copy received for honest review
I liked the story but it was a little slow. It was a sweet story and I liked both Violet and Lucas. Violet was a little gun shy due to her past relationship. I loved how she did finally step up and invited Lucas on the picnic. It was cute and sweet, just like Violet. Lucas is a bad boy player, at least in the media sense. He is also a sweet guy. I am not saying he did not take advantage of all that was offered, but he is so much more than that. He had his own issues and insecurities. I liked them together. The story was easy to read with a few twists and secrets. The character of Lucas's brother, Harry, did make we want to go back and read his story. I would recommend.

Once Upon a Player is a cute and sweet new adult romance that was a pleasant way to spend a few hours but ultimately is probably not going to be terribly memorable. Violet and Lucas are likable characters who it's easy to root for, but their main conflicts come from 1) not telling each other the whole truth about what's going on with them outside their relationship and 2) being pretty dense about the other person (though they still somehow manage to ultimately figure out that they were being dense on their own). There's not a lot of friction in their relationship, then there's a ton/its over (or is it? they're not totally sure), then it's pretty much all gone again and they're good. I liked them both, but spent at least half of the book mildly annoyed with them for not communicating.

Once Upon a Player is the second in the series, but works just fine as a standalone. Honestly, I wasn't even 100% sure who the couple in the first book was--I guessed probably his brother, but it wasn't terribly obvious from what happens here (Harry doesn't really seem terribly "bad boy" here, but maybe he's more so in his book?). So if sexy footballers are your thing and you want to start here, you should be okay.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Violet is a college student who avoids relationships with professional athletes. Lucas is the top footballer in the world. Their paths meet and the fun begins. This is a "dislike to love" sports romance. Characters were likeable and love scenes were steamy. Thanks Embrace for the ARC of this title via NetGalley.

3.75 stars--ONCE UPON A PLAYER is the second instalment in Christina Phillips’ contemporary, adult BRITISH BAD BOYS romance series. This is British footballer Lucas Carter, and interior design student Violet Henderson’s story line. ONCE UPON A PLAYER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Lucas Carter is the twin brother of Harry Carter-Cinderella and the Geek-book one.

Told from dual first person points of view (Lucas and Violet) ONCE UPON A PLAYER follow the building relationship between British footballer Lucas Carter, and interior design student Violet Henderson. Lucas Carter is on medical leave following a potential career ending injury but an out of control party at his new penthouse finds Lucas face to face with his new house cleaner-Violet Henderson- the woman with whom Lucas will fall in love. When Violet’s mother takes ill, our heroine steps in to help with her mother’s contracted cleaning service never expecting to meet her teenage crush in the guise of Lucas Carter. What ensues is the friends with benefits/no strings attached relationship between Lucas and Violet, and the potential fall-out as misunderstanding and miscommunication force Violet to walk away from the man with whom she is falling in love.

Violet Henderson is an interior design student but works several jobs in an attempt to pay her way. Meeting Lucas Carter brings with it memories of her ex Geoff Hawthorne-Douglas, a footballer himself , who humiliated and betrayed our story line heroine. For all of Lucas Carter’s strengths, popularity and fame, our hero battles issues of self-esteem in the face of his twin brother’s successes in life. The brawn to the brain, Lucas believes he doesn’t measure up to his family’s high standards of education and fame. Lucas’ vulnerability and Violet’s insecurities make for some mistaken beliefs and heart breaking misunderstandings.

The relationship between Lucas and Violet is one of immediate attraction but Violet battles memories from the past, and the devastating humiliation she endured at the hands of her former boyfriend. With Violet’s refusal to date professional footballers, Lucas makes Violet an offer she cannot refuse. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Violet’s parents, and her best friend Katie; Lucas’ brother Harry and his girlfriend Alice, and their sister Mackenzie; Lucas’ friends Will, Caleb, and sometimes plus-one Yolanda; and an assortment of ex-girlfriends who may or may not add fodder to Lucas and Violet’s tremulous relationship.

ONCE UPON A PLAYER is a sweet and sexy story. The premise is engaging, entertaining and spirited; the characters are sassy and moving; the romance is spicy and captivating. ONCE UPON A PLAYER is an energetic and heart warming story.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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Once Upon A Player was a cute read. The story felt realistic and I enjoyed the characters.



Violet was cheated on and dumped in one of the worst ways. A year later she has still sworn off football players despite the attraction to Lucas Carter. Lucas makes it known that he wants her right off that bat and while Violet is hesitant, she begins falling for him.



I enjoyed this story and I liked that it had multiple POV's. I enjoyed how much their families were apart of the story and felt it helped make their characters have more depth.



