I’m looking for a hot hookup with no strings attached. And I want my older brother’s best friend to step up to the plate…My dating history is lame. My experiences in bed? Even lamer. As the owner of a thriving business, I’m used to calling the shots. But one place I don’t always want to be in charge is in the bedroom.Enter Luke Rodgers. My brother’s best friend. Former major league baseball … Former major league baseball player. A guy who now hangs out on his farm, sweaty and shirtless, as he nurses a shoulder injury.
If the rumors are true, he also likes to work up a sweat behind closed doors. A total MVP in the sack.
Just the take charge guy I’m looking for.
With Luke and I, it’s game on. And it’s all good until Luke decides he wants forever, and he wants it with me.
I’m just not convinced I can trust Luke. Will he keep playing the field and break my heart? Or is he really ready to hang up his cleats for good?
SOUTHERN PLAYER is a full length, STANDALONE romance.
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Southern Player is Hot!
Southern Player is hot and sweet as the day is long. I was lucky enough to read the ARC of this book and it was AMAZING! How can I describe this book without giving spoilers? I think you will read this book and fall in love with Luke and Gracie like I did. With Jessica’s description of Luke I can picture him in my mind as plain as day, sexy former baseball player now farmer. Gracie is a beautiful, smart business owner, who is also the younger sister to his bestfriend. Follow the story when Gracie makes an offer to Luke that he can’t refuse. I will tell you that Jessica writes such a rich characters and the stories are so funny that you almost feel like you know these people. If I could give this book more than five stars I would. This is a must read! (Along with all of Jessica Peterson other fabulous books)
I loved every second of Gracie and Luke’s story. Their friendship was sweet and their chemistry was sexy and sizzling hot, which made for an amazing love story.
There were so many great moments that I just loved from start to finish in this book. From the delicious, flirty, easy banter between the characters to the level of care and concern for each other was was endearing. There were some amazing highs, a few lows and emotionally charged moments both from Gracie and Luke.
Jessica Peterson’s writing is always superb and Southern Player is no different. She emotes feelings so very well they just pour from every page. This is a story that is so sublimely written and wonderfully executed. It really gave me every single feel and had me glued to every page.
Six star read for me
For me this book was perfect. I adored Luke and Gracie. Simply adored them!
You know how some books flow beautifully, make you smile and have you laughing out loud while reading. The ones that have you flipping through the pages, ignoring the outside world. That’s this book.
It’s packed with witty dialogue. Well rounded characters that you come to care about and handles true emotions and insecurities, that if we’re honest, we all have. Add to that some of the BEST sexual chemistry and sex scenes I’ve ever read (hubs got a late night wake up with this one) and you’ve got the best kind of romance.
Luke is my ideal BBF. He’s HAF – shirtless tractor ride anyone . He’s kind. He’s genuine. He’s filthy and most importantly he’s emotionally there. Look I love the broken Ahole character as much as the next reader, but Luke, he’s the kind of MAN that you see yourself falling for not just in a book, but IRL.
Gracie – well I girl crush her hard. Successful, smart and just a little damaged. I love her quest to find her sexuality and the bravery she shows when risking her emotions in the search for love. Just love her.
Definitely my favourite read from this author and going into my 2019 Favourites.
I really think I would have enjoyed this book, but a few pages in the lead female character makes a statement that she wants a politically woke partner and I closed the book. With so much going on in the world, I personally look to reading as an escape and do not want to read about a particular narrative. If I could give this no stars I would. It’s really too bad.
Didn’t like the bad grammar given to one of the main characters and some of the lesser ones.
Great book! I really loved their story. Very sexy!
Holy Tractor!! Grace & Luke are . They will keep you on your toes with their burn you to the ground feels.. The sparks, the chemistry, the snark, the love, the lust and SO. MUCH. STEAM. There is no denying the physical connection between them but seeing the emotional connection and the way they opened their hearts to each other is what makes this couple and this series so special.
