I'm all for short and sweet romance books...but this one seemed a little too quick, especially given the FMC's past. It would have been nice for more insight into the connection...and as has been mentioned before the repetitiveness of the sex scenes was off-putting.

Joya Ryan takes us on a romantic journey through the sun-kissed coastal town of Desire Bay in her latest novel, "Playing With Trouble." Filled with passion, mystery, and the allure of a small-town setting, this book offers a thrilling escape for those who crave a touch of intrigue in their romance.
The story follows Grace Monroe, a young woman with a complicated past, who comes to Desire Bay for a fresh start. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the enigmatic Noah Kendrick, a wealthy entrepreneur who harbors a few secrets of his own. As the undeniable attraction between Grace and Noah intensifies, the layers of their mysterious pasts begin to unravel, threatening the future they could build together.

Ryan's writing is engaging and descriptive, vividly depicting the picturesque coastal town and its unique inhabitants. The author effectively builds tension and anticipation throughout the story, keeping readers on their toes as they navigate the twists and turns of the narrative.

Grace and Noah's chemistry is palpable from the very beginning, and the development of their relationship is both enjoyable and satisfying to witness. Ryan does a commendable job of weaving their emotional journeys together, creating a rich tapestry of love and desire.

However, it's worth noting that the novel's pacing could be improved. At times, the story appears to be rushing through crucial moments, leaving readers desiring a bit more depth and detail. Additionally, some of the secondary characters feel they need to be more developed, making investing in their storylines challenging.

Despite these minor critiques, "Playing With Trouble" remains a captivating and enjoyable read. Joya Ryan has crafted a compelling story that explores the complexities of love and the power of redemption. With its breathtaking setting and captivating characters, this novel will whisk you away to the enchanting world of Desire Bay and leave you longing for more. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape with a touch of mystery, "Playing With Trouble" is a delightful choice.

I failed to really connect with Laura and found that she was quick to make mistakes that had hurt her previously.

The sex scenes were to frequent and repetitive to really be engaging and j in found myself skimming over them.

I found the story line to be interesting, but I found it to be lacking depth and many issues that could have been explored were merely skipped over.

Laura left her hometown after losing her mother. She needed an escape and her ex-husband was it. After 10 years living in bad marriage, she finally got her divorce and came back town to her dad. When she gets to her father' store, she is faced with handsome Jake instead of her dad.
Jake had stable life working along side Mr. Baughman and he was taking over all the duties. He was more like a son to Mr. Baughman and he thought he will be taking over soon until his daughter barges in to the store. Now both will have to work together for a month at least before things will go back to how it was or working for his daughter.
Nothing seems going Laura's way. She was hanging on to her mother's memory by opening up the store but not knowing how to run a business, it will be difficult to make profit and Jake is not making it easy for her.
Laura and Jake buttheads when it comes to business but when they are closer their chemistry is off the chart and can't keep their hands to themselves.
Now they only have a month or Laura's skittish personality will drive her away. Will both give in to their chemistry and work together or let it go? Laura can be frustrating but Jake makes it better.
Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake publishing for ARC

A page turner! Joya Ryan is extremely talented and I’m glad I got the opportunity to read this wonderful story by her. I couldn’t stop reading!

If I had to go by the first half of this book, I would have DNF'd it but I read it all and the last half at least gave it a couple stars. I have to be engaged while reading and this book just left me feeling blah.

A chick lit book with romance, laughter and baggage from the past. A new start in a new job. A striking attraction but also dislike at the same time. Twists and turns.

I am one of those readers that NEEDS to absolutely LOVE the characters. Or, if I happen to not love them, I need to despise them or at bare minimum be able to feel what they are feeling. I have loved to hate characters, I have felt anger towards characters, but these characters left me high and dry.

Although, I must say, the writing itself is spectacular, but I really just did not feel the characters and that is why I gave the rating that I did. The story itself was was mediocre, and I do believe a lot of that comes from not being able to connect with the characters. The "heroine" was dull, and the the love interest pretty much just existed, but the writing, the writing was well done.

I absolutely loved this novel! I felt like the hero was alpha to the core and the heroine was just as sassy. They were equally matched. Their banter was fiery and their passion was just as hot. I really enjoyed this story.

Playing With Trouble is the first romance in the Desire Bay series written by author Joya Ryan. I didn't find the characters or the story likeable. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the advance copy.

Recently divorced, Laura Baughman is taking her life back. After a decade away, she’s returning to Yachats, Oregon—the small town she couldn’t wait to leave after graduation—to take over her late mother’s beloved flower shop. Yet once she arrives, Laura discovers the store has been neglected and her father has partnered in construction with Jake Lock. The once-scrawny high school band geek is now successful—and irresistibly sexy—and set to inherit her family’s business. That is, unless Laura can prove in the next thirty days that she has what it takes to run the company.

Despite the heat between Jake and Laura, romance is out of the question. After her last disastrous relationship, Laura has sworn off men—especially one bent on crushing her dreams. That’s just fine with Jake, who thinks the gorgeous blonde is a pain in the neck…though admittedly one he’d like to put his lips all over.

