The Player

by Lily Morton

Frankie Bishop had only been married for a few months when he became a widower, leaving him with a mountain of debts, a business on the edge of ruin, and a parrot called Hank Marvin.

Three years later, the business is finally thriving, and Frankie finds himself ready to look for love again. It comes as a complete surprise to discover that he’s developed feelings for Con — his late husband’s best friend and now Frankie’s business partner.

Why did he overlook the gorgeous man who's been by his side through everything? Even more importantly, how can he tell Con about his feelings when Con seems to have suddenly found love with another man?

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Audiobook, LGBT

Audible Audio

First published November 18, 2024

About the author

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven't had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

Her latest release is Ever After which is the fourth book in the bestselling Black & Blue series.

https://geni.us/Ever-After

You can keep up with Lily's latest releases and read the exclusive short stories '3 Dates' and ‘Best Love’ by subscribing to her newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter

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Reviews

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead spouse theory holds true for this one.

I have this theory(that I believe so strongly it may as well be a religion) that dead spouses do NOT a good romantic backdrop make.

Authors either tend to villainize the dead spouse in order to make the new love interest seem a better fit for the MC or they overcorrect and make the dead spouse such a paragon of virtue that the new love interest can never really compete in comparison so it appears that the MC has settled for the next best thing in loving him.

This one falls in the former category. AND the new love interest is dead spouse's bestie. Which......whew!

Triggered another self-discovery because while I (grudgingly) want my loved ones to find happiness after I'm gone, they better fucking not find it in each other. Did I fucking die so y'all could find each other? What the fuck do I look like? The matchmaker from beyond the grave? Nope. No. 6ft apart AT ALL TIMES.

Better yet? Come join me. Let's all be dead together.

Anyway. Dead Spouse this time was a very fickle man who would passionately pursue things(and Frankie), get them, then almost promptly get bored of them. Fucked around on him. THEN he died, left Frankie a 24 year old widower and SADDLED with debt. Ouch.

Mayyyyyyybe I can understand(and absolve) him (3 years later) being into the bestie.

The number of times they got interrupted JUSSSSSSSSSST before something could happen was infuriating lol like how is the universe working this hard against you?

Made for some really good pining and breathy behavior, though, so I have no complaints.

It's helpful that meddling friends intervened and resulted in an 'only one bed' situation.(in a honeymoon suite, no less—these meddlers were NOT playing)
"I'm sure we've slept together before."
"If we'd slept together before, you would have remembered it."
🥵Okay, Con.

That night includes the fun statement "It's the titanic of cocks."

So once again...OKAYYYY, CON! 😏

That said, much as I support these two in this specific situation, I still think Frankie talking to his dead husband's picture on the morning of his wedding to Con(said dead husband's bestie) and saying things like 'I know you'd be happy' is unhinged.

That man would not have been happy for y'all💀It doesn't help that Joan enables this theory. Talking about 'he always thought you two would end up together'.... What? How did his dead husband always think him and his bestie would end up together? This is some insane shit😂 I feel gaslit on behalf of the dead guy.

I'd say '#JusticeforDavid' but that man was a notoriously bad husband so if they want to lie on his grave, far be it for me to interfere.

Mandatory disclosure that Joel Leslie was the worst part of this audiobook (as always) and I don't know why some of my favorite authors insist on doing this to me.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Morton never fails with a friends to lovers romance, she's one of the few author's I trust to write this trope without making me want to stop reading because it's too sweet. I'm always an enemies to lovers reader over every other trope, but Lily Morton's books are definitely my go to for friends who want to be more and her characters always have so much personality and snark that you can't help but laugh.

Frankie is adorably clueless. He doesn't recognise his own feelings, and he can't see what's right in front of him until he thinks he's about to lose it - he was exasperating yet I still really wanted him to get his HEA because he really deserved it! Con was a sweetheart but I did keep shouting at him to just say how he felt already!

Also, Lily Morton always, ALWAYS, makes me envious of these characters living in their pretty Cotswold villages! Everytime I drive through them I get house envy and wish I could go live there, so at least I get to live vicariously through these characters 😂

I smiled the entire way through this story and I'm always left with that happy feeling whenever I finish a Lily Morton book. Can't wait for the next one!

*****

I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review

[Papie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

Cute, sweet, sexy.

