Playing for Keeps

Hot Jocks #1

by Kendall Ryan, Jason Clarke (Narrator), Virginia Rose (Narrator)

The first book in the scorching new Hot Jocks series by New York Times best-selling author Kendall Ryan - available in audio first!  

I've never been so stupid in my entire life. 

Elise Parrish, my teammate's incredibly sweet and gorgeous younger sister, should have been off-limits, but my hockey stick didn't get the memo. 

After our team won the championship, our flirting turned physical, and I took her to bed. Then shame sent her running the next morning from our catastrophic mistake. 

She thinks I don't remember that night - but every detail is burned into my brain so deeply, I'll never forget. The feel of her in my arms, the soft whimpers of pleasure I coaxed from her perfect lips....

And now I've spent three months trying to get her out of my head, but I'm starting to understand she's the only girl I'll ever want.  

I have one shot to show her I can be exactly what she needs, but Elise won't be easily convinced.  

That's okay, because I'm good under pressure, and this time, I'm playing for keeps. 

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Hockey, Audiobook, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary

MP3 CD

First published August 13, 2019

About the author

Kendall Ryan is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of flirty, feel-good romance filled with heart, heat, and plenty of banter. An American author who has lived all over the world, her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into multiple languages. She writes swoony heroes, bold heroines, and stories that make you laugh, blush, and fall in love. When she’s not dreaming up new plotlines, she is a proud mom to two amazing sons and the wife of her real-life hero.


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Reviews

[Kendall Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOT NEW RELEASE!! A hunky pro hockey stud makes a play for the girl next door in this steamy romance.

Now a USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestseller!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars



I love sports romance and am a sucker for a good brother’s best friend book, so when I saw Kendall had a hockey book about a guy falling for his teammate/bff’s little sister, I jumped at it.

Elise and Justin have known each other for a long time. Elise’s older brother, Owen, has been friends and teammates with Justin since they were kids and Justin has always been around. Now Owen and Justin are in the NHL together and are roommates. One night, at a party at their house, Justin and Elise get together.

This one night turns into so much more as time goes on, but they keep things quiet. Justin isn’t sure how Owen will take the news as he has been quite the player in his past…

For now, this is an audio book exclusive and was narrated by Virginia Rose and Jason Clarke. Both did an incredible job! If you love the brother’s best friend troupe, Playing for Keeps is a book you need to check out!!

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 1 out of 5]

R A T I N G: 1 loosely-held-together star to Playing for Keeps

The more you read, the more sharpened your bookish tolerances and leanings become. My selective choices are whittled down to what makes me roar with bona fide excitement and what makes me pout with pure exasperation. I know what I like. I know what I don’t but with every read I learn more about what I like and what I don't. It's a process of discovery. I’ve also discovered that I very much am an unholy glutton for punishment with the NA romance genre but i’m also a marveling masochist, that must be why I keep coming back to this discordant genre that both has my inexhaustible love and frazzled anxiety.

The contemporary romance genre is a great one - one of my favourites - and I’ve supported it and its authors since I fell down the rabbit hole of NA indulgence and its coddling, comforting arms. So I’m going to pay credit where is due because this genre, though at times repetitious and stunted, has its major strengths when a read goes right (I’ve read some fantastic books by romance authors and I don’t aim to stop). But on the flip side of the coin, there are reads that shake up those intolerances I just mentioned, just like Playing for Keeps did.

First impressions are everything, right? Well my first was ‘I know I’m going to love this’…I’ve also learned that first impressions are something of a fool’s paradise. It was Einstein who said that insanity entails chronic repetition while expecting different results, so I, the subject, heave the weight of my flaws of idyllic presumption because I’ve got to bear some responsibility too...the masochist in me doesn’t care, but the mild human in me has a conscience to keep in tact.

I’m starting to wonder if I should jump ship again to my first true genre love because I don’t think I can recall many fantasy heroines that might have tested my sympathies as much as many CR romance heroines (and heroes let's not forget) do. I may have my hang ups with this genre but I’m too much of a loyalist to care and too much of a romantic to ever even consider the idea of giving up my romance reads! So, I here I float in willful, voluntary limbo, your sympathies are much appreciated, but not necessary as my pain is self-inflicted.

