Keeping a secret this big is going to take lots of balls. Specifically, rugby balls.THE CADBryan Leech is a cad.Or, he was a cad.No one is quite certain.Once the quintessential playboy, Bryan claims he’s done with wild parties and weekend benders. No more one night stands leading to mornings he can’t remember; no more binges and blackouts; no more exploits plastered all over the tabloids and rag … plastered all over the tabloids and rag sheets. According to Bryan, he’s cleaning up his act.
The only problem is, no one believes him.
THE CO-ED
Eilish Cassidy never thought she’d be a mother at nineteen or still in college at twenty-four. Cut off from every member of her family except her favorite cousin, she’s finally managed put her life back together. Stronger and wiser, Eilish enters her last semester of university determined to stand on her own. Now she just needs to find an internship.
The only problem is, her best option—by far—places her directly in the path of her son’s father, and he doesn’t remember her at all.
THE PLAN
Bryan is determined to prove he’s changed. Eager to settle down with the right woman, he’s got his sights set on the gorgeous redhead who seems terribly familiar.
Eilish is determined to hide her secret. She’ll do anything to keep her child safe, even if that means ignoring her own wishes and desires.
But what happens when Bryan starts to remember? And what will it take for Bryan to convince the girl he forgot that she’s unforgettable?
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4.5 Stars!
I’m so happy that I finally looked past my “meh” feelings of the first book in this series. Book 2 was fabulous and book 3 is continuing the trend. With Brian often inebriated during his cameos in book 2, he didn’t seem like book hero material. Yet, this author duo turned that idea on it’s head and created the perfect platform for redemption. Although this book is labeled a rom-com, I couldn’t help but feel emotional towards Brian and his sobriety. The issue of addiction was handled well and not overwrought. The wittiness in The Cad and the Co-Ed was the perfect counterbalance to the emotional tug of the story line. With the second book in the Rugby Series being a favorite, it was a delicious bonus having Eilish’s cousin Sean Cassidy play a significant role in this book, as well. His scenes were some of my favorite.
(Can be read as a standalone.)
This is a must read!!!!! I laughed. I cried. I freaking ran into walls because I couldn’t put this down!
Eilish Cassidy has a secret. She has a 4-year-old son, and the father is Bryan Leech. The only other person that knows the identity of the boy’s father is Eilish’s cousin, Sean.
She refuses to tell Bryan because of his history. A reckless playboy with an issue with alcohol. He doesn’t even remember having sex with Eilish because he was so wasted that night.
When Sean helps her get an internship as a physiotherapist for the rugby team, she is forced to see Bryan almost everyday. And the guilt for keeping her son away from his biological father weighs her down.
As a recovering alcoholic, Bryan has been clean for almost 2 years. His crazy life turned into a boring one. So when news about his son come to light, his life has a new purpose.
Bryan and Eilish can’t ignore the attraction, but the two have some serious issues. Eilish is scared about a custody battle if things get ugly. And Bryan is scared of women that take advantage of him.
I wish this could be a movie. I loved all the hilarious moments and cute romantic scenes. And this story also had the perfect amount of steaminess.
Great series!
Transformations are happening all over the place in this book. Eilish from a wide eyed girl to a mature beyond her years mother of a wonderful to little boy. Bryan from an over boozed party boy rugby hottie to a sober predictable old man. Lives change and become more stable all around, thankfully. Fate and Monkey Sean intervene and we have ourselves a good story with happily ever after at the end of the tale. It’s a bit bumpy getting there and I loved that the pair take the time to get to know each other and build a foundation after kindling a romance.
Penny and LH never fail to deliver solid fully formed characters with quirks, flaws and plenty of redeeming qualities. The story flows gracefully and delivers a satisfying amount of both hot and sweet. I look forward to the next rugby player from this duo!
I really enjoyed this book! I didn’t much enjoy the first book in the series but loved the second book, so I wasn’t sure how into this one I’d be, but I have always been a sucker for single parent stories!
We met Bryan in the the other two books, in which he was a huge jackass because he was always drunk. We also met Eilish in the previous book, being the cousin of it’s hero. This book is set 5 years later when Bryan is now sober and Eilish is a mother. I was really worried that I’d continue to dislike Bryan as I did when he was a drunk, but sober Bryan is amazing! He is exactly the kind of man I want.
Eilish has a lot of fears and has an extremely difficult time trusting people who aren’t her cousin Sean. She’s also extremely independent and stubborn, which could be kind of annoying at times, but her background validates her behaviors. And she isn’t so stubborn to the point that she’s never letting Bryan get close to her. There’s an equal amount of push and pull. And everything she does, she does for the well being of her son, so I can’t fault her actions.
All the sex scenes (three in total) were detailed and fogging up my kindle screen! There’s quite a bit of explicit language in this book as well. I wish there had of been less, but it wasn’t so excessive that I would have put the book down.
I can’t wait to start the last book, but once again, I’m worried I might have an issue because of Josey’s behavior in this book. Since I already love the hero, who has a fairly big role in this book, I’m hoping it’s another good one!
~Bryan & Eilish~
Another home run (or whatever the rugby equivalent is) for Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway! This is an amazing story of growth, patience, and second chances. The love that Bryan has, not only for Eilish, but for his son..it’s amazing. You can actually envision the love at first sight as its happening at the playground. This whole series has been amazing, and I can’t wait for the next one!
These two authors writing together are my favorite. I hope they will continue to collaborate well into their 90’s because that would be awesome. I’d buy every single one.
