Talk about family dynamics! The feud between Theo’s father, uncle & grandfather keeps getting bigger. Now his grandfather wants to hire him to manage the hockey team he owns that is in direct competition with the team Theo’s father owns & brother manages. Theo wants to prove himself to the family & enact a little revenge against the brother that betrayed him. His grandfather gives him the chance. Now he just needs the lovely lady on his arm. At his going away party, he meets the One.

Lacey can’t take much more. Every time she starts to get ahead, her brother drags her down. Now he’s not only taken what little money she has, he’s put her in danger. Now she’s on the way out of town to protect herself - married to Theo. What has she done?

I really enjoyed Theo & Lacey. The chemistry between them was easy to pick up & they have a great relationship. The dynamic between them changes between the fun & witty banter of friends to the tense & sexy vibe of lovers. The family dynamics between Theo, his grandfather & the rest of the family reminds me of the battles in any family. There still is an underlying love & affection that ends up battling the hurt, pride & loss. Great story!

Kelly Jamieson is one of my go-to authors for hockey romance. I thoroughly enjoyed her Aces series and was sad to see it end, but was thrilled to see she was going to be releasing a new Wynn Hockey series. Well, suffice it to say, I absolutely LOVED this book!

Theo and Lacey are a great couple. There's something about a fake marriage/relationship story that, when done well, can be just great to read. Sometimes there’s forced proximity, sometimes they have undertones of enemies-to-lovers, which can be fun, but in this case, I just liked how Lacey and Theo were with each other. What can I say? They were just cute.

Both had some pretty serious hangups due to their pasts, but they just worked really well with each other. Of course its obvious to the reader that they're falling for each other, and soon it's also clear to Lacey, but Theo's a bit of a harder nut to crack. Queue the requisite "relationship obstacle" at ~80% but never fear, Theo redeemed himself in style.

Oh, and did I mention that he's a NERDY former professional hockey player? Be still my #nerdygirl heart!!!

I'll admit that Theo's huge family got a bit confusing with all the names being thrown around, especially at first, but they started to sort themselves out in my head, eventually. I'm guessing subsequent books in the series will be able to be read as standalones, but having some background might be helpful.

*Advance copy provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*

3.5 stars!

Play to Win is the first in a brand new hockey romance series centered around the Wynn family members. A family who lives and breaths hockey. Also, quite the dysfunctional family with many issues between which made for some interesting and hilarious interactions.

This first installment is about Theo Wynn and Lacey Olson.
This book started out with all the makings of an interesting, flirty and entertaining romance. I love this genre and I love this trope. An oopsy marriage. Don’t ask me why. It’s totally far-fetched but I love it when done right. And I’d say this author accomplished that.

When they first met, it was fun and sexy and I loved the first part of the book when they were spending most of their time together and getting to know each other.
When they finally get to California and Theo starts his job and is working long hours, trying to prove himself, it was realistic.
It’s silly when you read a book and the characters seem to not have jobs or are home all day lounging.
That said, I just loved them together and wished we had a little more of that and really get to see them falling love along the way.
As it was simply mentioned, that they were hanging out and bonding and such.
That‘s just my personal preference; I like dialogue and banter and a lot of it.

There was so much I liked about this book, it’s fun and entertaining with some crazy humor that had a smile on my face. The side characters were a bit much at time. but I grew to love them and can’t wait to read more about them in the upcoming books in the series.

Theo Wynn’s family is well known in the NHL hockey world. When a blow to the face damages his eyesight, he’s forced to retire from a game that means everything to him. Luckily, he’s extremely intelligent and good with numbers. When his grandfather offers him the job as GM for the Los Angeles Condors, he jumps at the chance to prove himself. His family dynamics are interesting, to say the least. Theo’s not sure if the job offer is a testament to his abilities or his grandfather’s way to get back at his father. Nevertheless, he accepts. Only, he doesn’t want to return home without a “girlfriend”.

Lacey is doing her best at just getting by. Although Lacey has a twin brother, she often finds herself alone. Struggling. Losing her mom to cancer has only made life lonelier. While serving drinks one evening, she is “hit on” by some loan sharks. Her brother thought she’d gladly pay off his debts! Instead, Theo comes to the rescue. After a wild night of drinking and touring Vegas, they decide to a quickie marriage of convenience. But soon, convenience becomes so much more...

