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inmyhumbleopinion's review
5.0
m/m
Falling for the Player is a sweet second chance, come from different sides of the tracks, nerd/jock romance. I fell for Max right away. Patrick took me a bit longer but the two of them together made my heart go pitty pat. They meet and have a one night stand in college. Max is determined to be a lawyer and Patrick is headed for the NFL. The real story takes place three years later when a chance meeting has them taking chances and falling in love. I loved this sweet and sexy story.
Falling for the Player is a sweet second chance, come from different sides of the tracks, nerd/jock romance. I fell for Max right away. Patrick took me a bit longer but the two of them together made my heart go pitty pat. They meet and have a one night stand in college. Max is determined to be a lawyer and Patrick is headed for the NFL. The real story takes place three years later when a chance meeting has them taking chances and falling in love. I loved this sweet and sexy story.
mags_louise's review
4.0
This was an enjoyable, engaging and entertaining read. With two main characters Max and Patrick that were both likable, who worked well as a couple, and certainly shared a few hot moments throughout the story.
There was also minimal angst and overall it was a sweet, and easy read. That I would happily recommend to others, especially if your in the mood for a light m/m contemporary romantic read.
***I was Kindly Provided With an ARC by Entangled Publishing Via NetGalley in Exchange for an Honest Review***
There was also minimal angst and overall it was a sweet, and easy read. That I would happily recommend to others, especially if your in the mood for a light m/m contemporary romantic read.
***I was Kindly Provided With an ARC by Entangled Publishing Via NetGalley in Exchange for an Honest Review***
serenaasora's review against another edition
3.0
3.5? This was cute, but I feel like it was almost entirely driven by their chemistry and there wasn't a lot of communication going on between Patrick and Max. I wanted to watch them fall in love more than I wanted to read about them having sex.
mreadsbooksnfics's review against another edition
4.0
I knew I needed this book as soon as I saw the cover. Also the one guy played for the Packers, and I'm from Wisconsin so I really loved that little tidbit!
Patrick and Max share a steamy encounter while still in college. Fast forward to a few years later and their paths cross again. Their first encounter has left a distinct impression on both men, and the pair is slated to collide once again with the type of chemistry they share.
Things I liked about this book: I liked how the story was about gay men. I feel like I don't read enough books about same sex couples. Maybe I just don't seek them out often enough, but it was refreshing to find some diversity in the types of characters written about. The bedroom scenes were very hot. This is one of those reads you raise your eyebrows at in a good way. That being said, definitely not a read for younger audiences. Patrick and Max also have cute nicknames for each other. There was also no stereotypes about gay men in this book. I also loved how Max was able to eventually have an open conversation about his sexuality with his father, and how his father was going to work harder at trying to accept his son. The world needs more tolerance, and I wanted to cry in the best way possible at how Max and his dad had such a tough but important talk about who Max really is.
Things I didn't like: I thought there was sometimes too much of an emphasis about Max being so rich and Patrick being a mechanic. I know this is an issue, but I felt like they tend to dwell on the issue way too much. Every other thought was like oh Max is rich and I'm a grease monkey. I got it the first few times. I don't need it shoved down my throat. The only other issue I had was the Packers weren't mentioned more.
Overall, this was a great read. If you're looking for a book that's got a lot of sexy time mixed with some cute romance between some extremely hot men, you need this book in your life immediately.
Patrick and Max share a steamy encounter while still in college. Fast forward to a few years later and their paths cross again. Their first encounter has left a distinct impression on both men, and the pair is slated to collide once again with the type of chemistry they share.
Things I liked about this book: I liked how the story was about gay men. I feel like I don't read enough books about same sex couples. Maybe I just don't seek them out often enough, but it was refreshing to find some diversity in the types of characters written about. The bedroom scenes were very hot. This is one of those reads you raise your eyebrows at in a good way. That being said, definitely not a read for younger audiences. Patrick and Max also have cute nicknames for each other. There was also no stereotypes about gay men in this book. I also loved how Max was able to eventually have an open conversation about his sexuality with his father, and how his father was going to work harder at trying to accept his son. The world needs more tolerance, and I wanted to cry in the best way possible at how Max and his dad had such a tough but important talk about who Max really is.
