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Playing The Field:
One night. No last names. No consequences.
At least, that’s what they thought.
When Anastasia Bellows walked away from Graham Callahan after a reckless night in Cape Town, she never imagined she’d see him again. Certainly not as her new boss. Now, as the team doctor for the Toronto Tigers, she’s determined to keep things strictly professional—even if he’s still the most infuriating, irresistible man she’s ever met.
Graham has built an empire by keeping his emotions in check. But the moment he sees Ana again, all bets are off. She’s everything he can’t have—young, fiery, and off-limits.
With tension thick enough to cut, a scandal rocking the team, and a championship on the line, Graham and Ana are playing a dangerous game. Because in the world of professional rugby, the hardest hits happen off the field.
At least, that’s what they thought.
When Anastasia Bellows walked away from Graham Callahan after a reckless night in Cape Town, she never imagined she’d see him again. Certainly not as her new boss. Now, as the team doctor for the Toronto Tigers, she’s determined to keep things strictly professional—even if he’s still the most infuriating, irresistible man she’s ever met.
Graham has built an empire by keeping his emotions in check. But the moment he sees Ana again, all bets are off. She’s everything he can’t have—young, fiery, and off-limits.
With tension thick enough to cut, a scandal rocking the team, and a championship on the line, Graham and Ana are playing a dangerous game. Because in the world of professional rugby, the hardest hits happen off the field.
324 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2025
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Tamsyn Bester
45 books958 followersI'm a 28 year old Publishing Graduate with a penchant for hot books, cowboys, and off-the-chart-chemistry between the characters I write. In April 2019, I graduated with my Publishing degree, and took a brief writing hiatus to complete my studies. Right now, I'm busy with an Associate's Degree in Graphic Design, and have recently published my newest book, Under The Sake Sky (Horseshoe Bay Series Book 1). I'm still addicted to coffee, reading, and when I'm not writing, or designing all kinds of things in Photoshop, I'm editing romance novels for my clients. In my free time, I can usually be found in bed with my three fur babies, BamBam, Benji and Denver.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 12, 2025
Quick and easy read. Ana was a great character, strong and independent. Graham wasn't my favorite male character though. There was some miscommunication throughout the story, about if them being together would go against policy. I've never really read a rugby romance, so I loved that. The team was fun and I liked the side characters.
March 5, 2025
“She taste like adrenaline & frustration, and something so f**king addictive I don’t think I’ll ever get enough”
•Forbidden Romance
•Team Owner x Team Doctor
•Workplace Romance
•Secret Relationship
If you like a spicy sports romance, that starts off with a one night stand - READ THIS. He becomes her boss and it takes them both by surprise! Learning to navigate thru the hurt after losing contact - they must NOW try to figure out their new feelings that never seemed to fade with the distance.
•••••DO NOT READ FURTHER - Slight SPOILERS•••••
While away after Grahams mother passed, he’s sitting alone in a restaurant when Anastasia walks up and sits at his table. He is taken aback by the strangers confidence but amuses the idea. Needless to say, they make conversation and it leads back to a hotel room for a UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT. Only for them to lose contact and it be a blank figment of their past. Having no choice but to try to forget each other and just move past that “one night fling”.
Anastasia works at a hospital and is GREAT at her job, but she needs something different so she applies for other places. She gets a call from her dream rugby team, Toronto Tigers, to be their new team doctor! A fresh start is exactly what she needs. That is….until she finds out who her new boss is.
The instant attraction and overwhelming feeling of having each other back, makes them causing a scene until it becomes an issue for the team. Graham has to be honest and tell the truth. He wants the woman and his team.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•Forbidden Romance
•Team Owner x Team Doctor
•Workplace Romance
•Secret Relationship
If you like a spicy sports romance, that starts off with a one night stand - READ THIS. He becomes her boss and it takes them both by surprise! Learning to navigate thru the hurt after losing contact - they must NOW try to figure out their new feelings that never seemed to fade with the distance.
