Fall with Me (Playing for Keeps) Paperback – July 30, 2024

There’s a very real possibility that this is my new favorite of the series… and that is a bar I thought would be impossible to reach. These two were absolute FIRE together, bringing the chemistry-filled banter and heat from their first interaction. I should’ve been turned off by the circumstances of their meet cute, but it actually felt perfect for their vibes. I loved that the heroine was such a firecracker who kept our shameless playboy on his toes, and he truly did fall first, hard, and fast. He’s a man who was in desperate need of some love in his life, and I adored watching his walls slowly come down. He was falling before he even knew what was happening, showing his love through actions before words. There was so much SWOON and an equal amount of spice, making this a fast-paced, smile-inducing read. I had such a great time bingeing the story, which EASILY exceeded my (very high) expectations. One of the most obvious 5-star ratings I’ve ever given.The story follows Jaxon, a hockey player who is known for getting into fights on the ice and getting women into bed off of it. Frustrated that all of his friends are now happily coupled up (and extremely disinterested in ever doing the same), Jaxon takes his latest hookup on a sex-filled vacation in an attempt to get away from it all. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned, and Jaxon hears the woman in the hotel room next door laughing at his obvious misery. Considering she’s on her would-be honeymoon alone, that’s saying something, lol. The two end up commiserating over their troubles and sharing one smokin’ hot night together. They would’ve left things at that, except it turns out that Lennon is the new photographer for Jaxon’s hockey team, and things get even more complicated from there.I’ve loved the peeks at Jaxon that we’ve gotten throughout the series, so I knew that his story had the potential to be great. He was clearly a mess in need of a change, and I couldn’t wait to see what laid beneath his surly, sexed-up exterior. Can’t even tell you how happy I am that he met his perfect match and was completely, irrevocably thrown off course. I only like a reformed player romance under certain circumstances, and these were ideal ones. That man was gone for Lennon from the moment they shared their first words, and there was nothing and no one who was going to change that. Add in some caretaking, a roommates situation, and a whole lotta HEAT, and these two were inevitable. They had such amazing chemistry, with fast-burning spice and a slow-burning emotional connection. The first spicy scene made an impression, and Jaxon’s swoon stole the show later on. It was also genuinely funny, with so many comedic moments with the friend group. The found family component is strong with this series, and it was really showcased here. I ate this up so quickly that I didn’t even realize I was doing it - kinda wish I savored it some more to draw out the experience, but WOW was it good.Audio note: Highly, highly recommended on audio! This is the series that introduced me to Alex Kydd’s narration, and he is my #1 favorite now. There’s something about his voice in these books that just screams “endearing playboy,” which is perfect for the vibes. He can also pivot from the jokes to the spice to the emotional moments without any trouble, something that is extremely important for a nuanced book like this. And I am very happy to report that Jae Delane was just as good. It’s my first time listening to her, and she did such an incredible job. I loved her voice, and she was able to deliver the right vibes for the performance as well. At nearly 16 hours, the audio is a commitment, but definitely a worthwhile one. It absolutely enhanced the experience. I can’t recommend this as a workday listen, because the spice was spicing, and it started very early on. I also laughed a lot, and my husband caught me snort-laughing a few times, which is not workplace appropriate, lol. But wholeheartedly recommended in the format.

3.5 Okay. Love this series. Love my returning characters. Yay. I think Becka did a fantastic job showing two people falling in love. The sex was really weird for me though. I feel like romance writers feel like they constantly need to be upping the ante, or maybe they get bored, but it didn’t feel authentic to me. So that would kind of take me out of it. Otherwise, a good one.

Wow, not sure why I’m surprised, this IS Becca Mack after all. The Queen of His Cory Romance. This entire series is dear to my heart. I have loved these guys from Carter and Olivia’s story and haven’t stopped growing my favs since.This one was tough…it followed two characters whose self esteem had been wrecked. Our H, Jackson whom we’ve met before, had it the worst if you ask me. He had to live with guilt for most of his life. He still managed to give, generously, to his friends and family even though he felt unworthy.Then we have our h, Lenin who had been hours away from getting married when her fiancé cheated on her…RIGHT there at their rehearsal dinner. I mean, wow! That is a cold hearted snake without a doubt! She picked herself up and decided no more! No more doormat or dimming her shine to please others.These two came together in a spectacular manner and took my heart with them. Each book somehow becomes my favorite and this one didn’t disappoint. I cried and had to stop listening several times times on my way to work as a lot of heart breaking scenes happened in my mornings for some reason and I didn’t want to go in with red puffy eyes. This story was so raw and real that I can’t believe I waited to read it as I wasn’t a fan of Jackson’s before. I didn’t h*te him, just didn’t love like the rest. Boy did that opinion get blown out of the water!! I also loved how we had a different type of h this time too! I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading. Made my day.I, obviously, read and listened to this one and I already loved Alex Kidd (one of my favs) and Jae Delane (new to me) did great. The only thing I didn’t like was her male voice. I struggled with that.All in all, I love the compadre between the boys and the girls. The love they show each other, the way they made their own families within each other and kept me laughing so hard I almost pëed! More than once! 🤣 it goes without saying that the heat in here was NEXT LEVEL HOT 🥵 as always. Becca does NOT shy away from the good stuff and I love her for it. This feel good love story was already sitting pretty on my book shelf as I purchased the physical copy yesterday the 1st time I cried. Not like I don’t have rest of the series and yeah, a little bummed we don’t get a special edition of this one but I do r care, congrats to Becca and her new ventures. Until next time, this one will stay with me to tide me over.