One night stand turns into something more when Mackenzie shows up to be hockey player, Slade's new personal assistant. I liked how Mackenzie never gives up on Slade even though he keeps messing up. A fun, quick read.

**I received a copy of Risky Play from Skyscape Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. My opinions are mine alone and not solicited.**

Risky Play by Rachel Van Dyken is the first book in the authors Red Card series. I haven't read the author before so I was quite surprised at how good and the humor between the Matt and Slider was truly awesome. How could you resist Alfie, Slade's bulldog? His loyalty could be swayed with kibble and walks. If I could give Risky Play more than 5 stars hands down it's worth at least 10 stars.

Slade Rodriguez is the new slider for the Seattle Sounders and a recent transplant to our rainy city but when his ex-girlfriend not only betrayed his trust and heart So before he has to report to the Sounders he decides to take a vacation to Mexico, while on the flight he meets Mackenzie who also had her own rejection from her would-be-groom. Between to two of them they'll spend one day having fun until a tragic loss sends Slade back to his home leaving Mac with no knowledge of why he left. When he meets Mackenzie again he'll treat her with angry words and she'll feed him with food and kindness. Can they work on their trust issues and learn to love each other? Or will a past betrayal take Mackenzie from him with their lies?

Mackenzie DuPont is not only a heiress but a talented wine taster when the man she grew up with and loved has left her standing at the altar. When she decides to go to Mexico little does she know that she'll meet Slade but also have one day having more adventure but she'll once again be left alone while wondering what she did wrong. When her father decides to keep her ex-fiance she'll take a break and work for her cousin who sends her to be a personal assistant to yep, you guessed it Slade's house. Between their banter together they'll build a friendship, love and trust. But old foes never seem to go away as both Mac and Slade will have to battle lies from past loves before they get to their happily ever after.

I absolutely loved getting lost in Slade & Mackenzie's story! Ms Blakely starts things out with a jilted virginal bride who decides to go on her honeymoon anyway and basically grief bang herself better. She meets Slade who's got hos own issues going on and they end up having a one nighter - but then he basically goasts her, only for them to cross paths again in an extremely uncomfortable situation.

This could have been a very trite and typical plot, but as with most of Laren's books - there are so many more layers. I got all the feels watching those two finally start to SEE each other and much satisfaction from seeing karma being the vengeful bitch she is with our "bad guy".

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and can't wait for the next in the series.

*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review* #RiskyPlay #NetGalley

Gahhhh RVD is always a hit. I love her words so much. No one can tell a story like her. I swear, I swooned so much throughout this book. My kindle is allllll highlights.

Loved, loved this book. Was hard to put down. I had intense emotions of laughter, fun and at times wanting to hunt down Slade and punch him in the face. Mackenzie and Slade chemistry was unbelievable there banter and steamy relationships had me wanting to continue reading. During this book both characters had to do some growing from tough situations and learned to lean on each other. Great read

Risky Play really brought me out of my book funk! This book was so well versed. RVD did a wonderful job with this story. I have to admit in the first couple of chapters it was a little slow to me. Then boom it just exploded and off we go.
While on vacation where he meets Mack something back home happens that has Slade leaving abruptly without a word to Mack. It was an emotional roller coaster after that but in a good way. It was heavy but then there was enough lightness. I loved Slade and Mack’s banter back and forth and how strong willed Mack was. She was determined to get back the Slade she met on the trip. There was enough funny moments spread throughout the book to where you did not feel overwhelming emotions the whole time. Mack was so strong to me even though she felt as though no one really loved her enough to fight for her and ask her to stay. She was close to her Mom and Dad yet her Dad was one who overlooked her He was more worried about the family business/image. You knew they were close and he loved her with all of his heart but he didn’t fight for her (at first).
Now let’s talk about the other characters. First things first, I want Matt as my new best friend! He was hilarious and loyal to a fault. The way he looked out for Slade in his career and friendship really warmed my heart. I hope we get Matt’s story in the future. Jagger was an interesting person as well. He was ok but I did get peeved at him for trying to get with Mack in a shady way and also persuade her to not get with Slade all because of his personal problems with him. Jagger knew how Alton treated Mack and for him to try to take her own decision making away from her grated on my nerves. Of course we have some ex drama thrown in there as well. Everything is summed up in a timely fashion and not over ten chapters of back and forth should I or shouldn’t I. Once Mack realized Slade loved her and she loved him, she was all in. Risky Play is a fabulous start to this new series from RVD.
Arc was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

In “Risky Play” (Red Card #1) by Rachel Van Dyken we meet Mackenzie, who was just left at the altar and Slate who is a star soccer player who just switched teams and will be playing in the States. Both are heading to a well needed vacation when their worlds collide. After an impromptu jump off a cliff followed by a night neither can forget things get complicated. Throw in a dog named Alfie (with a gas problem), a kid’s soccer camp, baked French toast and an agent with NDA on his mind and you will fall in love with this story.

