Em Newman is taking a break from men after her last relationship ended up pretty badly and Lincoln Quinn has been one night only kinda guy. Lincoln and Quinn are both extremely attracted to each other from the first time they met but all Linc’s flirtaions get him a glare and a shot down which gets repeated everytime they meet now. Betting is one of Linc’s favourite things so when his friends and fellow team members make bets on whether or not he can break Em’s fast, Linc is more than up to the challenge. What he didn’t count on was his changing feelings and how being with Em makes him feel.

This is a pretty short read, so we don’t get see a deep character and relationship development between Linc and Em but they had a abundance of chemistry between them. It was a likeable book with a cute couple, very passionate sexy times who despite their childhood tragedies got their own HEA.

Quibbles also known as why not a higher rating: One of the reasons was to with the decision of marriage and while I think marriage is great and all, not everyone wants to get married especially when your 23 years old. But if someone changes their mind later on that’s fine but the way at the end something happens in this book was very fast and made me go ??? The other reason was Valerie she was kind of shown to be really into Linc in past two book but then in this book her reasoning of why was questionable, regardless I hope she gets her own book and gets her HEA. Lastly because the book is quite short I didn’t get to feel their connection on a deeper level.

The book had a lot of potential, it was still enjoyable just not my favourite of the series.

So I was not really a fan of Lincoln in the first 2 books. He was kind of a major jerk and player, but when he finally met his match he showed what a gentleman and all around good guy he could be. She makes him work for a date with her and you can see past his playboy exterior to the man he really is. Let’s just say that while my mind is not 100% changed I am a fan of Linc’s now.

Em is a very smart rational woman who doesn’t take any of Lincoln’s normal crap. There was a moment that could have been a huge misunderstanding and an end to them but she was so calm and rational and actually thought about it before going off the handle and fighting with him. He may have deserved it but he deserved her more.

These two had some outstanding chemistry from the start. Once they finally gave in it was off the charts. I cannot wait to see who the next Sidney Smoke player to fall is. HIghly recommend this book for anyone with a love for science, sport and smarts.

A rugby star who plays hard on *and* off the field meets his match in a teacher who has no problem making him work for it in Playing the Player. Amy Andrews has a gift for penning romances that are funny and sexy, and this book definitely has humor and heat in spades.

Linc and Em charmed me with their banter and were definitely hot together – both things I expected going into this book. What I didn’t expect was them touching my heart. I absolutely loved peeling back the layers to their characters. At the start, Linc and Em seem like opposites when it comes to love. She’s a relationship-only girl and he’s a player through and through. However, both of them faced childhood abandonment, which helps them understand one another and how they approach relationships. Linc’s upbringing made him cynical about love and he doesn’t believe in marriage. Em, in turn, craves love and commitment and has been burned repeatedly in her search to find it. They both think they won’t work in the long run, but their attraction to one another is impossible for them to resist. I loved the sexual tension between them and the buildup leads to one hell of a payoff. Em and Linc are explosively hot as a couple, and to make things even better, they’re *fun*.

I was a bit wary going into Playing the Player because I’m not a fan of the romance trope where a character and his friends bet on getting someone into bed. However, because I adore Ms. Andrews’s writing – and am completely hooked on the Sydney Smoke Rugby series – I was willing to give Linc a fair chance. I’m so glad I did. I won’t spoil the story, but I will say that Ms. Andrews turns the tired trope on his head and spares readers from false drama. I was actually delighted with how things turned out, and I truly loved watching their relationship develop. Em and Linc are perfect for each other, and it was a joy to see them come to that realization as well.

Playing the Player is the third book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. What I love about the series is that each book has been filled with great characters, steamy scenes, and wonderful banter, yet while they’re tied together in terms of tone and world, each story is unique. The interaction between the teammates and the women who love them only add further dimension to the world and make me incredibly eager for more books. All in all, I loved Playing the Player. Linc and Em’s love story was a blast to read – so much so that I wanted to dive back in for a re-read right after finishing it.

