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Playing For #1
Playing for Keeps
Living in LA and dating celebrities wasn't what it was cracked up to be. I found out the hard way many had a lifestyle I wanted no part of.
Then David Taylor forced his way into my life. A sledge hammer breaking down my well crafted walls.
He was gorgeous and sexy and intimidating. I was drawn to him in a way I had never been to anyone or anything. And I knew I couldn't have him, I was too damaged, too flawed to really connect.
David saw what I was from the beginning. A broken scared girl locked away inside an aloof woman. And he was determined to free me. To make me his.
WARNING: THIS IS AN EROTIC NOVEL. If you do NOT like dominant, possessive, very Alpha-males, Playing for Keeps is not for you.
Then David Taylor forced his way into my life. A sledge hammer breaking down my well crafted walls.
He was gorgeous and sexy and intimidating. I was drawn to him in a way I had never been to anyone or anything. And I knew I couldn't have him, I was too damaged, too flawed to really connect.
David saw what I was from the beginning. A broken scared girl locked away inside an aloof woman. And he was determined to free me. To make me his.
WARNING: THIS IS AN EROTIC NOVEL. If you do NOT like dominant, possessive, very Alpha-males, Playing for Keeps is not for you.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2015
272 people are currently reading
2741 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Grant
5 books751 followershttps://instagram.com/writerjcgrant/
J.C.Grant was born and raised in Oklahoma City. Currently living in LA with her rescue dogs.
Writes Erotica.
Sexy Alpha Males
J.C.Grant was born and raised in Oklahoma City. Currently living in LA with her rescue dogs.
Writes Erotica.
Sexy Alpha Males
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 336 reviews
August 23, 2015
DNF before I break something
"-I glanced at the store entrance as a hulking man walked in.
Holy shit...
My brain-short circuited. My vagina was instantly awake and at full attention."
The heroine is too stupid for words.
She's so contradicting and vapid...I can't.
Not even wasting my words on this.
Just no.
January 13, 2018
#davidTaylor
This book will only appeal to those readers like myself who are addicted to OTT alpha males.
Now I will admit David is by far probably the most obsessed , possessive, jealous and overbearing hero ever. But guess what?
I liked him A LOT.
He didn't mince words. He said it like it was. He wanted her. He got her. He was going to keep her no matter what.
For this type of romance to work..you have to have a heroine who deep down wants that bossy jealous guy. She needs to crave being taken care of and she needs to accept that there will be no more walls. David was insecure but so was Austin. She fed off his controlling ways and she needed to feel wanted, loved and worshiped. For every time he showed her he was in it for the long haul she felt safer. Austin found a safe place to just be and David found his home.
Last but not least, this was SEX on steroids. I actually lost count of the sex scenes. They were hot and pretty kinky. There was some parts that were wow.. a little out there.
If you want to let go of reality for a bit.. let David take control. He does it well.
Safety zone info:
100 % Safe.
HFN ending.
David hadn't had sex in a while .. wasn't a Manwhore and never looked at another woman after Austin.
He was famous so some did flirt with him but he didn't reciprocate. Austin had lawyers where she worked come on to her.. she didn't encourage them. Also her guy friend had interest and David was jealous.. Nothing came of this. They were over the moon obsessed with each other.
This book will only appeal to those readers like myself who are addicted to OTT alpha males.
Now I will admit David is by far probably the most obsessed , possessive, jealous and overbearing hero ever. But guess what?
I liked him A LOT.
He didn't mince words. He said it like it was. He wanted her. He got her. He was going to keep her no matter what.
For this type of romance to work..you have to have a heroine who deep down wants that bossy jealous guy. She needs to crave being taken care of and she needs to accept that there will be no more walls. David was insecure but so was Austin. She fed off his controlling ways and she needed to feel wanted, loved and worshiped. For every time he showed her he was in it for the long haul she felt safer. Austin found a safe place to just be and David found his home.
Last but not least, this was SEX on steroids. I actually lost count of the sex scenes. They were hot and pretty kinky. There was some parts that were wow.. a little out there.
If you want to let go of reality for a bit.. let David take control. He does it well.
Safety zone info:
100 % Safe.
HFN ending.
David hadn't had sex in a while .. wasn't a Manwhore and never looked at another woman after Austin.
He was famous so some did flirt with him but he didn't reciprocate. Austin had lawyers where she worked come on to her.. she didn't encourage them. Also her guy friend had interest and David was jealous.. Nothing came of this. They were over the moon obsessed with each other.
October 15, 2015
3.5-4 Panty Soaking Hot Stars!
This book was hot! The blurb says it all. If you don't like dominant, extremely possessive, stalkerish, very alpha males then you definitely won't like this one. This is a fog up your glasses steamy read.
David Taylor is the epitome of alpha male and the moment he laid eyes on Austin he had to have her. The chemistry between these two was more than I could bear at times. Austin fought her attraction to David as long as she could, but eventually she falls under his charm and spell. This is a nice read that light on angst and filled with some sexy erotic moments. I found myself falling for the dirty talking Mr. Taylor, after all, who wouldn't!
This book was hot! The blurb says it all. If you don't like dominant, extremely possessive, stalkerish, very alpha males then you definitely won't like this one. This is a fog up your glasses steamy read.
David Taylor is the epitome of alpha male and the moment he laid eyes on Austin he had to have her. The chemistry between these two was more than I could bear at times. Austin fought her attraction to David as long as she could, but eventually she falls under his charm and spell. This is a nice read that light on angst and filled with some sexy erotic moments. I found myself falling for the dirty talking Mr. Taylor, after all, who wouldn't!
November 13, 2020
Hotness rating: 4 Stars
Story rating: 1 Star
Overall rating: 2.5 Stars
When I saw that this book was about a possessive Alpha male I was thinking, Hell yeah! I love me some Alpha hotness. But then I met the Hero...
David Taylor was not the Hero for me! Nope, I wanted to kick him in the balls repeatedly for being such a douche. I admit that I love when Heroes are really possessive and pushy, to an extent. But not when Heroes are crazy stalkers. David sees Austin in a grocery store and when she wasn't looking he takes her phone out of her purse to get her number THEN he tracks her phone to the club she's at that night and takes her away from her friend. That was only the beginning of the craziness, I mean he pushes her into moving in with him to "play house" for a few weeks after they only knew each other for days. Days!