Jake has a proposal to mix business with pleasure. But when a deal goes south, Laura is ready to pack up and skip town all over again. Does he have what it takes to convince her to stay?



* * * * *



I do have a tendency to avoid books with a lot of explicit sex because all too often I have found that as more sex that is added plot is removed. I am so happy to say that this wasn't the case with PLAYING WITH TROUBLE. It has a solid story line that will keep the reader interested along with some sex scenes which really heat up the pages.


I really enjoyed the characters especially some of the secondary ones such as Roberta, Laura's father's girlfriend. She's a down to earth, big hearted woman with good advice who just happens to run a lingerie shop and a dirty book club. I would also like to see a book about Hannah who is Laura's best friend.


All in all, I would give this book a thumbs up because it has a solid plot line, good pacing, great characters and witty dialogue. I think that any of my readers who enjoy contemporary romance with some heat would enjoy this book. There are some graphic scenes though so perhaps not appropriate for the younger generation.


*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

It's always difficult to let other readers know when I've had to DNF a book and this is one of those times. I found it difficult to relate with any of these characters and to much steamy scenes for my liking.

The whole premise of the story was centered on a flower shop which was so uninteresting to me.
The relationship between Jake and Laura was nothing special no chemistry.
The heroine Laura just annoyed me; the first couple paragraphs knew I wasn’t going to like her. She was just so self-absorbed and always complaining. The hero Jake was just 😂

It has a pass....

This was the first time I've read a book by this author.

I enjoyed this book. It was unique and very sexy. If you're a lover of sexy moments... this is definitely the book for you!

Recv'd a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just not quite there in my opinion. The plot and premise of the novel was cliche and repetitive, the characters well-developed yet nothing new, and as a whole the novel was just a big disappointment because I was expecting quite something, considering the reviews the author has gotten, instead I got an okay book.

And okay is just not good enough. I might try another of the author's novels in the future but it's not happening anytime soon.

The book was okay. I didn't hate the book but I didn't hate it either. I think I would have liked it more if I liked Laura more and didn't dislike Walt (her father) so much.

another good read, keeps you interested found hard to put down

*Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.*
This was a cute little book and it was very steamy. Jake was hot, smart, loyal, funny, and has a wicked mouth. I really liked his character and I can totally relate to his fear of change. I tend to play it safe as well so I understood where he was coming from. I liked Laura, but I wasn't a huge fan of hers. I felt like she had so much anger and hurt from her ex husband still and just took it all out on Jake. I really enjoyed the banter between these two and the sex was hot. They are a cute couple and help balance each other out. This was a cute story with hot sex, funny banter, trust issues, and learning how to let go of the past. I would recommend this book to friends and family and look forward to see what the next book in the series will be.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Playing With Trouble by Joya Ryan that I read and reviewed.
This book was just okay for me. I could not get into it at all. I found it kind of boring because to me all that Jake and Laura wanted to do was have sex anywhere and everywhere and in every way they can even though they claimed not to like each other other. I also got really sick of Laura living in the past and whining about her mistakes but seeming to be repeating them by jumping the bones of the first guy she meets when she gets back home. I just did not like the book at all.
I am sorry to say I can only give it two out of five stars.

After spending the last ten years of her life with a man that never really appreciated her Laura Baughman, has signed on the dotted line, bid her miserable ex farewell, and is headed home to rediscover herself and the life she left behind. But soon after arriving she realizes the life she left behind has moved on without her, and the plans that she came home armed with, are about to take a unexpected hit. She wants to revive the family flower shop, but it seems that her father has already taken the business in a little different direction, with the help of a irritating and devastatingly handsome foreman. Now she is forced to work alongside her irritating, but oh so tempting, nemesis in order to achieve her goals... and it is proving to be far more difficult than she anticipated!

The moment Jake Lock learned that his bosses gorgeous daughter would be returning home to take over the family business, he felt a little pang of hurt, and also a little excitement. Hurt because he always thought the business would fall into his hands when his boss decided to retire, since his daughter had never shown any interest in carrying on the family legacy. And excited because he is a changed man, one that he hopes will finally catch her eye. In high school she always overlooked him, but now he is certain there is no way that will be possible, especially since she will be forced to work alongside him everyday... and he has the perfect plan to lure her into his bed... and maybe even into his heart... if he is lucky!

Ahhh Jake!, he is the book boyfriend you can't help but fall for, the underdog of sorts, the one who worked his butt off to make a change for the better, and find a way to finally get the girl he has been dreaming of since he was in high school. The moment he walked onto to page I was completely taken with him, he was bold, witty, sexy as hell, and a man who didn't back down from a challenge...and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him battle it out with his feisty nemesis. Watching them dance around one another, share their heated banter, and watching the fireworks explode when they finally gave in was a real literary treat!! Ms. Ryan has done it again, not only wowed me with her literary prowess, but also given me a story that I could completely get lost in... and I have to say I enjoyed devouring every little word! Highly recommend this one, it is sure to satisfy!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.