I don't think that Amy could write anything that I didn't LOVE!!

This group of men that have created a family of their own are so strong, alpha, funny and yummy!! This series strike me as different from so many others because it truly revolves around the men and their friendships and dynamic with each other. The women get along and are even BFFs in the case of this installment but Amy keeps the story about the team and the current books couple.

Linc falls hard but embraces it and the feelings her has for Em. Em is reluctant to make the same mistakes shes made with men in the past but refuses to give up on her hearts desires either.

In a plot that could have been predictable (jocks and their crazy bets; 2 main characters trying to overcome their pasts) Amy kept it fresh and had me loving Harper (bk 2 leading lady & Em BFF) all over again for the honesty and tough love she gives her girl!

Bring on book 4 please!!

Well.. it looks like I might be in the minority on this one, but im gonna have to call Playing the Player just an OK read for me.
Now, before I get stoned.. I would like to take the opportunity to say that the Brazen line from Entangled is my absolute favorite. I know the Sydney Smoke Rugby series has a wildly popular reputation and so does Amy Andrews, the author. She's amazing.
I knew going into Playing the Player who Linc was and frankly, what he was. As the title indicates, hes a player. He's always (from the first two books) been proud of the fact that he's.. for lack of a better term.. a "ladies man" *cough.. man whore.. cough*.
Em is a school teacher and is taking a break from all things 'dude'.
There were things about the story that I didnt like at all - how they got together, for example. I thought it was just a bit cliched and felt as though I had read it numerous times before.
Things I enjoyed - Im in the states, the south to be exact (southern drawl and all, yall) so I really like the Aussie terminology and references that accompany the books in this series. Its just a lot of fun.
And what do I love about Sydney Smoke Rugby - my, oh my are they forever HOT and DIRRRTY! Amy Andrews certainly knows how to pack a great deal of heat into just under 200 pages. YES MAAM!
I hate to give a good author a bad review and I certainly dont want anyone to think that is what im doing. 2 stars signifies it was OK, and for me, that is my honest opinion. It was OK. I will definitely keep up with this series and the author.

After a long history with crappy guys, high school teacher Em Newman is going man-vegan. Four months of revirginization has opened her eyes to her doormat imitation but, baby’s got spine now, and some smooth-talking—even if he is sinfully hot—rugby player, won’t be adding her as a notch anytime soon.

Lincoln Quinn loves rugby, women, and poker. And he likes to win at all three. When his team mates bet him he can’t break through Em’s resolve, he’s more than up for the challenge. But this lady has a shoebox of stipulations before she’ll even go on a date with him, much less use that mouth for kissing instead of giving orders.

Something’s gotta give but this time Em’s not settling. And Linc’s questioning everything he ever knew about matters of the heart.

This was okay but again not something I would go right out and buy. I hate it when the hero isn't all that heroish lol. He just didn't do it for me. The heroine was kind of wishy washy and not definitive as a character. I just wanted to get through with the book because Linc didn't want to get married and his "bet" was to sleep with Em. Now, I'm pretty sure that puts him in the douche category. If you're going to bet that you can get a woman into bed in so many days and put a hundred dollars into the pot to bet for your ownself - you're a douche!! That's not a story I'd want to tell the kids or maybe some out there would. Maybe that is your story and if so then...that's great!

However, the writing was really good and it was really fast-paced. There was a lot of sexual content and language.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

I have been waiting for Lincoln's story since he was introduced in Playing By Her Rules. Every time he was present I was chuckling at his statements and constant need for the ladies to be around.

Linc has had his eye on Em since he met her. Em wants absolutely nothing to do with him since he is 100% her type; the guy who is only in it for a good time and doesn't stick around. Em is a hopeless romantic and Linc is definitely not. He typically doesn't date but he makes an exception for Em since there is something that draws him to her.

I love Linc. He's funny and even though he has a history of getting around, he meets all of Em's stipulations for their relationship. Em is smart woman, who walked back her initial resistance to Linc to just go with the flow and see what happens. The frustrating thing about this book is that this group doesn't seem to learn from their past mistakes. I hope this group gets it together in the next book.

