Wow! Get ready for some sizzling chemistry, witty banter, emotional and heartbreaking moments as well as a fantastic meet cute! I couldn’t put this one down, it had me laughing, sighing, tingling, and crying. Bringing all the feels. I love this series and can not wait for the next book, please!!!

I’ve been reading the Sydney Smoke Rugby series by Amy Andrews since the first book, Playing by Her Rules was released in 2016. Seven years later, Playing it Tough, book eight, has the same energy, strong characters and sexy romance as the previous entries, a feat indeed.

Unlike previous entries though, the hero of this story is an American import instead of a native Aussie. Ronan Dempsey is aiming for a spot on the US Olympic team but competing internationally with the Sydney Smoke and hoping to be noticed by the US scouts for his performance on the field. He knows he’s been distracted lately by his many fans (especially the female ones) and that he needs to knuckle down and put aside the distractions if he wants to make the cut. When a fire at his apartment building forces him to look for temporary lodgings, the pool house on the property of a family friend is just the place to hide out and take his celibacy pledge seriously.

Orla Stewart doesn’t know what to think of the big, brawny rugby player who has moved onto the property where she is housesitting, but she does know that he’s not going to dissuade her from her current plan of healthy eating, exercising, and avoiding relationships. A cosmetic tattoo artist who specializes in covering scars and wounds, Orla has a family history of breast cancer that has taken her mother, her sister, and other female relatives, and she’s determined it’s not going to take her, too. Having a pre-emptive double mastectomy and regular cancer checkups have relieved some of the stress of watchful waiting, but having children who could have her bad genes is something she isn’t willing to contemplate – hence the no relationship stance. Her chest is covered by a profusion of flowers in place of breasts, something she keeps hidden and doesn’t show her occasional lovers. She’s determined not to be tempted by her new neighbour, a feeling that is mutual.

But it’s not long before their close proximity results in an unexpected friendship, and then something more. When things heat up between them, will Orla’s fears keep her from her chance at love?

Clearly the subject matter of this story is a heavier one, and Orla’s grief is not sidelined, but a part of her daily life. She’s taken that grief and channeled it into a successful and rewarding career, helping other women with their hurts and scars. I enjoyed her character and the growth she experiences as she meets Ronan and discovers that having swung from a super wild lifestyle (after her sister died) to an overly strict one with no room for errors hasn’t made her any happier. With him, she learns a bit of balance again, and the chance to live her life instead of hiding from the future.

In contrast, Ronan is a less serious character but one who is still strong and determined to keep his rugby career moving in the right direction. He is friendly and cocky and challenges Orla in the best of ways, but also becomes supportive of her as he learns more of her history. His admiration is real (and not based on pity) and when the opportunity comes to show her how his feelings have become more serious, he has his work cut out to convince her that they’ll be better together than alone. It doesn’t hurt that they have sizzling chemistry and some steamy encounters to reminisce over.

With plenty of previous stories in the series, there are lots of secondary characters making appearances which make me want to revisit the earlier books. Locker room shenanigans and banter showcase the strong friendships and camaraderie between the players. Their partners are happy to welcome Orla into the fold and offer her friendship, relationship advice and support. All the books in the series have unique and strong characters with varying themes (some more serious than others) and together they make for a set of great contemporary sports romances. Ronan and Orla’s eventual happy ending is a satisfying one and leaves me hoping the series will have more books on offer soon.

Apparently I have been sleeping on rugby and the hotness on the pitch they provide. However I haven’t been sleeping on this series. Playing it Tough is the new book in this series and it features Orla who has been living such a restricted life to protect her future that she lost some of her joy. After losing her Mom and Sister to cancer she figured it’s necessary.

Ronan is the American import trying to prove himself on the pitch and agrees to a celibacy bet. He wasn’t expecting to meet Orla though, or crash into her.

With Ronan’s in need of a short term place to stay he finds he can’t resist trying to break down her walls and helping her find her joy.

So much tension and steam it kept me waiting but was worth the wait.