This novel is that and so much more! Theo’s family is so dysfunctional it’s hilarious! Theo is OCD, while Lacey is carefree and loving life. I saw sooo much of myself in Theo while wishing I could be a little more like Lacey! Her ability to see through and into Theo’s heart was stunning. She’s had such a hard life that the hopes of something more was too hard for her to grasp, so she runs. And I loved the penguin x2! Symbolism at its best! Loved it and I can’t wait to read more of this series. I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

Theo Wynn is part of a dynasty, a hockey dynasty, his grandfather and father both own teams, uncles working either as coaches or actual players, aunts working with the teams foundations. It’s hard for Theo to stand out. After suffering a blow to his eye that ended his dream career and rebuilding himself, his grandfather offers him the job of a Lifetime, general manager of his hockey team.

Lacey has nobody to rely on but herself. She’s never known her dad, her mother passed away and her only brother just emptied her bank account. So to say Lacey has been living a pretty hard life is an understatement. So when she sees what she assumes is a bachelor party seated in her section of the restaurant it’s the last thing she needs. Pleasantly surprised to find out this group of guys are not out celebrating one last night of being single, in a total douchie way but instead are guys celebrating their friend’s new job promotion she heads to check on other guests. Instead she finds herself getting harassed by a couple of her brothers bookies who apparently were sent to Pimp her out and aren’t taking no for an answer.

Theo can’t take his eyes off his kind and sweet waitress. Normally he wouldn’t interfere in other people’s business but when he sees her getting harassed by a couple of guys and then leaving with her stuff he just knows something bad is going down and has to step in.

What starts out as a pretty shitty night turns into a night of pure fun, dancing, drinking, bliss and ends with the two getting married in what is a marriage of convenience. Heading to LA they both need a do over. Lacey getting away from her addict brother and some mob bookies, and Theo needing a woman to show his family that he’s over the betrayal of his brother and ex-girlfriend.

What starts out as a marriage of convenience and a deal between two strangers quickly turns into more as they live with the other and gets to know one another. Will this relationship get be real or will the past repeat itself and Theo end up betrayed again. Find out when you go and read the book!

play to win it is the first in Kelly jamieson’s new hockey series and it sure as hell doesn’t disappoint. It has all the things I love. It has romance, hockey, a hot hero, and some family drama. There’s a scene in the book where the whole family gets together and boy is it some type of shit show. I actually wished it would go on a bit more or I would have another taste of it later in the book, unfortunately no such luck. I hope to see more of it later in the series because Kelly has set it up for a lot Books, fingers crossed, in this series.

I have two nitpicks with this book. One I wish we would’ve seen some type of resolution or maybe a little more story line in relation to the mob bookies. The last we’d seen is Theo and Lacey running from them and that’s it. I get the brother got his crap together but I wished for just a little more storyline for the mob. My second little nitpick is the family. While I loved the family dynamic I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of who is who and how they are all related and that’s even with the help of the family table in the beginning of the book that Kelly was kind enough to provide us.

But those nitpicks are very minor to me and didn’t overshadow or distract me from the story that Kelly Jamieson told. I highly look forward to the next book in the series and finding out more about the different family drama between them.

Play to win it is available where ever books are sold so go pick up your copy today!

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

In this new series, author Kelly Jamieson, moves her focus from the Chicago Aces to California and the Wynn family hockey dynasty. (Jackson wynn is still with the Aces) She thoughtful includes a family tree of sorts at the begining. While this book is not a page turner in the traditional suspense/thriller genre, the chapters flow so perfectly into the next, that I found it very hard to put down. Like the other books, endearing characters and a compelling plot written in an entertaining manner make this book a terrific read.

