Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:
The Playbook Series
Synopsis for Ball Buster (from Goodreads):
Playbook Rule #1: Never ever give up
It’s official. The Alabama Warriors have the worst reputation in pro football. As the team’s captain, Carson Savage has his ass on the line and – thanks to a leaked photo – his ass is also online. Now the team is getting an image makeover from Sadie Reynolds, the hottest redhead in the South and Carson’s high school sweetheart. Maybe making a play for his sexy ex is a risky move… but Carson didn’t make it this far by playing it safe.
Alabama is the last place in the world Sadie wants to be. Going home again only reminds her of what – and who – she gave up. Seeing the insanely hot ex she never quite forgot is dangerous. Carson’s too sexy. Too tempting. And Sadie can’t afford to go out of bounds. So she’ll do whatever it takes to finish this job and leave town with her heart still intact. The only problem? Carson’s decided it’s not about winning the game… it’s about winning the girl.
Series: The Playbook
Author: Kara Sheridan
# of Books: 3 (Full Reading Order)
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: Unknown
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Second Chance
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: Third Person, Alternating
Publication Date: May 15, 2018 – ongoing
Source & Format: Netgalley–eARC | Thank you Forever Yours!
**This post was originally published as a Fresh Friday review of the first book of the series. It has now been updated to reflect my conclusion to DNF this series. It will not be further updated.**
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I found Ball Buster as a Read Now title on Netgalley a few months ago and was drawn in by the cover. I’m a sucker for a good sports story and I’ve had great success with the genre in the past.
Ball Buster had me hooked with its synopsis. I love stories filled with unresolved tension and Carson and Sadie seemed like that had a lot of it. Not only are they high school sweethearts but you’ve got the forbidden-ness that comes from a client and PR agent romance.
What I Liked:
–The Physical Chemistry–
I mean these two can hardly be in the same vicinity as each other before they start making love on any surface. But the many sex scenes we get were not overly repetitive–which is hard to do–so I appreciated that.
What I Didn’t Like:
–Dramatic, Romantic and Character Development Cut Short–
For me, this story lacked the plot and character depth I crave my from second chance romances. When it comes to second chance romances I really need to see the proof of why these two need to reunite despite everything that has torn them apart. And while these two had great physical chemistry, I wasn’t sold on the emotional connection between them.
Any development in this story, whether it be character, romantic or drama, was cut short in order to watch these two spontaneously make love on whatever surface is near by. We’d finally see them start to work out their differences and problems of the past and we would lose all that progress. I’m not saying the physical aspects aren’t important in their relationship–I just needed more than that to see why these two haven’t been able to move on in 7 years with other people.
My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:
Since no one in particular stood out to me, I’m not going to be picking up the sequels.
My Rating: DNF
Ball Buster 2/5 | Tight End N/A | Big Jock N/A
This book was just “meh” to me. Those who like second chance sports stories that stay par for the course will likely enjoy this but for more seasoned readers who want more surprises and deeper characters will need to look elsewhere.
Read if You Like: second chances, light reads, sexy times
Avoid if You: want more character depth
- Pucked by Helena Hunting (Pucked Series #1)
- Hard Stick by L P Dover (Breakaway Series #1)
