Fall with Me

Playing for Keeps #4

by Becka Mack, Anika Klüver (Translator)

Eine Nacht, die alles verändert

Jaxon Riley lebt für Eishockey, unverbindliche Abenteuer und seine Katze – feste Beziehungen? Keine Chance. Lennon Hayes hingegen sollte eigentlich ihre Flitterwochen genießen, aber stattdessen landet sie nach ihrer gescheiterten Hochzeit als frischgebackener Single mit ihrem unnahbaren Nachbarn aus dem Urlaubsresort im Bett. Am nächsten Morgen ist sie weg – überzeugt, ihn nie wiederzusehen.

Doch das Leben hat andere Pläne. Kaum tritt Lennon ihren neuen Job als Fotografin der Vancouver Vipers an, steht sie plötzlich Jaxon gegenüber. Beide sind sich einig: Gefühle sind tabu. Aber was, wenn das Spiel längst begonnen hat?

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Hockey, Sports, Hockey Romance, Forced Proximity, Found Family

576 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2024

Reviews

[Yana]

4.5 ⭐️ SPEC FUCKING TACULAR, my favorite one of the series, also the fact that I only have 1 book left in the series is not okay

[tay]

a cat dad who cries over toy story. #realmenareback

[cherrybalmm ✮]

75% of this book was smut (wtf happened to the PLOT?!) and on top of that, having to hear carter speak like a whiny five year old child made me want to pull the trigger

[monica ✨ romantasyreader]

becka has done it again!!! the angst, the humor, the found family, THE LOVING OUT LOUD. this book was perfect and I loved every second.

𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨
jaxon is the notorious bad boy enforcer. he doesn’t do relationships and definitely doesn’t do love. he’s been burned and left by any one who matters. lennon is trying to figure herself out after walking in on her pencil dick ex fucking someone at their rehearsal dinner. when the two cross paths at a weekend away in cabo for a perfect one night together, it’s great. they’ll never see each other again. but then lennon walks into the arena as the team’s new photographer. and THEN her apartment floods and jaxon offers her a place to crash.

so begins their delicious descent from sorta hating each other to wait a second…

𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 & 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨
one of my favorite things about becka’s books is the way she writes characters who love their person with everything they got. whether it’s the little things like pink tulips on the counter each to the big things like ensuring the house has an observatory, I always feel the love permeating from the pages. the found family in each and every playing for keeps novel makes me cackle and literally cry for how much each of these characters love each other. the vulnerability and safe places they are for each of them to land.

jaxon and lennon had such a beautiful love story. lennon showed up for jaxon and he showed her what love really was supposed to feel like.

𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩
I’m but a basic girlie and I have to say the stargazing scene where jaxon opens up to lennon about his best friend, bryce. tears were STREAMING down my face.

“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢? 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙭𝙞𝙨? 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙢. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮.” 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. “𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙’𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚.”


I’ll never be over them. becka has written another forever fav and I can’t believe this series is coming to end after emmett and cara. what am I gonna do 😭

[aira]

2.5!! I died a little inside every time he called her "honey" and Carter gets progressively worse as the series continues. Though, this has to be the best of the series as of right now.

[Lit with Leigh]

Wow super hell nah lmao which branch of government do I need to write to so she can stop writing baby-talk dialogue when the characters' have their mouths full? She does this in every book and it drives me up the wall. I audibly sigh every time I read it. Honey is used 187 times...... federal prison, no chance of parole. Lastly, thanks Becka for ending racism when Caucasian Jaxon helped Black Lennon do her hair.