Austin was not much better of a character since she let herself be pushed around by some crazy person. Hello?!? You are allowed to use the word "no!" She came to LA to be an actress but couldn't find any work so she became a temp, of course not making much money. Well who needs money when you have a mommy to pay for everything?! I was really turned off when I found out that her mother paid for her house and car and it just made me hate her character even more.
Pushing the insaneness out of my mind I was able to enjoy the smexiness. Those scenes were the only ones I enjoyed and oh boy did I enjoy them. Naughty to the max and dirty as hell I have no shame in admitting I loved parts of the book. I started to skim a lot of the story but I definitely did not skim those parts!
Overall, this book was not for me. I couldn't feel the chemistry between the characters and only saw the craziness. I don't discourage anyone from reading this book and if you love the possessive types and rough sexy scenes, give it a try! Personally not my type of Hero but I think a lot of people would like this book.
Story rating: 1 Star
Overall rating: 2.5 Stars
When I saw that this book was about a possessive Alpha male I was thinking, Hell yeah! I love me some Alpha hotness. But then I met the Hero...
David Taylor was not the Hero for me! Nope, I wanted to kick him in the balls repeatedly for being such a douche. I admit that I love when Heroes are really possessive and pushy, to an extent. But not when Heroes are crazy stalkers. David sees Austin in a grocery store and when she wasn't looking he takes her phone out of her purse to get her number THEN he tracks her phone to the club she's at that night and takes her away from her friend. That was only the beginning of the craziness, I mean he pushes her into moving in with him to "play house" for a few weeks after they only knew each other for days. Days!
Austin was not much better of a character since she let herself be pushed around by some crazy person. Hello?!? You are allowed to use the word "no!" She came to LA to be an actress but couldn't find any work so she became a temp, of course not making much money. Well who needs money when you have a mommy to pay for everything?! I was really turned off when I found out that her mother paid for her house and car and it just made me hate her character even more.
Pushing the insaneness out of my mind I was able to enjoy the smexiness. Those scenes were the only ones I enjoyed and oh boy did I enjoy them. Naughty to the max and dirty as hell I have no shame in admitting I loved parts of the book. I started to skim a lot of the story but I definitely did not skim those parts!
Overall, this book was not for me. I couldn't feel the chemistry between the characters and only saw the craziness. I don't discourage anyone from reading this book and if you love the possessive types and rough sexy scenes, give it a try! Personally not my type of Hero but I think a lot of people would like this book.
August 12, 2016
I am kinda disappointed with this one...
fuck yeah, I love ALPHAs, dominant, even assholery manner works sometimes...
BUT this guy seemed to be crossing that thin line between an ALPHA and a CAVEMAN...
well, It didn't work for me...it was annoying as hell...and the limited span of his words...
including these treasures:
"...who owns this pussy?
Who owns you?
you're mine...
this sweet pussy is mine...
I'll fuck you into submission..."
ok, I get it...you'll fuck her....fuck her... you'll fuck your way to her heart!!!
fuckin yaaay!!!
and well, that's all he actually does through out the whole book...
HE SAW HER, HE ENTERED HER and HE CAME (multiple potent times) and there's your LOVE story!
and just to state, the heroine was even worse - indecisive, flippery...annoying
BRAVO!!!!
I just needed more substantial material. *shrugs*
Too bad, with a different approach, more significant lines added to more complex story it could have been way better...but it is what it is...but unofortunately not for me.
May 10, 2016
I wrote this book by a fluke. My muse for this book is relatively unknown. Anyway long story short, with so little information about him this story developed.
David Taylor is a serious Alpha male that had me squirming in my seat.
He is sexy, possessive, jealous, sensitive and sweet. Emotionally damaged and so lovable. And I can't seem to shake him. Which is why I started a follow up book to this one.
I fell in love with David and I hope you will too.
David Taylor is a serious Alpha male that had me squirming in my seat.
He is sexy, possessive, jealous, sensitive and sweet. Emotionally damaged and so lovable. And I can't seem to shake him. Which is why I started a follow up book to this one.
I fell in love with David and I hope you will too.
February 7, 2017
5 Sizziling stars !
This book was Pure SEX,SEX,SEX...But GODDAMN ! It was HOT,HOT,HOT !! O_O
This book was Pure SEX,SEX,SEX...But GODDAMN ! It was HOT,HOT,HOT !! O_O
January 10, 2016
2 wasn't a fan stars
CAUTION: UNPOPULAR OPINION REVIEW AHEAD!
ARGH! I hate writing these reviews, I really do. I know all of the blood, sweat, and tears authors put into these books and I feel like I am basically stepping on all of that by expressing my opinion.
That being said, a lot of things in this book didn't work for me...
1. The hero and heroine had the worst case of insta-lust I have ever seen. This leads me to believe one thing- both characters are clearly unhinged.
2. It takes 7 pages for the author to describe what the heroine thinks when she first see's our hero. SEVEN PAGES! Seven pages of "omgggg my panties are wet!" and "omggggg he looks so good!" (not direct quotes!)
3. The hero is CREEPY AS FUCK! He meets her, wants her, programs his phone number into her phone without her knowing, and demands a date. This is within their first meeting. And he get's even creepier from there. SUPER obsessed and SUPER controlling. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love those alpha male types- but this one bordered on psychotic.
Everything about you is my business now. You want to pretend like we don't have something between us? Fine. I'll take care of everything. You just keep breathing..."
This was after their first date.
4. The heroine
But I have to admit, the sex scenes were pretty steamy and detailed. That's what prevented this book from being a one-star.
I wish nothing but the best for this author in their future endeavors and I am not one to give up on an author based on one 'not so good' book.
CAUTION: UNPOPULAR OPINION REVIEW AHEAD!
ARGH! I hate writing these reviews, I really do. I know all of the blood, sweat, and tears authors put into these books and I feel like I am basically stepping on all of that by expressing my opinion.
That being said, a lot of things in this book didn't work for me...
