Playing It Cool

Oh man, this one tackled a really tough subject that I tend to avoid. I just need happy in my stories lately. But, I really loved how the author handled it with Ronan, the hero. He was incredibly supportive and really showed what any woman going through what Orla was going through would want to have by their side. Ronan was such a fun loving character and it just made it so much better to see him really come through when a lot of men would have bailed. Orla was just as great as a character. You hope that you can be as strong as her if you were faced with what she has gone through. A great and emotional read.

Harper has been put down by her stepmother and stepbrother since they came into her life when she was a teen. She's learned how to ignore them but when Dex overhears Chuck's awful comments, he has no choice but to step in. Dex typically doesn't date but he and Harper agree to hang out as friends and have Chuck believe they're dating to get under his skin.

Dex is amazing. He is so devoted to being successful in his career so that he doesn't have to ever go back to the poor upbringing he had. His desire to be successful has kept him from some of the dating antics his teammates get into. I loved Harper. She might not stand up for herself when it comes to her family so that she doesn't rock the boat, she definitely holds her own with Dex. She is hilarious and loves her siblings more than anything. With new each book, I love this series more. I can't wait to read about the rest of this crew!

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Harper Nugent had always hoped that she and her stepbrother Chuck would be the best of friends. But when said stepbrother is a narcissistic, self-serving jerk, buddyhood is out of the question. When Chuck insults Harper within hearing of rugby god Dexter Blake, himself a fan of girls with plenty of bass to go with their treble, Dex comes riding to the rescue with a plan to show all the haters just where they can go.

PLAYING IT COOL by author Amy Andrews is just the sort of book that I love, full of charm, fun, and yep, plenty of sexy time. I mean, hello, Australian rugby player? Yes, please! And I absolutely adore Harper, she of the bootylicious backside. She is a poster child for a positive self-image, blessed as she is with a figure that, while not necessarily beautiful by society's standards, is more than perfect for the hot sports star.

"In front of the four hundred people here tonight...and the hundreds and thousands of people who will see this on their television and the millions more who will see it the second someone here uploads the video they're taking right now to Facebook...I want you to know how sexy you are."

There is plenty of the usual back and forth, the 'does he really like me, can I take him seriously, what will our friends say' from Harper, and the 'how does she not know how hot she is, her brother is a jerk, let's give them something to talk about' from Dex, but it all comes together beautifully to bring these two exactly where they're supposed to be, which is living life on their terms, and to heck with anyone else. The best friend, the teammates, the horrid stepfamily, all work together to make PLAYING IT COOL one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies I've had the pleasure of reading lately. If you're looking for a book guaranteed to make you smile, all while keeping you fanning yourself, I highly recommend this read, and happily give it 4.5 'big girls and their hot hunky men are awesome' stars. I will definitely be reading more by this author, and look forward to the next book in this series.