Play for Me
by Libby Hubscher
Pub Date 20 Jun 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Romance
#PlayforMe #NetGalley

Summary
When her new job takes her to a New England boarding school, she’s surprised to find her roommates are all men – including a very handsome one who plays by his own rules.

Sophie Doyle has her dream job as the head athletic trainer for her favorite baseball team (go Red Sox!), a handsome boyfriend, and easy access to the finest cannoli in Boston. When she loses all three and the World Series to boot, she’s forced to apply for the open trainer position at an arts-focused boarding school in New Hampshire. The only available room is a glorified closet in an apartment with three guys: Jonas Voss, the aloof and attractive orchestra teacher, and his two rambunctious roommates.

My Thoughts
💕-This book caught my interest because of the unique description of the main characters. I enjoyed Play for Me as it was a cute, easy romance. The book reminded me of the romcom movie Fever Pitch - the movie with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon - set in Boston with a baseball theme if the movie had some artistic high schoolers and tall moody concert pianist.

Like the movie - the characters in the book Play For Me are so different from one another. Their differences overshadowed the romance for me but the reverse stereotype was unique. I especially loved the roommates and the menu at the dining hall! The author did a wonderful job drawing parallels between athletes and musicians.

The serious components of this book centered around parent child relationships including parent’s illness and troubled upbringing. These areas of conflicts added conflict in the story and allowed the reader to find another connection to the characters.

I would recommend this book to avid baseball fans and musicians alike who enjoy an easy to read romance.

How do you feel about the grumpy sunshine trope?

I don’t mind this trope when it is done nicely, and in this case it was. I feel that almost every trope is good when well written. There is just something about the writing style that can make or break any trope.

After a huge blowout professionally, and personally, Sophie finds herself as the Athletic trainer for a bunch of privileged high school kids in New Hampshire. When she meets her roommates, two of them meet her with open arms, but the other is just rude. Sophie is up for a challenge though and sets off to not only win her roommate over, but also teach these kids a thing or two about sports with her sunny disposition.

This was a slow burn, closed door, grumpy-sunshine romance book. I really enjoyed that Sophie was an athletic director as that is a male dominated field – nice for the female rep. I loved the sport aspect of this book. The characters were so well written – it was great! Their chemistry was apparent from the beginning of the book, and I loved it. I with that the pacing on this one was quicker – I found it dragging and difficult to get through at times. I loved the banter in this book as well.

Grumpy – sunshine isn’t necessarily a trope I seek out. I usually prefer friends to lovers, but this one was so cute. This book had the most amazing side characters. A loving dad, a movie star best friend, and a pair of gay roommates. Each character was well developed and played nicely in the story.

If you are looking for a book that is sure to make you smile, then check this one out June 20th.

Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this was an issue of wrong time to pick up the book. It has all the elements I love in a book - semi enemies to lovers, grump/sunshine trope, forced proximity/roommate trope and it had sports and music! But it just didn't work for me. I didn't feel a connection with the book and I'm not sure why. The writing was good and it was an easy read, but it just didn't click for me. I'm going to pick it up again in the future and hope that it was just an off week for me since all the ingredients were there for a great romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Play For Me by Libby Hubscher is a simultaneously emotional yet fun romance novel with enemies to lovers & forced proximity all taking place at a remote boarding school campus. I loved that this book revolved around the two main characters, Sophie & Jonas, & their respective passions of sports medicine & music. The love for their loves was just woven seamlessly into the plot & gave the reader a lovely reminder to pursue their passions.

The set-up for this story was quite unusual with the teachers bunking together living situation at the boarding school but I appreciated it because it felt like something I hadn’t read before. Plus, it created the popular trope of forced proximity, but then it added in the amazing other roommates for extra amusement. The side characters, in general, in this story were just top notch. Between her outrageous & supportive best friend to her phenomenal & heartwarming Dad, the supremely talented student & of course, their couples up roommates, they all brought so much warmth & humor to the story.

As someone who has had a lot of surgeries, recoveries & injuries, I was also impressed with the accurate medicine aspect. The physical therapy & dry-needling bits reminded me of exactly of the experience I went through, so it felt very real.

The pace of this story was perfect with just enough activity to keep it rolling but then it would slow & let you appreciate the view along the way. There was a great combination of personal journeys & hardships that mixed in growth & appreciation into this beautiful love story.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I am waiting for my Amazon review to go live, but I will add it once it does!