Things I didn't like: I thought there was sometimes too much of an emphasis about Max being so rich and Patrick being a mechanic. I know this is an issue, but I felt like they tend to dwell on the issue way too much. Every other thought was like oh Max is rich and I'm a grease monkey. I got it the first few times. I don't need it shoved down my throat. The only other issue I had was the Packers weren't mentioned more.
Overall, this was a great read. If you're looking for a book that's got a lot of sexy time mixed with some cute romance between some extremely hot men, you need this book in your life immediately.
capa105's review against another edition
2.0
Read full review HERE
People… I have a problem! If I come across a sports romance on Netgalley, I want to request it. I kind of request it faster if it’s a LGBT+ romance – I blame this one the fact that one of my favorite books of the past year was a M/M sports romance… Jamie and Wes ruined me. Because Falling for the Player was my first book of the year of 2017 and it was not good.
First of all I didn’t like the writing. The book is told in the 3rd person and dual POV, but the problem is that the two guys didn’t have distinct voices, even though they were super different characters. But each time a chapter began, it took me a few sentences before I realized whose POV I was supposed to be reading, Max or Patrick’s. I read a lot of dual POVs romances, and this was a huge issue for me. But apart from that, the writing in general did nothing for me, I was especially not a fan of the amount of times that the word “lover” was used.
Now about the characters… I thought they were ok, but Max and Patrick ended up feeling a little one dimensional, and the fact that they went about the big decisions on their lives all wrong, didn’t help it. I just didn’t connect with the characters or their romance…
These dudes meet one night, talk TV Shows and Movies, end up hooking up and then they don’t see each other for 3 years… no contact, nothing! But when they see each other again, they can’t keep away, and I didn’t quite get that connection. I’ve read a load of books with instalove, and it’s something that might work, if the characters are well written, but it just didn’t here.
The one thing I actually did like was Liam, Patrick’s 18 yo brother, because he made sense to me. Another thing that I would have liked a lot, if circumstances were different, was the actual reason for the “falling apart”, because I did like that theme, I just thought it wasn’t handled right.
There were some very weird and WTF moments in this book, and I need to share some of them, because I kind of need to get it out of my chest, so be warned, there will be mild SPOILERS ahead:
There’s a gratuitous scene of voyerism, where Max and Patrick watch a gay couple having sex at a club. It didn’t feel natural and I didn’t see any logic in it. Max asks Patrick if he’s trying to “shock” him, and he says maybe, but it doesn’t make any sense, because just a minute before the guy was thinking of what a terrible idea it was for them to meet at that club. BTW, all the scenes in that club were weird!
Max’s dad was not exactly on good terms with his son’s sexuality, meaning that he’s OK with Max being gay, as long as not in public. He asks him not to take a male date to this huge fundraiser party (in the name of his dad’s company). So Max obviously decides to take Patrick without really trying to even have a conversation with his dad EVER, and without actually letting Patrick know how important this is. It was a huge no for me.
Then, Max being Max again, after they have been broken up for 2 weeks, as soon as they talk on the phone, Max decided to introduce Patrick to his family, in this big dinner thing, but without actually telling Patrick where it is that he’s going. Also, they didn’t even talk about whether they were back together or not… BAHHHH!
So, this was not a good way to start the year, but I’m sure my next reads will be slightly better. I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, I really didn’t enjoy it. But it might be a ME problem, so give it a chance if you feel like it.
People… I have a problem! If I come across a sports romance on Netgalley, I want to request it. I kind of request it faster if it’s a LGBT+ romance – I blame this one the fact that one of my favorite books of the past year was a M/M sports romance… Jamie and Wes ruined me. Because Falling for the Player was my first book of the year of 2017 and it was not good.
First of all I didn’t like the writing. The book is told in the 3rd person and dual POV, but the problem is that the two guys didn’t have distinct voices, even though they were super different characters. But each time a chapter began, it took me a few sentences before I realized whose POV I was supposed to be reading, Max or Patrick’s. I read a lot of dual POVs romances, and this was a huge issue for me. But apart from that, the writing in general did nothing for me, I was especially not a fan of the amount of times that the word “lover” was used.
