This was my first book with the story evolving around a threesome. I can definitely say it is not my type. However if you are into something like that you may enjoy this book as though it has lot's of erotic scenes described in detail the author tries to give depth into the characters and their families. I appreciate the attempt.

2.5/5
Right, I'm going to try and be short explaining why this didn't work for me.

You know that I review plenty of erotic romances exploring topics of MMF/MFM relationship? I hope the experience gave me an understanding that this kind of dynamics can be tricky to pull off, and I can count the authors who managed to do it on one hand. Unfortunately, Miss Ellink isn't one of them.

The potential is there. I liked the two men, Charlie and Lyle straight away. They had banter, they had history and spark. Their families were adorable and were perhaps my favourite part of the narration.

Which only made Hannah stick out like a sore thumb so much more. She is awkward, and it takes awhile to warm up to her. She is supposed to have a long history of friendship with benefits with Charlie, but while we are told it, a few flashbacks would have been nice and helped the reader to understand what drives her so much more.

That brings me to the last issue and the one which was a deal breaker for me. Sex. You heard me right. It's an erotic romance, and I am complaining about sex. Ironic, I know.

I get that Hannah was fascinated by man-on-man action, but I really did not need spreadsheets with the logistics of who put what where in minute detail. It was taking the romantic, emotional impact away and turning it into a chore to read.

So, as it often happens, over-descriptiveness did not do it for me. Not recommended if it's an issue for you too.

I am not a big reader of ménage stories but I had heard a lot about this book and wanted to read it and I must say I wasn’t over keen on the heroine at the start, but then she really grew on me yes her tastes are a lot different from the heroines that I normally read and as for the two heroes Charlie and Lyle they know how to show love I think they are wonderful heroes. This story isn’t for everyone but I did really enjoy it and am very glad I read it.

Heroine and sports reporter Hannah Maynard knows what she wants in life she enjoys her sex life with various partners and one of those partners is Rugby League star and captain for the Glebe Gannets and Australian team Charlie Maxxin they already have a friends with benefits friendship and now that Hannah has learnt a secret she wants in her fantasies are running wild and she is prepared to make big changes in her life for this but she doesn’t do relationships as such it is for one thing only.

Charlie has a private life as well as the one that the world sees and it is really important that it stays private he could never ruin his career or that of fellow team player Lyle Smythe-Jones, so when Hannah drops the bombshell at dinner he is intrigued but also knows that Lyle must also make the decision and they tend towards relationships.

WOW this story is a moving one there are a lot of choices that need to be made secrets to be kept and appearances to be kept up and having Hannah join them will help in some ways but what was so good is the love that grew between these three people, it was fabulous seeing Hannah fall for the guys they already loved each other although it took Charlie a while to admit it and then bring family into the mix and state representative games there is a lot going on a lot of pressure. It is a very descriptive story with a lot of heat and sex but in such a loving way and for me I did really enjoy this one, thank you MS Ellink.

Team Player is a hot MMF ménage. It's got two hot Aussie rugby players and one lucky woman. Hannah is a sports journalist who's had a FWB for situation for years with Charlie, a professional rugby player. Lately she's been noticing a certain vibe between him and one of Charlie's teammates, Lyle, a younger, blonde hottie. So she straight up tells Charlie her suspicions and that she wants in. She kinda sorta blackmails him with her info, but Charlie's all for it, he just needs to make sure Lyle's up for it.

I like that this ménage presents a well-balanced look at trying to make a threesome relationship work. It's not all sex and everything's fine. All three of them have to process their new situation and how it will work for them individually and as a unit. Lyle was the hardest to convince because he had never been with a woman before, and because in the past Hannah may have called him Marble Boy for his arrogant, seemingly cold façade. She soon finds out that she was so wrong about her perception, that Lyle's a sweet, warm, sensitive man. He's very different than Charlie, who's a big, growly teddy bear with a kind heart.

As much as I like Team Player, I found myself not connecting to Hannah very much. I admired that she went for what she wanted, but for some reason I couldn't connect with her very much. Charlie and Lyle, though, I fell in love with, especially Charlie. They're so different, yet both such great characters. And the heat between them? Whew! Sometimes I felt as if Hannah may have been a sort of growth on their relationship, like maybe she didn't quite belong, as it was obvious that Charlie and Lyle had been together for sometime and had strong feelings about each other. Because Hannah was new to them, she didn't quite fit as well as I had been hoping when I started reading. I guess I just have to hope that as their relationship grows, they work it out so that it feels more balanced emotionally for all three of them, not just for the two men. I'm hoping that there might be another book coming about this threesome, because it left off abruptly. No epilogue is never a good thing because I like knowing the couple is happy in their future.

A few things....One: how many more couples can they possibly know in threesome relationships on a single team? The likelihood of that many relationships is very low. Two: everyone just accepted everything took quickly. There were no concerns from others, no anger, no outrage .... just pure acceptance while nice isn't at all realistic.

It wasn't a bad book, I just struggled to believe everything.

Hannah is a sports reporter and have a friend with benefits relationship with Charlie, a rugby player. When Hannah happens to discover Charlie also has a thing for one of the other players Lyle wants to be included in their fun. The sex is definitely steamy but can these three find a way to make their unconventional relationship work? I liked this sexy, entertaining read, the story is fast-paced with plenty of drama. A good read!