But this follows exactly the Lily Morton formula to the point that ChatGPT could have written it. Hot, older, dark, tall, unattainable man. Young small sarcastic man, gorgeous but doesn’t know it, low self esteem. Tall dark and handsome is head over heels in love with short sarcastic guy. Short sarcastic is completely oblivious. Miscommunications. Evil characters. Banter and more banter.

Ugh. I am so tired of reading the same book over and over again. This is lazy writing and I’m over it.

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, funny & sweet friends to lovers novella!

[Zainab · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Lily is gonna be one of my most read authors this year fs. This book was such a cute and adorable friends to lovers romance and the way Frankie and Con were just a couple of oblivious idiots in love. And the banters had me legit giggling

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

B- / 3.5 stars for the narration, C- / 2.5 for the story - 3 stars total.

I have an on/off relationship with Lily Morton’s books – and admittedly, these days, it’s mostly ‘off’ – while I loved many of her early books, her more recent stories and characters have become too formulaic and her humour feels like she’s trying too hard. I do pick up the occasional book of hers now and again, just in case something has changed, but mostly I come away a bit disappointed, which is probably on me. I suppose it’s just hard to accept that an author I used to enjoy is probably not for me any more.

I picked up The Player in a recent Audible sale; it’s a novella and I liked the premise of a young widower falling for his late husband’s best friend, but it quickly became apparent that there’s nothing new here in terms of plot or characterisation – which would have been fine if the execution had been more than simply average. As it is, the we get recycled characters (hot, older, seemingly unattainable man meets younger, snarky, gorgeous-but-doesn’t-know-it man with low self-esteem; hot older man is head-over-heels for younger snarky man, who is totally oblivious) in similar situations (annoying boyfriend who treats hot older man like crap, the snark that misses the mark and the cheesy bedroom talk that is cringy rather than hot) and the story feels like it’s been phoned in, honestly.

The Player is a friends-to-lovers romance featuring Frankie, a twenty-seven-year-old widower, and Con, his business partner and late husband’s best friend. The whole story is told from Frankie’s PoV, but the author does a good job of showing us, right away, that Con has had a thing for Frankie for quite some time, but has resigned himself to just being the bestie because Frankie isn’t interested in him as anything else. Which was true, until recently, because Frankie has found himself noticing Con more and more and slowly realises that he’s actually attracted to him – but Con has decided he needs to move on, so when he returns to the small Cotswold village** they live in after a business trip, with a good-looking guy in tow, they both think they’ve missed the boat.

But thanks to an interfering colleague they discover they haven’t missed anything; they just need to have a proper conversation (which gets delayed a ridiculous number of times, obviously just for the sake of it) – smut ensues; ILYs happen; guy-in-tow is revealed never to have been a boyfriend; more smut happens; The End.

The Player is perfectly inoffensive, but that’s the best thing I can really say about it. I admit there are two or three laugh out loud lines in there, but most of the banter feels forced and inauthentic, and the ‘dead husband was a bad husband’ trope isn’t one I’m especially fond of. Authors tend to either villanise a dead spouse in order to paint the new love interest in a more flattering light, or turn them into a saint that the new love interest feels they can’t possibly live up to. And the ‘evil ex’ trope always makes me wonder why on earth the character was with them in the first place. To be fair, Lily Morton does actually try to contextualise it by explaining that dead hubby was a fickle person who would go all out to get what he wanted and then get bored quickly, and have Frankie admitting that had he not died, they probably wouldn’t have been together much longer. But it still didn’t work for me.

Joel Leslie has narrated all of Lily Morton’s books, and is a good fit for them – he gets her humour, he’s an excellent vocal actor and is always able to find a wide variety of different vocal characterisations for the leads and secondary cast, so there’s never any confusion as to who is speaking. He has a good repertoire of accents and does a particularly good line in ‘older ladies who don’t give a shit’ – and his performance is well-paced and technically polished. I can’t say I was all that fond of his portrayal of Frankie, though; he’s opted to give him what I’d call an ‘Estuary’ accent (widely found in London and fairly close to my own accent) but the constant use of very obvious glottal stops was really annoying, and having the occasional ‘t’ sounded would have been nice.