Bryan hit rock bottom and kudos to him for getting his life back together. Little did he know that a child was had during all of that rockiness, but again, mad props to him for stepping up and doing the right thing. Because let’s be honest, some people probably wouldn’t. I thought he and Eilish were great together. I kinda don’t blame her for some of the decision she had to make about protecting her and their son. Who am I to judge someone on how they handle their business in a fictional world, right?! The ending with Patrick gave me a touch of the feels. It was so sweet.
I am so Team Rugby with this whole series. I’m really liking all of these players, especially Will.
But overall, I loved everything in this book and it hit all the right spots for me. I look forward to the next ones by this dynamic duo!
There’s not much I can say about this book other than it was a good read. I love happy endings. I love that Bryan, the Cad, cleaned up his life before Eilish stepped back in the picture, but I was left with some questions though.
1. Does Bryan’s mother ever clean herself up?
2. Bryan calls his father for help, but what’s their relationship like? His daddy issues are alluded to, but, in my opinion, it would’ve rounded things out if we had more to that story.
3. How is the conflict resolved with Eilish’s mother? Why doesn’t anyone confront her about her behavior once and for all?
4. Does Eilish ever forgive Josey? I guess we’ll find this out in the next book, The Varlet and The Voyeur.
I started out loving the series, but I honestly can’t say that I’m anxious for the next installment.
I was a little hesitant to buy this book. That first chapter broke my heart, and (in general) it seems to be very hard to write about people in recovery, but I had faith in Penny Reid and LH Cosway, and my faith was validated.
This was a strong romance that did have humor, and both characters had a solid journey to get to the end of the story. There was a good balance of angst & silly, a window into early recovery, the the awfulness of being in a family of note in Ireland, and the everyday living of down-to-earth people. Part of what keeps me on the edge of my seat as I read Reid or Cosway is that they ride the edges of cliches so close, but steer into something unique and imaginative before it becomes predictable.
The Player and the Pixie is still my favorite of this series because of Sean Cassidy.
I am kind of hoping that William “The Brickhouse” Moore gets the next story…an honorable giant from Kansas with a dry sense of humor who plays rugby well enough to be a professional in Ireland & is friends with Bryan Leech…I’m curious.
Penny Reid and Book Wife LH Cosway are an unstoppable pair. These ladies write the funniest scenes with these Rugby players and potential lady loves…
It was a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed this story like I did the others in this series. I definitely recommend this book, this series and these authors.
Favorite Quotes:
It had been wonderful. Maybe Bryan had a magic penis. And how lucky was I? Finding a bloke with an enchanted penis for my first time. Maybe he had a purse around here someplace with endless money, or a goose that shit golden eggs. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.
Eilish, you are not your mother. For one thing, you’re a lot hotter… she is unkind, controlling, and frosty as that snowman, except she’s got the corn-cob pipe stuffed up her arse.
Well, there it was, my worst fears confirmed. Eilish was a million times too good for this loser. I mean, how did he even manage to score her? The bloke looked like he could fall into a barrel of tit and come out sucking his thumb.
That, my friend, is not just a man. That is an orgasm guarantee. Every. Single. Time… I’ve never met anyone like that, let alone been with someone like that. You know how horny I am. I’ve always been this way. It’s why I stopped waxing…
I have to leave… I can’t handle that level of perfection… You’re so beautiful and tall and graceful. And smart. But you don’t know what it’s like for us mortals… Next time warn me okay? So I can take a Xanax?
‘I’m not adorable. I’m brooding and sexy and masculine,’ I said, effecting a manly expression. It was all in the brow.
My Review:
The Cad and The Co-Ed is another witty, crisp, and highly amusing read by the illustrious word-moguling duo of Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway. I don’t know how they work their collaboration out, but the result is a seamless package of pure delight. I adore this series, despite knowing absolutely nothing about rugby and very little about Ireland. My ignorance of such things was of no consequence, but my intense pleasure and thrill in reading their clever combinations of words were paramount. Written from a dual POV, the storyline was witty, engaging, and inordinately entertaining. I am hopelessly addicted, thoroughly enchanted, and jonesing for mor
I remember when I finished The Player and the Pixie (the book before this one) and I read the teaser for this book. I knew then that I wanted to read this book. I’m a complete sucker for a baby in a book, I don’t know why but that trope just works for me. Soon, I realized that this was going to be somewhat of a secret baby book and at that point, I became concerned. I’m NOT a fan of the secret baby trope when that secret is kept for a long time for a stupid reason.
In the Co-Ed and the Cad, Eilish kept Patrick’s paternity a secret for a very good reason. Bryan was in no way shape or form, in a place to be a father, much less, even remember the time he and Eilish spent together. (This is not a spoiler, by the way, it’s in the synopsis.) When Bryan and Eilish were together, he was an alcoholic, plain and simple. Thanks to his rugby coach he was able to pull himself together and live his life in a completely different way. Enter Eilish.
It’s clear to Eilish that Bryan has absolutely no memory of her and while she concerned about his ability to be a parent to Patrick, she realizes she needs to tell him about his son. I was cool with all of this and I wanted Bryan to know about his son. It was also obvious that Bryan and Eilish were very attracted to each other and I was really looking forward to how they could work through Patrick’s paternity and maybe become a family. Bryan wanted to create a family, he cared for Eilish and Patrick and knew he had a lot of work to do. All of the pieces were there (and here is where the BUT comes in) but I just wasn’t crazy about how all of the pieces were put together. I think the thing is, I’ve become intolerant of conflict and drama due to lack of communication. There was a MASSIVE speedbump that revolved around this very plot device and it really diminished my overall enjoyment of this book.
This book was funny, sexy and entertaining, plus I truly enjoyed Eilish’s cousin Sean (from the previous book). I have enjoyed Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway’s work in this series but I was really bummed out by the use of conflict in this book.
http://bit.ly/CadCoed