Synopsis for PLAY (from Goodreads):
I’m Payton Blake. A successful, balanced twenty-something girl living the dream.OK. So it’s a big-ass lie.
I could be all of those things. If I had friends outside of work. And if I didn’t mainline watermelon slushies like they were a food group. It wouldn’t hurt if I’d had sex in the last year, either. (My best friend insists Jorge the Nightstand Boyfriend doesn’t count.)
But when you know where you’re headed, who needs to enjoy the ride? Even if part of me longed for a little between-the-sheets adventure, Max Donovan would be the last guy I’d call.
Sure, he made the indie video game that broke the internet. His eyebrow piercing’s sexy, in an ‘are-you-in-a-band?’ way, and fighting with him gets me off faster than Jorge on bezerker mode. But he’s arrogant. Presumptuous. Colder than a cactus and twice as prickly.
None of it changes the fact that I crave Max Donovan like a watermelon slushy on a hot summer day.
I should ignore him. But I can’t, because he just became my biggest client. And whether he’ll admit it or not, he needs me even more than I need him.
Game on, Max Donovan.
SERIESous’ Top Picks: Must Read Author Favourite Author, Canadian Author
Author: Piper Lawson
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Humour
Heat Rating: really warm
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Date: September 14, 2016
Source & Format: Xpresso Book Tours–eARC
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
Piper Lawson has easily become a must read author for me this year after reading her Travesty Series and Chased. Not only is she Canadian (always a “win”) but she writes really, really great romances. Romances that have a fantastic balance between the romance and the story. Emphasis on the story–she writes great stories with great drama. Each novel is fresh and new and so, so enjoyable!
So, I think it’s a no brainer why I wanted to be a part of this blog tour. I love her work and I want others to enjoy it too!
The Plot:
There’s actually a plot!!! I’m all for hot and passionate romances, but I don’t enjoy full blown erotica or romances that only focus on the sex. This story has a great balance between the romance and the drama. It takes the time to establish the plot of the story which is Payton trying to work with Max as he seeks out a loan for his next gaming venture.
I definitely laughed, I definitely swooned and I definitely enjoyed watching everything unfold. It was great getting to know these characters and see their chemistry and romance grow as I read.
The Characters:
Payton was a lot of fun to read about. She is a solid character with a good heart, so it made it really easy to root for her. She definitely had me laughing at some of the things that she did…or had happened to her thanks to her BFF Charlie.
Can Charlie have her own novel please?
She was hilarious! The pranks she pulls on their co-worker Avery were awesome. No one is safe from her antics and that was great to read about.
Max…oh sweet Max. Never have I wanted to find my own gaming nerd with an eyebrow piercing. Seriously, does he exist somewhere and where can I find him? It was nice not having his POV to keep him as a bit of a mystery, only revealing pieces of him as Payton learned them. While alternating POVs are great, there’s just something about only being in one character’s mind at a time.
The Romance:
This is a slow burn romance done right! Everything builds at the right pace and reveals itself at just the right time. It has been a long time since I’ve read a solid romance novel and this is definitely one.
Like I said before, having Max as a bit of a mystery really helped aid the sexual chemistry and tension. These two were a great match and I like how you get to see that as the story progresses.
And don’t worry, there are plenty of steamy moments…even if they don’t litter every page 😉
My Rating: 5/5
I’ll be honest, I originally rated this book a 4 but as I wrote this review, I couldn’t think of a negative thing to say! And when I thought about it, I would totally read this novel again–which says a lot because I don’t often reread books or have the desire to do so. I blame my my sleepiness from shift work for getting in the way of my initial rating.
This is a solid romance novel! It’s lighter and fun but still has a strong story and characters. Piper Lawson writes fantastic contemporary romances; whether they are adult or new adult, she nails them! She has definitely upgraded herself from a must read author to a favourite author. If you haven’t read a novel by her yet, I’m positive this one will make you a fan!
Read if You Like: slow burn romance, lighter contemporary stories
Avoid if You: don’t enjoy contemporary romances
- Stripped by Piper Lawson (Travesty Series #2)
- Until It’s Right by Jamie Howard
Piper Lawson
Join my Insiders list now for a steamy exclusive excerpt! ➜ http://eepurl.com/bNQmYTI love reading and writing about sassy, sexy, smart women and the guys who fall hard for them. Schooled is the introduction to my Travesty series about ambitious girls who chase their dreams of a fashion label from California to New York and back again.
My main household expenditures include books, coffee and chocolate, not necessarily in that order. Coffee = life (and I’ll defend it accordingly). I have two business degrees, neither of which I’ve leveraged into a fashion label.
Home is Canada plus occasional sunny winter escapes. Come find me on the tennis court, at the beach, on the web at www.piperlawsonbooks.com or on twitter @piperjlawson.
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Sooo glad you loved it! Piper is such an inspiration to me and PLAY was one of my favourite reads this year! Great review!
Me too! This was just perfect!
Slow burn romances are the best! I love the sounds of this book and I like how character driven it is! Great review!! 🙂
I’m finding a new appreciation for slow burn romances lately because they really focus on the emotional connection between characters and not just the physical which is fantastic!