I unfortunately did not finish this book. She waited entirely too long to tell him she was pregnant. I had high hopes but could not handle it.

Where to start?

Francesca Lane is an artist who works as a tattooist while she tries to sell her art. When her fiance dumps her for the shop manager just before her wedding she decides the only way to get over the betrayal is to go to a masked ball at a sex club to get over him. At the ball she meets Tuck Avery, he's a big-shot NFL player but because they are both masked neither knows who the other is. After a steamy night they go their separate ways, never realising that they both live in the same apartment building (don't even get me started on how a struggling tattoo artist can afford to live in the same apartment building - it's a ridiculous story).

Tucker has a terrible family history (don't they all), he's the original poor little rich boy, and as a consequence he fears getting close to other people. Added to which a recent injury may spell the end of his NFL career and he is having trouble controlling his anger. At first when he sees Francesca at his local restaurant ordering take-out he is suspicious that she is stalking him (not the first time that has happened to him), but soon he is falling under her spell.

I seriously considered DNFing this book. I guess if you think it is perfectly normal (or even sexy) to go to a sex club in your wedding dress and hook up with a stranger then you'll probably find this a great read. I had seen rave reviews about Ilsa Madden-Mills so I was eager to request an ARC, but sadly this is is not for me. There are so many unbelievable plot lines (I won't even call them twists), Francesca calls them serendipity but I just see it as the author forcing a square peg in a round hole.

So, ridiculous plot and one bonk scene after another, not my cup of tea but horses for courses as they say.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved Tuck in Ronan and Nova’s story and knew his story would be good. He’s a great character but Francesca stole the show here. She’s so strong and independent, having taken care of herself all her life. Until she met her friends, she never had a family or anyone to depend on. She’s initially annoyed to realize Tuck is the mysterious stranger with whom she shared the best night of her life but the more time they spend together, the more he grows on her.

A family is the last thing Tuck wants. His childhood was too scarred and he’s still tortured by his family’s dark truths. I received an ARC from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. But he knows he’s falling for Francesca, no matter how hard he tries to resist. He also knows she has a secret and Francesca knows she’s running out of time to fess up, but she wants to hold onto him just a little longer, knowing she’ll lose him when the truth comes out.

This is a story about the family you choose and not letting the past define you. It’s sweet and a tad emotional but the ending is well worth it. Now I’m waiting for Jasper’s story and hoping we get it soon.

OH MY!! You need to grab Princess and the Player and meet Tuck and Francesca!!! Ilsa Madden-Mills weaves her magic yet again and brings us another phenomenal couple whose love story will captivate you from the first chapter to the last. I was so drawn to Tuck right from the start. His charm and swagger could sweep any woman off her feet. Of course, she would have to be able to handle all his darkness too. Francesca had her own darkness to contend with and she refused to give in to it. She was beautiful, fierce and independent with a side of sass. These two were definitely meant to be, but would they ever be able to see that themselves?

I am always such a big fan of this author whose writing style is so full of description as to help you picture her stories as if you were a part of them. Her main characters are beautifully written and always have their flaws, but their good side outweighs their bad. The supporting characters are quirky, funny, and always endearing. One can't help but be captured by the web they spin in the background. This story is no different. Jasper will steal your attention more than once! There wasn't much down time once I started reading. This was a story that was hard to let go of, so the pages were being turned rather quickly. I highly recommend you jump in and meet Tuck and Francesca. Theirs is a complicated, but ultimately satisfying love story that's sure to make you smile.

Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills is book Two in the Strangers in Love Series. This is the story of Tuck and Francesca. Francesca and Tuck have a hot encounter at Decadence which they think is a one an done. But fate is having them tied up again. Ms. Madden-Mills for me is a must read author. Loved it.

This was such a beautiful story about about mental health and discovering family. Francesca grew up an orphan, being moved from foster home to foster home all around New York. To say she has abandonment issues is an understatement. Tuck, while growing up in high society, has a broken relationship with his parents.

When their worlds collide as a masquerade party at a salacious sex club, it seems fate has plans for them. They keep running into each other, even though they never took off their masks and never shared names. They must decide if their tumultuous pasts will keep them apart or if they will break the pattern of their pasts.