Catch me on YouTube @litwithleigh

[Tania]

I am so done with this author. This is the first book I dnf’d in a long time. Her other books were hard to get through but this one was just the worst. First of all, all the books would have benefitted from a good editor. They were at least 100 pages too long and full of stuff that neither added to the story nor moved it along.
And then the characters. Or should I say caricatures? Carter has gotten progressively worse throughout the series and is written as the epitome of a man child hockey bro that would in no way stay faithful. He has “I keep a secret phone with my hookups” written all over him.
Adam is just a quiet guy with a soft heart and a gigantic dick.
Do Emmett and Garrett have personalities? It’s hard to say because they seem to exist only to back up their bitchy significant others. The best thing Emmett ever did was marry Cara and save the rest of the marrying population from having her decide to choose them.
And let’s not forget Olivia is tiny. It’s literally her whole personality.
Now to the main characters for this book. I was pleased to see a queer woman of colour as a main character but the author really did her dirty. She was reduced to two things: her hair care routine and her sexual interests. So disappointing. And she treats Jaxon so badly, considering he literally saved her life and took her in when her apartment went bust. She literally takes over his space with no regard for common courtesy. She is possibly the worst house guest of all time. Jaxon is no better. Walking around naked in front of a woman without her consent is the definition of sa but I guess it’s okay if you call your dick Magic Mike. Plus the author can’t decide if he is a nice guy, an asshole, an enforcer, or a teddy bear. He’s just not a compelling character. Which is sad because he was in the last book.
I read up until after the Valentine’s Day part and that was enough. I can see where it is going. They will continue to have chapter’s long sex that doesn’t get any more interesting and eventually they will figure out that they are not unloveable because they (and their lame ass friends) love each other.
I will no longer read any Becka Mack books. I have wasted enough time already.

[Liani ♡ (semi-hiatus)]

˚˖𓍢ִ໋💜 ·˚ pre-read ˚ · ˖ hockey romance written by Becka Mack>> 🛐

so excited to finally read Jaxon’s book💕

[glavreads]

i think i may have found my book of the year 🥹

becka’s writing is just so special because it manages to be funny, hot, and entertaining while also having characters and storylines that pack an emotional punch and jax and lennon were no exception for me.

they meet while staying next door to each other and after spending a tipsy yet unforgettable night together, lennon leaves without a trace the next morning. they never expect to run into each other again… until his hockey team gets a new photographer that’s none other than his one night stand that he’s been yapping about nonstop.

the gang is so funny and sweet in this one. jaxon’s character will send me to therapy okkkk. if you’ve ever felt forgotten, unimportant, or invisible in your life, you will love jaxon and the lengths they all went to to show him how much he was loved made me cry on several occasions.

the banter between jax and lennon was EVERYTHING. i will never get sick of a fictional man who likes to tease and argue with her but then quietly does the sweetest things for her. jaxon was an acts of service girl’s dream and i cannot stop thinking about all the ways he quietly showed his love for her.

this whole series is like a hug from your best friend. it’ll take you through every emotion and i really think there’s someone that any reader can identify with in this cast of crazy characters.

these eccentric, goofy, hockey boys are not for everyone but they are certainly for meeeee!!

[Romysaa]

FINALLY!! Daddy Jaxon book..
I can't wait another 5 months 😭💗💗🦋

[Eleanor]

Becka Mack has a way of making the most obnoxious and chaotic romances so heartfelt and warm! The amount of times I cried while reading this is truly laughable, found family will get me every time.

[Maia]

DNF but I read enough so idc. Very Wattpad core and the humour is corny as fuck - feels like all these characters are not only adults who act like children but are also all written as different variations of each other.

[abby :)]

this book could either be three stars or two stars, depends on what time of day you ask me but i can't pick right now...

after being not that impressed with unravel me, the third book in this series, i wasn't expecting to love this book. and when i discovered that this was over 500 pages i knew this wasn't gonna be my fave. it's very sad to say that i was not the biggest fan of this series anymore because i truly adore the second book. all the others just feel like carbon copies of each other. the characters are all the same, a man child playboy with a nice heart and a women who is tough on the outside but immediately feels emotions when she starts up a relationship with her guy. it's also just not fun seeing grown women be married to children... carter...

lennon and jaxon were not a bad couple, i enjoyed seeing lennon be in a relationship where she was truly loved for the first time and it was great to see jaxon gain a family because that's all he's really wanted. but we could've cut a hundred pages and both those things would've happened. there was not enough "plot" for this book to be over 500 pages, like it's a romance with no angst???? why was it so long????

because there is one more book left i will probably read it when it comes out just to conclude the series. this book is full of very animated grown men, lots of talk about sex, lots of characters reading romance books, a cat that has instagram, and a girl with her camera. it's not the worst thing that could've been written, i just feel like my tastes have grown and this type of romance book isn't for me.

