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Play Makers #5
Play Calling
Daniel Riga, the controversial head coach of the Portland Lancers, has the same rule for press conferences as for anything else during football football only. The man doesn’t even date except in the off-season. So why are these reporters asking about some sociologist who inexplicably called him a zombie in her latest newspaper column? On the Lifestyles page, no less!
Noelle Sharpe is mortified that her words have been taken out of context, since her tongue-in-cheek point was that zombies focus on a single obsession—eating brains—but a brilliant, vibrant man like Daniel Riga should broaden his horizons past football-only. Her attempt at apologizing in print only leads to another round of jokes at the handsome coach’s expense, so she tracks him down for an in-person apology.
As frustrated as he is with this zombie nonsense, Daniel goes wild for Noelle and they end up in bed. Unfortunately, it’s football season, so he asks her to wait for him until the off-season. By now, she’s so crazy about him, and so worried she’ll cost the Lancers their season by distracting him, she readily agrees.
Zombies consume brains. That’s all they do. And Daniel Riga consumes football. That’s all he does. Or at least until Noelle Sharpe writes her way into his life and gives football some serious competition.
Praise for Play
“Sean and Tess’s story pulled me in right from the start and had me flying through the pages in search of what I hoped to be a very steamy happily ever after . . . and I am happy to report I found that . . . and so much more!!” —Reds Romance Reviews
About the
Kate Donovan is a Niners fan, a wife, a mother, a lawyer, and an author. She has more than thirty books and novels to her credit, publishing in genres including fantasy, historical romance, legal thriller, romantic suspense, and young adult science fiction. Play Calling is the fifth book in her Play Makers series, following Playing for Keeps, Play Date, Power Play, and Playing for Kicks.
Noelle Sharpe is mortified that her words have been taken out of context, since her tongue-in-cheek point was that zombies focus on a single obsession—eating brains—but a brilliant, vibrant man like Daniel Riga should broaden his horizons past football-only. Her attempt at apologizing in print only leads to another round of jokes at the handsome coach’s expense, so she tracks him down for an in-person apology.
As frustrated as he is with this zombie nonsense, Daniel goes wild for Noelle and they end up in bed. Unfortunately, it’s football season, so he asks her to wait for him until the off-season. By now, she’s so crazy about him, and so worried she’ll cost the Lancers their season by distracting him, she readily agrees.
Zombies consume brains. That’s all they do. And Daniel Riga consumes football. That’s all he does. Or at least until Noelle Sharpe writes her way into his life and gives football some serious competition.
Praise for Play
“Sean and Tess’s story pulled me in right from the start and had me flying through the pages in search of what I hoped to be a very steamy happily ever after . . . and I am happy to report I found that . . . and so much more!!” —Reds Romance Reviews
About the
Kate Donovan is a Niners fan, a wife, a mother, a lawyer, and an author. She has more than thirty books and novels to her credit, publishing in genres including fantasy, historical romance, legal thriller, romantic suspense, and young adult science fiction. Play Calling is the fifth book in her Play Makers series, following Playing for Keeps, Play Date, Power Play, and Playing for Kicks.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2017
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56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 27, 2016
This is my first book of Kate Donovan. It was well written and I loved the characters but I admit it took me a bit to get invested into this story. The start and the reason Noelle and Daniel got together just seemed unrealistic to me. I honestly can't tell you if it's because the story turned around or if I just finally got invested in the characters, but I ended up really enjoying the story. This is a good example for me as to why I don't give up on a book if the beginning doesn't snag me. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised how things turn out.
Daniel, an NFL coach tells all that he is 24/7 football during the season. He eats and breathes football. No women, no family, no holidays. Kinda extreme but ok. Noelle is a sociology writer and mentions this in an article of hers and calls Daniel a zombie. The sports world hears about this and it goes viral. Daniel being all about football starts cutting off press because all they focus on is the Zombie article.
Noelle feels bad about what her article has done and goes to a lot of extremes to try and get people to forget about the zombie comment. They end up meeting, jump into bed together and then Daniel asks Noelle to wait 5 months for the season to be over so they can date. Uh, what? This is where I was actually considering stopping and moving on to a new book. I'm glad I didn't because obviously they don't wait the 5 months or there wouldn't be a story here. Fate started intervening and I'll leave it there. You'll need to read the book to find out what happens.
There are a lot of characters from previous books in this one but it isn't necessary to read the books in order. There is no cheating, no other woman/men drama and a pretty low angst read. ARC provided by NetGalley.
Daniel, an NFL coach tells all that he is 24/7 football during the season. He eats and breathes football. No women, no family, no holidays. Kinda extreme but ok. Noelle is a sociology writer and mentions this in an article of hers and calls Daniel a zombie. The sports world hears about this and it goes viral. Daniel being all about football starts cutting off press because all they focus on is the Zombie article.
Noelle feels bad about what her article has done and goes to a lot of extremes to try and get people to forget about the zombie comment. They end up meeting, jump into bed together and then Daniel asks Noelle to wait 5 months for the season to be over so they can date. Uh, what? This is where I was actually considering stopping and moving on to a new book. I'm glad I didn't because obviously they don't wait the 5 months or there wouldn't be a story here. Fate started intervening and I'll leave it there. You'll need to read the book to find out what happens.