•••••DO NOT READ FURTHER - Slight SPOILERS•••••
While away after Grahams mother passed, he’s sitting alone in a restaurant when Anastasia walks up and sits at his table. He is taken aback by the strangers confidence but amuses the idea. Needless to say, they make conversation and it leads back to a hotel room for a UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT. Only for them to lose contact and it be a blank figment of their past. Having no choice but to try to forget each other and just move past that “one night fling”.
Anastasia works at a hospital and is GREAT at her job, but she needs something different so she applies for other places. She gets a call from her dream rugby team, Toronto Tigers, to be their new team doctor! A fresh start is exactly what she needs. That is….until she finds out who her new boss is.
The instant attraction and overwhelming feeling of having each other back, makes them causing a scene until it becomes an issue for the team. Graham has to be honest and tell the truth. He wants the woman and his team.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2025
Ok- stop what you are doing and read this book!!! We’ve got no strings attached HOT one night stand. No last names or personal details exchanged. That leaves them both with regret because the ✨connection ✨ was a once in a lifetime thing. But FEAR NOT! Mother universe steps in and says “let’s goooo” when they both start a new job and discover he is her boss!
This turns into a forbidden workplace romance, boss/employee, age gap, sports romance of your dreams. He is protective, he is growly, but is a freaking teddy bear when it comes to Ana. I mean- what more could you want in a book boyfriend?! Ana says it best when she thinks “The man was engineered in a lab somewhere, I swear.” She is smart, she is fierce, and she knows what she wants, even if she doesn’t know-know it yet! The spice is SPICING. The banter is BANTERING! Their chemistry is so good. This is not your typical romance book relationship timeline. If you love a good sports romance, but with the twist that they aren’t athletes just both work for the team, this will for sure be your new favorite!
This turns into a forbidden workplace romance, boss/employee, age gap, sports romance of your dreams. He is protective, he is growly, but is a freaking teddy bear when it comes to Ana. I mean- what more could you want in a book boyfriend?! Ana says it best when she thinks “The man was engineered in a lab somewhere, I swear.” She is smart, she is fierce, and she knows what she wants, even if she doesn’t know-know it yet! The spice is SPICING. The banter is BANTERING! Their chemistry is so good. This is not your typical romance book relationship timeline. If you love a good sports romance, but with the twist that they aren’t athletes just both work for the team, this will for sure be your new favorite!
March 8, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! It was a fun, easy to get through book. I really love sports romances, so I knew I would like this😆. All of the characters were awesome and I LOVED the setting. I had a lot of fun with this book and am so excited for the rest of the series!! Thanks to the authors for the arc ❤️
March 13, 2025
"Oh God," I whimper, digging my nails into his shoulders..... Graham growls, the sound making his chest vibrate. "Not God, baby. Just me."
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
SPICE: 🌶🌶🌶 . 5 / 5
💋 Sassy, Successful, Young FMC
🤵♂️ Older, Broody Billionaire MMC
🖤 Team Doctor x Team Owner
🏉 Rugby
👥 Age Gap
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🔥 One Night Stand
💀 Touch Her + Suffer
🖤 Secret Relationship
💻 Workplace Romance
🗣 All the Banter
🖤 HEA
It's giving Pucking Around vibes, but with rugby and not as much smut.
I don't do a lot of sports romances (but I do all the smut though).
Pucking Around was actually my first ever introduction into the sports romance world. I do not know shit about rugby and did not even know there was a rugby romance genre until this book hit my lap. So I was having to do a lot of Googling + researching of terms to follow along and understand the overall game/players/etc, but I enjoyed that though because I learned something new.
This book is the first standalone in a sports romance series centered around the Toronto Tigers.
Our two main characters are Ana + Graham.
They come from two completely different worlds, backgrounds and generations, but were literally thrown together by fate.
And then continually pulled together by fate's string.
This book is H E A V Y on the push + pull; will they, won't they romance.
That is not normally my cup of tea.
I am pitch black; stalkery + murderery; forced proximity romance girl. So I had to work my way through that. I was screaming "MAKE THE FUCKING DECISION ALREADY" at least 18173458697978 times in regards to both characters, but it did play to the storyline and given the age gap and backgrounds I definitely see why it wasn't necessarily an easy + quick decision for either character as far as romance.
