It was a three-week fling. Nothing more than a couple of college kids having some fun, but then I did the stupid thing and fell for Jude quicker than he can score a goal on the ice. And after one beautiful night together, he left for the pros before I could make my first cup of coffee. I thought I put him behind me. I thought I’d moved on. Then he hobbles into my physical therapy office and I realize how absolutely wrong I’ve been, there is no getting over Jude.

Playing to Win is a light and easy to read sports romance. It was just what I needed; a sweet, sexy and fun story. I really enjoyed it.
This is the first book in a series and I’m sure I’ll keep reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Stacey Lynn for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed this audiobook! The two narrators were great. The story line was interesting and kept me engaged all the way to the end. I really liked that Katie and Jude had a past. So often the main couple just falls in love over a few days. Their history just added to the relationship they built in the present. There was a great cast of supporting characters that I can tell make great stories in this series. I can’t wait to start the next audiobook I have from this series!

Playing to Win by Stacey Lynn
5 SLAP-SHOT🏒 STARS

I received an ARC audio version from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

I have read other books by this author and really enjoyed them - Playing to Win was my first audio listen on Netgalley. Loved it - I will definitely be requesting more audio books . It is a great option to listen to a book while cleaning or just relaxing - I also loved the narration ( voices ) of both the 2 main characters.

This is the story of Jude Taylor and Kate ( Katie ) Carter and they have known each other since college. There has always been chemistry between the two ... Jude is now a professional hockey player rehabbing after a surgery for an ACL tear and a second concussion. Katie is a trained physical therapist and the two meet again when Jude begins his sports rehabilitation in the Chicago area to be closer to home.

Why I really liked this book :

Sports romance ( a favorite of mine - specifically hockey )
Awesome main characters in Jude & Katie - as well as great secondary characters
Realistic
Both characters are willing to work on what they need to do to make their HEA happen - that there is more to life then what they both want out of their careers
Great humor
Jude’s supportive family
Love that the Katie goes for what she wants - that being solely Jude ❤️

I really enjoyed this story and would like to read or listen to more in the series.

Highly recommend this book !!

The story was good. It flowed nicely and had a nice balance.

One of the narrators on the other hand just didn't do it for me and I'd find myself drifting off to other thoughts or laughing because the voice was just off. It also lacked emotion and infliction in spots - while not monotone, it just didn't seem to convey the described emotions of the characters.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Playing to Win was a pretty cute audiobook to dive into. Plus, I do love a good hockey romance every now and then. It also doesn't hurt that this flew by either. In it, you will meet Jude and Katie. They knew each other in College and had a little fling. Then they get a little reunion and it's pretty obvious that they still have the same feelings for one another.

The romance between them started off pretty insta-y for me. I guess that's to be expected since the book felt so short to me. I just kind of wished that they took things a bit slower instead of just diving straight into things. Then again, when things got steamy I honestly didn't mind at all.

Other than that, Katie and Jude tended to annoy me from time to time. At one point, I think a certain someone needed a good slap to the face. They were just being way too annoying and overthinking everything. Oh lord, a slap was needed people.

In the end, this book was cute and if I can find the next book I will probably dive into it.

This was a great second chance romance that was just pure fun! Jude is a hot shot hockey player who sustained a bad injury that took him out of the game, actually the rest of the season and the team sends him back home to Chicago to get surgery and rehab. Kate cannot believe her eyes when Jude hobbles into her physical therapy center. He is not her patient but she cannot help the tingles. They had brief fling in college until he was called up to the league and she was left behind. Now he is back on her turf. The chemistry is still as strong but will they be able to get past the...past...This was a great story and love the entire family. Mom is a hoot and dad is...well, inventive with his curses. I had this one in audio form and the narrator was perfection!