There are a lot of characters from previous books in this one but it isn't necessary to read the books in order. There is no cheating, no other woman/men drama and a pretty low angst read. ARC provided by NetGalley.
September 10, 2016
3 readable stars for this one. I love football and sports in general so any chance I get to read a romance story involving sports makes me a happy camper. From this novel's blurb, I thought I'd love it but instead it was just passable. I suppose the greatest issue for me was just how ridiculous the story line felt. I know lots of story lines are ridiculous BUT this one actually felt like it while I was reading which is a turnoff. The writing wasn't terrible, the characters were even interesting, but I think the way it all panned out didn't appeal to me in the slightest. So in short, this was just okay instead of great.
September 9, 2016
I like Kate Donovan and think she is a good writer, but Play Calling had too many people with side stories. It is the sixth book in the Play Makers series, and I have not read the previous ones. Maybe I would know who all these secondary characters are if I had read the entire series? Without knowing them, I didn't really care about them or want to read about them in the book. Also, the book is told in multiple points of view, which I found confusing. Noelle and Daniel's story and relationship is fun. I wish the book focused on them. Perhaps this is just one of those cases where a reader is handicapped if they have not read the prior books in the series.
September 1, 2016
I really liked Daniel, he was a very handsy man, “yeah,” he growled, his hand caressing her bottom. “It works.” I really loved this book, I liked Daniel, he was quite the alpha male in the bedroom.
December 21, 2016
This book turned out to be a much better story than I first thought. Daniel Riga is the head football coach for the local pro team. During a question and answers after a game is asked to comment on an article that was featured in a local newspaper column. Which compared him to zombies. Noelle Sharpe who is a huge fan of the teams is horrified, and mortified that her article is being brought up on this press stage when they should be asking, why didn’t you blitz on the last play? She also cannot believe that the point that she was trying to make about the coach, who said he does not date during the season. His focus is on football, coaching and the team. Of course she could have used a better reference than zombies to get her point across of it not being good to be focused on just one thing. Turns out that she works for the same paper as the person that asked the question, and during the week he brings up the topic again and again. In order to stop the damage she agrees to a deal with the devil, the owners nephew who is the reporter who is always asking the question, and knows nothing about football or the team. This leads her to the press room one day and not only is the coach taken by the new reporters’ questions, but also by her beauty. She of course does not see herself as attractive, but the coach is taken by her looks and her smarts. Once he starts becoming more and more wanting a relationship she is scared because if the team does not do well she feels he will dump her. When he comes to the rescue of her dog that got out and some neighborhood kids took, she now wants to call everything off. She does not want to get hurt any more than she already is. Now the coach has to decide for his plans and the way he was raised is coming into question. Can he save himself while the season is still going on, and is this the women he is willing to fight for? There are a few twists that make this a very good read. Also find out what happens to the nephew when the uncle finds out what he was doing to his favorite reporter. Many different story lines going on. a very good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
September 9, 2016
Play Calling by Kate Donovan is Book 6 in the Play Makers series. Sociologist Noelle Sharpe is mortified when her Lifestyle column is taken out of context and creates a media firestorm for the local NFL team. Daniel Riga, head coach of the Portland Lancers can’t understand why every reporter at the team’s press conference prefers to focus on a newspaper column and book he’s never read. When the author shows up at his home to apologize for the fallout, sparks fly!
Here’s what worked for me – The characters! Both Daniel and Noelle are interesting and believable. Above all, they are likable and this allows the reader to really buy into the story. The concept, plot, and pace all work very well. The action flows seamlessly. I really enjoyed the Zombie discussions and titles of Noelle’s books. They were very funny! The sports theme was also handled superbly. Ms. Donovan really does a great job there. I was thoroughly entertained. Best of all was Noelle’s puppy Bo!
What didn’t work so well for me – The romance and sex scenes could have been a tab steamier. I didn’t feel the heat and passion the characters supposedly feel for one another. That’s just my humble opinion and I may be in the minority here. However, I will note that the story is still really good.
The secondary characters were entertaining, but there were quite a few of them. I couldn’t always keep track. That’s more so because I haven’t read all the books in the series, so it will likely enhance the enjoyment for readers who have followed the series from the start.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others with a disclaimer for those who enjoy steamier romances.
Here’s what worked for me – The characters! Both Daniel and Noelle are interesting and believable. Above all, they are likable and this allows the reader to really buy into the story. The concept, plot, and pace all work very well. The action flows seamlessly. I really enjoyed the Zombie discussions and titles of Noelle’s books. They were very funny! The sports theme was also handled superbly. Ms. Donovan really does a great job there. I was thoroughly entertained. Best of all was Noelle’s puppy Bo!
What didn’t work so well for me – The romance and sex scenes could have been a tab steamier. I didn’t feel the heat and passion the characters supposedly feel for one another. That’s just my humble opinion and I may be in the minority here. However, I will note that the story is still really good.
The secondary characters were entertaining, but there were quite a few of them. I couldn’t always keep track. That’s more so because I haven’t read all the books in the series, so it will likely enhance the enjoyment for readers who have followed the series from the start.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others with a disclaimer for those who enjoy steamier romances.
September 3, 2016
What might be considered just a sports romance story is actually so totally hot and filled with fiery passion between Daniel and Noelle that they nearly melt the pages when they're together. The story is ripe with wry and witty banter, humorous dialogue, and is totally entertaining...the relationship between the players and Daniel is touching...as is their respect for their coach, and his for his players.
