First of all, a big shout out to Net Galley for the early copy of Risky Play. Thanks you!

It is a story with a wild ride, lots of ups and downs, sadness and fear, but also story of finding ones-self, of standing straight for all the mistakes, gaining lost trust and let’s not forget a lot of hotness.

Rachel van Dyken always amazes me with her ideas, her mind, her way with words. The way she weaves the feelings of her characters is truly unique. When I read her stories I feel like I am thrown in the vortex of her words that take me deeper and deeper. I literally devoured the whole story in one day, I just couldn’t stop reading it.

Risky Play is brilliant! Two lost souls meet under difficult circumstances. Mack was left at the altar and Slade was cheated on by his ex-fiancé. The people they trusted most broke their hearts. They start an vacation fling until Slade's father dies and he leaves Mack without so much as a goodbye. Again she’s left alone!
When they meet again both are unwilling to trust their hearts. How can they, given all their baggage.

It's been long path to sort their differences but as they say “love always wins...right”? Maybe not!
Not when there are still hungry people wanting what's not theirs to take.

I loved every chapter, I highly recommend reading of Risky Play.

Mack was left at the alter, what a shit thing tho happen to you. To top it of in-front of all the high society people.
What an awkward thing to happen, and then still work with the person who you thought you loved, were going to marry. Sometimes falling in love with your BF doesn't work out, obviously here in this story that is the case. Mack takes the ticket meant for her honeymoon and jets of to mexico. She meets Slade, hes going through his own dramas and needs an escape too. Fake names, Hotness, funny lines, its all there with a slice of drama.

This author is new to me, but I gave myself the opportunity to read her work and I loved it.
this book is incredible, fun, light, fluid, very well taken, its protagonists captivate you from the first page.
Sometimes love is not in the person you think.

- I just mauled a nice stranger with my tongue. And gave him a fake name. All within the span of five minutes. This was not normal behavior. But he’d been there. And those eyes. Paired with my absolute panic that we were about to die, I just … I reacted. And it felt good. So. Good.
“Mackenzie Allistar DuPont.”

"Our eyes locked again with something I didn't fully understand, something that told me the universe was giving us a chance, a moment in time, to come clean, to confess before it was too late. And then the moment shifted."

"He'd made me feel alive. Then killed my soul in one fell swoop."

"For the first time in my life--it felt like I wasn't going to jump and have to catch myself. I had someone by my side. Just as eager to take the leap. Just as willing. To catch me after the fall."

Risky Play is the second chance romance that I have been waiting for.  From sexy, hotter than hot soccer players to a broken heart in need of a fresh heart, this book hit all the marks I was looking for. 

Risky Play follows the story of Mackenzie and Slade. Mackenzie was all set to marry her best friend when the rug got pulled out from her. In order to heal her broken heart, Mackenzie decides that she should go through with her honeymoon trip and enjoy a little taste of paradise. What she didn't plan on was Slade. Their chemistry was instant and hotter than hot. Slade is the perfect gentleman and is everything Mackenzie was looking for....that is until Mackenzie found herself alone in bed the next morning....Little does she know her world is about to be once again turned upside down.....Slade Rodriguez has the world at his feet and is passionate about the game. But, there's a price that comes along with fame and he's got his own reasons for wanting to disappear for a while. He never saw Mackenzie coming and can't deny the peace that she brings him. But, when tragedy strikes, Slade is forced to leave and throws his guilt to the wrong place. His loss turning him into a person he no longer recognizes. So, when fate intervenes and puts these two together once again, sparks will fly, but it's not the sparks you'd be hoping for. For now, they are stuck with one another and must learn to coexist with one another. Sparks fly and tension like no other mounts. Will these two be able to move past their broken hearts? There's only one way to find out...

Risky Play was an absolutely fabulous read. It is pure Rachel Van Dyken magic. Not only is this story incredibly well written, but the plot is the kind that you just can't help but get sucked in to. The characters are fantastic. Their story completely captivating and filled with lots of hearts. I loved the laughter filled moments and those hilarious one-liners. I loved seeing Mackenzie stand up for herself and not take any of Slade's crap. I loved those oh, so frustrating moments that made me just want to reach inside my kindle and knock Slade upside his head. I loved the passion and sparks and the moments that just made me swoon. My heart ached for those angst filled moments. Like I said, this book had it all and left me with all the feels.

