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Money, power, prestige…freedom. Echo Coulter is—The Player.

You are a Coulter. You will be perfect. That’s what Echo has been told every day of her life. As the only girl in the Coulter clan, she knows it’s her job to be the glue of the family. But with the Olympics looming, the last thing she wants is to follow the rules. She wants to break free, and she knows just the guy to help her.

Cole Atkins has no interest in spoiled little rich girls. Besides, he’s got the job of a lifetime and just met the girl of his dreams…That is, until she ditches him under the cover of darkness. He can put her out of his head and deal with a spoiled princess for a couple of months, right?

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2017

91 people are currently reading
525 people want to read

About the author

Nana Malone

167 books3,027 followers
Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author, Nana Malone writes Sexy Feel-Good Romance and loves of all things romance and adventure.

That love started with a tattered romantic suspense she "borrowed" from her cousin. It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She's been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for The Book Junkie Reads . . ..
5,010 reviews153 followers
March 21, 2017
The price of freedom was higher than the price of love. Echo Coulter has longed for freedom for so long she just don’t know what it taste like. Will freedom be worth the cost of losing the love she found along the way? The time came for her dreams to come true or was this yet another illusion?

Echo was the rock of the family. The glue. The string that tied it all together. He was hired to make sure that she didn’t stray from the path chosen for her. Echo and Cole had that burning passion and scorching chemistry. Neither knew the meaning of selfish. They both sacrificed so much. It was time they started to think of themselves. Take a little something for themselves. I loved Echo. She was great before. Now, this was her story and she had so much more going on.

Pick it up and enjoy all that’s being offered. This lone girl in a family of strong willed males have her own story. She had her own dreams, desires, sacrifices, determination. Echo will stay with you.
1,917 reviews7 followers
March 21, 2017
This is my third Coulters book. I enjoyed Dax more than Bryce and I must say I liked Echo. it was nice to have a female athlete's story.
Echo is the only female in a world of males who excel at what they do. She has always been the buffer between her parents and the boys, shielding them from things that come up. Her parents put a lot of pressure on her and she has accepted it up to this point. She does not want to go to the Olympics but rather go to design school. However, her family does not know this and they hire Cole to train her for the Olympics.
Cole thought he would be destined for the Olympics until he got hurt. He is now going to train someone for the Olympics.
Echo goes into this "relationship" not wanting to be a runner in the Olympics and Cole goes in with preconceived notions about the "rich" and who he will be training. Both are surprised by what they find.
This is another sweet story by Nana Malone and shows how with someone in your corner who loves you and believes in you, you can reach your dreams.
Throughout all three of these books I have not been thrilled with the parents or the grandfather, especially him, and this book did nothing to endear him to me. I was thrilled with Echo's explosion.
I received this ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Crystal.
Author 75 books427 followers
February 3, 2022
Saved Echo for last (out of order), and she and Cole were definitely worth the wait! I loved how they met, how they supported each other, and their story itself! I highly recommend this series!
Profile Image for Margaret Watkins.
3,547 reviews88 followers
July 2, 2017
A well written, young adult romance, dealing with issues created by an autocratic patriarchal grandfather. Echo typifies most women's inability to say "no", resulting in the type of stress we are all familiar with. Just when Echo thinks she is reaching out for her dreams, they are snatched away by family responsibility. In addition, her well-meaning family make arrangements for her to be coached to ensure she makes it to the Olympics, on the assumption that what they want is what she wants as well. There were so many aspects to this story that women could identify with, not least of which was the pressure to acquiesce to the demands of her parents. After an exciting one night stand with Cole, Echo is horrified to realise that he is the coach that her parents have employed to ensure she makes it to the Olympics. Cole has had his fill of entitled young women, and when he realises that the girl he cannot forget is his new assignment, he is angry and assumes that he has been played. Nevertheless, the burning attraction between Echo and Cole persists, despite their best attempts to douse the flames. Unfortunately, Echo's grandfather, who considers himself an expert despite never having actually competed in the Olympics, meddles and insults all Cole's efforts to give Echo the best training possible for her abilities. The reader's emotions are engaged, especially when Grandfather Rory makes his entrance and one would dearly love to muzzle him. Although this book is part of a series, it is nevertheless a stand alone and the gaps are sufficiently filled that one is not left wondering what happened in this family saga in previous episodes. The book comes to a satisfying ending, albeit a little abruptly. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review
Profile Image for Linda Ketter.
752 reviews4 followers
March 19, 2017
I was surprised with this book. Echo has always been the good girl. She takes care of her brothers, does what is asked of her and never complains about any of it (except for maybe a little venting to Jen but that's what friends are for). She is finally going to realize her dream, but in a brief conversation that dream is shattered. Now part of that is her own fault for not standing up for herself, but the bulk of it is on her parents and gramps for assuming what her dreams were and not actually asking her.