1. The hero and heroine had the worst case of insta-lust I have ever seen. This leads me to believe one thing- both characters are clearly unhinged.
2. It takes 7 pages for the author to describe what the heroine thinks when she first see's our hero. SEVEN PAGES! Seven pages of "omgggg my panties are wet!" and "omggggg he looks so good!" (not direct quotes!)
3. The hero is CREEPY AS FUCK! He meets her, wants her, programs his phone number into her phone without her knowing, and demands a date. This is within their first meeting. And he get's even creepier from there. SUPER obsessed and SUPER controlling. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love those alpha male types- but this one bordered on psychotic.
Everything about you is my business now. You want to pretend like we don't have something between us? Fine. I'll take care of everything. You just keep breathing..."
This was after their first date.
4. The heroine
But I have to admit, the sex scenes were pretty steamy and detailed. That's what prevented this book from being a one-star.
I wish nothing but the best for this author in their future endeavors and I am not one to give up on an author based on one 'not so good' book.
August 20, 2015
Wow...just wow!
I devoured this book! It is 3am and I am not at all tired! I loved every minute of reading this! It was exactly what I needed to get me out of a two week book slump.
It was more sex with a book wrapped around it, but who cares. It was HOT! David is a f'ing champ..and I do mean a champion at f'ing! He is crazy obsessed and possessive. But he is also insecure and sweet. A combination that really worked for me. I just wanted to give him the family he always wanted. Forget Austin, I will do it!
Someone compared David to Jesse Ward. He is the closest I have ever read (outside of a paranormal book), and maybe even more obsessed. And I did not think that was possible. I have no doubt that anyone who loved the This Man series will love this book. And those who did not because of the OW, manwhore and cheating issues, will love this book because there are NONE of those! Austin (the heroine) is a bit annoying, especially when she was trying to make him jealous, hurt his feelings or pushing him away. But once she understands his insecurities and makes an effort not to trigger them, I felt much better about her.
Seriously, this book has A LOT of sex. Don't read it expecting tons of deep thinking and lots of conversation.
The editing really needs work. Please figure out the difference between their, they're and there!
Why not 5 stars? Austin made me insecure for a bit too long and the shit she pulled with Liam and her thoughts about other guys being hot. I would have preferred dual POV, especially since all I got was hers and she bugged me a bit. But my real issue was the ending. It is a HFN and can be considered over but I want HEA and an epilogue! However, the author has indicated she is writing another book about the couple. That makes me nervous because I do not want her to introduce stupid plot devices to cause drama, eg OW, OM, cheating, etc., and ruin this book for me. But I am really looking forward to it!
Safety Gang Safe
I devoured this book! It is 3am and I am not at all tired! I loved every minute of reading this! It was exactly what I needed to get me out of a two week book slump.
It was more sex with a book wrapped around it, but who cares. It was HOT! David is a f'ing champ..and I do mean a champion at f'ing! He is crazy obsessed and possessive. But he is also insecure and sweet. A combination that really worked for me. I just wanted to give him the family he always wanted. Forget Austin, I will do it!
Someone compared David to Jesse Ward. He is the closest I have ever read (outside of a paranormal book), and maybe even more obsessed. And I did not think that was possible. I have no doubt that anyone who loved the This Man series will love this book. And those who did not because of the OW, manwhore and cheating issues, will love this book because there are NONE of those! Austin (the heroine) is a bit annoying, especially when she was trying to make him jealous, hurt his feelings or pushing him away. But once she understands his insecurities and makes an effort not to trigger them, I felt much better about her.
Seriously, this book has A LOT of sex. Don't read it expecting tons of deep thinking and lots of conversation.
The editing really needs work. Please figure out the difference between their, they're and there!
Why not 5 stars? Austin made me insecure for a bit too long and the shit she pulled with Liam and her thoughts about other guys being hot. I would have preferred dual POV, especially since all I got was hers and she bugged me a bit. But my real issue was the ending. It is a HFN and can be considered over but I want HEA and an epilogue! However, the author has indicated she is writing another book about the couple. That makes me nervous because I do not want her to introduce stupid plot devices to cause drama, eg OW, OM, cheating, etc., and ruin this book for me. But I am really looking forward to it!
Safety Gang Safe
September 15, 2015
4.0-4.25 RATING- I fully admit, this book is a total guilty pleasure and my rating is based more on how much I liked the story and the crazy hero than perhaps the quality of the read.
A couple things worth noting. The editing was pretty shitty. Numerous misspelled words, missing words, etc (the author should definitely fix this!!) and I wish it had been written with dual POV. I'd love to know what was going through David's mind! The heroine also got on my nerves a bit but overall, the story worked for me!
I loved David! Completely obsessed, uber alpha...dirty talking, rich, sexy, vulnerable...he was pretty much my dream book boyfriend, issues and all. In real life he'd be a mental stalker but in fiction, he was delicious.
Sex...there's a ton of it. A ton! Way more than I was expecting and at least one scene that was a bit on the raunchy side. No issue for me, I'm down with raunchy but the amount of sex was too much at times.
I'd definitely read more from this author, can't wait to see if she has a another book coming out, and plan to pick this one up for my personal library when it goes on sale (I borrowed my copy through KU).
I saw someone mention the book was similar to a Jordan Silver read. No way! JS books don't work for me, at all! Maybe the hero could be compared to a JS hero but the writing and overall story (editing issues aside) are more comparable to a Lynda Chance book.
For readers that love crazy, obsessive, stalkerific heros with a ton of sex...here's your book!
Note: At the time this review was posted, this book was available to borrow through Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program.
To see other books available to borrow through Kindle Unlimited or SCRIBD, check out the Subscription Addiction group
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
A couple things worth noting. The editing was pretty shitty. Numerous misspelled words, missing words, etc (the author should definitely fix this!!) and I wish it had been written with dual POV. I'd love to know what was going through David's mind! The heroine also got on my nerves a bit but overall, the story worked for me!
I loved David! Completely obsessed, uber alpha...dirty talking, rich, sexy, vulnerable...he was pretty much my dream book boyfriend, issues and all. In real life he'd be a mental stalker but in fiction, he was delicious.