[ᥫ᭡.]

He threw away all his nut products because she’s allergic.

She loves pink tulips so he puts a fresh bouquet every week with a new vase.

She’s on her period so he does her curly hair routine and even diffuses.

He took her to see the northern lights.

God I need Jaxon Riley

This book was perfect. I cried, kicked my feet, giggled, smiled till my jaw hurt.
When this series is over I need a 2nd gen.

[sil ♡ the book voyagers]

ALL THE STARS!!!! 100000/10 ⭐

Thank you thank you Becka for sending me a copy of your upcoming book! It literally made MY DAY, MY WEEK, MY MONTH.

For everyone excited about Lennon and Jaxon, yalllll are not ready.

After I read Adam and Rosie, it quickly became my favorite of the series. But then after reading this one? I think I have a new favorite oops ₊˚⊹♡

[Niki]

JAXON MY INSECURE GIFT GIVING AND ACTS OF SERVICE KING. This has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year because I live and die for this series. I have been waiting for mr broody mysterious Jaxon’s story since book #2 and Mrs Becka Mack delivered it perfectly. I cried multiple times but also laughed literally sooooo hard???? And the Carter cameos were perfection. 5 stars. Brb while I go reread consider me. Again.

[Destiney Bomberry]

4.25⭐️ 3🌶️
Spice that starts off on page 25?! BECKA DID THAT!!!! ahhhh I had so much fun with this and honestly loved Jax and Lennon! Jax truly had me rolling, he was truly so funny and I couldn’t get enough of their interactions!

[⋆ ༻ Rue ༺⋆]

my fav in the series

[Mandy]

I really really wanted to like this series but the dialogue is so cringe. I seriously could not move past it. And I really didn’t like that he called her honey from day one it was weird.

I did love Jaxon being a cat dad that was cute.

[siff ♡]

✰ 3.5 stars
⤿ december 6 - 7, 2024, 📱

i personally found this absolutely hilarious. but then again this whole series have never failed to put a smile on my face.

"Gran snickers, and I take in the artwork scattered across the walls: dancing stars, falling meteors, brilliant sunrises, lush mountains. Lennon.
Lennon lives in every single piece, etched into the details, the sense of wonder, the same way she lives in my thoughts, running around all day, even when she’s not here.
I hate it when she’s not here."

[Olga 🌺]

I love Becka Mack’s writing and I love “playing for keeps” series but all her MCs except one are such fuckboys. This one might even be the cherry on top. 🤦🏻‍♀️ But I keep reading and of course there’s a ONS. And that’s the same night he sends away the girl he went on holiday with. Wait this is all jumbled up. Let me explain.

He meets the ow in his gym. He hits on her and asks her if she wants to go on vacation with him to f*ck and whatnot you know (because it’s oh-so-normal to take a stranger as a f*ckbuddy on vacation).
Of course she says yes, he’s a famous and rich hockey player after all. Only he finds her extremely annoying when they arrive to their destination (hmm I wonder why? 🤔) and the only way to shut her up is to f*ck her. Something that they do so loudly that their neighbour (MFC) in the adjacent villa can hear every single sound. After three days he’s sick of her, sends her on her way and that same night he hits on the neighbour and thus their ONS!

So here’s my dilemma, how desperate are you that you drop so low as to sleep with a guy whom you’ve been hearing “loudly” with another woman for the past three days!

Some meet ups in contemporary books are just freakin’ OUTRAGEOUS!!! Sorry Becka Mack but this is waaaaaay too much.

Aaaaaaand the MFC reads a threesome romance book. Why???? 😩😩😩😩 romance authors are stooping sooo lowwwwwww… should I keep reading? 🫣

I’ve forgotten how bad mouthed they all are. 🙄

Snippets of that:

Cara is cheering on her husband who’s about to score. “Go, baby! Do it for the blow job!” She winks at the MFC “I’m gonna blow him even if he misses”
All that in a full stadium.

