Playing for Payback

Playing #2

by Lainey Davis, Zoe Black (Narrator), James Cassidy (Narrator)

Sometimes, the best defense is a passionate offense.

The ref stops the puck in the middle of a playoff game, and I look up from the ice...to see my boyfriend making out with another guy on the kiss cam.

My humiliation goes viral and suddenly my entire life—from my back pass to my bisexuality—is tabloid fodder.

To make matters worse, the jerk making out with my guy turns out to be the live-in boyfriend of Lena Sinclair, the brand new team dentist for the Pittsburgh Fury. When Doc finds herself homeless after confronting her ex, I offer her my guest room while we both lick our wounds.

Revenge sounds sweet to both of us, so we craft the perfect a "summer fling" that'll show our exes exactly what they've lost.

Somehow the line between fake and real grows blurry, and the game becomes dangerously personal. With Lena’s job on the line and the whole world watching my every move, we’re not just playing for payback. We’re fighting a connection neither of us saw coming—one that might be worth risking everything.

Playing for Payback is a hockey romance with a curvy heroine, a two-way defender who excels at protecting what matters, and body checks straight from the sin bin.

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

Audible Audio

Published July 21, 2025

Reviews

[Michelle McCraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sexy, swoony hockey romance

Alder is an NHL player who sees his boyfriend making out with another man during his game. Lena is the girlfriend of that other man and the team’s new dentist. To get back at their exes, Lena and Alder plan some silly stunts, but soon their friendship turns into a forbidden workplace romance. I enjoyed this story, especially the body positivity for the plus-size heroine (but check the content warnings as not everyone is so positive). I also loved the bisexual hero - let’s see more of them in romance!

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have fallen in love with each member of the Stag family as we get each of their stories and here we have no exception! Here we have Alder Stag, superstar hot goalie from a famous sports family. Alder has a boyfriend who hasn’t shown he’s all in with their relationship and has Alder feeling insecure about himself. Lena has been working her way through dental school while supporting her live-in boyfriend, who hasn’t been supportive of her at all. Lena gets the opportunity to be a trauma dentist for Alders pro hockey team and it’s at a playoff game where their boyfriends are caught kissing on the Jumbotron. Both Alder and Lena are shocked, Alder is thrown off his game and Lena moves out with nowhere to go. Alder suggests that she stay with him, since he has the room. This develops into an idea to get back at both of their exes but quickly develops into real feelings for each other. There is drama with Alders ex accusing him of only coming out as bisexual for the attention and support from the LGBTQIA community as well as Lena dealing with people in her life demeaning her plus size. At times Alder speaks before thinking but his huge heart always find a way to make up for it. Lena feels like she needs to break away from Alder so that he can deal with the PR nightmare his ex is causing him. But they do find their way back to each other in a wonderful happily ever after! I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of this book. This my my enthusiastic and unbiased review.

[Lynn_G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena, a highly skilled dental surgeon specializing in trauma is just beginning her career with a professional hockey team and while she’s assessing a player on the ice after a hard hit, looks up to see her live in boyfriend on the Jumbotron sucking face with another player’s boyfriend. When the other scorned party suggests a roommate situation and a fake summer fling, Lena is game to try.

Being part of the über successful Stag family means a lot of pressure to be the best for Alder, even more so since he came out as bisexual. He thought things were going as well as they could, only to have his boyfriend of six months cheat on him publicly with the lovely Lena’s boyfriend.

As he spends quality and s3xy time with Lena, he begins to have real feelings for her, but his ex is determined to use the budding relationship as a way to accuse Alder of g4y baiting and deceiving the LGBTQ community. When the team becomes involved in the baseless accusations, Lena steps back from Alder to save his reputation while breaking both their hearts in the process. How will this pair ever balance their personal and professional lives and work toward an HEA?

I was fortunate to have received an advance copy from Lainey Davis, and I’m happy to share my honest and very enthusiastic review.

[VeroniCanRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 I absolutely LOVED this book and would read it again!

The growth, the self-respect, the recognizing of an often overlooked aspect of being bi… this book was a perfect representation of being bi without making it feel preachy or forcing the plot. It came naturally to this fake dating, revenge dating, hockey romance plot.

I loved how strong the FMC, Lena, was with her career and how much stronger she became as she recognizes her self worth—and not just because the MMC falls for her!

