I'm a big fan of Ilsa's pen, book she publishing book that I will definitely read and move on to my reading priorities.

Her books are incredible for me, they are my safe place, I know I will love and enjoy them from beginning to end.

Every male character that Ilsa creates is amazing, they're amazing and it's impossible not to fall completely in love with them.

So this was no exception, I loved Tuck from start to finish.

I loved the book and I enjoyed it very much, it is an agile read, very entertaining, a very good read if you want to read a sports romance 🏈.

The book is wonderful, I read it in just two days because I couldn't stop reading, I love the interactions between the main characters too much, they are so funny and their group of friends haha ​​😂 I died laughing with all of them, Jasper won my heart and I hope he is the next to have a book.

I met Tuck in the first book and I obviously loved him and was dying to know his story, so it was wonderful to see that this man who is so funny and a good friend, is also sweet, caring, someone who will always be there for you if you need him.

Tuck is a professional football player 🏈, for the world he is already an old player and whose best years have passed, but football is all he has in life so he can't see himself doing anything else, he's been through a complicated moment in his life, he is no longer at his best in the game 🏈 but life has a surprise for him, when on his birthday he meets a beautiful girl who will change many things in his life and the way he lives it.

ALL THE STARS!!!

Ilsa Madden Mills is a must read author to me. This book had me hooked from the very first page. The chemistry between the characters had me on the floor!

Francesca and Tuck were EVERYTHING! The way they met had me giggling nonstop! When the unexpected happens, Tuck just proves that he is GOALS!!!!

Princess and the Player is an incredibly steamy and graphic romance novel involving the accidental pregnancy trope, FYI in case thats not your thing. It was a very quick read although it deals with very difficult topics in the discussion of the characters backstories, it doesnt linger there or bring that much depth to them. I didnt always understand who the characters were or what they wanted but I liked some of the side characters and the theme of found family.

I definitely devoured this book. I love it so much. It was everything I wanted in a book.

Tuck and Francesca had a one night stand after she was betrayed by her ex. No strings attached. But what happens when the pregnancy test came back positive? Love the character development.

Highly recommended!!!

Ilsa hit it out of the park. I love this series and this book was just as amazing as the first. You will not be disappointed with this read.

One single moment that succumbed to their most wicked desires. Not knowing the other and then everything changes when the masks come off. Such an amazing story that is one emotional roller coaster of a ride.

Tout commence quand les amis et coéquipiers de Tuck entraînent celui-ci pour fêter son anniversaire dans un sex club. Naturellement, pour éviter d’être reconnu, il doit porter un masque. Dans ce club, il rencontre une femme avec une robe de mariée qui ne le reconnait absolument malgré son piètre déguisement mais surtout elle vient de subir une rupture à quelques heures de son mariage. Ils décident de passer la soirée ensemble et de ne jamais se revoir. Pourtant, les choses vont en décider autrement…

J'ai beaucoup aimé l'intrigue qui est assez rafraîchissante et qui change un peu la manière dont les thèmes sont abordés. J'ai adoré le personnage de Francesca qui n’a jamais eu la vie facile et pourtant, elle continue à se battre. Les interactions avec ses colocataires et ses voisins m’ont fait mourir de rire! Tuck se remet en question régulièrement à cause de son passé mais aussi à cause de ses parents. La relation entre les deux est différente de ce qu’on peut trouver dans les autres romances, elle démarre sur les chapeaux de route mais au final, c’est un slow burn, j’ai vraiment aimé cet aspect là.

En bref, un livre qui casse un peu les codes de la romance et avec lequel on passe un bon moment!

I requested this without reading the synopsis and regretted it immediately. I loved the first book so much and was so excited for this one but I hate the surprise pregnancy trope. Obviously other dont mind it because authors keep using it but it feels like such a horrible way to force two people together. With that being said I did kinda enjoy this one. I did feel as though there was so gaslighting and I dont like when the woman doesn't tell a man she's pregnant because he said off cut that he doesn't want kids, like dang give him a chance. I dont know I think I'm not a great person to give an unbiased review on this type of book so would suggest if you read the first and liked it then defiantly read this one.