Another hit and a definite read. I received this book through Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Risky Play by Rachel Van Dyken is a must read. From the very first page I was sucked in by the emotional roller coaster Mackenzie and Slade have. The story was fresh with quick banter that had me laughing out loud. I never wanted to stop reading this book. I loved the characters and their transformation and the story they had to share.

4.5 Stars

Mackenzie was just left by her fiancé - in front of all the high society wedding guests!

Alton has been her best friend since they were born - they were going to have a happy life together. But when she's honest with herself, she never really love-loved him like a girl should love her future husband.

She still has to work with him at her family's wine company - time to use that honeymoon ticket! Off to Mexico we go.

And on the plane we meet Slade. He's just left his England soccer team to play with Seattle - career suicide - but he couldn't stay in London anymore. His girlfriend is expecting a kid from his former best friend!!!

There's no better way to get over someone than to get under or over or behind someone new! ☺

Mackenzie and Slade meet on that plane, but because they're both more of less in the public eye, they decide to give each other a fake name: Ashely and Hugo. LOL!

After some very sexy moments in that Hotel they will never see each other again anyway! Right?

NOPE! ☺

Let the fun times begin!

What will happen with Mackenzie & Slade?
WILL THERE BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER???
BUY THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

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Well, that was adorable and so funny!

I really loved reading it!

We have this mega-sexy, mega-famous international soccer star and the virgin wine business heiress. And they so belong together, but they have to go through a lot of fighting until we might see a happy end on the horizon.☺

Turns out Slade's nemesis is on his team now too and he was a groomsman in Mack's wedding - and he's now interested in her too. Plus, her ex is not really the nicest guy. He's not done with her yet either.

Add to all that lots of sexy and hilarious and sparky and adorable and footbally and moving moments. Plus a cute dog and family and friends and problems and feelings. What do you get? A really great sports romance. I loved it. Can't wait to read Jagger's and Matt's books!

The only thing that bothered me - and that will take away half a star from my rating.... nothing to do with the story, but the author. Rachel's first line in the acknowledgements? She thanks god. I just can't deal with that in my romances. If I wanted to read christian romances, I'd buy them. Which I never in a million years would do. And before I go on another anti-religion rant, I will stop this here.
Oh - and another tiny little thing. I think Mackenzie was a bit too old. A 30 year old virgin? 26 would've been ok too.☺

GREAT ROMANCE! I LOVED READING IT!
I wouldn't mind if Netflix came along and made something out of it!!

RISKY PLAY was a really adorable & funny sports romance - full of feelings!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Slade - this one is MINE!!!!

So, I’ve read a lot of RVD books and she had an excerpt from this book in her FB group and it sounded good! She likes to tease us with the good parts and make us want to read these books right away!

I can’t say no to an RVD book, so when I received an ARC of this book, I started reading it right away.
Mack and Slade are the main characters in this book, there are two others that play a big part in this book. I think one of the extras will be in book two ;-)
The chemistry was there from the start between “Ashley” and “Hugo”. Sadly they go their separate ways until a job gets them back together several months later. Mackenzie was a bit childish for her age sometimes, as if a Billionaires daughter doesn’t know how the media works. She is hurt by two men in her life and has trust issues. Slade messes up several times, but with his charm, the “I’m sorry” and promises he cracks Mack’s shell more and more every time they see each other.

The last few chapters with Drama should have been added sooner I think. Can’t wait for book two though!

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

I always love Rachel's work but this story is great. I was reading terrified there be twisted turn on the love triangle. Mackenzie and Slate keep my heart in a cliff waiting for the breakup. I love the characters, their chemistry including Alfie, Matt and Jagger. I hope we get more stories from this group. I recommended this book.
I received a ARC from Netgalley for a honest review.

This book was cute. I really liked the beginning of the book when Slade and Mack first met. The whole Puerto Vallarta section was really fun and I loved the adventure and whirlwind romance. I also liked when Mack and Slade came back together because I love a good enemies to lovers trope, even if I thought Slade's reasons were stupid. However, I am going to chalk that up to grief making him unreasonable.

I thought the writing in the beginning of the book was really good. I liked the dialogue and the banter. That being said, where it went wrong was when Slade wisened up. All of the sudden the dialogue got really cheesy, really fast. Sometimes it felt like I was reading a harlequin romance with how cheesy the sayings were. I also didn't like the turn in Mack's personality. She was a pretty strong character leading up to that moment, but as soon as Slade started having a change of heart it was like she was more than willing to forgive everything because of freakin flowers.

There's mention in the acknowledgments that RVD wanted to write a really strong female character and I feel like she did that in the beginning, but then lost it towards the end. I wanted Mack to realize that she can fight for herself and that she doesn't need anyone else to do it for her, but unfortunately she just kept coming off as a damsel in distress.

Then there was the situation at the end of the book. It happened really late and it was two-three chapters long. It felt like it was thrown in there just for the sake of being thrown in there and it didn't really add anything to the story. Then the chapter with the press? That falls into the cheesy as hell category.

All in all, I did like this book for the most part. I read it quickly and it kept me entertained, so I'll throw it into the "read if you want to" category.