Also, the issues in this book feel REAL. Toxic exes, overwhelming student loans, the feeling like you have to choose your career OR a relationship, managing anger, struggling with public perception, and recognizing the negative people in your life… it all felt so real and was handled in such realistic and meaningful ways.

Locations:
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Tropes:
- Hockey Romance
- Found Family
- Plus Sized FMC
- Fake Dating
- Bisexual MMC
- Workplace Romance


NOTE: Second in a series but could totally be read as a standalone.

[Heather Deaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book for the series! I love the Stag family and how each book intertwines but can also stand alone. The characters are so lovable, and it's wonderful how each person is celebrated for their own personal strengths rather than being compared to other people's skills. Lainey has such a great writing style that keeps you flowing from page to page (and in my head I can hear it being narrated lol). I can't wait for the next one!

My rating system:
5=will read again
4=recommend to everyone
3=recommend to anyone liking that particular writing style/trope
2=do not recommend
1=DNF

[Anna Nenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one on audio very much!
Dual style narration 5/5 🎧
Story 4/5⭐️
Spice 2,75/5🌶️
I loved the bisexual representation! 👏
I hated both of their ex partners!
I was happy they found love and solace in all of that chaos and circumstances!

[BarbarAzza Brioscina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sono tradotti con la AI e qua si nota tutto . 2,5 parte bene e poi si affloscia .
Forse il terzo sarà più interessante

[Crystal Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alder has a boyfriend who doesn’t show up for him and he’s constantly begging him to come around. He’s a hot hockey player and has an amazing and supporting family. Lena also has a boyfriend who doesn’t show up for her and she’s financially supporting him while he’s finishing up school. She’s a beautiful and curvy dentist. But she’s used to everyone belittling her about her weight and trying to make her smaller. When she gets the job of a lifetime with a nice salary working for the hockey team, she jumps at the chance.

Alder and Lena hit it off right away. But soon after become closer when they spot their boyfriends kissing on the jumbotron at a hockey game and all of a sudden they both want revenge. When Lena doesn’t have a place to stay, Alder offers up his spare room. The two quickly become friends from their betrayal and having fun plotting against how to get back at their boyfriends. But both of them start to see one another a little differently. He SEES her. He doesn’t try to minimize her. He doesn’t see her sized but who she really is and she shows up for him. He doesn’t have to ask or beg to come around. But it’s against the rules at work and Lena can’t afford to lose her new job.

4⭐️
2🌶️

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. Every book brings a smile to my face, makes me swoon, worry if things will work out and just have a great time losing myself in the story. Playing for Payback is the fifth book in author Lainey Davis’s Forging Series and the second book in the Playing portion of the series, preceded by Playing for Keeps. It’s Alder Stag’s story. I love the Stag family. They’re loud, rowdy, boisterous, exuberant and best of all, loving, welcoming, protective, caring and sincere. Once you are brought into the fold by them there is no leaving – and why would you ever want to?

Alder is a member of the Pittsburg Fury hockey team. He’s young, he’s talented, his family has a great presence in sports but he still needs to keep proving himself. He needs to stay focused. Focus has been a little hard lately, though, because Alder is wondering and worrying about his boyfriend Alex. His bisexuality is not the issue; his team and family are accepting and supportive. It’s Adam’s attitude that is the issue. He doesn’t seem to be as dedicated to the relationship as Alder is, and much to everyone’s obvious concern, Alder tries and tries and tries to make Adam like him more, to come to family events, to be seen in public. Adam is even more upset when usual now; he finally agreed to attend a Stag family event and while there Alder let slip some information he didn’t realize was confidential. He was trying to praise and brag about Adam but instead it cost Adam the deal. So even though his family is always there for him, Alder’s self-confidence is low and he can’t make himself break away.

Lena has just landed the job as the Fury team dentist. She needs the money. Working at an emergency dental facility doesn’t pay nearly well enough to cover her loans and living expenses, which include all those for her boyfriend Brad, who “can’t” work because he’s working on his dissertation, or something. Lots of excuses – wait, reasons. Doesn’t she understand how important his work is? Then he answers his own question with a resounding no, because even though she is an accredited dentist she’s not bright enough to understand his world. She should just keep providing what he needs and be grateful, because with her size and looks, her overall appearance, who else would put up with her if not him? She doesn’t even have the comfort of family like Alder does; her mother and endless round of her mother’s boyfriends criticize her looks, her choices, her dreams and tell her not to be hasty. Who would want her if not Brad?