The MFC is facetiming her parents. They mention her cheating asshole ex, and encourage her to meet someone new on the hockey team. In comes her cousin: “ yeah Len, surely there’s at least one cute player there that’s caught your eye. Why not let him dick you down good?”
In front of her parents!!!! Is there no limits anymore? Is this how people nowadays talk in front of their parents? Am I living on a different planet?

He meets her for the first time after their ONS at the conference room in the arena. He’s shocked, his friends know of his escapade of course, one asks: “so that was the girl you met in Cabo?” To which another friend answers: “that was the girl he F*CKED in Cabo”.

And it goes on and on. Every interaction between the MCs is him reminding her how well she took his c*ck, how her p*ssy is aching for his tongue, fingers and “Magic Mike” because yeah he named his little (not so little) dude.

And the WAGS call themselves “C*ck Suckers” and keep comparing their husbands’/bfs’ d*cks. 😔🥺😫😭

Why did I even like this series?

Ok, consider me confused 🫤
They have a wild ONS in Cabo. Then they shockingly realise they work for the same team now. She’s enraged, she’s rude and absolutely angry with him for being a f*ckboy. Heh I mean, newsflash Lennon, you literally f*cked him the first day he threw out his hookup of a second! What the heck did you expect?!

Never thought I’d dnf a Becka Mack book. I mean I know there’s gonna be an angsty breakup, followed by a heartwarming reconciliation and a very sweet ending but I just can’t get past all that foul language and vulgarity.

EPIC FAIL

[Brittany Kaluza]

1⭐️

No no no no no

I mean this in the nicest way possible, what the actual fuck? Was Becka Mack abducted by aliens? Be so for real right now….both main characters talking about fucking in front of their GRANDMOTHERSSSSSSSS, gbyeeeee. Seriously though the first 10% was totally normal I was loving it then BAM, both main characters turned into pick me freaks and it was over.

[Morgann Book]

Hockey smut with a plot + incredible found family vibes + a cat dad + a guy who "doesn't date" but will do anything for the girl he likes + a one night stand + a workplace romance.

Best way to describe this book is that it was FUN.

[ills]

their conversations give me brain damage

[Alya]

Solid 3 because I love the vibes this series gives -- this wasn't my favourite book as it was 90% fucking and 10% development .. I love their relationship but it was a bit too frustrating like was this the same author who wrote book 3??? Of course I ate the emotional depth parts up even though they felt like crumbs lol but I love those two as a couple and individuals -- I will be reading book 5💜

My Bookstagram

[Phuong ✯]

– 3.5 stars

Jaxon and Lennon and their cat were so cute together, but nothing will top Carter and his over the top personality for me. Ireland's first birthday party had me me in tears. 😭

Super excited for Cara & Emmett's book! I just know they will be my second favorite, after Carter and Olivia <3

[dee☁️]

Reformed playboy trope they will NEVER make me like you

[Heather]

I am so disappointed in this book. I adored the first 3 books in this series however this book felt like fanfiction written by an unexperienced author. This book felt shoved down my throat where the author and editor chose to tell and not show the character's growth.

Unfortunately I think the series has jumped the shark. The characters from previous books are overly established and are now gross characterization of their previous selves. Carter literally throw his 1 year old daughter a party that resembles a wedding. Cara, Ollie, Jennie and Rosie are constantly wet and horny while watching their husbands play hockey. The constant choreographed dance videos, hour long karaoke performances and generally having zero boundaries as a friend group is so overdone.

The eating habitats of these characters (half of which are supposed professional athletes that go on to win the Stanley Cup) is disgusting. Lattes, Frappuccinos, doughnuts, and muffins are pre workout meals. Post game consist of pizza, wings, fried pickles and beers. They are constantly shoving Oreos, Poptarts, Sour Keys and other snack foods in their mouths. Cara eats fistfuls of Skittles and M&Ms at the same time. Has no one heard of a piece of fruit? Or a vegetable?

Spoilers below.

Some other pet peeves:

- Lennon goes on her honeymoon alone and only brings rainbow Crocs. Personally, I love my Crocs but there is a line.