They have both taken vows of celibacy, but there is this strong chemistry between them, so that's going to work- not. Thrown together by proximity, American rugby star, Ronan Dempsey playing for the Australian Sydney Smoke team, is focusing on playing his best and making the American Olympic team while prickly cosmetic tattoo artist, Orla Stewart, is a cancer survivor and is only focused on keeping her body healthy and helping other survivors camouflage their physical scars. However, her strict regime, because of unresolved fears, leaves her no joy, and Ronan wants to give her that.

I have not read the previous books in the series (I am partial to the author's Colorado cowboys), but this works very well as a stand alone. Author Amy Andrews has created an engaging story with strongly developed characters, a hot, emotional romance and lively banter.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com. This s my unbiased and voluntary review.

Roman’s character is a stand out and was the balm to Orla’s prickly demeanour. The story had some memorable moments, however was not a strong read like the other instalments in the series.
Review copy received from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley

In order to enhance his performance on the rugby field and increase his chances of making the Olympic team Ronan has decided to focus only on his career and that means no women and no partying. His plan is about to be tested when he and Orla become neighbors and the feelings he has for her go far beyond the physical.

After a health scare Orla has made some major life changes and that includes no partying and no men. Although she tries to distance herself from Ronan his patience and understanding make that difficult especially when he shows her there is so much more to life than the way she is living it.

The strength and resilience of Orla shines through and Ronan is exactly who she needs in her life as he is not only supportive, but he brings fun into her life and the chemistry between them is undeniable.

"Don't move, " she barked. "I'm calling the cops." She needed to get him the hell off her property. Lest she take total leave of her senses and make him - a stranger who was breaking into her house - a completely improper offer.
If she'd had ovaries, they'd be popping champagne corks about now.
"Move?" he huffed as he gingerly lowered his head to the ground. "Lady, I think you paralysed me. Coach is going to be pissed."

Orla knows she did the right thing - tackled this guy to the ground that was obviously breaking in. But he was sure pretty to look at! Also, he claims that the owner of the house has given him permission to stay in the pool house for a bit. That is not going to work for her. Having the guy that close to her living quarters was going to be entirely too tempting.

Ronan may have had a concussion from Orla taking him down, but he didn't mind all that much. It doesn't take much time for him to realize he wants to know a lot more about her.

These two definitely come from different worlds, in more ways than one. But their chemistry is off the charts!

Playing it Tough is the eighth book in Amy Andrews Sydney Smoke series. These books are all standalone with characters that are revisited from time to time. Sydney Smoke is an Australian rugby team, but Ronan Dempsey is a Colorado fellow. Ronan has been recruited by the well known head coach to play for this stellar team. However, his ultimate goal is to be tapped for the U.S. Olympic team.

The year is going well, but his game has been off a bit. Ronan’s teammates tell him he’s been playing too hard off the field, triggering a celibacy bet for the remainder of the season. At the same time Ronan’s luxury apartment building is found to have structural cracks that need evacuation and immediate attention. Thanks to his mother’s friendship with a woman in Sydney, Ronan is offered the pool house at her cliff side estate.

Orla Stewart is the house sitter for the estate, who meets the new tenant when she tackles the intruder. Orla has friends, works with people, but is something of a recluse due to her family and medical history. Orla owns and operates a specialty tattoo parlor, Metamorph-Ink, where she concentrates on helping her clients to mitigate scars life has dealt them.

When the two worlds collide, Ronan’s goal of perfection perfectly meshes with Orla’s world of restoration. And that makes for a story that will make the reader cheer while wiping away tears.

This book, on the surface, is about an individual relationship. In the big picture, Ms. Andrews has written a story about being subjected to one’s genetic code and the decisions that can evoke, plus the results of these decisions. When a person is trying to save their own life, what all is forfeited? And how is this person’s life impacted?

Some might look to the surface and find this book to be more of a sexy hookup story. I see this as a story of survival, of preservation, and ultimately of finding one’s person. Halfway through my rating may have been lower, discounting it as fluff. I finished the book in tears and knew with modern abilities to check for a genetic sentencing sequence, this is one of the most impactful books I’ve read. I do very much recommend this book!