While I rally my objective reason, this is the reality…

1 ) A man who sleeps around when he knows who he wants is not one I want to read from. The story opens up with Justin at a crossroads, bored with the meaningless lifestyle that accompanies the life of a pro athlete. He CURRENTLY has zero interest in the many women the team use for pleasure but we know he’s a manwhore who has a history of sleeping around with puck bunnies, no surprises here except for one, Elise. Good start, but this leads you to believe that he’s determined to make a change in his empty habits quite quickly. Well, it all unraveled badly from that point onward. I don’t want to root for a guy who sleeps with a girl, takes her virginity, who fakes not remembering the night in question and then ghosts her for three months - during that time still sleeping around with puck bunnies. His reasons might be sincere - trying to protect her, doesn’t think he’s good enough and his parents’ marriage certainly left it’s mark on him. He’s not a heartless guy and it’s not as heartless as it sounds. Cowardly? Yes. But here’s the thing. Reasons or not, excuses ares till excuses. People get hurt in the process because of those mistakes. Unless I feel redemption is possible, it’s not easy to forgive certain character actions. I didn’t feel that with either Justin or Elise because their romance/relationship was not convincing for me. I mentally checked out early on because I was underwhelmed by it all and I didn't appreciate either protagonist.

2 ) After the first act of sin, everything just left a bad fragrance behind, and I died a slow death reading this, but my feelings had a brisker demise. The character profiles weren’t decided or strong enough - they were temperamental more than anything. The author doesn’t probe matters of the past, all we know about Justin is he’s had a jaded upbringing and he’s completely out of touch with monogamy because of self-doubt and sitting disbelief. He believes his touch breeds trouble. This made him too self-pitying and resigned for my liking. You never know what he really wants.

3 ) Elise wasn’t much better. We know what she wants. SHE knows what she wants, she might think a fling promotes her sense of sexual freedom, but she’s a master of delusion and we know via this friends with benefits arrangement that her unconscious is planting claws into Justin any way she can because only he will ever be it for her, despite his disgraceful reputation and his initial mistake which she tolerates and enables without consequence. I’ll avoid what Justin did for spoilers sake but Elise is not faultless, she gave him her v-card with full awareness of his rep In mind. It’s obvious she’s holding out for him, subconsciously putting all her eggs in one basket and her life on hold for a womaniser, the apple of her eye that she both pines and mourns. I get the feeling that if Justin ever cheated on her, she’d forgive him time again. If a heroine doesn't expose a sense of essential agency, I really won't be consoled by her choices.

4 ) A serious bookish pet peeve of mine - I don’t mind characters that are on breaks, that make up or break up, so long as they stay sexually committed to each other and don’t indulge in sexual relationships with other people. It cuts too close to cheating for me, especially when occurring during the current time-frame of the book. This did happen. J and E are not in a relationship, but after their one night together, he carries on sleeping around, while she just humours a sexless, dull ‘relationship’ with someone else, with the pretense of moving on. On an unrelated not, I don’t understand why women aren’t allowed to enjoy sex in fiction but alternatively men are allowed to enjoy it in spades? If one is to write within the celibacy narrative make it interesting, respectful, believable and to be treated with agency. A woman's choice to abstain from or indulge a sex free lifestyle should be shame-free in every way. It's a personal choice and a respected one (by me). But I honestly find, that even in fiction, authors are too scared of letting their heroines break the mould. For the most part, the whole 'I saved myself for you' is supposed to look attractive and feed the male ego while he wouldn't think twice of sampling whatever's on offer without thinking twice. It just doesn't work for me. Heroines shouldn't have to place their life on hold for someone who isn't committed to them. I’m not against the virgin trope but often enough it's portrayed in a way that reads badly with no point or purpose but to slake the hero's needs and make the heroine look quick to acquiesce. In this case, Elise should have had the freedom to freely move on in the face of an uncommitted hero.

5 ) Justin and Elise both have a history of friendship. I love characters with history, it means they’re tied by experience, there’s more meat to their relationship. We get few snippets of history, but the problem is their history isn’t convincing. At all. They could have been history-less for all I knew. I wasn’t in on whatever they shared and didn’t I feel it. The idea that they have history seems to substitute the fact that they don’t need to get to know each other now. I recognise that the author doesn’t want to explore history - that’s fine with me, but the overall story wasn’t persuasive and the history didn’t play a part in it.

6 ) I’m one of those readers that can cope with character assumptions/ miscommunication if played effectively and reflectively, but these two avoid/ghost each other for three months which seemed so unnecessary. They also don’t have proper conversations. Their exchanges are generally short; they skim and surf the fringes. They might share nuggets of truth, but there’s no density to their conversations. They hide their feelings, even though Justin claims to not play games and is ‘determined’ for a chance at redemption, but readers, miscommunication and mixed messages are a form of game playing because they breed mixed messages. The whole story felt like a bomb of mixed messages.

