On the plus side, the audiobook narration in this book is really well done. I also think that Taylor's growth arc is fairly well done. Unfortunately, overall, this book just wound up being in that "it's perfectly fine, but I could have walked away from it at any time and not thought twice about it" category for me. The Dating Playbook has an interesting juxtaposition between the frequently serious aspects of it paired with the amusing humor in the banter between Taylor and Jamar. I think for some people that balance will work well and for others, it will be jarring. For me, it just kept me from ever really feeling the emotions happening on page. I felt distanced from the characters and I wasn't ever entirely convinced the two of them weren't distanced from one another. I don't know that I can explain it well, but they weren't always the best at communicating, especially because Taylor uses humor to distance herself from uncomfortable situations and all of these aborted conversations just made it hard to feel like the characters really knew one another.

This one had my favorite female MC outta the female group, but her story was a little disappointing. I wish the chemistry was better and the steamy scenes arrived outta nowhere, there was no build up.

This book was so cute and any book that revolves (mostly) around football--my favorite sport--and I am all in. I loved the dynamic between Taylor and Jamar and I cheer every time the Squad--Taylor, London, and Samiah--get together because they are power personified. This book also had an emotional journey that I wasn't prepared for, but it was wonderful and necessary to the story. I loved this book so much and I can't wait to read London's story!

My reading brain has been kind of chaotic so I’m late to The Dating Playbook. (Not super late, just a few months.) I really admired Taylor’s stick-with-it, never-say-die attitude, which I guess you need as a personal trainer, as well as Jamar’s belief that if he works hard enough he’ll get back to the field and fulfill the promise he made to his friend. So good – and for all the actual life-drama going on in the book, it is a marvelously low-angst book from the point of view of the romance. That “fake dating because nosy sports blogs” kind of moves to “maybe real dating because we LIKE each other, but feeeeelings.” And Jamal is 100% in Taylor’s corner from the beginning, giving her support (and maybe a few extra nudges, especially when it comes to requesting testing accommodation) as she tries to level up in her field. It’s sweet and funny and very steamy.

Can’t wait for London’s book next year 🙂

In The Dating Playbook, the second rom-com in Farrah Rochon’s knockout Boyfriend Project series, a personal trainer with a struggling practice teams up with a high-profile former NFL player facing multiple hurdles to give him a second chance at playing pro ball.

It’s a great setup and well executed, with each character scratching just the right itch for the other. They both have a lot riding on their professional partnership and ample reason to keep it under wraps. Like the best rom-com couples, Taylor and Jamar are much more than the sum of their individual parts. They’re absolutely lovely together, making Rochon’s choice to have the friend group play a lesser role in this installment a wise one. The Dating Playbook is a gentle and relatively low-angst romance that makes a great comfort read in stressful times.

Full review at BookPage.com. Link below.

I read The Boyfriend Project last year and enjoyed it so I knew I wanted to continue with the series. I might have taken me awhile to get to this one, but I have to say, I think I enjoyed it even more than the first!

Taylor is a strong, fierce leading lady even when she is struggling to make ends meet with her personal training business. She had a realness to her that I really appreciated in a romance book.

I loved the fake dating trope and the sports romance aspect, too. I'm looking forward to reading London's story soon!

I'm kind of obsessed with this series, and as of now The Dating Plan is my favorite (I've gotten my hands on The Hookup Plan so we'll soon see if this sticks). The Boyfriend Project was great, but there's just something about a fake dating trope that hits just right, and this one is done so, so well.
Taylor and Jamar have instant chemistry, and I absolutely want to follow the TayJar power fitness couple on Instagram. The best part is they actually communicate (no miscommunication here), actively take responsibility for their actions, and fully exist in this novel outside of their 'couple'. One of my favorite parts of this series is the strong female friendship we get to see, and it just grows deeper in this book. The interactions are realistic, the conversations are natural, and reading about them felt like I was hanging out with my friends too. This book also tackled (no pun intended) some heavier issues like grief/guilt over loss of a loved one and learning disabilities with tact while still feeling like a rom-com rather than a drama.
If you enjoy a well written, realistic romance novel, I highly recommend this series!

