I loved Playing for Keeps. It was a slow start for me but as I read on it got my attention more! It's a fun and light read that had me laughing! The chemistry between Bryce and Jake is off the charts and so electric, and their banter is so funny. The supporting characters are all so great, and they add to the humor of the story. Playing for Keeps is a fantastic rom com that will leave you feeling happy and satisfied! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys rom coms and is looking for a light and funny read.

Thank you NetGalley & Entangled publishing for the Arc!

A light, easy read. I enjoyed Bryce's character very much. I was rooting for her the entire book. Overall, this was a very sweet story that I would love to have on my shelf some day.

*** Thanks you to the Publishers and to Netgalley for providing with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

While this had a promising premise, but I could not get through the first half. I was not sucked into the story and the characters were not very interesting.

I really enjoyed this book. Having the couple wanting to be child free was refreshing. Just wished it was longer and the relationship had the opportunity to build more gradually, despite that I really enjoyed the dynamics the main characters had with family and friends.

I had no major issues. The book was very good. I teared up toward the end during Jake's speech. It definitely wasn't my favorite book but there was nothing particularly wrong with it.

Playing for Keeps by Julie Hammerle was a sweet, funny, short read that will give you all the feels. The story line was very predictable with a clean romance which will allow me to recommend to my students. The characters are likeable, even the ex (Ted) and his new fiancé (Rita) were likeable characters.
The book was a little slow due to its predictability but the ending came together with everyone getting their happy endings. So-if you want a light book for a quick read-I would recommend this book. Personally, I don't think I will read it again but I will definitely read other books by Julie Hammerle.

Thanks to NetGalley for this Arc.

From family drama to sports highlights and hearing about someone’s grieving process, this book is everything you’ll want in a romance!

The family aspect pulls at your heart strings. But i throughly enjoyed the connection I was able to make with the characters such as Drea and Sue.
The grieving process for Jake was also an easy connection but the chemistry between Bryce and Jake is undeniable!

It was a slow start but definitely worth sticking it out!

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲⁣
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I actually struggled with this book a little bit. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. ⁣
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Bryce was a little too much of a mess for my tastes and I hated how she completely cut and ran from her life and stopped living. ⁣
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Jake had some character growth and while I appreciated him stepping up for his family, I didn’t love his connection and relationship with Bryce.

This one was unfortunately not for me, I was bored, didn't believe in their story, couldn't get to it at all, the characters were not likeable in my opinion. I made it through but thankfully it was a short read.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dnf.

I'm sorry to day but this just wasn't for me.

Playing For Keeps was a cute read that I think is perfect for the summer. I will admit the beginning was a bit difficult to get through, but once I got to the heart of the story, I really enjoyed it. I love a good character growth and these Jake and Bryce grew together in a wonderful way. I loved the way main situations/conflicts were handled. Overall, I enjoyed this read, I just wish I had been truly captured at the beginning of the story. That being said, if you have trouble like me with the beginning, definitely push through.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publishers for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Playing for Keeps is such a fun and lighthearted read, and had me rolling! Bryce and Jake have off the charts explosive chemistry, and their banter is hilarious. The side characters are fantastic too, and add to the humor of this story as well.

Overall, Playing for Keeps is a wonderful romcom that will give you all the warm fuzzies and feel goods. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light and funny read.

Playing for Keeps by Julie Hammerle is a hilarious and heartwarming romance novel that will make you laugh, swoon and feel all the good feelings. The story follows Bryce Barrett, who's hiding out in a small Midwest town after her marriage and career have fallen apart. When she runs into her ex, she panics and pretends that Jake Warner, a cute security guard, is her new boyfriend.

Jake is a free-spirited nomad who has returned to his hometown, and when Bryce enlists him as her fake boyfriend, he goes along with it, even though he knows it's a bad idea. Together, they navigate the town and its annoyingly stable inhabitants while trying to plot their respective escapes.

I absolutely loved Playing for Keeps. It's a fun and lighthearted read that had me laughing out loud. The chemistry between Bryce and Jake is off the charts, and their banter is hilarious. The supporting characters are also fantastic, and they add to the humor and heart of the story.

Overall, Playing for Keeps is a fantastic romantic comedy that will leave you feeling happy and satisfied. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light and funny read. I give it 4.5 stars!

As a fan of Juliie Hammerle's "It's Raining Men", I had high hopes for her latest novel, Playing for Keeps. However; I couldn't get through the book, stopping at 48 percent. I wish there were content warnings featured at the beginning instead of telling a reader to go to the Entangled website to learn more, especially with harder hitting topics.

Bryce recently divorced, has quit her job and moved into the house she won in her divorce from her ex husband and has basically given up any care in the world.

Jake, has recently moved backed home as part of the deal with his parents to help pay off some of his debt and working as a resort security card.

After a hilarious and some what embarrassing first meeting then and then an awkward second meeting when Bryce announces to her ex husband that Jake is her new boyfriend,they start to fake date.

Throughout their friendship/fake dating to real dating relationship, Jake helps Bryce get back on her feet and Bryce helps Jake from keep running away from his problems.

This was a quick read told in dual povs, I loved Bryces character but I had a little harder time connecting to Jake. But I still really enjoy the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This was a sweet, funny story! I liked Jake from the start; I appreciated his ability to empathize with people (i.e. his first encounter with Bryce), and I feel bad he's kinda forced to be in a place he doesn't want to be doing a job he doesn't care about. Bryce is hysterical to me from the start; the 'I give no f***s' attitude is hilarious, and I feel bad for her running into her ex-husband while she's at the lowest part of her life.
Bryce and Jake have a 'here for a fun time not a long time' kinda vibe to their friendship/fake relationship/real relationship (as the story progresses, kinda) and I grow more and more empathetic to both these characters as we learn about the hard times they've experienced and coped with.
Overall, I liked this story and I liked the ending, coming together with a loving family that is ready and willing to love and accept Jake and Bryce, as they finally embrace their love and acceptance of one another and themselves.
Thank you for the ARC!!!