Sophie’s life implodes when her decision to keep the star pitcher out of the game ends with the Red Sox losing the World Series. Sophie is fired, and her boyfriend breaks up with her, kicking her out of his apartment. Her name is mud in Boston, so her best friend suggests she take up a job at her old boarding school in New Hampshire for a change of scenery.

However, things are not all bad, as Sophie is a glass-full kind of gal. The boarding school, Monadnock, is beautiful and so is the location. She has a closet sized bedroom in the apartment she shares with three other men, and all are nice except for one: Jonas Voss. The handsome but grouchy music teacher seems to take an immediate dislike to her, but Sophie’s determined to make the best of her situation.

As they cohabitate Sophie begins to see another side to Jonas and he seems to soften towards her, here and there. Sophie discovers her training may be able to help Jonas get back on the career path he had to abandon, and they start working together. Sparks fly, although Sophie’s not sure Jonas feels the same.

Play For Me was a wonderful, slow-burn romance, but there was so much more to this lovely story! Both Sophie and Jonas had their dream jobs taken away and the story examined the repercussions and whether a job alone brings happiness. I was delighted to see both Sophie and Jonas help each other to recognize they had value and could find happiness in many different ways and that there wasn’t just one career path that could bring joy. They had complicated issues, but they supported each other through them, and I just loved that!

Play For Me is the story of a woman, Sophie, a trainer fired from the Red Sox for looking out for the health of a player, who lands a new job at a boarding school in New England, helping the student athletes (and musicians). This book was a big warm hug. I loved Sophie so much for being so resilient and standing her ground and also so empathetic and compassionate. I loved her relationship with her dad, her best friend and her roommates and how supportive they were of each other. Everyone was just huggable. And the romance was the make you weak in the knees sweet kind of romance

Sophie has lost her dream job as an athletic trainer for the Red Sox, her boyfriend, and her house all at once. She takes a job at a boarding school and is shocked to find that her staff housing comes with three male roommates- one of whom absolutely despises her. Will Sophie find a way to make her living situation work?

What I loved:
-adorable side characters/friend relationships
-the character of Jonas. The sweetest book boyfriend!
-side plot with Sophie’s dad and the retirement home. So sweet!

This was such a heartwarming read and I ADORED the relationship between Sophie and Jonas. I want a thousand more books like this!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy!

Looking for the perfect beach read? PLAY FOR ME is fabulous flirty fun with a slow burn romance. It stars Sophie Doyle, a stunning beauty with smarts, who is an athletic trainer for the Red Sox. However, fate deals her a nasty blow after she loses her job, her boyfriend and gets arrested. So, she takes a job as a trainer at an arts-focused boarding school. Sophie finds out there's a lot to learn training kids who need to heal emotionally and physically. However, her living arrangements are much to be desired. She rooms with three men. One of the guys is a hunk named Jonas, who is very irritable. Oh boy, what has she got herself into?

Jonas is a crabby piano teacher who is secretly attracted to Sophie. The other two guys are goofy and fun. Sophie learns to adjust living with three guys and their antics. She develops feelings for Jonas, who clearly doesn't want anything to do with her. They both have problems that they must overcome. Can they ever stand to be in the same room together? Will they ever confess their attraction for one another?

PLAY FOR ME is a special bonding story with a lot of heart. Jonas and Sophie have serious tension from the start, but they become friends along the way. Jonas is very grouchy but has a kind heart. When I learned about his past, everything became clear. Their relationship is more special because of all they go through. The author adds a lot of depth to the plot with all the supporting characters. This is a fantastic book that I didn't want to end. This will tug at your heartstrings!

I really enjoyed Hubscher's previous book, but Play for Me did not quite for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and being able to sympathize with them.

Play for Me was such a cute book!

Sophie has her dream job as the Athletic Trainer for the Red Sox but when she loses her job, she decides to take a job at an arts-focused boarding school in New Hampshire. She's up for the challenge of working here and trying to be nice to her grumpy orchestra teacher roommate.

The beginning scenes in this book hook you, I was laughing on the plane up to Boston reading this. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, I loved Sophie and Jonas and all of the great characters in the book! The relationship between Sophie and her dad was lovely as well as all of the strong friendships. Plus, I loved that Sophie recognized all of the musicians as athletes and wanted to help them prevent injuries.