Sex...there's a ton of it. A ton! Way more than I was expecting and at least one scene that was a bit on the raunchy side. No issue for me, I'm down with raunchy but the amount of sex was too much at times.
I'd definitely read more from this author, can't wait to see if she has a another book coming out, and plan to pick this one up for my personal library when it goes on sale (I borrowed my copy through KU).
I saw someone mention the book was similar to a Jordan Silver read. No way! JS books don't work for me, at all! Maybe the hero could be compared to a JS hero but the writing and overall story (editing issues aside) are more comparable to a Lynda Chance book.
For readers that love crazy, obsessive, stalkerific heros with a ton of sex...here's your book!
Note: At the time this review was posted, this book was available to borrow through Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program.
To see other books available to borrow through Kindle Unlimited or SCRIBD, check out the Subscription Addiction group
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
August 23, 2015
Smuttastic 4.5 stars!!
Erotic low-angst romance between jock H and wannabe actress h. Book is superhot, sex scenes are creative while also having a sense of intimacy and love. H is superobsessed , its a case of insta-love, he's a pretty amazing guy - dominant and stalkerish at most times and submissive and vulnerable in love at intimate moments. h had issues and was distant, the H did most of the work in the relationship. h didn't deserve H or his honest unwavering devotion, but by second half even she realized that and tried to reach out half-way so I could get over it.
Book has a HFN, so hope neither the h( or the author) mess up in the sequel and that we get a HEA!!
Safe romance.
Erotic low-angst romance between jock H and wannabe actress h. Book is superhot, sex scenes are creative while also having a sense of intimacy and love. H is superobsessed , its a case of insta-love, he's a pretty amazing guy - dominant and stalkerish at most times and submissive and vulnerable in love at intimate moments. h had issues and was distant, the H did most of the work in the relationship. h didn't deserve H or his honest unwavering devotion, but by second half even she realized that and tried to reach out half-way so I could get over it.
Book has a HFN, so hope neither the h( or the author) mess up in the sequel and that we get a HEA!!
Safe romance.
September 1, 2017
I hated it the first time I read it because it got on my nerves. But I've read it twice since so I think it warrants five stars.
She was so petty, I felt proud. He was desperate for her attention. Their fights go in circles and there's hot sex. It's a pretty juvenile relationship but I ended up loving it. It's like she vindicated all those doormat heroines. PLUS, she's done everything - the hero isn't her first in any way (even anal!) IM SO HAPPY.
She was so petty, I felt proud. He was desperate for her attention. Their fights go in circles and there's hot sex. It's a pretty juvenile relationship but I ended up loving it. It's like she vindicated all those doormat heroines. PLUS, she's done everything - the hero isn't her first in any way (even anal!) IM SO HAPPY.
January 4, 2023
Confused whether this deserves 3 or 4 stars
I liked it, this was an easy and entertaining read. The smut was good. The hero 👅 💦 the heroine while she was on her period 👍💅 he was obsessive and possessive, but also a cinnamon roll at times.
But i really disliked the first couple of chapters. We see their meeting on the first page, without previously establishing any connection to the heroine or the hero separately. It was like: " once upon a time in a Hollywood Supermarkt the hero and the heroine saw each other and instantly became horny". Also the dialogue in those chapters was all cringe and not hot at all. It became better though.
Additionally there were a lot of typos and errors, which irritated me and worsened my reading experience.
Since I vowed to myself to be more selective with my ratings, this will be a 3 🌟 read, although I would potentially recommend it for the smut and possessive hero.
I liked it, this was an easy and entertaining read. The smut was good. The hero 👅 💦 the heroine while she was on her period 👍💅 he was obsessive and possessive, but also a cinnamon roll at times.
But i really disliked the first couple of chapters. We see their meeting on the first page, without previously establishing any connection to the heroine or the hero separately. It was like: " once upon a time in a Hollywood Supermarkt the hero and the heroine saw each other and instantly became horny". Also the dialogue in those chapters was all cringe and not hot at all. It became better though.
Additionally there were a lot of typos and errors, which irritated me and worsened my reading experience.
Since I vowed to myself to be more selective with my ratings, this will be a 3 🌟 read, although I would potentially recommend it for the smut and possessive hero.
July 1, 2017
I want to give this 4 stars (because of the hotness level and the psychotic dude but ehh then it's not fair for my other 4 stars rating awesome books with amazing storyline and characters!!!)
This was recommended by a friend, Isabella because I'm a greedy bitch who does not know how to keep her hands off her pants for OTT possessive jealousy alpha male.
Andddd....this book did deliver that. Like, OTT POSSESSIVE JEALOUS STALKER ALPHA MALE with a dash of scorching hot steamy scenes! I am still surprised how they are not pregnant yet, with that amount of activities. Seriously.
THIS BOOK DID A NUMBER ON Me now my expectation is stacked high for possessive alpha male. Other than countless unimaginable steamy scenes, there really isn't much on drama/story.
Hot guy saw the girl he liked - stalked her - practically embedded himself on her until she accepts him - proposed - HFN (FREAKING HFN) I'M LEFT HANGING AT THE END BECAUSE WTF FINISH IT OFF AUTHOR STOP BEING LAZY
This book threw away all the common senses in courting. Why do you need courting when you can just snatched the phone off her, insert GPS, stalk her, scare the men off her life and screw her out of her mind with your gigantic big D.
That's it.
YOU GOT THE GIRL!
Honestly, I LOVE THIS DAVID TAYLOR LET HIM BE REAL (without the stalker issue)
This was recommended by a friend, Isabella because I'm a greedy bitch who does not know how to keep her hands off her pants for OTT possessive jealousy alpha male.
Andddd....this book did deliver that. Like, OTT POSSESSIVE JEALOUS STALKER ALPHA MALE with a dash of scorching hot steamy scenes! I am still surprised how they are not pregnant yet, with that amount of activities. Seriously.
THIS BOOK DID A NUMBER ON Me now my expectation is stacked high for possessive alpha male. Other than countless unimaginable steamy scenes, there really isn't much on drama/story.
