Member Reviews
When Taylor starts training an injured football star Jamar, the sparks fly!
✔️ I really liked Jamar - what an awesome romantic lead
✔️ I always enjoy a good fake relationship trope
✔️the strong friendship between Samiah, London and Taylor continues in this second book - and I think we got a hint of perhaps what’s waiting for London in book three !
✔️ the book deals with some important topics including learning disability, loss of a loved one
🔘all the football talk wasn’t necessarily for me, however it wasn’t so much that it impacted my experience with the book
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an e-ARC of this book!
After recently finishing The Boyfriend Project (and really enjoying it!), I was SO excited to get an advanced copy of The Dating Playbook (Book 2 in the series!). I can't get enough to this trio of female besties who are so supportive and always lifting each other up!
This story focuses on Taylor, who is struggling financially and trying to build up her personal training business off the ground, when she meets footballer Jamar Dixon, who hires her to get him back in shape and NFL ready after succumbing to a knee injury. I loved the chemistry between these two and their playfulness/banter was just spot on! While I love a fake relationship trope, I'm not sure it was necessarily needed here; nevertheless, I really enjoyed their story! I also thought this book touched on a lot of important and meaningful topics (grief, guilt, and learning disabilities). It was a great combo of sweet, steamy, funny, and loving!
Would definitely recommend this book (and series!) - cannot wait for London's book that is expected to come out next year!
Rating: 4 stars!
Thanks to Forever Pub for the arc/alc of this title.
One sentence review: What do you get when you combine a personal trainer with a football player trying to recover from a career ending injury - one hot romance that you need to read now!
The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon is book 2 of the 3 book series that started with The Boyfriend Project. This book centers around Taylor, a personal trainer who is struggling to make ends meet. Jamar Dixon is in need of a personal trainer and has been intrigued by Taylor's online videos and approaches her about becoming his trainer.
My thoughts:
- I loved that Samiah and London from The Boyfriend Project are a part of this book. The friendship between these three is so interesting to watch.
- I think this book would easily stand alone. The previous book provides some context for the friendship between the three women but otherwise the story stands alone.
- I liked the interaction between Taylor and Jamar. I particularly loved the respect and support that Jamar provided for Taylor.
I highly recommend this book to sports fans or to people who really enjoyed The Boyfriend Project.
First I would like to let you know that I did not read the first book in this series and I probably should have because I would have connected to the main character a little more. This book is cute, especially if you like working out or football. There were a lot of things that did not invest me to the story, but I think the majority of people would love it. I have to say that I did really like how real the characters were and they didn't annoy me, which is always a good thing.
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
CW: anxiety, learning disorder, panic attack, grief, death of a loved one (past), family tension
I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)
-m/f friends to lovers
-sports romance
-fake dating
-forbidden romance elements
-great friendship
-close-proximity
This is the follow up to the Boyfriend Project and I was so excited to read Taylor's story. This can definitely be read as a standalone, but to get some of the backstory and just for a great read I'd start there.
I enjoyed so much of this. Taylor's drive yet lack of confidence, frustration over going back to school and her journey with self-awareness and acceptance. The discussions on the importance of mental health and therapy. She was confident and I really liked that, she knew what she wanted out of life even if she wasn't there yet.
And Jamar. He was driven as well with his own goals. I love how the story slowly developed where his motivations were coming from, how it wasn't only football but grief and guilt. This story was so layered. And the chemistry, the banter between these two. Phewww these two were working up a sweat in and out of the gym.
What stopped this from being a perfect read for me was the plot holes, and Jamar's dismissal of Taylor's concerns about dating a client. She respected his need to hide his return to football but he couldn't respect her decisions which really made me struggle with liking Jamar and being fully on board with their relationship. The book made some plot decisions so this was never fully considered, so I enjoy the second half more because I just went with it and ignored it.
Overall I would recommend this one for a banter-filled romance of two people learning to accept themselves. I'm so ready for London's story.
Rating: 4
Steam: 3
What a fun book! The Dating Playbook gives us Taylor's romance story following The Boyfriend Project (which I hadn't read yet, but still loved this book and was not lost). Jamar's a football player who's blown out his knee and needs a trainer to get him back into shape for another season. Taylor needs the money and a confidence boost to make decisions about her future. Both of them have some lessons to learn and some trauma to work through.
I ran through this book. Rochon writes excellent characters and knows how to create great tension/conflict that is super realistic. This book makes me want to read the rest of Rochon's work, especially this series, so I can see how this all started and what happens with the other two friends! If you enjoy fake relationships, are looking forward to football season, or just like a good romance where both characters make each other better, offer support, and aren't toxic, then you might like this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an e-ARC of this book.
