Country boy, Ryder Davis has the world at his feet. A stellar rugby career, a winning way with women and a beach view that keeps him in blue sky and bikini babes. He’s living the dream. The last thing he needs is a Great Dane called Tiny destroying his feng shui. Dog whisperer, Juliet Morgan is about to start living her dream and she’s counting down the days. In two months she’ll finally be … finally be moving to Italy and no man’s going to stop her this time. Not even a rugby superstar with a badly behaved pooch.
But when Ryder skids into the animal shelter looking for help Juliet agrees to assist him with his canine issues. Pretty soon they’re assisting each other out of their clothes and tumbling headlong into a sex thing with an expiry date.
Neither of them expected it to become more. But when for now starts to feel like forever Juliet hits the panic button. Ryder knows he has to play the long game and let her walk away. After all it’s not over until the final hooter sounds and all’s fair in love and rugby.
Each book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series is STANDALONE:
* Playing By Her Rules
* Playing It Cool
* Playing the Player
* Playing With Forever
* Playing House
* Playing Dirty
more
I am a huge fan of Sydney Smoke! Each book has been light, entertaining, and fun to read.
My favorite thing about this book is that it’s the opposite of most romance. The lady isn’t looking for strings in the relationship and the guy is all in. Juliet is moving to Italy in six weeks and isn’t going to let anything, especially a man, get in her way of fulfilling her dream. She’s already done that once. When she meets Ryder, she’s willing to teach his temporary dog obedience and have a friends with benefits relationship until she leaves. Ryder, a star player for the Sydney Smoke, doesn’t have any trouble with the ladies but isn’t as opposed to relationships as some of the members of his team. When the coach’s daughter coaxes him into taking care of a friend’s dog, he turns to the shelter down the street for help with this monster of a dog. Ryder has six weeks to be with Juliet and maybe convince her that they could work even after she moves to Italy.
I loved that Ryder was trying to do basically anything to be with Juliet, from suppressing his feelings to thinking of ways to make it work after she moves. Never once was the suggestion that she shouldn’t go and live out her and her mother’s dream. Juliet was strong and fiercely independent but her refusal to see how Ryder was different from her ex got old as the story progressed. I hope there’s more Smoke coming!!
Playing with Forever by Amy Andrews
A Sydney Smoke Rugby Novel #4
WOW! Steamy – HOT – Wonderful – A True Delight!
Ryder Davis is a rugby player – but oh so much more! He is a cowboy, a brother, a son, a friend, a people person, dominant on and off the filled and skilled in both arenas, too. He knows what he wants and he wants…
Juliet Morgan – she is into fine arts BUT working temporarily at a dog shelter when he walks in and is blown away by everything about her. He signs up for a puppy training class hoping it will assist him in dealing with the dog sitting he is doing BUT he also hopes it will get him closer to Juliet.
…and BOY did he get closer to Juliet! I loved the way Ryder and Juliet talked, teased, tantalized and tormented one another only to then completely satisfy one another without any inhibitions. Two strong characters that knew what they wanted and were more than able to verbalize their needs…Whew!
Juliet is leaving in eight weeks for Italy. Ryder is busy playing Rugby. With an expiration date on their relationship it can only be physical – right? BUT what if you meet the right person at the wrong time? Do you stick with your dreams or create new ones?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking for more books by this author. Her writing resonates with me. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the ARC – this is my honest review.
5 Stars
The dog is the star and the romance plays a close second in this immensely entertaining, laughably tempting, hard to put down romance. The sports star with the sexy physique and his pick of women is brought down to size by a mischievous pooch and a slip of a woman with big dreams and a talent for dog whispering. Playing With Forever is every woman’s dream. To find a guy that may not be perfect, but is willing to take a chance all in the name of love.