I easily devoured this book in one sitting and loved every single moment of it. Fans of Rachel Van Dyken, you won't want to miss Risky Play!

4.5 <b> Are we going to die? </b> Stars
So I am crazy new to this author.. I have been dying to read her books for ever.. I made a point to read her in 2019. I finally picked up a few books by her with the Liars INC series which I received ARCs for. I decided to take the dive. I decided to call this book a badass heroine because she doesn’t take any ish from any man. She is fun, sassy, wild and a dang sommelier for goodness sakes!! She is left at the alter vulnerable and a virgin. She decides she still earns her honeymoon and ends up seated next to “Hugo” on the plane ..sparks fly immediately. She then departs the plane and find outs her honeymoon suite is next to “Hugo”.. CAN YOU IMAGINE!!... after a wild vacation and finding herself in bed with him he leaves suddenly never to be seen again. Mack decides she will keep the good memories and continue to take over the world with no regrets. The story is stupid cute and I really was sensing a ménage and sadly didn’t get one :P .. I am in such a ménage mood it appears. The story is cute and perfect. I will be following this story/series.

Happy New Year! I’ll be back to write a review, but I have to say MUST READ!

This book kept me sucked in the whole time, I could not put it down. It’s true what they say, you can find true love anywhere and at anytime. Even through loss and devastation. Mackenzie knew that Slade was going through something devastating and he needed a friend. Slade treated her really bad, but she kept trying, he kept helping him and pushing through his assholeness lol

He knew though, from day one. That she is it for him. He would do anything for her and she means everything to him.

I loved this book so much and I would 100% recommend it to everyone! I can not wait for more books in this series.

Mack and Slade are complicated, emotional, fiery, funny and perfect! As you start this book, you feel like it's one of those vacation romance novels like so many others but boy are you wrong!!! Rachel Van Dyken is such a master of twists and surprises, I absolutely loved this book. It's different yet still gives you all of the emotions you crave from a beautiful romance. Love, love, love!! Just like every other book 've read from RVD, it's phenomenal. Can't wait for more!!

If you love Rachel Van Dyken's writing like I do, you will love jumping into Risky Play. Mackenzie is a thirty year old virgin from a very wealthy family, who has been groomed to marry Alton, a young man who works for her fathers empire and is the son of good family friends. They grew up best friends and always knew they were expected to marry. Until....Alton tells her he can't marry her. At the alter, in front of all the guests. Mackenzie is hurt and humiliated and to make it worse, her father keeps Alton on in the business and doesn't even harbor hard feelings about him dumping his daughter. Mackenzie is distraught and decides to get away and go on her honeymoon, alone.

Slade is a soccer star and a phenom in Europe, but when his ex-fiance and his best friend hook up, he has to get away. He signs with Seattle and goes on a little vacation prior to making the move. That's where he meets Mackenzie, on the plane headed to a tropical escape, only, they both give fake names and have no clue who the other is. They spend a wonderful day and night together, but when she awakes the next morning, he is gone. He not only left her bed, but left the island, never to be seen again. Or.......does fate have other plans? When they meet again, months later, he is a real dick and treats her terribly, but she can't walk away because she unknowingly accepted a job working for him!

This is a fun story with lots of laugh out loud moments, sexual angst and shake your head moments.
If you want a lighthearted romance with plenty of back and forth, this is a book you will enjoy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Skyscape for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I seriously blew through this book. RVD is one of those authors that is just fun to read and you want more from.

This is one of those books that have you on a roller coaster. One minute you are laughing and the next you are heartbroken. I really fell in love with her main characters and loved watching their story unfold. Their first meeting was epic and I loved the chemistry from the beginning.

If you are a RVD fan then you already love this book. I can’t wait for book two and I hope Jagger finds love.

This story is an epically fun joyride...one of Rachel’s best books yet!

Two people from different worlds, but very much the same...both trying to forget, to move on, but mired in their pasts mistakes. Finding anonymity, needing fun and spontaneity, they just might be what the other needs, at least until reality calls.