- The reader first finds out that Lennon is African American when Jaxon describes her genitals as "brown." Yes, apparently only white woman are allowed to have "pink pussies." Everyone else gets a "brown pussy." Then we are reminded repeatedly of Lennon's bronze body parts.

- Lennon has no idea how to make a cup of coffee. She somehow fucks up using a Keurig machine. I am not sure who was making her coffee for the last ten years of her life because it certainly wasn't her asshole ex-fiancée.

- Somehow the team's professional photographer, Lennon, is positioned next to the WAGs (Cara, Ollie, Jennie and Rosie) during games.

- Lennon is forced to leave her apartment due to a burst pipe. Lennon is then unable to find a hotel room in all of Vancouver and her plan is to sleep in her car in a Walmart parking lot in the dead of winter. There were supposedly no hotel rooms available in all of Vancouver.

- Lennon binge eats pastries at a team event. However Lennon has a tree and peanut allergy. Lennon goes into anaphylactic shock and when the doctor tells her the pastries had almond flour in them her response is, "that's not how my grandma makes them." How is Lennon still alive?

- Jaxon sleeps naked and likes to spend his mornings naked around his apartment. When Lennon moves in he does not modify his habitats. He walks around the apartment buck ass naked while calling his penis "Magic Mike." And according to Lennon Magic Mike is 8 inches long when flaccid.

- At one point Jaxon wrestles Lennon onto the bed and gyrates against her a 2-3 times. This was enough for Lennon to soak through her underwear and sweatpants and leave a wet spot on said sweatpants.

- Lennon gets her period and has to ask Jaxon how to take Advil. She doesn't know if her pain levels justify a certain formula or what to take for dosage. I don't understand how Lennon does not know how to medicate and take care of herself on an extremely basic level.

- Lennon is African American and her hair care routine is brought up a few times. Mostly her making decisions that then give Jaxon the opportunity to be "romantic" and take care of her hair for her. Lennon will spend hours washing and styling her hair only to shower a few hours later, sleep without her silk wrap or lose it and not own a shower cap. At one point Jaxon, a Caucasian man, styles Lennon's hair. Apparently he learned by watching her a few times. Oh but then they shower together 10 minutes later.

- Jaxon needs relationship advice so he "checks out" a 12 year old girl from the children's shelter for the afternoon. At the end of the visit the 12 year old girls ask a brief opportunity to confess her insecurities and fears on no one wanting her/wanting to adopt her. Way to prioritize the child, Jaxon.

- Jaxon receives three concussion in the span of a few months and he is still allowed to play hockey. He is okay with this because fighting is all he is good for and nobody loves or wants him *eye roll*

- When Jaxon winks at Lennon, Lennon gets "butterflies in her coochie."

- Ryne, Lennon's ex-fiancée, who could not even do the bare minimum when they were a couple for 7-8 years and cheated on her at her wedding rehearsal dinner chases her down to Vancouver and re-proposes twice. The second time he brings his grandmother and re-proposed with a $50,000 ring. It makes zero sense.

- The team's assistant coach begins to see Carter's mother and tells Carter he is "going to eat his mother for breakfast" during a banter session in a team meeting.

Honestly, I could go on. I didn't even touch on the cat stuff which I'll admit was cute but exceedingly extra.

I barely made it through this book.

[Q.B. Tyler]

Phenomenal. Heartwarming. Steamy. Easily a 5 star read and while I rarely reread books, I know I’ll have to visit Jaxon and Lennon again. This book had everything I love in a romance novel and I adored every second of it. Becka Mack continues to prove why this found family she created in her Playing for Keeps series is one of the best.

[Jamie]

J😭a😭x😭o😭n😭

I loved them 🥹 they were so cute and funny and I was actually crying at some parts

I did skip to the end of chapter two and started from there so I didn’t have to read anything that would make me not like him before he met her and I’m so glad I did bc I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on this book




—————————


Plz I need one of my friends to take one for the team and read this because I want to read it so bad but I need to know if he’s actually whoring around after being with her 😭😭😭😭