Listened to the audiobook on 8/19/21:
Emma Wilder & and Joe Arden are fabulous narrators. They do an amazing job portraying the characters, bringing them to life and humanizing them with their emotions, attitude and personality. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to.
ALL AROUND GOOD BOOK. LOVE this series. Each book can stand alone, but it was fun reading all of them together. Strong characters…great word building.
This book was amazing!! Loved that we got to see Elijah and Olivia again. Loved how the story was just easy to be sucked into. You just felt there like you were sipping coffee on Gracies shop or on Luke’s farm. They were adorable together. I loved the list and how this book was a little bit more spicy than the previous one. Loved how Grace wanted to reclaim herself but it did suck to just assume she could do that with Luke. But he was always upfront and honest about things. Loved that! He made it clear from the beginning he wanted more. That could have been a point where he hid his true feelings and that have been a point of contention the whole book but he was always honest about things. Even if it took a little priding because he was lost or upset over something. Loved how they came together and when they worked on something it was just so much more. They were amazing. Loved the inner monologue and the bits and pieces of Olivia’s other book that book really mirrored the issues Grace and Luke had and helped to further things along. Can’t wait for the next book!!
Southern Player
(Charleston Heat, #2)
Written by: Jessica Peterson
Gracie is a flirt! Well she’s a flirt when it comes to Luke Rodgers, she’s been flirting with Luke on and off for years now. They’ve known each other for a long time. Luke is her brother Eli’s best friend and after a stint playing major league baseball he’s back, growing the most amazing things and making a name for his organic farm and what it has to offer.
Gracie owns Charleston’s hottest coffee house, so hot, she is actually expanding, she’s smart as a whip, pretty as all get out and using Olivia’s new historical romance to try to figure out how she can find the right man to give her want she wants. She gets to thinking that Luke Rodgers, sexy, muscles in all the right places, with a smokey voice and oh dear lord can he heat a woman up with just a few words might just be that right man! Have mercy and lend me your fan!
So, when Gracie and Luke finally “get together” that girl walked away knowing what it was to spend the night with a man who could please her and please her he did. If it wasn’t hot enough outside, it surely was smokin’ hot in Luke’s bedroom that first night. Where did I leave that fan?
The worst thing that plagued these two was their own inner voices! With those inner voices giving those two bad advice, it’s no wonder they each had their own set of doubts, but persist they did, until Luke’s voice won the game one night and hearts were broken.
Honestly, I cheered these two on! I was so happy when it looked like they had turned that corner and they were on the right track and then the night the coffee shop reopened, I felt terrible. This couple needed help because it was evident they really should be together.
In this book I spent a lot of time highlighting what I called “Luke’s Lovely Sayings” and he had so many lovely sayings, compliments, little whispers in Gracie’s ears, that man….there are no words for that man…except we all deserve a man like Luke. Jessica Peterson took us through the highs, the smokin’ hot nights of sexual bliss and the lows of this couple. Honestly, I was on the edge of my seat towards the end, because I needed the right ending to their story and in the end she came through.
*audiobook*
4 stars
Southern Player is book #2 in the Charleston Heat Series. I am loving this series. Jessica Peterson writes with so much humor, heat and passion! I can’t get enough of these characters. Gracie and Luke have so much chemistry!! I loved Gracie’s character development. Her confidence grew in spades! Luke is a sexy ex-baseball player now farmer whom has always had a thing for his best friend’s sister Gracie (despite the ‘player’ title). The moment he realizes she is single again he knows this is his time to make her his. Gracie has a different plan in mind but quickly things turn into more. The passion between these two was insanely hot. They brought out the best of each other in and out of the bedroom. I loved the small town feel and the close community. Luke and Gracie were super supportive of each other and I loved that too.
If you read Southern Charmer, then you know that Olivia is an author whom has just publish The Deal with Duke. I love the romance novel within a romance novel chapters. So creative and unique.
There were moments of insecurity that affected the communication between them but then Luke pulls out the biggest and sweetest gesture at the end of the book! If I wasn’t already in love with him I would fell in that moment! Total SWOON!