Well. I guess you can't have miscommunication if you just don't have communication, so that's something I suppose?

I liked the first book in this series, but this one felt like it was written by a completely different author. The characters never really connected for me, and every time the story seemed to hit its stride it would suddenly veer off into a completely different direction. There may have been a bit too much going on trope-wise as well.

Thanks to Netgalley & Montlake for this copy of Princess & the Player by Isla Madden-Mills!

This review is WAY late, but working to clear out these old galleys. I ended up listening to this via audio, and I am glad I did because I think the narration was the best part of this story. I wanted to like Francesca so much, but the longer this story drug out the more I could not get with her. I thought the characters seemed hastily written and they didn't seem to have any chemistry whatsoever. The book felt messy in general, a lot of tropes, a lot of weird scenes that didn't make sense to be in the story, and a lot of side characters that were unnecessary to the plot.

I wish I could say more things I liked about this but unfortunately I cannot.

To celebrate his birthday, ageing football player is taken to a masquerade party at an exclusive sex club by his friends. There he meets Francesca and they have a no string attached hookup with masks on. But when Francesca not only discovers she is pregnant, but the NFL star who knocked her up lives in her building, it looks like that no strings hookup, has strings.

I’ve loved Beauty and the Baller and was really looking forward to tuck’s story. Surprise pregnancy is obviously a hit or miss trope for so many, but as long as their is a good plot and character development I’m a fan! This book definitely had both! Tuck and Francesca both had their fair share of tragic family history and this shaped their outlooks on life and influenced many of their decisions. I really loved all their scenes together and their banter was top tier! Also, I’m a sucker for the nickname princess - don’t judge me it’s cute af.

I feel like no one does side characters quite like this author. All of them were really memorable and I hope Jasper gets a story! I devoured the first half of this book, then I felt it kinda lost its pace in the 2nd half a little bit. The characters were what held this story together for me, as I would say I preferred the plot in Beauty and the Baller but nothing beats smalltown imo!

I generally do not like surprise baby books but Ilsa Madden-Mills writes such compelling characters that it makes it impossible not to get drawn into her stories and wrapped up in the lives of these fictional people.

In this second book in the Strangers In Love series Francesca Lane meets NFL star Tuck Avery at a sex club where they are both wearing masquerade masks and don't know who the other one is. Francesca soon realizes who Tuck is and that he lives in her apartment building. She is dead set to forget that night and move on without Tuck in her life until she ends up with a positive pregnancy test.

This was a fun second book in this series. I enjoyed Tuck and Francesca as characters and Francesca had some amazing friends that made this a really enjoyable read. I did get frustrated with how long it took Francesca to tell Tuck what was going on. Overall this was an enjoyable read but not my favorite book by Ilsa Madden-Mills.

If you enjoy surprise pregnancy stories or sports romance books, this one is worth picking up!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book felt messy and rushed. A lot of the plot didn’t make sense as far as how things would normally flow. I didn’t love the nickname. Not as good as the first one.

I love all the drama here. Ilsa Madden-Mills does a fantastic job of building tension with secrets and ex's that come out of the woodwork at the worst (read: best) times. All of the secondary characters help bring so much levity and laughter, Cece, Brogan, Darden, Jasper, I love them all. Tuck and Francesca have off the charts chemistry and such great banter. This was a great book, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Jasper and Courtney get a book, because enemies to lovers is one of the best.

I absolutely loved Beauty and the Baller and was so excited for this next installment with Francesca and Tuck.

I wasn’t as much of a fan of this book as the first. I don’t really love the surprise pregnancy trope, but wanted to give this book a try as I adored the first and the writer’s style. Unfortunately due to the HUGE lack of communication I couldn’t get on board. I kept thinking Francesca would tell Tuck about the pregnancy, but ended up hiding it for almost the entire book!?!