I really need to remember why I stop reading an author’s books and that picking one up every now and then is unlikely to leave me anything but disappointed. The Player is sweet, sexy and (occasionally) funny, and if the author’s formula still works for you, you might enjoy it more than I did.

** given the price of property in most small Cotswold villages, these guys must be worth a mint!

[Kaity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio: 4.5 stars for Joel Leslie

Book: 3-3.5 stars

Decent and short, but not one of the best Lily Morton books have read. It was still cute, but Frankie and Con just needed to talk! Haha overall I was glad to read it but I might forget it in a day or two lol 😂

[Liya · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5
Lily Morton writes one of the best friends to lovers books in the genre, and this novella was a great example. I loved Frankie and Con, their friendship and banter. Frankie is adorable, and I loved how he found his true home at the village - bringing him there was the second best thing David did. The first was introducing Frankie to Con. It took Frankie 3 years to realize his true feelings for Con, but when it happens- there is no way to fight it.
Tim's storyline was completely useless. With how awful he was, I never figured out why Con let him stay and give the impression of being Con's boyfriend. Knowing there was someone while Con was away would be enough. Bringing Tim to the village was pure drama for the sake of drama.
The epilogue was lovely, sweet, and funny, so rounding up

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I mean, it's Lily Morton. I like pretty much everything. It's just that being a novella I missed more of the development of the story.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet cute read!

[Shellfish · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio of The Player by Lily Morton voiced by Joel Leslie was really good. Great story with compelling characters. I felt for them especially Frankie, probably because we were in his head. I laughed out loud many times, swooned and genuinely enjoyed myself. Frankie had fallen for his late husbands best friend but it took him awhile to realize it. I love the journey Frankie and Connor take to get to their HEA.
The Narrator was great. I really like Joel Leslie. He’s one of my favorites.
I received an ARC from GRR and this is my honest opinion.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

The Player is a sweet friends-to-lovers story from author Lily Morton. The author quickly establishes the strong bond between Con and Frankie and the intensity of their feelings for one another. We are in Frankie’s POV as he has this slow realization that he is attracted to Con after so many years of friendship. As readers, it is clear that Con likes Frankie, as well as how much Frankie likes him in return. But Frankie is slower to accept things, especially as he fears losing Con in the process. There are some lovely moments of connection here where these guys are so clearly falling for one another, as well as near to bursting with their unexpressed feelings. The story rests quite a bit on the men being just about to share how they feel when they are suddenly interrupted. It happens so frequently as to be a little distracting to me, and while I get why these guys needed time for things to develop, I wish there had been some variety in the conflict.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was a nice story and I liked the plot very much.

Frankie met David and, after a month of pretty much never leaving the bed, he married him; David brought him to his homwtown when Frankie was warmly welcomed and where he found a lot of dear friends. He also became very close to his husband best friend and business partner, Con.
After an argument because David cheated on him, Frankie and his husband split. After that David died suddenly, leaving their business in debt.

During the last three years Con and Frankie have worked hard to save the business and, when the book starts, things are finally going well.
Frankie also begins to see Con under a new unexpected light and he finds himself attracted to him Unfortunately, just when he's dealing with this new revelation, Con comes back to town with a boyfriend.

I adored Frankie and Con's banter: they're clearly best friends and very comfortable around each other; they complement one another and their lives are perfectly aligned.
I also loved very much how Frankis talks about his dead husband: David is not idolised nor dismissed, Frankie is very honest about his feelings for him and about all his husband's flaws. They weren't destined to be together forever, but they loved each other and I like that Frankie is still fond of him.

What prevented me from giving a higher rate:
the town gossipers are annoying, especially the noisy neighbour Lucy who doesn't hesitate to barge into other people's homes or to spy through the windows (seriously?).
The miscommunication between Frankie and Con was way too huge: I understand that they weren't ready to talk about feelings but why did Con let Frankie think Tim was his boyfriend? Frankie's marriage ended because of cheating, it's hard to believe that Con didn't think that Frankie's reticences weren't caused by Tim's presence.
And not oly they seemed incapable of communicate, they were also continuosly (and I mean literally always) interrupted by other people.
All this unnecessary tension disrupted the rhytm of the story.

