The Best Player

by Jaqueline Snowe

Falling for your brother's best friend is not an option-right?

Kenzie Hill needs a place to stay the summer before college, so when a spot opens up at her brother Aaron's "baseball" house, she accepts. Living with a bunch of dudes who walk around shirtless won't distract her-she has plans and nothing will get in her way. Not even her brother's best friend.

Tanner Johnson has one thing on his mind-his future in the MLB. After choosing to wait another year before entering the draft, he now dedicates every second to getting better on the field, or letting loose. His best friend's sister shouldn't even register on his radar.

The first kiss is an accident and the second leads to more. They agree it'll just be a fling and that Aaron can never know. Kenzie's just starting her future, while Tanner's is already planned.

Falling for her brother's best friend was never an option-but what happens when suddenly, it is?

This standalone, baseball romance features brother's best friend, off-limits, summer roommates, good girl x bad boy, just a summer fling new adult romance.

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2026

About the author

Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the "dry heat" really isn't that bad. She prefers drinking coffee all hours of the day and snacking on anything that has peanut butter or chocolate. She is the mother to two dogs who don’t realize they aren’t humans and a = mom to the sweetest boy. She is an avid reader and writer of romances and tends to write about athletes. Her husband works for an MLB team (not a player, lol) so she knows more about baseball than any human ever should.


Join my newsletter--> https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...

Reviews

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't understand ownership of someone's creative work, but I do know that Jaqueline is re-releasing The Best Player in a few weeks. This book, actually this series (Cleat Chasers) has been on my radar for about two years now and, because it is available on KU, I kept putting it off. Well, apparently, Jaqueline is going to re-release book #3, The Best Player, because she got back ownership of the manuscript. I have an ARC copy of this book that I can now read. I don't know what it was like before, but I really enjoy it now.

The story follows Tanner Johnson and Kenzie Hill. Okay, so Kenzie is Aaron Hill's little sister, and Tanner is Aaron's roommate and teammate. You're probably wondering who Aaron is, and I was thinking the same thing. Turns out that we meet Aaron, and everyone else, in book #1 of the series, and Aaron's book is #2. Did I go back after reading The Best Player to get to know all the characters? You bet your booty I did. I'm writing this review after reading Challenge Accepted, so it's going to be influenced by that book because, again, the first two books of this series are not being re-released (at least not as of May 2026), so there is a definite comparison to the writing.

I don't know what has changed in the re-release other than the names of a few side characters...Actually, I wouldn't even call them secondary characters, more like third-tier characters. To tie them into the other books written by Jaqueline, some characters' names were changed to Lorelei and Dean. In this book, they are freshman. If you have read Jaqueline's recent catalog, you will recognize them as characters in First Meet Foul and The Summer Playbook in their junior and senior year. That's just a fun tidbit for you.

The plot in this book was good. It's your typical forced proximity (Kenzie goes to live with her brother and his roommates for the summer, while waiting for the fall semester to start), meets her brother's best friend, and meets friends-to-lovers. The energy between Tanner and Kenzie is lighthearted and fun. They are chill, laid back, and confident characters. They shoot the $hit, and the friendship between them is easy-going. There's an obvious attraction that they eventually act upon, and it's very "go with the flow". I enjoyed the story because it was so easy to read, easy to get lost in the pages, and quick. The dialogue between the characters felt natural and timeless. This may be a weird critique but if you see my my review
of Challenge Accepted, you'll understand why I say that.

I really loved the other characters that we spent time with in this story. Zade and Callie, as well as Aaron and Greta, were great couples and friends to both Tanner and Kenzie, and also provided some comedic relief. Obviously, I loved them, which is why I immediately went to Kindle Unlimited and "rented" copies of the first two books in the Cleat Chasers series.