Alder and Lena are kindred spirits even if they don’t know it – yet. But they learn quickly – and publicly, humiliatingly – enough when the Kiss Cam at the hockey game shows Brad and Adam in a heated embrace. Wait, how do they even know each other? What is going on? The game turns into a disaster for Alder and Lena is embarrassed beyond belief at her new job.

The season now over and Lena homeless after moving out of the apartment she shared with Brad ( the one she is still paying for), Lena and Alder join forces to console each other and try to figure out what happened. Alder offers the spare room in his apartment until Lena gets resettled. They’re comfortable together, somebody to lean on, somebody who understands being made to feel less than. And then they come up with a brilliant plan, or one that seems brilliant at first: they will plot revenge on Adam and Brad. Nothing too serious, nothing harmful, just enough to shake them up and cause them some of the humiliation they gave Alder and Lena. The plan works just fine until it doesn’t. Yep, it’s funny getting payback, but neither realizes the depth of Adam’s anger and the levels he will stoop to in order to do actual harm, nor Brad’s willingness to go along with everything Adam wants and his cluelessness about why Lena doesn’t think she owes him anything. He gave her all those years together, after all. Where’s the gratitude? And now all the publicity Alder is getting is of the wrong kind and Lena’s job is at stake.

We know where this story is going of course, but it’s so much fun going there with it. What starts out as two lonely people commiserating about how it feels to be unappreciated, unwanted, unloved slowly begins to feel like it could be more. Lena and Alder fit in so many ways, in almost every way. They talk and talk and talk, but silence is comfortable, too. His family welcomes her and she loves them, basking in something she’s never had before. And their physical attraction is pretty much off the charts.

I received an advance copy of Playing for Payback from author Lainey Davis and enjoyed every minute of it, the ups and downs, the tender moments, the arguments, the sexy times, all of it entertaining and totally satisfying. I recommend Playing for Payback without hesitation and can’t wait for Tucker’s story next. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

[Brandi Jackola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read the content note in the book before jumping into the story.

Alder Stag is one of the few bisexual hockey players who is public about his sexuality. He’s been dating (if you could call it that) Adam, who owns runs his own PR firm, but refuses to be seen in public with Alder, and comes to one family function, grudgingly.

Lena Sinclair has just landed a great job as the team dentist for the Pittsburg Fury hockey team. She needs the money to pay off a staggering student loan (seriously? SO many other countries have free college!), and has to also foot all the bills while her boyfriend Brad is working on his dissertation. During a playoff game, Alder’s twin, Tucker, is injured, and Dr. Sinclair is ready and waiting to take care of him on the ice.

This is when things go horribly wrong.

The kiss cam (lord, I hate kiss cams) focus on two guys very enthusiastically making out, and…yes, you guessed it, they’re the boyfriends of Alder and Lena. Alder is so distraught that he can’t play properly, and their season comes to an end with this loss.

So, what are two broken-hearted people to do, after being publicly humiliated (this was planned, folks, it was no accident) by their former boyfriends?

Join forces to get their revenge, of course.

I must admit, some of the plans that Alder and Lena execute made me laugh out loud, and I couldn’t help but admire their sense of justice. I mean, having a fifty-pound bag of organic manure delivered and left in the cheater’s doorway on a hot day? I love it.

There was more than one instance of me crying while reading this book, which is not a complaint. My empathy level was set at birth when someone turned the dial up to eleven and then broke it off. I can’t NOT feel for these characters and what they’re going through. I especially feel for Lena, who tried so hard to make it work with Brad, only to be chastised, ridiculed for her body, and ultimately humiliated publicly. (Her mother is a piece of work, too.) I am a curvy girl, and I know the feeling of people looking at me and judging me just by my body type, as if I would be a better person if I just lost some weight. Ha! And lose my magnificent boobs? No way, no how. Thankfully, Alder does nothing but praise and worship Lena’s curvy form, and doesn’t tolerate her putting herself down.

