is distracted at his post-NhL debut team function by the curvaceous brunette soulfully coaxing gorgeous sounds from her enormous stringed instrument. The pair immediately hit it off and Gunnar rolls with the quickie wedding concept, insisting his new bride stay with him in Pittsburgh while she decides what to do with her life.

Can their hasty marriage become a marriage in fact? Gunnar is certainly determined it will for them. Emerson’s unscrupulous parents, however, are determined to destroy their daughter’s happiness at the expense of her husband’s reputation. Stags, however, never give in and the entire clan rally around the couple, but will it be enough?

Emerson is extremely capable, if unsure of herself, and Gunnar is exactly who and what she needs to survive the slings and arrows of the legacy of terrible parenting. He falls first in the most delightful ways, and always makes sure Emerson feels cherished and satisfied.

I was fortunate to have received an advance reader copy from the wonderful author Lainey Davis, and I’m very pleased to share my honest review.

[Summer]

I didn’t love this. It started out strong and I was so invested in how it was going to play out and then it just fizzled out. The writing was immature at times. The chemistry of the characters was just not there. The intimate scenes felt so cringey. Emerson was infuriating as a character—No one is that naive unless you’re a child. The amount of times that Salty and G stag were used, I never want to see those words again. Im aware it’s used as nicknames but it was so frequent, it just became annoying.

[vlm]

I really enjoyed Playing for Keeps. The accidental marriage setup was fun, but I especially liked that there was more to the story than just the romance. The relationship between the hockey player and the cellist felt sweet and believable, and I enjoyed watching them figure out how to make their unexpected marriage work.

I also liked the family dynamics and the challenges they were both dealing with outside of their relationship. There was enough conflict to keep things moving without taking away from the romance.

This was an entertaining, easy-to-read sports romance with great chemistry, a fun family, and a happily-ever-after that I was definitely rooting for.

[☾✴︎Andrea Reads Romance✴︎☽]

4 ⭐️ This was so much better than I'd anticipated!

Sure, it's somewhat formulaic, but I loooove sport romances, and this felt like a fun spin on the trend.

I loved the FMC here. I thought she was the one who brought the most original parts of this story.

Definitely going to continue with the series! I'm so glad I got this audiobook as a freebie in this last Stuff Your Earbuds day!

[Cokiereads]

My first Lainey Davis novel!

This is a surprise marriage novel (as in they met, and woke up married!) mixed with a hockey romance, with some "finding herself" splashed in.

Gunnar is an NHL goalie who just played in his first game. While out later that night, he hears some great live music. Played by Emerson. The attraction is instant, and when they wake up the next morning, they realize they spent more than just the night together. They got married.

Emerson is at a crossroads. Unhappy with her life and the controlling parents she has, she's decided to try to be on her own. I love that the first night out, she meets the guy who's going to help her so much.

When Gunnar realizes how much help Emerson needs, he steps up. It's so sweet. But can two virtual strangers make it work? Especially when one of them is in the public eye?

And what about their families? How do you explain a relationship when there's not really one?

I love now supportive Gunnar is and how much he brings to her life. New experiences, new people.

I really enjoyed it. Both characters were amazing.

[BarbarAzza Brioscina]

Ok fa parte di una serie più grande . Gli stag sono una grande famiglia e si mi sa che recupererò gli altri pubblicati in italiano . Anche perché io di . Odin voglio sapere . Carino , un po' inverosimile , ma scende che è un piacere tra una lettura intensa e gli altri

[Kelsey Jeznach]

There have been a few books that honestly drew me in so far it felt like a tv show. This one tops them. Page after page the story drew me in. Some parts may have been “cringe worthy” but over all it was amazing. Many parts were so full of emotion that they actually gave me chills. This is my first sports romance book, and I would definitely read one again. I highly recommend!!

Juniper was an absolute amazing mom (just thought I’d add that) !

[Ashley Miller]

Spicy, emotional, and Pittsburgh!
This book had everything forced marriage, friends-to-lovers, a fiercely emotional and mentally intelligent hero, and a sweet, inexperienced FMC who completely stole my heart. The connection between the hockey player and the classical musician was electric! Their chemistry and emotional bond made it impossible to put down.

As a hardcore Pittsburgh fan, I have to say the author did a great job capturing the vibe of the city. I just wish there had been even more local flavor—more Pittsburgh slang, neighborhoods, and landmarks! It would’ve made the setting feel even more alive. That said, this is one of the best Pittsburgh-based romances I’ve read, and it left me wanting more in the best way possible.

Highly recommend if you love passionate romance with real emotional stakes and characters you’ll root for from page one. 💛🖤

[Kayla W]

This is such a cute romance that delivered on being short and sweet. Definitely a great book to read if you want something quick.

[Jessica Alcazar]

🎧🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🎧🎧

I normally chat about a story before I go into narration when I do an audiobook review, but LISTEN, James Cassidy and Zoe Blake were OUTSTANDING! So outstanding that had the storyline been “not good” it would not have mattered because they were THAT good.

Okay then. Do with that tidbit of information what you will. Let’s talk about this story!