7 ) I don’t enjoy reading from female mc’s who swallow their feelings because they care too much about uneasy confrontation, don’t want to rock the boat or forgives their partner’s mistakes because love makes them too weak to veto any slip-up. This doesn’t exemplify a strong lead for me. Elise doesn’t stand up for herself - she comforts herself with the idea she’s in control, when it’s just a guise to get what she wants from Justin - she had little control in my opinion. I was left lamenting and shaking my head at her delusional choice to humour a sex-based relationship on her behalf, because we know her intentions, however much denial becomes of her. My inner feminist was cringing with disappointment during this read, so I settled on letting her write up this review.

F I N A L L Y

There are two scenarios in which my emotions demand full bodily possession and scrap objective sense out of the equation - when I’m completely bewitched by a book that there is not a single way to clinically write an articulate review to ever encompass my astronomical feelings or when a book grinds at my conscience and touches on something that ripples the lake of my charitable being. This story was far too underdeveloped and every bugbear and drawback overpowered by entire experience.

Overall, I really am dumbstruck that my first Kendall Ryan novel ended up taking a complete 180. I really thought I would be brandishing my pleasure and embellishing my glee all over this review, but here I am, writing up an utter antitheses. I’m not disturbed enough to veto her work, but I do hope difference is in her variety. In the way he was written, Justin is not my type of hero. Both he and Elise were one-dimensional, and their romantic chemistry was entirely unsupported by the prose. Justin not a bad guy, but like Elise, he was written without relatability and interest. He's sweet, thoughtful and definitely pro-athlete sexy (in fact, one of my favourite scenes was the tampon conversation exchange)... and Elise wasn’t my cup of tea as far as heroines go. I wore Justin's doubt and resignation like sympathy pains because Playing for Keeps was not persuasive or convincing enough a read for this little eager-eyed reader. I suspect that this is one of those reads that was a rapid write up to reach a publication goal, and for that reason it misses the mark and sacrifices deeper storytelling.

With these two, it’s a case of they’re damned if they do and they’re damned if they don’t, but it’s all at the expense of themselves. They damn themselves. And I did not enjoy being privy to the process 😕

Trigger Warning: A few sex scenes and a fair bit of swearing

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Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts

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[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I don't have an athletic bone in my  body and rarely watch live sports of any kind, I adore sports romance. I don't know why, but there is just something about the cocky, manwhore athlete that does it for me. LOL That being said, I haven't read one in a while, so I was super excited to dive into this one!

I've heard good things about Kendall Ryan, but I've never read anything by her myself, so I went into Playing for Keeps cautiously optimistic. Right away, I thought I was going to enjoy her writing style, and my assessment proved to be accurate. In fact, I started reading just to sample it before I read it later that night and instead, wound up reading it the whole way through.

Elise has had a crush on Justin for years, but he's Elise's brother's best friend and teammate which makes him off limits. Justin has harbored a crush of his own, but he knows it would ruin his relationship with his best friend, Owen, if he ever chose to act on it. Because of how much Elise and Justin love Owen, they've always pushed their feelings aside for him...until one drunken night changes everything.

Playing for Keeps by Kendall Ryan is a light, sweet, hockey romance with a heavy dose of steam. The characters are likable, endearing, and adorable together. Justin and Elise's romance is hot and forbidden, so of course, I loved every minute of it.

I don't usually enjoy sweet romances, but this one isn't mushy or gag reflex inducing. It's the kind of story that makes you feel good while reading it and puts a smile on your face at the end. I laughed, teared up, and fell in love with this book and these characters.

If you're a sports romance fan, this one's for you!

P. S. I'm excited for Owen's book! I have a feeling I may love it even more than this one!

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

ehhhhhh

was really stuck between a 2 and a 3 star for this one. i've read 1 other kendall ryan book before and had the same issues with this one that i did with the other.

she's by NO means a bad writer, it just seems to me that she focuses a lot on quantity (putting out a lot of books really close together) at the sacrifice of deeper storytelling. that isn't mean to be shady, there just... isn't much to her stories that makes them memorable. i finished this book a day ago and can't remember the names of the characters, let alone why they should have been together.

i can appreciate the lack of unnecessary drama and angst. but the conflict was a little stupid in this imo (probably because i don't have a protective older brother). and i didn't find the history between the two characters convincing enough.

i'm not saying that the only effective way to make me see the history between 2 character is thru flashbacks/dual timelines but the brief mentions of "oh we would play hockey together when we were 11" just didn't do enough for me idk.

this is the lowest rated book in the series so part of me wants to give this author one more shot with hot jocks #2 but it will probably be a while before i take the plunge.

i would say give this a try if you want low angst, sweet, not super memorable, with pretty hot sex scenes.

