If you look in the dictionary for the word creativity, there will be a picture of Rachel Van Dyken. Her latest release, Risky Play is bound to jump to the top to the charts. With a couple of characters that you want to hate but can’t help but love, Risky Play brings out the sexy romantic in these handsome arrogant athletes. There is so much drama and emotional turmoil but shows an amazingly strong heroine that was inspirational. Like all of Van Dyken’s books I could not put this one down and I highly recommend it. I will always one-click any new release by Rachel Van Dyken and I suggest you do the same, you won’t be disappointed. Risky Play is book one of the Red Card series and goes way beyond the 5-stars that are available.

Mackenzie DuPont was supposed to get married. She was supposed to take over the family winery with her husband and best friend. She wasn’t supposed to be left standing at the alter in front of all the guest and media as her soon to be husband walked away from her. Now Mack needs to find herself and what better way then an adventure and a new temporary job to get her life back on track. Slade Rodriguez is world famous, so is his breakup from his fiancé after she got pregnant by his best friend. Now playing for a new team the soccer player needs to put his life back together, but when tragedy finds him yet again, Slade can’t deal with the heartache any longer. The soccer striker literally strikers out at anyone near him no matter who he hurts. Thrown together Mack and Slade must work closely and it’s a Risky Play for both of them and their hearts.

From a bride left at the altar to a sexy one night stand on her so called "honeymoon", Mackenzie sure doesn't do thing by halves.

Poor Mackenzie is my first thought, but then she is anything but poor and the dumping is the catalyst for her to finally tackle life.

And Slade - hellllooooo sir! As much as he is a dick, as the story progresses you can understand why he is a lot of the ways he is, even thought I wanted to throw a soccer ball at his head a lot of the time.

You can feel the sparks between our lovelies from the first meeting, and I for one couldn't wait for Slade to remove his head from his sphincter and see how amazing Mack is.

I gotta say, I really, really wanted to nut punch Mack's ex, Alton. Oh man, when you read I am sure you will have the same reaction.

I liked that though yes, our lovelies did have their issues, they - eventually - sorted them out. I also had my issues with Mack's family for a while. They made me so made!

Risky Play was a cute and sweet read, just the antidote to the darker reads I have been reading a lot of lately.

I can't wait for more of this series.

Risky Play continues to show how AMAZING Rachel Van Dyken is in the way that she writes. The story captures your attention from the beginning to the end!

I absolutely love Mack, Slade, Jagger, and Alfie. Mack is a socialite that is left in the most embarrassing situation when she’s left at the alter in front of all the media by her best friend. She decides she needs a break. She can’t continue on the way things have been while still trying to work with Alton every day at her parents business. She goes on the honeymoon that for that much needed peace. She meets the mystery man while on the plane where they share some experiences. He disappears just as quickly as he came into her life.

Mack decides to help out her aunt and take time away from her family business. It’s a win win for her so that she doesn’t have to see Alton every day at work. This job is how she ends up seeing Slade again. The reunion is anything but cordial, but Mack handles it with class. Slade is a grade A jerk when they first meet again, but Alfie is the best!!!

Watching Mack, Slade, and Jagger (Alton’s friend and Slade’s former best friend) work through all of the ups and downs makes you feel like you are there with them. I truly hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did.

This is a completely new series from Rachel Van Dyken. And it is amazing! A great light read. You still get emotions and feelings, but nothing that totally rips your hearts out. Just enough to make you empathize with the characters and want to root for their HEA. From their meet cute through navigating the real world you want Mack and Slade to have their chance at happiness.

A perfect sports romance. Just a bit of sport and that world mixed in with a romance. And the secondary characters were just as interesting as the main characters. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