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

4⭐|2🌶️|13%🌶️frequency

If you are looking for an easy read. A book with just a teeny tiny bit of drama. If you also love college sports settings. Then this book is absolutely perfect for you 🩷

Why a teeny tiny bit of drama? Because it's "brother's best friend" 😉
I definitely love "brother's best friend", and I was looking forward to reading Tanner and Kenzie's book 😁
I already loved them both in the previous book(s). OK, Kenzie wasn't super present before, but at least a bit in "The Game Changer", which is her brother Arron's book.

Kenzie is such a cute girl. She's an introvert. Doesn't really have any friends, and is now new at the college.
I wouldn't say Tanner is the complete opposite of her, but yeah, he's definitely a huge playboy.
Not sure if I could live wall to wall with someone like him 🙈
But they also have a lot in common, and that makes them a perfect fit.
They really are cute together. But they are actually not just cute 🤣 If the playboy doesn't get different 🐱 he "uses" the one he gets 😎

I loved how much Tanner cared for his family. And how he sacrifices everything for them.

There is one more book coming soon, "No Easy Catch". And I have to say, I don't really know what to think about Jeff yet. Just can't place him anywhere. So, I'm really curious about this next book 😁


Thanks to the author for trusting me with an ARC 🩷


Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive as an ARC 🥰

If you love that “we absolutely should not be doing this” energy mixed with summer vibes and sports romance—this one is such an easy binge.

Kenzie and Tanner’s story leans heavily into tension from the start. Living under the same roof, surrounded by teammates, and trying to ignore the obvious attraction? It’s only a matter of time before things spiral. And once that line is crossed, there’s no going back.

Tanner gives off that classic focused-athlete-meets-bad-boy energy, but there’s a softer side to him that comes out around Kenzie. Meanwhile, Kenzie knows exactly what she wants for her future, and I loved that she doesn’t completely lose herself in the relationship—even when things get complicated.

The brother’s best friend trope really drives the stakes here. There’s always that underlying risk of being caught, which keeps the tension high and the relationship feeling a little bit reckless in the best way. Add in the “just a summer fling”mindset, and you already know feelings are going to get messy.

TROPES:
✨Brother’s best friend
✨Off-limits romance
✨Summer roommates
✨Baseball romance
✨Good girl x bad boy

A fun, slightly angsty summer romance with plenty of chemistry and just enough emotional depth. If you love forbidden vibes, close proximity, and relationships that start casual but turn into more—this one’s a solid pick.

[Natalie Intihar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a forbidden romance, and The Best Player absolutely nailed it. Kenzie and Tanner’s chemistry was off the charts, even when they were trying to hide it. The two of them, in the same house as her brother? Absolute chef’s kiss.

Kenzie and Tanner are both on individual journeys in this book, and I loved how Kenzie’s involved a good ol’ fashioned list to accomplish. It was so fun to watch Tanner get involved in helping her accomplish tasks on that list- from getting her ID photo taken to the more risqué moments just between the two of them. It was a great way to bring the two of them closer together and made for so many hilarious and sweet moments. ;

Jaqueline Snowe lives in my sports romance HOF section for how good these books always are. Whether the book is a new adult like this one or just a pure romance, she always finds the perfect balance of sports content with the romance itself. I wholeheartedly loved this book and am so excited that she’s rereleasing it as well as No Easy Catch, which comes out May 21st!

I voluntarily reviewed a free advance copy of this book provided by the author. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Nicole Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I absolutely loved this book. I purposely took my time reading it, would have had it done in a day otherwise.

Forbidden love.....best friends and teammates little sister.

Kenzie comes to college early to spend the summer getting ready for college. She moves in with her brother and his teammates.
Just got out of a relationship, he broke up with her.

Tanner baseball player and has MLB goals.
Full focus is one baseball and getting drafted. Has to help his mom and brothers.
Doesn't do relationships.

Kenzie signs up for some early classes for the summer. Tanner needs to take some classes during the summer. The same class turns into studying together and hanging out together. So when you're in close proximity to each other and getting to know each other.
Something is bound to happen. So they make an agreement to have a summer fling.
But when the summer is coming to an end, feelings are getting in the way of each other's goals.
Will they make it work or put their goals first???

