If you’re planning on falling in love… to the seemingly invincible hottie.
you’d better be sure…
Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.
… someone is there to catch you.
Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.
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Another steamy page turner from Jill Shalvis! I loved it! Highly recommend!
Jill Shalvis never disappoints!!
Jill Shalvis just keeps bringing her “A Game” with the Heartbreaker Bay Series! Sadie and Caleb’s story kept me turning the pages and is one of my favorites of the series. The adorable dog “Lollipop” that brought them together stole my heart!
Sadie Lane and Caleb Parker may be opposites, but there’s no denying the chemistry between these two! I loved reading the heartfelt & emotional journey to their relationship and how supportive and patient Caleb was with Sadie. The scenes with Lollipop were also some of the best! This book was a fun, sweet & sexy, emotional read!
Even though this is the 7th book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend it and the entire Heartbreaker Bay series!
Jill Shalvis takes Pride and Prejudice to a whole other level with her book Playing for Keeps; or, at the very least, brings it forward to 2019. And…I’m a huge Austen fan. I really feel like Shalvis’s writing just keeps getting better and better with every book. I fell in love with this book within the first few chapters because unlike many romance novels Shalvis was not afraid to delve into real life problems – no matter how scary; nor, was she scared to have a completely and totally honest hero. That may sound ridiculous but I have read a shocking amount of books where the author simply falls back on the very easy plot line that the hero chose to lie about something small enough to assure the reader didn’t hate him but big enough to cause a disruption in the HEA. This book was real, raw, and never lacked in romance. Sometimes… things have to be rough, maybe even dark, for one to realize how truly powerful and full of light love is.
Just when I didn’t think I would like any hero as much as Lucas or Joe, along comes Caleb! Each hero in the Heartbreaker Bay series gets better. Sadie is an endearing character. She is tough but has a lot of reasons to be distrustful of everyone. Caleb is dreamy….loyal, smart and plain old adorable. His interactions with Lollipop are fabulous as are his relationships with his sisters. I loved their story! Jill Shalvis has a gift of writing stories that are fun that make you laugh out loud and get emotionally invested in the characters. I’m always sad the story goes by so quickly. I received an advance copy for an honest review.
ARC received for an honest review.
Gah, I just love getting back to Heartbreaker Bay! I just adore every single thing about the people in this series.
This is Caleb (woohoo) and Sadie’s story, and it was fun, flirty and emotional. I think all of us can connect a little bit with Sadie, and I can tell you now, I just wanted to b!tchslap some of the people in her life for things!
I love their new addition to their lives, and boy did it make me want to get another dog! Though I don’t miss the drool and the poop pickups!
I couldn’t help but fall for Caleb right from the start, and I need one of my own!
I loved getting bits and bobs of the the crew from Heartbreaker Bay, and little snips of where their lives are at. I think I need to move to San Fran and become their friends.
I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room (or at somebody’s head!)
I can’t wait to see what Ms Shalvis brings us next.
This is a great fun read with humor and quirky characters! When you read a Heartbreaker Bay romance it feels like a family reunion with the different characters popping up, because it is a family community series. Sadie is an individual with a lot of quirks, some of her own making and others from growing up in her family as the “black sheep” so to speak. She has sworn off men since her last boyfriend relapsed her into bad habits/self preservation and she’s not looking for anything especially not a suit again. Caleb grew up as a sickly asthmatic kid who was bullied big time, but with the help he changed his life, now with muscles and no longer struggling he supports his family and many other people, those that need a hand up. Together Sadie and Caleb mix like oil and water but when a three legged pup brings them together their co-parenting brings out their deeper feelings. Both are gun shy about commitment, Sadie on even putting a name to their thing. This is a wonderful story about healing, acceptance, great feels and lots of humor–not one to miss!
Finally Caleb’s book. And Sadies’s of course!
Sadie is working at the day spa and at the tattoo shop in our beloved building. And Caleb. He’s a bit mysterious. He sold some apps and made a massive amount of money, and now he’s got a huge venture capital comany that he’s running with his sisters.
Sadie and Caleb have always rubbed each other the wrong way. They’re friends with the same people, so they see each other a lot. But it’s always weird. But which is – obvious to the reader – their huge attraction. It takes those two – and their new dog – a long while until they realize that there could be something very good and serious between them….
But the reader has an amazing time watching them fall for each other!!!
Ugh!
I just love Jill Shalvis stories. This series is sooo adorable!
Such a beautiful city. This amazing building with all its unique residents.
Just perfect.
This was another sweet and sexy and heartbreaking love story.
Both Sadie and Caleb – and their new mega adorable dog – have been through a lot in their lives. But now they’re finally all about to find their ever after place in life.
I adored the story. I hope this series never ends!!!!
PLAYING FOR KEEPS was such an adorable and sweet and sexy romance! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Caleb – this one is MINE!
I loved this so much. First off, Lollipop is simply the cutest and I feel the need to go snuggle my own furbabies. Second, this is very much an opposites attract romance. I adored seeing all Caleb’s layers peeled back and he is SUCH the perfect guy for Sadie. A caretaker without infantalizing her. Totally my personal crack. Two thumbs up and a double squee cannon salute.
The love of a scared, partially disabled dog brings Caleb and Sadie together, sort of. While Sadie is determined to keep her distance from him she does agree to a coexistence and sharing of the lovable dog. They set up a custody arrangement that takes into consideration Sadie’s two job schedule.
Take a once burned-twice shy mega business mogul with a tragic past and a slightly broken, very gun shy free spirited, square-peg girl mix in an adorable three-legged mutt (Lollipop) that loves them both and you have the makings of a relationship that cannot be denied.