My heart broke for Alder when he realized how he’d wasted so much time trying to make his relationship with Adam work. And the things Adam does afterward…ugh. That guy is the lowest of the low. He and Brad deserve each other.

It’s harder than it should be for Alder and Lena to be allowed to do their jobs and still have a romantic relationship. I understand the need for policies that help prevent power overreach, I really do, but such things should be managed on a case by case basis, instead of putting everything under one rule and not allowing for each different relationship. I was vehemently angry on their behalf, and I found the resolution to this problem to be a big relief. Not that I was worried, because this author only does HEAs.

Wow, I’ve been going on for a while. If you’re still reading this review, the long and short of it is that this is a beautiful story, even with its hard parts, and I loved it. This is one I will absolutely read again, as I do for all of this author’s books.

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alder and Gunner Stag are twins and Adler lives an alternative lifestyle being bisexual and everyone in his family along with the team, league, and fans are cool with it. Except for his partner Adam Lawson. Why you may ask you see Adam has not come out to his family or his employer. And who knows about his friends? He always treated Alder like a dirty secret and was always putting him down for being no more than a dumb jock. Tucker is another brother. Both brothers and the family were always telling him to dump Adam because he was just using him for his status.

On this night since the game had been halted because Gunner had gotten his tooth knocked out he had time to take a drink of water and look up at the JumboTron to see two guys kissing and the crowd going wild. Then it dawned on him that the guy was Adam making out with Brad Reid, and the new team dentist boyfriend. They had just met at the Coach’s BBQ. The same guy who was so bored and judgmental he couldn’t even pretend to be proud of his girlfriend–the pretty dentist with her hands in my brother’s mouth.

This isn't random. The calculated look Adam flashes toward the camera tells him everything he needs to know. After the PR disaster he caused at the barbecue, he's making sure Adler feels the same public humiliation. He wanted him to see this; he wanted everyone to see this. Adler looks over to Lena Sinclair, who glances up from Tucker right at that moment. Their eyes meet, and he tilts his head toward the screen. Then he watched her notice. Brad and Lena had already been having a strained relationship. Especially, since she had been carrying all of the financial load.

How Lena didn’t understand how much work it took to finish a dissertation, that the faster he finished it the faster he could find a job. But he did nothing to help out around the house, nothing. And he expected a Paleo diet on top of it all. She carried all the expenses. But you know that’s on her. Why do women in this day and age allow themselves to be used? I get that we married women do it, too. Fool me once that’s on me. Fool me twice and I get mean. But now this SOB HUMILIATED her on the JumboTron.

Oh, honey, it's on like Donkey Kong. All his sh-t would have been out the door, the locks changed, and she would have gotten a lawyer to establish she had been making all payments to everything with her paychecks. Receipts. She didn't need his dead-ass, then or now so keep moving like he was a road bump. She was and still is a strong, smart, and sexy woman. The same is true for Adam. He was playing a mind game and revenge is never good as they find out. That's why you do things straightforwardly and logically.

Get what you're owed no more no less. What Adam felt Adler did was so awful that he could have just solved it with NDAs from everyone who heard it. To save his and Adler’s ass if he loved him, but that is where Adam showed his hand and folded like a bad deck of cards.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lainey Davis's Playing for Payback, the second in the Playing series, is a fantastic hockey romance that will make you swoon, laugh, and want to join the boisterous Stag family. This story beautifully combines the high-stakes world of professional hockey with a heartfelt enemies-to-lovers dynamic, all starting with a shocking moment on a Jumbotron.

Superstar goalie Alder Stag, a beloved member of the famous Stag family, is already feeling insecure about his relationship when he sees his boyfriend kissing another man on the Kiss Cam. The humiliation goes viral, and suddenly, his bisexuality and entire career become tabloid fodder.

At the same game, Lena Sinclair, the new team dentist, watches in shock as her own live-in boyfriend is caught in the embrace. Suddenly homeless, Lena accepts Alder's offer to stay in his guest room, and a plot for mutual revenge is born. What starts as a fake "summer fling" to get back at their cheating exes quickly develops into something much more real.

Alder and Lena are kindred spirits, both dealing with public humiliation and deep-seated insecurities. While Alder struggles with his ex's accusations about his coming out, Lena deals with a lifetime of demeaning comments about her plus-size body. Their shared experiences forge a connection that is both tender and off-the-charts passionate.

