This book had everything I want in a romance novel! It was well paced and I was able to read it in one day. I just had to know what happened between the main characters. The male main character is very swoon worthy. I also enjoyed the character growth he went through and how his relationship with his dad shifted. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

This book was so cute. I love spicy, cute sports romances. The spice level was out of this world. I'd say this is perfect for fall since it's a football romance. Still, I loved this so much!

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

Maddie and her brother Ethan have palled around with Cameron since he was little, and Maddie has nursed a not-so-secret crush on Cameron. Now that they’re older and Cameron is a superstar football player on the verge of being drafted by the NFL, Maddie watches from the sidelines as he works his way through girls like it’s his job. Things change on Spring Break when Cameron realizes he doesn’t want Maddie to be with anyone else and they decide to strike up a friends-with-benefits relationship. Jealousy, feelings, and intense-dad relationships occur.

I mean, I don’t know if I need to review this book because I am NOT the audience. It’s college-aged, college-minded, and really immature. Cameron is allowed to be a male slut because his mom died of cancer, Cameron can’t say no to Dad because he pays tuition, and Ethan smokes weed and plays video games and doesn’t want his sister to date his bestie even though he wants to date Maddie’s bestie. The whole thing was a little icky for me - I think that perhaps the younger set would read it and appreciate it but it was definitely not for my age group. Cameron was weird and although I can get behind an “experienced” MMC, his sleeping around ways were icky and excused as “boys being boys.” When things happen at the end with his dad, the dad just turns around and is like, “Yes, I am changing who I am 100% right now, everything you say is right.” Relationships do not work like that. It wasn’t my thing - too immature for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

You all have heard of hockey romance, but this book is taking it back to where it all started with football. With childhood friends to lovers and a little forbidden romance, Deanna Faison created the perfect football romance that will leave you teary eyed one minute, and giggling and kicking your feet the next. I am absolutely obsessed with these characters she has created! I loved the body representation in Maddie being described as a curvy character because I feel like there isn’t enough rep for us in romances! She’s a smart and capable female main character who can stand her ground and I just loved her character so much. Cameron was the greatest gentleman and gives off HUGE golden retriever vibes. His story made me cry the most and I resonated with him a lot. The writing was amazing and once I picked it up I didn’t want to put it down! And a second book is now confirmed which I am looking forward to!

Playmaker by Deanna Faison was absolute sport romance fun!

This is the perfect summer romance for lovers of sport romances. I loved Maddie and Cameron's relationship dynamic so much! It was the perfect mix of flirty, steamy and fun. One thing I loved was the tropes that play part of the book like brother's best friend and friends to lovers. I loved how they were childhood friends that things happen and years later they've grown up and the connection between them is very strong. This book was quick paced, I devoured it in a sitting because I could not put it down. I loved that it also goes deeper into their connection and how tragedy and grief bonds them and helps them grow. This book is the perfect sport romance book for the summer when you're looking for something to read that is sweet, wholesome and steamy and will make you giddy and swoon all at once!

This book is a combination of all the things romance readers have been enjoying lately. It has lots of good spice, sports romance and brothers best friend, This story has a sweet friendship and lots of good spicy scenes. What this story unfortunately lacks is a lot of plot but it is a fun easy read.

I will read anything with a brothers best friend trope and spice. 10/10 recommend. Iloved Playmaker. How much, you ask? Well, I read the entire book on my phone after thinking I would just check out a few pages before I could go home and grab my Kindle! I was totally incapable of putting it down. The history between Cam and Maddie, how they grew up together, had me rooting for them from page one. I loved the spice in this book because of the passion between the characters. It all felt very authentic to me, and since l'm not a huge fan of insta-love, this book was right up my alley.
Cam and Maddie face some tough challenges as they navigate grief and uncertainties together, but their story is honestly captivating.
Think fluffy, spicy, sports romance with a totally believable connection between the MMC and FMC. This book is so easy to adore.

This book is a cute, spicy, sports romance that was enjoyable! I loved the relationship between the MMC and the FMC! You will love this one if you love sports romance!

Playmaker: A Hidden Attractions Novel by Deanna Faison
Rating: 3
Vibe: Brother’s best friend
Format: ARC eBook

Growing up, Maddie had a major crush on her brother’s best friend, Cameron, and for a fleeting moment when they were teenagers, she thought he might even feel the same way, until he broke her heart, effectively ending their friendship, too. Now, Maddie is a pre-med student and Cameron a strong NFL prospect, and the two barely speak. However, one party during Spring Break is all it takes to resurface their feelings, and Maddy must decide if having the only guy she’s ever wanted is worth the risk of getting her heart broken again.