**Received this ARC in audio form for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

Jude Tayor, a star hockey player, is forced to take a break from his hockey career due to a massive knee injury. His coach asks him to move to Chicago for therapy, where his family and also where Katie is. The girl he spent one beautiful night with in college. Meanwhile, Katie is shocked to see Jude Taylor on the news about his injury, and even shocking is the fact that he is going to have therapy at the institute she works at.
I reviewed an Audio copy of the book NetGalley provided, and I love the narrators for both the characters. The alterations in both their voices, while switching between characters was charming. The alterations in both their voices, while switching between characters were charming. The breathy name-calling and grunts and groans during their acts kept the narrative exciting and lively.
The story alternated between chapters narrated by the characters Jude and Katie. That works best, I think, as readers like to know what’s going on in the other character's mind.
I loved the characters, Jude and Katie. Their family background was described in detail, weaving into the story without dragging. Katie, despite a not-so-great upbringing, is firm in her value and beliefs and comes out as an independent woman. While Jude, although a celebrity, is portrayed as down-to-earth, humble, and respectful.
My favorite part was the steamy, descriptive and passionate acts between Katie and Jude. Stacey’s writing flowed well and switched between Jude and Katie effortlessly.
But I was disappointed with the pace of the storyline. One minute Katie is questioning whether to get involved with Jude and a few chapters later, she has no qualms meeting his entire family, then quitting her job and finally moving to Charlotte where Jude lives. I think these are monumental decisions in a person’s life, and they rate some serious thinking and time, to keep them close to reality.
Also, I kept hoping for some friction in the relationship, some turmoil, and some twists, but it was too good to be true. I expected a more complex plot.
Nevertheless, it’s a good story about passionate love, and I recommend it to romance buffs looking to ramp-up the heat and look for a happily-ever-after ending.

Can Jude get a second chance with Katie, the one who got away? That is what you will discover when you read Playing to Win, an intoxicating second chance story about a charming hockey player. I liked the two main characters, Jude and Katie, they are great together and I loved reading their story.

When Jude, a professional hockey player, is injured he is upset and worried that it could end his career. The last thing he expects is to reconnect with his college girlfriend, Katie while he is healing.

Katie is just what Jude needs. Jude lost Katie once and he isn’t going to take a chance of letting that happen again. He knows he wants Katie back in his life and he doesn’t waste time playing games. Jude is confident and comfortable letting Katie know exactly how he feels about her. Jude comes from a hockey family dynasty. They are all crazy and funny and add a lot of entertainment and laughter to the story.

I love stories about sexy hockey players and I loved this second chance hockey romance. I listened to the audio version and thought the narrators did a wonderful job. Perfection.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I enjoy books by Stacey Lynn for their storyline and lack of unnecessary angst. This second-chance romance was no exception. I enjoyed both the story and narrators.

Absolutely adored this audiobook by Stacey Lynn. If you like hockey romances or second chance romances, this is the book for you.

For Jude, life is all about hockey. For years, all he's focused on is his hockey career, and he's go no interest in love because he can't forget about the one that got away. The one that kept him from coming home to Chicago. Until now. Now, he's injured and coming home to rehab so he can get his career back on track. For Katie, she's about to embark on the physical therapy career that she's wanted. And wouldn't you know it, the one that got away is now back in Jude's orbit. From the minute they reconnect, Jude is all in. He's wanted Katie his entire life, and he's always been confused as to why she cut him out of her life.

Jude and Katie connect in a really honest, really genuine way. The writing by Stacey Lynn is so purely emotional and real, so you buy into their connection, their rekindling, immediately. The narration by Liam DiCosimo and Stella Hunter is spot-on. They each bring emotion and nuance to their performances and really hit the right notes and the right level of earnestness to their characters.

I am a huge sports romance lover, so I was super excited to jump into a hockey romance.

I have been in a pretty big reading slump, so it was nice to jump into something a little shorter, but still had everything I love in a good romance. I would have liked to see a little more in the beginning around the college fling and I would have liked a little more hockey, but otherwise this was super fun and a steamy romance.

I am excited to see there will be more books in this series and I plan to grab book two on audio as well!