Anyway, there's lovely cameo from Max (After Felix), I liked his presence in this story very much.
The epilogue was very beautiful. Even if this story didn't totally work for me, I still recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Frankie and Con’s story. Once again Joel Leslie does a wonderful job of bringing Lily’s characters to life. He has a way of drawing you into the characters and nails the wit and snark every time. In their story Frankie finds himself coming out of the widow fog he has unknowingly been in since his husband’s passing three years ago. Color comes back to his life, and he begins to see his husband’s best friend Con, and his, in a whole new way. I loved seeing these two dance around each other, each feeling a way, but neither just coming out and saying it. A mutual friend decides to take matters into her own hands and to try to help the process along. Overall this was a fantastic listen filled with laughs, good friends, a parrot that we all wish we could have and a wonderful HEA.

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Player is quintessential Lily Morton, with a bunch of nosy side characters, miscommunications, missed chances, and longing. There's even a parrot who says a bunch of inappropriate things with great comedic timing.

Of course, it's all worth it when Con and Frankie finally get together with a couple of steamy scenes and a ton of sweetness. I really liked the pair and adored the cameo from my favorite Lily couple.

I had actually read this before, but it has been expanded with a new epilogue that was the perfect addition to the story.

It wouldn't be a Lily Morton audiobook without Joel Leslie narrating it, and, as always, the narration was great. The voices were distinct, and it made for an easy listen.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankie & Con

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It was very entertaining and had me hooked early on. I loved listening to Joel Leslie's great narration. He brought so much life to the story. He's always great to listen to.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Cute story

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I read this awhile ago?
I forgot.
But the story is familiar and I still enjoyed it.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite comfort read author. She always has the perfect balance of angst, snark and HEA, and the audiobooks, read by Joel Leslie, go on repeat when I need an escape and I’m happy to now have this to add to the rotation.

The story of Frankie and Con tells a beautiful tale of fate, and how grief doesn’t always have to make sense. It’s kept just the right side of lighthearted with the banter that is the calling card of any LM book.

Could there have been better communication between the MCs, of course, but then this isn’t real life and perfect communication makes for a bit of a boring story.

Finally, the scene with Max (After Felix) had me laughing out loud, it was lovely to have a cameo from him.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

**This review is from an earlier version of the novella. I’m keeping the first part just in case the other reviews transfer over to this version.**

Wow! I cannot believe some of the awful reviews. The haters have really come out for this one. I’ll never understand the vitriol, especially those who write in the reviews “I’ve stopped reading her books because blah blah blah…” Then why are you here doing a review of this book? You clearly HAVE NOT stopped reading her books because you’re writing a review on this one. You don’t like the writer’s style, fine, don’t read more of her books. But continuing to harp on her new releases means the problem is with you, not her.

Now, in terms of this novella, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a friends to lovers, forced proximity, just one bed trope, small town romance. Those who complained about the tropes and the antagonists I just have to ask, are you aware you are reading romances. Certain tropes and story elements are the lifeblood of the genre.

Frankie is a young widower working with his late husband’s best friend, Con. He is finally ready to move on as the book begins. What follows is the common romance trope of friends realizing their feelings are stronger and the antagonists introduced to light a fire. I thoroughly enjoyed the humor and snark and as always Morton’s pop culture references enhance the humor. There is an epilogue added to this version of the novella and it is a sweet update that not only gives us the HEA we want but also gives us a lovely cameo that updates another couple.

I laughed out loud and I was touched by the emotions of both men and rooted for them to get their HEA. That’s what I want out of a romance novella.