Now about the characters… I thought they were ok, but Max and Patrick ended up feeling a little one dimensional, and the fact that they went about the big decisions on their lives all wrong, didn’t help it. I just didn’t connect with the characters or their romance…
These dudes meet one night, talk TV Shows and Movies, end up hooking up and then they don’t see each other for 3 years… no contact, nothing! But when they see each other again, they can’t keep away, and I didn’t quite get that connection. I’ve read a load of books with instalove, and it’s something that might work, if the characters are well written, but it just didn’t here.
The one thing I actually did like was Liam, Patrick’s 18 yo brother, because he made sense to me. Another thing that I would have liked a lot, if circumstances were different, was the actual reason for the “falling apart”, because I did like that theme, I just thought it wasn’t handled right.
There were some very weird and WTF moments in this book, and I need to share some of them, because I kind of need to get it out of my chest, so be warned, there will be mild SPOILERS ahead:
There’s a gratuitous scene of voyerism, where Max and Patrick watch a gay couple having sex at a club. It didn’t feel natural and I didn’t see any logic in it. Max asks Patrick if he’s trying to “shock” him, and he says maybe, but it doesn’t make any sense, because just a minute before the guy was thinking of what a terrible idea it was for them to meet at that club. BTW, all the scenes in that club were weird!
Max’s dad was not exactly on good terms with his son’s sexuality, meaning that he’s OK with Max being gay, as long as not in public. He asks him not to take a male date to this huge fundraiser party (in the name of his dad’s company). So Max obviously decides to take Patrick without really trying to even have a conversation with his dad EVER, and without actually letting Patrick know how important this is. It was a huge no for me.
Then, Max being Max again, after they have been broken up for 2 weeks, as soon as they talk on the phone, Max decided to introduce Patrick to his family, in this big dinner thing, but without actually telling Patrick where it is that he’s going. Also, they didn’t even talk about whether they were back together or not… BAHHHH!
So, this was not a good way to start the year, but I’m sure my next reads will be slightly better. I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, I really didn’t enjoy it. But it might be a ME problem, so give it a chance if you feel like it.
beckymmoe's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Max and Patrick's story--though you should be warned, it's not really a "sports" romance, even though the title and cover make it look like it is. By the time the book really gets going (the very beginning takes place three years earlier than the rest of the book) Patrick's already retired from pro football due to an injury. It's still a good story, but the sports involvement is minimal.
This is a second chance romance of sorts, since Max and Patrick had a one night stand back in college. Things have definitely changed, though--Max is about to take the bar and working for his dad, and Patrick has taken over both the family business and responsibility for his younger brother Liam. Patrick and Max seem right together from the start, even though they're from different backgrounds and going in different directions in life--neither really thinks they'll be together...until they do.
I liked the secondary characters here--Liam, and Max's BFF and coworker Abbie--even Max's sister Theresa, though we don't see her much, has potential. If Ms. Lee is going to turn this into a series and give any or all of these three a book, sign me up for sure.
Falling for the Player isn't without its issues--we miss much of their early relationship goodness when one chapter ends and the next fast forwards us in time, and the drama with Max's dad ends up being settled pretty darn quickly, considering--but still, I found more to like here than not.
My first book by Ms. Lee, but definitely not my last :)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This is a second chance romance of sorts, since Max and Patrick had a one night stand back in college. Things have definitely changed, though--Max is about to take the bar and working for his dad, and Patrick has taken over both the family business and responsibility for his younger brother Liam. Patrick and Max seem right together from the start, even though they're from different backgrounds and going in different directions in life--neither really thinks they'll be together...until they do.
I liked the secondary characters here--Liam, and Max's BFF and coworker Abbie--even Max's sister Theresa, though we don't see her much, has potential. If Ms. Lee is going to turn this into a series and give any or all of these three a book, sign me up for sure.
Falling for the Player isn't without its issues--we miss much of their early relationship goodness when one chapter ends and the next fast forwards us in time, and the drama with Max's dad ends up being settled pretty darn quickly, considering--but still, I found more to like here than not.
My first book by Ms. Lee, but definitely not my last :)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
gleeful_vector_of_chaos's review against another edition
1.0
- Dialogue was awkward a lot of the time
- Wasn't written that well
- Didn't really care about any of the characters
- Wasn't written that well
- Didn't really care about any of the characters
serenaasora's review
3.0
3.5? This was cute, but I feel like it was almost entirely driven by their chemistry and there wasn't a lot of communication going on between Patrick and Max. I wanted to watch them fall in love more than I wanted to read about them having sex.
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