Jugador—a Spanish word for athleteHe was the star athlete.Football player.MVP.A walking god among mere mortals.Everyone knew Marco Cruz was destined to be a supernova burning bright in the sky.On the outside, he seemed to have it all.On the inside, he was a troubled boy hiding his pain.He truly was a beautiful, vacant shell.I thought I could fix him.I thought I could change him.I thought I could … could fix him.
I thought I could change him.
I thought I could handle what we were.
I was wrong.
He warned me he wasn’t relationship material.
He told me he’d ruin me if I let him.
I should’ve listened.
But, I wanted to take a bite of that shiny, poisonous apple,
regardless of the consequences.
This is a standalone but if you want to know more about the characters, please read books 1 & 2.
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A second chance romance full of secrets. I instantly fell into this story. Marco’s struggle coming from poverty and an unstable home was heartbreaking and had him making all kinds of mistakes. Lily who lost her mother at a young age had two overprotective brothers that sheltered her from everything.
Young and the world against them, Marco and Lily fall apart. A surprise meeting many years later begins a roller coaster of emotions.
I highly recommend this book.
OMG!!!! I am completely head over heels in love with this book!!!! It had ALL the feels! I simply couldn’t put it down! I was absolutely obsessed from start to finish! It was beautiful and heartbreaking and very sexy! I haven’t read books 1 or 2 in the Mendoza family series so I went in completely blind.
Marco was basically abandoned by both of his parents. His mother abandoned him when he was quite young and his father was a drunk.
Lily was a sheltered girl in high school. Her brothers never let her date. They warned all the boys to stay away from her. Including Marco.
Years later when they were 18, Marco was the star of the football team. He was definitely going places but was dealing with a crappy home life. Lily was the only one that he could turn to although they barely ever spoke. They shared a few weeks of secret bliss when her brothers caught them and warned him to stay away. He went off to his football career while Lily gathered the pieces of her broken heart.
11 years later she finally sees him again but he doesn’t recognize her and her spitfire mouth leaves him stunned as he realizes who she is. He never got over her. When he suffers an injury from a football accident he goes on a downward spiral. Marcos right-hand man contacts Lily to ask her to come help him get himself together and sparks fly while also trudging up old hurts.
This book was everything I love about the romance genre and I’m definitely reading the rest of this series! Rose Croft is an amazing writer!
Jugador is the first book that I’ve read by Rose Croft and I really enjoyed it. Since this is my first book by this author, I haven’t yet read the other books in the Mendoza Family series. There are obvious references to events that took place in the first two books, but it wasn’t enough to take anything away from this story. Jugador could totally be read as a stand alone, but I definitely do want to read the first two books now.
Jugador is a well told, second chance story. Lily Mendoza met Marco Cruz at a time when she needed him most, but because he was friends with her two overprotective brothers, she was left to admire him from afar. Coming from poverty and a dysfunctional family life, Marco has his sights set on a pro football career and won’t let anything stand in his way, including the one girl who he can truly open up to.
Lily is forbidden and Marco feels undeserving, but when their paths cross again, neither of them can ultimately resist their connection.
Lily is a wonderful heroine; she’s strong, feisty and determined. Marco is so broken, but at the same time, he has a fierce determination to overcome the hand that he was given as a child. There were a few moments where I wanted to throttle Marco, but he did manage to redeem himself! I loved the interaction between these two characters, especially in their quieter moments when they would let down their respective walls. The other characters were interesting as well, and I will definitely be checking out their stories.
An amazing heartfelt read that draws you in from the first word till the last. Lily and Marco’s characters were phenomenally written. It felt like I was watching their story in my head. Love how the author brought them to life.
Oh wow.. if you love a story about a man who doesn’t believe he is worthy of true happiness and the woman who loves him then you will love this book. It was a tad slow initially in the beginning but as we got to the present it heated up and got hot. I will admit though that if I had been Lily I don’t know if I would have given Marco as many chances as she did. She really loved him to deal with him the way she did. I loved all the secondary characters however I despised Marco’s mom. That woman was no mother. She was a rat who didn’t deserve his time, money, or attention. This is the 3rd book in this series but the first book I have read by the author. I really enjoyed it and may need to find time to go back and read the first two, especially after learning what they were keeping from Lily!
A fascinating and alluring love story that will break your heart before putting it back together with enough love to fill the whole of Texas!