I was provided a copy of this book from net galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars on this one for me...
MacKenzie and Slade showed chemistry from the first meeting, and side characters Matt and Jagger were a bonus to the story.

I did question why a character like Mackenzie would’ve spent so much time being with someone like her ex Alton.

The big conflict in the story came a little too late for me, and made me feel like the author just threw it in there, whether the book needed it or not.

Overall, a cute sports themed love story.

I don’t know what it is about sport romance but boy do I love it! I devoured this book! It was so emotional and raw that I could not set it down until I finished it!
Mack wasn’t such a strong female character that you couldn’t help but fall in love with! You can’t help but feel for her with everything that just was put thru. Slade was completely swoon worthy. Yes, he has his flaws but you can’t but fall in love with him for them.
Hands down one of my favorite reads of 2018!

YES! THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! I love Rachel Van Dyken and have read everything she’s written. This new series is just fantastic. Can’t wait for the next book!

What do you do when you were walked away from at the alter and decide to go on your honeymoon alone? You have a one night stand with a mystery man. Mackenzie does not realize that the man she sleeps with in Mexico is Slade Rodriquez, a famous soccer player who has his own baggage to deal with. But can one night turn into forever with two characters who come from extremely different worlds? This book was a great read. It had a storyline I could not put down and characters who I fell in love with. I look forward to more in the series with the other characters interwoven in this one.

"How was I supposed to win her if I wasn't even allowed to play the game?"

I'm a big fan of Rachel Van Dyken. She always makes me laugh and is good for a happy ending. But, this time she took me deeper. I became so invested in these characters. Their past, their pain, their families and their hearts. I was all up in their business, right along with Matt, Slade's manager. I also attempted damage control when Slade would do something stupid, which was often. I tried to take advantage of being in his head by whispering some wisdom, but alas, he ignored me. Yes, he can be a jackass. But, I fell for him just as hard as she did.

I have to give the author props for coming up with such a brilliant way for the characters to meet. It was most definitely memorable and exciting. Once I started reading this story there was no possibility of anyone being able to pry my Kindle out of my hands. It was nonstop goodness from beginning to end. I ranted and raged and worried as I waited, then I giggled and gasped and sighed and smiled. Yes, I'm still smiling. I don't know how she can top this one, but I won't be surprised when she does. I'm looking forward to whatever comes next in the Red Card series, but there's a particular character that I hope gets his own story. The line forms here...

I usually love Rachel Van Dyken, but for some reason it took a while for me to get into this one. The dialogue was great and I enjoyed reading it. The chemistry between the characters was well written. Overall, you should read it.

I love Rachel Van Dyken., The Consequence of Loving Colton, is one of my go-to books when I need a no joke laugh out loud, literally crying because I am laughing so hard romance kind of book. Actually all of the Consequence books did that for me. The Matchmaker books, lighthearted and great reads too. So I had expectations for this book and I wasn't disappointed.

Slade and Mackenzie are both good characters with a lot of baggage. I only had one issue with Mackenzie...a 30 year old virgin? Really? Eh.... that was pushing it for me....but I let that go and just continued on with the book. 30...ok...let it go.

So we got ourselves a hot soccer star, and gorgeous heiress with a palette for wine, both coming out of hairy situations, both needing adventure and to get away/hide in Puerta Vallarta. After a rough plane ride, Mack kisses Slade, they jump off a cliff, which had one of my favorite funny quotes:

" Was that a high-pitched scream that sounded like a goat getting sacrificed coming from you or did we actually hit a goat on the way down?" (Mack to Slade) mwahahahaha I was dying.... Our soccer star didn't know what hit him with Mack...and they spend two fabulous days together, but then trouble hit's paradise...

Months down the road, our two adventures run into each other again. Only now, things are not as carefree and happy as they were in Mexico. Now our two former lovebirds are angry and the walls are up and the ice has formed. Enter Jagger, Matt, Alfie, Alton (BOOOOOO), Britany (BOOOOO), and we got ourselves a story! Boy things got interesting when Mack had to run Slade's gear up to practice and we learned it was a small world and that Mack also knew Jagger....who happens to be enemy number 1 to Slade.

"You know what would be great right now?" I spread my arms wide. "If I just went...away, and you guys did your thing, with the cleats and …running. Balls. Do your thing with your balls." (Mack to Jagger/Slade/Coach and the team)

I loved Jagger and Slade's interactions almost as much as Slade and Mack's, and when Matt got involved hilarious. Once Slade pulled his head out of his keister and started to figure things out, things really got interesting. Mack was a good person, maybe a little naïve for 30, but a good person. Alton the ex was just a jerk!!!!! Oooohhh I didn't like him!

So here is what I am going to say. You like funny, light hearted funny.....this is it. You want romance? This has it. Enemies to lovers, sexy soccer stars, groveling, this has it. Did I mention sexy soccer stars?

Just get this book and read it. Do I recommend. Yep, will I keep reading....Oh HECK YEAH!