Echo is a ticking time bomb and she uses running to relieve some of her stress. Unfortunately, this last round of requests is too much for her to bear. Everyone expects Echo to do what is asked and they don't realize the weight on her shoulders; but Echo never tells them it's too much and her shoulders can only hold so much weight. I loved the explosion that happened at the party. It was a long time coming and no one should have been surprised, but they all were. Really, there's only so much one person can do.

As much as I did not love Cole's attitude about rich people, I understood it. He pushed Echo to see where her breaking point was during training and was surprised. However, gramps and Julia just reinforced his opinion. I loved that Bryce went and talked to Cole after the explosion and explained that not all of them are like his preconceptions.

I don't know what gramps' problem is or if he is just trying to live vicariously through the grandkids, but he needs to get over himself or he's going to alienate everyone he claims to love. And what could possibly by wrong with Brent?
Profile Image for Kym.
693 reviews
June 15, 2017
Enjoyed the fact that this was a different type of sports-oriented, rich girl-poor boy story. This is the first story I've read from Nana Malone.

Echo's character seemed very real-life to me, up to a point. Trying to please everyone, putting her parents needs ahead of her own, etc., was very believable.

Cole had been burned badly by a rich girl who chose the rich girl lifestyle over him. Understand that he's got a chip on his shoulder.

But some other aspects of the story? Just a little too unbelievable. Without revealing a spoiler, I couldn't buy the way she was able to compete at an Olympic level - given her circumstances. And Cole? His first client out of college is a high profile athlete with the family pedigree to back up the athletic ability? Just a little bit too much of a stretch for me...

However, there are so many good points in the story - I was so happy for Echo finally standing up to her family and making them realize how much she was giving up for them, Jen is a jewel of a friend, Cole's personal/professional growth, etc., I would enjoy reading more from this author!

I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for The Book Junkie Reads . . ..
5,010 reviews153 followers
May 21, 2018
Echo was the rock of the family. The glue. The string that tied it all together. He was hired to make sure that she didn’t stray from the path chosen for her. Echo and Cole had that burning passion and scorching chemistry. Neither knew the meaning of selfish. They both sacrificed so much. It was time they started to think of themselves. Take a little something for themselves. I loved Echo. She was great before. Now, this was her story and she had so much more going on. I found Cole to be her complement. He was strong. He could allow her to lead and then stand up for her at the same time. He had a few flaws but that was what made him more.

The price of freedom was higher than the price of love. Echo Coulter has longed for freedom for so long she just don’t know what it taste like. Will freedom be worth the cost of losing the love she found along the way? The time came for her dreams to come true or was this yet another illusion? Pick it up and enjoy all that’s being offered. This lone girl in a family of strong willed males have her own story. She had her own dreams, desires, sacrifices, determination. Echo will stay with you.

York and Odom bring to life Echo's world and give it that added depth of perception.
Profile Image for Dawn Myers.
1,299 reviews2 followers
March 13, 2017
I loved this book Echo: The Player is my favorite book so far. Echo is the only girl in a family of four boys. Her family takes advantage of her, but she also does not stand up for herself. Cole has issues with rich families. When Cole is hired to be her running coach the sparks fly. This is the journey of two people, learning about themselves. Echo learning to stand up for herself. Cole learning that all rich families are not the same. Now that doesn't mean some of the Coulter family doesn't live up to Cole's experience of the rich. Their journeys are fun and a roller coaster ride of frustration. When the frustration finely gets to Echo the blowup is so worth the book. My biggest complaint's with all the books is the endings. The siblings are all young so I don't get all the love, marriage and babies I want. I hope after the series is finished that Nana Malone will write a 7th book a few years down the road to see how the families and the legacy of the Coulter family grows. If you have read the first two books, then in my opinion Echo is the best so far and should be read. I received an ARC edition for my honest and voluntary review.
3,421 reviews20 followers
April 17, 2017
Only girl. Middle child. The dependable one. Echo could go on and on. She fell into the role naturally. She managed her brothers, protected them when they needed it, made sure the parents didn't have to. She was the one they went to. Now, that she finally had her own dreams worked out, they needed her again. Oh, they were going to reward her--the way they wanted. Did they ever stop to think that maybe she had her own plans?