[Emily Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore the humor and snarkiness in Lily Morton's romances, and hearing it come to life with Joel Leslie's expressive narration was an extra special treat. Frankie and Con made me laugh dozens of times throughout their journey, and even though this was a shorter novella I still fell head over heels for both men. Frankie and Con were the perfect example of two people meant for each other who met at precisely the wrong time to pursue a relationship, and this book picked up several years into their friendship as Frankie was turning a corner and realizing that the right man for him had been in front of him this entire time. I was effortlessly entertained by the silliness that unfolded as Frankie struggled to catch up to what everyone else in the village had already realized, and his unnecessary angst about whether Con returned his feelings was more funny to me than anything. Con was such a sweetheart, endlessly patient with Frankie and witty in his own way that complemented Frankie's snark. Even though Frankie was oblivious, it was pretty obvious to me that he was ready to jump as soon as Frankie gave any indication that he might feel the same way as Con. The two of them were so in sync with each other that everything they did together felt natural and fun, and that absolutely included their spontaneous bedroom activities. I was utterly smitten by how sweet and passionate Frankie and Con were together once they took the leap of faith, and my heart felt so happy watching the two of them realize that yes, this could be their forever. Not even the series of comedic interruptions and meddling villagers that prevented Con and Frankie from talking about what their night together meant could damp down my happiness, because I had faith they wouldn't let go of each other after getting a taste of true bliss. In true Lily Morton fashion, Frankie and Con had to take a bit of a winding route before finally sharing their love confessions and whisking each other off on their happily ever after, but it was all part of the entertainment and made the conclusion to their romance feel even more secure since they'd had to put in some work for it. I thought there wasn't anything I'd enjoy more than listening to the story of how they got together, but Frankie and Con's marriage in the epilogue was even sweeter, steamier, and more hilarious than their pre-relationship journey. I'm so glad that Lily Morton went back and wrote these two an additional scene set further in the future, and it reminded me of all the things that made me love Frankie and Con when I first met them.

**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Elizabeth D · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 Overall, I quite liked this story. It was beautiful to see Frankie “waking up” again to the possibilities in life following his husband’s death. I really liked his and Con’s friendship, and I enjoyed the teases for more—with one exception. Infidelity is a hard no for me, so while everything is eventually explained (more or less) satisfactorily, I spent a chunk of the book thinking cheating was happening. Not only was it upsetting to me, it seemed distressingly out of character for Frankie, who had been cheated on himself (and even for Con, given how he reacted to what David had done to Frankie).

Apart from for narrative tension, I can’t say I really understand what Con was doing with Tim. For someone not blinded by lust but instead letting an acquaintance tag along who might possibly become more at some point, he put up with a lot of really rude behaviour towards his friends. He really should have sent Tim packing a lot sooner. (Also, it seriously didn’t occur to him that some of Frankie’s behaviour had to do with his reaction to Tim and the fact that Con was kissing him and letting Tim cling on to him and it was therefore pretty logical to guess that they were together?)

I’d have felt worse for Tim if he had any redeeming features, but with him acting the way he did, I just couldn’t see a reason why Con wouldn’t send him off immediately and concentrate on Frankie when it suddenly seemed like there were some possibilities. I know people aren’t actually logical and feelings are complicated, but I found this aspect of the plot distracting to my reading enjoyment.

I did really like Hank Marvin, Joan, and George. I was entertained by other townspeople. I felt like Con and Frankie had a genuine connection and accepted one another as they were. I didn’t really like David, but I liked their memories of him, and how Frankie was able to turn what happened during their marriage into a good thing for his life. I liked the garden shenanigans, the eventual work on the house, and how very much happier Con and Frankie were together.

I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading and listening to a book at the same time is one of those things that I've always gotten an immense amount of enjoyment from. Another combination that I can never get enough of? The dynamic storytelling duo of Lily Morton (her writing) and Joel Leslie (his narration)! Their latest offering is The Player, a previously published novella that now includes a new epilogue, and it's a friends-to-lovers romance with a bit of a twist. Frankie Bishop (27) is widower who lost his husband months after their whirlwind romance and wedding. Three years on, light is beginning to seep back into his grayish life, but he finds himself needing to accept two things: one, his feelings for his best friend and business partner, Conrad (aka Con, who I think is in his 30s because he was Frankie's late husband's best friend, but I could be wrong), are beyond platonic; and two, it may be too late for him to do anything about it considering Con's just arrived back in Cotswolds with a guy who could very well be his new boyfriend.

My favorite thing about The Player had to be the close-knit relationship that Frankie and Con shared. They pretty much knew almost everything about each other, save for the fact that they were both pining for one another and hoping for far more than "just" being best friends. There's a reason why Joel Leslie is such a go-to of mine when it comes to audiobooks. He never fails to leave me thoroughly impressed with his ability to distinguish one character from another, regardless of whether they happen to be one of the main characters or part of the supporting cast or even a feathered scene-stealer named Hank Marvin! He brought such life to an already wonderfully entertaining story by Lily Morton, and the almost five hours I spent reading and listening to Frankie and Con's love story was time well spent. I laughed out loud and loved everything about The Player--yes, even Lucy Scrimshaw. Five stars!