I didn't like how the whole "easy to talk to" thing when there didn't feel like there was a lot of dialogue, but overall a great story.

Violet meets Lucas when she covers for her mom. Lucas' footballer (soccer) rep is well known around town, he's a player and Violet is done with footballers and players. What Violet doesn't expect is a sweet, caring guy underneath it all. Violet and Lucas are awesome. I've not enjoyed a couple this much in a while. They're lovable goofballs I'd want to be friends with. They each have their own insecurities but their bumbling is adorable and irresistible throughout the story.

If you're looking for an amazing read that has romance, humor and drama I recommend reading Once Upon a Player!

3.5 stars.

It was all in all an enjoyable read.

We meet Violet and Lucas. She’s a normal girl working and studying and trying to earn her way into life; he’s a football player worth millions and a known player. They meet when she goes to his penthouse to clean it and he thinks she’s someone he slept with.

Anyway, she’s not happy to start dating, even though she really wants to, lol. They live very different lives and she just doesn’t feel she fits in his. He actually loves that she’s different from others, so in time he’d win her heart.

It was a fun read overall, with some ups and downs and some really big miscommunications that at least they were mature enough to notice in a short time. He was kind of a jerk at times, but some of it came for the way he lived his life until then.

They both had some family issues, but mostly in their own heads. He felt inferior to the rest of his family, even though they never showed that. And she felt like she wasn’t a part of hers, even though her Dad never made a comment of that sort.

I was glad they worked the issues between them and within each other.

An entertaining read.

*Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing a copy for which I’m giving my honest opinion*

4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this one. I love sports romance, but I don't normally go for a soccer/football books. I'm so glad to read this one. I wanted to read this one because I'm a fan of Christina Phillps so I knew it was going to be good. I was sucked into this one right from the beginning and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved Lucas. He's more than his reputation and Violet learns that pretty quick. She's been burned by a footballer before so that's a big strike against Lucas right off the bat. Does Lucas have the patience when it comes to Violet because he's has to convince her they have something that last. I loved the chemistry between the characters. I would highly recommend this one.

I was looking forward to this installment in the British Bad Boys, and am glad to say I enjoyed it.

Despite shining on a football field, Lucas Carter has insecurities just as huge as said field. Waiting out the season after an injury, he meets and is intrigued by a red-haired girl who, despite her own insecurities, seems to truly see beyond the star image he presents to the world.

Surprised that Lucas Carter turns out not to be the brat everyone paints him as, Violet Henderson quickly finds her resolution to stay away from another player wavering. Is it only a façade he's wearing, or could this be the start of something truly beautiful?

I recommend this book. Lucas was a sweetheart! I really liked his character. Violet is unsure of her worth, but strong enough to stand up for herself when it counts, and I liked that about her.

I definitely am looking forward to the next book in the series. I hope it's Mac & Will's story next.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book, which I received via NetGalley.

I love sports romance and I’m always happy when I can get my hands on one. Lucas is a football player who can’t play because of the injury. So he’s doing his physical appointments with his therapist and waiting till he gets the all clear to start playing again. After one of his parties in the new apartment, he meets Violet who is there to clean.

Now, if I stop here, I have to say that I love my sports romance including just a little about sport or playing, or anything other related. Unfortunately (or maybe I missed it), I don’t know much how Lucas got hurt in the first place and the book doesn’t mention it in the next chapters. I am assuming it’s on the field, but still… I’d like to know more.

In the next couple of days, they started to get to know each other more. Lucas is intrigued because she’s one of the rare people who doesn’t fall for him at the first sight and they start to become friends. Violet is still careful after what her ex-boyfriend did to her but she’s over him and she tells Lucas why they can’t become more than friends. But things started to escalate once he invites her to celebrate his birthday with his family.

I like this book, but no matter how light it was to read, I still miss more. More about his injury, more about her mother’s illness, more drama, just more. The reason why they ”broke up” is because he assumed and she didn’t tell him the truth about her mum even though he told her about his. When they realized they apologize to each other and that’s it. I like more drama, more plot. Many questions were left unanswered: Is there a book about Will (his friend) and Mac (his sister)? What about his dad and their family friend? Are they a couple?

While this was my first read by this author and I’ll definitely follow her works, I can’t get past this, so I’m giving this book 4 stars.

A sport romance novel....Love....the cover was my main attraction to this novel but once i started reading i was hooked. Christina shows the true depths of the characters and left me wanting more and more....sadly the ex douchbag in the novel really range a bell with me and really made him unlikable in every way.
well written and lots of fun !
would recommend :D

A very addictive read!