Cole couldn't believe the offer. The money would ease his worry about paying for his brother's college. It was an amazing offer for someone new to coaching. He'd miss his brother but otherwise, he didn't mind the move. Face it, he'd never wanted to represent the “upper class.” Still, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. Now, he just needed to get excited about it.

Neither had wanted to go out. Neither was excited or much company. When their friends talked them into a night on the town before they began the next step in their lives, they'd gone, reluctantly. That is until one dance, one kiss led to more. One night.

Yes, the last person she expected to face with her parents was the man who'd rocked her world. The man who was hired to help shatter her dreams so she could fulfill her grandfather's and parent's dreams. Instead of designing clothes, she'd be running toward the Olympics. Likewise, the rich princess he was supposed to coach was the woman he couldn't forget.

How will they handle their relationships, professional and personal? This is another winner from Ms. Malone. I love Echo's and Cole's unselfishness. I'm happy to see her come into her own. Both are loyal, committed individuals who deserve happiness. Will they get it? You'll enjoy this sometimes tender, steamy, and watching them grow and learn about themselves and that life isn't always what you see on the surface.
Profile Image for Margaret.
2,652 reviews12 followers
March 18, 2017
4.5 stars This is an excellent contemporary billionaire/sports romance. Echo Coulter has four brothers who all seem to excel. I've had the pleasure of reading Dad and Bryce's stories. Echo's parents and siblings tend to rely on her which is overwhelming. No one in her family asks what she wants. Cole has a chance to coach an Olympic contender but his first meeting with Echo is something neither will forget. There are many issues as guard Olympic contender, a Coulter and female that Echo has to deal with. Cole has misconceptions about the family and especially Echo when they meet. I received a complementary copy of this book and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by this author.
Profile Image for Sylvie Rochon.
2,479 reviews
January 14, 2021
I loved Echo and Cole's story. Mostly because we got to know Echo throughout the other books. Echo has the disease to please her parents and grand-father. Lots of pressure is put on her and her personal dreams are being left in the dust. When it gets to be too much, Jen her best friend convinces her she needs a night out, a fake name and to find a guy to lose her V-card. So Echo meets Cole and as Cece, has an outstanding one night with him and leaves. A few days later she meets the new coach that will help her get an Olympic medal. And that is Cole!
Loved everything about this story and narration.
Profile Image for Christine (Queen of Books).
1,409 reviews156 followers
Read
November 17, 2021
Reasons why I enjoyed ECHO:
- Sports romance
- Steamy
- Woman athlete
- Instalust
- Finding one's voice
- Learning how to set boundaries in familial relationships

Did I say steamy? I don't know how Nana Malone does it, but this series is great. And I love that none of the books are overly long.

Given that Echo is training for the Olympics, there's some discussion of strict dieting, but it wasn't the sort that made me question what's OK for me personally to eat/that upset me with the language used. Still, content warning for discussion of that (and sick parent, recollection of parents dying in a car accident, career-ending injury).
Profile Image for Annette.
3,167 reviews9 followers
March 14, 2017
The sister's story! Echo is surrounded by successful males and just goes with the flow. Cole is a little bitter about being injured & forced to train others for a living instead of being able run competitively himself. Both of these character have a little growing pains that they need to get over and when they come to terms with that they become stronger and relationship ready even though they started out on opposite sides of the track. Very inspiring & at times nerve-wracking but entertaining romance, author doesn't disappoint.
Profile Image for Alex Haber.
Author 1 book28 followers
June 17, 2017
In this book, we meet Echo that has all the problems of her family on her shoulders who are forcing her to do things that she doesn’t want to do denying her real dream just because they are rich. On the other hand, we meet Cole who was hired to be Echo’s running coach has a lot of hate for rich people because of everything that happened in his past but as soon as he gets to know Echo he will discover how different from her family soon enough!” I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,191 reviews11 followers
July 21, 2020
At the very beginning I was furious. Echo’s parents are the worst! Well, not really, but the way they treated her infuriated me right away. I also groaned at another virgin heroine. But I will say that the way it was handled was unique enough to peak my interest. In fact, the entire first encounter between Echo and Cole was so unlikely, but in the most fun way possible.

Echo had so much growth throughout this book. She became so much stronger in her convictions. It was a privilege to watch her figure out what she wanted from life and then to go after it with everything she had.
Profile Image for Nathalie.
59 reviews
June 10, 2017
Like the two first books in this series, I loved reading the interactions between Echo and Cole.