Lainey Davis expertly handles the drama with a perfect mix of humor and heart. Alder's huge heart shines through his occasional missteps, and Lena's journey to break away from her toxic past is inspiring. As they navigate PR nightmares and personal demons, they discover that their revenge plot is turning into a real, genuine love story.

This book is filled with everything you could want: a curvy heroine, a protective hockey star, and a wonderful found family dynamic. The Stag family is loud, loving, and a sheer delight to read about. Playing for Payback is a fun, emotional, and totally satisfying read that will have you rooting for Alder and Lena to find their well-deserved happily ever after.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mimi Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pittsburgh Fury hockey star Alder Stag rushes over to his twin Tucker who has blood coming out of this mouth as he spits out a tooth, then Alder peers up at the Jumbotron to see his boyfriend Adam kissing not just another man but Brad, boyfriend of the team’s dental trauma doctor Nena Sinclair. After media creates a marketing disaster for Alder, Nena, and the entire Fury team, Alder vows revenge on the two traitors.

Thus the campaign begins with Nena moving in with Alder in solidarity, followed by minor pranks and escalating to crashing Adam’s event for the Pittsburgh women’s hockey team. As expected, the rush of messages from their two exes fills their inboxes, which they ignore, and they slowly and carefully reveal themselves more to each other, especially about his biosexuality and feelings of unworthiness, and her belief that her plus-size is the root cause of her inability to succeed in not only life but love. Will our couple lean on each other to overcome their insecurities, or will they allow the outside noises and rules to halt their burgeoning relationship?

I absolutely adore Alder and Nena’s story for not only the amazing passion that builds between them but also how they react to adversity with professionalism and genuine care, always considering each other, the hockey team and fandom. I also admire the tightly knit Stag family as they stand stalwartly by their sides on their way to HEA, offering solace in difficult times and congratulations in good times. I highly recommend Playing for Payback, and if you have not read other Lainey Davis Stag novels, you are in for a truly magnificent journey that will tug at your heart strings.

I received this book as an ARC reviewer and voluntarily offer my honest opinion.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that's bout finding the person who sees you—but more importantly, it’s about finding the courage to see yourself. Because sometimes, being held in unconditional love helps you reflect back the person you truly are, even the parts you’ve been told to dim.

One of the best romances I’ve read this year. Alder and Lena offer another fun, funny, and powefulky pasionate volume to The Stag Family Chronicles - as i call them - and this proves that they continue to be one of the most affirming fictional families I’ve ever encountered, and Alder’s journey is at the heart of that tenderness. He’s a bisexual MMC whose ex tries to erase that identity when he begins dating a woman. But Alder doesn’t shrink—he stands steady: “Bi means both,” and his love for Lena isn’t a departure from his queerness, but a continuation of it. And once that truth is spoken and lived, the community doesn’t question it—they rise in support.

Lena’s arc is equally powerful. She’s a curvy woman whose ex—and even her mother—have chipped away at her confidence for years. But in Alder, she meets someone who sees her beauty, her strength, her vulnerability—and loves all of her. And in that love, she begins to recognize herself as someone worthy, fierce, and whole.

Alder didn’t just love her—he helped her see the woman she’d always been. And Lena? She didn’t just accept Alder’s truth—she loved him all the more for it. Every layer, every scar, every story he thought might make him unlovable.

This book doesn’t just give us steam and chemistry (though it delivers there, too)—it gives us healing, visibility, and the kind of love that builds you back up instead of burning you down.

A true standout in a series known for its heart.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in Lainey Davis’ Playing series and Playing for Payback brings together Pittsburg Fury star the openly bisexual Alder Stag and team trauma dentist Lena Sinclair when the arena kiss cam zooms in on their respective partners passionately locking lips in the stands. With nowhere else to go Lena ends up as Alder’s new roomie where they plot their revenge on their cheating ex’s getting more creative as their anger grows.