This is the sixth book in the Play Makers series, and even though not having read the first books in the series, it was not difficult keeping up with the different characters from the earlier stories. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and their dynamics within the story and with each other. Ms Donovan has done a remarkable job of creating believable, likable characters that are completely relatable.
Hopefully the series continues as I'd like to see more from these characters, and this author.
This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.
This is the sixth book in the Play Makers series, and even though not having read the first books in the series, it was not difficult keeping up with the different characters from the earlier stories. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and their dynamics within the story and with each other. Ms Donovan has done a remarkable job of creating believable, likable characters that are completely relatable.
Hopefully the series continues as I'd like to see more from these characters, and this author.
This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.
February 8, 2017
Play Calling by Kate Donovan is the sixth book in the Play Makers series. I love this series and hope it continues.
Play Calling was entertaining and enjoyable. That said, it was my least favorite in the series. Although I truly liked the premise of the storyline. The basis of the plot was solid. I also liked the primary characters. They were humorous and intriguing, adding depth and dimension to the storyline.
Daniel Riga, the new Lancers coach, is serious, intense, and known for his singular focus during football season. Did I also mention gorgeous? But that's a side benefit.
Noelle Sharpe, the beautiful, quirky author of Zombie Renaissance. She is a sociologist, columnist, and author. Her love for the Lancers added an interesting twist to her chosen profession. And did I mention her adorable dog, Bo? He stole the show more often than not.
I liked the start of the book, but I wasn't fond of their original meeting. I didn't sense a connection and it seemed awkward. The connection never really came for me until the end. But once I felt it, then it jelled. I just desired more sooner.
I also didn't think much of her friend and agent, Bree. She didn't seem to have Noelle's best interest in mind. But it did link her to another secondary character, Hutch; whom we were able to see his development and I grew to like tremendously. His involvement provided depth and dimension to the storyline. I'd love to see his own story in a future book.
Furthermore, it was well written, with the exception of a few editing errors of incorrect words; such as he versus he's and suspect versus suspected. They weren't numerous, but enough to be distracting at times and the main reason for a 3.5 overall rating.
Lastly, I love the inclusion of the supporting cast of characters from the previous books in the series. Donovan continues to develop the relationship, showing us their progress. And the humor continues to be an added benefit, especially from Tess. Her wit is awesome and at times I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I definitely recommend reading the series in order to get the full benefit of the characters.
Although there was no mention of a next book in the series, I'm hopeful, as there are still several directions Donovan can take. It's one of my favorite series and I can't wait for more.
Play Calling was entertaining and enjoyable. That said, it was my least favorite in the series. Although I truly liked the premise of the storyline. The basis of the plot was solid. I also liked the primary characters. They were humorous and intriguing, adding depth and dimension to the storyline.
Daniel Riga, the new Lancers coach, is serious, intense, and known for his singular focus during football season. Did I also mention gorgeous? But that's a side benefit.
Noelle Sharpe, the beautiful, quirky author of Zombie Renaissance. She is a sociologist, columnist, and author. Her love for the Lancers added an interesting twist to her chosen profession. And did I mention her adorable dog, Bo? He stole the show more often than not.
I liked the start of the book, but I wasn't fond of their original meeting. I didn't sense a connection and it seemed awkward. The connection never really came for me until the end. But once I felt it, then it jelled. I just desired more sooner.
I also didn't think much of her friend and agent, Bree. She didn't seem to have Noelle's best interest in mind. But it did link her to another secondary character, Hutch; whom we were able to see his development and I grew to like tremendously. His involvement provided depth and dimension to the storyline. I'd love to see his own story in a future book.
Furthermore, it was well written, with the exception of a few editing errors of incorrect words; such as he versus he's and suspect versus suspected. They weren't numerous, but enough to be distracting at times and the main reason for a 3.5 overall rating.
Lastly, I love the inclusion of the supporting cast of characters from the previous books in the series. Donovan continues to develop the relationship, showing us their progress. And the humor continues to be an added benefit, especially from Tess. Her wit is awesome and at times I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I definitely recommend reading the series in order to get the full benefit of the characters.
Although there was no mention of a next book in the series, I'm hopeful, as there are still several directions Donovan can take. It's one of my favorite series and I can't wait for more.
March 11, 2019
This book turned out to be a much better story than I first thought. Daniel Riga is the head football coach for the local pro team. During a question and answers after a game is asked to comment on an article that was featured in a local newspaper column. Which compared him to zombies. Noelle Sharpe who is a huge fan of the teams is horrified, and mortified that her article is being brought up on this press stage when they should be asking, why didn’t you blitz on the last play? She also cannot believe that the point that she was trying to make about the coach, who said he does not date during the season. His focus is on football, coaching and the team. Of course she could have used a better reference than zombies to get her point across of it not being good to be focused on just one thing. Turns out that she works for the same paper as the person that asked the question, and during the week he brings up the topic again and again. In order to stop the damage she agrees to a deal with the devil, the owners nephew who is the reporter who is always asking the question, and knows nothing about football or the team. This leads her to the press room one day and not only is the coach taken by the new reporters’ questions, but also by her beauty. She of course does not see herself as attractive, but the coach is taken by her looks and her smarts. Once he starts becoming more and more wanting a relationship she is scared because if the team does not do well she feels he will dump her. When he comes to the rescue of her dog that got out and some neighborhood kids took, she now wants to call everything off. She does not want to get hurt any more than she already is. Now the coach has to decide for his plans and the way he was raised is coming into question. Can he save himself while the season is still going on, and is this the women he is willing to fight for? There are a few twists that make this a very good read. Also find out what happens to the nephew when the uncle finds out what he was doing to his favorite reporter. Many different story lines going on. a very good book. I got this book from NetGalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
May 30, 2021
*4.5 stars*
Wild premise, great romance…
I admit it. Zombie brains? In a romance? I was not sure how that would work at all but Kate Donovan did!