Playing it Tough by Amy Andrews
Sydney Smoke Rugby #8

Sports romances starring rugby players when written by this author are always a treat. This time a player imported from the USA falls in love with a prickly self sufficient woman who is not in the market for a relationship. Such fun to read!

What I liked:
* Ronan Dempsey: American rugby player scouted to join Sydney Smoke, has dreams of playing on the US Olympic rugby team, understands and enjoys women, focused on his goals, rather taken with Orla
* Orla Stewart: tattoo artist, business owner, has suffered much loss, had difficult decisions to make related to health, is closed off and focused on her health, drawn to Ronan but pushes against the pull
* The chemistry between the lead characters, their ability to communicate, and that they seem to be perfect for one another
* The honest look at breast cancer and how it impacts not only the one with cancer but the entire family
* That it made me think, care, and feel I was part of the story
* Getting to see how the other team members of the rugby team are doing
* Wondering if Eve and Griff might get a book of their own.
* The enlightenment Orla experiences toward the end of the book
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Thinking about cancer and the impact it has on lives…I think everyone has lost a loved one, or more than one loved one, to cancer

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This was a hot emotional love story. Very unexpected. It built slowly and ended well. The story of Ronan and Orla is a wish most women would love to have in their life. A beautiful love. READ IT.

Orla and Ronan’s romance is a deep and healing story of two people who fall in love for who they are, not what they are.

Between rugby playing, American resident Ronan’s “Yes, ma’am”s to Orla’s sacrifice for health reasons, this book had me deeply reading and not wanting to put it down.

Author Amy Andrews did an absolutely astounding job writing Orla’s story. It deals with genetic breast cancer, and death, and choices.

I totally recommend reading this rugby romance from across the pond!

Oral and Roman meet when he ends up staying in the pool house of the place she is house sitting. The timing for them isn't ideal, and the book deals with some emotional issues. A great read, looking forward to the rest of the series.

A*R*C for honest review with no compensation Received from NetGalley, Entangled 4.5 stars

Playing It Tough is book 8 in the Sydney Smoke series by Amy Andrews and a nice addition to this series.

Ronan a US rugby player comes to play for the Australia Sydney Smoke rugby team with the hopes of being seen and selected for the US Olympic team.

Orla is a cosmetic tattoo artist who thinks Ronan is breaking into the home she is housesitting…when he is in fact trying to get his key to work…

What happens next is an emotional roller coaster ride, heartbreaking decisions, self worth, chemistry, banter, emotional, and so much more…

Amy Andrews and Sydney Smoke is the only reason I picked this book even though it deals with a tough topic I tend to avoid. I prefer my books on the lighter side.
I really liked Ronan, every girl should have a partner like him, standing by Orla even when she kept pushing him away. Ronan and Orla had a very unconventional meeting which was fun. I enjoyed their banter, their relationship development and ofcourse and their “not having sex” phase.

Ronan Dempsey is an American rugby player who has joined the Sydney Smoke to hopefully get more experience and get selected for the US Olympic team. However, his partying hasn't gone unnoticed and could jeopardise his career, so he makes a bet with his teammates that he can remain celibate for the rest of the season. When his apartment block develops subsidence problems one of his mum's friends offers the use of her (luxurious) pool house as a temporary home.

Orla Stewart used to be a big party girl, then a cancer scare pushed her the other way. Now she's a walking talking celibate advert for clean living in all its forms and she uses her skills as a cosmetic tattoo artist to cover up scars. She is house-sitting for a wealthy Sydney resident while they are travelling.

When Ronan and Orla first meet he doesn't make a good impression, especially because Orla didn't know the pool house had been lent out. But the chemistry was palpable, if it wasn't for those pesky celibacy vows. Orla gets quite creative about her definition of celibacy (move over Bill Clinton you have a new contender), but can she let herself out of the box she has put herself in?