‘Jugador’ by Rose Croft is book 3 in the ‘Mendoza Family’ series, and it can be read as a standalone!
The first thing that stood out for me in this book was the incredible representation of the Latino community because, unlike other books, the majority of the characters were Latinos and the representation of different cultures was truly beautiful to me.
I really enjoyed this book because all the characters were from different walks of life, all completely different from the other and yet, all amazing and close to each other.
I loved getting to know these characters inside and out, especially because we see them during different parts of their lives, struggling for different reasons and still doing their damn best to make something amazing out of their lives!
This book is full of encouragement to follow your dreams and to fight for them, no matter how hard or difficult it seems.
This story is about sacrifice, hard work, love, heartache and having the courage to follow your heart and to be vulnerable, even at the risk of getting hurt.
Marco is an incredible NFL quarterback, he is extremely talented on the field and does every single thing right off the field.
He was a troubled boy who has grown into a troubled man who tries to hide behind a tough, stoic and insensitive exterior that only works in doing more damage than good.
He is caring and a fierce lover when he lets himself be vulnerable, but he is also a sensitive man with deep-rooted issues that will have to be worked on in order for him to become the man he was always meant to be.
Marco is a hard-working athlete and a stubborn man who’s always been lacking in the love department, but who deserves not only unconditional love but also the whole world and stars.
Lily is a fierce little firecracker that more often than not forgets to use a filter when talking and can come out as blunt and intimidating, but she is a fierce lover in reality.
She is caring and doting, an incredible and loyal friend, a good sister and an amazing girlfriend. She is passionate about her work and seems to see all the beauty around her instead of focusing on the darkness.
She is forgiving and understanding, an incredible person who’d do anything to help others, even if it could all end up in heartbreak.
Lily is brave and a force to be reckoned with, a spitfire who tells you things straight and who feels entirely too much for her own good.
Marco and Lily’s relationship is far from perfect, far from easy and smooth, but no matter what they are going through, what they did or said, the love and connection they have between them is far too great to let go of.
Each of these characters has gone through enough pain and even violence to last a lifetime, and yet, they still fight for what’s right and would go through hell and back for their loved ones.
If you are looking for an inspiring and intriguing book that will infuriate you whilst still making you love with all your heart, make you laugh with joy for these characters, make you feel every emotion possible and make you want to throw your Kindle at the wall, then this is the book for you!
A fast-paced read that will hook you from the get-go and force you to devour this incredible story in one go!
Rose has a way with words that creep into your souls and stay there for the long haul. I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Judagdor is my favorite book out of the Mendoza series. I fell so hard in love with Marco and Lily. But the whole Mendoza family takes you on a journey like never I’ve read before.
My heart is overflowing, end of story!
The Mendoza family will always be my favs and getting to read more of them is always a privilege.
Jugador is definitely a hibernate and devour kind of book. I just loved all there was to it! Rose Croft has outdone herself with this 5 star read and I want more!!!
Lily And Marco’s story is a heart jerker and one you can’t prepare for.
While Lily recognises more than an external shell of a fast coming pro football player, she also has to shelter herself from falling too hard. With the troublesome boy she’s so desperate to fix, will she meet ultimate desolation or can she have the slice of happiness she desperately seeks?
This comes highly recommended
Jugador can be read as a stand-alone but I highly suggest you read Cabezón and Primitivo first.
There’s so much beauty in these pages. I’ve shed frustrated, heartbroken, and happy tears from this story. Rose takes you on a journey, where nothing comes easy, you have to fight for it every step of the way. I felt as if I was fighting right along with them, just hypnotized by all the words. Lily and Marco’s story is one I will never forget, its planted itself deep within me.
I was so heartbroken for Marco. He’s no angel though, he’s done and said some things that he shouldn’t of. His accomplishments and success are all his own though, pushing himself despite his circumstances. His love for Lily is deep, I can feel his love through the pages even when he has difficulty expressing it.
Lily is sweet, always the innocent girl, who has very protective brothers watching over her. Her beauty resonates both inside and out. Marco caught her eye and heart as soon as he came into view. She sees something in him that others don’t. She’s always listening and guiding, provoking Marco to cleanse his demons.
This story is so freaking beautiful and I’m in desperate need for more of this family! I’ll read anything this author writes, she has a way with words that make me devour all the pages!