I really enjoyed this book. There were so many laugh out loud moments, especially by our side characters Jasper and Cece, while dealing with some pretty heavy topics. The things that come up in the book are all pretty relatable so it’s pretty easy to connect with the characters.

Well, Ilsa Madden-Mills has done it again. Another top sports romance to my collection. Princess and the Player is really much more than a sports romance though. Tuck and Francesca are two fantastic characters that each have a broken life backstory, and the way each of them are handling it, and struggling to feel completely whole, is wonderfully heartbreaking.

Beneath Tuck's cocky, sometimes gruff exterior, are lingering insecurities causing him to think that he will turn into the worst parts of both of his parents. He's carrying around a world of mistaken guilt, and he figures it's better for everyone if he stays closed off to the possibility of much more in life. And aging in the sport that he so loves adds to the emotional fuel. Francesca is running from her past and a recent betrayal, but she's determined to keep the found family and love she has now. Their mysterious meet cute is fun and entertaining, quickly turning into a very spicy connection. Both think it's a one-off, though both also can't quite stop thinking about it. The last thing they expect is to run into each other again. Francesca thinks it might be fate, Tuck isn't quite there yet though he knows he wants to spend more time with her.

There are surprises and twists in this story, and deeper emotions that hit me harder than I expected. Tuck and Francesca are two of my favorite IMM characters, and the supporting characters are amazing and I would love to see more from them in the future. Princess and the Player hit all my buttons and the humor, heart, and heat make it an unputdownable romance.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: ONS, accidental pregnancy
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

"𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘕𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴. 𝘕𝘰. 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧".

I really haven't read a bad book by Ilsa Madden-Mills and the Princess and the Player did not disappoint. Francesca Lane and Tuck Avery are two people with some with different, but equally tragic backstories and fate just seems to keep throwing them together. They bump into each other at a sex club. The pro-football player, past his prime, past his man-ho past, but open to having fun with a stranger and the tattoo artist who just caught her fiancé cheating. One doesn't believe in fate because that would mean all the bad things in his life was meant to happen and the other has to believe in fate or she's just a person someone abandoned as a child. But, as fate would have it, Francesca's going to walk away from that night with more than just memories of a hot ONS, and the "stranger" ends up being someone she crosses paths with on the daily.

"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢 𝘤𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘰𝘰, 𝘣𝘶𝘵... 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦; 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨?"

Absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching storytelling at its finest ♥️. So well written and the character development was phenomenal. Literally crying for these characters and what they had to go through. The self-sabotage and self-doubt. Francesca is just wonderful. Super brassy, somewhat of a ball-buster, her tragic start has left her with a bit of a hard outer shell, but she's pragmatic and adaptable and knows who she is. Tuck is the super easy going guy, but something simmers under the surface that not everyone can see. He has darkness and rage that's been simmering for a while and his uncertainty about his football, the one place he finds his calm, is leaving him teetering on the edge. Life has made him gun shy and has learned the hard way to expect rejection and his unexpected feelings for Francesca feed his self-doubt. The chemistry and banter between them is fantastic. Princess and the Player has a fantastic cast of side characters and unexpected turns that will leave a huge smile on your face. Pure, Ilsa Madden-Mills gold!

"𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭. 𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦, 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦."

Princess and the Player is book 2 of the Strangers in Love series by Ilsa Madden-Mills. Tuck is a pro football player who just turned 35, so his teammates decide to take Tuck to a sex club. Having had a bad experience at a strip club stalker, Tuck, is somewhat reluctant. That is, until he runs slam into a beautiful bride we’d just called off her wedding. The two have a one night stand and vow: no names, no strings, and no removal of their masks. All that goes out the window once a surprise pregnancy is involved. I loved this book, although at times I thought certain lines were kind of cheesy. Still, I loved the plot, steam, and secondary characters. Book 2 is so different from Beauty and the Baller, but in the best way. I was totally not expecting to like Tuck so much and I really loved the strong heroine Madden-Mills created with Francesca. I highly recommend.