I was so excited to receive an advance copy from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley I really loved the first book in the series and had been looking forward to the second one. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much. Taylor's insecurity was absolutely overwhelming and all the diet/exercise talk really took away from the romance. I know that's Taylor's job but sometimes it felt a little pro diet culture and I had a hard time with that. I appreciate how Jamar called Taylor on her bullshit while helping her grow as a person and how she did the same for him in relation to Silas but overall, I just wasn't as happy with this story as I was with the first one.
I really enjoyed this book. I'm always a sucker for playful banter mixed with really good(fire!) chemistry and this did not disappoint. One thing I really appreciated is that the storyline wasn't overly drawn out, but the characters backgrounds were fleshed out that it aded so many different layers to this romance. I also appreciated the positive girlfriend support that was present; it was wild how they found each other though! The characters felt very down to earth and reminded of me of my own friendships. This was my first read from Rochon and she did not let me down at all.
TW: Death (not main characters)
I absolutely adored this book. It was warmhearted, funny, romantic, sexy, and sweet. Rochon's writing style is so accessible and inviting. I stan Taylor and Jamar so hard! I always appreciate a great platonic friendship in these books and the trio of Taylor, London, and Samiah just keeps getting better. The banter was witty, the sex was the perfect amount of steam (in my opinion), and the grand gesture was...*chef's kiss.* Both lead characters had great arcs with a lot of depth and a touch of sadness, but nothing that took away from the general light tone of the novel. Honestly, I just loved it and look forward to London's story next summer.
Taylor and Jamar’s story was just right to follow up The Boyfriend Project. I love this trope of friendship formed through finding out you’re involved with the same man and the friendship build between these women just might be better than the romance.
Taylor and Jamar have some personal fears and struggles that challenges them in this fake dating story, but all were handled well. The humor was spot on. The fitness and sports were fun and added depth. This was a great airplane read.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever books for the ARC!
I adored this story. I quite liked The Boyfriend Project, but Taylor and Jamar’s story in this book was just the best.
I enjoyed the realism of Taylor’s financial situation, and how stressful that can be, while also trying to figure out how to become more successful in something you really are interested in. I think it was very relatable.
Jamar was just the sweetest. I really liked how non judgmental he was and a genuinely nice guy, who was also fighting to have his dreams realized.
I also adore the fake dating turns into real dating trope.
I highly recommend this one!
Rating: 4.25/5
Thank you, thank you, thank you to @farrahrochon @readforeverpub and @netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy of The Dating Playbook. I was not forced to write this review; I happily wrote it of my own free will, and all the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
In the second installment of The Boyfriend Project series, all is still going well for Samiah and Daniel, but poor Taylor is on the struggle bus. Despite going viral on Twitter and going all in on helping launch her personal fitness consulting business, Taylor'd Conditioning, things just aren't panning out the way she'd hoped. With rent to pay, four maxed out credit cards, plus thousands of dollars in debt, Taylor is subsisting on ramen, kombucha, and the occasional smoothie, and though she has two of the best and most supportive friends in the world, she feels like she's financially hanging by a thread and barely eking by each month.
That is, until a former NFL player attends one of her pop-up fitness classes and decides Taylor's training might be just what he needs to get back into playing condition. Could this be the answer to her prayers?
Friends, as a huge fan of Farrah's The Boyfriend Project (which came out last year and is absolutely adorable), I'm here to say that there is no sophomore slump to be had with The Dating Playbook! This book is all about believing in yourself, overcoming your challenges, and coming out on the other side even stronger. With the perfect blend of a strong, driven, intelligent female main character, a love interest who keeps her on her toes, a wonderful and supportive tribe of girlfriends, some serious steam, some laugh-out-loud banter and situations, plus some heavier topics that Rochon handles with the grace and sensitivity of a pro (learning disabilities, grief, guilt, anxiety, the prioritizing of mental health), this is one romcom you definitely want to pre-order, put on hold at your library, or grab a copy of on pub day, Aug. 17!
Trust me, you don't want to miss this one, and please, please read the Author Q&A and acknowledgment - it makes this story even more dear.
In short: Personal Trainer, Taylor, agrees to fake her client Jamar, a former NFL player trying to get back in the game.
My thoughts: As a die hard football fan I really enjoyed this Romcom! This book explored so much from the pressure to play to grief to family dynamics and learning disabilities all while having 2 characters discover their real purpose I’m life while falling in love.
The characters in this book were had great chemistry. I loved their banter along side the more serious moments. I related so much to Taylor, especially the situation with her family and how she perceived their comments to her and her struggles with learning.