Daniel was a bit stuffy, regimented and focused on one thing – football. Noelle was a breath of fresh air from him and her readers. A brilliant piece of marketing had her first book soaring in popularity, leading to a blog and even more books. She was having fun with it, even if the zombie angle was wildly weird, so when an off the cuff blog remark created controversy, she laughed it all off. Until Daniel Riga became a media target…
I loved this story! If the zombie novelty wore off after a while, Dan and Noelle ably picked up the baton with a steamy, heart-filled courtship. They had chemistry – a lot of it! – which made for sexy dialogue, laugh out loud conversations and heart when things got tough. Their courtship was unconventional which suited these two, as they beat to their own rhythm…
I became a football after hanging out with the Lancers for 250+ pages – teamwork and family were at its core. This read well as a standalone but I couldn’t be happier there is lots more to catch up on!
*I happily reviewed this story
**Thank you to NetGalley
Wild premise, great romance…
I admit it. Zombie brains? In a romance? I was not sure how that would work at all but Kate Donovan did!
Daniel was a bit stuffy, regimented and focused on one thing – football. Noelle was a breath of fresh air from him and her readers. A brilliant piece of marketing had her first book soaring in popularity, leading to a blog and even more books. She was having fun with it, even if the zombie angle was wildly weird, so when an off the cuff blog remark created controversy, she laughed it all off. Until Daniel Riga became a media target…
I loved this story! If the zombie novelty wore off after a while, Dan and Noelle ably picked up the baton with a steamy, heart-filled courtship. They had chemistry – a lot of it! – which made for sexy dialogue, laugh out loud conversations and heart when things got tough. Their courtship was unconventional which suited these two, as they beat to their own rhythm…
I became a football after hanging out with the Lancers for 250+ pages – teamwork and family were at its core. This read well as a standalone but I couldn’t be happier there is lots more to catch up on!
*I happily reviewed this story
**Thank you to NetGalley
August 19, 2017
So ridiculous it was a chore to read.
January 27, 2020
Second fav
March 13, 2017
Sports romance is my favorite genre so I was really excited to read this book. The description peaked my curiosity. I have to admit it took me awhile to really get interested in the story. Although I know the story is a work of fiction, I like to have a story line I find to be believable. To me, the story was just ok because I just couldn't connect to the characters.
September 27, 2016
Play Calling is the sixth book in the Play Makers series. This book can easily be read as a standalone. I haven't read the previous titles in this series, and still enjoyed this book.
Play Calling is Daniel and Noelle's story. Noel is a sociologist and Daniel is an NFL coach. Noelle has a newspaper column and her commentary regarding Daniel is taking out of context. This creates a media frenzy! Daniel wants nothing more than to focus on coaching his team to the next super bowl but instead he's hounded by the press regarding the column. When the pair meet they have an intense chemistry and connection.
Daniel is a tad clueless, but still quite endearing, whilst Noelle seems to be a tad too selfless and kind. The characters are complex, interesting and like-able. They are also quite believable.
The plot and banter between the characters is quite engaging and entertaining. I didn't give this book more than four stars, for a couple of reasons. One being that the love scenes felt like they lacked emotion and steaminess! Also the couple went from zero to naked really quickly which I found to be a tad unbelievable.
Overall this book is well written, there are quite a few additional side characters who make this plot interesting and give you a few laugh out loud moments along the way. This is a enjoyable and fun contemporary romance.
Play Calling is Daniel and Noelle's story. Noel is a sociologist and Daniel is an NFL coach. Noelle has a newspaper column and her commentary regarding Daniel is taking out of context. This creates a media frenzy! Daniel wants nothing more than to focus on coaching his team to the next super bowl but instead he's hounded by the press regarding the column. When the pair meet they have an intense chemistry and connection.
Daniel is a tad clueless, but still quite endearing, whilst Noelle seems to be a tad too selfless and kind. The characters are complex, interesting and like-able. They are also quite believable.
The plot and banter between the characters is quite engaging and entertaining. I didn't give this book more than four stars, for a couple of reasons. One being that the love scenes felt like they lacked emotion and steaminess! Also the couple went from zero to naked really quickly which I found to be a tad unbelievable.
Overall this book is well written, there are quite a few additional side characters who make this plot interesting and give you a few laugh out loud moments along the way. This is a enjoyable and fun contemporary romance.
September 10, 2016
4 Zombie stars!
Play Calling is a sexy read, enjoyable and pretty entertaining! Hunky head football coach meets gorgeous author-slash-sociologist? Refreshingly interesting!
About the story..
