Great, great book! I loved it from Page 1!!!!

I don't even want to give too many details, but these characters were awesome! Mackenzie was a strong woman.... loved her sarcasm and conebacks.... she did not take any shit from Slade. And Slade, he was smooth and cocky in the beginning but then something happened that changed him. And I totally got his anger. But Mackenzie was relentless..... she pretty much killed him with kindness.

And Alfie!!! How could you not fall in love with that dog???

So, here's what I'm saying, I really, really hope everyone reads this one. SO, SO GOOD!!!

I really enjoyed this book I laughed so much. Both charcters pulled me in and I loved both in different ways. Mack is getting over being left at the alter when she meets Slade they give each other fake names and have some fun together. These two both have issues in there past but Slade really lets his get to him and when Mack ends up walking his dog and helping around his house he is a douche lord to her. Im glad in the end Mack is able to get under his skin and they get there happy.

When you need to escape your reality and find yourself. This is exactly what they both did nd found their HEA.

Risky Play is the first book in Rachel Van Dyken's new series, Red Card.
The main characters are Mackenzie Dupont and Slade Rodriguez. Theirs is a chance meeting on an airplane where they ended up after both experiencing some devastating events in their lives. Mackenzie was left rather harshly at the alter by her ex and she is heading to Mexico to escape from said ex and to let loose. While Slade is heading to Mexico after life dealt him a rough hand. He is a world famous soccer player and his jaunt to Mexico is so he could escape from the media glare. The instant Slade and Mackenzie meet on the plane, their chemistry sizzles and sparks. Everything is great and they definitely decide to take things further after Landing and finding that they are on the same floor. But its the aftermath of their night together when tragedy happens. Slade left abruptly and Mackenzie has her faith shattered in love and men...but the story doesn't end there. They end up in each other's orbit again when Slade plays for the US Soccer team - especially in the city Mackenzie lives in. The story pulses with angst, heartbreak, anger, betrayal, guilt, pain, love, passion and romance. Slade came off as a huge jerk and I hoped there would be a love triangle in this story with another character because that character really saw Mackenzie for who she was. But alas, not to be. Slade did win be finally back on his side so I hope the secondary character will get his own book next. This was a great read that will have the reader hooked right away and like me, wanting to read more in this fantastic new series.


My Rating: 4.7 stars ********

I love a great love story written by RVD! She will bring you the swoons and a plot that will have you guessing how it will all end.

Mack is ready for some R&R by being alone far far away. She is ready to reset and take on the world. She never expected Slade. There was a lot of passion and a whole lot of chemistry when these two got together. Risky Play will definitely keep you warm at night. I loved the drama in this story as it kept me on my toes! I am excited for the Red Card series!

This is one of my favorite books that Rachel has written. Fun and emotional. Great characters. I really hope Jagger gets his story soon!

*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As always with RVD books, I really enjoyed this one. Mack and Slade were both really likeable characters, even if Slade is a bit rude to start with once they reconnect after their initial meeting. Its an understandable reaction and as such does not make him a character that you dislike.

I really liked seeing Mack find herself after everything she went through with Alton, and its refreshing to have such a genuine and sweet character. She doesn't give up and she is a lot stronger than she realises.

Slade is a great character under all his anger and regret, and I really liked the elementary school scenes with he and Jagger. Jagger is another character I would like to learn more about. Also the scenes with Matt were great.

Everything in this one rounds out nicely, and there is not drawn out angst when the big issue inevitably hits near the end. Everyone got what was coming to them, and things worked out well.

Definitely enjoyed this and look forward to more of this series.

Yes, yes and heck yes. I needed this so bad because I been in a reading funk like no other with reading new books that aren't from my beloved authors.

Rachel brings us a romance of all sorts. It's sports, it's rich, it's instalove meets frenemies. It's just got that vibe. You know the kind that enthrals you from the first page? Yes that kind.

Mackenzie and Slade meet under unlikely circumstances and bond over crazy happenings. The pair unfortunately haven't had it easy thus far and are pretty much taking a break from life when they happen upon eachother. Let's just say they were in for a bumpy ride.

Both characters have great attributes to them that really shine through. It's easy to connect to characters that are easy to relate to and for me they both are. I found that even in times of frustration they just made sense. They don't have it easy through their story and let's just say they both have personal shit they had to really work on. But even in those hard times I didn't find myself disappointed with where they were at.. their journey felt really natural. Both characters are strong and hold their own in this story equally which is nice because for once it isn't rich meets poor, strong meets weak etc. I feel like it goes full circle and their journey took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. Sassy and sensual, heartbreaking and frustrating, funny and hella sweet! You can count on getting a little of everything perfectly written and seamlessly delivered, its romance at its best. Also hell yes for brilliant intriguing hilarious side characters!. I can't wait to hear from them as I'm sure their stories will shine just as bright as this one.