In all honesty, this just wasn’t the book for me. It was marketed as a sports romance, but the only tie to sports were references to Cameron’s future NFL career; football was never at the forefront of the novel. There was a significant amount of teen angst for characters in their early twenties as well as repeated conversations focused on sexual experience—this was very distracting for me and made it difficult to connect with the characters. wondered if perhaps the author might be younger than the characters, leading to this disconnect. I also struggled to follow the plot; the story felt largely driven by the physical attraction between the two main characters, and I was looking for something deeper than that, whether it be self-discovery from one of the characters or further development of their relationship. What I did really appreciate about this novel was the exploration of grief and the profound impact it can have on our lives, as evident in Cameron’s character. Additionally, I love how the author showed that family isn’t just a matter of relatives—we all have the power to choose our own family, just Maddie and Ethan’s family embraced Cameron without hesitation.

I truly appreciate the opportunity to have read an advanced copy, but despite my interest in the romance genre, I do not believe I was the right audience for this. Thank you to NetGalley and W by Wattpad Books for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Had to DNF early on due to the judgmental attitude of the FMC. It just became to overwhelming in the story.

Based on the spice alone I give this book a 5 but add in the heart warming plot and two main characters that were destined for each other and you have this fabulous 5 star book!

Cameron and Maddie haven’t talked in 6 years but being forced together again and they spark up a truce because once upon a time they used to be close but tragedy struck and broke the bond they once had. That bond now has morphed into something more but can they have forever or is it only a moment in time that they will be given.

This book has such a cute plot idea. Brothers best friend, childhood friends, and forbidden romance. Maddie and Cam have known each other since they were kids and developed feelings for each other as teens. However Cam is Maddie’s brother best friend so he pushes her away. Now they are both home from college and can’t deny their attraction to each other.

I wanted to love this book so much but it just wasn’t for me. I found the writing to be a bit juvenile and in need of a few rounds of editing. We get a lot of info dumping for the relationship dynamics right in the first few chapters and then we also get flashbacks. It made a lot of it unnecessary. The formatting on the kindle was so distracting and made it hard to read the book and also made it hard to understand the difference between time jumps. I did open it on the NetGalley app on my phone and it was much easier to read. I tried to read the whole book since it was an ARC but I did end up DNFing the book fairly early on.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

The story seems to forgo plot in favor of spice. That would be fine but it's a 400 page book and at a certain point it gets repetitive. I hadn't even made it to the half-way point and I was already anticipating the third act break-up to happen (I was shocked by how much was left when I looked at the progress bar). I think it could have been edited significantly.

I loved Maddie and Cameron’s story!! All of the characters felt so real and the connections between them weren’t awkward or forced. Maddie & Cam’s childhood stories were perfectly intermixed in the story, and reading Cam’s mom’s letter made me cry. I typically go for hockey romances but I am so glad I read this football romance! Absolutely obsessed with this story and I will be recommending it to everyone. (I also love that Deanna lives in Clayton! I love supporting authors that live so close to home.)

PLAYMAKER by Deanna Faison
⭐️ rating: 6.5/10

read if you like:
🏈 football romances
🏖️ beach reads
💙 long time friends-turned-lovers
🙊 smut

summary:
After a few thrillers, I needed a casual beach read, and this book did the trick! It’s about Maddie, a college freshman, who finds herself on spring break with her brother’s best friend, future NFL star and family friend, Cameron. The two, who were once close friends drifted apart after Cameron’s mom died, quickly find themselves taken over by the sexual tension between them. But can they make it work given Cameron and her brother’s friendship? Can Cameron even make a relationship work given his focus on his athletic future?

I’m a sucker for a good athletic romance, and if you’re a fan of Elle Kennedy’s books, this is perfect. It alternates between Maddie and Cameron’s POV, which helps us get to know each of them and their vulnerabilities. I wanted there to be a little more football plot and a little less just reading about them hooking up, but I guess it comes with the genre! I wanted there to be a little more conflict though, or at least a little more unpredictability. This book plays out exactly how you would expect, without any curveballs. That being said, it’s still a satisfying romance if that’s what you’re looking for! I think I just wanted a little more Abby Jimenez, and instead it’s a little more straightforward, with everything wrapping up in a nice bow at the end.

Thanks to Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and Net Galley for the advanced copy. If you need a beach read palette cleanser, check this out when it releases on October 22!

Maddie and Cameron grew up together, were there for the good bad and the ugly. He’s her brothers best friend and shouldn’t have an interest in her… right? When spring break comes along and things start to spark between the two of them, they go along for the ride not knowing where it’s going.
If teenage romcoms from the nineties had books, this would be one. It’s full of romance, drama, tension, everything you could want for a romcom. The plot is a bit lacking, but I feel like the vibes cover it all. The combination of what the authors writes brings the book together, and I feel like none of it would work without the other aspects.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for an eARC of this book.

Think fluffy, spicy, sports romance with a totally believable connection between the MMC and FMC. This book is so easy to adore.

OH MY GOD I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. this book is cute, fluffy, spicy, and just so authentic. i adore cam and maddie so much, their relationship was so enticing!!! if you love brother's best friend, friends to lovers, and sports romances i cannot recommend this book enough!!!!!!!

thank you so much to NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for the arc copy <3

This was a fun book to read. Perfect if you love sports romances & books along the lines of Icebreaker.