I liked this book a whole lot more than the first one. I think the two mcs were loveable and the story line was solid.

This was a fun read! Loved the fake dating trope.. it was a little too long but a cute read. The lead characters were likeable and easy to cheer for.. I loved the sports theme with the NFL player and trainer, there aren’t a lot of NFL character books out there.

Another winner from Farrah! I chose the audio version for this one and I was so excited for more romance featuring female friendships. I just loved this one and I love this series so much!

I really loved this book. This series keeps getting better with each book. Thank you for letting me read and review this book.

A cute contemporary romance. Love the fake dating trope. I like the inclusion of learning disorders and the exploration of grief and guilt.

I never connected with any of the characters, though. I felt like there was something missing and it kept me from getting fully drawn it.

Despite having zero athletic ability, I’m a sucker for a good sports romance. Having requested this book without realizing it was the second in a series, I had no trouble following along, and look forward to going back and reading The Boyfriend Project (& The Hookup Plan). The main & supporting characters were all fun, the plot was predictable but not cringy, and the fake dating trope successfully avoided my least favorite element of similar plots: poor communication! While the pacing was a bit awkward at times (and there were a few weird plot points that felt unresolved), I enjoyed the book overall! Fans of Alexa Martin’s Fumbled series would enjoy this series as well. Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars

The sports romance was a little over the top for me and made it a struggle to connect to characters.

4.25-4.5 stars

THE BEST IN THE TRILOGY SO FAR!
I connected to Taylor so much, with the difficult relationship with the school and connecting it to her career AND the money concerns -I feel that as I look at my student loan and tx return, ugh!
This book developed the friendship between the women, and I was pleased about that because I wanted it to grow, and honestly, I am happy that this happened; I understood in the first book why it wasn't super strong since they only knew each other for a little, so it growing was the most realistic.

ALSO, this really touched on learning disorders, and I felt that it was done very well!
I cannot wait for the third book!

4.5* When I read book 1 I remember stating that I've found a new favorite RomCom author, Rochon continues to solidify my feelings around that statement with this installment of The Boyfriend Project. I was taken through all the emotions I expect from my go to genre; laughing, gasping, crying, and feeling just the right amount of steam, in this fake dating and forced proximity quick read.

Rochon did an exceptional job, in giving us a story that not only is delightful but explores women in authority, learning disabilities, and the effects grief can have on us. I found myself relating to the main character, Taylor; as she always felt the need to compare herself to her peers / family / friends, and was her harshest critic in assessing where she was in life; something I think far too many of us fall into frequently.

I'm looking forward to London's story in the upcoming 3rd installment. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy.

Fake Dating, a strong Female MC, a caring love interest and close proximity make this romcom a fun story to spend time with. The extra touches like an undiagnosed learning disability and financial struggles made it even more relatable.

A lovely rom-com that made me smile and laugh. A great mix of heart and spice! I really liked both character's journeys and their relationship. An enjoyable, quick read that will make you smile.

Okay I loved this book a lot! I loved the first one too, but this was really good as well! I loved the dynamic between Jamar and Taylor! They had really good romantic chemistry, but they also had really good personal chemistry with each other! They had great banter, I loved the build up to the romance! I really enjoyed this book, and I honestly cannot wait for London's book! I felt like out of the three girls, London is the person we really don't have much of since she is always working! Can't wait to read more about her and about the other girls! Highly recommend this series! The romances and the friendships in this series are some of the best I've read recently! This series won't disappoint!

I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of sports romances. I think this is only the second one I've read. But, this was done in such a way that I enjoyed it. The sports/physical activity aspect that both MCs are interested in and involved in is not overly talked about, explained, etc. It's like we get to know who they are and then what they do for a job (sports or physical activity-related) is second to that which I appreciated. Also, in some fake dating books, the reason the couple wants to fake date or not doesn't always make sense but this one felt very well thought out and realistic. The humor and female friendships were on point too. I enjoyed it!

I received a free review copy as a NetGalley but, I ended up listening to the library audiobook after the publishing date.