Hot guy saw the girl he liked - stalked her - practically embedded himself on her until she accepts him - proposed - HFN (FREAKING HFN) I'M LEFT HANGING AT THE END BECAUSE WTF FINISH IT OFF AUTHOR STOP BEING LAZY
This book threw away all the common senses in courting. Why do you need courting when you can just snatched the phone off her, insert GPS, stalk her, scare the men off her life and screw her out of her mind with your gigantic big D.
That's it.
YOU GOT THE GIRL!
Honestly, I LOVE THIS DAVID TAYLOR LET HIM BE REAL (without the stalker issue)
August 28, 2015
The H and h didn't have any chemistry. Their first meeting is awkward. The H sees the h again at a club and they immediately have sex. From this point on its nothing but sex, sex, sex for the rest of the story. There is no real plot, just sex scene after sex scene. Yes, the H was super obsessed and possessive but it just didn't work. Plus, the h was named "Austin" which is a man's name. The most disgusting part was when the h was on her period and the H gives her oral and has very descriptive sex. He removes her tampon and just throws it over his shoulder. YUCK!!!! I can't really talk much about the h, she was pretty immature with nothing going on in her life. I found it very hard to believe that such an amazing man would want her that much.
April 25, 2016
I am having an internal fight over what the rating should be. It's probably 3.5 stars but I liked it enough to round it up to 4.
Set up: David Taylor is a hot, tall, muscled up retired baseball player who upon setting eyes on the heroine, Austin, immediately tries to pick her up in the middle of the grocery store. He's relentless. Even though Austin has a visceral and primal reaction to David, she pretends to be aloof and ignores and rejects him multiple times. Again, he's relentless (I don't think I can stress this enough) and doesn't give up. While Austin is ignoring him, he STEALS her phone out of her purse to get her number. David then proceeds to text and call her to get to know her and convince her to go out with him. Before you go any further in this review, let me just say David's methods of getting to know Austin, finding Austin, and getting her to go out with him are very unconventional and stalkerish. This is a OTT alpha male romance. David is unapologetic in his methods. This is also an erotic novel. If either of these things are not your thing, move on people.
Hero: 3.5/5 stars. While I love the OTT alpha aspect, his insecurity annoyed me at times. It wasn't that he was a "broken" guy that in turn is vulnerable and insecure that bothered me. It was some of his OTT actions that was a result of being insecure that I didn't like. I love an OTT alpha who is secure in himself and his feelings towards the heroine. Does any of that make sense? There still can be a "broken" guy who is an OTT alpha without having annoying insecurities. I don't know. This makes complete sense in my head. That is really my only issue with David. Otherwise I liked him enough.
heroine: 3.5/5 stars. This girl was super closed off. So much that it was hard to connect with her. Austin is also "broken", and even though we know the reasons for why, we don't know the extent of her self destructive behavior. We only get surface level information which to me as a reader but also a mental health professional annoyed the crap out of me. I can't connect with a main character when I don't know the them in depth. I was hoping she would "give in" to David way sooner than she did. That also drove me a little nutty.
Sex scenes: 5/5 stars!! Holy crap on a stick people! I mean yes, it's erotica, but that doesn't mean it has good sex scenes, that just means it has a story with a lot of sex. This had both. A lot of sex and hot as hell sex scenes. These sex scenes are not for the prim and proper. Get ready to expand your horizons.
Plot: 3.5-4/5 stars. My big issues with this insta-love (on his end) OTT alpha romance was that almost the whole story was set in a week and mainly had one location - his house. I wished the plot had more depth and could have used more situations/locations.
What I loved: This is a FULL LENGTH OTT alpha male story. I hate that the majority of OTT books are novellas. This author gave me a whole full length book! Thank you! The sex scenes were different than what is normally wrote. It may turn off some readers, but I loved it!
What I disliked: It was only told from Austin's POV. This story could have really used David's POV, even if it was only four times throughout the book. I wouldn't have been so blindsided by some of his OTT actions if I would have known what he was thinking.
In short: If you love OTT males and would enjoy "out of the box" sex scenes then I believe you would like this book. It's decent story of two "broken" people that end up healing each other.
Spoilers: This is pretty damn safe!
Set up: David Taylor is a hot, tall, muscled up retired baseball player who upon setting eyes on the heroine, Austin, immediately tries to pick her up in the middle of the grocery store. He's relentless. Even though Austin has a visceral and primal reaction to David, she pretends to be aloof and ignores and rejects him multiple times. Again, he's relentless (I don't think I can stress this enough) and doesn't give up. While Austin is ignoring him, he STEALS her phone out of her purse to get her number. David then proceeds to text and call her to get to know her and convince her to go out with him. Before you go any further in this review, let me just say David's methods of getting to know Austin, finding Austin, and getting her to go out with him are very unconventional and stalkerish. This is a OTT alpha male romance. David is unapologetic in his methods. This is also an erotic novel. If either of these things are not your thing, move on people.
Hero: 3.5/5 stars. While I love the OTT alpha aspect, his insecurity annoyed me at times. It wasn't that he was a "broken" guy that in turn is vulnerable and insecure that bothered me. It was some of his OTT actions that was a result of being insecure that I didn't like. I love an OTT alpha who is secure in himself and his feelings towards the heroine. Does any of that make sense? There still can be a "broken" guy who is an OTT alpha without having annoying insecurities. I don't know. This makes complete sense in my head. That is really my only issue with David. Otherwise I liked him enough.
heroine: 3.5/5 stars. This girl was super closed off. So much that it was hard to connect with her. Austin is also "broken", and even though we know the reasons for why, we don't know the extent of her self destructive behavior. We only get surface level information which to me as a reader but also a mental health professional annoyed the crap out of me. I can't connect with a main character when I don't know the them in depth. I was hoping she would "give in" to David way sooner than she did. That also drove me a little nutty.
Sex scenes: 5/5 stars!! Holy crap on a stick people! I mean yes, it's erotica, but that doesn't mean it has good sex scenes, that just means it has a story with a lot of sex. This had both. A lot of sex and hot as hell sex scenes. These sex scenes are not for the prim and proper. Get ready to expand your horizons.
Plot: 3.5-4/5 stars. My big issues with this insta-love (on his end) OTT alpha romance was that almost the whole story was set in a week and mainly had one location - his house. I wished the plot had more depth and could have used more situations/locations.