While this book was not my favorite, I do like the author’s work. I am definitely interested to see where she takes this series next.

I want to thank NetGalley, Ilsa Madden-Mills and Montlake for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

Francesca and Tuck have a very unconventional, sexy “Meet Cute” that’s really a “Meet HOT!”
They share an an anonymous night together, a one and done… or so they thought.
Life has a few surprises in store for these two.
I love the raw nature of this story, it’s a unique romance that’s sexual and also very emotional. I think those two aspects are very well balanced.
Both characters had traumatic younger years and very serious issues. Their family issues and lack of love and support are long lasting.
It affects them many ways, one of those is mistrust in romantic relationships and feelings. They both have strong abandonment issues.
While it’s a big part of the story, it’s still a very fun, entertaining and lighter romantic journey.
It’s a mix of celebrity(sports) romance and accidental pregnancy.
Fate may also play a part…. Maybe if you believe 💫
Both characters have a few things going on in their lives/plot outside of the accidental pregnancy and their growing relationship. I love the smaller plot lines as well. They result in big things for the characters.
It was an entertaining, enjoyable story with clever humor and just the right amount of quirkiness to make me feel completely engaged and continually smiling.
I love the way art plays a big part in the story and connects many of the characters.
There’s some beautiful, poetic moments that caught me by surprise. I loved that!
The quirky secondary characters are so unique and lively they practically jump out of the pages. I want them to be my chosen family!
The secondary characters play a big, fun and wonderful part of this unconventional and sexy romance.
There’s plenty of heart and it’s super hot & steamy!
This is a touchdown for me💛🏈💙

Thank you for the ARC! Listen that blurb sold me like that was interesting. Unfortunately the reality didn’t meet the expectations and it was boring.

This was a wild ride. This book had so much going on and yet I kept reading it. Not quite sure I would say this is a great book, but it did suck me in and that is something.

I adored this book. Franchesca is having a run of bad luck and life is a total mess. She decides that she needs to have a night out and meet a sexy guy and have a one night stand because she plans to never see him again or she thought, they bumped into one another at a club and sparks start to fly and it's game over for them both.

I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this story because I couldn’t put my book down. It was easy to read and the supporting characters were all fun and engaging. I loved their banter and their antics and the amazing support systems that two people without blood family could create.

While I adored Tuck and Francesca’s friends and wanted all of the as my own, I did have my issues with Tuck and Francesca themselves though. Both of them seemed so inconsistent that it was hard to get an honest feel for who they truly were. I loved the instant attraction and the backstories we learn about both of them. What I didn’t love as much was their banter and the selfishness they both displayed with regards to Francesca’s pregnancy. For two people that never had much family themselves, I found it strange that they didn’t want to give a new life as much family as they could. I found Francesca’s reluctance to tell Tuck about the baby very odd considering it wasn’t something she could conceal forever. And Tuck’s behavior when he found out was just unforgivable. He needed to do a hell of a lot more groveling than he did!

As for their verbal sparring, it was strange. I loved the back and forth of Francesca’s best friends. I want to keep Cece and Brogan for myself because they were hilarious, Darden’s dry, grumpy humor was adorable, and Jasper was so gosh darn wholesomely sweet. But the back and forth between Tuck and Francesca? It was odd. I was never sure what they were trying to say to one another and Francesca ran so hot and cold that I never knew what mood she was in. She was a strong character that took no nonsense and I loved that about her. I just wanted more consistency in her actions.

Overall, I enjoyed myself immensely reading the book. I wanted to find out what I could about both characters and the histories that brought them to where they were. I found myself so in deep with the story that I literally forgot that I wasn’t sitting in an apartment building in Manhattan. I just wanted to like the way the main characters to make better choices!! The universe was telling the they needed to be together. They just needed to listen sooner.