Amazing read! I LOVED Marco and Lily”s story. Even more I love the Mendoza family, not gonna lie i kinda want them to adopt me. I feel like this family just gets better each book Lily is exactly what I thought she’d be like, she’s a strong girl with some over barring brothers. And then there is Marco the super hot football player. Amazing 5 plus star read
This is the third story in the Mendoza family series and this time we focus on Lily. This can be read as a stand alone but it does mention people from the previous two books.
Living with very protective brothers has meant that Lily has not experienced as much as she would have liked before she turns 18 years old. Her double standard brothers have had their fun with girls but if a guy so much as looks at her, he gets warned off. There is one guy who has captured her attention though, Marco Cruz. He is the star quarterback who is destined to play professionally once he is done with school.
Marco lives with his alcoholic father, his mother walked out on them many years ago and his father has never been able to move on. Needless to say, his father has had little interest in Marco’s life and has never seen him play a single game for his high school. He has no idea how great his son is. Focusing on realising his dream is the only thing that keeps Marco going most days.
Marco plays football with Vince and Emilio Mendoza. They mix in the same social circles and are good mates, however, it has not escaped Vince’s notice that Marco always seems to have his eye on Lily and he has been warned what would happen if he was ever to cross that line. There is something about Lily that draws Marco in, like a moth to the flame. Likewise with Lily, she is always aware of him when he is near and her senses are heightened in his presence.
One night, when Marco has had a particularly bad day he ends up confiding in Lily, he feels like he can trust her with all the things going through his head. Initially surprised that Marco wants to talk, Lily is glad that he feels comfortable enough to do so. It turns into a bit of a pattern, he confides to her in secret and pretty much ignores her at school. Like her brothers though, he becomes quite protective and territorial of Lily, especially in social situations.
Lily feels frustrated with the burning attraction between them and Marco’s hot & cold presence in her life. Then one night everything changes and he finally takes what he has always wanted from Lily. Something that she gives him willingly. There is no other guy who it could have ever been. This thrilling new part of their friendship is short lived because he is leaving town and hoping not to return again. It would be 11 years until they see each other again.
When Lily and Marco’s lives collide once again, they are very different people and navigating any sort of renewed friendship between them is proving difficult. The bond between them is still evident but the divide between them could not be bigger. In some ways they are unrecognisable but if you dig deeper, the foundation they built many years ago is still there hiding under all the layers.
‘I wasn’t just an entity to her. Maybe she saw me for something else. Perhaps she saw more in me than I saw in myself.’
This was a fantastic second chance love story, it was not an easy path for this couple but in the end love will always win right?
The storyline was well written, the plot flowed smoothly from page to page and the characters were so well created with such great detail and depth that Lily and Marco kept me totally engaged throughout the entire book!
Love the Mendoza family! I have been along from the beginning and Rose Croft has developed an amazing family saga!
Lily and Marco’s story is antsy, sad, and alluring spanning over time. Their connection grew and deepened over time and I was totally invested in their story. It was both heart wrenching as well as ultimately heart warming. It’s a must read!
Outstanding story!
WOW! This story is one emotional rollercoaster ride from the very beginning right to that phenomenal and utterly perfect ending!
”You deserve everything, hermanita. Your star shines brighter than all the stars in the sky. Don’t ever settle for less.”
Marco and Lily are complex characters with tragic pasts. They have both been through a lot in their lives but that never got them down. At their very first interaction you could feel the start of something special that could be and will be amazing. But they first have some serious hurdles to get past.
Marco and Lily’s story will break your heart but then piece it back together again. They will have you falling head over heels for them. They will leave you breathless with their passion and chemistry. They are a very beautiful couple with a very passionate story.
I absolutely loved this story. It was phenomena, captivating and thrilling to read. Highly recommend.
I had the opportunity to beta read this book. I will write a more detailed review to come but for now, be prepared because y’all aren’t ready for how amazing this book is. It is her best book to date. I devoured it. There is something magical about the Mendoza family.
I have said it a million times but there truly is something special about this Mendoza family. Their journey, both together and individually, has been both beautiful and heartbreaking to read. As I fall in love with these characters I cannot help but put myself in their shoes and imagine life as they are experiencing it. This is an impressive feat. This is especially true in light of current events regarding minorities. The fact that this author can create characters that I can step into their shoes and see it as if I personally was experiencing it is a testament of her crazy skill as a writer. I feel their heritage, their will to obtain that American Dream, and their family devotion. Every one of these characters makes me want to cheer Viva Mexico and claim their heritage as my own.