The scenarios that Caleb cooks up to spend time with her are as endearing as the reasons she tries to run from him. When you find out someone is nothing like you thought they were, well then, you have to adjust your thinking and your heart.
I adore this couple and Lollipop! The story moved at a pace I believe was nearly perfect for them to meld into a great couple. Thank you Jill Shalvis for this wonderful read.
Another amazing and sweet story from Heartbreaker Bay where ironically hearts tend to be mended and pointed towards their mates rather than broken. Caleb and Sadie are two such hearts who on the surface seem like an unlikely couple until you see how much they have in common when they rescue a three legged dog and decide to co-adopt her. As with most people, they are by no means perfect but they really are perfect for each other and have an over abundance of chemistry, heart and soul. As always the flow of this story is wonderful and easy to submerge yourself into and feel like you are a part of it. The humor infused into it is on point as it always is from Jill Shalvis.
I love, love, love this couple, their story and of course their matchmaker Lollipop too! I hope this series never ends.
I loved this book. I loved that they both had troubled pasts that both had to overcome. Caleb is so patient with Sadie and allows her to open up on her own. I love Lollipop. She adds to the book as a way to show that both characters know how to love they just need to learn how to trust outside of their circle. Caleb comes from a very loving family and Sadie doesn’t come from a family that very supportive. They learn to balance those things out in one another.
Forget the feels. I fell hopelessly in love. Shalvis has her target in sight and never misses her mark. Playing for Keeps turns heartbreak into a sweet temptation. The gentle giant and the closed off temptress finally meet their match. It comes in the form of an adorable dog searching for a place to call home. Caleb and Sadie have much to overcome. Past hurts, present pain and foolish pride keep rearing their ugly heads, but Lollipop is there to soften the blow in time. Playing for Keeps is a journey of hope. This wounded trio turn the sweetest heartache into an unforgettable fresh start.
I love this series, the town and that cheeky fountain.
These two characters sure came with flaws and baggage, especially the heroine. Though seeing her family who can blame her.
Along comes the hero, it’s a struggle with her issues but watch her grow….eventually.
The dog was the star!
An emotional read and I loved it.
My Review
When Sadie Lane sees the man she’s been stubbornly referring to as ‘Suits’ rescuing a scared, malnourished, three-legged dog outside her work she’s forced to reconsider her opinions. It doesn’t help, that he’s insanely handsome, nice, and her new dog’s co-parent.
Caleb Parker might have a genius mind when it comes to astral-physics and investment companies, but Sadie Lane leaves him feeling as tongue-tied as the awkward, lonely youth he once was. So why can’t he stay away?
This is a beautifully written tale of two people who have been unbearably hurt in the past, learning that maybe, with the right person at your back, you don’t have to stand alone.
Favorite Lines
The things that make me different are the things that make me . . .
PLAYING FOR KEEPS- JILL SHALVIS
You know that feeling when you meet someone and your heart skips a beat?”
“Yeah,” Sadie said. “It’s called arrhythmia and you can die from that shit.
PLAYING FOR KEEPS- JILL SHALVIS
Women should come with instructions.”
“What would be the point of that?” Sadie asked. “I’ve never actually seen a man read any instructions.”
PLAYING FOR KEEPS- JILL SHALVIS
Jill is a master at writing tough, alpha heroes with marshmallow hearts and heroines who are damaged but not broken.
I give Playing For Keeps 5+ lovely Kisses- Love Can Heal a Damaged Soul!
Real characters that you can relate to. A great story. What more could you want?
Jill Shalvis always brings the most wonderful stories of love to life, even with difficult things that needs to be brought to light. Loved reading about this couple and how they worked thru it all. Thanks for another great read and the cutest adopted doggie, along with a coven of sisters, giving us readers some comedy as well.
Wow, another excellent story by this talented author.
We are back at the Pacific Pier Courtyard and this time the story belongs to Sadie Lane, and Caleb Parker/Suits. She is a tattoo artist and he’s a billionaire. Both share friends in Heartbreaker Bay.
When Caleb sees Sadie rescuing a homeless dog during a rain shower, he helps her and they end up co-parenting the dog. Their friendship and relationship begins to evolve. Though seemingly very different people, each has had a tough childhood . While Caleb starts opening up to her, Sadie fears her secrets will destroy whatever it is they have.
But overcoming her past, and finding someone who truly gets her and accepts her, scares Sadie even more.
While the plot is engaging and the characters complex, it’s the underlying story that got to me most. Sadie’s story could be describing any teenager nowadays . A girl that doesn’t fit her family expectations, whose actions are asking for help and in turn is treated like a freak. Heartwrenching .
This is another heartbreaking but also heartwarming story in this series. Have your hankies ready, because you’ll need them.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Another winner! I love the Heartbreaker Bay series, and this was a wonderful return to a group of fictional friends. That said, the book would be just as good if it is a person’s first visit to the series. Sadie and Caleb are two people coming from very different backgrounds, with very different family relationships, yet both had dark moments in childhood to overcome. The chemistry they share is off the charts. Together they agree to share custody of a rescue dog, and hesitantly a relationship develops and grows. Lots of emotion, angst, tears, laughter, love. Thank you, Jill Shalvis, for another great story!
I was waiting so long for Sadie and Caleb story and I can say that the wait was worth it. This book is so emotional and romantic. Caleb is so patient and caring. But I wish there was more interaction with the other characters and more insight on how their life are chaging. This book is amazing and a really great story.
I received an arc copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.