I love this author and am never disappointed with her stories but this one for me is one of her best!.

Y’all!! This was such a fun book! I love RVDs writing and her style. It had a full story and it ended really well. Like you weren’t wondering what just happened, or wow, that felt rushed. This gave you the full picture. With that said, RVDs humor when she writes is so unique and it makes the stories she writes so much more enjoyable! I loved the heroine in this story. She was jilted and left at the alter, and it was a book of her figuring out her worth and that she IS worth it! Great message and a fun story that showed great characters and friendships! RVD is always a 1-click author for me and is GOLD!

4.5 hot and steamy stars!

RVD did an incredible job writing this novel about a brokenhearted heiress and an international soccer superstar. Their first encounter was comical and thrilling, their chemistry was electric and the fall out was dramatic and fulfilling!

Talk about an adventure gone wrong! Mackenzie and Slade meet on a flight to Mexico, fear for their lives when one of the plane’s engines fail and find themselves staying next door to each other in penthouse suites at the resort they’d both escaped to. Taking a chance and pushing their inhibitions aside, they spend one steamy night together and both wake up with more questions than answers. The time these two spent together was HOT and invigorating! I absolutely loved the carefree sass that Mack exuded! Slade was a sweet, attentive guy who knew that once he had Mack, he’d never be able to let her go. But things changed very drastically before their magical night together ended.

Slade experiences a life altering loss. Mackenzie wakes up to an empty bed. Both leave Mexico broken and with regret. But a chance encounter on a tropical getaway isn’t the end of the story for these two.... oh no! They come face to face again when Mack is hired as somewhat of a house maid for the athlete back in her stomping grounds of Seattle.

This read was full of betrayal, mistrust, heartache, grief, witty banter and love! I cheered for Mack and Slade to find their way back to each other and rekindle that steamy adventure they shared in Mexico! So much was pulling these two apart, but when they finally laid all their cards out it was obvious they wanted and needed one another.

I loved everything about Mackenzie! She was a sweetheart who had been betrayed but certainly wasn’t going to let that stop her from finding herself or love again. While Slade was the classic a-hole athlete who was emotionally unavailable, he still wanted so desperately to find his true happiness outside of soccer. Once he realized what he had right in front of him, he did everything he could to fix his mistakes and get the girl. A fun read with a swoony HEA!

Risky Play is the first book in the Red Card series by Rachel Van Dyken. What else can a virgin do when she’s ditched at the altar? Seattle heiress Mackenzie Dupont is treating herself to a single-girl honeymoon in Mexico and a desire to relinquish her innocence to a gorgeous one-night stand. But when she wakes up alone, Mackenzie realizes just how much anger is left in her broken heart. Suffering a tragic personal loss, pro soccer player Slade Rodriguez has his reasons for vanishing without a goodbye. Right or wrong, he’s blaming the beautiful and infuriating stranger he never wants to see again. They’re both in for a shock when Mackenzie shows up as his new personal assistant. And they both have a lot to learn about each other. Because they share more than they could possibly know, including a common enemy who’s playing his own games.

Risky Play was an entertaining read, with plenty of humor and heartbreak. I liked that Mackenzie and Slade are dealing with personal tragedies and trying to move forward with their lives. While neither makes consistently good or bad choices. They are fully humanized- making good and bad choices in turn and dealing with family and relationships in realistic ways. Although I will admit to being significantly angry with Mackenzie's father more than once, I think family and friend dynamics were realistically portrayed and well written. I like that there was no magic bullet, but that every character had to stand up and deal with their issues- and that even with the proclaimed happy ending it was clear that life would be real rather than perfect and that in working things out they would be stronger. I am interested to see where the future takes some of the secondary characters and will be keeping my eye out for more from the author.

Risky Play is a solid contemporary romance with a good balance of humor, heat, and heart. I will be following up with more reads from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for a ARC of this book. I enjoyed this book and the characters. Mackenzie who was ditched at the altar and goes on the honeymoon alone and meets Slade who she doesn't recognize as a world famous soccer player. Sparks ignite and after a hot, hot, hot one night, Slade leaves suddenly without an explanation. While these two had a lot of hurt and misconceptions you couldn't help rooting for them and waiting for a reconciliation. Loved, loved this book and will read more by this author.

RISKY PLAY (Red Card Book 1) by Rachel Van Dyken is the first contemporary romance in a new series featuring pro soccer players.

Mackenzie “Mack” Dupont had her fiancée walk away from her at the altar. Splashed across all of the society pages, Mack’s humiliation leads her to taking her already scheduled honeymoon trip to Mexico alone to get away. She is ready to lose her virginity and live life on her terms.