Both Alder and Lena were wracked by confidence issues in this close proximity romance. Alder’s boyfriend had treated him as his dirty secret with Alder being the only one working at their relationship while Lena’s boyfriend treated her a cash cow while playing on her insecurities about her shape, telling her no one else would want someone her size even after they’d broken up, and it was something her mother underlined every chance she got, till Lena believed it. As heroes go Alder didn’t always think before he spoke which brought some drama to the story when he found himself under fire from the LGBTQ community when his ex targeted him in a revenge attack, and his relationship with Lena only added fuel to that particular fire. He also didn’t consider the consequences of his actions on other people, such as how a relationship between him and Lena would affect her job with the Fury but the more he got to know her the more he wanted to be with her and thought he needed to prove his love in a dramatic fashion. With likeable characters in Alder and Lena, the overall story was engaging, easy to read and relatively lighthearted but with a sprinkling of angst as both characters had to realise that they were enough just as they were, and with the support of the Stag family they soon saw this.

[Marni Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Series Ever !!! It really is as simple as that . And we are only on book 2 ) OMG Guys !’ Alder and Lena !! The way these two hooked me so completely , the way their story pulled at all my heartstrings and had me laughing out loud , smiling like crazy even sobbing like a baby , yelling outta pure frustration and kept me cheering so freaking hard . Well I honestly do not think there really are any perfect words to express how in love with this story I fell . The off the charts chemistry, the angst and humor and witty banter , the drama , the obstacles, the secrets and miscommunication, the moments that are heartwarming and then the ones that are so heartbreaking you literally feel like your heart is being ripped in two , the love , the passion , the pain , the emotional struggles , the family and friendships. Not to mention characters that are just so likable and relatable ( you simply cannot stop yourself from falling hook line and sinker in love . I don’t want to give anything away so please pardon my vagueness in regards to the story . Just trust me when I say playing For Payback is a must read for everyone!!! And most definitely going on my list of top reads for the summer . Because I so so loved or should I say adored Alder and Lena so freaking much

[Christine Biesheuvel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fraternization Rules
All Ms Davis’ books are a joy to read and this one is too. I had to put it down in the middle of the night to close my eyes for a while, but otherwise read it in one go. There are always financial/emotional/social problems, trauma or diseases that her characters have to live through and they are all very relatable. Good for lots of laughs, some tears, substituted anger. Heavy on professional sports and hot cheeks because of many steamy scenes (love the lovemaking).
Wonderful characters, the Stag family is growing and still a group of people that stand together through thick and thin. Alder is one of Ty and Juniper’s twins, bi-sexual with a boyfriend. Lena, the Fury’s dentist is in a straight relationship with somebody who appears to be bi-sexual when his kiss with Alder’s boyfriend is brought to the big screen in the stadium. That is the beginning of the payback story when Alder and Lena come together and the start of a very different story. Really, really loved it!
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[gemma.louise.xx.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

When hockey player Alder and team dentist Lena look at the screens during a break in play they see their respective boyfriends on the kiss cam all over each other. When Lena finds herself homeless after the public betrayal, Alder is quick to offer his guest room- and his help in getting revenge. But what started out as payback quickly turns into something real. But with both of their professional careers on the line, can Lena and Alder find a way to keep their budding relationship and their jobs or will they have sacrifice one for the other?

So this is my first time meeting the Stags and now I want to go back to the start and meet them all!! Alder is a sweetie- the way he loves on his dog and how protective he is of Lena is just the tip of the iceberg with him! Plus it’s hockey and you can’t go wrong with hockey in my opinion! Really need Tucker’s book now because I have soooo many questions!!

This is an ARC review and all opinions are my own. Thank you to Literally Yours PR for the ARC copy of this book and for the opportunity to read and review it

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love everything Stag and now we are onto their grown up children I am still loving them. There's something about a hockey romance, perhaps it's the brutality of the sport and the squishiness of the romance, whatever it is, I enjoy the dichotomy. Alder is one of Ty's kids and twin to Tucker (whose story we have not had yet). He is an openly bisexual man whose relationship spectacularly implodes when his boyfriend is caught kissing another man on the 'kiss cam'. The other man turns out to be the boyfriend of new team dentist Lena.

The 'revenge' part of the story was a little childish at times and Alder doesn't really think through the consequences of his actions, but I loved both Alder and Lena, from their shared trauma to their revenge plan, to their happily ever after. I thought the emotional trauma and manipulation they had both suffered was handled well and I enjoyed watching them navigate their new relationship from friends to lovers.