Echo is such a sweet and good person, it was good to see her evolve, gain confidence.
I wanted to murder Rory, put some sense into Cole...

I really lived the story with the characters and recommend this book, like Bryce and Dax.

I'm looking forward the other books !


I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Toula.
2,504 reviews
December 8, 2017
Have it in paperback. Heroine is Echo.
What happens when your born into a family of super star athletes and you don’t want to be one . What happens when your grandfather was in a marathon and the family has you picked for the olympics and you have another career in mind

Grab this and find out how Echo handled all the obstacles
Profile Image for Tammy Bulcao.
918 reviews11 followers
May 30, 2022
I loved this story. The characters had hot chemistry together. Echo has got a lot of spunk when she’s fired up.
So far this is my favorite in this series.
The narration was fantastic.
This is book 3 with an HEA and can be read as a standalone.
I highly recommend this book/series.

Sisters Spotlight 💜
Profile Image for Kayla Carter.
6 reviews
September 2, 2025
my little baby

I love echo. Because she’s so strong and she’s loyal to a fault. Do I wish she stood up more for herself ? Yes. But she is a great character overall. Cole, is also very complex but I am glad he was willing to talk to Echo and not allow his overthinking to deter anything
Profile Image for JigsawGirl.
4,144 reviews
March 17, 2017
I thought Cole and Echo were great together. They did hit their fair share of bumps in the road, but they worked them out successfully.

Cole and Echo helped each other achieve their professional, personal, and romantic goals. Rest assured, you will get a few hot, sexy scenes while reading this one.

One of the best (non sexy) moments in the book was the party scene between Echo and her family. Gramps has always been a piece of work, from the first book to the third. I can't envision a time that I would ever like him, but who knows what the future holds.

So far, Echo is my favorite of the series. This book grabs your attention from beginning to end. I would recommend this book. It can easily be read as a standalone, but I believe it will be more enjoyable with books 1 and 2, Bryce and Dax, respectively, in your bookshelf!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy.
4,266 reviews20 followers
January 14, 2018
This is good reading. The storyline is well-written and flows smoothly and the characters are so realistic and relatable that the reader is captivated. I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my honest review.
Profile Image for Linda Kam.
680 reviews
September 7, 2019
Brilliant

Another brilliant book in this series.
Loved Cole and Echo. Loved their connection. Gee whizz Rory is a pain in the posterior for sure. I'm glad Echo eventually stood up to him and her family.
Can't wait to read a little more about them hopefully in a future book.
Profile Image for Kristina.
283 reviews2 followers
March 31, 2021
I absolutely love the Coulter family and Echo is by far my favorite! I loved this and I’m so happy to know there is more of the family still. This made me have all the emotions and I could feel everything Echo felt.
Profile Image for Eloise Archangelo.
246 reviews
August 2, 2024
I went into this book with low expectations after reading a series of really bad books. And it blew my expectations out of the water. This strangers-lovers-enemies-friends-lovers dynamic was so much fun to read and I loved reading how Echo was able to come into herself and find her confidence. I would recommend this read!
Profile Image for Tanya Mayes.
710 reviews23 followers
March 21, 2017
This is book #3 of The Players series and the only girl Echo. Each book in the series just keeps getting better. She finally did something for herself. During a night out fake ame and all it was love at first sight. A burning attraction that couldn't be denied. Enter Cole, Mr. hot and sexy. One night of guilty pleasure was she wanted. But unknowingly to her this man is her new track coach. When the two meet again it's fireworks in more than one way. This was a awesome and fun read . I felt like I was there cheering her on. I love Cole and Echo as a couple, they were exactly what the other needed. INana Malone did her thing. Gramps (smh) too much.
Profile Image for Rachael.
297 reviews5 followers
January 30, 2022
Now this is a sports romance book. Excuse me while I go find myself a hunky coach.
Profile Image for Fos.
1,296 reviews2 followers
April 1, 2022
Audiobook
Echo and Cole
854 reviews3 followers
July 1, 2023
Echo

Gramps at his finest (demanding)

Echo has finally decided to pursue her heart’s desire but first she has to do the Olympics…

What could go wrong or right…
Profile Image for Monique Pearson.
Author 3 books43 followers
September 11, 2023
Love love love Echo. Couldn't put this one down!! Very McDreamy/Meredith like meeting!
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