I loved Ana's character.
She was fucking fire; a tornado in a trailer park.
She did not give two fucks, she would go toe-to-toe with anyone about anything.
She did not back down.
I ate that shit up.
Give me a steady strong FMC who doesn't change who she is over dick and I'm sold 100 times over e'ry time!
Graham.... he was likeable.
He doesn't make my book boyfriend list, but might for others.
I saw other reviews where others didn't dig him as much, but I did vibe with him in certain moments.
He was calm.
He was always collected and in control..... unless it regarded Ana. Then it was fuck-it-all to the wind and he had a very possessive, FAFO vibe going on about her. I'm here for it. When yall read the book, you'll understand the field scene.
And in the spicy moments...... HE 👏 TALKED 👏 HER 👏 THROUGH 👏 IT !
Fuck yes!
We love us a man who does that! So he got high praise + brownie points from me on that!
My biggest.... peeve.... I guess is the right word, is the mf MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE of two grown ass adults!
Bahhhhhhbbbbiess.... we are grown.
We are not mindreaders.
We use our words.
We don't do silent treatment.
We just..... I can't.
I struggled with that. I was frustrated with both characters and honestly wanted to rock their canines over it.
Overall, I would recommend the book.
It's a light, quick read.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to ARC for the authors and I can't wait to dive more into the world of the Toronto Tigers!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2025
Rugby + romance. Need I say more? This was an easy read and I appreciated the rugby representation.
This novel reminded me a bit of the series Ted Lasso where the owner now of the rugby team doesn’t know much about the sport but makes a point of it to learn.
The writers please need to chill on the exclamation marks. 🙈 Throughout the novel there were parts that read repetitive when both Graham and Anastasia mentioned the same incidents just in their own POV’s eg. the not getting each other’s last name and Elias’ behaviour. There were also scenes that overlapped which led to information being repeated. There were a few times when the authors could’ve trusted their readers like reminding us who her roommate was.
I like the way the rugby game played out on the pages, I just felt a bit overwhelmed when all the names of the players were thrown at me at the same time and would have liked to know how Graham felt when each of these tries happened. Since this is a rugby series it would have been nice to have definitions of what some of the phrases in the game meant for people who don’t know much about rugby to understand the game and sport better.
I didn’t quite understand the conflict between the two main characters because they kept on shifting objectives; one moment Graham was confident in wanting a relationship where Ana was overthinking and hesitant and the next it was the other way around. They both seemed unstable and like they didn’t know what they wanted in life and their relationship which confused me.
This novel reminded me a bit of the series Ted Lasso where the owner now of the rugby team doesn’t know much about the sport but makes a point of it to learn.
The writers please need to chill on the exclamation marks. 🙈 Throughout the novel there were parts that read repetitive when both Graham and Anastasia mentioned the same incidents just in their own POV’s eg. the not getting each other’s last name and Elias’ behaviour. There were also scenes that overlapped which led to information being repeated. There were a few times when the authors could’ve trusted their readers like reminding us who her roommate was.
I like the way the rugby game played out on the pages, I just felt a bit overwhelmed when all the names of the players were thrown at me at the same time and would have liked to know how Graham felt when each of these tries happened. Since this is a rugby series it would have been nice to have definitions of what some of the phrases in the game meant for people who don’t know much about rugby to understand the game and sport better.
I didn’t quite understand the conflict between the two main characters because they kept on shifting objectives; one moment Graham was confident in wanting a relationship where Ana was overthinking and hesitant and the next it was the other way around. They both seemed unstable and like they didn’t know what they wanted in life and their relationship which confused me.
March 18, 2025
From a One Night Stand to You're my Boss
An intense one night stand that neither of them can forget. No personal information given means they will never see them again....right?
Wrong. When they are suddenly face to face again the emotions they are both feeling threaten to consume them and everyone in the area.
This book was a lot of realizing what they each wanted and how they could acheive it. Could they find common ground and both keep their chosen career intact?
These two are explosive and volatile. They struggle to voice what they want versus what they think they should be saying and doing. It was both fascinating and a train wreck that I wasn't sure how they were going to come out of in the end.
