ARC Review: Playing for You (Berkeley Hills, #4) by Stacey Travis

Playing for You, an opposites-attract sports romance that is cute and fun with a really sweet love story – now live!

 

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Blurb

I’m the office introvert, a blast of socially awkward sunshine on a stick. Donovan Taylor is a broody, gorgeous soccer player with a chip on his shoulder. We are not a thing.

But when my boss sends me to a pro sports banquet, I stumble in late and find the only empty seat next to the San Francisco Strikers’ resident hottie and marquee player. Of course, I promptly make a fool of myself. I don’t even expect him to remember my name, let alone kiss me.

Or ask me out.

I mean, seriously, I program computers for a living and play mahjong for fun. I don’t hook up with gorgeous green-eyed players and stroke their egos or their abs–although it’s a hell of a good time–because I know it will never last.

But my competitive streak runs hot, and Donovan may be the one person who can get me the promotion I deserve. All I need to do is convince him to join my company’s virtual reality sports game–avoid falling for him in the process.

So what if his moves off the field are as impressive as his moves on it?

How hard can it be to win at his game?

 

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Review

3.5 stars!

This is the fourth book Berkeley Hills book, the story of the youngest of six siblings in the series, Tatum, and an opposites-attract sports romance that is cute and fun with a really sweet love story.

Tatum is an ambitious programmer in Silicon Valley whose latest project has her working on a virtual reality sports game. When her boss sends her along to a formal banquet celebrating Seattle’s soccer team (even though she knows absolutely nothing about the sport), she winds up sitting next to their hottest new acquisition, straight from the English Premier League, Donovan Taylor. They banter, and while there is some awkwardness, their night ends with a steamy hot kiss and Donovan wanting more.

Donovan is an American who is having trouble coming to terms with the fact that he is past the peak of his playing years in Europe. He’s still performing well on the field, but he’s had some negative press lately and is struggling to adjust to playing for the less-than-stellar US league, even though it was his choice and he’s being paid a fortune to do it. But he’s determined to give his all and lead the team as best he can. What he wasn’t expecting was to meet a nerdy computer programmer who interests him like nobody has in years.

It’s an opposites-attract situation when Donovan sets out to pursue Tatum, and she can’t figure out why. She’s nothing like the supermodels he usually dates, and they have pretty much nothing in common. But when her boss charges her with getting Donovan on board for their latest game development, she agrees to meet up with him. She has no intention of anything else happening between them… until their chemistry proves too hot to resist.

“Tatum…You are every fantasy I’ve ever had.”

This is a cute read with lots of fun flirting and banter. I could feel the attraction between Donovan and Tatum, and enjoyed watching them find their way to each other. Their relationship is playful and passionate, and though they do have some drama to work through, it’s not unexpected and it’s minimal, making this an easy and functional read with a hero who wears his heart on his sleeve, and some really sweet romantic moments.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we met. Not a single hour of a single day. Not one.” 

Even though this is the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a complete standalone with only minimal character interaction from previous books, and no spoilers at all – though I did love seeing the whole crew together again for family dinner. There’s a setup there for the final book in the series, and I’m excited about the possible direction of Cherry’s story!

I enjoyed this book. Donovan and Tatum are great characters, and their romance left me smiling.

3.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Berkeley Hills

       

Second Chance At Us (#1) (Blake & Becca)
Review
Buy:  Amazon Paperback

Falling For You (#2) (Owen & Isla)
Review
Buy:  Amazon  |  Paperback

The Spark Between Us (#3) (Braden & Sarah)
Review
Buy:  Amazon  |  Paperback

Playing For You (#4) (Donovan & Tatum)
Review
Buy:  Amazon  |  Paperback

No Match For Her (#5)
Buy:  Amazon  |  Paperback

 


About Stacy Travis

It’s a rough world out there, and we all sometimes need a good, romantic beach read, even if we can’t make it to the beach. I’ve spent many lazy days walking the streets of Paris and other gorgeous European cities, and if I’m doing it right, I’m bringing you a dash of romance and a vacay fantasy.

I can’t sit still, so when I’m not hiking, biking or running, I’m playing a very average game of tennis. Background music for writing undoubtedly features some U2, Lizzo, Billy Joel, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Led Zeppelin. Not necessarily in that order. And if I could only eat one food group, it would be cheese. Or wine. Or bread. Are those food groups? Whatever.

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Website: https://stacytravis.com

 

 

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