If you love a light hearted low angst romance with a seriously sexy and charming southerner pick this one up. I am loving this series so much and can’t wait for Southern Gentleman next!
The narration done by Joe Arden and Emma Wilder was fantastic. They complimented each other voices well. Super passionate and sexy tones that added so much to the listening experience.
****** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ******
Jessica Peterson nailed this story! Gracie is awesome and such a strong woman… she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants and she wants some red hot lovins! She wants something to smoke up the room and leaving her unable to walk strait or think coherent thoughts. Luke is the perfect main to hook her up! She’s had a serious crush on him since he’s her brother’s best friend. Luke on the other hand has always played the field… like the boy might as well play baseball he’s always out there! Of course the minute Gracie is on the same field, he steps off and wants something serious… and he wants it with her! This was a seriously hot story with so much chemistry and fun!
As always, Joe Arden and Emma Wilder are fantastic narrators. Joe Arden seriously SLAYS the southern drawl! It’s such an addictive drawl that I’m lost to his voice. Emma Wilder is one of my top 5 female narrators. One of the things I appreciate the most about her narrations is the fact that her male voices aren’t completely atrocious! I can’t tell you how many narrators do the opposite set and make me cringe!
I was so captivated by this sweet, swoony, and steamy love story. I love friends to lovers romance with a bit of the forbidden with Luke being the best friend to Grace’s older brother. Grace runs a successful business and loves being apart of her small community. She is coming off of another bad relationship and is looking to become her own, strong person, who wants to feel confident in her secret desires. Luke suffered an career ending injury so he retired from playing baseball and now runs a farm and loves making things grow and flourish. He and Grace meet one night, and after talking about where they are in their lives, they realize they are both available to have a no strings relationship. Grace needs someone she can trust with her dark desires, and thinks Luck is perfect because he doesn’t want a relationship. But Luke has wanted her for years but never felt worthy of her. Now he sees his chance and will do whatever it takes to convince her that he is the man for her. I really loved Luke and Grace, they were so perfect together. She was strong, smart, and caring and he is so kind, attentive, and swoony, and I loved his deliciously dirty mouth! I really enjoyed the relationship Luke has with his mother too, she really made me laugh at the hilarious puns that would make anyone blush.
I loved the performances by narrators Joe Arden, and Emma Wilder. They portray each character with a perfect balance between fun & flirty, heartbreaking emotion, and sizzling passion flawlessly. They work so well together as they bring this sweet, sexy, and emotional story to life.
Gracie owns her own business and has found success professionally but the same can’t be said for her personal life. After another failed relationship she has decided to put her search for love and a relationship on hold and instead and has decided what she needs is a fling. She has the perfect man in mind and wants to ensure that it only includes fun and new experiences with no drama and she even has the perfect man in mind, her brother’s best friend Luke.
An injury forced Luke to retire from baseball, so he returned to his hometown and is following his dream of operating a farm. He has been attracted to Gracie for a while but while he is interested in a relationship rather than a fling he is willing to do as she asks as long as she keeps an open mind about them becoming more.
They were friends before they decided to cross the line and although the chemistry between them is off the charts they both have insecurities which affects their relationship. I really liked that rather than big brother drama he supported them both and Luke’s mothers were a hoot. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrators were the perfect choice for the characters.
5 Star Review Southern Player (Charleston Heat #2) by Jessica Peterson
Audio Review:
Jessica Petersen is a relatively new author to me and I have no idea why that is. Southern Player was an entertaining book to listen to as I found it easy to fall for the characters.
The narration by Joe Arden and Emma Wilder really brought the story to life for me. Not only is the book steamy, it is also sweet and romantic. I fell hard and fast for Luke and Gracie.
Southern Player is a little gem, one click, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
I really enjoyed this. A lot. I read/listened to book one in this series a few weeks back, although this can be read as a standalone. Gracie and Luke were so cute together. The banter as they worked on Gracie’s bucked list made me smile and the steamy scenes were A+ The descriptions of food weren’t as strong in this one but I still left hungry as all get out. This was a really fun and light hearted story which was pretty low on the angst. A big recommend from me.