[Laura Black Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun reading about the next generation in the Stag family series from Lainey Davis. This one is all about Alder, a gorgeous golden retriever himbo who just wants to be loved. He's a honey, but emotionally needy, insecure, impulsive and pretty hard on himself. He's bisexual, and both his hockey team and his family are supportive. The book is off with a bang when he finds his boyfriend making out with someone else on the jumbotron at a hockey game. The someone else is the boyfriend of Lena Sinclair, new team dentist for Alder's Pittsburgh Fury hockey team.

This is a cute combination of lovely people, some tricky but not unsurmountable obstacles, chemistry and instalove in a feel good, sports-mad universe. Lena has some challenges – her mother is toxic, her student loan debt is crippling, and now she's broken up with her cheating boyfriend. Alder is on the spot and they team up as he has plenty of energy for revenge on their exes. Trouble is, Alder is a loose canon and his impulsivity risks her job, and her future. I love how warm this is – the Stag family are all gorgeous, and it's great to spend time with both generations.

This book feels like it's a product of these uncertain times, a hug when we all need one. I know that author Lainey can write the hard stuff and make her characters work for their happy-ever-afters, so ... there's opportunity here for some grit and more angst, and perhaps both Alder and Lena could have had a tougher time earning each other's love. They are very young, and Alder is very silly, so a bit more growing up would have worked for me. Alder's sexuality, Lena's mother, toxic exes, money troubles, all of these plot points have potential for maximal messiness, but everything wrapped up pretty easily.

It's a great read overall, and I'm looking forward to the third in the Players series. Thank you Lainey Davis for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

[Only.ever.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
🏒Playing For Payback🏒
Playing #2

By Lainey Davis

🏒 Sports Romance
🏒 Friends to Lovers
🏒 Hockey Romance

⭐ 5/5

Alder, he didn’t have it easy and than his boyfriend cheats on him
Lena, always brought down by her lying boyfriend

Alder, Lena and their complicated journey

This story is an amazing example of how sometimes you have to go through a lot before you find the one who was meant to be by your side.
Alder is a bi-sexual hockey player who got cheated on in public. And Lena, the new team dentist, happens to be the girl whose boyfriend was part of alder’s humiliation.
But there is so much more to this story. People who put others down, who body shame the one they are supposed to love or care for. People who don’t stand for what they really are and retaliate when an issue comes along the way before talking it out.
In a storm they never saw coming, Alder and Lena find each other. Bound by heartbreak and self insecurities. And determined to get revenge.
But everything did not turn out the way they wanted. Instead they find themselves drawn to each other and finding comfort, feelings and support in the other one.
But working on the same team comes with problems. And in the end all the drama doesn’t matter and the only question that stays is, are their feelings worth fighting for, no matter the consequences, or were they never really meant to be.

[Amanda Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a hockey romance aficionado if you will, I can truly say a dentist and a hockey player is a genius paring, unique and not over done before. I really enjoyed the way that Lena and Alder's relationship developed, from quasi-co-workers and acquaintences, to roommates, to friends, and finally to lovers. Absolutely adore seeing women in male dominated fields. I also really enjoyed the layers of representation throughout the book.

On to the plot, the revenge plans were comical, the betrayal so very real. I can relate to the hurt you feel when your partner doesn't choose you, show you off, or give the same love amd energy back. These two learned how to be vulnerable with one another, and to trust that not only were they both worthy of love, but that the other person truly and wholeheartedly saw them and valued who they were at their core.

[Casey Pipkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS LOVE STORY

The angst was real. Professional wants versus love. I have to say that as a 65 yr old woman who has been heavy my entire life the mother being fat-phobic had me reliving some very hurtful times in my life. My mother passed years ago but it wasn’t until after she passed that a had an epiphany. I thought she loved me more than anyone ever could…the truth was, she was my biggest bully. She made me believe I was worthless. No man could ever love me because of my looks. I gave up my life, my dreams, my wants, my needs because I wasn’t worth it. I struggled with depression because if a person is worthless why even live. If you read this, I hope your life is better. Don’t believe the naysayers. You are worth it no matter what you think stands in your way. The world needs your light to shine so don’t let anyone dim it.♥️♥️♥️♥️

[Christina Colville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alder - bisexual hockey player for the Pittsburgh Fury in a relationship with Adam, who refuses to be seen in public with Alder.
Lena - Pittsburgh Fury team dentist, living with and supporting her boyfriend Brad
Alder and Lena bond over their shared humiliation when their significant others are caught kissing on the jumbotron at a playoff game. Lena now needs a place to live, so Alder offers her his guest room. They team up to plot revenge on their exes, and try to navigate blossoming feelings and corporate policy that forbids them from dating.
I enjoyed this story - it was sweet, emotional, spicy, and some of their revenge plots were LOL-worthy. I also loved the family dynamics of the Stag family.
This is the second book in the series, but the first that I've read. I would absolutely go back and read the rest of this series!

