Catherine's Reviews > Playing for Keeps

*4.5 Stars*

This book came to my attention and I bought it for exactly one reason: I was told it was similar to Shelly Laurenston's style. Sold! It didn't hurt that it was only a $0.99 investment, either. :) And luckily the recommender was correct. It did read like Shelly Laurenston. Yay! Another author to feed my need for immature humor and outrageous antics. :D

This book was, quite simply, hilarious. The start was a little clunky for me, but it quickly smoothed out and settled into a fast paced, cute read that had me giggling often. The hero, Jason, strongly reminds me of Mitch from Laurenston's Pride series. He's rude, arrogant, fun loving, and quite obsessed with food. He can eat and eat and eat and it always turns into the biggest production. He has good friends who know him for the lovable ass he is and who mock and tease him mercilessly about his delusions toward his relationship with the heroine.

His delusion consists of the fact that he doesn't like-like Haley. When he intimidates or scares off the men interested in her, it's only for her benefit. What else could a wingman do but help her out? When he stares at her ass, it's only natural. It's like having a best friend and a show in one. Nothing personal. The fact that he needs her more than she needs him doesn't even ping on his radar. He's in Jason-land and nothing is rocking that boat.

"I don't know how Haley put up with you for the last few weeks. I would have killed you by now."

"Haley worships me," he said with a snort.

"Yeah, okay," Brad said, laughing. "That's why she dates other men and screws you over just to laugh at you."

"Exactly."

Brad looked over at him. "You are a seriously fucked up man, aren't you?"

Of course, Haley is much more self aware than Jason. She comes to realize that they're in an intimate non-relationship, but it eventually drives her nuts that it's not intimate enough. She doesn't want to ruin the friendship that they do have, so she doesn't make a huge issue out of it, but she yearns for a real relationship instead of the weird ass friendship they have going.

I'm not going to go into much more detail than that, but it was great. The author slowly built up a convincing friendship between Haley and Jason and slid them toward a real relationship so smoothly that the reader didn't even blink. It all just fit perfectly.

Toward the end we got into a bit of drama that had the characters doing things that bounced the "victim" tag back and forth between them. It felt like it got a bit away from the author, but it also provided the opportunity for more hilarious scenes like,

"This is kidnapping!" she sputtered in disbelief.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"Nope."

"What the hell would you call it?" she demanded, snatching his soda from him and finishing it off.

"A romantic getaway?"

so it was hard to be too bothered. :) The epilogue was sweet--too sweet for me--but I know some people enjoy that sort of thing. All in all, this was a great read. I can't wait to try something else by this author.

Favorite Quote:

Megan's eyes narrowed on her. "You're really his girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"This isn't just some sick game he's playing?"

"Uh, no...is there something wrong?" She was really starting to feel self-conscious.

"Nothing other than you are the first woman he's ever brought home and you'll have to forgive me if I seem a little surprised. For a moment there I though hell had frozen over."