Princess and the Player was pleasant. We met Tuck in the first book in the series as Ronan's best friend. He had his moments where he shined. Though now it was his time to get the starring role. There is so much more to Tucker than originally thought. Yes he can be the fun loving guy who's there for his friend but he has his own issues. He has a sad past and it was interesting to see how it affects him. Francesca the heroine has her own issues as well but girl was determined not to let them overcome her. Two people with troubled pasts come together and like Francesca says it must be fate with how much they interconnect. Tuck and Francesca had that nice chemistry so it was intriguing to see what will happen with these two. It was a fine ride. I liked the side characters of Tuck's and Francesca's friends. They really added that extra layer to the story. Overall, a nice read.

This is such a beautiful story. I loved Francesca and Tuck. I love how they met and how their relationship unfolded. I felt bad for what they had both been through. Neither one had it easy growing up. Though Tuck comes from money doesn’t mean he had everything he could ever want growing up.
Francesca grew up in foster care but she has her own little family that she has chosen. I love how ther are there for her her and are willing to do anything for her.
I must say I wanted to slap Tuck sometimes and I got teary eyed a few times. There were also some moments that made me laugh.
I love Tucks friend Jasper. He’s like a happy, untrained puppy. But he’s lovable and I would love it if he got a book also.
I highly recommend this book.

Tuck & Francesca’s story is book 2 in Mills’ Strangers in Love series.

This started off a bit slow for me. It wasn’t until they meet the second time that I was all in and invested in them as a couple.

Tuck is an aging Pro NFL Wide Receiver. He has more aches and pains after each game than yards gained on the field. His days as a player are numbered and he is not ready to face that, or what come next. One thing is certain, marriage and a family are not in his plans.

Finding out Francesca was a tattoo artist was an unusual twist and unexpected. Abandoned as a baby, bounced around in her youth and young adulthood, she has developed a tough exterior and strong survival skills. What she longs for is to be chosen, for those she cares about to stay. Finding herself pregnant after that magical night is terrifying. She never imagined herself as a single mother.

Tuck & Francesca each have their own demos to battle, and bury before they can truly move on and accept love. But will they?

The mystery of Francesca’s locket was not the outcome I expected, it works though. I loved Jasper, he is the comedic relief here. This story was more emotional than I anticipated. Would have loved to see a reunion with Ronan & Nova in the epilogue.

Tucker and Francesca’s story was one I’d been waiting for because I simply adored Tuck in Ronan’s story.

I enjoyed the overall story and the amount of trauma and heartbreak both MCs had gone through to get where they were to date. I appreciated Tuck’s inability to let anyone too close and his sense of feeling unworthy. That man had been through some things! I loved that sports was a primary plot point but it wasn’t in your face or overdone.

Fran’s background set her up for a similar detrimental mindset. Her support system was incredible and I just loved her unique relationships she’d forged.

T & F’s path’s crossing was a bit kismet and as the story unfolded, they found more coincidences in their intertwined lives. Which I was all for! I loved the little details the author brought to light as the story progressed. The steam in this read was excellent and just the right amount of balance for the read.

Womp womp, the not awesome bits…
I can’t stand it in secret / surprise pregnancy tropes when a FMC refuses to tell the MMC that she’s pregnant! It’s so ridiculous, especially in this story’s case. That was the major plot point that I couldn’t get behind.

I also thought the storyline around the ‘insert family relation discovery here, to not spoil anything’ was unnecessary and didn’t bring much to the story. Yes, it was awesome that Fran found out about her past but it seemed so odd how it all unfolded. I just expected something less scandalous and more… Fran.

Overall, Princess and the Player was a solid read! The characters were all fantastic (and I’m a sucker for awesome side characters which this book had so many of!). It had so much heart and emotion. I loved the ending and the way things eventually played out. I closed this book with a smile on my face. I also LOVED the appearance of Tucker’s teammate, River Tate!

I adored Tuck and Francesca from the very first page. They both have a lot of trauma and pain in their lives that they’ve had to survive and forge on from. They have insane chemistry that just crackles off the page. I love they both have a “found family” of friends they rely on, that are the funniest supporting characters. Jasper is my favorite of favorites, he’s just a dumpling of happiness that brings that much needed touch of levity. I absolutely devoured this book.

Ilsa Madden-Mills just never really disappoints! THIS.WOMAN! I mean, even when her stories haven’t blown me away, she still does not disappoint!