An intense one night stand that neither of them can forget. No personal information given means they will never see them again....right?
Wrong. When they are suddenly face to face again the emotions they are both feeling threaten to consume them and everyone in the area.
This book was a lot of realizing what they each wanted and how they could acheive it. Could they find common ground and both keep their chosen career intact?
These two are explosive and volatile. They struggle to voice what they want versus what they think they should be saying and doing. It was both fascinating and a train wreck that I wasn't sure how they were going to come out of in the end.
March 10, 2025
This book was an interesting introduction to the Toronto Tigers Rugby series.The FMC Ana is great. She is strong and smart. In the beginning I was really impressed with her confidence.
I did not like Graham. He doesn't respect Ana's boundaries, refuses to treat her like an adult, and puts her entire career at risk. His POV did not help me like him any better.
I truly think the thing that frustrated me the most was the fact that even though this is labeled as a "forbidden romance"- it's not. It's a case of "this man didn't read the rules of the team he purchased and could have been dating her the entire time instead he made this woman feel like a dirty little secret"
I did not like Graham. He doesn't respect Ana's boundaries, refuses to treat her like an adult, and puts her entire career at risk. His POV did not help me like him any better.
I truly think the thing that frustrated me the most was the fact that even though this is labeled as a "forbidden romance"- it's not. It's a case of "this man didn't read the rules of the team he purchased and could have been dating her the entire time instead he made this woman feel like a dirty little secret"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2025
Every single book that Lindsay releases has been absolutely flawless, and this time she's co-writing?! Yes please! I LOVED this entire book! From the one night stand, to the second chance storyline, the angst, the longing, the spice & banter - all of it! The FMC is strong, hard-headed and wonderful, she's exactly what I love in an FMC. Per the words of the FMC - the MMC "must have been engineered in a lab somewhere" because he is just that great!
March 11, 2025
I usually don't mind some back and forth where the characters "know better" but can't resist. However, I felt like the back and forth detracted from us really getting to know the characters. I didn't really feel much for Graham at all.
I did really like Ana though. Every time she said they were a bad idea, I agreed and was mentally telling her to gtfo lol.
I did really like Ana though. Every time she said they were a bad idea, I agreed and was mentally telling her to gtfo lol.
March 15, 2025
An easy & enjoyable SPICY read. What starts out as a one night stand with no regrets and no looking back, turns into quite a conundrum for Anastasia and Graham. There’s nothing like two people with their own issues, being drawn together by some undeniable force… just watch the chaos and passion ensue. This is a great start to what should be an excellent series.
March 15, 2025
This was my first Rugby Romance and it did not disappoint…. This book had me hooked from the epilogue. There was a lot of miscommunication but still provided a great story. I liked the MMC and the FMC their sexual tension throughout the story was intense. I loved the side characters they connected well to the story. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
March 16, 2025
First read of this author and wow this was an angsty one! Graham and Ana just could not get it together! Lol! the will they/won’t they suspense and the heated interactions I am here for it! I love the rugby aspect, never read a book in this sports realm! Fun read and can’t wait for more, especially after the teaser of book 2 at the end!!!
March 14, 2025
Yes!! This book is perfect!!!
Check list:
Forbidden romance ✔️
Team Doctor X Owner ✔️
Secret/workplace romance ✔️
Sports romance✔️
Spice ✔️
100000% recommend
Check list:
Forbidden romance ✔️
Team Doctor X Owner ✔️
Secret/workplace romance ✔️
Sports romance✔️
Spice ✔️
100000% recommend
March 18, 2025
Really enjoyed this one! It was a cute and easy read. I love sports romance so this did not disappoint. Can't wait for more in the series!
March 21, 2025
4 ⭐️
Enjoyed this book! It's fun & easy to get through. If you love rugby & romance, you're going to love this one.
Enjoyed this book! It's fun & easy to get through. If you love rugby & romance, you're going to love this one.
March 29, 2025
Spice, sports, and forbidden romance. Seriously what else do you need in a book!? The angst kept me hooked and I can’t want for the next in this series.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews