Max’s best friend has finally convinced him to go out for a drink. Max is incredibly focused on school and graduating and then getting into law school, which all takes up most of his time. However, Max has only agreed to the one bar and has no intention of joining the group on a pub crawl. When his friends leave, a gorgeous man sits down next to him and it takes Max no time to recognize the college’s football running back, Patrick Guinness. The men hit it off and after an entertaining conversation at the bar, end the night back at Max’s place for the hottest one nights either of them have ever had. But in the light of day, they go their separate ways, Max to law school, and Patrick to the NFL.

Three years later, Max is returning home with one month to go before the bar exam. When Max takes his car in for service, he has no idea he will come face-to-face with the one man he has never been able to forget. The men come from different worlds and Patrick knows a smart guy like Max would never want anything serious with a mechanic like him. But the sparks fly once again and they might just set out to prove that opposites can not only attract, but can last.

This was a lighter opposites attract kind of book for a good portion of it. We see Max and Patrick meet for the first time and the attraction clearly sparks. Max was always been focused on school as his father is expecting him to become a full partner in the family law firm, while Patrick has been focused on getting to the NFL and being able to help his family financially. But, despite their differences, they totally connect, hit it off, and are way good together.

When they reconnect three years later, the attraction is still there, but the divide is even bigger. Patrick’s life has changed considerably as the NFL didn’t work out and he took over the family auto shop after his father died and now has custody of his teenage brother. While Patrick can barely stand to even look away from Max, he knows that he could never fit into Max’s upscale world and thinks Max could never be serious about a mechanic.

The conflict for most of the book is the financial divide. When Patrick’s brother has legal troubles, Patrick gets a first hand look at the kind of life Max lives and can’t get past it. Max, for his part, says he could be all in with Patrick, but Max’s father still calls the shots and as long as Max doesn’t show up publicly with a man on his arm, all will be fine. Max has yet to stand up to his father.

The men take tentative steps towards each other and then their relationship consists of them exploring each other intimately. The scenes were all well written, but there was little given to show why else these men wanted to be together and we were just simply told it was so.

The book was moving along at an even, although at times uneventful, pace until Max’s father, who was primarily an off page character, came on page. Then, there was drama with the father, drama with Patrick’s brother, work drama, and relationship drama all one after the other. It was at this point the book sort of starting spluttering along for me.

The epilogue moves the story slightly ahead where we see Patrick, as well as Max’s father, have a complete change of thought process and there wasn’t enough there for me to get fully on board with how fast they changed what had been the core of their character for the entire book.

I liked the outline of the story here and it did have some good moments, but ultimately didn’t have enough depth in some areas for me. This was the first book I have read from this author and overall there just enough that could tempt me to check out what she puts out next.

This book just wasn’t for me, the writing style and me just didn’t mix but I can see how this would be enjoyable for many others

Opposites attract…

Patrick and Max may be going to the same college but they couldn’t be more different. Patrick is a jock, a football player, his focus on where his talent was going to take him. Max is going to be a lawyer, his family setting his path long ago, so his nose is to the grindstone, knowing where his devotion to studies is going to take him.

“I had fun, but…you know, football has to come first.” 

A one night hookup, and years in between, meant their chance meeting should have been nothing more than a quick trip down memory lane. Instead, that memory became the start of something that could be amazing for both of them. If they let it…

They are still opposites with more than money separating them from a future together. Both of their families have issues with their relationship so navigating that and their own insecurities was a loud backdrop to incredibly steamy scenes (okay, scorching hot). They were getting to know each other, one misstep, one sexy scene at a time… I liked these characters who weren’t perfect yet were perfect for each other.

This author is new to me but a solid story, compelling characters and a natural writing style will have me coming back for more.

A romantic book about finding love in strange places, and then being strong enough to allow yourself to follow that love. Yes, it's a sports book and the romance is slightly hidden, but it's there.. and this new to me author is one I will look for again.

Review published on Amazon, Goodreads, B & N and V's Reads: https://vsreads.com/2017/05/31/catching-up-falling-for-the-player-a-review/

Max Segreti is a nerdy college kid working hard on his studies when he meets Patrick Guinness, star college running back, sure to be picked high in the NFL draft, one night at a bar. They hit it off and the hit the sheets for a hot, hot night. In the morning they go their own ways, Max to law school and Patrick to a pro football career. Neither man forgot the other, however...

Three years later they meet by chance again. Only now, Max is studying to take the bar exam and Patrick is back home, running the family garage and caring for his teen brother, Liam, now that both their parents are deceased. His NFL dreams quashed by a devastating knee injury, Patrick isn't sure he can measure up to whatever standard Max may have.

Max still find Patrick devastatingly sexy, but he's been closeted by his overbearing father and isn't sure he can/should have any sort of relationship in the near future. Max is a good guy, though, and helps Patrick secure excellent counsel from his father's firm for Liam when Liam gets into a bit of a mess.

For me, this book was heavy on the sexytimes and light on the relationship. All the times I thought, okay we're going to see these guys build a strong bond, they either didn't, or the narrative shifted into the future. The tense moments--like Max being pushy about money or Patrick being stubborn about accepting charity--seemed too conveniently resolved. Patrick has a big problem dating someone who has a lot of money--like Max--but I wondered where his multimillion dollar NFL signing bonus went? Because he likely didn't spend all of it in his short stint in the game...so that was perplexing. I also got aggravated by some of the word choices, like referring "the other man" all the time in close quarters. I like hearing the guys' names in the books I read, and that sort of linguistic choice always kept me on the outside, hampering my connection to the characters.

That said, there is a sweetish resolution with Max and Patrick finding a common ground that satisfies all of their needs. Also, this feelgood end includes a happy teen and a puppy, so the cute quota is satisfied. A Review copy was provided by NetGalley.

This was an okay read for me personally.  It wasn’t one that completely stood out for me, but it wasn’t one that was a complete bust either.

I personally haven’t read anything by this author before, but I did enjoy Lee’s writing style.  Which is what drew me into the story.  Max and Patrick were both good characters, and while I could get a feel of the chemistry between the two of them, the story itself was predictable for me personally.

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the story, and I did enjoy the twist that Lee threw in with Max’s father, but the story just left me wanting for a bit more I suppose.  But, this was a good read for a Sunday afternoon. It kept my attention and kept me in the story.

Overall, I would say if your looking for a lazy day read, then be sure to check this one out.

I knew I needed this book as soon as I saw the cover.. Overall, this was a great read. If you're looking for a book that's got a lot of sexy time mixed with some cute romance between some extremely hot men, you need this book in your life immediately.

Imagine having a smoking hot encounter with your college's star football player, who then goes on to the NFL.  You're the nerdy guy studying too hard, being forced to go out by your BFF, then you end up hooking up with the football god.  One night to fantasize about over the long, lonely nights of undergrad, then law school.  Then, you're having car trouble, walk into the shop to get it fixed and there he is - the football god.  

Patrick is the bisexual football god and Max is the sort-of our, sort-of closeted geek fresh out of law school.  Their reunion at the shop leads to more and these two have to figure out of the blue collar ex-jock and the rich brainiac can find a way to make it work.  

Falling for the Player is a charming romance.  Of course, Patrick and Max make all kinds of mistakes along the way and deal with interference from both of their families.  Falling for the Player has the fantasy most of us enjoyed and the satisfying HEA we all crave.

I received an ARC from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review. 
Max and Patrick had sizzling chemistry. From their first hookup until the end. They come from two different worlds and that could affect their relationship.It was a fast pace m/m romance. I felt like something was missing. Still, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Regret is a terrible thing. Regret for past mistakes. Regret for not standing up to someone. Regret for a decision made. Regret sucks.

Patrick Guinness is filled with regrets. Regrets over his career—he’s no longer living the dream life of an NFL star, he’s living smack dab in the reality of running the family business. Regrets over his relationships, especially the one that got away three years ago. A one-night-stand with Max Segreti still sits at the forefront of Patrick’s memory. The chance circumstance that brings Max to the mechanic shop brings Max into Patrick’s life again. And into his every thought. 

Max is also filled with regrets. Regrets that he’s not stood up for what he wants and desires out of life to his family—especially his father. But Max is bound to make a change with Patrick—the man who’s never left his mind from their encounter when they were in college. Max has walked the straight and narrow of what’s expected, but he just can’t help waver from the path when given the opportunity to have a future with Patrick. Now he just needs to take the chance on love.

I really enjoyed my time spent with Patrick and Max. Both of them have been through so much. Both of them want to do the right thing by their families, but they’re both tired of putting their own wants and desires to the side. They are so unsure of themselves and each other, but watching them get closer (and closer in their sexy bedroom times too *fans self*) and stronger in their own right, I couldn’t help but root for them to get it together.

The book started out so light hearted and sweet. But it is so much more. We see two men grow and find love. Fight themselves and others so they can be together. Break down walls and preconceived notions so they can explore their attraction and love for one another. Their attraction is through the roof and their struggle to get past societal thoughts and be together is endearing and has you root for them.

Patrick was a hardworking, loving guy. He was honest and loved his brother with all he had. When his dad died he took over being the parent to him. His strength and love is amazing to see. He accepted the fate that brought him to where he was but he fought the feelings for Max at first. This was due to their stations in life and his brother. He didn’t want to hurt his brother and have him become more angry. When his brother gets in trouble he lets Max back in and we get to see a sweet and beautiful romance grow but also a friendship and support system. Max and Patrick belonged together. They understood one another and respected each other. Patrick wanted so much to believe that their circumstances wouldn’t define them or their relationship.

Max was a great guy. He believed in family and love. He worked hard for his law degree and to earn the respect of his father. His sexual preference was the one thing his father didn’t deal well with. It frustrated Max to no end and almost cost him his relationship. It took Patrick and his love and support for Max to stand up for himself and in the process find himself and what he wants. Max and Patrick are stand up guys and truly are what each other needs.

This is the sweet, real, honest and wonderful story of Patrick and Max. How they find themselves and accept who they are. How they overcome what family and their stations in life to just love one another and support each other. How they overcome obstacles to be with one another and learn to be what the other needs. The writing is honest and so are the characters. We see them stand up and fight for love and each other. A wonderfully endearing story that has you hope that Patrick and Max can overcome the odds and be together for they are each others rocks and love each other with all that they are.

Falling for the Player by Jessica.....This story flowed nicely and keeps you flipping pages. Max and Patrick have some issues, but overall are a great couple and enjoyable to watch. This is my first M/M book and Jessica Lee did a great job, I am excited to read more by her. I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book from publisher via NetGalley.

My Review:
This book begins the first night that Max and Patrick hook up when they were both at USC. At that point in time, Max was a nerdy law student who preferred staying home and studying rather than going out and partying. Patrick was the well-known star football player on the cusp of getting drafted into the NFL. But against all odds, they met in a bar and had an instant chemistry. It was a one-night stand...one that neither of them ever forgot, although they didn't ever see one another again. 

Three years later, Max is on the cusp of taking his bar exam to become a lawyer when he wanders into Patrick's auto shop. As far as Max knew, Patrick was still in the NFL...he'd conscientiously never followed Patrick's career after he was drafted. But that dream blew up when Patrick blew out his knee and then his father died, leaving Patrick in charge of the auto shop and his little brother who was still a minor. 

It's even more obvious now that these two guys come from very different places...at least to Patrick. He's a grease monkey; Max is an up and coming (rich) lawyer. That one night was all they'll have ever had, but Max leaves his business card with Patrick...because he wants more. What neither of them expect is Patrick needing Max's professional help...and then things develop from there. 

I really enjoyed this story. I don't think I've read Jessica Lee before, but I can honestly say I'll be watching for more books from her because this one was good. There's no denying the chemistry between Max and Patrick, but Patrick just doesn't believe they'll work any other way. Max, on the other hand, is all in. I love watching the transition of who Max was in college vs. where he is now. He knows his choices are going to cause problems. He underestimates the breadth of those issues, but he never doubts his choices. I kind of adore him for that. He wants Patrick in his life, no matter what it might cost him. Seriously, how can you not fall in love with a hero who puts his other half first like that? I loved him and his convictions. 

The book was good, highly entertaining with an incredibly romantic story. I enjoyed both these two guys and their story and am so glad I got to read this one. I can't wait to read more from Jessica Lee. In fact, I would love, love, love it if she wrote Liam's story (a few years into the future). That would be awesome, because that poor kid has a great story, too. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Gives one hot, steamy, roll-around-a-lot sex between two sexy males that are very different from each other, but yet they have a chemical connection that spanned the time they were apart. Patrick and Max are at different points in their lives when the meet the first time. Neither was looking for more than what he got out of that night. Neither was expecting the night to have an impact on their lives moving forward. Now three years later, a chance meeting, a need of help, and more hot steamy encounters and Max and Patrick have a chance to see if this thing between them could be more. 

I was on board with this read then somewhere I began to lose the interest that I had began with. The characters lost their draw. The relationship path forward almost stalled. My connection to the destination just was not there at the end. It was more I am done. Next read please.

holy snowballs, that was HOT!!!

3.5 Stars I enjoyed Falling for the Player. Patrick and Max both have their problems that seem to get in the way of their relationship but if they want it enough they will find a way to get through it especially Patrick. I look forward to seeing if the author turns this into a series

Every now and then, I get to the end of a book that I struggled to get into and realize that there was a good story there and that it could have been really good if only it had been told differently. Falling for the Player, by Jessica Lee, is one such novel. It had plenty of potential but because I never quite connected to the characters or their attraction to one another, by the time I got to the part of the book that had all the feels, I found myself wishing I had been pulled in somewhere along the way so that I could have felt them more.

One steamy hook-up between star running back Patrick Guinness and pre-law student Max Segreti indelibly marked each in the other’s memory. But one night was all it was. Three years later, their paths cross again when Max brings his vehicle to Patrick’s family auto shop. Max is now a law-school graduate, but he has always lived by the law set down by his father, the affluent man who owns the family’s law firm and who would never condone Max being in a relationship outside their elite social circle, especially if that relationship were with a man. Patrick is now a former NFL player after giving up his dream because of a knee injury. The devastating loss shortly thereafter of his father meant the family’s auto shop and the raising of his high-school-aged brother fell onto his shoulders. Being from two different worlds has both men convinced that they could have no future together, but the attraction is too intense to ignore.

Intense is a good word to describe the general mood the author is trying to impart on what Max and Patrick share in Falling for the Player. It comes through well in the initial hook-up found in the first couple of chapters. After that, the story fast-forwards to the present and their next meeting. I really think this is where my lack of connection to the characters started. Instead of giving me some character development, the book immediately gives the next time Max and Patrick meet, and it isn’t long after that before they hook up again. 

Sure, I can understand physical attraction, but I wasn’t feeling it as something more than just physical because I didn’t know the characters very well at all. The start of the background storyline had been mentioned by this point, but it was overshadowed not only by their physical attraction for one another but also by the overdramatic portrayal of how every mistake one or the other of them makes causes them to think that they’ve ruined the chance to get back together. In many respects during the development portion of the novel, my lack of connection to the characters resulted in my being able to pay too much attention to how overblown everything seemed to be, from the characters’ reactions to things to the writing itself coming across as hitting every romance-novel cliché instead of simply giving me something that would pull hard on my heart strings. It all felt like the author was trying too hard to make it intense without taking the time to give me a reason first to care about the characters enough to where I could feel the intensity between them.

About two-thirds of the way through the story, at the point where Max and Patrick are together on a basis that’s more than just hooking up, there is another temporal jump, so instead of being able to watch and enjoy the development of feelings between them, there is only a recap of how good the past few weeks have been. So instead of being ready to feel the turmoil and emotions caused by the ramping up of the background plot from here on out, I still didn’t feel like I had much of a connection to the two guys. It’s a pity because there are plenty of issues in the story that created conflict and had satisfactory resolutions. Yes, I was happy that things worked out between them, but the lack of a connection kept me from getting very much of the sort of pleasure I long for when I read romance novels.

I imagine there will be many readers who love the intensity and writing style found in Falling for the Player. It didn’t work well for me though. There were simply too many missed opportunities where adding a couple of chapters of character development and relationship development could have made all the difference in making me care about what happened with these two men. This is my first exposure to Jessica Lee’s books, and though I’m not completely certain, I think this is her first attempt at an M/M pairing in her romances. I also can’t say with full certainty that this isn’t a case of “it’s me, not you,” so if you’re familiar with this author’s work, it could well be a much more enjoyable read for you than it was for me.

Just like Max , I too I fell for the player.  Patrick has had his share of hard knocks but knows how to come out on top.    He's from the wrong side of the town  but that doesn't stop  Max from pursuing Patrick.    

I liked reading how these two men  became so important to each other.  The trails that they both faced from family.   The ups and downs that help build their relationship stronger