My first Christina Phillips book, and I loved it!

Lucas Carter has it all – he’s a premier league football player, drop dead gorgeous and a real charmer with the ladies. He's in for a surprise though when Violet Henderson walks into his life. She doesn't instantly fall for his charming ways, and he's a bit put out by this! Lol! But what he doesn't know is that Violet used to date a football player, and there's no way in hell she's going to go down that road again! Or will she?!

Once Upon a Player is one of those books you just don't want to put down. It’s highly enjoyable and entertaining and one I would definitely recommend.

5 big shiny gold stars!

I loved this book!!! I thought it was so damn cute! You immediately fall in love with Violet. She is doing everything right, she is going to school, working part time but has no luck when it comes to men. She especially hates footballers. Well here comes Lucas a famous footballer. And of course they want to be friends but that never happens. Lucas wants to take her on a date immediately but she says no. Lucas has a reputation as a player and Violet was not going to let herself get wrapped up in that type of situation again! But is Lucas really a player?
I loved the authors way of telling the story with the alternating points of view. I appreciate being able to know whats going on in both of the main characters heads. I thought the book flowed so well and it made you feel like it was a twist on a fairytale. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice romantic story.

A follow up to Cinderella and the Geek, which I read and enjoyed. This book follows Harry's twin brother Lucas.

Violet shows up to clean his penthouse after her mom falls ill, but doesn't expect that it's Lucas's place or that he might be genuinely interested in her.

Violet and Lucas are likeable characters, and the story is sweet. However, the plot did feel a bit rushed and the characters felt immature at times, especially Violet.

Overall, a nice read, but I did like Cinderella and the Geek better.

Once Upon A Player was a fast-paced and entertaining read. The chemistry between Lucas and Violet was believable, as well as how the two got to know each other and, naturally, fall in love. I would say the character’s story would have benefited from a lengthier novel with more dialogue between the two and successive buildup of character development.

The only thing that irked me was the over-the-top (read:clichéd) dramatic ending scene that seems to be all the rage in romantic novels. I.e. groveling in a public place in front of cameras.

Christina Phillips drew the reader in with her charming characters— it was super sweet; I got a tooth ache by the time I was finished with the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes we get stuck in roles when we’re young and it’s hard to break out of f them. The smart one. The funny one. The dumb jock.
Lucas was born into a family of geniuses but he fell in love with football. No one thinks he’s anything but a player and a jock.
Violet dated a footballer and got burned. Been there done that. Until she meets Lucas.
These two are very different but they click.
This is a well written new adult novel with complex characters and a solid story. The drama is realistic and it does not fall into the long drawn out misunderstanding that one conversation could fix.
I am curious if there is a book about Alice because I’d love to read that as well.
I’ll definitely read other books by this author.

Loved this book! It's a quick and totally enjoyable read. The story is fun, sexy, sweet, and lighthearted. Lucas and Violet are great characters. He's a footballer with a reputation as a bad boy. She's a woman who has been burned by the jock type before so there's no way she's going to get involved with this one. She does have to clean his penthouse though since he's paid for it and all. Once Violet gets to know Lucas she realizes he not at all like his reputation portrays him. He's actually a great guy. Kind, caring, funny - NO, just no. Maybe?

The writing is excellent and I adored these characters. I think this is a book everyone will enjoy. I definitely recommend it.

when violet fills in for her mom on a house cleaning gig as once upon a player opens, she doesn't expect to run into lucas carter. he just happened to be her teenage crush. and he's still super hot. and he's flirting with her. but she's sworn off footballers.

lucas is used to girls that fall all over him. but it's been a long time since he's been interested in hooking up. he sees what his twin brother has with his girl and wants that too. and he thinks that he can find that with violet. but first, he has to get past the barriers she's built up around her heart.

and apart from some silly miscommunications, this story is really a sweet love story between two characters who can't stay away from each other.

**once upon a player will publish on july 16, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (embrace) in exchange for my honest review.

Great book, great story and wonderful characters, plus he's a Brit. I liked the synopsis and I'm glad I received a copy from Netgalley to read this. I was that engrossed in the story that before I knew it I was on the last page.

I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Yet another quite enjoyable but, ultimately, just mediocre read for me.
Yet another manwhore-jock-meets-good-girl story. Though I really did like Lucas. He was a genuinely nice guy, patient and funny. A little daft at times, but hey.
Yet another romance full of chiché tropes and one-dimensional characters, albeit likeable ones, so there's that.

I did like the writing though and all in all, this book was pretty enjoyable despite its flaws.
Just don't go and expect anything profound.