At 28, Theo Wynn, whose hockey carrier was ended by a flying punk into his eye, has been working in Los Vegas as the assistant GM for the Mustangs, when his grandfather offers him the position of GM for the his California Condors. Theo had previously created with a friend Coast 2 Coast, a hockey analytics business and when he accepts the position, he intends to use analytics. There is all kinds of weird family feuds going on in the Wynn family, including him not speaking to his brother PJ, who he found his girlfriend cheating with. On his last evening in town, the coaches and players take him out to Silk, a high end cocktail lounge, where he sees Lacey, a waitress being hassled by some customers, and then being fired for it. When he invites her to join them, while plying her with drink, he finds out that her twin brother owes money to a bookie and was trying to pimp her out for the debt. He convinces her to come with him to California for her own safety and they end up having a quickie "wedding of convenience", as he also wants to go home with a beautiful bride to shove under his brother's nose. With the initial idea of keeping their relationship platonic, but having a strong longing for each other, how long can they keep their hands to themselves?

Play to Win is no cookie cutter romance. Lacey and Theo do have to tackle a few stereotypical fairytale aspects, but Jamieson packs in a bit of modern attitude to balance out some of the old. For instance, Theo has a knack for rescuing a damsel in distress, but he's no White Knight. Prince Charming wears glasses, loves numbers and is not afraid to show off his sensitive side. When Lacey finds herself in a bind, she refuses to be a victim and she finds her warrior in the most surprising of places. Play to Win fights it's way through the fantasy of who can be a hero and gives it a realistic shine.

Great start to a new series. Theo could no longer play hockey because of an injury and then he meets Lacey. Sparks fly but they are very different. Will they find a way to be together? Fast-paced read, great characters and plenty of steam. I am looking forward to more in the series.

99% sure this is my first Kelly Jamieson book. I'm always up for a good sports romance that has an actual polt and not just page after page of drama and sex. Play to Win delivered everything I wanted and needed. Lacey is a hoot stuck in a nasty situation. Theo is smart and a little uptight about to leave state. Toss in two cagey money sharks, a brother with issues and family drama to rival an episode of Dallas and BAM entertainment until the end.

I'm not big into drawn out angst. It makes me wiggy so I'm really glad that Kelly kept it as real as possible while making it fun and sexy. I'm very excited for more of the Wynn family stories

Another winner for Ms.Jamieson!Great start for the newest hockey based series.I loved the drama and family dynamics that she put in this book.The plot involving Theo who is a former hockey player and now the GM of his grandfathers team is out to prove he can be as successful as the rest of his family and Lacey who has her own family problems meet and get married for convenience the story takes off.Very entertaining and looking foward to the next in the series.I read this book as an arc and this is my honest opinion.

When I see that Kelly has a new series starting I am jumping on it ! This is the first book in the series following the Wynn family . They are royalty in the hockey world and I am loving them.
This is Theo and Lacey's story. It is filled with fun, steam, drama and witty banter !!!
Theo comes from a family that has so much intense drama and friction. Theo has found himself retired early from the game and is now using his love of numbers and management in a new role as GM of a family company. Lacey is just making her way in the world she has a twin brother a few friends in the Vegas area but is sometimes barely getting by. She would do anything for her brother but when she finds he is hot water with a bookie and they are now knocking on her door for the funds she realizes she doesn't have a plan. A chance meeting at the club she works at , a man that wants to help and a crazy plan ….it's a go!!! She moves with Theo out of necessity and it soon becomes apparent that they just might be good for each other in so many ways!!!!!
~~Michele McMullen ~~

Théo has a lot to prove to his family and Lacey is running from Vegas and the men her brother owes money too. They get married before they leave Vegas but don't want to have a 'real' relationship.

I read part of the book right away, it was good, but I didn't think anything particularly special. However, the next morning and all through that day I kept thinking about the book and couldn't wait to go home and read more. At bedtime, I was just going to finish a chapter, but ended up finishing the book, I just couldn't put it down.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between those two, as well as all the crazy family drama. It certainly sounds like there is never a dull moment in that family.


This is the first book I've read by Kelly Jamieson, but it certainly won't be the last. I can't wait to read more about the Wynn family and to check out other books she's written.