*This is my voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy*

Playing the Player is the third book in Amy Andrews’ Sydney Smoke Rugby series, and it is another great addition to this fun series. Lincoln is a bit of a lady’s man and has recently watched several of his close friends and teammates fall in love. He’s not interested in a relationship, but he is very attracted to on of his friend’s girlfriend’s friend - Em Newman.

Em is a teacher and has sworn off men who are players; therefore, Linc is not the type of man she wants to get involved with even though she is very attracted to him. Linc makes a bet with his friends that he can get Em in his bed, and he pursues her at full throttle. She capitulates and they soon find themselves not just in a sexual relationship but in a committed relationship. But Linc has reservations about marriage and permanence and that is exactly what Em wants. Playing the Player is fun and sexy but still packs enough of an emotional punch to make it a very satisfying romance.

After the epic success of the previous book in the series with me, I was very excited to read this book! While I didn't find it as much of a success as the previous installment, I did enjoy reading it overall.

This story focused on the best friend of the heroine of the previous story and Lincoln Quinn. To me, both Linc and Em felt very realistic. They'd been in each other's orbits for a while now, attraction simmering under the surface, when they finally make the decisions to give in to it. They wound up doing things a little backwards, to my way of thinking, but eventually got to where they should be. I liked the fact that both Em and Linc had things in their pasts that gave them common ground, but those pasts were just different enough to cause a bit of friction.

For me, the love realization and ending felt a bit rushed. I thought they both needed a bit more time with one another in the "dating" portion of their relationship, before heading for the marriage discussion that caused them so much conflict. While Linc eventually wised up, I didn't like his proposal overall. He knew Em hated her full name, so why would he use it so publicly? It didn't make much sense to me, save for giving him bragging rights for how much money he spent on the proposal.

All things considered, this was a short, yet solid installment in the series. I can't wait for the next book!

OMG! Loved it! Thought this was going to set my iPad on fire! These two have some sizzling heat. Such an excellent story. Loved learning the history between Lincoln Quinn and Em Newman. Excellent development with a fantastic build. The story moves fast, entertaining with a romance too hot to handle. So much tension between the two, I loved watching the spar and the subtle changes as they open up and things progress. Laughter, tears and OMG the sexual chemistry was scorching. Amy Andrews I Love You and Your Entertaining & Sexy Stories. Highly Recommended! Don't miss this one!

I voluntarily requested a copy through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I’d enjoyed other stories in this series but was wary of this one as the main male character is Lincoln Quinn (aka Linc), a self confessed manwhore and betting man. When the first chapter has him agreeing to something which made him seem a self-opinionated, disrespectful jerk, well, it seemed my caution had been justified. Then, however, Amy Andrews steps in and weaves her word magic and turns the story all around and he becomes the adorable, admirable reformed rake! Phew!!

High school science teacher, Em Newman, has had enough of jerks, especially sporting ones, so really doesn’t want to fall for any of the Sydney Smoke Rugby players, even though her best friend, Harper, has married one of them. She certainly doesn’t want to have anything to do with Linc - she’s heard all about his manwhore reputation! However, Linc falls hard for Em and is determined to win her over - and he’s difficult to resist! There are plenty of problems ahead, challenges to be met and tough loving advice to be given (by Harper to Em) as well as Em’s full name to be revealed!

This is an extremely hot and steamy romance with a strong male lead brought to earth and rocketed skyward by love. The storyline is engaging and there are plenty of twists and turns to enable the author to impose her own stamp on the proceedings. It involves many of the characters from the earlier books in the series - ‘Playing By Her Rules’ and ‘Playing it Cool’ - and it is great to see how their relationships continue to develop. Despite this, I believe it can still be read as a standalone.

I love the glossary at the end of the book, where the author defines many Aussie terms in her own inimitable way! If you like your romances hot and steamy with a hunky male lead finding love changes his attitudes and behaviour, you’ll probably love this.