What I loved: This is a FULL LENGTH OTT alpha male story. I hate that the majority of OTT books are novellas. This author gave me a whole full length book! Thank you! The sex scenes were different than what is normally wrote. It may turn off some readers, but I loved it!
What I disliked: It was only told from Austin's POV. This story could have really used David's POV, even if it was only four times throughout the book. I wouldn't have been so blindsided by some of his OTT actions if I would have known what he was thinking.
In short: If you love OTT males and would enjoy "out of the box" sex scenes then I believe you would like this book. It's decent story of two "broken" people that end up healing each other.
Spoilers: This is pretty damn safe!
June 18, 2017
This is a really difficult review to write, and I have a feeling that readers of this story will either love it or hate it; not many will be middle ground. I read a scathing review of this book which included very valid criticisms, but they were from a reader who took things literally and not from a Romancelandia perspective. If you're a fan of the Fifty Shades, Up in the Air, or This Man trilogies, my guess is you'll probably enjoy this book. There are elements of all three series embedded in this one, and while you can identify similarities, Playing for Keeps is its own story.
First, I have to say David Taylor is the closest hero I've read to Jesse Ward and his level of crazy obsession for the heroine. He's all-out jealous, all the time, stalking and pushing Austin's limits further and further. David and Austin are both really F'd up people with their insecurities and triggers, yet I could see understanding toward each other's behavior which made their irrational, obsessive feelings somehow more rational and believable--in Romancelandia, of course.
The story is told in first person, strictly from Austin's POV, so while we clearly understand her perspective, there is a lot we are left wondering about David. Their story is to be continued in a second installment, although there isn't any major cliffhanger in this one--just a lot of details left unresolved. Another point of caution, too, is the awful editing. There are errors on almost every page (your vs. you're, effect vs. affect, then vs. than, just to identify a few), but the errors do not detract from the meaning of the sentences so I was able to read the story without any problem in understanding. The lack of editing is also what reduced my rating from five stars down to four stars, because I really enjoyed Playing for Keeps and will definitely read the next book.
Book Facts:
Genre: Contemporary
Part of a Series/Installment: Yes
M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc:
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex between H/h with OW/OM:
If so, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex in The Book:
Overall Steam Factor/Chemistry:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Any Triggers/Warnings:
First, I have to say David Taylor is the closest hero I've read to Jesse Ward and his level of crazy obsession for the heroine. He's all-out jealous, all the time, stalking and pushing Austin's limits further and further. David and Austin are both really F'd up people with their insecurities and triggers, yet I could see understanding toward each other's behavior which made their irrational, obsessive feelings somehow more rational and believable--in Romancelandia, of course.
The story is told in first person, strictly from Austin's POV, so while we clearly understand her perspective, there is a lot we are left wondering about David. Their story is to be continued in a second installment, although there isn't any major cliffhanger in this one--just a lot of details left unresolved. Another point of caution, too, is the awful editing. There are errors on almost every page (your vs. you're, effect vs. affect, then vs. than, just to identify a few), but the errors do not detract from the meaning of the sentences so I was able to read the story without any problem in understanding. The lack of editing is also what reduced my rating from five stars down to four stars, because I really enjoyed Playing for Keeps and will definitely read the next book.
Book Facts:
Genre: Contemporary
Part of a Series/Installment: Yes
M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc:
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex between H/h with OW/OM:
If so, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex in The Book:
Overall Steam Factor/Chemistry:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Any Triggers/Warnings:
September 12, 2015
First off I start off by saying this is one of the dirtyist and hottest books I've read lately it's that good JC Grant doll amazing job doll I loved it and I couldn't put it down in read it in two days that's how good it was! It's definitely 5 stars women amazing job!!! David is like every girls dream guy, he's smoking hot and that's putting it mildly, he's hot an a amazing body I mean he has fucking 8 pack!!! He's a professional baseball player he's rich! He's sweet kind. Caring. Alpha., demanding, possessive, over protective, but he's not perfect you will see why if you read it! Austin she is one tough cookie she gorgous has curves every women wants, but she issues herself! I don't want to give to much away cause you all have to read it! I will say I'm praying there is a second book! David is now one of my top book boyfriend enjoy everyone!!!
August 25, 2015
BASICS
Love triangle?
Cheating?
HEA?
Any Descriptive Sex w/OW/OM/Ex?
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? Maybe, but not for now.
Rating: -3 stars
Review
I've heard a lot of talk about this one and by nature I'm a very curious person, so of course I had to go check it out. I know the author warns in the blurb that this is an erotic story but did I listen? Hell no.
There was a looooooot of sex in it and not much of a plot, so while the story was still passable, it was by no means worth my almost 8€ (the VAT is insanely high)!
Love triangle?
Cheating?
HEA?
Any Descriptive Sex w/OW/OM/Ex?
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? Maybe, but not for now.
Rating: -3 stars
Review
I've heard a lot of talk about this one and by nature I'm a very curious person, so of course I had to go check it out. I know the author warns in the blurb that this is an erotic story but did I listen? Hell no.
There was a looooooot of sex in it and not much of a plot, so while the story was still passable, it was by no means worth my almost 8€ (the VAT is insanely high)!
August 18, 2015
Genre: erotic romance serial
Cliffy? No, HFN (kinda abrupt)
30 yr old retired baseball player sees 27 yr old temp/wannabe actress at a grocery store and pursues her relentlessly.
This seems to be a debut novel, another in the line of cray-cray obsessed stalker hero bks, ala This Man. The writing is simplistic, the bk seriously needed copy-editing (normally I wouldnt continue reading something so eye-raping), and most of the scenes consisted of rough, raunchy sex; but I ain't mad at it. :-)
Cliffy? No, HFN (kinda abrupt)
30 yr old retired baseball player sees 27 yr old temp/wannabe actress at a grocery store and pursues her relentlessly.
