Playing for Keeps

by Lainey Davis

254 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2025

Reviews

[Lynn_G · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[…Welcome to My World &#x1f30e.. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute! I did not expect it to be as cute as it was. It follows Emerson the heroine, who is curvy which I absolutely adored. Gunner is a hockey player who is just trying to find his place on the hockey team. Emerson has been under her parent’s overbearing and judgmental control for years, and she finally decides to break away. Ready and excited to pursue her musical career with her Cello, Emerson turned her back on her judgmental parents, and meets Gunner while playing in a bar that he walks into. From the very moment that these to met, sparks immediately flew. Gunner had me rooting for him the whole time because he was just so supportive of Emerson and he loved her and her curves and everything about her, add in the nickname be had for her and I was a goner ❤️. I was really happy to see Emerson grow within herself and begin to love herself as well as become more confident as a character. It was very heartwarming to see Gunner’s family take Emerson in without a second thought. Their relationship was very beautiful and I really enjoyed this story.

I received this book as an ARC for free from Lainey and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Thanks Lainey!

[Eleanor Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My First ever book by author Lainey Davis who didn’t disappoint and also my fist ever listening Ehlen Valentine and James Cassidy, they did a fabulous job narrating this wonderful story and kept me more engaged!

Story:5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️//Spice:4🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Performance:10/10🎧🎤🎙️


AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧
Playing for Keeps: A Woke Up Married Romance
Author Lainey Davis
Narrators James Cassidy and Ehlen Valentine


Emerson and Gunnar story



Gunnar
a rookie goalie for The Fury, a hockey team out of Pittsburg. He’s in Las Vegas for a game, and has to start as goalie for the first time due to the injuries of the other goalie, after losing the game he went out partying which leads Gunnar to his current predicament, waking up married to a gorgeous woman. Emerson!


Emerson
a talented musician and composer, who has fled from her very controlling and abusive parents, getting on the first flight out of New York.. landing her playing to her content for the first time…. meeting a gorgeous giant of a man after her performance lead to drinking, great conversation laughing, then waking up…. Married.


Their unexpected marriage turns out to be one of convenience
He’s hypnotized by her beautiful way of playing the cello and felt drawn and protective towards Emerson from the beginning, needless to say it wasn’t a struggle staying married.

The problem though is Emerson Family… super toxic while the big cuddly Gunnar family are the complete opposite..they’re everything she dream a family should be and now fears that she won’t get the chance to keep them.



This story was wonderfully written and beautifully narrated in my opinion, my first time listening to author and narrators and I loved every second of the story, the narrators James Cassidy and Ehlen Valentine who performed beautifully and were believable as the characters.. well done.!



Definitely recommend this audiobook and hope to continue more in this series.



VIBES IN AUDIOBOOK TO LOVE🎧📖
🎻marriage of convenience
🩷Hockey Romance
🏒Instant Attraction
🩷Found Family
💙Protective MMC
🎻Family Banter
🩷Steamy
💙Dual POV
🎻HEA
Be sure to add this to your TBL!

Special thanks to HCB for this wonderful opportunity, and thank you for reading my reviews, hope to catch you next time until then
One love 💕
Georgious 🦋

[Audiobooklover__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴋᴇᴇᴘꜱ
✍🏻 ʙʏ: ʟᴀɪɴᴇʏ ᴅᴀᴠɪꜱ
💋 ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ: ᴢᴏᴇ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ, ᴊᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴄᴀꜱꜱɪᴅʏ
🎧 ʟᴇɴɢᴛʜ: 6 ʜʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ 48 ᴍɪɴꜱ
📚 ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ: ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ, ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1

Huge thanks to Lainey Davis and Home Cooked Books for the early audio copy!

Okay, stop what you're doing and add "Playing for Keeps" by Lainey Davis to your audiobook queue right now! I swear, this book was a total joyride from start to finish, and I'm still smiling thinking about it.

First off, huge shoutout to Zoe Black and James Cassidy on the narration! Seriously, they nailed it. James Cassidy's voice for Gunner? Pure melted butter with a hint of protective alpha, and Zoe Black perfectly captured Emerson's journey from shy and controlled to confident and strong. They just became these characters for me, making the listening experience truly immersive.

This book has all my favorite things packed into one amazing story: hockey romance, a curvy heroine finding her confidence, and that absolutely adorable "he falls first" trope that always gets me! The whole woke up married in Vegas premise was hilarious and such a fun way to kick off Gunner and Emerson's whirlwind romance.