The story is basically about Daniel Riga/Coach Riga/Daniel/Dan, the head coach of Portland Lancers who was suddenly caught in media frenzy when Noelle Sharpe, an author and sociologist, called him zombie in a newspaper column. Feeling guilty, Noelle went out of her way to remedy the situation and although some turns out great, some becomes a complete nightmare for her. Interestingly, Daniel and Noelle hit it off during their first time encounter with each other and later on agreed to date during the off-season which is few months away. Daniel and Noelle then struggle to stick to the plan as they started to developed feeling towards other and wish they can date during the football season. But Daniel has to focus all his attention to football and Noelle is busy with her column and book tour so they must decide which way to choose to have their own HEA.
My opinion:
I think this book is very refreshing because although I've reads lot of stories with the hero as superstar sports player, I've never read one about a coach let alone the head coach and Daniel Riga makes a very interesting (and delighting) head coach. I was intrigued by the set up that link Daniel and Noelle together and I was kind of in the mood for the hero and heroine that start off as stranger at first so Play Calling comes to me at a perfect time.
Things that makes my heart flutters:
(or in other words, Things that I love about the book)
1)The idea that relates Daniel to zombie. It is brilliant and funny at the same time to say he is like a zombie because he gives his 100% focus to just one thing which is football.
2)Noelle's love for football especially toward Lancers. It's pretty cool that she has a very good understanding about the sport.
3)That first time Dan send Noelle a flower as surprise AND secretly watch her receive it from the delivery guy. That's really sweet and the message on the flower is sweeter! *Swoon*
"To the prettiest girl I'm not dating until February. Here or anywhere else." ~Dan
Things that gives me heart attack:
(or in other words, Things that I can live without from the book)
1)The fact that Daniel and Noelle have sex on their very first encounter. It feels a bit weird that Noelle meets him to apologize for the zombie incident, then asking him a favor and then boom they are having sex. It just doesn't bode well with me and I don't know why, maybe I need more chemistry at that particular scene.
2)Noelle is being way too kind. I get that she is selfless and a very good-natured person but that interview with Hutch and helping Farrow with articles and questions? I was feeling quite frustrated that she doesn't just tell them off. But then the Hutch's incident gives a wonderful result and Farrow gets a satisfying end so I'm good.
As a whole, I think Play Calling is a pretty good book and although it is a part of a series, it can also be read as a standalone. However, it is better to read the previous book because there are lots of interesting supporting characters. I would recommend this book to football lovers that wants some romance with HEA.
My review is also published at:
http://sweetheartreads.blogspot.com/2...
Play Calling is a sexy read, enjoyable and pretty entertaining! Hunky head football coach meets gorgeous author-slash-sociologist? Refreshingly interesting!
About the story..
The story is basically about Daniel Riga/Coach Riga/Daniel/Dan, the head coach of Portland Lancers who was suddenly caught in media frenzy when Noelle Sharpe, an author and sociologist, called him zombie in a newspaper column. Feeling guilty, Noelle went out of her way to remedy the situation and although some turns out great, some becomes a complete nightmare for her. Interestingly, Daniel and Noelle hit it off during their first time encounter with each other and later on agreed to date during the off-season which is few months away. Daniel and Noelle then struggle to stick to the plan as they started to developed feeling towards other and wish they can date during the football season. But Daniel has to focus all his attention to football and Noelle is busy with her column and book tour so they must decide which way to choose to have their own HEA.
My opinion:
I think this book is very refreshing because although I've reads lot of stories with the hero as superstar sports player, I've never read one about a coach let alone the head coach and Daniel Riga makes a very interesting (and delighting) head coach. I was intrigued by the set up that link Daniel and Noelle together and I was kind of in the mood for the hero and heroine that start off as stranger at first so Play Calling comes to me at a perfect time.
Things that makes my heart flutters:
(or in other words, Things that I love about the book)
1)The idea that relates Daniel to zombie. It is brilliant and funny at the same time to say he is like a zombie because he gives his 100% focus to just one thing which is football.
2)Noelle's love for football especially toward Lancers. It's pretty cool that she has a very good understanding about the sport.
3)That first time Dan send Noelle a flower as surprise AND secretly watch her receive it from the delivery guy. That's really sweet and the message on the flower is sweeter! *Swoon*
"To the prettiest girl I'm not dating until February. Here or anywhere else." ~Dan
Things that gives me heart attack:
(or in other words, Things that I can live without from the book)
1)The fact that Daniel and Noelle have sex on their very first encounter. It feels a bit weird that Noelle meets him to apologize for the zombie incident, then asking him a favor and then boom they are having sex. It just doesn't bode well with me and I don't know why, maybe I need more chemistry at that particular scene.
2)Noelle is being way too kind. I get that she is selfless and a very good-natured person but that interview with Hutch and helping Farrow with articles and questions? I was feeling quite frustrated that she doesn't just tell them off. But then the Hutch's incident gives a wonderful result and Farrow gets a satisfying end so I'm good.
As a whole, I think Play Calling is a pretty good book and although it is a part of a series, it can also be read as a standalone. However, it is better to read the previous book because there are lots of interesting supporting characters. I would recommend this book to football lovers that wants some romance with HEA.
My review is also published at:
http://sweetheartreads.blogspot.com/2...
October 9, 2016
3.5 Stars. Play Calling is the 6th book in the Play Makers Series by Kate Donovan and can be read as a stand alone (I did) although a lot of the characters are from previous books and it was a bit difficult at first for me to keep track of who was who.