Slade Rodriguez is now the highest paid striker in the American soccer league. After finding out his fiancee was pregnant with a teammate’s baby he knew he had to change his life and location. Before the new season begins, he is off to Mexico to hide out and get away from the paparazzi.

When Mack and Slade come together, what they hope can be more turns into a one-night-stand with Mack waking up alone and wondering why everyone leaves her.

Slade has tragic personal reasons for vanishing from Mexico without a goodbye. Grieving and blaming the stranger for his loss, Slade is shocked when Mack shows up at his door as his new personal assistant. Mack cannot believe who opens the door for her new temporary job. They both have a lot to learn about each other after all the lies. Slade needs to let his grief and anger go and Mack refuses to be walked all over anymore. What they do not know is that they have a common enemy who wants to ruin them both.

Mack is such a great heroine. She had a lot of emotional growing up to do. She starts out just rolling along filling everyone else’s expectations and doing all the right things. After having two major emotional upsets, she learns to stand up for herself and make herself first and she does this without becoming bitter or hard. I love sports, but I do not necessarily like the players, young men with too much money, too many women and bad attitudes. I had a hard time liking Slade and his treatment of Mack at first when she ends up working for him, but he did redeem himself and had me cheering for him in the end. The author’s writing has made me interested in finding out more about the other players in future books.

I loved the dialogue in this book. It feels realistic and had me laughing out loud and near tears at times. Ms. Van Dyken brings her characters to life on the page. The sex scenes are hot and explicit and at times funny, but they never felt gratuitous. The secondary characters were fully fleshed out and realistic. This is a new to me author that I am looking forward to following in the future.

When Mackenzie Dupont gets left at the alter without a groom her world as she knows it changes. She decides go on her honeymoon trip by herself and meets Hugo (who wants to give your real name to a stranger who you plan to just have some fun with. Slade and Mackenzie's story is a lot of fun and steamy as heck in spots. They won't have an easy road, but then what fun would that be. Risky Play has a good story-line and great characters that you want to hang out with and get to know even more.

I hope to see more books in this series and from this author.

Mackenzie had the perfect life. Heir to a fortune, socialite, working as sommelier in the family vineyard, engaged to her best friend whom she has known since they were a baby. All heading for a happy ending. Until she is left at the altar. In front of a hundred guests. And the press.
Slade is a very famous football player. With a promising career in Europe, he has just left everything behind and moved to the United States. The press is euphoric about the news, and several untruths are being published in the tabloids. The truth, which few people know, is that his fiancee cheated on him. With his friend and teammate.
Mackenzie decides to take advantage of the reservation for the honeymoon that never happened. Slade just wants to rest before present himself to the new team. A malfunction on the plane, a scared Mackenzie and a grumpy Slade. And a kiss changed. And so Ashley and Hugo are born, alter egos to preserve anonymity and make the protagonists for the first time in their lives to do what they really want, what they really desire, not what is expected. But a phone call will put an end on the fairy tale in paradise.
Back to reality, Slade nurtures guilt and mourning. And Mackenzie a broken heart, a shock in her self-esteem and sees once again hier dreams destroyed. By getting a temporary job so she does not have to see her ex-boyfriend again, Mackenzie ends up working for none other than Slade, or Hugo as she thought.
With a reunion where hard words are exchanged, the two will show that they are more stubborn than imagined, and forced to live together, either they will understand each other or the fights will be constant.
Risky Play, which features two "broken" characters with a strong emotional load and a desire to leave the past behind and start over, takes a step further in romantic comedies and develops the psychological side and torment of its protagonists. Blending perfectly funny, romantic scenes, many fights and stubbornness, the plot rests on its main couple, who steals the reader's attention. The secondary characters are also relevant, with a villain emerging early in the book and a person from the past who causes a turnaround in the final part. Jagger and Matt arouse curiosity.
Mackenzie and Slade may have met in a lie, but everything they live and show throughout the story is the plain truth. Sometimes, when you least expect it, fate will take us by surprise. And what a beautiful surprise.

Rachel Van Dyken gives us yet another amazing RomCom love story in the newest series, Red Card. This book definitely can be devoured in one sitting… you know when real life is not interrupting you by making you go to work or do house chores. I loved every minute of it and felt total anxiety saying good bye to Mackenzie “Mack” and Slade.

Mackenzie just got left at the alter by her childhood friend turned fiancee. So to lick her wounds she decides to go ahead on her honeymoon alone. On the plane ride there she meets Slade who has the same agenda. Fortunately their chemistry and witty banter so off the chart that it turns into a destination one-night stand. They do each other dirty by not disclosing who they are to each other, Mackenzie is an heir to a wine empire and pretty successful sommelier while Slade is a very well know international soccer player. Socioeconomically they are equals and that is kind of refreshing in the romance genre. As you can agree it doesn’t happen.