Gunner is just... everything. He's this big, sweet hockey goalie who immediately sees Emerson for who she is and champions her every step of the way. His patience and unwavering support as she navigates leaving her controlling parents and pursuing her own dreams? So swoon-worthy! And the way he makes her feel cherished and beautiful? Be still my heart!

Oh, and the found family vibes in this book are just chef's kiss! The supporting characters are so loud and loving, and they truly embrace our heroine, making you feel like you're part of their wonderful, chaotic world. Plus, as a huge animal lover, the adorable elements involving rescue dogs just added an extra layer of sweetness that made my heart so happy.

If you're in the mood for a romance that's incredibly heartwarming, has a perfect blend of sweetness and a touch of steam, and will leave you with a huge smile on your face, then you absolutely must listen to this gem! It's everything I look for and more💘

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining spin on the woke up married trope.

Emerson and Gunner wake up married in Vegas and they could not come from more different worlds. Emerson is a concert violinist that prefers the cello, raised by controlling parents among the elite society in Manhattan. Gunner is the rookie goalie of coming off his professional debut and part of a big, boisterous, loving family. They meet after Emerson runs from her family and ends up playing a jazz club in Vegas where Gunner is drawn to her through her music. When the story breaks, they decide to continue this marriage for a while. It will help him with his career and endorsements, and she can use the time to figure out what’s next without being under the thumb of her parents.

I thought this was a fun, entertaining spin on the waking up married trope. These two become friends. She seamlessly fit into his world and finally realizes how she deserves to be treated. Gunner was so patient, and a bit of a golden retriever husband and it was adorable. I enjoyed their journey as they explored their relationship and navigated the obstacles stemming from their very different upbringings.

Narrated by Zoe Black and James Cassidy. Both narrators are new to me. They were easy to listen to and really embodied the personalities of Emerson and Gunner. They delivered on the fun when dealing with the Stag family or his teammates. But also, the emotion when they dealt with her family and the vulnerability when they worried about letting the other down.

Overall, if you like –
A plus size, virgin, musician finally living for herself.
A swoony, doting, pro hockey player from a big, loud family.
A story with a ton of heart and a couple you will root for.

Then this is a must / read listen.

[Jackie Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio Review:
Playing For Keeps is NHL rookie goalie, Gunnar and cellist Emerson’s entertaining and fake to real marriage of convenience. It’s book one in the Playing Series set around the Pittsburgh Fury and for me it’s a great start to a new series.
From the moment they meet in Vegas they feel a connection but both are surprised when they wake up married. Determined to make it work they decide to give their marriage a chance until Emerson’s interfering and controlling family poke their noses in……..
This was an entertaining and engaging story with great characters.
Zoe Black and James Cassidy did a great job bringing the characters and their story to life. They were spot on with the passion, the drama and the love plus they were very easy to listen to.

[Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these characters and their sweet story. This is the romance story I wanted to find. Em rightly runs from her abusive musical family right into a Vegas marriage with a big teddy bear of a husband, Gunnar. She's like an alien who was transported from one smothering and controlled way of life into a new world and a freewheeling, raucous, loving family. There's a lovely pace to the story. Great dialogue. It's delightful to watch them fall in love. I don't think the author needed to keep reminding us of her 'thick thighs' and 'substantial weight.' We get it; she's a healthy big woman.

[Erin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Star Review Playing For Keeps (Playing #1) by Lainey Davis

Audio
Playing For Keeps is a well written, entertaining book that ticked numerous boxes for me.

I was invested from the first chapter with rookie goalie for the Pittsburgh Fury Gunnar and cellist Emerson’s story.

They meet in Vegas and as we know what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Or does it?

From the moment they met they had a connection in Vegas and end up married. Now they are trying to make their marriage of convenience work.

However, Emerson has issues with her controlling family and their interference may destroy the connection they are building as well as Gunnar’s career.

I fell hard and fast for this couple and enjoyed the development of their relationship.

The narration by Zoe Blake & James Cassidy was spot on. They did a wonderful job bringing the characters and story to life. Not only are there voices easy to listen to but they brought all the passion, drama and romance to their performances.

[Ani S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, I could not put it away and absolute loved both main characters (and of course all the other Stag family members). Being an amateur musician myself, I found Emerson particularly well portrayed, loving how she grew in the course of the book.
I can only recommend reading this, you won‘t regret it!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story.