*This is my honest and voluntary review. Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this ebook.*

Playing for keeps is a Fake-dating that I have loved, I have enjoyed it and it has kept me hooked on the Kindle from beginning to end.

This story tells us about Bryce and Jake. Bryce is not going through a good streak, after the divorce they deny her a promotion (more than deserved) at work and tired of everything she goes to Wackernagel, leaving her job and her "perfect" life in Chicago. There, under the most curious circumstances, she meets Jake, who is forced to return to his hometown to settle a debt. After Bryce's ex appears on the scene, they end up pretending to be a couple and one thing leads to another and they end up spending a lot of time together.

I liked the story because of how it leads to romance, but also because of the comedy scenes that have made me smile more than once. It also has drama, both Bryce and Jake have a past that is becoming known, and an issue as important as mental health in sports and suicide is dealt with. I think Julie has handled the subject well, in the background but without taking away its importance.

The characters are adorable, but not just Bryce and Jake, everyone in general (except Brody). It's like a Found Family, as Bryce finds a second family in that town, and a second chances as Jake gets the second chance he never thought he'd get.

If you like rom-coms I highly recommend it. A short book that will catch you and make you have a good time.

middle of the road romance in my opinion- I liked the characters and storyline for the most part, but I didn't really feel any spark, ya know?

This was a fun book to read. Jake and Bryce were great main characters with a lot of heart. They are relatable and inspiring, As a bonus, this book was very clean! I would recommend this to anyone to read.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of Playing for Keeps by Julie Hammerle. I loved this book!

Thank you to entangled publishing and Julie Hammerle for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Playing for Keeps follows Bryce, a heartbroken attorney. Bryce is going through it. She is recently divorced, living in a house that is a disaster, and getting into trouble with security… although, the security happens to be Jake Warner, a guy who has been to all 50 states and is also going through it. His family wants him to stay in town, he’s paying off debt, grieving, and finding out who he is.

Bryce runs into her ex-husband and sees Jake. So what does any person do? They say HEY THIS IS MY BOYFRIEND. Boom. Fake dating. Of course, what happens when the two start to fall for each other?
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This was a cute read. I read it in one sitting (oops!) I liked the premise of it. I thought the plot was fun. The characters were likable. Predictable, yes, but I like that. I like an easy read like this because it just makes you smile. It was a light hearted read and was enjoyable.

Trope: Fake dating!!!!

I love the fake dating trope and just think it’s so fun and cute. This was a great fake dating book!

If you like cheesy rom-coms, this is for you!

Don't let the cute cartoon cover and quirky blurb fool you, this book was way darker emotionally than I was expecting. Both our MCs are dealing with some serious trauma in not so healthy ways at the start of this book. Like for a majority of the book I just wanted to hug them while yelling at them that they need to go to therapy and work out their stuff.

Jake has spent a decade running from everyone trying to live the life his friend never got to have. Now that he's stuck at home thanks to a deal he's made with his parents, they and his sister are doing everything they can into manipulating him into staying. Bryce got divorced and was ok but the final straw was when some new young guy was given the partner position she'd been told she was going to get so she quits and moves into the house she took from her husband in the divorce and basically gives up on life. We meet her 6 months later when she is living in literal filth having not taken out the trash or paid a single bill or even really left the house in all that time except to get ice cream.

Sensing a similarly lost soul, Jake makes it his mission to help her out after she claims he's her boyfriend to save face in front of her ex and his new girlfriend. From there starts a friendship that turns into more. But all their baggage, particularly Jake's, gets in the way.

Like I said, this was a much heavier read than I was expecting but it def had some levity too. Wagernackle is a tiny town full of love for its local basketball team, and as someone who grew up in Friday night light territory the town love for a sport was very familiar. I had issues with his family and all they're manipulating but I really loved the law firm and the improbable friendships Bryce made there.

I think this was a fun, quick read. Overall, the book was entertaining with lots of fun tropes. In general, I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. They seemed a bit too unrealistic for me. But I think it's a worthwhile read if you're looking for something quick and cute.

I am so sad to have to write this review because I do not like to write sad reviews.
This book had a ton of emotional baggage to deal with not just one character either :(
It was kinda too much (too tire-some) to read
Clean romance- rom-com
Good thing for the added humor bc if not for this i would not have been able to get through this book
I am a mood reader and this maybe didn't hit me at the right time, mood or it was just too much baggage for my liking
I guess there was too much sadness for me. This one was not for me :(
I hope that this was just me and that others will enjoy this book.