Mackenzie and Slade must be fated because their two meetings would never have happened otherwise. When they stumble upon each other for the second time, Slade isn’t the same man Mack met at first and she sure doesn’t like this version of him. She isn’t going to let the lemons life handed her define her, she’s going to make the best damn lemonade out there (love RVD’s strong female characters). Slade might be sexy as hell, but he was also infuriating. Luckily Mack makes him see the error in his ways and I totally lost track of my swoon count!

As always, Rachel Van Dyken introduces us to a cast of characters you will either love or hate, but you won’t be able to get enough of them. The teasing, sarcastic banter is seriously entertaining and had me giggling out loud on numerous occasions. Don’t even get me started on the sex scenes...just...wow!

3.5 stars

I went into this book blind and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a sports romance. This is one of my top troupes and I've really enjoyed Rachel's other sports romances. I like how the story starts off, it's full of conflict and heartache which really sets this book up.

Mackenzie was fantastic. She's the kind of character I love to read. She clearly sees what's been going wrong in her life and goes about fixing it. She doesn't blame her problems on others or look to them to help fix what's broken. She goes out and takes care of business. Both hers and those she cares about. I really liked her don't give up, do what you can to help others attitude.

Slade was just kind of there to me. There was nothing that really made him stand out from all the other sports romance hero's I've read in the past. While I enjoyed his character he's not one that will stick with me for long.

This was an emotional rollercoaster of a book that hit you in all the feels. Fans of Rachel's work are bound to love it.

Rachel Van Dyken writes such sassy and frisky books that consistently entertain. There is always an element of “What if” present that lays a great foundation for the stories she pens.
Risky Play starts with the meeting of two well known people who are unaware of whom the other is in the real world. Their paths intersect and one glorious night happens. He (Slade Rodriguez) suddenly and without notice leaves her (Mackenzie DuPont) in their hotel room. Both he and she are shaken by the enormity of their encounter. Enter fate, another intersection but with a divergence filled with trouble, struggle and emotion. This makes for another Rachel Van Dyken winner!

This book was great from the first page to the last page. Well-written, fast-paced and sometimes emotional story-line around two great characters. Can't wait to read more by this author.

I really like Rachel Van Dyken's writing and the flow of her stories! Risky Play was a very enjoyable read, and I got sucked into it pretty quickly.
It's both sweet, romantic. Plus it has characters with great chemistry, making them easy to want to follow.

Sometimes we have to take a chance. Just close our eyes and jump off that cliff. That's exactly what Mackenzie and Slade do....take a leap of faith and dive right in with a one night stand that turns into so much more. As Rachel Van Dyken shows us...sometimes it's worth the risk #RiskyPlay #NetGalley

I love that this centers around soccer players, I haven’t read a sports romance revolving around soccer before. I fell in love with the characters immediately. They are both a little broken by recent events in their lives. The reader can relate to them and the ways that they react to different situations throughout the story. A little bit of misunderstanding and misplaced blame goes a long way to creating the initial conflict in the story and just when you think they are about to get their Happily Ever After and the book is about to end, Van Dyken throws another wrench in the works before they get their HEA.

From start to finish my poor poor heart was on a roller coaster of emotion! Nothing could’ve gotten me prepared for the adventure that was Mack and Slade! So many situations, people and ugliness trying to keep them apart every step of the way!

When the past comes back to pay Slade a visit Mack has to decide if their love is worth it or if she will give in and walk away!

Slade notorious playboy and down right sexy man isn’t looking for love and wants nothing serious with the opposite sex but one plane ride changes all of that when he meets Mack! Mack is trying to escape a relationship she just left to try to find herself and what she wants! The last thing she expected was the good looking Slade derailing her plans!

Absolutely LOVED every second of this book even the heartbreaking moments because I knew they would lead to an even greater love!

Kindly provided with a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.......

This was defiantly not the hum drum story line you might of have expected from reading the blurb. Yeah, yeah bride ditched at the alter, goes on to say "I'm off, I need time away !!". Here McKenzie - our fabulous leading lady meets Slade. Ah Slade......you fit so many checks its untrue !
Slade is in the process of making a BIG dramatic career move. Slade is NOT looking for romance. But wow do these two find it and that (okay I'll call is lust) turns into the BIG LOVE word !