Many thanks to the publishers who gifted me a copy of this book through NetGalley without any obligations. This is my honest review after choosing to read it!

***3.5 Stars***

I do love me some rugby romance and I love watching as a confirmed manwhore is brought to his knees so it’s no surprise that after meeting Lincoln in Playing It Cool I couldn’t wait to see him brought to his knees, and was he ever brought to his knees. And though I enjoyed the journey for the most part, there were a couple of things that had me going ‘Hhhmmmm’

I loved Lincoln. Yes, he is a manwhore and proud of it and could come off as a cocky S.O.B., though he had every right to be, his heart was golden. He may not believe in love, and his reasons are valid even if at times self serving, but he’s not a bad guy at all. His actions throughout the book proved what a good guy he really was.

Em I really liked. Her reason for going all ‘man-vegan’ was something I admired. She realized that she needed to change things up and did. I loved her sassy nature and how comfortable she was in her own skin. She may have waffled over a few things, but for the most part stuck to her guns.

I loved the slow burn build up between Lincoln and Em and the flirty banter that came out of it due to the sexual tension and Em’s insistence that she wasn’t going to sleep with Linc. It was cute and charming. I wasn’t all that keen on “The Bet”, but I loved how both Linc and Em dealt with it, that was definitely a pleasant surprise. My ‘hhhhmmmm’ moment came with the big conflict in their relationship. There was a part of me that understood the reaction to it, but at the same time I thought it was a very selfish overreaction like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum . And though I am happy that they did resolve things, because I do love them together, I kind of wish things had taken a slightly different turn.

The writing was engaging, though I felt the pacing was a little slow at times and would have liked to have a little more time seeing Linc and Em’s relationship grow, though the moments we do get to experience were awesome. While I loved hanging out with all of the characters, I must say that I fell a little more in love with Dex and Harper, especially Harper, in this book. Even though I had my issues with this book, it was still a fun and quick read and I’m definitely curious to see who will be next on the chopping block.

Playing the Player is the third book in Andrews’ Sydney Smoke Rugby Series. I didn’t read the first two and I didn’t feel like I missed anything because of it.

This was a cute contemporary romance. Linc is an unabashed player, on the pitch and off it. He loves women and has no intention of ever settling down with just one. But he wouldn’t mind settling down for the night with Em Newman, the best friend of the soon-to-be wife of one of his teammates. Em is h-o-t, and her refusal to give in to their mutual attraction just makes him want her more.

Em decided she needed a break from men once she realized she was hopping into bed with them in the hopes that they’d fall in love with her. Four months of celibacy has give her a new sense of self, and, okay, maybe the series need for an orgasm. But she knows better than to hook up with Linc. She’s done dating guys who want nothing more than a roll in the hay. If only he wasn’t so attractive..and funny..and sweet.

Linc starts out planning to get Em into bed, but it isn’t long before she’s wormed her way into his heart. Can the confirmed bachelor

Let me just say, I loved how honest Em was with herself. She had daddy issues and ended up falling into bed with any guy who showed her even a bit of affection, because she wanted someone to love her. she recognized what she was doing and took a step back to reevaluate her life and her choices. She didn’t apologize for her past, or beat herself up over it, she just moved on from it. I really liked that.

I expected Linc to be a womanizer, but that wasn’t really the case. He wasn’t picky about who he took to bed, but he wasn’t a jerk about it. He liked woman and sex, and didn’t apologize for it. He was really sweet to Em, and I really enjoyed watching him open up to her.

The final conflict was pretty contrived and didn’t really work for me. They had pretty much hammered out their issues until, bam. I’d have preferred if it hadn’t been included.

Still, the story was sweet and I liked the romance. I’ll plan pick the first two books up soon.

3.75 out of 5

What do you get when you put a bet loving bachelor and a woman on a man fast together? You end up with enough sparks to light up the night sky and the laugh out loud, tug at your heart and fantastic story of Linc and Em aka Playing the Player.

