Billy Harrington is the biggest player in Blue Ridge, only his wild card is about to be tabled by a feisty silver vixen.Billy Harrington.A young girl walks into a bar… teen.
And the one person who could help me the most is my nemesis.
Roxanne McAllister.
I should hate him for being her father.
Only I don’t fault him for sleeping with my sister.
This is the story of my life.
I’ve always been runner-up to my older sibling.
Then tragedy strikes—again—and I’m left with a dilemma.
Can I count on the person I despise the most in Blue Ridge?
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Oh my heart! L.B. Dunbar has struck silver fox gold with Silver Player. I was into it from the first dramatic page and the emotional yet playful and deep journey Billy took kept me invested until the very end.
My heart went out to Billy. While his reputation preceded him, he really was a good guy. Hard working. Loyal. Trying to prove himself ‘enough’ to the people that mattered most to him, his family. And thrown for about seven loops when he gets the surprise to end all surprises, his teenage daughter…
Oh that Sadie was a firecracker. Lost. Hurting. Trying to make sense of her new world. Thankfully she had her aunt Roxie to help her along the way. And Roxie was nothing to sneeze at either. She gave as good as she got. And while her temper sometimes got the best of her and made her lash out, she really did have a tender heart.
There were A LOT of ups and downs as they struggled to find a balance that worked for everyone. It was so fun watching these three very different personalities find some common ground. Find happiness. Fall in love.
I’m not going to lie, the angst in this one was high. L.B. Dunbar went deep Silver Player and it payed off. My emotions were all over the place. I laughed. I was angry. I was nervous and fearful. I legit groaned out loud more than once. I smiled and cringed and swooned. I was consumed with Billy and Roxie’s messy and rocky journey that proved it is never too late to fall in love.
SILVER PLAYER is the second book in the Silver Foxes of Blue Ridge series. Each will stand on its own, but I strongly recommend them all so why not read them in the order of release. I freakin’ loved this one!
While Denton and Mati are building their SECOND CHANCE, Giant and Letty are working through their long-distance relationship (SILVER BREWER) and Billy is building his family with Roxie and Olivia. For those of us who already known the Harrington family, I loved the way that the relationships and their stories were braided together. Yet, I believe there is nothing that would cause someone just picking up at this book to feel that they were lost.
Billy, Olivia, and Roxanne’s story starts out about as messy as it can get short of law enforcement getting involved… but they come later! Messy means feelings… lots and lots of feelings… for them and for me.
I loved reading about this family building itself from three individuals to a solid unit. Now, if it wasn’t Billy in the alleyway… who was it? I’m thinking that this will be as significant in one of the future books as it was to Roxie.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
“I want to read you…” oh holy swoon!
I cannot tell you all how much I love LB Dunbar’s writing! This is the story of Billy and Roxanne.
This is a story of just so much more than love. This is a story of secrets coming to light. Insecurities rearing it’s ugly head and how misconceptions can skew your thinking and how you see people.
Billy is labeled as a player, he feels like he is always out to prove himself. The bickering and fighting between him and Roxie is the best type of flirting! He is struggling with the secrets he keeps and a huge secret that comes into the light. He is worthy of all that is good in the world and he deserves happiness.
Roxanne is every woman, she has her faults and vulnerabilities, but she is also strong when she needs to be. She too deserves love and the fighting between her and Billy can be hurtful, but it also reveals. She is struggling to keep what she loves close.
The chemistry between Roxie and Billy is like a house on fire and the push and pull they have for each other wanted me to hug them close and sometimes slap them upside the head!
I think Billy’s quote sums up this story beautifully….”it doesn’t matter who you loved first, it was the last who mattered….”
Ms. Dunbar, your words absolutely move me!! Thank you for writing about silver foxes and the silver vixens who tame them!! Please don’t ever stop!
Sexy and snarky!
Roxie and Billy are thrown together as caretakers of a teenager of the goth girl variety. Despite their many protestations of hatred toward each other, their chemistry cannot be denied. Their road is a rocky one filled with way too many misunderstandings and miscommunications. Of course the sixteen-year-old finds a way to cut to the chase!
Silver Player (The Silver Foxes of Blue Ridge – L. B. Dunbar
He is sex on a stick, a player, a man whore, every womans dream.
A girl walks into a pub, asks for the BIlly Harrington, so when Billy comes out to talk to the “girl” he does what he always does, makes a smart remark. Until she gives him an earful, she’s here to tell him one thing he’s her dad!