3.5 stars. I have to admit I struggled with this story and it was mainly because of the main character. Like the heroine in Deep Diving, Hannah is sexually aggressive, emotionally stunted and made me feel totally out of touch if this is what a woman of this millenia is supposed to be. Basically like a committment phobic man in classic romance. Not a type of hero I'm fond of in any case. Frankly it took just about the whole book for me to warm to her and even then I don't think we will be best buddies.

But it was still a pretty good story and well written. It took me a while to adjust to the first person POV again but it did work well in this case once I settled into it.

Hannah is a sports reporter and has had an ongoing friends with benefits relationship with league footie team captain Charlie for years. Not an exclusive relationship by any means. Anyhow, she's been watching Charlie with one of his younger team members and she is sensing a vibe between Charlie and young Lyle. A smexual vibe. It's the hottest thing to warm her bootie for a long time.

Did I mention this is an erotic romance? Yeah.

Basically, Hannah wants in and she reckons it will be a win win. She gets hot smexing and the guys get a break from the fear that they will be outed. Aussie League is not known to be friendly to alternative relationships.

It's no spoiler to say she gets her wish. We the reader get lots of smexin of various types and combinations. Lots.

But, we also get a story. Hannah, Charlie and Lyle are strong personalities and it's not always easy building a three way relationship. In some ways it was almost too easy but perhaps that comes down to the sensitively of young Lyle who seems to be the oil in smoothing the problems of the relationship.

Hannah and Charlie probably see the most character growth over the arc of the story (thank the gods in Hannah's case).

The story skipped a little on the fringes of the problem of homophobia in Aussie sport and didn't really solve any problems or offer any solutions. The ending did offer some nice resolution and promise for the future of the main characters.

I found this book a little harder to review. Did I like the story, Yes however at times it was like I was reading about two different relationships Charlie & Lyle then Hannah & Charlie. Then there would be time the three seemed to really connect, as the book progressed the relationship did seem to even out and the storyline flowed better for me. I would like to read more by this author

As an Aussie myself and an avid fan of Rugby League football, what more could I want than two sexy Rugby League players who both prepared to pleasure a woman beyond her wildest fantasies?

Team Player is a HOT, sexy, no holds barred ménage, that will set the pages on fire and leave you breathless with unquenchable desire. So have the fan turned to HIGH and plenty of ice cold beverage on hand, as your about to burn!

Team Player
Cate Ellink
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holy Smokes!! This is one hot ass book 🔥🔥🔥 If your looking for an erotic polyamorous read, don't look any further. 2 hot rugby guys and a female sports reporter Heat up the sheets in this novel by Cate Ellink. This was my first read by her and I will keep my eye out in the future for more of hers to be published.

Hannah Maynard, sports reporter, is sure it’s only her lust-filled fantasies linking Australian rugby league captain, Charlie Maxxin, with relative newcomer, Lyle Smythe-Jones. She and Charlie have shared quite a few steamy sessions over the years, so surely he’s not in a relationship with the young, unflappable player she’s dubbed Marble Boy?

Hannah lures Charlie to dinner and his reaction is all the answer she needs. But she doesn’t want to report on the biggest secret in Australian sport – she wants to take part. However, it’s not just Charlie’s decision and it can’t be just casual. If Hannah wants in, she has to be all in, with Lyle, with Charlie, and with the hottest action any of them have ever experienced.

Thanks NetGalley and Escape Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a sensual read. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Charlie and Lyle expand to include Hannah. However, the ending felt a little unfinished between the characters.

3.5 stars
an ok read

What started as a good read quickly fell flat for me. I found Hannah's character to be pushy, often negating the feelings/requests of Charlie and Lyle's characters - putting her own needs first and often coming across as a third-wheel in the story. Charlie and Lyle's characters were the more genuine of the three main characters. Unfortunately, Team Player by Cate Ellink did not grab this reader.
Review copy received from Escape Publishing via Netgalley

A very in-depth and serious look at how a menage relationship would work. I found the length a little daunting and the plot to drag unnecessarily at a number of points - but I did manage to finish it. I (personally) found it to be very dry and almost mundane in parts. The characters may have clicked sexually and even had some intense feelings amongst them, but there was very little spark. No 'oomph'. No butterflies. The dialogue wasn't witty or charming or particularly sharp, so I didn't find myself in love with any of the characters. The sex scenes were creative, but lacking in feeling and were written much like someone commentating a game of Twister. Someone had a hand here, someone had a head here, someone had a penis there. I spent much more time re-reading to get a spatial sense of where everyone was than ever enjoying the scene.
It was a twist to read about the lady in the trio being emotionally stunted and one of the males being the nurturer; that was interesting and new in terms of the genre - so there were fresh ideas explored. I wouldn't read another of this length by this author, but with some editing for length and the addition of a little pizazz, I would mention this to friends interested in the genre.

If you are looking for a book about a 3 some, this is for you. This don't book doesn't mess around. It jumps right into the sex scenes and doesn't leave much to imagination!!

Hot rugby players who add a female into the relationship, kinda hot!