I requested a copy of this on audio to review on behalf of Valentine PR and the author. My review hasn’t been influenced.
I wanted to love this book. Luke seemed so hot & fabulous. But the constant whining about not being good enough was annoying. Let alone imagining an uncircumcised penis. Just blech…
Southern Player is the second in the Charleston Heat books, a series of standalone contemporary romance novels that take place in Charleston, SC. This book explores the relationship between Gracie and Luke (Eli’s sister and best friend, respectively) and I really adored that Eli didn’t play the overprotective big brother valiantly guarding his sisters sex life. It was a refreshing change from a lot of other books in the trope.
Gracie runs a successful business that’s expanding – a coffee shop that’s equal parts trendy and cozy – and she’s proud of the life she’s built for herself. The only thing not going according to her plan is her love life – she desperately wants to find love and finds herself being left over and over again. She’s tired of trying so hard to be perfect for whoever she’s dating, only to have them leave when she opens up and shows a little bit of her own desires. She wants to live and explore her sexuality in a way no romantic partner has allowed her to do – and she’s willing to have a no-strings-attached fling to do it. The perfect candidate? Her brothers best friend, Luke, playboy extraordinaire and Gracie’s lifelong crush.
Luke is a retired baseball player who has turned to his passion of agriculture after an injury put him out of the game permanently. His passion for homegrown food of the best variety shines through. While he’s been a playboy all his life, retiring from the game and settling down on his farm has made him realize he’s ready to settle down in a lot of different ways. Namely, he’s ready to settle down with a girl – as long as that girl is Gracie, his lifelong crush.
Of course, the player finally wanting something real WOULD happen right as the serial monogamist decides she wants to try something casual and decidedly not serious. They strike a deal – Luke will help Gracie explore her wild side if she keeps an open mind about them having a more serious relationship. At first she’s uncertain but it doesn’t take long for her to agree to something more – and once she’s in, she’s all in.
Luke is also all in but where Gracie is confident in their relationship, Luke finds himself battling doubt at every turn. Gracie is well-educated, sophisticated, successful … everything Luke thinks he isn’t. Their worlds are totally opposite and he isn’t convinced that long-term, he’s the kind of man she needs. While their worlds are different, they are joined by a common goal of creating and supporting communities, of helping people come together to find a sense of togetherness and purpose. It is that shared passion that ultimately brings them back together and convinces him that their differences don’t make them incompatible.
One thing I didn’t love here was that Luke was a bit condescending towards Gracie about their perceived incompatibility. He makes a unilateral decision for her and tells her it’s for her own good, completely disregarding her feelings on the matter. His actions and words come from a place of believing he knows better than her about her own wants and needs, in spite of their entire relationship thus far being predicated on the idea of Gracie being free to express what she wants and Luke listening. Of course, he’s entitled to his feelings and actions, but the “I know what’s good for you more than you do” angle really rubbed me the wrong way.
There is also a thread running through the book of one of the romance books Olivia (heroine of Book 1) wrote being referred to. In Book 1 it made sense – she was an aspiring romance novelist, so of course her writing was part of the story and her struggles were reflected in it. But in this book, it just so happens that the book exactly mirrors Luke and Gracie’s journey – everything from what brought them together, to their big conflict, to their reconciliation. On one hand I like that the impact, influence, and importance of romance novels is being shown, but on the other it feels a bit like the book within the book is being used to propel both the overall narrative and character development. I get the parallel being used, but it feels a bit heavy handed.
Cute and fun
What l liked:
The writing style
The characters
Dual POVs
Part of a series: Charleston Heat
Friends to lovers
Brother’s best friend
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
This was a sweet book. The conflict was forced. It’s like the characters were just so wonderful that the author couldn’t fathom anything bad happening to them or them doing anything bad. And believe me, they are fantastic characters. Read the book, but just know that you’re going to want to thump them both on the forehead for their hard-headedness.