As awkward as RomComs get Mackenzie finds herself to be an ‘errand girl’ for Slade as she is still trying to get over her jilted bride state. What comes of that is both of them trying to stay away from each other because Slade is a huge jerk. Big bonus for us readers is we get so much sassy banter from those two as a result. Mack is no push-over and gives as much as she gets. She is my hero! She knows who she is but lacking a bit confidence and support as a result of what happens to her.

There is some drama as well as Slade and Mack finally give it to their fated attraction. That’s when I really started liking Mack to be honest. He really is a jerk with a capital J in my opinion for a big portion of the book. Once their relationship fully comes together that’s where all the good stuff comes with complications.

There are some amazing side characters which I am sensing will get their own stories in this sports romantic comedy series. So if you are a fan of RVD or all that I have described above then pick up your copy today.

DNF @55%

I wasn’t looking for the perfect guy but that one was just the cream of the crop, the king of arseholes with a capital A, feeling like it was okay to treat people like shit... you know what, I just wanted for Mackenzie to run away from the people who thought she had to be a pretty face and letting people degrade or denigrate her. I guess I couldn’t handle it.All.
You can have all the sexiness or hotness but with such personality, it ruins everything. When pushing too far the arsehole side, well it gave me whiplash and running for the hills.
Hopefully she knew how to fight back but still, not enough.

It clearly didn’t work for me. Maybe some would find it probably attractive but it was like a cold shower to me, and it wasn’t about the hotness in here, trust me.
I’ve been more angry about this than smiling so that alone speaks volumes.

I enjoyed this story. The concept of the one night stand turning into your new boss isn't unique but it's treatment here is and it was angsty, interesting and romantic. Throw in a bit of suspense and we have a winner!

It’s only in the U.S. where the premise of “Risky Play” can happen – a World Cup winning soccer player can pass up just an unknown good-looking guy!

That he is also a likeable and relatable fellow is a great plus. Kudos to Rachel Van Dyken for making Slade Rodriguez an unforgettable sports hero in a game that we as Americans barely know.

Personally, I don’t know much about soccer. Hailing from Dallas, it’s all about the Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Burn (FC Dallas), the city’s pro soccer team barely makes the local sports news.

But I have also personally seen how beloved the game is in Europe when Italy won the World Cup on July 9, 2006. I was in Europe that time attending the menswear shows and haute couture week in Milan and Paris, respectively.

During the final four of the playoffs, Italy was playing the same time as the Versace menswear show. Donatella Versace postponed the fashion show until halftime so that everyone can watch the game on the jumbotron at Palazzo Versace.

At halftime, instead of watching the game’s halftime show, all of us fashionistas attending the Versace show saw the maison’s latest menswear collection. Needless to say, Italy won that match.

When I started reading “Risky Play” and figured that the hero Slade Rodriguez was a world-renowned soccer player, it was like reliving those two weeks in 2006. Yes, he was pre-sold to me because of my experience. Still, Rachel Van Dyken made Slade my favorite book boyfriend!

Mackenzie Dupont, the heroine is no slouch either. She might be an heiress, but she also happened to be a career woman being the top sommelier of her family’s wine company. That she has lots of insecurities made her very real.

Again, I will chalk that one up to Rachel Van Dyken’s writing prowess. If Mackenzie is a real person, her peers will be the Lydia Hearsts and Paris Hiltons of this world. These two women are the epitome of self-confidence and self-assurance. So, for Mackenzie to be written as full of self-doubt and make it very believable goes to show that the author really knows her craft.

Slade and Mackenzie’s love story is quite extraordinary for a contemporary romance. Two famous people who have no idea who the other was because they came from two different parts of the world.

There was that chemistry of course, which led to their one-night stand. It should have been just one of those nights, but fate had other plans. Of all the soccer teams in the world, Slade had to be traded in Seattle. Of all the employment agencies in the world, Slade’s team has to hire the one that Mackenzie’s family owns. And the rest as you know is their hot and hilarious love story complete with paparazzis.

“Risky Play” is Rated M for Mature due to sexual content.

This book is absolutely phenomenal. What I expected from Rachel. I literally binge read this book . I was hating my self for starting in bed . I just couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it and was up until 3am to finish it up and was a zombie next morning but it was totally worth staying up late to finish this book . I loved Slade and Mack’s characters and these two were so relatable and realistic. Their banter , chemistry, emotions everything was spot on. I am really looking forward to Jagger’s story and keeping my fingers crossed. I was rooting for these two and loved them both. Definitely reread worthy. One of my favorites from 2019. Definitely a must read