I was able to read this ARC thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. The review/opinion above is my own, honest, and voluntary.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this one! Though it follows a pretty cliche romance plot, it has unique character depth. I enjoyed reading about Jake and Bryce’s back stories. I also enjoyed how this romance didn’t focus on appearances as much, though on the flip side of that, I don’t have a clear mental image of either. I enjoyed the popular culture references and even the mentions of mental health. All in all this was a great palate cleanser.

🏀Light moments but not a light romance💕

This story is a good romance but it's also got a lot of family drama for Jake, the male lead. I really liked the depth of emotion shown by both lead characters as they sort out their lives and decide if basketball mad Wackernagel is their life destination or just a brief stop on the road.

With humor but also some frustration, deep regrets and even lows approaching depression, this story took Jake and Bryce through a whole gamut of emotions. The initial meeting between the two hit me as odd and quirky (those beaver slippers couldn't be anything else!). I liked the slow pace of the romance, the lower heat level, and the glimpses into Bryce's literally messy existence until Jake steps in to help.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing LLC and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Playing for Keeps by J. Hammerle, published by Entangled Publishing LLC is a stand-alone clean romance novel.
A beautiful read that gives all the feels, is literally unputdownable.
Bryce and Jake don't have much in common, at first sight. But somehow they work together, make a beautiful couple.
A great read, 4,5 sweet stars.

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover 🤍
This was my first book by Hammerle, and it exceeded any and all expectations. This is a 5 star read and will be going on all applicable reader advisory lists going forward!
I was captivated from the first chapter and read this book in one sitting (and standing as I walked around). I thought this was going to be an upbeat, easy read novella, but found myself reading an honest, uplifting, and heartfelt book about love, friendship, and hopefulness.

I did enjoy this read overall, it was relatively short and so it made it a quick read.

After facing a major career setback while coming off of a divorce, Bryce makes the decision to head to Wackernagle, the small Midwest town where the home her and her ex husband had purchased is. She's hoping to escape and completely cut herself out of the every day system of society. What she doesn't account for is Jake, the hometown drifter to come to potentially arrest her after an incident involving ice cream. She definitely doesn't expect him to show up at her home later that evening, or for the two of them to strike up a fake dating scenario that could lead to real feelings.

Overall, like I said previously I enjoyed this read. I found myself feeling for the characters and their struggles. What I didn't love though was Jake constantly running away without talking anything out. I wanted to shake him. I'd definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves a cleaner romance with a deeper story attached.

Playing For Keeps aroused very mixed feelings in me, on the one hand I loved the fun moments in the book and I was moved along with the characters in the most dramatic moments, but I really didn't like the ending. It seemed as if the author had realized that she needed to finish the book and it was all resolved so quickly and a little "superficially", which was sad, because I thought the book was developing in a very good way. Too bad, because the rest of the book is very interesting, a well done rom-com that was entertaining me a lot, I read it in one day, so it's a good choice for anyone who wants a faster read. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled: August, and Julie Hammerle for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, I want to say the cover immediately grabbed my attention. I loved the colors of it. Definitely sticks out.

Second, This book was just okay for me. It was short but the ending felt a little rushed. The heavier topics that were covered were done really well. But I couldn't connect with the characters and honestly found them unenjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
I liked this book but I found it to be quite heavy in parts. When I read the 'trigger warning' I knew what was going to be discussed. I like romcoms that are fun and though touch on hard topics it is kept light and romantic. This one was just too heavy for me.

this book had it all. the feels and you get that story of getting to know your friend again. i really liked this story and will read more from them. Good read and had me hooked.

DNF at 13%

Thank you to Net galley for allowing me an ARC copy of this book
I'm typically not one to DNF a book but giving the time limit I just knew I wasn't going to be able to push through this book as it just didn't pull me in. The characters were written amazing and relatable however I couldn't connect with them they seemed to be characters from different universes and not the same book. The plot was slow to start but also too fast it felt as if we were rushing in without really getting to know the characters backgrounds. Fake dating is a great trope but unfortunately there just wasn't enough friction between the two characters for me to continue reading

3.5 stars for me for this book. The book was a quick read for me and I did enjoy the characters . The book tackles some heavy topics and I liked the way it offered changes for mental health in the sporting community. Aside from the heaviness it also had some laugh out loud moments . There was a-lot going on in this book so sometimes felt it wasn’t necessary , that being said a 3 star is a good book for me that I would recommend to others to read.

I voluntarily received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own

Naaah... This book was just not for me. It had some laugh-out-loud moments but overall a very slowburn read. I didn't get so invested in this story. I just wanted it to end.

Bryce and Jake both appear to be at a crossroads when they meet. They become reluctant friends (who fake date) and eventually more, but they both have issues they are trying to work through. It was more emotional than I thought it would be from the description, but still a romcom vibe.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Playing for Keeps to come out May 8, 2023!