Utterly brilliant story line and characters you can just relate to. At times I found myself trying to coach McKenzie or offer Slade a bit of womanly advice !!. Great stuff, but when really does Rachel ever write a crap book ?........that would be a NEVER as far as I am concerned !!

Top Notch Rachel and many thanks for this opportunity x

Later peeps xxx

Risky Play is about Mack and Slade, who share an amazing day together. Mack is trying to get over the embarrassment of being left at the altar. Slade is trying to move on from the betrayal of his teammate hooking up with his fiance--and getting her pregnant. Neither of them is looking for a new romance yet they can’t deny the promising spark and connection between the two of them. Everything is going perfectly until Slade receives a phone call alerting him that his father has died from a heart attack. Slade leaves in the middle of the night without a word, and Mack awakes feeling used and ashamed.
Fast forward 6 months and these two are reunited when Mack shows up for work at none other than Slade’s house. However, it’s anything but smooth sailing for these two. Slade is pissed off at the world for the loss of his father while Mack is still dealing with being left at the altar and her one-night-stand with Slade.

My Complaints:
This is a super quick and easy read--I read it in one night. However, I wasn’t a fan of Slade’s treatment of Mack. I understand he’s grieving and that it’s much easier for him to place the fault on Mack as he was with her all day which caused him to miss a phone call from his dad--the last phone call he ever received from his dad. But, grief isn’t an excuse for his behavior. He treats Mack horribly and never truly makes up for it, in my mind. Mack forgives him too easily.
I also believe that there needs to be more development in their relationship before they throw out the word love. Their whirlwind romance just didn’t seem believable to me. Everything happened so fast, without enough heartfelt scenes to effectively sell the romance.
Lastly, I’m not a fan of the drama the author threw in towards the end of the book to test Slade and Mack’s relationship. I agree that they should be tested, but this curveball came out of nowhere and wasn’t that entertaining.

What I Liked:
As I said earlier, this such an easy, quick read. One thing I love about NA Romance books is that I’m always entertained from start to finish, and they don’t require me to think. I can just mindlessly read for hours, enjoying the story until it inevitably ends. I also really love the relationship between Slade, Jagger, and Matt. Their banter is PERFECTION. I’m a sucker for great banter, so I lived for their scenes together.

Overall:
While I didn’t rate this book super high, I’ll definitely be checking out the next book--especially because I think it’s going to center around Jagger. I did enjoy this book for the most part. I just wasn’t a fan of Slade’s behavior, but other than that I was fully entertained and happy with the book. If you’re looking for a New Adult Romance that will keep you entertained, then I recommend this book. If you’re a fan of insta-romance with a dash of hate to love (more like jerk behavior, though), then this might be the book for you.

Mackenzie was left at the altar by the man that was supposed to be her "best friend". Rather than mope, she gets on a plane bound for her honeymoon. As her luck continues to hold out, she is seated next to a man who barely says two words to her. All is going well, until the plane takes a nosedive and she is faced with her own mortality and all of life's regrets flashing before her eyes. Luck has taken a funny turn since Slade, the smoking hot guy in the seat next to her, grabs onto her hand and the trip just got a lot more exciting.

Despite one passion filled night, "Hugo and Ashley" (a.k.a., Slade and Mack) end abruptly with "Hugo" hopping a plane and "Ashley" waking up alone. Fast forward months later, Mackenzie ends up working for Slade - and neither one is expecting the other's true identity. It will take a lot of explanations, a lot of tears, anger and yes, a few kisses before things are set to right.

I loved the fact that a large part of the book was written from Slade's perspective. I love reading about a man's POV when he realizes what he wants. Slade is definitely a keeper and his feelings about Mackenzie made my heart melt. I also loved Mackenzie. A heroine with spunk is a good thing and Mack has it in spades. The secondary characters of Jagger and Matt were great - dying to see who makes ends up with this pair.

This was a great book for the beginning of a new series. Left me smiling about the ending for this special couple but eager to see what happens next!