Daniel Riga is the new head coach for the NFL Portland team is all about football. So much so that he declares that he doesn't do anything but concentrate on football including dating during the season. Writer Noelle Sharpe makes a reference to him being a Zombie in her article about people who focus on a single thing. Although she is a football fan and also compliments Daniel in her article the words are taken out of context and the media run with it. Daniel is frustrated that the press keep asking about his being a Zombie and not his team during the pre-season press conferences and Noelle is upset that her words have been taken out of context. She goes to Daniel's house to apologize to him and they end up having sex.
So this book jumps into sex immediately as the two characters really don't know each other and it's their first time meeting each other. I don't necessarily have an issue with this but from that point until almost the end the relationship seems a lot more based on sex than anything else so when the I love you's happen it isn't all that believable. However, putting aside the insta love this book had some really fun moments. I loved the humor, some of the quirky characters and I even enjoyed the personalities of the main characters. The relationship between Daniel and Noelle was really different since they decided not to date until February when football season was over. However, Daniel and Noelle kept "ending up" in seeing each other. I thought it was funny that Daniel referred to Noelle as the most beautiful and only woman he was not dating until Feb. There were plenty of football moments and the sport wasn't just a gimmick but an integral part of the story.
Overall, a fun and entertaining read and although I wasn't crazy about the insta love I enjoyed it enough to go back and read the first book in the series. If you enjoy a fun, humorous sports romance with entertaining and lovable characters I recommend Play Calling.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for gifting me this book in return for a fair review.
Daniel Riga is the new head coach for the NFL Portland team is all about football. So much so that he declares that he doesn't do anything but concentrate on football including dating during the season. Writer Noelle Sharpe makes a reference to him being a Zombie in her article about people who focus on a single thing. Although she is a football fan and also compliments Daniel in her article the words are taken out of context and the media run with it. Daniel is frustrated that the press keep asking about his being a Zombie and not his team during the pre-season press conferences and Noelle is upset that her words have been taken out of context. She goes to Daniel's house to apologize to him and they end up having sex.
So this book jumps into sex immediately as the two characters really don't know each other and it's their first time meeting each other. I don't necessarily have an issue with this but from that point until almost the end the relationship seems a lot more based on sex than anything else so when the I love you's happen it isn't all that believable. However, putting aside the insta love this book had some really fun moments. I loved the humor, some of the quirky characters and I even enjoyed the personalities of the main characters. The relationship between Daniel and Noelle was really different since they decided not to date until February when football season was over. However, Daniel and Noelle kept "ending up" in seeing each other. I thought it was funny that Daniel referred to Noelle as the most beautiful and only woman he was not dating until Feb. There were plenty of football moments and the sport wasn't just a gimmick but an integral part of the story.
Overall, a fun and entertaining read and although I wasn't crazy about the insta love I enjoyed it enough to go back and read the first book in the series. If you enjoy a fun, humorous sports romance with entertaining and lovable characters I recommend Play Calling.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for gifting me this book in return for a fair review.
September 18, 2016
http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/revi...
http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com
I was given an advanced copy of this book to write an honest review for Netgalley and Cocktails and Books.
PLAY CALLING is the sixth and newest addition to the Play Makers series and I have enjoyed reading all of them. Each of the stories is about a different member of the Lancers football team and the characters are funny, quirky and highly entertaining. This story is a little different from the others. It is not about one of the players on the football team, it is about their coach. Daniel Riga is the new head coach of the Portland Lancers football team and during the season Daniel’s only focus is on football and trying to lead his new team to another Super Bowl. He never spends time on anything else, including dating. Daniel is intense and highly motivated but underneath it all there is a fun loving, nice guy.
Noelle Sharpe is a sociologist and writes a column for the local newspaper. She mentions Daniel in one of her columns and the whole thing is blown out of proportion. Noelle is embarrassed by all the bad publicity Daniel is getting over her column and meets him when she seeks him out to apologize. There are is an immediate attraction between them but Daniel doesn't want any distractions from football and tries to ignore his feelings toward Noelle.
Daniel drove me crazy throughout this story because he is such a clueless guy and I do not understand why Noelle is so patient and understanding with him. Even though Daniel wanted to be with Noelle, he does not want to put the time or energy into a relationship and Noelle thinks so little of herself, she lets him make all the decisions. That said, I enjoyed the story and I liked Daniel and Noelle, but I didn't always agree with their decisions.
I am delighted the Triple Threat are part of this story because I loved reading about these colorful characters in the other books in this series. I enjoy all the humor, wisecracking and jokes between the players. This is an fun and captivating story with many wonderful characters and of course, hot football players.
http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com
I was given an advanced copy of this book to write an honest review for Netgalley and Cocktails and Books.
PLAY CALLING is the sixth and newest addition to the Play Makers series and I have enjoyed reading all of them. Each of the stories is about a different member of the Lancers football team and the characters are funny, quirky and highly entertaining. This story is a little different from the others. It is not about one of the players on the football team, it is about their coach. Daniel Riga is the new head coach of the Portland Lancers football team and during the season Daniel’s only focus is on football and trying to lead his new team to another Super Bowl. He never spends time on anything else, including dating. Daniel is intense and highly motivated but underneath it all there is a fun loving, nice guy.