If you read/listened to the Out of Bounds boxset that just recently released with the Forging series stories, then you might a little bit familiar with Gunnar’s ”big family energy” , and if you haven’t, don’t worry, you’re about to experience the glory of it all! #winning And, the best part of Gunnar’s family energy is that it is the “flipside” of Emerson’s family energy, and it just warmed my heart for the two of them. I rooted for their success from the minute I started listening and I never wavered!

Emerson & Gunnar were a true “yin and yang” couple in my eyes. Each one was exactly what the other “needed” to grow and flourish as people and as a couple. That’s the best way I can describe their personalities and their story. It’s not a complicated story nor is it something we’ve never read before, but the utter joy that I felt is what set it apart for me. I’ve always said that people will remember how a story made them feel way before they remember any details about it years later, and I will battle anyone that says otherwise lol. This story made me feel all kinds of goodness and I absolutely loved it.

[VeroniCanRead]

4.75 True Rating | I loved this book so much. It was just all green flags and the perfect/cutest couple. Also, as it was my first hockey romance and it was set in Pittsburgh, I loved it!!

The couple is adorable. I could really relate to Emerson and I loved watching her grow into who she’s meant to be. And I loved that the MMC is so in love with her, so immediately, that he’s just doing what he can so she can be who she’s meant to be, getting out of her way and moving things/people/problems out of her way. It wasn’t “she’s beautiful because he said so” but “He knows that she’s always been beautiful and now she’s got the confidence to know that she’s always been beautiful too.”

And the family aspect was inclusive enough to be exactly what she needed without feeling like it was too much.

Why Not a Five Star Rating?
I absolutely loved it but it wasn’t life changing on a deeper level. It was just exactly what I needed, well written, and I would happily share with others!
Again, just so cute and warm/fuzzy vibes. Us against the world vibes 🫶

[Heather]

Whelp, it’s official. I enjoy hockey romance books. Who knew?! I sure didn’t. Thank you @homecookedbooks @authorlaineydavis for this ALC. Zoe & James had the perfect voices to bring both MCs to life. Loved Gunnar’s mom so much. I wanted to throat punch Emerson’s parents, not gonna lie there. This brought the feels and a good HEA. Somewhere in the story there’s a mention of a necklace… I’ll just leave it at that 😅.

[Eni ♡]

I feel like it was an okay read, first of all the story started out messy, like in time wise.
Also I feel like the MC's have zero chemistry with each other. And the sex scenes are written not so great. And boring. It was like reading a Wattpad story.
Throughout the story FMC was kind of like doormat, especially when she was trying to tell him she's a virgin, I hated the MMCs non existent reaction tbh.
Well anywas it was a cute story I guess.

[Aleesha]

This is one of those stories that gets better as it goes. My first impressions of Emerson weren't great. She's one of those women who's plus sized (yay, representation!) but is heavily fixated on it in a negative way. To the point where it almost became her WHOLE personality in the beginning. Which was a real shame, because she's quite a fascinating character once this hyper fixation on body image dies down a bit.

There's obviously a reason for her insecurity - her mother's an asshole. And the less we see of Mom, the less Emerson is a nervous, insecure wreck of a human.

As the book moves forward, and as she and Gunnar grow closer, the relationship takes on a healing element for Emerson, and it was genuinely beautiful to see. Gunnar steps up in big ways, so he was super cute. But, I ended up loving Emerson more than Gunnar - not that he wasn't great, as far as hockey playing MMCs go, he's a solid choice - but I've seen him before. Many, many, many, many times. Emerson's story was just much more immersive and dynamic for me, by comparison.

I mean...Gunnar's a new NHL goalie, who's just played his first game. He's suffering a bit from imposter syndrome. And that's interesting. But for me, it just didn't compare to the depth and breadth of Emerson's abusive controlling family situation. You can see where the effort was put in, that's what I'm trying to say.

This book is very short, and it suffers the same fate as many other very short books do - there's not a TON of time to explore conflict resolution AND character growth AND a developing deep and real-feeling relationship when you have less than 300 pages to get it all done. That being said, this is short and sweet and low-stakes. It's funny with a good amount of heart thrown in for good measure.

One last thing that bears mentioning: there's a few tiny things in this that niggled - word choices and details that don't make sense and tell me that the author didn't really do her research when writing certain scenes.

For example. When we're at the therapist, it's mentioned that they have a prescription pad. A THERAPIST wouldn't have one of those. They're not qualified to prescribe medication. That's a PSYCHIATRIST. It's easily google-able stuff like this that could have just made the book that much better, you know?

Regardless, this was a breeze to get through. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. 3.5 - rounding down because of the silly errors that could have been avoided.

[Daisy.readsromance]

Emerson and Gunner stole my heart!🥹

💍𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐔𝐩 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝
🏒𝐇𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐌𝐂
💍𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
🏒𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

✨𝒯𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈✨
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 seriously got me in my feels, and after finishing the audiobook, I couldn’t stop thinking about the main characters. The story centers around one wild night in Vegas that leads cellist Emerson to accidentally marry NHL goalie Gunner. Instead of an annulment, the two choose to stay married and navigate the challenges in their careers and personal lives together.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 story was on the emotional side. Emerson grew up in a sheltered environment under the watchful eyes of her controlling parents. But when she finally decides to take control of her own life, her parents push back, putting a strain on her new marriage. It was the newfound family and a supportive husband that gave Emerson the strength to keep going. Gunner and Emerson’s relationship developed beautifully. Their playful banter, steamy moments, and deep connection all struck a chord with me. It was a story that really moved me!

