Faking it never felt so real in this falling for his best friend’s little sister romance… Nothing’s more important than leading my team to victory every week. Except maybe escaping from the team owner’s recently-widowed and handsy-as-hell sister who’s dead set on winning more than a date with me at the charity auction. Enter Violet and a well-placed Hail Mary. She’s my best friend’s sister … Mary.
She’s my best friend’s sister with a smile as sweet as cherry pie and a mind that runs quicker than the 40-yard-dash. After Violet saves the day with the highest bid, I don’t even give her a two-minute warning before I kiss her in front of the whole crowd and then announce that she’s my girlfriend. Then my agent tells me we have to keep up the act while he’s negotiating my contract.
But what happens when faking it starts to feel all too real?
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Hot, sexy, and sweet. Love this brand new sports romance and Cooper stole my heart.
He’s not just an MVP, he’s irresistible!!
Cooper is delicious!! I loved his and Violet’s chemistry! He’s sweet, witty, sexy, and all those things you want in a book boyfriend. And Violet is sassy, smart, independent, and strong. I enjoyed this book immensely. And Lauren’s male only POV is always so enjoyable. He doesn’t feel fake or forced. FLOVED IT!
Love it want more of this series
MVP is the first in the “Ballers and Babes” series, and yes, I just sprained my feminism by typing out that phrase. However! The heroine does have a career in this book, one in which she is successful and never in danger of giving up her job for her man, which is one of those romance novel cliches I personally can’t stand.
Speaking of cliches, there are at least three of them going on here:
*They Were Childhood Friends
*Fake Relationship
*Friends To Lovers
…and I’m not going to lie to you: I! Am! Here! For! That! This is, for me, escapism at its best. (Okay, maybe not “best.” “Most effective,” how about that. I just like cliches is what I’m saying, and now you all know a little too much about my psyche. Moving on.)
One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book is that the POV narrator is the guy. I got a kick out of it being HIM who was fretting over “oh gosh, does she like me THAT WAY??!?” I do get tired of the Strong, Silent Man in these books, so it was a nice change to have the story mostly about his journey towards realizing his feelings.
The characters are cute, their flirtation comes across as natural, and nothing in this book makes me want to actively slam my head into the nearest brick wall.
OH! I nearly forgot to mention: the, um, horizontal portion of their relationship is quite explicit. The author doesn’t use terms like “throbbing manhood” or the like, so if you aren’t okay with reading words like c— and p—-, this one is definitely not for you.
Also, there are sports.
Love all of Lauren Blakely’s books. This one is just as good as the others. Cooper and Violet have great chemistry. There is nothing better than falling in love with your friend even if it is your best friends little sister. Great love story!
Most Valuable Playboy is a standalone novel by my queen of the male POV. Lauren fucking Blakely. The book is set in San Francisco and in one of my favorite towns, Sausalito. Its beautiful just like the city but with a small town feel. Perfect setting for these two.
Cooper needs a Hail Mary. Violet gives him one. Herself as his fake girlfriend. Only, their first kiss doesn’t feel fake at all. It feels like a kick off to a life-changing game. He knows he shouldn’t be thinking about her in that way. She is his best friend’s little sister. The girl he has known for twenty years. But, something ignited within him with that kiss. It wasn’t just her lips but the way she looked at him. The way she held him. The way she didn’t pull away first. But, was she just a good friend that was returning a favor or did she feel the same thing in that kiss? Want. Desire. More.
Turns out being in a fake relationship isn’t that hard when it’s with someone you adore. Cooper loved the way she made him laugh with her cheesy jokes. He also loved the way she didn’t take his shit. He loved her support and the way she styled his hair. And of course he thoroughly enjoyed her moans of ecstasy. And Violet loved giving them to him. He made her feel adored. But, she didn’t to get hurt and a man like Cooper could do exactly that. He was married to football. She got it. Did he have room in his heart for her?
I am just going to say it. I am not a big fan of football but I am a fan of Cooper Armstrong and his passion for the game. I would be his hometown girl any day of the week. Except Sundays. Then I would be his cheerleader. But for real, I am also a Violet fan. I want to hang out with her at her salon. It would also be fun to make up cheesy jokes to tell. So with them together, fake or for real, it’s a victory dance. I loved them! So funny, sexy, sweet, and dirty. I mean…damn, Lauren. Purple is my favorite color but now…I will be thinking of it all day.
Overall…I adored it. I giggled. I cried. I felt the passion. I didn’t want it to end.
Quotes:
Hell, this girl can act.
The problem is my dick is a method actor.
Because this should just be an ordinary staged kiss.
But he’s gone rogue.
“You’ve never seen my bedroom.”
“Do you need to go hide teddy bears and Justin Bieber posters before I go in?”
“Don’t be silly. I did that before you came over.”
“You have the most perfect filthy mouth for such a good, sweet girl.”
Most valuable playboy is book one in the Ballers and Babes series by Lauren Blakely. The story focuses on the relationship between Violet and Cooper. Cooper is a NFL player who has just started on the front line this year and is waiting for his million dollar contract to come through. To help with his image, he and his football brothers are being auctions for a children’s hospital charity night, only it doesn’t go to plan for Cooper and he is in the front line of being auctioned off to a cougar who doesn’t want him for his brains. The fact that the cougar is also his team’s owner sister doesn’t help matters. To get him out of it, he enlists the help of his sister’s best friend Violet who helps him out of the bind.