It’s 100% official after reading this book, the Sydney Smoke series is my favourite of Amy Andrews. I loved this book. There is just something about this team that has me totally hooked and each book sucks me in further. Yes, they can be read as stand alones, but believe me when I say you need to read all of them. Big, beefy, hunky men with a soft romantic core, cue the swoons. And Linc is the softest of them all so far.

After meeting Linc in the previous books, I had a feeling he was going to fall and fall hard when his story came around and boy did he. Poor Linc never saw the ONE coming and watching the pieces fall into place made my ovaries tingle. He was so adorable and love struck it was drool worthy.

We also met Em before and she had a spark that made me like her and after this….I want her as a bestie. The way she takes on Linc and turns the game around was brilliant. Add in that she holds her ground when confronted by a few of the guys when she and Linc are caught in a messy situation only made me love her more.

Together these two will keep you hot and bothered, laughing and rooting for the HEA. I’m not kidding about the hot and bothered bit either, jeez can Linc and Em steam up a page. (Is it hot in here or just me?) But it’s not all about fun and sexy times though. Both have been hurt by someone important in the past and it’s impacted how who they are now and how they see relationships. So it was heart-warming to see them work through it so they don’t miss the important thing, that they deserve to be happy.

You know what, just buy the book or the series and dive in because if you do you won’t be sorry. Hot sweaty men, hot sex and a love story that will leave you goofy grinning, what more do you need?

Amy Andrews, I can’t wait for the next Sydney Smoke book. I’m hooked.

Why am I so addicted to this group of loud mouth, clueless, athletes? It's like watching a replay. You know what's going to happen, but have a hard time looking away. Playing the Player was a temptation that I wouldn't have missed. These big bad men always end up losing their hearts but the treasure they gain makes it all worthwhile. Em brought Linc to his knees and he never saw it coming.

“Any chance we get to love someone, even if it’s only for a little while, isn’t wasted time.”

I love that line. That line made the whole book—and the element that wasn't quite sitting right—work for me. Because love isn't wasted. At least, not for Linc and Em.

This is now the second book I've read from Amy Andrews, and it was just as good as the first one I read… which was the second in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series. Follow me? What I'm saying is this: you don't have to have read all (or any) of the books in this series to appreciate Ms. Andrews’ writing and storytelling. This standalone interconnects with the first two books, but Linc and Em have enough charm and love and chemistry to carry you through to the end.

They also have just enough Aussie-ness to win me over. It can be hard sometimes, with Australian set books, to find the right balance between everyday Australian and stereotypical, crikey-spouting Australian, but Ms. Andrews found it. There were words and references and places that made me ache to visit my home country, but it never went too over the top, and I was so very grateful for that.

I was grateful for a lot of things, actually. The direction taken on the bet storyline. The friendship and camaraderie between the Sydney Smoke players. The easy way Linc and Em’s relationship progressed from antagonistic to something more. Not to mention the heat they generated together…

The only thing that didn't grab me 100% is a little too spoilery for me to share, but simply put: it all worked out in the end. It's not that it didn't make sense, or that it was bad—it wasn’t, I swear—I just didn't love or… relate to it. I don't know. I can't explain it.

But I can explain that the above quote—along with all those things I am grateful for—made Playing the Player a very fun *and* funny, very fresh and very fast read. It also made me anticipate more from these Rugby boys, and Ms. Andrews, in the future.

This was Linc at his most elemental. This was cave man stuff. Potently male. Potently virile.
Hot. As. Fuck.

~ FOUR STARS ~

Em is a high school teacher and Linc is a rugby star. (The book is set in Australia.) Em and Linc met in a previous book (their friends are a couple). Em has no plans on falling for his playboy charms -- something that is new to Linc, of course. Women throw themselves at him, but here's the one woman that's not interested. Or at least doesn't *want* to be interested in him. Em's only ever had long term relationships and has decided to take some time away from the dating scene to really focus on herself, what she wants, etc. But Linc . . . Oh, he's a temptation that she never saw coming.