Amy Andrews and I have a love-hate relationship, and I'm afraid this one tipped the wrong way. I know Amy is all about the steamy smexy times, but I feel she may have over-compensated for the serious topic under discussion by throwing more sex scenes at it. For me, it just felt like the balance between plot and steam was off. Others will no doubt love it.

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

Playing it Tough is the 8th book in the Sydney Smoke series - which follows a team of aussie rugby players and their romantic escapades.

Despite being 8th in the series, and having not read any of the other books, this read like a standalone and i didn’t feel like i was missing anything critical to the story.

Overall, i thought this was cute! The plot was pretty straightforward and I liked how condensed and fast-paced it was. Sometimes it’s nice to read a quick little romance.

However, I did have some issues with the book. The first ~30% of the book takes places over 3 days and each scene takes place in the same location, Orlas porch. I felt like the characters had no lives, job, or other friends. This was sort of a theme throughout the book - the story only happened between the two main characters. I think Orla and Ronan would’ve felt less flat if they seemed to have lives away from each other.

Also, some of the dialogue (particularly in the sex scenes) was down right goofy. I’m sorry but if a partner ever said “it’s about to get crazy” before sex, i would die from laughing.

I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I know when I pick up an Amy Andrews book I am going to discover a hot, steamy and sensual romance filled with witty banter, humour and emotion and this one is all of those with a big dose of emotion as we meet Orla Stewart and Ronan Dempsey as they find their way to a beautiful HEA.

Orla is a tattoo artist, specializing in covering scars and for a while there she partying big time but when she stopped and started to think about her life more, because that’s what cancer can do to a person she made changes, these days she works hard on keeping fit eating healthy and choosing a life of celibacy, that might just change when hot rugby dude moves into the pool house.

Ronan is an American playing top level rugby for the Sydney Smoke and winning and keeping fit and concentrating on his game is what he does he has high hopes and he wants nothing getting in his way so from now till the end of the season celibacy is his choice, much to the horror of his team mates. But when he needs to find a place to stay for a while and is offered a pool house to stay in the last thing he was looking for was to be put on his back in more ways than one by a gorgeous pink haired goddess.

I loved this story Ronan is the best hero for Orla a woman who has been through so much and deserves the best she is tough, brave and strong and has big walls built around her heart and it is going to take Ronan some work to bring those walls down. This one is steamy and sensual and a page turner, one not to be missed, thank you Amy Andrews for another awesome story in this series.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review

This is the third Sydney Smoke rugby romance by Amy Andrews that I've read and I think it's the best one yet. This series has so much to offer; rugby, a gripping romance and each one deals with a different issue or situation. The books don't shy away from some pretty tough issues.
I loved both Orla and Ronan, they made such a great couple and despite all of the problems that Orla had dealt with and was still facing, they worked so well together.
This is a fantastic series and one that I'm really enjoying. I've said this of other series, but I really must go back and read the other books.
I think that even if you didn't enjoy rugby, you would get a lot from this book, but if you do, then it's an added bonus.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This ispart of a series, but reads well as a stand alone. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and had charisma. Orla was amazing and strong. She and Ronan had chemistry. 4 stars

What an unexpectedly emotional love story. I was not prepared for this one to hit me in the feels but it did. Orla and Ronan are one of those stories that will stay with me forever.

Cosmetic tattoo artist Orla Stewart once lived a nomadic party life. But after the death of her sister, she completely turned her life around and adopted a healthy lifestyle. Even giving up men. Through her work, she finds herself house-sitting an amazing home. Until someone turns her life upside down.

Ronan Dempsey an American player, for the Sydney Smoke, has spent some time partying and it's starting to affect his game. There are goals he'd like to achieve and figures it's in his best interest to clean up his act. Most importantly no sleeping around and all the guys are taking bets against Ronan.

Ronan needs to find temporary housing and a family friend offers her pool house. It's the perfect place to avoid distractions until he finds himself knocked to the ground by a gorgeous, pink-haired woman.

The chemistry and attraction is off the charts. The proximity makes the temptation hard to resist but neither wants to break first.

Thanks so much to the author, Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC to review.