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I smile. “Con doesn’t fret over things. He’s the most chilled person around.”
“Ah well, it’s you,” he says casually. “You’re Con’s exception.”

I enjoyed this book. I loved both Frankie and Con. Frankie was grieving his husband's death and pretty much focusing on work and going through the days on autopilot. Con, his late husband's best friend, was there for him and became his best friend and business partner. When Frankie began to come out of his stupor, one of the most telling moments for me was when his secretary saw the shoes he was wearing.

“You’re wearing red shoes,” she finally says.
I stare at her. “Is that a problem? Is there some sort of Cotswoldian law that says I can’t wear red on a Wednesday?”
She seems to come out of her trance and gazes into her mug as if searching for the meaning of life. Then she looks up. “You haven’t worn any colour for three years, Frankie.”

I felt so sad for him. And when Con returns from a trip with a boyfriend- one that clearly doesn't like Frankie and makes his claim on Con clear- Frankie initially doesn't understand the jealousy he feels and begins to understand what he really feels for Con.

I loved the friendship and banter between Con and Frankie. Their antics made me smile. Even during scorching sexy times, there were some lines of humor.

And Hank Marvin! That bird and his ominous crime murder warnings stole the scene every time!

Though I initially started reading this in ebook, I got my hands on the audiobook and switched to that and restarted it. Joel Leslie is my absolute favorite narrator and, of course, did a wonderful job narrating this book and bringing these characters to life. I am always impressed at his ability to give all the characters- main and supporting- different and distinct voices. Sometimes I forget it's only one person voicing everyone.

Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars

[Amanda Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Con and Frankie are a delightful pair, and their story is as entertaining as it is heartwarming. Packed with humour, charm, and emotional depth, The Player delivers a thoroughly enjoyable romance that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

The dynamic between Con and Frankie is irresistible. Their mutual pining, laced with some hilarious misunderstandings, creates a tension that keeps the pages turning. Lily Morton does a fantastic job of balancing lighthearted moments with deeper emotional beats, making their connection feel authentic and well-earned. The inclusion of colourful side characters—like a crime-obsessed parrot and meddlesome neighbours—adds an extra layer of charm and hilarity to the story.

Frankie is a widower, having lost his husband, who was also Con’s best friend. Their history adds complexity to their relationship, but it’s clear from the start that these two are meant to be together. Even if life had taken a different path, you can’t help but feel that Con and Frankie would have found their way to one another. They share a bond that goes beyond friendship, blossoming into a love that feels inevitable and beautifully tender.

Set against the backdrop of a quaint village complete with open garden days, nosy locals, and all the idyllic charm you could hope for, the setting becomes as much a character as the people in it. The vivid descriptions of village life ground the story, making it feel warm and immersive.

Con and Frankie’s journey is filled with humour, romance, and a satisfying dose of community spirit. It’s a story about second chances, healing, and finding love where you least expect it. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Lily Morton or new to her work, The Player is a must-read for anyone who loves a story full of heart, laughter, and a dash of quirkiness.

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is my introduction to Lily Morton and I can't wait to read more. This review is specifically for the audiobook version, narrated by Joel Leslie.

I think this low angst, friends to lovers tale set in the Cotswolds is just delightful. Frankie and Con have been friends ever since they first met, when Frankie's then-boyfriend David introduced Frankie to his best friend Con. It turns out that that moment is when Con started to fall in love with his best friend's boyfriend turned husband. Of course, Frankie loves his husband both during their marriage and also after David dies. This story takes place 3 years after David's death as Frankie begins to emerge from mourning and from dealing with the dismal financial state the company he shares with Con is in. Con was Frankie's rock during these years, but suddenly, Frankie begins to realize that he loves Con....but neither of these idiots thinks to communicate clearly with the other regarding their feelings. As seems to be typical of the books I've read set in The Cotswolds, there are plenty of picturesque cottages, nosy neighbors, and quirky side characters/bysubodies (including a parrot who provides a lot of comic relief). However, eventually things fall into place and the MCs get their HEA, plus a lovely epilogue that made me so happy.

Joel Leslie's narration brought all the characters wonderfully to life and I very much enjoying his telling of this story! It added another layer of delight. I am so looking forward to more books by this author, especially when narrated by Joel Leslie.