This start to the series is so much fun. Theo and Lacey start their romance in a fake marriage, but it's a bit different than what we're used to seeing. This pair is two sides of a coin - he's ordered and precise, and he plans everything while Lacey is more a take things as they come kind of girl and goes with the flow. They become fast friends and the chemistry between them is just so good. Then we meet all the other players in this game, mostly made up of Theo's family. The Wynn's are a great big hot mess with a flair for drama. Needless to say, there is angst, but true to form, the author also gives us plenty of fun and some oh, so sexy times. Theo and Lacey's romance is a great start to this series that promises to be a wild ride, and I can't wait to see what's next for this crazy family.

Play to Win is a strong start to the Wynn Hockey series. (Sadly, I just realized the win/Wynn pun.) While the book does follow the "fake boyfriend" trope, I still found it fresh and engaging.

Lacey is a sweet and spirited heroine, who has had a lifetime of bad breaks. Theo is a stand up guy who has had a lot of advantages in his life but has also taken some hits.

I always felt like they belonged together, despite some poor communication at a few points.

The Wynn family itself had well written characters and makes me look forward to the upcoming books in the series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

PLAY TO WIN is the first instalment in Kelly Jamieson’s contemporary, adult WYNN HOCKEY erotic, hockey, romance series focusing on the Wynn family, owners and operators of the NHL’s California Condors, and the Long Beach Golden Eagles. This is twenty-eight year old, California Condors’ General Manager Theo Wynn, and twenty-four year old Lacey Olson’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Theo and Lacey) PLAY TO WIN follow the building relationship and marriage of convenience between twenty eight year old, California Condors’ GM Theo Wynn, and twenty-four year old Lacey Olson. Lacey’s brother Chris is in trouble; gambling debts that are now threatening Lacey’s life, threats that see our heroine fired on the night she meets Theo Wynn. Theo Wynn is about to embark on a new career in the NHL but one last night of partying finds our hero coming to the rescue of a woman who isn’t prepared for what happens next. Needing to make an impression upon his return home to California, Theo offers Lacey a ‘marriage of convenience’ in return for helping Lacey as her life spirals out of control. What ensues is the quick Vegas wedding, followed by a move to the coast wherein Lacey will come face to face with the dysfunctional Wynn family, and all of their crazy in-laws, out-laws, and philandering ways.

Theo Wynn has never recovered from his brother’s betrayal, a betrayal that cut deep into the family hold.Marrying Lacey gave Theo a ‘one-up’ on his brother, a brother who was once his best friend and more. Lacey Olson has struggled to make ends meet since the death of her beloved mother but Lacey never expected to find herself on the run, with a gorgeous husband but no promise of a happily ever after.

The relationship between Lacey and Theo is one of immediate attraction but threats to Lacey’s safety and life find Theo guardian and protect of the woman with whom he will fall in love. Theo doesn’t do relationships, not since the betrayal that destroyed his life, but meeting Lacey Olson meant the possibility of a future but a possibility that comes with issues of trust.The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to a large cast of very colorful secondary and supporting characters including Theo’s brother JP; his ex-girlfriend Emma; and Lacey’s embattled brother Chris.

PLAY TO WIN is a story about a dysfunctional family of hockey players, team owners, and their significant others. There is plenty of fun and drama; secrets and lies; history, affairs, marriages and divorce. The premise will captivate your attention; the characters are energetic; the romance is passionate and intense. The hockey premise is limited to behind the scenes as Theo Wynn struggles to rebuild the California Condors, a team owned by his grandfather but in direct competition with his father’s Long Beach Golden Eagles.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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This was the first Kelly Jamieson book I've read where I kind of struggled to find a connection. I liked these characters, sure, but I never truly felt that intrinsic connection with them the way I typically do with Jamieson''s books. Play to Win was cute, I'm certainly looking forward to the next book in the series, but I definitely feel this one was a bit unmemorable.

It's clear from the start that this series will be about the Wynn family. I loved the family tree in the beginning, but even with that help it's hard to keep everyone apart. There are a lot of unique relationships and the family is quite big, so it was hard to keep them all in mind. I'm sure once I've read a couple more books in this series, I will be a pro.

Play to Win focuses on Théo Wynn. He's always worked hard and is really smart. Théo had a short hockey career, but after an unfortunate injury, he had to work behind the scenes. His grandfather offers him to manage the hockey team he owns. This is a dream for him, but he know it's going to cause a lot of drama in his family.