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★4.5★

"I know I should see him as nothing more than a disgusting manwhore, or as a second brother to me-but I've never felt anything remotely familial about Justin Brady."

Playing for Keeps is a delicious forbidden romance with a spunky heroine and one smoking hot hockey playing hero! Elise Parrish, a cute pre-school teacher, has always been off-limits to hockey star Justin Brady for all of his life. Elise is Justin's best friend's little sister and even though he knows she is not on the market (for him) after one drunken night, he simply cannot help but taste a slice of heaven and spend one night with Elise. Although it is complicated, one night between Elise and Justin proves that it will never be enough. After the two cannot stay away from each other, Justin has to find a way to prove that he is worthy of his best friend's little sister! Once Justin has claimed Elise as his own, the stakes are high for these two to find a way!

"Suddenly I realize I have no fucking idea what I'm doing here or how this is supposed to go."

Told in multiple POV, Playing for Keeps is a sweet romance full of passion, love, and non-stop hockey action! With witty dialogue and a forbidden driven plot, Kendall Ryan has created another deliciously addictive read.

"We have each other, and it feels like everything."

Overall, Playing for Keeps will appeal to hockey romance fans who enjoy a sweet forbidden romance. With a smoking hot hero and sweet heroine, Kendall Ryan has delivered another fantastic read!

✪ ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review! ✪

For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I didn't expect anything less from Kendall Ryan, this was another sexy,fun and sweet read!

Elise has loved Justin ever since she followed him around when they were kids. Justin is now a pro hockey player and Elise a teacher.Elise was smart and sassy and Justin is sweet and sexy! Together they have a great dynamic, I like their relationship a lot!

It's refreshing and perfect for summer!If you are looking for something fun and sexy to read this is the best! I read it in one sitting!



 

  

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unruly Hockey Players!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💛🖤💜💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 😳☺️🤫😍🥰

The heroine(s): Elise Parrish - she grew up tagging along with her brother and his best friend Justin. She hangs out with Owen and Justin and their teammates after their pro hockey team wins the national championship. Elise has had a crush on Justin since she was young.

The Hero: Justin Brady - 28 year old professional hockey player, Justin lives for hockey but is getting tired of partying and puck bunnies. He has been used by his parents, women and about everyone he has known. He likes to keep busy, so is not a fan of the off-season.

The Story: Owen Parrish has always told his friends and teammates, including Justin, not to touch his sister and Justin has gone along with it despite his attraction to Elise. However one night after a few too many drinks they spend a sizzling night together.

The story is told in dual POV with dual narrators, which I like. Jason Clarke does the narration of Justin’s chapters and he is one of my favorite narrators. He has a deep smoky voice which I love for any romantic hero. Virginia Rose does the narration of Elise’s chapters and does a fine job. I do like other female narrators better, but I have no clue why. Personal preference most likely.

The problem I have with books like this is the fact that they start up a friends with benefits type arrangement. Elise makes Justin promise that if either of them start to catch feelings they will tell the other and stop right away. Though she is lying to both him and herself, since she has had a crush on him for years. If those aren’t feelings than I don’t know what are.

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[Hanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Playing For Keeps is the first book of Kendall Ryan’s newest series. I loved it! This book was sweet, sexy, fun and easy. Justin and Elise are very lovable characters. The secondary characters are amazing too! I already look forward to the next book in this Hot Jocks series.

Justin is sporty, talented, ambitious, powerful and determined. He’s a professional hockey player. He loves playing hockey. The team has been winning a lot and that’s how Justin wants it. Justin has a great friendship with his teammates. He also has a great friendship with a teammate’s little sister. But Justin wished it was more than a friendship, but she’s definitely off limits.

Elise is caring, sweet, smart and determined. Her big brother is a professional hockey player. She’s very close to her brother, so she sees his teammates a lot. Elise is off limits to her brother’s teammates. She has been attracted to Justin, but she never thought he would ever feel the same about her.

Justin and Elise spent an unexpected, sexy night together. They both don’t know how the act the next day, but the attraction can no longer be denied. Justin and Elise decide to give it a chance, but with no strings and as a secret. They spend as much as time together as they can. They grow closer and the feelings grow stronger. In the end, they will be a beautiful, hot and strong couple. They fight for each other and for their love.