Jamar was also a great character. I enjoyed seeing the dedication it takes to be a professional athlete, his love of chips and cheese and his loyalty to his best friend and the promise he made to always take care of his friends family after he passed. His determination to return to the NFL was so much more than to just wait play. Seeing this more human side of an elite athlete was nice to see.
I highly recommend this book for any romcoms fans, but especially for sports fans.
Looking for a fun, cute, humorous perfect for summer read? Well look no further Farrah Rochon has done it again, if you enjoyed The Boyfriend Project you will need The Dating Playbook in your life. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters, you could tell they had chemistry right from the star. Their fun playful banter was so fun to read. Plus one of my favorite tropes as of lately, that's right fake dating.
In the Dating Playbook we follow Taylor who is a struggling to pay her bills working as a personal trainer. She loves everything about fitness and being a personal trainer it is her dream job to build an empire surrendering this love. Taylor has started a social media based Taloy'd conditioning program to help her try to get back on top of her bills. When Jamar comes to one of her park fitnness sessions which could be the answer to her financial woes. Jamar is an ex NFL player who is secretly trying to make it back into the game, he is looking to hire Taylor to help get him back into top notch shape after his injury. The only problem is Jamar wants to keep his comeback a secret so naturally they decide to fake a relationship. They decide to make a Dating Playbook to make sure things stay realistic yet stays professional. Nothing could possibly go wrong with this scenario right?
A fake dating trope, references to the Princess & the Frog, and kissing in the rain what more can you ask for.
Farrah Rochon’s The Dating Playbook is the sequel to last summer’s The Boyfriend Project. In the book, we find Taylor whose fitness company is struggling, especially as she is in a financial bind; she is a at a crossroads, when one day ex-NFL player Jamar attends her pop-up bootcamp fitness class. Jamar needs a new trainer to get in back into shape, so he can attempt to re-enter the NFL. However, he doesn’t want anyone to know about his plans or his true connection to Taylor, so to keep the fact that Jamar is training under Taylor they pretend to date. As always, the lines get blurred and their is undeniable attraction and chemistry between Jamar and Taylor.
I absolutely enjoyed the Dating Playbook, and I enjoyed it more than The Boyfriend Project. This book is funny, adorable, a bit steamy, and it has emotional depth. TayJar are definitely #couplegoals.
This is the first book I am reading by Farrah, and I am in love.
Taylor was both strong and insecure, and I could relate to one of her insecurities. Her plight tore at my heart, but I also had hope for her. I love the fact that she didn't immediately fall for Jamal or his handsomeness — making her character relatable. Jamal on the other hand, was always caring for everyone without thinking of himself. He wanted to be there for others but forgot he had to take care of himself.
They are so perfect for each other and complement themselves. This was an awe-inspiring read!
Thanks Farah! Thanks Forever I enjoyed this one and this means I have to read The Boyfriend Project!
I loved The Boyfriend Project last year and couldn’t wait to read The Dating Playbook- this group of girl besties are the BEST! They are definitely a favorite book besties!
The Dating Playbook was a blast to read! I devoured this book. I loved the bad ass work outs and the talk of football. The banter is wonderful, but the real talk, deeper conversations are so sensitive and well done, my heart swooned. Taylor is hilarious and I need her in my life to kick my butt into gear. Jamar is so sweet and kind, but also so sexy.
This was the perfect amount of steam and swoon; with wonderful banter, deep conversations, and wonderful friends and family. I cannot wait for London’s book!
Thank you @readforeverpub for an ARC!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this story. My attention was grabbed from the start and wasn’t released to the very end. Jamar and Taylor is my favorite in the series so far. I also like how the ladies are continuing the sisterhood that grew out of the strangest of events. I’m already looking forward to London’s story.
The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon, is a romantic comedy that is equal parts forbidden love and friends to lovers. In this love story, we learn more about Taylor Powell. She is one of the three women spurned in an infamous viral video, as well as one of Samiah's new bff's in The Boyfriend Project. Taylor owns Taylor'd Conditioning, a personal fitness business she wants to build into an empire. Jamar Dixon is a professional football player looking to make a splash with his post-injury comeback. The two team up and sparks fly.
Rochon creates a chemistry between Taylor and Jamar that sizzles. The dialogue feels real. The personal struggles that each character endures are relatable and moving. Readers will root for a happily ever after. I can't wait to read London's story!
Thank you Forever Pub and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
My favorite part of this series will always be the strong female friendship. I love how Samiah, Taylor and London always have each other's back. We need more stories where females are lifting each other up instead of bashing each other. Taylor and Jamar have awesome banter and I like the fake dating trope but how they came together felt a little unrealistic to me. Aside from that, I think this book tackles some hard topics such as grief, guilt, learning disability, and stereotypes.
Definitely recommend this steamy quick paced romance!