Roxy (Roxanne McAllister) waits across the street in the bookstore for the girl to return home, stomp! stomp! stomp! (yes 16 year girls stomp a lot I know I had 3) and tells Roxy – her aunt that her father hit on her.
There my friends is how this delightful story starts. Billy, Roxy and Sadie: father/daughter; aunt/niece; two concerned adults/1 – 16 year old girl. What on earth could go wrong in this story?
For the moment only those three people know that, just over 17 years ago during a one night stand, Billy and Sadie’s mom, well you know……and not to very long ago Sadie’s mom died in a tragic road accident, leaving Sadie with her Aunt Roxy and Billy across the street.
L. B. Dunbar gives us an amazing plot to enjoy, while she takes us on the wild ride of player to parent; a teenage daughter and the woman you may want to get to “know” better, sharing the raising of said daughter/niece. There are hard moments, there is grief, there is a whole lot to be worked out.
Roxy and Sadie are not only dealing with grief from the loss of Sadie’s mom it is a whole new experience and it is going to impact that aunt/niece relationship. Add to that Billy who wants to get to know his daughter, wants to do the right thing and doesn’t want Roxy to lose her relationship with Sadie. This is a recipe just waiting for an ingredient to go missing.
Add on to all the above, the icing on the cake so to speak, the Harrington extended family.
Reading these L. B. Dunbar books is like reading on cloud nine with Silver Men and Sassy Women in over 40 and situations that are totally relatable. Yet again a five star read from L. B. Dunbar! Huzzah!
I love the silver fox series. It is great to read novels that are about older characters. Billy and Roxie have a tumultuous relationship. Can they make it work amongst all the heartache? A good read.
Characters = 5/5
Plot = 5/5
Romance = 4/5
Mystery = 4/5
Action = 1/5
Darkness = 0/5
Humor = 1/5
Stars = 5
Would I recommend this book = Yes
Would I read future books by this author = Yes
I absolutely love this series! This is the 2nd book in the series. So far they can be read in any order.
Everything about this book is awesome. I love the setting, the characters, the drama, the romance, the family…just everything. It makes me want to pick up my life and move to Blue Ridge.
I also love that this series is about older couples. It’s a breath of fresh air reading about couples who are more mature.
Roxanne, Billy, and Sadie make such a sweet family. Glad they all get their HEA.
OMG!! L.B. Dunbar what have you done!! This is by far my favorite book out of all your silver fox’s! All the feels between Roxie and Billy were astronomical, I laughed and cried even more!!
Will Roxie and Billy get their happily ever after or will their insecurities get the best of them!!
I spent all the book wanting to hit these two dumb bunnies on the head. Talk about misunderstandings! Billy and Roxie have insecurities, so when they have a conversation, what you and I read was not what they understood. It was interpreted according to their issues. So, they spend all book bickering and it felt like a looooong episode of foreplay!
Billy has a manwhore reputation. As you read the story, you realize he’s a flirt, has had several flings and one-night stands, but there’s more to the story and Billy is more than what people think. When he dropped out from college, he didn’t want to work in his father’s beer manufacturing empire. He decided instead to open a bar and has been successful for 15 years, also promoting the family beer. Still, he feels like a screw up, a feeling that he gets from his father’s frequent disappointed expression, especially after his divorce many years ago.
Roxie is raising her niece after her sister died several months ago. She just brought Sadie to Blue Ridge to live with her and Sadie lost no time making herself known to her father, Billy Harrington, who was clueless. What a bomb! After many questions, laboratory tests, the parentage is confirmed and Billy steps up.
This was a cute love story because Roxie and Billy were always at each other’s throats. It was like they had a jerk reaction to the other and their defenses were up and on the attack. It was sometimes a little sad because they were hurting each other while they were liking each other and falling in love. I didn’t like that Billy wanted to wait so long before informing his family about being Sadie’s father, I wanted him to man up and get to it fast.
Sadie was a typical teenager, sometimes cute, sometimes snarky but she was mostly wanting the attention of her father and she blossomed when she got it. I felt for Billy and his perceived shortcomings with his dad and how he screwed up everything he did. He didn’t appreciate all his achievements and the help he gave his brother in the beer magic room. Likewise Roxie, she was gorgeous in Billy’s eyes, but she saw herself as unappealing and that insecurity is what made her lash out at Billy. They were both a little insecure, a little needy and they were perfect for each other. It was a cute and lovely story. I especially loved that these were no spring chickens, they were in their forties, and they were hot at sex, just like any youngster. Loved that!