[Jordan Fiest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing For Payback is book two of the Playing Series.

Lena and Alder both suffer the same embarrassment from their ex-partners and form a bond together through this. They decide to get some revenge of their own and pretend to date each other. However, as they also work together this does cause some tension while at work. There is also a lot of tension with Alder's ex who accuses him of being something he isn't. This does cause him some problems with his image, which causes Lena to doubt some things.

I enjoyed how these two formed a great friendship together. Alder was also really good at giving Lena a boost in her self esteem. I enjoyed how he would try to get her out of her head and embrace the happiness of her life.

[Amy Reierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved the twins since we first met them but Alder I love how he embraces who he is and how his family accepts him. That being said Adam his current partner just can't seem to move forward with Alder. Doesn't want to spend time with his family, his friends, the team, not with anyone who matters to Alder. It's starting to give Alder a complex.
Lena on the other hand, her family and so called loved ones have been trying to keep her in a box beaten down by a complex she doesn't deserve. Lena has put herself through dental school to become a very skilled trauma dentist, while also supporting her deadbeat boyfriend while he is in school and not working.
Oh and lots not forget he's also cheating on her with Alder 's boyfriend which becomes public knowledge on the jumbotron at a hockey game while Lena and Alder both have front row seats to the kiss cam catching all the action.
And so these two wronged individuals form a revenge bond and make plans to get at those who've wronged them. so if you love to read:
🏒Hockey Romance
💼 Workplace Romance
➕Plus Size FMC
🏳️‍🌈 Bisexual MMC
👫Fake Dating
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Found Family
📈 Character Growth
♾️ Happily Ever After
Then don't miss the latest installment to the Stag family.
I have voluntarily left this review.

[Lilian · Rating 4 out of 5]

United in their humiliation and anger, Lena and Alder become sort-of friends and she ends up moving in with him. Over time, friendship and mutual comforting turns into something more.

But the fraternization policy at work prevents them from hoping for more, especially for Lena who is saddled with huge debt thanks to her studies, and desperately needs her current job. As for Alder, his reputation is suffering from a huge hit thanks to his douchebag ex.

As the revenge plot thickens, lines are crossed and decisions have to be made. I loved how the brothers stand in solitary with each other, and how the larger Stag family supports them too.

[Arya Ajwani · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨arc review✨

Wow, this was a great way to jump into the series! Lena is the hockey team's dentist, and she's attending to a player on the ice one day when she looks up to see a couple featured on the kiss cam: her boyfriend and one of the hockey player's boyfriends. Lena and Alder are both humiliated, and Lena ends up moving in with Alder so she can get away from her ex. I hadn't read the book before this in the series, and I'm glad this book was able to stand on its own. I think the bisexual representation was very good, but I do wish it was talked about a bit more in how it played a part in Lena and Alder's relationship. Overall, a great read! Super funny, and realistic.

Thank you to Lainey Davis and Literally Yours PR for the arc!

[Melissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Bi rep hockey player
-Curvy Trauma Dentist
-Revenge Dating

Despite being total strangers, Alder and Lena have one thing in common—their awful boyfriends. What brings them together is the kiss cam featuring their respective significant others during what is supposed to be his final game of the season and her first as the team dentist.

This was a fun read. It had revenge, betrayal, friendship, and developing feelings.

I was given a free copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Chia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously?!? How does Lainey write absolute PERFECTION every time!!

Lainey Davis strikes again with a story full of wit, passion, and just the right amount of emotional tension. Playing for Payback blends steamy chemistry and grounded character arcs in a way that feels effortlessly compelling. The enemies-to-lovers trope is handled with depth and nuance, and I found myself completely wrapped up in the slow-burn journey. A total win for romance readers!