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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Could not put it down, not so opposites attract. Lollipop steals the show.
First off thank you Jill (and/or publisher) for the giveaway that won me this copy of “Playing for Keeps”.
This being my first romance novel I had all kinds of apprehensions about reading it. I was genuinely surprised (even before I finished reading it) that I liked this story. The characters were well rounded and their background stories rang real to me. The story was well paced and interesting enough to hold my attention.
All in all it was a pleasant journey, enough so that I will try the first book in the series.
his is the seventh in the Heartbreaker Bay series. I’m about to wrap-up my Christmas-theme reading for the year. I’ve got a confession to make…most of my holiday reading has been the Heartbreaker Bay series. I was going to start off with The Trouble With Mistletoe, but then realized that was book two in the series. My kinda, sorta OCD wouldn’t let me start with book two. Then I was in a quandary, Christmas-theme or not? Then I noticed that most of the Heartbreaker Bay series is set during Christmas. Problem solved. I started with book one, Accidentally On Purpose, and haven’t stopped reading the series yet.
Playing for Keeps tells the story of Sadie Lane and Caleb Parker. Both have a dark and angsty past, one of them has dealt with it, the other thinks they have, but relapses and self-destructs often. This one doesn’t top Hot Winter Nights as my fave of the series, but Caleb does remind me somewhat of Lucas. Sadie gets a little tiresome, but considering what she’s been through I suppose she’s entitled. Playing for Keeps is another winner in the Heartbreaker Bay series.
Your heart will ache for Sadie and Caleb as young people and it will soar with possibilities the face as adults. Great story about trust, forgiveness and love with fun and spirited characters especially Lollipop. The fountain continues to have a perfect percentage rate on love in Heartbreaker Bay.
I’m a sucker for a clever romance. I can’t believe I only just discovered Jill Shalvis, and I’ve already devoured most of the Heartbreaker Bay series. The goofy jokes are the sort that have me chuckling (while my husband looks at me like I’ve lost my marbles, then he cheerfully tolerates me reading the paragraph to him), and the romance between Caleb and Sadie swept me off my feet. Unable to put down the story, I lost a lot of sleep, and before I knew it the weekend had slipped blissfully away.
A sweet read in which opposites attract and find more than either ever expected!
Great read!
I love everything from this author, have read every one of her books and Alyssa look forward to her new ones!!!
this book was just ok to me.
Hoo boy! This one took it out of me. So much angst, but also such a wonderful connection between the characters. This has been a bone of contention among romance readers and writers as of late, but I’m the type to err on the side of caution. I’m going to give a trigger warning on this one. Sadie has dealt with a lot of emotional issues in her past and there is discussion of self-harm. I don’t like to give spoilers, and I don’t think this is actually a spoiler, but there are some heavy things that Sadie had going on as a teen and young adult.
I love that the author has Sadie, a girl who grew up comfortably middle class, show her problems. While Caleb, who grew up sick and poor, is confident and successful. It’s important to show that money doesn’t equal happiness and hard work can often be rewarded. Don’t get me wrong…there are plenty of underprivileged people who work their butts off with no change in their status in life. I’m not saying that’s not the case. That actually is the case more than it’s not. But I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the characters. Plus, the fact that Caleb does not judge Sadie for her past actions makes him a superb hero in my eyes.
There are so many little things Caleb does for Sadie throughout this story that show his compassion and heart. Sadie is very independent so it’s actually hard for Caleb to do anything for her without her getting her back up. Yet he’s so patient and understanding, he really stole my heart. As much as I wanted Sadie to stop being so guarded with him, I still understood where she was coming from and why she reacted to things the way she did.
The small steps Sadie and Caleb made toward each other with each interaction was touching. Their chemistry is phenomenal. The ability for both of them to admit when they’re wrong (maybe not right away, but still) and the way they are open to each other in a way they are with nobody else just turned me to mush.
On top of all of that, there are a few references to Caleb’s cousin in Sunshine, Idaho so now I’m hoping that means that the Animal Magnetism series is being expanded. That series is how I first discovered this author so it has a special place in my heart.
This review can also be found at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/22/playing-for-keeps-heartbreaker-bay/
This is the first Jill Shalvis book that I’ve had a hard time getting through. The scenes of Sadie and Caleb trying to co-parent a foster dog were the most compelling parts of the book. I had a really hard time connecting with Sadie. I admire Shalvis for exploring the issue of self-harm (i.e., cutting) but I just could not warm up to Sadie.
Great book! Two people hiding their true selves from the world, find they can share their secrets with each other, while adopting a poor homeless dog. And in the end love wins for all three of them.
Another winner for Jill Shalvis! The Heartbreaker Bay series has me hooked.
Playing for Keeps is a fun, romantic read. I’m a big fan of Jill Shalvis and recommend her books to anyone who enjoys light-hearted romantic comedies.
This was a pretty good story. The emotions of the two main characters and the sarcastic banter between the two was also good. Most of the snarky words came from Sadie and they were directed like heat-seeking missiles against “Suits” slash Caleb.
When the two of them meet up again rescuing the abandoned dog, then things really start to take off. Lollipop is what Sadie named the dog. Although Caleb really gets drawn to the dog he has a different name for the dog at times. “Poops A Lot”seemed to really fit at times. That co-parenting thing really brought Sadie and Caleb together so much more. Something that terrifies Sadie a whole lot. She has scars a lot of them and not all of them are physical. She did have some hurtful secrets that are not the usual run of the mill ones that you might expect.