-- My honest review is based on an advanced reader copy of this book. --

[❤️Court - Villains Do It Better❤️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 DNFed it stars. Honestly I would have given this one star this book made me so mad, but the writing is decent, so I was nice and gave it 2. But fast upcoming rant! Shes 24 and a virgin, has hardcore feelings for him that she cries when he takes her virginity and doesn't "remember" it, and thought she would be more special even if the hockey team are all legit whores, and I realllllyyy mean they are ALL whores its disgusting, cliche, and annoying. Like why would I want to read a whole series, let alone a book, about two dimensional men who literally only care about whoring around?? Like the author can't even make at least one of the players different??
Moving forward, then they're seperated for three months, he fools around with multiple girls, even though he "can't forget about that night", and how much she means to him, and not only that, she has a bf that she basically cant get it up for😒 so they break up, but the H was jealous about her relationship because him f'ing randoms is less meaningful than her being in a meaningful relationship, barf. AND he had a pregnant scare with another girl! Im soooo sick of books like this! Why is it the man can always move on so fast, and the girl is the one who wallows and can't move on?? Like give the girl a one night stand if he's gonna have one too!!
Then they decide to have a fling, which moves way too fast, and it's all fine as long as no one knows about it, and all of a sudden she doesn't think she has hardcore feelings for him??? Even tho she cried and was like depressed for months.. Rant over. I read a bit more but this book gave me a headache so I decided to stop✌
Also I hated ALL the characters!

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet yet steamy, best friend’s little sister romance. Justin is a pro hockey player and Elise is the little sister of his teammate/best friend since forever. Elise is much more than that though. She’s always been a friend and more recently the woman he can’t stop thinking about. Elise has always had a crush on Justin, but knows that it will never and should never happen. Until one night changes everything. Well sort of everything.

In Playing for Keeps Justin and Elise are basically navigating what has changed between them. Mainly by starting a secret, no strings, hook-up relationship. But those never work out how the participants plan, do they?

If you’re looking for a sweet and steamy romance that follows a handful of tropes, then you will enjoy Playing for Keeps. It was an easy and somewhat quick read, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

AVAILABLE NOW!!
*ARC from BookSprout

[Elizabeth]

Manwhore and virgin

Is there just nothing else to write? I don't understand

*bangs head on wall*

[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)



Justin Brady is a gorgeous 28 yr. old professional hockey player who is the star forward for the Seattle Ice Hawks. He grew up with his best friend Owen who is now his teammate and roommate. Owen and his younger sister Elise have always been like family to him. Recently something had shifted between Justin and Elise. She was all grown up now, and absolutely stunning. Her friendship means everything to him, and he can be himself with her. Normally if he wants something, he goes after it, but his best friends sister is off limits, that is until one flirty night when things turn physical and things go a little too far. Suddenly their relationship is extremely complicated. He doesn’t do feelings or romance, but he can’t deny he wants Elise to be his in every way. He can’t get her out of his head, and she makes him feel out of control. He desperately wants the one woman he can’t have.



Elise Parrish is a 24 yr. old pre-school teacher who has secretly crushed on her brother’s best friend Justin for years. They’ve known each other since they were kids, but in recent years it’s become more difficult to ignore the insane chemistry between them. After one unforgettable night with her dream guy she’s anxious to explore what could be between them. She just can’t let herself fall for him, which is easier said than done when the heart gets involved.



-God, there's just something about this man.

-His kisses are everything I imagined they would be- hungry, hot, hard.

-I've never felt quite so powerful, quite so desirable. He wants me. This sexy, god of a man wants me. The feeling is quickly becoming addictive.

-He kisses like he plays hockey- with complete confidence and laser focus.



Playing For Keeps (Hot Jocks #1) by Kendall Ryan is an all new standalone friends to lovers, brothers best friend, sports romance. It’s a sexy, fun, forbidden love story full of emotion and sizzle that will keep you wanting more. I really enjoyed this book, and can’t wait for Owen & Becca’s story!



***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/2yYLQXX

[Jenny••Steamy Reads Blog•• · Rating 4 out of 5]

These sport jocks these awesome authors dream up, a hockey player in this yummy as heck book, just keep getting better and this series is starting off with a bang





This book was loaded. Its sweet, fun, and so very sexy. It's hard not to adore Justin. And of course I love a good brothers best friend trope book, a sexy hockey star, and friends to lovers type book. So, if you want to add one to your list to fit in before summer is over, put this one on there. Totally worth it.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 The Line Got Fuzzy Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-Are You Kidding Me, It's Free!!!
Kendall Ryan presents the classic tale of best friend's little sis crushing for what seems forever on her brother's bestie and then everyone grows into the adults they become. Which means...Hot Jocks and Adorable Pre School Teacher. This is a sweet fun read which follows the troupe but never bores.