Noelle Sharpe is a sociologist and writes a column for the local newspaper. She mentions Daniel in one of her columns and the whole thing is blown out of proportion. Noelle is embarrassed by all the bad publicity Daniel is getting over her column and meets him when she seeks him out to apologize. There are is an immediate attraction between them but Daniel doesn't want any distractions from football and tries to ignore his feelings toward Noelle.
Daniel drove me crazy throughout this story because he is such a clueless guy and I do not understand why Noelle is so patient and understanding with him. Even though Daniel wanted to be with Noelle, he does not want to put the time or energy into a relationship and Noelle thinks so little of herself, she lets him make all the decisions. That said, I enjoyed the story and I liked Daniel and Noelle, but I didn't always agree with their decisions.
I am delighted the Triple Threat are part of this story because I loved reading about these colorful characters in the other books in this series. I enjoy all the humor, wisecracking and jokes between the players. This is an fun and captivating story with many wonderful characters and of course, hot football players.
September 6, 2016
This was my first Kate Donovan book, but I really, really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for any kind of sports romance and this one was no exception. While this was the sixth book in this series, the fact that I had not read any of the previous five did not detract from my enjoyment of this book at all.
Daniel Riga is the new coach of the Portland Lancers and he is known for being "married" to his job. During the season he does nothing but focus on football, save for the token funeral or wedding he might need to attend. The one thing he vows he'll never do is date during the season. As soon as the off-season starts, dating is fair game, but it's well known that he doesn't bend on that fact.
When Noelle Sharpe writes about Coach Riga in her sociology column in the local paper, she has no way of knowing that what she intended to be a compliment was going to cause a firestorm for the new coach and put her in not only the limelight, but also a stick situation with a co-worker at the paper. When Noelle seeks Coach Riga out to personally apologize to him for all of the things that have gone down, she expects to speak to him and never see him again. What she doesn't expect are the feelings he elicits in her and the sparks that fly immediately between the two of them.
Will Daniel change his ways and decide that dating during the season is really okay? Or will the two of them stick to an agreement they come up with to wait until the off-season? And, with the sparks that flew between them, is that even possible?
I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book, Daniel and Noelle for sure, but also the cast of characters around them. I definitely will be checking out more of this author's work, both her back catalog and also any books she releases in the future!
**Book provided by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review**
Daniel Riga is the new coach of the Portland Lancers and he is known for being "married" to his job. During the season he does nothing but focus on football, save for the token funeral or wedding he might need to attend. The one thing he vows he'll never do is date during the season. As soon as the off-season starts, dating is fair game, but it's well known that he doesn't bend on that fact.
When Noelle Sharpe writes about Coach Riga in her sociology column in the local paper, she has no way of knowing that what she intended to be a compliment was going to cause a firestorm for the new coach and put her in not only the limelight, but also a stick situation with a co-worker at the paper. When Noelle seeks Coach Riga out to personally apologize to him for all of the things that have gone down, she expects to speak to him and never see him again. What she doesn't expect are the feelings he elicits in her and the sparks that fly immediately between the two of them.
Will Daniel change his ways and decide that dating during the season is really okay? Or will the two of them stick to an agreement they come up with to wait until the off-season? And, with the sparks that flew between them, is that even possible?
I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book, Daniel and Noelle for sure, but also the cast of characters around them. I definitely will be checking out more of this author's work, both her back catalog and also any books she releases in the future!
**Book provided by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review**
September 12, 2016
I will admit it took me a minute to get into this one. The 3rd person narration was distracting, and so was the multiple POV's.
Noelle is a sociologist that has written a book in which she likens people that are focused on one activity alone, to the exclusion of all others, to Zombies. She summarises this in her new newspaper column, highlighting Daniel Riga as one such Zombie. even though she thinks she is saying it as compliment to how good he is as an NFL head coach.
When Riga is told of her comments, he really does not care. His only issue is the fact that instead of asking him pertinent football questions he gets bombarded with ridiculous Zombie stuff instead.
what follows is a kind of comedy of errors that see Noelle and Daniel meting and finding they are insanely attracted to each other. The only issue with this is that Daniel does not date during football season. not even so much as a casual hook up. the only way around this, in his opinion, is to ask Noelle to wait for him, without any kind of contact for the next 5 months. To his amazement she agrees. Despite their deal they find themselves in each others company much more than they anticipated.
I actually really enjoyed this book, despite the silly sounding storyline. Noelle is far from the pushover she sounds like she should be and Daniel is actually really likeable, despite his sometimes odd views on his life/work balance.
if you are looking for a low drama romance read I would definitely recommend this one.
*-*arc provided for honest review*-*
Noelle is a sociologist that has written a book in which she likens people that are focused on one activity alone, to the exclusion of all others, to Zombies. She summarises this in her new newspaper column, highlighting Daniel Riga as one such Zombie. even though she thinks she is saying it as compliment to how good he is as an NFL head coach.
When Riga is told of her comments, he really does not care. His only issue is the fact that instead of asking him pertinent football questions he gets bombarded with ridiculous Zombie stuff instead.
what follows is a kind of comedy of errors that see Noelle and Daniel meting and finding they are insanely attracted to each other. The only issue with this is that Daniel does not date during football season. not even so much as a casual hook up. the only way around this, in his opinion, is to ask Noelle to wait for him, without any kind of contact for the next 5 months. To his amazement she agrees. Despite their deal they find themselves in each others company much more than they anticipated.