Lacey doesn't have a lot of family left and when her twin brother messes up once again, things get dangerous. Meeting Théo at her job in Vegas was probably perfect timing, because who knows what would've happened if he hadn't been there? After having a fun night together, he offers her a deal. Come to LA with him and pretend to be his wife. She'll get away from the people after her brother and he won't feel like such a loser seeing his family again.

I was expecting this to be the cliché story we have read a thousand times. And while that happens in many ways in this story, these characters and their story is just so much fun. Lacey and Théo definitely have a connection, but it's not an insta-love one that I can't stand. They're attracted to each other, but while reading we slowly seeing them fall in love. I think that was my favorite part.

Théo is a hard worker and has always had to work hard for everything, so he has a hard time letting go. Everything needs to be planned and just having fun isn't something he normally does. It's fun watching him let loose and enjoying himself with Lacey around.

Lacey has always worked really hard, so actually letting someone take care of her is hard. I think Lacey is really brave though. I can't imagine how hard it was to let her brother face his problems the way she did. After losing everything she's known, she really bounces back. Lacey is caring and smart. She adapts fast and makes friends really easily.

The romance in this book is really sweet and the family drama is extreme! I have never read about a family like this! It's interesting though and I'm curious to see how everything in this family will continue. I also enjoyed the hockey aspects. The romance didn't take over and I even learned some things I never knew. There was a great balance of romance, sports and family.

Play to Win is a book I read in one sitting and I can't wait to get my hands on the next books in this series. If you're looking for a sports romance with great characters, a family with lots of drama, humor, romance and even some hockey, this book is for you!

play to win kicks of kelly jamieson's latest hockey series. if you were worried about missing the aces hockey series, the good news is that the wynn hockey series looks like it's a winner.

i mean i read book one, it totally is a winner. you’ve got some crazy family dynamics, hot hockey players, and some take-no-prisoner women. it’s just absolute perfection.

théo and lacey’s story is impulsive and fun and what works so well is the connection and caring these two characters have for each other from the moment they meet. it’s so easy to fall in love with them and i’m so excited to see where this series and this family goes.

it’s another win, seriously. (not a pun, i swear.)

**play to win will publish on march 19, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/random house publishing group (loveswept) in exchange for honest review.

Oh how I love when one of my favorite authors releases a new book, especially the first book in a new series. The Wynn’s are this author’s new hockey family. Theo has turned from hockey player to numbers guy. So what he needs is a girl to loosen him up. Enter Lacey. Although it doesn’t happen exactly that easily. But boy will you have fun reading how these two come together.

Play to Win is the first book in the Wynn Hockey by Kelly Jamieson. The series is more like a family saga and is not focused on a team as I was expecting. Of course, the family owns a hockey team and most of the characters' occupations have something to do with it, but most of the focus is on the family dynamics. The author was kind enough to include a short introduction of each member of the Wynn family before the story began. The sad thing (for me) is that I am very bad with names and I couldn't remember much. Still, I think that the readers will find it very helpful.

There is a lot of family drama going on in this book, so be prepared! We have some good and healthy relationships like Theo with his mom and some unhealthy like Theo with his brother. There is also the family feud and I don't see that part of the family dynamics to be solved easily. Thankfully we have lots of books to go. I liked Everly a lot and I am glad to see that the third book in the series will be hers. We got a little tease about her and her man in this story, but things didn't go smoothly and I want to see her warm up to the guy who seemed so interested in her. The couple of the second book was also teased and some of the events from the blurb of the second book happened by the end of this one. I love that the author revealed already some of the plotlines for the next books. It shows that she has thought about the series' direction beforehand.

Theo and Lacey had a lot of ups and dows. Mostly ups since they managed to get married 5 hours after they met each other. Lacey was one of the few sane and logical characters and actually helped Theo with his family. She helped in JP's redemption and that means a huge deal because he will be the hero of the next book. I can't exactly root for a guy I don't like. I also liked that Lacey could stand up for herself and wanted to be her own person instead of taking whatever Theo was giving her, emotionally and financially.

Overall, Play to Win was a winner. It served well as the first book in a series where we knew no one and it introduced us perfectly to the rest of the family. Theo and Lacey had a good romance and I was happy with the book.