Highly recommend this book. I'm hoping we get more of these two and the friends group.

[Liberty Munson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! For an 18 year, Kenzie shows strength, vulnerability, and grace in ways that even someone who is much older wouldn't do as well. Tanner is a playboy through and through, and Kenzie's brother's best friend and roommate--making a relationship between them about as forbidden as they get. Both of them are carrying a lot of emotional baggage so when they can't fight their chemistry and attraction any longer, they give into a fling, but what they get instead is someone that they can talk to about anything... someone who becomes their best friend without them even realizing it. Of course, there is a third act breakup (this plot basically begs for one), but I love how he showed her his feelings and how he won her back. It was the perfect grand gesture for their story.

I didn't realize that this was the third book in a series, and I do wish that I had read Zade's and Aaron's stories before this one because I suspect it would have been even better, but it was still a great story with a well-paced plot, lots of great banter, and lots of spice.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this as an arc.

First thing - I would have reallllllly appreciated knowing this book was part of a series before I had started reading it. Was a little confusing in regards to previous relationships. This book was originally published here.


That being said - I really liked this book. I liked how our FMC and MMC started out as friends, had their attraction grow, and then acted on it. I liked how our FMC stood up for herself and was able to speak her mind. I liked the sex scenes, even if they were vanilla.

I wasn't mad about their little 3rd-act separation, because it made a lot of sense. I loved the signs of jealousy we got from both characters. The only reason why this isn't a 5 star is just because it didn't give me that feeling, but it is a very good book, and one I would recommend - especially for baseball fans (though there's not a lot of that)

[Whitney Cruthird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished and whew… Tanner and Kenzie?? Straight fire 🔥 like the chemistry is not playing around. Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️

The sneaking around had me grinning the whole time because it’s messy, it’s funny, and you just know it’s gonna blow up eventually. And Kenzie?? That girl’s sass is elite. I lived for every second of it.

Tanner really went in thinking baseball was his whole world… then boom, Kenzie walks in and flips his entire game plan upside down. Sir didn’t stand a chance and honestly? We love that for him.

And the fact they have to keep it all secret because she’s his best friend’s little sister AND they’re teammates AND roommates?? Yeah… stress, tension, chaos… sign me up.

This one had me smiling, stressing, and fully invested. 💙⚾

[Alaa El Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

I really enjoyed reading this, it was a such a fun read. I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the Kenzie’s responses were always on the spot and she always called people out when they needed, especially the Tanner and her brother. I loved how their relationship progressed and how she stood up for what she wanted, how she didn’t let anyone or any circumstance deter or influence her. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind which was interesting because she was the youngest among them. The relationship between both characters shows their development individually and as a pair, and how they are able to open up to each other and become vulnerable, even when they cannot fully do that with the others. Their connection wasn’t forced at all and it grew naturally through out.

[Leslie Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best friend’s sister is such a fun trope to read. I loved Kenzie and Tanner right from the start. Both carry huge burdens caused by family situations. In that sense, they bonded immediately. Tanner came off as this carefree guy who had a wicked grin. The more you read, the more we see there’s so much depth to this character. I loved Kenzie’s independence. She was just starting college and was still trying to decide who she was.

Living with her brother and his roommates for the summer proved to be quite the adventure. One of my favorite things about this couple was how they took care of each other. This was a beautifully written story and I cannot wait for what’s next!

[Kalexreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and fun college, brother’s best friend, friends with benefits to lovers story. Tanner is Kenzie’s brother’s best friend…and also one of her roommates for the summer. They start out as just friends, but their attraction grows. Tanner is worried about losing focus on baseball, and Kenzie just wants to have some fun before school starts. Things turn spicy before they get more serious. Kenzie and Tanner really enjoy each other’s company and find each other easy to talk to. It takes a little time, but they finally figure out how much they love each other and the risk is worth it. Loved it!!!