This book though!!! I have to say Rachel is definitely my top 5 favorite authors. The way she can captivate her audience is astounding. I was lucky enough to get a chance to grab an ARC copy. I will try to be as honest as possible but she's my fav so it may be hard. This book had a little rough ending for me but we will get to that later. It was easy and fun to read. I won't say I hated it but Im not going to say I was 100% in love either. I compare every book I read to Rachels Mafia series and maybe that's not fair. I just can't help it.
Anyway... Risky Play is about two strangers who meet on a plane on their way to a relaxing getaway. With both sides having just went through some big life changes they make a pact with theirselves to have fun and find some adventure. After spending a night together their lives take them in different directions until they come crashing back together a few months later. With Slade being a world famous soccer player and Mackenzie being a famous socialite they are very weary about each others intentions. Through the back and worth of each interaction you see that their ideas of each other shifts closer and closer to what it was that very first night. Of course with being in the spotlight things get misconstrued. However, with this comes issues of trust. Can love get them through the torture of the public eye or will they fall victim to the lies and deception of the press?
Like I said before it was fun to read. I got hooked to it around chapter 5, and next thing I know I'm at 50% into it and it's 3 am. It usually takes me until a few chapters in to decide if I want to continue a book. For me a book needs to draw me in to the point where I lose track of time or I feel like Im actually sitting their with the characters. I will say this book did just that. However my small hesitation to say I was completely in love was the ending. Now I hate a drawn out ending but I also hate a rushed ending. It needs to have that happy medium. This book seemed to rush from tragedy to resolve in 2 short chapters. Again Im use to the twists and turns of the mafia so maybe Im being too hard on the book. I will end with say the book was good. It was fun and light hearted at some parts which made it a good time. The characters are amazing and I truly enjoyed the way everything came together. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see where she will take these characters.

I loved this story! There are so many different emotions in the story ranging from love, to heartbreak, jealousy and more. The relationships between the characters are deep and well written. Mack and Slade compliment each other well. And Alfie is the best!

Wow, another great book by Rachel Van Dyken, no matter the genre, she crushes it. I loved this book. It had me laughing and sad. I love how it tugged at my emotions. These two had great chemistry and I was rooting for them the whole way. I received this book from Net Galley.

OMG! Slade and Mackenzie! I loved this book. Both suffering from heartache they find themselves having a one night stand. Never wanting to see each other again Slade leaves before she's awake.... imagine his surprise when she show up at his work to begin her job as his assistant. What could go wrong.... This book is sweet and sensual with a big dose of sexiness and heartache. I can't recommend this book enough. You can never go wrong with RVD!!

This book was so much fun! I read the synopsis quite awhile ago, but didn't reread it before I started in on the book. I'm glad I didn't! I love that I didn't know what to expect. I loved Mackenzie...she was the perfect mix of sarcastic, sweet, and vulnerable. Her bantering skills (especially with Slade) were totally on point. Besides Mackenzie and Slade, I really loved Matt! I really hope he gets a book in this series for himself! He had some fantastic one-liners and banter too.
I really loved this book and can't wait to eventually read more in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I loved this quirky love story! It pulled me straight from the beginning and I could not put it down until I was finished. Yes, the H is a jerk but it's the h that makes this book awesome! She's quirky, smart, not apologetic....I can go on.

Actual Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Risky Play is a cute, fun, quick sports romance read.

Spoiler alert, do not read further if you do not want to know the details.

I wasn't sure what to think of this book in the beginning. Two super rich people on a plane talking about wine. I prefer stories where I can relate to a character. I also didn't think it was believable. You would think a 3o yr old virgin would be shy or timid about her sexual inexperience especially with a totally hot stranger. And a 30 yr old virgin?? She was groomed to marry Alton when they were 5 so why did it take so long for the wedding? Obviously Alton was career motivated so you would think he would marry the billionaire's daughter as soon as possible.

I liked the banter between Mack and Slade which was the redeeming quality of this book. I felt like the enemy turning best friend has been played out in other sports romance books.

All in all, I did enjoy the book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for a copy of Rachel Van Dyken's "Risky Play" in exchange of an honest review.

I've always liked this author's books, but it's been sometime since I've read anything written by her and Risky Play reminded me how much I love her writing! This is an amazing start to another series that has all the traits I love in a rom-com -- alpha hero; smart sassy heroine; funny and well-developed secondary characters (that I hope get their own books) and a fast-paced, enjoyable plot that kept me turning the pages. Definitely recommend if you like contemporary romance with enjoyable, funny moments. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Need another funny, steamy, sexy, heart throbbing, magnetic read?
The all-round package for this is given to you within Rachel Van Dyken’s new release Risky Play.

Sexy soccer player who is torn between his own feelings and trying to maintain his super cool athlete image: Check!
Slade Rodriguez has just the right amount of cocky and self-confident macho, mixed with a vulnerable soul who cares like no one else about those people he loves.

Actually confident, but currently shaken up and beaten down by life, woman. Check!
Mackenzie Dupont is one of those female characters we all can identify with (even without us having a 62Mio$ trust fund…)

Most adorable dog to ever set foot in a romance novel. Check.
Alfie will win your affection in a heartbeat.