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Frankie, a warm-hearted, lovely man, who was married to David. David was charismatic and in a whirlwind romance married Frankie. Together with David’s best friend, Con, they ran a custom guitar business. David was the outgoing front man, Frankie the business side, Con made the guitars. Unfortunately, David was more enamored by the next new thing, running up debts charged to the business and cheating on Frankie. After a fight, David ends up dying in an accident and for the past three years Con and Frankie have been working to get the business back on track, becoming best friends in the process.
Con is dedicated to his craft and when he is faced with making guitars for a superstar, not to play but to match his outfits, his hissy fit is so funny. He is loyal and dedicated, and I just adored him. Actually, I loved both of them. The book is focused on Con and Frankie and how you navigate life after a death. It is not angsty at all, but serious when it should be.
Lucy, the town busybody and force of nature getting people to bend to her will, is more likeable than it would appear. She is a royal pain in the butt but causes some funny, funny reactions. And when she gets a little bit of comeuppance later, I laughed.
As to side characters, we get a cameo from Max from After Felix here, and I loved that. I won’t spoiler it but Hank Marvin is also a great character, as is Joan, the office manager for Con and Frankie. Tim? Well, we will refrain from comment.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews

[Brianne McCallum · Rating 4 out of 5]

M/M
Hilarious talking parrot
MC1 is widowed 3 years prior
MC2 is his dead husbands best friend
Friends/business partners to lovers
Short story
Nosey small town

TW: MC2 is in a relationship but not cheating (explanation at the end of the book)

Audio arc review

Story = 4 stars
Narration = 5 stars

This was a quick and easy, light read with no angst and low steam. I loved both of the main characters and they had great chemisty. The story is very sweet with lots of romantic scenes imo. There is lot's of humor with the intrusive but well meaning townsfolk and a hilarious pet talking parrot.

Not giving it 5 stars because I thought the story would have been more enjoyable without the Tim subplot. He added very little to the plot. The plot of friends to lovers worked on it's own and I hate cheating even if it's just assumed cheating. I have been binge rereading Lilys books and I noticed this same plot line has been used in at least 3 books. A change would be nice.

Joel did a wonderful job with the narration. As always his voice is a pleasure to listen to. He kept a good flow and expressed all the emotions wonderfully. He gave all of the characters their own distinct voices, not just the 2 main characters. They were all pleasant and suited the characters well. He brought the story to life.

[Shana W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this slow-burn romance with humour, banter, friends to lovers and found family. Frankie's a widower whose husband was his business partner Con's best friend. So it's understandable that when he finally realizes (3 years after his husband's death) he has feelings for Con, he's reluctant to act on them, especially since Con now seems to have a boyfriend staying with him. I really liked the characters, the secondary characters and the plot. It was noble of Frankie to forgive his husband for putting the business in debt and for cheating on him. Con suffered for a long time with unrequited love, and I felt the two characters really deserved to be happy. The only reason this was not a five-star read for me is that there were a couple of times - towards the end of the book - that I got irritated with the two men's inability to share their feelings, particularly with the number of times their conversation was interrupted. However, I recommend the story, as it was sweet, entertaining and well written.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Joel Leslie. He did a fabulous job as always, with good pacing, expression and distinguishing characters by their voices and accents. I think the narration really made the book for me.
I received an audiobook copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Teeny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this when it was part of the YBBB giveaway and my review was:

"
I loved Frankie and how he got his groove back and I liked Con and how they worked together. I really wish though that we had some of Con's POV and we could have seen some of Con's steadfastness, because the part of their story that we got, it was more of Con being all over the place emotionally, though not exactly through his own fault but more because of the mixed signals and frazzled communications between him and Frankie.

All and all the story put a smile on my face and that's a huge win these days.
"

This time though I listened to the audiobook version and I enjoyed it as much as I did when I read it, 2 years ago. Joel was a delight as a narrator.

So the rating is something like:
Story: 3.5 stars
Narration: 4 stars

My one gripe is that the epilogue that was added, to me it seemed like it was convoluted, with too many things happening all at once, on Frankie and Con's special day. Maybe it was a depiction of how it is life with Frankie, I don't know but it did more harm than good.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.