[Meli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the way the author handled Tanner's player ways. The one time he hooks up is easily overshadowed by Kenzie's humor. Kenzie's personality was chef's kiss. She made me laugh various time with her humor. And she didn't let anyone get away with their bad attitudes towards her. She was a strong lead who didn't cry and persevered where others would give up. Tanner was also a great MMC. While sometimes he was a bad love interest he always made up for it. His attitude and look on life changed for the better. The only loose end was the draft. I hope it's addressed in the next book or an extra epilogue.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so excited for this new book from Jaqueline! I have loved everything she’s written, including this book. I love how Kenzie was independent and stood up for herself and put herself first. Tanner was very caring and family oriented. I love how their families and backgrounds were integral and intertwined with their personalities and plots, making the characters feel very real. I do wish that there was a little more tied up in the end regarding their families and the issues there, but overall I really enjoyed this!

[crystal c · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ Okay, I know this is only my second book by Jaqueline Snowe but wow she knocked it out of the park! Home run! I was pleasantly surprised with how mature these college students were and I think that’s why I loved it so much. They weren’t playing games and I was instantly rooting for Kenzie and Tanner. They just got each other, supported each other through struggles each faced and handled everything very well together. This was a really great best friend’s little sister secret love romance. Highly recommend.

[Evy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love a forbidden sports romance and this story has it all. The love, the sneaking around, the hurt and the anger.
Kenzie and Tanner are so alike and yet so different. They are perfect for each other. I loved how Kenzie keeps him on his toes with her perfect and sarcastic remarks. This made me laugh several times! She also wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. And they were always open and honest with each other. I received a copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this story and I hope you will too.

[Andrea Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! I absolutely loved this book. I love a brother’s friend romance and that’s exactly what Snowe gave us. Entertaining, swoon worthy and so sexy!

Kenzie is moving in with her brother and his roommates early before she starts college. She’s only there until it’s time to live into the dorms. Kenzie becomes friends with Tanner. Tanner the one who doesn’t do relationships. So these two decide to have a fling. But they both don’t realize that it will become more than just a fling. It becomes so much more.

Spicy and oh so good! Must read. Highly recommended.

[Shayay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story! Like the brother’s best friend scenario; enjoy a bit of the forbidden, and a bit of forced proximity going on too! Love that trying to resist connection between the leads! Not a fan of the oh it’s a fling thing and the secrecy, but Kenzie and Tanner have good chemistry and have that nice dash of spice! Enjoy romances in the sports world too, so Tanner being a baseball player is a fun aspect. Entertaining story!

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best Player is a college baseball Romance with forced proximity and brothers best friend/teammate. This was an easy read that had tons of spice and fun characters. Kenzie is moving in with her brother and his roommates for the summer prior to her dorm opening up. Tanner and Kenzie start up a summer fling that escalates into more. There are a lot of hidden emotions as both Tanner and Kenzie have family issues as well and they can lean on each other.

[Judith Reyna Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love sports romances. Kenzie moves into her brother’s house when she leaves for college. Her brother and his roommates / teammates had an extra room for the summer.

Kenzie and Tanner end up having a fling and things get messy at times. Her brother has no idea!

Kenzie is a little fireball. I loved her personality!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great story written by Jaqueline Snowe! Kenzie’s a cute, bubbly and energetic FMC and Tanner’s development as a character was fun to read.
4 ⭐️
I had the opportunity to read an ARC and highly recommend this. A good Sunday afternoon read!

[Sam Ecksss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, loved this book so much. They way they're drawn together and can't help but connect and support one another. Love a brother's best friend/younger sister is a total badass storyline. Definitely recommend!

[Maddie St. John · Rating 4 out of 5]

ughhhhh queue Best Friend's Brother by Victoria Justice-

I'll die on this hill, BFB is a great trope. Anything Jaqueline writes and publishes? I'm reading it.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize at first that this was a republication of one of my favorite Snowe sports romances. I'm happy I got to experience it a second time. It was just as much fun the second time around.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly even 4.5. Sex scenes are 🌶️. I really like Kenzie’s strength and Tanner’s vulnerability.