This seems to be a debut novel, another in the line of cray-cray obsessed stalker hero bks, ala This Man. The writing is simplistic, the bk seriously needed copy-editing (normally I wouldnt continue reading something so eye-raping), and most of the scenes consisted of rough, raunchy sex; but I ain't mad at it. :-)
Read
July 15, 2024Spoilers ahead, no rating
Thoughts
Normally I love me a j/p obsessive hero but David needed therapy....BADLY
His j/p moments were hot as hell but his insecurities? Nope too much, I just felt sad for him
He loved the h.....why I had no idea, all they did was have sex and she didn't treat him the way he treated her at all
I think being with somebody like him would be exhausting, having to cater to his insecurities so much
The h, hmmmm on one hand I understood her.... she'd been sexually assaulted as a child and that left a deep mark on her but seeing how devoted and obsessed he was with her I just wanted her to have pity on the poir fool
If you took out all the cringe worthy sex filled with the same dirty talk over and over then this review is probably longer than the book (slight exaggeration 😂)
Period sex on the last day I understand, on the first day of your period and with oral too?? To each their own 🤷🏿♀️
From reviews the h gets worse so I'll be stopping here
No cheating
Insta lust/love on his part
Obsessed H
Slight OM drama
h was raped as a child
Thoughts
Normally I love me a j/p obsessive hero but David needed therapy....BADLY
His j/p moments were hot as hell but his insecurities? Nope too much, I just felt sad for him
He loved the h.....why I had no idea, all they did was have sex and she didn't treat him the way he treated her at all
I think being with somebody like him would be exhausting, having to cater to his insecurities so much
The h, hmmmm on one hand I understood her.... she'd been sexually assaulted as a child and that left a deep mark on her but seeing how devoted and obsessed he was with her I just wanted her to have pity on the poir fool
If you took out all the cringe worthy sex filled with the same dirty talk over and over then this review is probably longer than the book (slight exaggeration 😂)
Period sex on the last day I understand, on the first day of your period and with oral too?? To each their own 🤷🏿♀️
From reviews the h gets worse so I'll be stopping here
No cheating
Insta lust/love on his part
Obsessed H
Slight OM drama
h was raped as a child
October 1, 2015
I love an OTT alpha male as much as the next girl and David Taylor is definitely an alpha with a capital A. I mean, he openly admits to stalking Austin, which almost came off as creepy but for some reason completely endeared him to me. Who doesn't love a hero that knows exactly what he wants and goes after it no holds barred?!
Austin, on the other hand, got on my nerves a few times with the way she acted but after learning why she was the way she was I had no choice but to forgive her. I mean, we all have our triggers, right?! Hers just happen to counteract with David's in a bad way.
While I'm not exactly sure that their relationship would really last in the real world, I did enjoy watching them get to know each other and fall in love. Plus, the sexy times between these two... Smoking hot! I'm talking, burn your kindle, you're gonna need a cold shower and a man ASAP, hott!!
I gotta admit, I was a little disappointed with the ending. We're left with a nice HFN ending and a promise of more to come, but in all honesty I was hoping for a pretty HEA wrapped up in a nice big bow. Will I check out their follow up? Probably... I just worry there's going to be some unnecessary drama that'll completely ruin it for me.
Overall, Playing For Keeps is a smoking hot, low-angst, erotic romance that I can definitely see myself re-reading again in the near future.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Austin, on the other hand, got on my nerves a few times with the way she acted but after learning why she was the way she was I had no choice but to forgive her. I mean, we all have our triggers, right?! Hers just happen to counteract with David's in a bad way.
While I'm not exactly sure that their relationship would really last in the real world, I did enjoy watching them get to know each other and fall in love. Plus, the sexy times between these two... Smoking hot! I'm talking, burn your kindle, you're gonna need a cold shower and a man ASAP, hott!!
I gotta admit, I was a little disappointed with the ending. We're left with a nice HFN ending and a promise of more to come, but in all honesty I was hoping for a pretty HEA wrapped up in a nice big bow. Will I check out their follow up? Probably... I just worry there's going to be some unnecessary drama that'll completely ruin it for me.
Overall, Playing For Keeps is a smoking hot, low-angst, erotic romance that I can definitely see myself re-reading again in the near future.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2018
It ended far to early for me, not abruptly but not quite satisfying either. Two tortured souls find solace in each other in a very fast and deep love. This books is an erotica so let's get to the important stuff. The sex. DAMN. It is like that man was on a mission to extract all the orgasms from her body as if they were a plague, can you say yes please.
Review on the reread, so I’m subtracting a star for errors. Spelling, grammar, an entire chapter repeated(which I have notified the author about but apparently she doesn’t care)
Also to add the relationship is very unhealthy like WHOA unhealthy. If this were a play every scene would end or start with sex. EVERY SCENE. Somehow it works better then FSOG like you don’t end up skipping but it does get a bit ridiculous. Solid 3 stars though.
Review on the reread, so I’m subtracting a star for errors. Spelling, grammar, an entire chapter repeated(which I have notified the author about but apparently she doesn’t care)
Also to add the relationship is very unhealthy like WHOA unhealthy. If this were a play every scene would end or start with sex. EVERY SCENE. Somehow it works better then FSOG like you don’t end up skipping but it does get a bit ridiculous. Solid 3 stars though.
August 19, 2015
What was the point of this book? Where's the plot? It's straight up porn complete with a gross "red wings" scene. H is an obsessed, controlling stalker and h is a major commitment phobe that comes across as emotionless.
December 28, 2023
Extremely steamy. 🥵🔥 Like it has steam in every chapter. Sometimes it kinda got repetitive and boring but I enjoyed it most of time, it was HOT.
The H is very possessive, hot and also SO caring and sweet, I really liked him. (Tho we don’t get his POV)
The h however wasn’t my favorite.
If you’re looking for a steamy read with no plot or big drama, give it a read.
Wasn’t the best book, however I’m not disappointed.
The author’s writing style was quite nice. Hence, I enjoyed it.
The H is very possessive, hot and also SO caring and sweet, I really liked him. (Tho we don’t get his POV)
The h however wasn’t my favorite.
If you’re looking for a steamy read with no plot or big drama, give it a read.
Wasn’t the best book, however I’m not disappointed.
The author’s writing style was quite nice. Hence, I enjoyed it.
November 6, 2015
Wow.....I thought I'd read some shit in my time......but this was the shittest of the shit!!