Caleb looks perfect to Sadie, like he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth kind of perfect. No way would they ever have anything in common. Wrong on both counts but you have to read the story to find out why. Both M.C.’s have a lot of depth to them. And I liked them both and that the story told both of their P.O.V.’s.
Something that made me smile was all the sisters in Caleb’s life. They were so used to protecting him as the youngest child that they were at times ruthlessly intrusive. They were known as “The Coven” and not only by him. They weren’t evil just very good at what they do. Sorting out the weeds or people with wrong motives would be their job description and all done because of love.
There will be plenty of missteps and mistakes between Caleb and Sadie but it was interesting to watch them work them out. I liked that neither one of them were cookie cutter perfect and that they did have some complex pasts.
There were several other interesting supporting people in the story. And one person who has Sadie’s back is Ivy. Ivy is single and looking for her own H.E.A. and I hope she gets it.
I saw a different eBook cover for this book that I liked even better and it seemed more in character to the story-line. I hope that is the one that was finally used.
There are some twists and a few turns before the H.E.A. shows up complete with a Epilogue.
I was really excited to read Playing for Keeps. Jill has been teasing us with Sadie and ‘Suits’ for a few books and I was dying to find out more about Caleb and to explore the chemistry between him and Sadie. We already knew Sadie as a snarky, stand-offish, hard to read woman, but little did we know just how much.
I have to say though, for the first 100 pages, I thought Caleb was having a romantic relationship with Lollipop, the dog he adopted jointly with Sadie, because in those first 100 pages, he and Sadie never even shared their first date, unless you count a trip to the vet as a first date. It was a really SLOW start, but once you hit that 100 page mark, the book took off like a shot and kept you turning pages all the way to the end. Don’t get me wrong, you got to know Caleb and Sadie better as individuals in those first 100 pages, but it left me yearning for the chemistry to go somewhere.
Once the chemistry went somewhere, it honestly could have blown a hole in the roof of Caleb’s house quite easily and quite often. While many thought Sadie was just being a B*tch for the sake of being one, it wasn’t hard to see that her family, and past mental health issues, made her that way. It was no secret to Caleb, even though she wanted it to be, that her family screwed her up big time and Sadie’s bristle was all the result of poor self-esteem and a defense mechanism no one got through. No one but Caleb. That said, Caleb is no slouch, and his own family wants to protect him from the kind of women out to dig for gold and nothing else. This causes major problems for Caleb who realizes that with every misstep he’s losing his hold on the woman he loves.
If you love a steamy romance where opposites attract, dogs are the perfect addition to make life tolerable, and hearts are healed, you will enjoy Playing for Keeps!!
Mercedes “Sadie” Lane is a struggling tattoo artist trying to build her clientele. She and the business mogul Caleb Parker have always had a mercurial association. Sadie co-adopts an abandoned puppy she and Caleb find near her shop. This new dynamic in their relationship allows her to see another side of him. Can Caleb help Sadie conquer her insecurities for good? Or will they stand in the way of their happily-ever-after?
Caleb Parker is a successful and an affluent entrepreneur. When he co-adopts an abandoned puppy, Caleb learns that he’s not allergic to dogs as he believed. He and Sadie may be polar opposites, but there is something about the woman that calls to him. Caleb discovers they have more in common than either of them expected. Can Caleb convince Sadie to take a chance with him? Or will their hang ups doom their relationship?
Sadie is a woman I instantly identified with, especially her insecurity problems. As a former cutter, I understand her reasons behind the need because they mirrored mine. Sadie uses snark as an armor to protect herself. I love her Criminal Minds reference at the start of the book. It made me giggle and agree whole-heartedly. What I adore the most about Sadie is how she specializes in scar cover-up tattoos. She wants to help people replace their bad memories with something good or positive.
Caleb is a knight in designer suits. He is a man who has never forgotten his humble roots nor the people that have helped him throughout the years. I like how Caleb never let wealth or his accomplishments go to his head. Instead, he uses them to help other people achieve their dreams. I adore the patience Caleb shows with Sadie. He knows when to back off and give her the space she desperately needs. What I love the most about Caleb is how he defended Sadie to her parents. He did not like or approve of their passive aggressive demeanor towards her.
PLAYING FOR KEEPS is book seven in Jill Shalvis’s contemporary-romance series, HEARTBREAKER BAY. Lollipop, the puppy, stole the entire story. Lollipop is my favorite character. I love how the pup is beneficial to Caleb and Sadie becoming a couple. She gives them reasons to settle their differences and interact more.
PLAYING FOR KEEPS is a fun yet heartening tale of two emotionally hung up individuals discovering love. As always, I did not want this book to end because I enjoy the author’s humor. I hope either Ivy or Kel gets a story next. Or possibly the pair hooking up.
Review courtesy of Romance Junkies
Jill has a special talent for writing stories. This story is another great learning to love herself & trust. Love how she puts animals in her stories & this 3 legged dog is so lovable, he really loves his humans. Great read.
I always love anything by Jill Shalvis, but this book really touched a chord with me. The heroine is a former cutter, something I know about only too well. Jill did a great job dealing with this sensitive topic. And of course she had her usual witty banter, hot and sweet alpha hero, and sassy heroine.
And lets not forget the adorable Lollypop (the dog the hero and heroine rescued together)!
I think Jill Shalvis is how I discovered romance novels. From The Wilder Series to Lucky Harbor, and the Animal Magnetism series, I have loved her wit and writing style. After you read all those books, you have to read Heartbreaker Bay series-best characters ever.