This is a case where narrators can make or break an audiobook. Unfortunately the narration was..... not good and DNF.

Wow! I believe I found another romance writer I adore! I need to read this whole series, seriously. People, check this out. Female footballer falls for counselor.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Brilliance Publishing for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

📖: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🎧: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5
🥵: 🌶️🌶️/5

Playing to Score is the 2nd story in the Playing the Field series. It follows the captain of Calverdale women's team, Skylar Marshall, as she's getting over a bad relationship and dealing with the stress of vying for promotion, and Reece Forster, Miri from book 1's psychologist brother who is brought in to help the team with some mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Reece has had a huge crush on Skylar since school, but has complicated feelings about working with her.

I enjoyed this story! There is a lot more angst between the MCs in this one, as Reece is so reluctant to breach professional conduct, but they had lots of chemistry! It also deals with some important topics, such as abusive relationships, female sexual pleasure, and communication.

Reece had such a dry sense of humour that really tickled me, and he is such a support to his family. He's clearly very emotionally intelligent, but I was getting so frustrated that he refused to listen to any of the people who told him Skylar wasn't a patient!

I loved that Skylar knew what she wanted and went for it! After years with an awful boyfriend who was verbally abusive, her confidence is so low, but Reece helps her build herself back up.

The spice in this was pretty hot! And Reece was so good at helping Skylar to communicate and figure out what she needed!

The narration was performed in dual style by Will Watt and Flora King. I've listened to Will Watt before and this was my favourite performance by him, perhaps because he wasn't playing a caricature Brit! Flora King was new to me and I really enjoyed it! They both paced well and did discernable character voices.

Overall, another really good audiobook from Sasha!

Sasha Lace has talent to burn and Playing To Score showcases her writing chops to perfection! This is the second book in the series and the emotions, storylines and characters are all addictively absorbing and of breathtaking quality. Sasha is an incredibly skilled author, combining themes of growth, healing, family, strong friendships and finding your place with tales of women succeeding in the soccer world and the bedroom.

The narrators for this story are brilliant! They are both pleasing to listen to, have a range of voices for character differentiation and can portray emotions believably. It is a real joy to consume a story this way, when it is not read but lived.

I have never felt such visceral and immediate loathing for a character as I did for one male character here. His treatment of Skylar, the FMC, left me fuming. Brilliant work on the author's part to elicit such a response in me!

Ms Lace really delves into the way experiences can mould a person and the strengths and flaws that result. I have never had this kind or degree of emotional damage explained so well. The author has gently peeled back the layers of the psyche of these characters, revealing their innermost thoughts and unconscious responses. She has done this so delicately that I while I occassionally wanted to rap Reece over the knuckles for his self-sabotaging, I never found myself judging or mocking.

While Skylar barely remembers him from their shared school days, Reece has carried a torch for her, and this is built into their current relationship in such a way that he immediately becomes a convincing sympathetic character. Reece's feelings are twisted up by his lack of self-worth and the way he has rationalised and transformed grief, loss and guilt into a need to control his world and help others. It is an absolute credit to the author that she had been able to take such a damaged character and make him relatable, while presenting this fraught story as one highlighting healing and have readers enjoy both mc's perspectives.

Found family and character growth are favourite tropes of mine and both are important in this book, and it seems, the whole series. Soooo looking forward to continuing with Sasha and her Calverdale family.

Rounded up from 3.5
When Skylar, captain of a women's football club, breaks up with her boyfriend, she finds support in Reece, a psychologist who has been hired to help the team be at their best to end the season.
This sports, sorta second chance, workplace, fodbidden romance where he falls first is book 2 in the Playing the Field series. It was a fun and spicy read, up until the third act break up. The last quarter of the book was a big mess, and it was just plain stupid (and it was the same thing in books 1 and 4, so I have the feeling it's something the author could work on). The narration of the audiobook was really good.
I received an advance reading copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

ALC Review
Playing to Score by Sasha Lace
Playing the Field - Book 2
Narrated by: Flora King and Will Watt

Skylar found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her and is having a rough time shaking out of it. She finds some relief when chatting with a new friend, Reece, the psychologist for her football club. Reece was a bit particular at times, but it was for specific reasons. Skylar and Reece worked well together, once they dealt with the guards they have built up.

This was a beautiful story of healing after heartbreak, working though self-esteem issues, and struggling to juggle emotions and responsibilities of life.

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
* Female Football/Soccer club
* Team psychologist x Player (but not client)
* Forbidden romance
* Anorgasmia representation


Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the advance copy of this audiobook.

I think this was a pretty good book even not knowing the characters. It absolutely can be read as a standalone. I loved the FMC and the MMC but I was a bit tired of the MMC about halfway/three quarters through. It was trying too hard to pull conflict where there wasn't any

A knew the MMC narrator from The Enchanted Highlands series. Def recommend his work (Will Watt).

Overall a solid listen