The guy is a fucking crackpot.....absolute stalker!!
She's an absolute walkover! Total doormat!
The story itself.....there isn't one.....
And I can see where it's going a mile away!!
Quite possibly the worst book I have ever read.....and I didn't even finish it!
The guy is a fucking crackpot.....absolute stalker!!
She's an absolute walkover! Total doormat!
The story itself.....there isn't one.....
And I can see where it's going a mile away!!
Quite possibly the worst book I have ever read.....and I didn't even finish it!
December 22, 2015
DAVID TAYLOR. Oh my God. My body, my heart, my soul—everything is just so full of this man right now. I am all fired up and blown away. That was seriously one of the hottest and most erotic books I've ever read. And I mean EVER. David Taylor is on his own level of hotness and alpha male possessiveness. And it is way up there. Plus, it's so freaking impossible for you not to want so much more after that kind of ending. I NEED MORE. MORE MORE MORE!!!
Possessive, protective and jealous David is just raw and primal and HOT. I mean blazing, out of this world, panty-melting, off the charts HOT. But sweet, attentive and vulnerable David? I am done for. My ovaries started exploding to the point of nonexistence. Then I just melted all together. You'd think his obsession and overprotectiveness for Austin is irritating, unhealthy—relationship speaking—and beyond all boundaries, but I found it endearing instead. Especially once you understand him and his issues better. He was just the perfect epitome of the saying “too good to be true”. He was THAT perfect.
Austin James has her own skeletons in the closet too, and she found it so hard to get attached to someone. Her body's reaction when she first laid eyes on David was just mind-blowing. I wouldn't how I would've handled that if I were her. His presence was commanding and you just won't be able to concentrate on anything else if he's there. I understood Austin's reservations, especially with what she went through in the past, but there were times where I just wanted to smack her in the face every time she shuts down and turns away from David, leaving him hurt and shattered. Although their relationship was at a warp speed, I mean they just met each other barely more than a week, but there are just connections that click right away. You couldn't fault David for that. I loved how he knew right away when he saw Austin that she's the one for him. That she's the one he wants to be with forever. Ugh, just another reason to be buried in all that is David Taylor. *sigh*
I can't wait for the next book!!! I NEED IT!
Possessive, protective and jealous David is just raw and primal and HOT. I mean blazing, out of this world, panty-melting, off the charts HOT. But sweet, attentive and vulnerable David? I am done for. My ovaries started exploding to the point of nonexistence. Then I just melted all together. You'd think his obsession and overprotectiveness for Austin is irritating, unhealthy—relationship speaking—and beyond all boundaries, but I found it endearing instead. Especially once you understand him and his issues better. He was just the perfect epitome of the saying “too good to be true”. He was THAT perfect.
Austin James has her own skeletons in the closet too, and she found it so hard to get attached to someone. Her body's reaction when she first laid eyes on David was just mind-blowing. I wouldn't how I would've handled that if I were her. His presence was commanding and you just won't be able to concentrate on anything else if he's there. I understood Austin's reservations, especially with what she went through in the past, but there were times where I just wanted to smack her in the face every time she shuts down and turns away from David, leaving him hurt and shattered. Although their relationship was at a warp speed, I mean they just met each other barely more than a week, but there are just connections that click right away. You couldn't fault David for that. I loved how he knew right away when he saw Austin that she's the one for him. That she's the one he wants to be with forever. Ugh, just another reason to be buried in all that is David Taylor. *sigh*
I can't wait for the next book!!! I NEED IT!
February 8, 2020
I enjoyed this way more than I think I should have.😂 David was insane. I kept waiting to find out that he'd spent some time in an institution. Austin was crazy but she was also aware of it. For 300 pages it's a fast read. Mostly because it had a pattern. David acted like a maniac, Austin ate some food, they had sex*, took a shower and then they both acted like maniacs. I laughed way to much.
*As soon as Austin starts talking about her vagina like it's an old friend, a sex scene that will last at least 20 pages is coming. They are easy to skim/skip.
Safe mostly- We hear about her rape (not a spoiler, it's referred to in the first 10%), his abusive dad. We get minor details about her ex, a few sexual details about the last woman he was with. Any details of this nature are too much for me, lol. I am guessing this is the woman who causes drama in the next books.
*As soon as Austin starts talking about her vagina like it's an old friend, a sex scene that will last at least 20 pages is coming. They are easy to skim/skip.
Safe mostly- We hear about her rape (not a spoiler, it's referred to in the first 10%), his abusive dad. We get minor details about her ex, a few sexual details about the last woman he was with. Any details of this nature are too much for me, lol. I am guessing this is the woman who causes drama in the next books.
August 16, 2022
1.5 🌟
The book is 90% (boring) sex and 10% about them wanting to have sex with each other, or each other being too insecure or jealous.🙄
- there’s also a vomit inducing scene where the H gives her oral during her period.🤢🤮.
He goes down on her, licks her clit, then yanks out her tampon, and throws it behind his back…. and starts fingering and eating her out (full on sticks his tongue in her hole…I almost vomited in my mouth).
This author is just nasty. Does ANYONE find this shit hot? Think of the stench and ugh, yuck. Wtf.
They meet, have sex, move in together, have sex too much, they say ILYs, he proposes at the end, and all of this took 1 whole week. Where was the plot? There wasn’t one.🙄
Book doesn’t have a Cliffy but there’s a book 2 about the same couple.
The book is 90% (boring) sex and 10% about them wanting to have sex with each other, or each other being too insecure or jealous.🙄
- there’s also a vomit inducing scene where the H gives her oral during her period.🤢🤮.
He goes down on her, licks her clit, then yanks out her tampon, and throws it behind his back…. and starts fingering and eating her out (full on sticks his tongue in her hole…I almost vomited in my mouth).
This author is just nasty. Does ANYONE find this shit hot? Think of the stench and ugh, yuck. Wtf.
They meet, have sex, move in together, have sex too much, they say ILYs, he proposes at the end, and all of this took 1 whole week. Where was the plot? There wasn’t one.🙄
Book doesn’t have a Cliffy but there’s a book 2 about the same couple.
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