Tuck & Francesca #win fell-good romance of the year for me. Their story was a pleasure to get lost in both when I read it and when I listened to it just two nights ago! I know, I’m #extra with the whole reading and listening but the audio was $1.99 … I mean … So I stopped myself from writing a review until I had gone thru both formats to see if maybe the audio enhanced my experience and whatnot. Spoiler alert, it did not because I already loved it :) (but I should note that there have been times in the past when the audio ruined the whole experience for me, this is just not one of those times)

The surprise pregnancy angel has been written a million times before, but I found that all the little nuances that Ilsa made part of this journey made it fresh and new for me. You’ll have to read the book to get some of these points, but I loved the living situation she created with Tuck and Francesca. It gave the story an air of kismet that felt organic for them. I also really loved the parallel to Ronan & Nova’s meet (the first book in this series, Beauty and the Baller) not only with how well they connected but also the circumstance behind being where they were and why. It connected the two books in a unique way.

For a romantic comedy, I found the story to be much more emotional than expected. Yes, it had plenty of entertainment and light-hearted plot-points, but the substance of the story held an emotional line straight to my heart and I found myself deeply invested in the outcome of not just their journey, but them as individuals! The secondary characters added not just levity to the story, but also enhanced the overall tone of the story.

My heart still belongs to Ronan & Nova but I might just let Tuck & Francesca visit and stay for a while :) Well done once again, Ilsa!

Francesca and Tuck's story is not to be missed. Tuck is one of the older players on his NFL team and for his birthday a couple of the younger guys plan a birthday surprise at a sex club where masks were required. From the moment Francesco runs into Tuck you know their story will be great. But how do you find that person again when you know nothing but their eyes and a few other details. Both have had difficult upbringings and are afraid to get hurt. But a chance meeting has them in each others lives again. I loved their back stories, their coincidences, their fate, how they both conquered their fears and fought for their future!!! I loved everything about this book - their friends, their "family" and their road to love.

Francesca and Tuck's story was very entertaining, I love the way they meet, and how fate had other things in mind for these two. She being in a difficult situation made me like her more, how she overcame everything. Then we get the mysterious NFL player and things start to spark. It was a sweet story with a good HEA ending, another amazing addition to the strangers in Love series.

I’m not crying, you’re crying. What started out as an anonymous hook up, became something more. When all the coincidences between Tuck and Francesca kept lining up, I knew it had to be something more. For a player, he felt something more for Francesca which was a big departure from his usual. Add in the side stories about Francesca’s parentage and her found family, most especially Darden, my eyes leaked more than I expected. Some lines that really rigged at my heart:

Francesca: He is something I never imagined I needed.

Tuck: You are my soul, he said. The light that guides me home. So why does it matter if it was sooner than we might have anticipated?

Sigh… laugh, get angry, cry, stomp your feet, swoon. All that and more.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

This book begins with Tuck’s teammates taking him out for his birthday...to a masquerade... at a sex club. He didn’t know what to expect but when he runs into a woman dressed as a bride, he wasn’t expecting her to be rude to him and run off after. When Jasper, Tucks friend, makes a bet with him that he can sleep with the runaway bride, of course Tuck says he’ll do it. He’s got that competitiveness in his body and won’t back down.

“𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐨. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨: 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫. 𝐀 𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲?”

Francesca is heart broken from her ex and decides she’s going to wear her wedding dress to a masquerade party. This party ends in a one night stand and both characters stay anonymous to each other. But both couldn’t forget about that night. So what happens when Tuck and Francesca realize they both lived in the same building the whole time? Ahhhh! 😆

I thought this book was so cute and add in a surprise pregnancy, yes!! I honestly love this trope for some reason. ☺️🤭 I devoured this book in less than a day and enjoyed it so much! Even all the side characters were great in here. 🤍💖🤍

Princess and the Player is the second book in the Stangers in Love Series by Ilsa Madden Mills and stayed all night to finish the book. This book was so good from the first chapter that it gave me all the feels. I’m a huge llsa Madden Mills fan & this book was just fantastic!
I absolutely loved the wonderful dialogue, hilarious secondary characters, steamy sex. Francesca and Tuck meet at a costume party at sex club. There is instant attraction which leads to an anonymous one night stand with no names exchanged.
This book was an absolute hit, well-written and well paced with so many likeable characters.
Thank you Social butterfly and to author for the eARC received to provide honest opinion.