As each character’s story has been significantly different in what they have experienced. For Lily, she had been sheltered to not know how bad things really had been. Just glimpses here or there that she had never put together what their meaning was. However, in this book, those pieces all come together and watching her have to grasp that understanding in a way that didn’t distort memories or even her mother or brothers, but also take some ownership in knowing that she can grow from it was powerful indeed. Her free loving spirit and easy-going nature was half of her appeal and her strength and resilience were powerful indeed. It is this combination that made her connection with Marco that much more important to the story. Marco had his own demons. He wore a mask so to speak in regards to who he was. His outward persona was completely different than the person inside the shell. Watching these two offer solace, for a lack of a better word, to each other and bring light into the dark was both beautiful and heartbreaking to watch. Lily only saw the potential and the beauty that was Marco and Marco saw the beauty but that it came with a time limit in regards to how long he could keep her.
Their journey definitely was filled with angst, but it also came with the hope that both of these individuals would discover their own self-worth and the realization that they deserved the love and comfort that the other offered each other. Therein lies the beauty of this author because it is also a remember that not everything is black and white and sometimes we have to strive to become better, to do better, and to believe.
I highly recommend this amazing series. There truly is something magical about this amazing Mendoza family. I wish they were my family. Bravo to this author for not only this book but also this series.
OMG Jugador was amazing! I absolutely loved Lily & Marco so much, their chemistry was so steamy before and after some heartache and years apart! The Mendoza Family Series just keeps getting better, but l think l have to say Jugador may be my favorite so far! Loved getting more of this large growing Mendoza Family! Awesome ending! …more
All the stars for Lily and Marco!!!
I seriously want to be a part of the Mendoza family.
Marco and Lily’s story was so freaking amazing! I loved every single thing about it, well maybe not one particular thing about it, but overall I’m so team Marcly(?), Lilco(?), anyway I’m all about them.
Lily’s strength and the way she stands up to Marco and doesn’t take anything from him had me screaming “Yes Girl! Don’t let him get away with it” and she didn’t.
Marco, ugh seriously I don’t think my heart could break anymore for him. Although, he played the a**hole to a tee, there was so much behind that exterior it will really hit you in the chest.
Of course I also loved catching up with Vince & Dani and Emilio & Sofia, I cannot wait to see what Rose Croft has planned next for this crew because I am so here for it. Even though she has made it so difficult to have a favorite, I still want more.
More Mendoza family…yes freaking please! Although this is a standalone, if you haven’t read the first two books in this series, do yourself a favour and get to know all these amazing characters from the beginning.
Lily and Marco’s story spans many years, some family drama and a lot of heartbreak.
Lily is the only female sibling in the Mendoza family, and with two overprotective brothers, a normal high school existence was difficult, to say the least.
To Marco Cruz, football was everything, including a promising future, something that he otherwise did not have. He was the sexy broken bad boy that no girl could resist, but the only one he couldn’t resist was Lily.
For a long time, their interactions were fleeting and seemed to be accompanied with angst, but those interactions also connected Lily with Marco on a level that no one else had been able to reach. With everything seemingly against them, giving into that connection was a recipe for disaster.
Lily and Marco’s sad, sweet, and steamy journey had me invested and rooting for their happy ending right from the start!
5 MY ONLY LOVE STARS!! MY FAVORITE BOOK IN THE SERIES. This book will be in my TOP 10 books for 2020. Marco and Lily are such a beautiful couple and these need each other like you need your next breath. Their story touched every emotion button I have. They have engraved their names on my heart forever. You must read this book and series. I am so glad I found Rose Croft and get to enjoy her phenomenal words and story land.
Hello again, warm fuzzies
Brothers’ friend/sports romance? Um… Yes, please!
I really, truly enjoy a strong heroine. Lily fits that mold. Her fun and lively spirit combined with her beautiful soul and lack of filter intrigued me.
Marco… he was a bit of a douche to start with. Not gonna lie, it wasn’t always cupcakes and rainbows. But, underneath his facade lay a very hurt, angry and broken boy.
Together, they are magic- there is no denying that. Their story is messy, sad, broken but beautiful. It was one that I really enjoyed. Their chemistry is hot, their hurts are palpable and yet, it was a really sweet story at the same time.
I would love, love, LOVE to have more of their story. I truly hope that Rose Croft will give us more of these two fabulous characters.