Absolute douchebag you want to strangle several times. Check.
Ok, let’s not get too much into him … pfft.

The ever-present push and pull between the lead characters. Check! Check! Check!

While reading this start of another great series by Rachel I literally laughed so hard sometimes (“Was that high-pitched scream that sounded like a goat getting sacrificed coming from you or did we actually hit a goat on the way down?”) I am sure people around me questioned my sanity.

At the same time, as always, Rachel didn’t disappoint with those sexy times we enjoy so much.

This is a must read for all RVD fans as well as everyone else, because let’s face it: If you’re not a fan already, what are you waiting for??

Two perfect storms collide, what could possibly happen? This book starts off with a bang and doesn't let up. There are tears and wit and full belly laughs. I haven't laughed out loud to a book in a while but this one got me a few times.
If you are looking for a book that has it all, I suggest checking out this one. Be warned you may not do anything else until you finish this book, but don't worry you will be happy you did.

Risky Play is the perfect way to start a new series! This book has all the feels. Mack is the perfect heroine to deal with a broken Slade. She’s a little flawed and a lot strong. Once she decides what she wants there’s no stopping her. Ultimately her strength brings her her HEA.

How do you write a review for a book that consumes you from the beginning all the way to the end? When the words and the characters flow so well together? It's simple really...Mackenzie and Slade are the complete oppsite of each other but yet the same. They draw out the best and worst combinations of each other, that it works. Their pull to each other is undeniable. Without a doubt Rachel bought her A game when writting Risky Play. A page turner, emotional rollercoaster with a hint of sarcasm, laughter and of course love.

I read an advanced copy for an honest review.
Mackenzie and Slade meet while trying to escape embarrassing situations; Mackenzie is stood up at the altar and Slade was dumped by his fiancee. They are both high profile people, who just want to relax and be anonymous for a while.

Since neither has any idea who the other is, them embark on fun an passion, until tragedy strikes Slade's family and he abandons Mackenzie, blaming her for his distraction.

Flash forward a bit and Mackenzie still dwells on her romance with her secret guy until she starts working for him, as his P.A. Slade acts like a total jerk and Mackenzie feelings are crushed.

This is a story about enemies to lovers and the path they need to take to get there. Both characters have trust issues and walls and insecurities. It's a wonderful story about feeling better about the person you are, as well as letting someone close enough to see and love the real you.

There was tenderness, in this story, as well as some humor and a great HEA.

I enjoyed my first Rachel Van Dyken book, Risky Play. The "meet cute" is unique. Having a wild, quick hook up with the man she shared a terrifying moment on the airplane only to wake up alone the next day. Poor Mack. Mackenzie is so not the spoiled princess she could be. She's genuinely sweet and likable. Slade is so hot but in a dark place following the death of his father. Though a bit implausible, Mack ends up as Slade's personal assistant. He's nasty to her from day one because he is desperate to blame someone for not returning his dad's last phone calls. She's hurt but determined to be there for him. She too well understands how hard it is when your money and fame make you question everyone around you's intentions.

Mack's too irresistible and she's soon breaking down Slade's walls.

Watching these two find their way to each other was fun, with moments of joy and sorrow and a lot of hard work to get to the happily ever after.

I love Rachel's books. This is the first 5 start book I've read from her in a while. I like books with strong female characters. This book gives you that with the sass yet compassion you'd want from a female character. There is no cliffhanger and set up what can be a good series with the other players.

A big thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel for my advanced copy for which I leave my honest review!

Risky play is the first book in a new series by Rachel and it is everything I expect when I read a Van Dyken book! It has chemistry, a wonderful storyline, great well developed characters and moments that make you want to cry as well as laugh😍

Mackenzie decides six months after being jilted at the altar that she is going to take the honeymoon vacation she purchased for herself and her supposed to be husband. When the plane unexpectedly has a motor failure, she turns panicked to the man next to her. Having no idea that he’s a famous soccer player, they kiss to distract themselves from what’s happening around them. Suffice to say they survive and are attached to each other by the hips as they realise that they are both staying at the same hotel, right next door to each other. This leads to MORE......

However, Slade receives a call with regards to a family tragedy and hightails out of the hotel to the U.S, which finds Mack waking up alone😢 Needless to say, they find their way back to each other by way of Mack working for Matt, Slade’s manager as an assistant to Slade. But their path to be together is fraught with interference by others and the media. Will they manage to trust the other to overcome all obstacles?

Definitely a must have story and I’d recommend as a book to anyone who loves second chances❣️