Elise Parrish has been either following Justin or her brother, Owen, since they were practically out of diapers...well, she may have been in training pants and they had graduated to big boy underwear...but you get the picture. These three did a whole bunch of everything together growing up and they felt like family. As the boys became older, though, Elise began to see Justin as more than a big brother. It was her best-kept secret throughout the years.

Now Owen and Justin are living their dream; they are part of the NHL. Together they landed on the same team and with all the hard work they have done, they are partying and enjoying the championship they just won. Elise is there to keep her brother and the guys in line like she always has. As Owen's sister, she has seen it all, ushered the puck bunnies out the door the morning afters, and has made sure her brother had his sh!t together for the games or practice after his indulgences.

Elise loved her brother and knew he was enjoying these wild times. She had always been there cleaning up the messes. Elise saw what hockey players did and decided not to date or consider any of the teammates or other jocks.

Well, that was a little easier said than done because there was one hockey player she would jump through any hoop for...

Justin has always been the one for her. She has been pining for him since teen years but nothing was going to happen... Her brother would go nuts and she would not be responsible for Justine and Owen fighting.

So when Elise saw Justin alone during this champion celebration, she never thought the two of them would be hanging out, enjoying each other and after drinks...kinda lots of drinks...hooking up.

Now the next day was everything you wouldn't want...Justin not remembering any of the deep thoughts he said to her making her feel a connection making this so much more than a hookup... With her having to turn away as if that was ok but dying inside. Yeah, not the thing dreams are made of...

Now Justin hadn't forgotten one moment of this blissful experience. It was everything he had fantasized and more...but he had to pretend because it was more than just being with Elise...it had to do with his best friend Owen and teammate. No, he had to try to step away from everything he had ever wanted.

But Justin wasn't able to move on...instead he wanted more and wanted to figure out how to have it all...Elise and keep Owen close. Justin never turned away from a challenge and he will not let his desire for Elise go.

This was an easy read and Ms. Ryan has more in store for us. All of the books will be stand-alone yet connected. Should be fun.

Playing for Keeps(Hot Jocks, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
All the Way (Hot Jocks, #2)
Trying to Score (Hot Jocks, #3)
Crossing the Line (Hot Jocks, #4)
Down and Dirty (Hot Jocks, #5)
Wild For You (hot Jocks, #6)
Down and Dirty (Hot Jockes, #7)

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Nana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playing for Keeps, is the story of Justin Brady, a professional hokey player, and Elise Parrish, a preschool teacher. Two individuals that have been in each others life since childhood. For years they both hid their feelings toward one another for the sake of their relationship and the feelings of the one common denominator, Owen Parrish. Elise’s brother and Justin’s best friend. They try and walk into a relationship without involving their feelings. But it really doesn’t work out that way.

This book was loaded. Its sweet, fun, and so very sexy. It’s hard not to adore Justin.
It had its funny moments, and moments where I just found myself saying aawww. Justin and Elise story was sweet and sexy.
And of course I love a good book of friends to lovers❤

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elise & Justin

Pre-school teacher and hockey pro.

She's been in love with him since she was in kindergarten.

He's her older brother's best buddy - so she's obviously off-limits.

But that doesn't stop them from having this one - slightly drunk - night with each other.

And now, after months of trying to stay away from each other, they don't/can't/want to stay away any longer ... but it's just a fling, right? It can't be anything more. Justin is not the relationship type....



Well. That was adorable!
I really liked it.

It wasn't anything new or über-exciting-interesting-mindblowing. But it was a cute and adorable and sexy hockey-best-buddy's-little-virgin-sister romance!☺

Justin and Elise are perfect for each other, but there's always that stupid 'law' that you can't start something with your best buddy's little sister. Especially when you're a bit of a manwhore.

They both came across as a bit naive and immature at times. Just talk about things kids! Ugh. Both think the other doesn't want anything serious and both are in love with the other at the same time. It's a bit too much back and forth. But we love these cute little romances. There has to be some drama to make it interesting. I liked reading it... I will definitely come back for book 2.

We already meet lots of other characters from the upcoming books - the 2nd book will be about Elise's brother and her BFF Becca!