While at a poker game with his teammates, a bet is made on how long it'll take for Linc to get Em to fall into his bed. He lets them make the bet, as it's done good-naturedly, but he never plans on pursuing Em because of the bet. In fact, he forgets about it, too focused on figuring out how best to approach Em; his usual M.O. isn't really working, and he finds he loves the challenge.


I liked the poker game scene because it showed the guys' friendships and interactions. It caught my attention enough (combined with later scenes featuring the team) that I want to read their stories, too.



“But…a vibrator can’t hold you in its arms or give you the full-body experience.”

Em clamped down on the wicked surge of heat between her legs, thinking about a full-body experience with Lincoln Quinn. “It’s not going to make me lie in the wet spot, either.”

“It can’t snuggle with you after,” he countered with another laugh. Em snorted. “And that’s your specialty, is it? Hanging around for pillow talk?”

“I’ll have you know I give very good pillow talk.”

Sure. And Elvis was alive and living at Henley Stadium. “Right,” she muttered. “Of course you do.”

“I really do.” He nodded. “Most women seem to be more interested in me giving them good head, but hey, I’m a full service kinda guy.”



There were a lot of great scenes, including cute interactions via text; Em doesn't want dick pics, so instead he sends her a picture of his elbow. She returns it with a picture of her knee, and they continue this fun back-and-forth of sending random SFW body pics to each other.


And then we hit the first sex scene, which is actually a masturbation scene. But oh, man, does it bring the heat. Basically, he was at her place to get ready (they were going to an event together) and while in the shower, he starts jerking off. Em forgot that there were no towels and walks in on him. She can't look away and when he stops, she encourages him to continue. Spoiler alert: he does, indeed, continue. 😈



“Fuck yes,” he panted, gripping his cock harder, his hand flying, tugging convulsively now as his balls drew impossibly tight and his orgasm hit warp speed. “You’re making me come.”

Linc’s heart punched hard against his ribs as he fought to heave air into his chest, fought to keep his head from falling back against the tiles and his eyes from closing as everything coalesced inside him, boiling up, wanting out.

He wanted to watch her watching him come.

“Yes.” He gasped as it hit hard, exploding from him like he’d been celibate for a year.

“Oh God.” Her tawny-gold eyes wide as she watched the hot spurt of his come.

“Yes.” He groaned, taking in the round O of her mouth, the heat in her gaze, the agitated pull of her breath and the swells of her breasts as he pumped and pumped. “Yes. Yes.”



After, they both try to avoid the elephant in the room, but there's no denying their chemistry. Which leads to the sexy shenanigans in the team's locker room. All. Night. (We'll ignore the fact that I'm sure security or a cleaning crew should have been wandering around the place.) Unfortunately they wake up late and some of his teammates walk in. Em's still in the shower, hiding, while Linc walks out to try and distract them. The guys find her clothes and start giving Linc a hard time, not knowing that she's still in the room. And, you guessed it, they bring up the infamous bet, which Em overhears.


Now, normally this would cause a big issue, but it didn't because Em realizes that the bet wasn't Linc's idea. In fact, she notes that if he had wanted to win the bet, he would have made a move on her weeks before they finally got together. I was glad that she reacted this way; the normal drama-route is done too often, so this was a bit refreshing to read.


While she's facing down Linc and his friends in the locker room, she starts listing all these rules she has in order to date a man. Including this gem:



"Because I only consider giving extra time to a guy if he can make me come five times in a night, and you, Wonder Cock, only got to three.”



I mean, I approve of this requirement, Em. 100% approve.


The requirements are meant more for fun than anything else, but Linc does work to hit all of them for her over the course of the book.


Oh! One more sex scene that I can't resist talking about takes place in the car -- and she initiates it. She can't wait and has Linc pull over before climbing on top of him. Like all the other scenes, it was pretty damn hot. But the most notable thing was when she hit a sore spot on him -- he had been tackled in the game earlier, and had some bruised ribs -- and he actually responds to the pain! Seriously, we often joke that in romancelandia the hero can fuck through anything, including serious injury, without wincing. Now, they do finish, but that pause where he has to remind her about the ribs was, again, refreshing to read and added that little something to the scene.