I actually really enjoyed this book, despite the silly sounding storyline. Noelle is far from the pushover she sounds like she should be and Daniel is actually really likeable, despite his sometimes odd views on his life/work balance.
if you are looking for a low drama romance read I would definitely recommend this one.
*-*arc provided for honest review*-*
September 8, 2016
I loved this book! Noelle and Riga have great chemistry and watching them build a relationship in spite of trying to put it off until after football season. I loved watching Riga fall hard and fast for Noelle and not really know what was going on. I loved seeing the Triple Threat again and I have to say I can't wait for more in this series (please, PLEASE tell me there’s more coming in this series) I need to know how the rest of the Lancers season goes, weddings and when Baby McSpurling will make an appearance. This book is great as a stand alone but if you have read and enjoyed the earlier Play Makers books it just makes it that much better. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
did-not-finish
September 11, 2016DNF @ 30%
Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. The writing flows well, but the hero and heroine don't even meet until 25%, so the beginning of the story is heavy on football and light on romance. But then the first sex scene is so fast as to be the definition of "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am." I didn't believe the instant chemistry between them and needed more buildup to their physical relationship.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. No star rating since I did not finish.
Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. The writing flows well, but the hero and heroine don't even meet until 25%, so the beginning of the story is heavy on football and light on romance. But then the first sex scene is so fast as to be the definition of "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am." I didn't believe the instant chemistry between them and needed more buildup to their physical relationship.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. No star rating since I did not finish.
May 31, 2017
This book is the sixth in the series and, while it is a standalone, I felt reading the previous books would have given me a better grasp on all the extra characters. There were so many stories going on, I didn’t know where my attention should go.
That being said, I did enjoy the characters and was invested in their story and HEA. Their chemistry was very real and their scenes were steamy.
Overall, it was an interesting read with a slightly different type of storyline than your typical sports romance. I enjoyed it despite feeling a bit lost at times.
That being said, I did enjoy the characters and was invested in their story and HEA. Their chemistry was very real and their scenes were steamy.
Overall, it was an interesting read with a slightly different type of storyline than your typical sports romance. I enjoyed it despite feeling a bit lost at times.
September 16, 2016
2.5 stars
I like Kate's writing but this was quite far off the mark for me.
The instant chemistry wasn't believable and it felt like she was trading sex for something yucky !
Then she goes on the pill and has unprotected sex on like the second or third meeting? Before they've even been in a date?
There was too much of the other characters from the series which I kind of liked but if you haven't read would have driven you mad.
I like Kate's writing but this was quite far off the mark for me.
The instant chemistry wasn't believable and it felt like she was trading sex for something yucky !
Then she goes on the pill and has unprotected sex on like the second or third meeting? Before they've even been in a date?
There was too much of the other characters from the series which I kind of liked but if you haven't read would have driven you mad.
September 20, 2016
***ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't love it, didn't hate it but it didn't resonate with me either as a fun, sexy read or as an emotional read. One minute they don't even know each other, he's hard set on not dating, and then BOOM they're having sex. And I didn't feel like it was an insta-love kind of thing either. I just didn't feel the connection between these two and felt disconnected as a reader.
I didn't love it, didn't hate it but it didn't resonate with me either as a fun, sexy read or as an emotional read. One minute they don't even know each other, he's hard set on not dating, and then BOOM they're having sex. And I didn't feel like it was an insta-love kind of thing either. I just didn't feel the connection between these two and felt disconnected as a reader.
September 20, 2016
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
To be clear, I didn't read any of the first 5 books in the series. Maybe it would have helped because some of the secondary characters were introduced as if I should already know their backstories and relationships to each other. While I enjoy sports and this book expressed some knowledge about football, this book really had no tension within the story line and the ending seemed very anticlimactic for me.
To be clear, I didn't read any of the first 5 books in the series. Maybe it would have helped because some of the secondary characters were introduced as if I should already know their backstories and relationships to each other. While I enjoy sports and this book expressed some knowledge about football, this book really had no tension within the story line and the ending seemed very anticlimactic for me.
October 11, 2016
ARC provided via Netgalley.
I really liked Coach Riga and Noelle's story. I'm a fan of this series, so I wasn't surprised that I liked this one too. The cover doesn't do much for me (honestly, he's the coach...), but I can live with it. I love how the Triple Threat guys make more than just an appearance, being important parts of this book too. Wish we could see more about the aftermath for the MC on this book, but I guess we will if there is a book #7.
I really liked Coach Riga and Noelle's story. I'm a fan of this series, so I wasn't surprised that I liked this one too. The cover doesn't do much for me (honestly, he's the coach...), but I can live with it. I love how the Triple Threat guys make more than just an appearance, being important parts of this book too. Wish we could see more about the aftermath for the MC on this book, but I guess we will if there is a book #7.
September 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this book and particulary liked the way the book was about a sports coach and not about a athlete. A lot of sports romance is about an athlete which I love, but it was great having something different to read about. I enjoyed both characters and the chemistry between the two was hot. This was an enjoyable and fun sports romance read.
September 2, 2016
I love this series
September 5, 2016
Daniel and Noelle were perfect for each other. Loved this book.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2016
via netgalley
A fun read. Loved Daniel
A fun read. Loved Daniel
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews