Playing With Forever

I am a huge fan of Sydney Smoke! Each book has been light, entertaining, and fun to read. My favorite thing about this book is that it's the opposite of most romance. The lady isn't looking for strings in the relationship and the guy is all in. Juliet is moving to Italy in six weeks and isn't going to let anything, especially a man, get in her way of fulfilling her dream. She's already done that once. When she meets Ryder, she's willing to teach his temporary dog obedience and have a friends with benefits relationship until she leaves. Ryder, a star player for the Sydney Smoke, doesn't have any trouble with the ladies but isn't as opposed to relationships as some of the members of his team. When the coach's daughter coaxes him into taking care of a friend's dog, he turns to the shelter down the street for help with this monster of a dog. Ryder has six weeks to be with Juliet and maybe convince her that they could work even after she moves to Italy. I loved that Ryder was trying to do basically anything to be with Juliet, from suppressing his feelings to thinking of ways to make it work after she moves. Never once was the suggestion that she shouldn't go and live out her and her mother's dream. Juliet was strong and fiercely independent but her refusal to see how Ryder was different from her ex got old as the story progressed. I hope there's more Smoke coming!! *This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

Ryder Davis was anticipating quiet times to make sure his ankle problem would be taken care of, but that’s when the coach’s daughter rang his doorbell and begs him to take care of a dog for a short while. A gigantic Great Dane. Just for a few days, she said. Tiny is very well-behaved, she said. What choice did Ryder have? How could he refuse his coach’s daughter? And, well, in a matter of hours, Ryder is waiting at the Animal Rescue Centre, begging for help, namely dog obedience classes for Tiny. And a gorgeous, blonde angel answers his call: Juliet Morgan. The Sydney Smoke Rugby series is nothing short of amazing, and within a couple of pages and knowing Amy Andrews, I knew PLAYING WITH FOREVER would be spectacular. I was laughing myself silly at the dog’s antics, or rather Ryder’s woes. Juliet doesn’t know a thing about rugby nor that Ryder is a star, and they click right away. Juliet is all for a little no-commitment sex with a handsome chap, which will be a fun distraction for the two months before she leaves for Italy. My darlings, I cannot recall two characters who have such blistering chemistry! It’s a wonder I did not see sparks coming out of my ereader! There is a lot of sex in PLAYING WITH FOREVER; incandescent, sizzling, jaw-dropping sex, that is fun, joyful and playful. I am know to skip lines here and there when it comes to sex scenes, but not when it comes to Ms. Andrews, and certainly not with this book. This woman writes sex scenes as if she invented them! Also, I would not advise reading this book in public, because, well, do it at your own risk. But there is also so much more than mind-blowing sex in PLAYING WITH FOREVER. I loved Ryder and Juliet; they are free, young, sympathetic, genuine, and just adorable. Ryder is definitely a candidate for book boyfriend of the year. There is the expected fabulous banter between the Smoke teammates, and the exchanges between Ryder and Juliet are just as wonderful. Amy Andrews is a supremely talented writer, so witty, bawdy, and clever, and I think her writing has never been better: casually elegant and delightfully naughty, she makes it all look so effortless. I’m already giddy at the thought – if I can still count properly – that there should be two more books in this series! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

I enjoyed this book, but it was kind of mixed bag for me. It felt like the first half of the book was all sex and very little story. I've literally read erotica books with less sex than was in this novel. After the halfway point, the book developed a bit more substance with it's plot. I've loved every prior book in this series and normally love the author's work, but for me, I'd give this one 3.5 stars (thus rounding up to 4). Having said that, fans of the author and this series will want to read this novel. The author is on my must read authors' list.