Highly recommend checking our Play For Me!

Play for Me is the first book that I have read by Libby Hubscher and it certainly won’t be the last. Play for Me is the moving romance story of Sophie and Jonas. It had me captivated from the very beginning. I loved all of the amazing characters. They felt so real that it was like I new them. I really enjoyed the way that Sophie and Jonas interacted with one another in the beginning, it was so entertaining. I was so glad that they realized what was really important to them and went for it.
I loved this story so much, I didn’t want it to end. This was such a beautifully written story, that I was able to read it in less than a day. I highly recommend this sweet romance to anyone who is looking for a moving romance filled with unforgettable characters.

Libby Hubscher has such a way with words. I adored If You Ask Me, so I was really excited to get a hold of her newest release, Play for Me. Sophie and Jonas are the best *sigh*.

Sophie sets out to win Jonas over when she finds him to be the grumpiest of her new roommates. As you can imagine, everything that happens after she begins to implement her plan is hilarious as much as it is sweet. Hubscher writes such great dialogue, and that, as well as some forced proximity, really builds the tension between these two.

Hubscher also does a great job of managing some tough topics in the story while still keeping up the pacing and sweetness of the romance. I simply love her books. Can’t wait for the next one!

I loved Meet Me In Paradise so I was extremely excited to get the chance to read Play For Me! I thoroughly enjoy Libby’s character development and storytelling, and, spoiler alert, this book was absolutely lovely.

After making a difficult call to bench an injured player in an important World Series game and then getting dumped, Sophie needs a new job and a new place to live. Her best friend finds her a position as a sports trainer at a New England boarding school, solving both problems. The room comes with three male teachers as roommates - two cinnamon rolls and an absolute grump.

Sophie is adamant to win over Jonas, who is a music teacher. As they are forced to spend increasing amounts of time together, they both realize they may have misjudged the other and they may even like spending time in each other’s company.

Libby is so good at writing wonderful characters. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Sophie’s father and his friends. There were so many touching moments balanced with great humor. I found the romance to be both heartwarming and believable, and this is a couple I genuinely believe will have a happily ever after.

I highly recommend Play For Me to fans of romance stories with depth and more series topics. This is a beautiful book, even more so because of the depth and growth that Libby added for Sophie and Jonas as a couple as well as individually.

Thank you to @berkleyromance for an opportunity to read an eARC of Play for Me! All thoughts are my own.

4 When One Decision Changes Everything Stars!!

This is my first book by Ms. Hubscher and I really loved it. This story revolves around Sophie a trainer for the Boston Red Sox and how one decision, made for the right reason, changed everything about her life. At the time, she was sure it was the demise of her career. And then her bestie Astrid makes a call, and Sophie heads to New Hampshire.

I loved it so much when Sophie meets her new roomies at the privileged high school she’s now going to be the Trainer for. The dichotomy of Jonas and Sophie and their initial meeting had me chuckling. I immediately thought this is going to be so good! Their other two roomies Revi and Andy add a lightness to the tense moments in this book which are with regularity. Sophie is athletic and Jonas runs the music department and works with so many talented kids and is not a fan of them possibly getting injured playing sports when their lives should revolve around the instrument they’ve mastered.

The further I read into this book the more I understood Jonas and his crankiness. He definitely has some quirks that drive Sophie to distraction. What’s fabulous though is that as the school year progresses and they get to know each other better, dreams and past experiences are exposed and this changes both of them in astounding ways. The softness we see in Jonas that he doesn’t let many people see, is what makes Sophie falling for him that much easier. While they’re complete opposites, they balance each other so well. And when it comes to their futures, there’s so much that hangs in the balance. One decision either way, could have cataclysmic consequences…. Who will decide what and where will it leave their relationship? When you add in Sophie’s dad who I absolutely fell in love with and a particular student that is equally influenced by both Sophie and Jonas, well there’s a lot of surprises in this story!

I’m so glad I took the opportunity to read this new to me author. I can’t wait to go and read her other books!

After messing up her dream job as the trainer for the Boston Red Sox, Sophie Doyle finds herself needing to escape. She takes a job at a New England boarding school that specializes in the arts (not sports). When she moves into staff housing, she finds herself living with four men. One of those men is Jonas Voss, the grumpy but very attractive orchestra teacher who clearly doesn’t want her there. Sophie is determined to win him over and help the students at her school become better athletes.