I never realized how much I would enjoy romance over 40 novels until I read an LB Dunbar novel. Well, that’s not quite accurate because I never really thought about it in a concrete way. But once I read my first book by her, I was hooked for life! I love her style of writing. Honestly, if I didn’t already know going into the story that the characters would be older than norm for this genre, I’m not sure I would even be able to guess it. Her writing is superb in that aspect. I could be reading a 30 something, 40 something or even 50+ something and if she wrote it, it would just not know it … I LOVE THAT! That’s how I found her! I didn’t even know what I was reading until I was fully into and almost done with the book!
This story has a myriad of emotions woven throughout the storyline. I was always feeling something. Sometimes it was frustration but most of the times it was a form of contentment. I highly recommend this story and any other story this author has written to any romance reader, young and not as young alike!
LB has once delivered a good ole Harrington man that you may not like in the beginning but fall in love with as you watch his story unfold. Billy is a divorced silver fox that went a bit lady crazy after he and the wife parted ways. Now let’s flash forward and it is 16 years later. A sassy, cautious young girl sits down at his bar, gives him the once over and states ….you are my dad . This is a story of finding yourself and learning to grasp a new reality. He finds himself waist deep in emotions and has to learn how to not only help himself but his daughter who has recently lost her mom. Sadie is now living with her aunt and shall we say she doesn’t have much respect for Billy. This has now gotten interesting ! Loved their story !
~~Michele McMullen ~~
Another slam dunk for L.B
Dunbar! Billy and Roxanne are wonderful. A fun, enemies to lovers romance with a twist. I thoroughly enjoy reading L.B.’s silver fox books. Billy and Roxanne prove that over 40 doesn’t mean the fire no longer burns hot. This is sizzling!
Another great silver fox book by LB. I loved Billy before and this book just made me love him more.
Brilliant interpretation of the struggle of relationships between family as well as between a man and woman.
What I love about LB Dunbar’s writing is that she allows her characters to be express their vulnerability.
Billy & Roxie were made for each other!
I was on the fence with Giant and Billy was hard to learn my trust, but I am getting more and more comfortable with the Harringtons! Billy wants what we all want – to be loved just for him; for someone to love him above all else. I really wish that Billy had told his family about his ex-wife, but I do understand why he kept it hidden. No one likes to be hurt and his walls were way up. Then Roxie and Sadie show up. All those walls come down before Billy knows what is even happening. I do wish Billy would’ve claimed Sadie sooner, but he got there in his own time. I can’t wait to see how Silver Mayor plays out. A solid read from L.B. Dunbar!
Love in a complex and beautiful story filled with incredible emotion. From beginning to end I was completely engulfed into this amazing story. The characters are charming, sassy and oh so stubborn. The writing is paced beautifully. I enjoyed every second of this story and I hope you pickup a copy and find out what these sexy silver foxes are all about.
When this story first started, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect – but as I dove deeper into it, I quickly fell head over heels for Billy Harrington. He has so many hidden layers, so many hidden talents, and so much to give to everyone in his life (even if it takes them awhile to realize all of that). Billy is such a good man, and he has such a good heart, and I fell in love with his character almost instantly.
And then there’s Roxanne, who has her world rocked in multiple ways. Even through all of that, she maintains her sassiness (which I seriously love), her determination, and her strength. She is such a strong character, and the chemistry between her and Billy is off the freaking charts. Watching them figure out their lives – both together and separate – was heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking, to watch.
I loved this book because it was realistic. This wasn’t a perfect love story, but it was real. I loved this town, loved all the characters, and loved the story. If silver foxes are your jam – and even if they aren’t, but you’re looking for an awesome read that you can get lost in – this is your book.
Thank you to L.B. for providing an advanced copy of this book. I couldn’t put it down.
4.5
Like every other book from L.B. Dunbar this one is a must read. Starring Roxanne McAllister and Billy Harrington this book is a beautiful story about commitment, family and love. So much love .
I must confess this is not my favourite couple from one of L.B. Dunbar’s books (Edie and Tommy forever) but they are close.
The characters are amazing as always and I really appreciate, that the stories are so authentic. I don’t always need a twenty-something bad boy billionaire, I love that this story could also happen to me (I wish ). I love how Billy doesn’t hesitate for one second and that he takes responsibility. At first he’s not very good at doing that , but he’s a fast learner and great at what he does. Roxanne is insecure and reserved but she blooming and it’s so wonderful to see her doing it.
I can’t wait to read Silver Mayor and Silver Biker!!