I have to say, I was very disappointed that we didn't get to see Linc achieve the 5 orgasms in one night requirement. I kept waiting for it, but it didn't show up on page. Talk about being a tease! I do wish that scene had been included, it had the potential to not only be really hot but continue the fun of the rules.


Both Em and Linc are around 23, but this did not feel like a NA romance. That's not a good or a bad thing, just an observation. They seemed older and I actually have a hard time reconciling them with those ages because they didn't act it at all. Plus it doesn't quite add up, especially with her working as a teacher so young (though I realize it is possible). Speaking of her job as a teacher, I was disappointed that this was basically just throw away information about her. Her job and responsibilities are not part of the book at all. In fact, other than it being mentioned two or three times in passing, I never would have guessed she worked at all, let alone as a teacher. I'm not saying we needed pages devoted to her teaching or anything, but things like a career or passion should be adequately explored on page to add to the character. And that just didn't happen here.


Otherwise, my only other complaints, also relatively minor, revolve around the pacing and the ending. Throughout the book, but especially towards the end, I felt that the pacing was off; some scenes (like the 5 orgasms mentioned) were cut off and the following scene would be days or even a month later. I know, especially in a category length book like this, you can't cover every day of the relationship on page, but I felt like too many things were skipped and just mentioned in passing later on. I wanted more scenes shown and the pacing to be more even.


And my problem with the ending was partly tied into the pacing again (it felt rushed -- the book is only 170 pages or so, but still!) and also partly the last minute issue about Linc's hangups with marriage, which causes conflict and some time apart -- and a far-too-quick turn around on Linc's part as he decides that maybe he'd be okay with marriage, because Em. Again, it just comes down to things feeling rushed.


Overall:

Did I like Playing the Player? Definitely!
Would I recommend it? Yep!
Would I try another from Amy Andrews? Yes, I'll be grabbing the previous 2 in this series, and maybe even look into her other releases.
Quickie Sell: A teacher and a rugby player steam up the Kindle and create some laughs along the way.


4 STARS!

Hot, fun and not too deep. Just like our main characters, Linc and Em. This was a sweet, steamy, fast read even though I don't understand the first thing about rugby.

The chemistry between Linc and Em was fantastic, and the author did a great job avoiding the usual Romancelandia cliches, like the Man Closed Off to Love or the Woman Too Scared to Love. Both Linc and Em were recovering from crappy childhoods and had reasons for the way they were, but it was a hoot to see serial dater Em get the better of manwhore Linc.

This is a fast read simply because there wasn't much conflict for most of the book. Em and Linc are blissfully in romantic and sexual sync for pages until a sudden Seemngly Unsurmountable Conflict happens. The resolution is cute, even if a bit rushed and glossed-over, but I liked that Em and Linc got their HEA. This was my first Sydney Smoke book but it definitely won't be my last.

I completely adore the Sidney Smoke Rugby series by Amy Andrews and Playing the Player is the third of the series. While you don’t have to read the first two to understand this novel because they are all standalone, it would be worth reading them. Em is a high school teacher who is sick of falling for the player so after a four-month hiatus from men the last thing she wants is to catch the eye of the biggest player she knows. All Lincoln needs to fulfill his life is rugby, woman, and poker. When his friends bet him that he can’t break Em out of her no sex strike, he pulls out all the stops to win her over. Of course, a woman like Em isn’t going to make it easy on the player, she gives him a list of requirements he must complete before she considers dating him. Em isn’t settling for anything less than a man giving his all. Linc is up for the challenge but as times passes he begins to question his life style and everything he knew about matters of the heart. I really enjoyed this book because it was funny, hot, and captivating. I both adored Em and Linc, but especially loved them together. I can easily give this novel 5 stars and I really hope there will be more from this series!