I love Libby Hubscher’s writing and how her stories are filled with so much heart and emotion. I thought Sophie and Jonas were incredible together and loved watching their journey from enemies to friends to lovers. Each character had so much depth to them and their chemistry together was incredible. Sophie in particular found a special place in my heart. She had a stroke of terrible luck, but she didn’t let it stop her and never gave up on herself or her dreams. This book left me with a smile on my face and a warm heart.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I really enjoy Libby’s writing. Jonas was too rude and wasn’t someone that I wanted to root for. I felt like Sophie was giving him so much leeway and so many chances and I just didn’t understand why. The chemistry wasn’t something I felt between them either.

Such a fun romance!

Sophie is all but run out of Boston after her job as a sports trainer had her benching a pitcher in the World Series leading to a loss. She takes a job as a trainer at a boarding school to support herself while she figures out life, and how to tell her elderly dad she got fired from their dream job. I adored Sophie. She is fun and sassy!

Jonas is the music/orchestra teacher at the boarding school. He is the grumpy to her sunshine, but I also grew to adore him!

This book deals with some heavier issues, such as elderly/ill parents, abuse, and the strive to be perfect at what you do. But it was balanced by the light hearted romance.

The side characters, both at the school and in their outside worlds were amazing.

I was rooting for these two to get together from their first not so perfect meeting!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance, and Let's Talk Books Promo, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and allowing me to a part of this Berkley Buddy Read.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
There is a crazy cannoli scene set in Boston’s North End at the start of this book which inspired me to get my favorite cannoli from Modern Pastry - yummo! Athletic trainer Sophie is dealing with the backlash of being let go from the Red Sox, her dream job. Due to a friend’s connection, she lands a maternity leave position at a New Hampshire boarding school. The school is more artistic-focused than athletic-focused, but Sophie jumps right into it. She shares an apartment with three other employees, including a grumpy orchestra teacher.
As a former boarding school teacher, I loved revisiting memories of my boarding school life like the unlimited delicious food and proctoring study hall in the library. And as a Red Sox fan, I loved reading about Sophie’s love of the team. This was a really fun read - witnessing Sophie’s growth and the development of her relationship. I enjoyed the characters and think this would be a great summer read - it was a bit too school-centric for my liking (3 days left of the school year!), but I think that’s just a “me “ thing at this time of the year. It will be available 6/20!

Sophie Doyle has her dream job as the head athletic trainer for the Boston Red Sox when she makes a call during the World Series that gets her fired, her boyfriend dumps her, and the city of Boston hate her. Needing to escape she takes a short term job as a trainer at a New Hampshire boarding school. She ends up roommates with three men, two of whom are wonderful, and the third, Jonas Voss, is gorgeous and surly. With a positive outlook on her new life, Sophie is determined to help her new students, even though they are more interested in music than sports, and make inroads with her attractive and grumpy roommate.

This was the perfect kind of sports romance. The sports revolved around our heroine, who rose to the pinnacle in her field in a male dominated world. When that world blows up around her she doesn’t give up and looks to redeem herself. The second thing I loved about this romance was that our hero Jonas was a musician and didn’t know a lot about sports so they were opposites who attract, but this story also had an enemies to lovers element. The story set-up was great, the character development felt full, and the romance-to-be was a lot of fun to read. Who doesn’t love a grumpy hero?

This novel took two of my favorite tropes, a sports romance, and an enemies to lovers plot and melded them into a fun story. There was also a redemption element for both characters that helped us root for their individual challenges as well. There was a great cast of characters, in particular the other two roommates who were an involved gay couple, and Sophie’s best friend, a famous movie-star. There was plenty of back story and plot to keep even the most jaded reader interested. Truly, this was a breeze to read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Hubscher has totally solidified herself as an auto buy author for me - girl take all my money! While this one didn’t outshine her previous two books for me, it was just such a solid, well written, and heart warming romcom with everything I love about the genre + baseball 😍

What to expect::
•Baseball trainer heroine
•Orchestra instructor/pianist hero
•Forced proximity/roommates
•Opposites attract
•New England, boarding school charm
•Great side characters
•Heroine in life crisis
🔥Closed door