♡ ♡

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile]

And now I've spent three months trying to get her out of my head, but I'm starting to understand she's the only girl I'll ever want.




⬆ That's from the blurb, what does it mean? Does he go around having sex with countless OW trying to get her out of his head as is typical with these types of romances??? Or did this author deliver some originality on a familiar trope???? I need answers 😭

[Nata Oleksandrivna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Мене можна привітати з першою прочитаною книгою в березні 🤪🤪
Хотілось чогось легкого, невеликого об'єму і щоб захопило з перших сторінок 😁
І я не пошкодувала, що обрала саме цю авторку і книгу ❤️
Що може бути краще в нечитун, довжиною майже місяць, як не гаряча історія про не менш гарячого хокеїста?) 🤪🤪
Читається дуже легко, та і події між цими двома розвиваються швидко, не зважаючи на те, як би вони вдвох не опирались своїм почуттям 🙃 Герої - дорослі, кожен знає, що він хоче від цих стосунків, єдине, що Джастін боявся своїх почуттів, зважаючи на минуле своїх батьків, проте ураган по імені Еліза поглинає його повністю і в нього немає інших варіантів, як просто почати любити цю милу і закохану до безтями в нього дівчину 😻😻, та власне в нього давно вже є почуття до неї, але є ще брат Елізи, який проти того, щоб хтось з їхньої команди бодай кинув оком на Елізу 😬
Плюс ще й в тому, що в цій історії не буде ніяких тупих драм, дурних вчинків героїв, єдине, що на початку книги, після того, як вони переспали і вирішили вдати обоє на 3 неділі, що нічого цього між ними не було - от це було тупо)) Але те, як Джастін потім кожного разу намагався виправити їх перший, та й взагалі Елізин перший раз - то просто 🥰🥰🥰
Я чомусь на середині книги здогадалась, що наступна буде про Оуена і Бекку - така вже
"цікава" та їхня " дружба"))) 🤪🤪🤪
І о Боги, там аж 8 книг в серії 😆😆
Але я готова до цікавих і не менш 🔥🔥 історій всіх гравців команди 😅😅

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hockey guys? Sign me up. I won't even hesitate diving into this.

Playing for Keeps honestly sounded like a book that I've already read. I'm sure that statement is true but I still highly enjoyed this book. Thankfully it was a super quick audio with a nice little romance. In it, you will meet Justin and Elise. Both are likable characters, have amazing chemistry, and sort of made for each other.

However, that's that dreadful hint of being a nonexistent relationship due to the damn bro code. I get how sometimes the whole 'you can't date your best friends little sister' could come into play.. but I wasn't seeing it with this one. Yeah, the guy got upset when he found out that they were fooling around but love is love. It was pretty much obvious to everyone that they were into each other for the long haul and not for some little one night stand. No matter how hard they tried to pull that off.

This book had romance, drama, and other kinds of conflicts. I still don't get the whole puck bunny thing but whatever. It was expected and predictable - yet, I liked the book. Maybe it's Kendall's writing.. or maybe I just really needed a quick book to fly through. Who knows?

Overall, I'm down to see what the rest of this series will bring.

[maura delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

This was a solid sports romance and a great start to the series, which I will be continuing on with. To be honest, I don't have a ton to say about this book, other than the fact that it was enjoyable, but probably could have been improved by a little more depth and development of the characters. However, I am very curious to read the next book because from what I know of that hero and heroine I think it could give me that depth I am looking for.

Overall, this was fun and enjoyable, but it mostly just made me excited for the rest of the series.

[Syndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's it?? I am confuse. Playing for Keeps almost have no twist/ drama. And.... I like it. Miss Ryan done something right with this light story.

The trope os brother's best friend. Something forbidden but it was downplayed. This is a type of story where you want lazy, easy, vanilla read. Playing for Keeps serves it's purpose.

3 stars

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playing For Keeps es el primer libro de la saga Hot Jocks de la autora Kendall Ryan y tiene como protagonistas a Elise y Justin.

Esta historia ha estado rondando mi cabeza desde hace algunas semanas, por eso cuando hace unos dias ningun libro conseguia atraparme decidi iniciarlo a ver si era capaz de sacarme de un comienzo de resaca.

Sinceramente no imaginaba que esta novela fuera a engancharme, sobretodo porque varias de las lecturas que empece las abandone despues de un par de paginas, pero Playing For Keeps hizo lo que parecia imposible, me saco de mi resaca.