🎧The dual narration by 𝐙𝐨𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 and 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐲 was perfection, a treat to my auditory senses. They perfectly captured the main characters' essence. This was my first time listening to both narrators, and I was impressed with their performance, especially the soothing voice that brought Emerson to life!

𝐈𝐟 you enjoy accidental marriage and hockey romance, then “𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬“ is a must-listen for you. Special thanks to Lainey Davis and Home Cooked Books for this audio copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.

•𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟓⭐️ •𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝟑🔥 •𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝟓🎧

[Eurynome]

I love them! ❤️
I feel like Emerson, the FMC, is someone I can truly relate to. The way she was raised, always being a good girl and listening to her parents, resonated with me. She’s a Juilliard graduate cellist, yet her parents insisted she play the violin in an orchestra of their choosing.
And then there’s Gunnar, the MMC—Goalie Gunnar, Odin’s brother, and an absolutely wonderful character. It’s so refreshing to read about a male lead who knows how to communicate healthily with his partner, who offers support, sees issues, and actually works to solve them like a mature adult. I cannot express how much I love their relationship. 🥰
Gunnar’s patience with Emerson was beyond admirable. He was her first, and the respect he showed her left me speechless. He never pressured her—only ever understanding, giving her the space and time she needed.
Also, I have to admit (with a bit of shame) that I didn’t get the joke he made to her either. When he told her to "look it up," I was just as lost as Emerson—Googled it, and learned something new myself! 😂
It was such a fun and fast read! The story flowed beautifully, and I loved seeing characters from previous books make appearances. Another great addition to Lainey Davis’ world! 📖💖

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

[meredithandbooks]

I simply loved how this book started out with the accidental marriage and the fact that it also ended with a marriage 🤭 This was simply perfect and the problems they encountered were so realistic for a somewhat known couple. I hated her parents but loved how his family immediately accepted her in their family. This was literally love at first sight for both of them and I loved it. Also their romance didn’t feel rushed (even though they were already married). Also the fact that his head was in the right place while playing once he started getting closer to Emerson was 🧑‍🍳💋

[Lyra Blackveil]

This was such a breath of fresh air. I was looking for a change of pace and stumbled across this audiobook.

The characters were believable to an extent- I do think the fact that they fit so well together was a little unbelievable but it made it that much more interesting.

The narration was excellent and I really enjoyed the way the characters came to life in the audiobook.

[Ashleigh Carter]

I fully anticipated this to be a book I only half-listened to, rolling my eyes at another hockey romance. Go figure, it hit me in my feels and I didn’t do that. I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I don’t care about hockey, but that’s not necessary here. The complex relationship the FMC has with her parents, the need to protect the family at all costs, is so familiar and painful. Plus the body image issues? Done so very well.

[Hannah M Burrow]

A great hockey romance, with a found family theme.
The characters and story made me smile so many times.
The ‘woke up married’ trope, along with the drama and heartfelt moments tied the story together perfectly.
As my first full audiobook, I quite enjoyed the narration too.

[Ali Welch]

This was so fun and no 3rd act BU! Going to have to try the rest in the series 🙃

[Katy Bishop]

Easy romance read. Love for the curvy girls & great found, support family vibes ♥️

[Kelly B]

Great audiobook!

[Lauren⚡️]

we love a drunken vegas wedding!!!!

this was just such a fun listen and got me through my whole work day, very cute!

[Penny]

Listened to the audio.
Its really good.

[yolandaaa]

the first 50% of this book was amazing. but after that, i felt like i was just waiting for the book to end?

the mmc, gunnar was fun and lovable, a golden retriever. his story was interesting and i liked his subplot of trying to secure the goalie position on his team, it gave his character depth. i enjoyed reading from his perspective

emerson, our fmc, fell very flat to me. i tried to like her, but the writing made her feel very unemotional throughout the story until like the last 15%. and i get that part of her story was her controlling family, but it gets to a point where it's her whole character arc, and it's annoying.
(i also hated the nickname "salty")

i will say, though, that the story is very diverse and has some great representation. all the diversity felt very authentic and not forced, which also added a nice element to the story, helping it to stand out from other hockey romances.

[Christine Biesheuvel]

Hockey And Music
Another wonderful story about the next generation of Stag men, this time Gunnar, second son of Tyrion and Juniper. Without realizing falling in love at first sight (or hearing her play the cello ?) with Emerson, getting drunk together and getting hitched – all in Las Vegas. After having been controlled by her father her whole life, being with the Stag family (and they are all there in this book) opens up a complete different world for her. It’s just heart warming how those Stags come together to support their newest member in her hour of need. And the way they work with kids and puppies … smiles, tears and laughter. So very highly recommended! <3
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[lisa]

3,5 ⭐️