Just Wow! I have loved all of LB Dunbar’s Silver Fox stories but Billy and Roxie have claimed the top spot in my heart. This story was just so REAL to me. This is the true messy story of how love is not easy to find or easy to keep. It’s complicated and it’s work. In Silver Player, Billy and Roxie are brought together over big changes in both of their lives. Though they are meant to be together, they just can’t get out of their own ways to make it happen. Billy needs a 3 second delay on his mouth so that he can learn to think before he speaks and there were many times in the book I just wanted to pull a Cher in Moonstruck, smack him on the back of the head and yell “Snap out of it!”. Roxie needed to just open her eyes and actually listen to what was going on around her to see the true story and not live so much in how people acted in the past. I also enjoyed how some of this book actually played over the happenings we already read about in Silver Brewer. Provided a different viewpoint. If you are looking for a book that will have you yelling at the characters out loud and reaching for the tissues, sometimes both at once then please read Silver Player,, you won’t regret it!
Overall Grade: +
“When he loves, he loves. But when he hurts, he aches. I don’t want him to ache.”
With Giant’s story in Silver Brewer, L.B. Dunbar further captured my heart. If you’ve read any of my other reviews for her books with heroes and heroines over 40, then you know that I love what she’s doing. Dunbar makes it easy for the over 40 set to find themselves in her romances. Their troubles are my troubles. Well, sort of.
Billy Harrington piqued my curiosity in Silver Brewer. Playboy extraordinaire, I was waiting for him to meet his match. Although she seemed to foreshadow his match in Silver Brewer and Denton and Mati’s story, Second Chance, you can never be sure. However, true to form, Billy’s nemesis, Roxanne, is his match. And Dunbar’s Silver Player illustrates the perfection of the enemies-to-lovers trope in their coupling.
There is much to love about Silver Player.
Billy Harrington is more complicated than is suggested, on the surface. The complexity of his characterization offers us insight into the idea that “everything is never as it seems.” Through his journey towards love, Billy’s evolution is poignant. He reminds us that we can never really know a person based on our view of them. Instead, there is usually more below the surface, and it behooves us to learn a person more deeply.
Roxanne also represents that message too. In her case, it is Billy who makes some assumptions about her. However, it’s clear from the start that he likes her more than he allows anyone to believe (even himself). Roxanne is the perfect kind of heroine with this trope because she knows herself, and she finds contentment in it. She’s an incredibly strong heroine. With that strength, she’s the perfect challenger for Billy.
The chemistry between these two flies off the page. Yet, the difficulty of Dunbar’s Silver Player is their romantic journey. The moments of tension begin early through the hurtful words these two wield at each other. They are truly knives to your soul. For me, Roxanne’s hurt over her perception of Billy never choosing her as he does with other women gutted me. I felt her hurt deeply, just as I empathized with Billy’s feelings of inadequacy, especially related to his father. There is an emotional depth underpinning Billy and Roxanne’s chemistry that draws the reader into the story.
Roxanne’s niece and Billy’s daughter, Sadie, is also a special character in Silver Player. In many ways, she’s the amalgamation of Roxanne and Billy in that she’s created a facade of strength as a way to protect her heart from rejection, and she’s innately interested in being something more than what others expect of her. It was easy to notice her ability to work between her aunt and father. In her character, Dunbar crafts these highly emotional moments that bring a tear to your eye and a hurt to your heart, as Sadie attempts to grieve for her mother and seek acceptance from a father who struggles to understand fatherhood at first. There is an emotional depth to this Harrington series that I hadn’t felt in Dunbar’s Sexy Silver Foxes series. Between Billy and Giant’s stories, my appreciation for Dunbar’s storytelling grew because I connect emotionally with her characters.
As a criticism, I struggled with Billy at times. There is no secret that Billy undergoes the biggest transformation in this romance. This is most predominant in his emotional growth, but, to get there, the reader must contend with an emotional rollercoaster of sorts. There were times when I found Billy petty and insensitive to Sadie and Roxanne. There were also times when Roxanne, specifically at the end, created more drama than necessary in her processing of experience. I know this is commonplace to people, but it felt overdramatized, and I found myself frustrated with her character.
Overall, though, I loved Silver Player. Nothing makes this reader happier than the emotional and mental evolution of a hero. I think it represents the truth of humanity. We have to grow in order to survive, and Dunbar has written this beautifully appointed story about two people who are seemingly different but really much more alike than it seems. It’s a stark reminder to “never judge a book by its cover” because there is usually something much more in its pages than can be seen. If you are an L.B. Dunbar fan OR if you have never read her books, this book, in my opinion, is one of her bests, and you should read it. Now.