La historia de Justin y Elise no es la mas novedosa, de este estilo he leido varias, algunas mejores y otras peores. Esta en concreto me agrado, pese a no ser nada del otro mundo, es de facil de lectura y disfrutas pasando los capitulos, justo lo que necesitaba en este momento.

En definitiva, Playing For Keeps es un buen inicio de serie, tal vez no sea la historia mas transcendental que leas pero para un fin de semana aburrido o de relax hace un buen apaño.

2.75 Estrellas!

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOW LIVE!
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good romance. Gotta warn you though, cause some people really hate this, but after the hero and heroine get together the first time, he hooks up with other women. He said he never took them to his bed, he just 'fooled around' but...


So our heroine has had a crush on her brother's best friend most of her life. Like all the rest of the hockey team, they hook up with a different 'puck bunny' each night. One night, after a huge win, her brother and his best friend (who is also his roommate) host a party. Lots of drinking, lots of puck bunnies. Why the brother thought having his little sister there was a good idea, I don't know.

At this party our hero begins to feel melancholy and wanting more to his life. He goes into his room to pass out only to discover our heroine has used the bathroom in his room. Things commence and our heroine leaves her virginity with him. The next morning she is really embarrassed and he acts like he doesn't remember anything. But, as the blurb for this book says, he does.

Weeks go by and they try to act like nothing happened. She gets a boyfriend, then he dumps her. Now our hero and heroine get back together and try to keep it from her brother. The rest of the story progresses through the building of their relationship and acceptance from their families and friends.

Good romance without a lot of angst.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elise & Justin

Pre-school teacher and hockey pro.

She's been in love with him since she was in kindergarten.

He's her older brother's best buddy - so she's obviously off-limits.

But that doesn't stop them from having this one - slightly drunk - night with each other.

And now, after months of trying to stay away from each other, they don't/can't/want to stay away any longer ... but it's just a fling, right? It can't be anything more. Justin is not the relationship type....



Well. That was adorable!
I really liked it.

It wasn't anything new or über-exciting-interesting-mindblowing. But it was a cute and adorable and sexy hockey-best-buddy's-little-virgin-sister romance!☺

Justin and Elise are perfect for each other, but there's always that stupid 'law' that you can't start something with your best buddy's little sister. Especially when you're a bit of a manwhore.

They both came across as a bit naive and immature at times. Just talk about things kids! Ugh. Both think the other doesn't want anything serious and both are in love with the other at the same time. It's a bit too much back and forth. But we love these cute little romances. There has to be some drama to make it interesting. I liked reading it... I will definitely come back for book 2.

We already meet lots of other characters from the upcoming books - the 2nd book will be about Elise's brother and her BFF Becca!


♡ ♡

[Alina]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like the hero is another manwhore and he f**cks around on the heroine after they sleep together...That is a big no from me.

[ABookLover73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five hockey stars for Elise and Justin 💕!!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love reading Kendall's books because they always make me laugh so much 😁.

But this one was different from the other books which I've read this year 😉.

After a few office romance books, Kendall surprised us with new hockey series 😍!!!

Everyone knows how much I love a good sports romance and if you add brother's best friend and friends to lovers tropes, you know that I will fall in love with that book 🖤.

And that happened with this one 💙!!!

"Playing for Keeps" is hockey sports romance which will steal your attention once you start reading it and you will not put it down until the end of the book.

Elise and Justin have perfect chemistry and their care about each other, which started with their friendship in childhood, is so adorable and sweet.

This book was one of my favorite books by Kendall Ryan and I can't wait for Owen's story 😍❤🔥!

[Floripiquita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Primer libro de una serie sobre jugadores de hockey, que no me pueden gustar más, pero a la que le falta mucho para estar a la altura de series como Off Campus, de Elle Kennedy, o Him/Us, escrita a cuatro manos por Elle Kennedy y Sarina Bowen.

Esta primera entrega es una lectura insustancial y repletita de clichés para pasar el rato y olvidar al minuto 2.

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't even second guess when I found out that Playing For Keeps had two of my favourite tropes: A sports romance and a best friend's sister/brother's best friend.



I'd say this book was just plain adorable but then on a flip side this was such a fun steamy read too. Playing for Keeps has the best of both worlds. Gosh! I loved the characters in this book. Justin and Elise are seriously stinking cute!

It had just the right amount of 'complication' and drama to keep a readers interest. The adorable banters and text messages couldn't stop the smile my face.

Playing for Keeps by Kendall Ryan is a dream read if you are in a mood for a cute yet swoony read that has the perfect amount for all lovers of the sports romance/brother's best-friend trope.