Violet is a hairstylist who from the get go is just a genuinely nice person. Even though she doesn’t suffer Cooper, she really likes him and doesn’t have any second thoughts when it comes to helping out of his bind. The only problem is that she has deeper feelings for him and she has for a while. How does she balance this pseudo-relationship without getting in too deep?
This is a slow burn story which focuses on friendship, relationships and wanting to be the best version of yourself. There is a lot of funny moments between Violet and Cooper but for me as a reader I didn’t necessarily feel the sexual tension like I have in previous Lauren Blakely books, but there are a lot of fun, cute and sweet moments which makes this book and overall easy read. There isn’t a lot of drama in this book, just two people trying to work out their relationship and life and finding a balance.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com
I was looking for a “comfort listen”. Nothing too angsty, or OTT funny, or dark. Just a simple, enjoyable love story ~ and that’s exactly what this is. Minus two small text exchanges between Violet and her sister-in-law, this is Entirely from Cooper’s POV. Fun & sweet friends-to-lovers, fake boy/girlfriend tropes. Zachary Webber in all his calm yet sexy voice glory.
P.S. I’m iffy on “reformed manwhore” books, but really that’s not what this was. Yes, he had a past, but it was just sort of mentioned and he was actually on a celibacy kick for several months when the book started.
I knew I needed to listen to this one after there was a short prequel at the end of the other Lauren Blakely book I listened to, Unzipped. While the prequel was from Violet’s viewpoint, this full length novel was from Cooper’s viewpoint. And Zachary Webber was the narrator, and I love him! This was a lot of fun, although I wonder if the prequel or this came first. As usual, Blakely writes a lot of sexy steam with a lot of humor. I loved several different things, like the “mind over erection zone”. As with the other book, I loved that really the characters didn’t do extremely unrealistic things. They were pretty honest when needed, and the other one believed without going nutty. And I liked how the coaches were, and how the owner’s sister was as well, I mean in the end. I love how real this author is in her storytelling. And it only encourages me to read more!
Lauren Blakely writes a delightfully fun romance. She manages to squeeze in four romance tropes: sports romance; forbidden romance (best friend’s sister); friends to lovers; and fake relationship. Both main character’s are easy to like and the development of the romance was realistic.
I’m a big fan of Lauren Blakely’s books, and titles like this one are why. I’ve never read a sports romance before, and never been interested – but after this book, I definitely have to reevaluate that position!
I rearranged my entire life for the two days it took me to read this – I couldn’t put it down and was dying to see what would happen…but at the same time, I never wanted it to end. Violet and Cooper (and all the side characters, too!) were absolutely perfect – and perfect together.
You can bet I’ll be reading more of this series soon! It’s a total must read!
LOVED this book! One of my favorites!
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the story line and how it evolved.
This had me grinning throughout, that is when I was not laughing out loud. Totally enjoyed reading this.
I loved reading from the male characters perspective!
Opening your eyes and realizing “everything” has been in front of you for a very long time.
Nothing better than an irresistible starting quarterback and the sweet hometown girl. This story was fun, sweet, and full of steamy moments. I fell in love with the characters immediately and devoured their story. Can’t wait to read about some of the secondary characters.
Lauren once again scored a touchdown! The book was swoonworthy and is definitely one of my favorites this year.
I love Lauren Blakley books and this was no exception. This book was funny soulful and full of love as this quarterback and his childhood best friend find the love and future fate has in store for them. Great story and characters.
This book has been in my TBR for a long time and I’ve been on a Lauren Blakey kick so I dove in.
It’s fun and sexy and all about football, friends and love. The banter between the cast of character entertains! As all of Lauren Blakely’s books seem to be, this is another winning Rom-Com. A touchdown!
I absolutely adored everything about this friends to lovers romance! It is heartwarming, fun & flirty, sweet and very hot & sexy! Cooper and Violet have been close friends since they were kids, always having each others backs. Now as adults, things haven’t changed when Violet comes to Coopers rescue during the charity bachelor auction held by Coopers team. She bids an obscene amount to save Cooper from someone Cooper absolutely did not want to be alone with. When put on the spot, Cooper and Violet pretend to be having a relationship. Everyone is so excited for a love story between the sexy new Quarterback and the hometown girl, that they are forced to go along with it. As Cooper and Violet try to come up with answers to questions about their relationship, their answers just may have a shred of truth. Cooper realizes he is so attracted to his sexy friend, and their chemistry is off the charts. But does she feel the same or is she just paying him back for saving her years earlier? They knew so much about each other, and had such history, that they “can’t see the forest for the trees”.
I loved Cooper and Violet, they were so in sync, and perfect for each other. Ms. Blakely expertly weaved a beautiful and intoxicating love story with genuine characters, witty banter and explosive chemistry. It didn’t have angst, or a lot of drama, but still had the emotional oomph that I love. This story is the perfect blend of humor, charm, emotion and steam. This book captured my heart and made me feel happy and totally satisfied.
This was a great start to this group of friends and I can’t wait to read Jones’ and Jillians’ story in ‘Most Likely To Score’ next!