Jude and Katie knew each other in college, they had one hot night together- then the next morning, he was gone.
Now, five years later, Jude is a right-winger for the Carolina Ice Kings and has been seriously injured during a recent game. He’s sent to his hometown to recuperate and realizes he’s going to be doing his rehab at the place where Katie is a physical therapist.
I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other.

Playing to Win is a pretty short, cute & sexy romance between a hockey player who got injured and his ex-girlfriend/ ex-hookup who happen to work where he's going to have physical therapy for his knee. Five years ago they fell for each other, hooked up and said goodbye without telling each other how they felt. Miscommunication happened and five years later, they still remember each other. When they meet again, sparks fly and when he gets her back, he doesn't want to leave her again. She's going to have to take a risk for him, a risk she didn't take before. There was a little bit of drama at her work since she's not allowed to have a relationship with a client or whatever but in the end, they figured it out. There's not a lot to tell since it wasn't very long and the plot wasn't complex but the audiobook grabbed my attention and I wasn't bored. Now that I'm done with the first book of the series, I can't wait to dive into the second one since I don't know yet who the new couple is going to be!

(Thank you for letting me listen and review an ARC via Netgalley)

You guys, Stacey Lynn has done it again. I really enjoyed this audiobook. I can't wait to listen to book 2 in this series. This is a sports romance about a hockey player named Jude and a physical therapist named Katie. This romance is good, the pacing of this book is really good. The narrator's did a really good job I can't wait to listen to more books narrated by them.

3.5 stars

It was Good. Didn't really liked the main female character, found her a bit nagging and woe is me for my taste.
The plot was there but I didnt felt connected with the story.
I listened this on audiobook and I didn't like one of the narrators, the female one, especially when she said "his" parts like the chapters where she was telling her POV... omg that was awful. The Male narrator had a very soothing voice though. I really liked his way of narrating which made me like the Male character more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook eArc of this book.

The romance in Playing to Win was sweet and uncomplicated. I enjoyed the laid back style of the writing, and the narrator was quite good. At parts in the book it felt like I was reading a Jaci Burton romance, I really enjoy her work so this is definitely a compliment. Unfortunately, this book was no for me. I DNF'd at 43%. At nearly halfway through the book, the main characters had barely kissed. I realize there are plot reasons for the MC's to not be together like that immediately. It was just too much of a slow burn for me. The MC was likeable, and so was the love interest.

My actual rating was 2.5 stars.

DNFed this book after 2 chapters. The narration was not great and the story couldn’t hold my attention long enough to look past it.

I don’t know about the whole so I’m giving it a 3 star to be fair.

This was my first audiobook and that was pretty awesome. I found myself lost in this book while doing my daily walk twice a day. This book isn’t horrible but it’s bland. It’s a happy ending from beginning to end. Jude is the all star hockey player who got hurt on the ice. Kate is the girl he fell for in college but when he went to the major league she left him and blocked his number, sweet. So now he’s hurt and doing knee rehab, guess where. So they meet after like seven years and hook up, again. This is a major issue with her job, she gets fired and goes south with her man who’s, rich, handsome and in love with her. End of story.
This story had no surprise, no fun, and it was just a bore.

3 stars

Decently-performed audiobook elevates the run-of-the-mill romance novel by Stacey Lynn; while the protagonists are extremely likeable (and definitely well-paired), the second-chance romance never establish a sense of drama or tension, what we ended up is a series of inconsequential events connected by well-written intimate moments.

Jude is an up-and-coming hokey player, who has relocated to Chicago for physical therapy after a critical injury. Katie is a physical therapist who happened to be working at the same clinic treating Jude. The chance encounter reignites their feeling for each other, after they abruptly ended their relationship years prior.

The story is easy to follow, if offering nothing substantial; every argument/conflict is resolved within a couple paragraphs. The two protagonists in their mid-20s often behave like teenagers; while this provides some charming comedic moments, oftentimes it just feel immature, even a bit foolish. Lastly, I wish Stacey Lynn has dived deeper into some of the more serious subject matters, to counterbalance the lighthearted tone, instead of gliding over them in a brief sentences (Katie's desire for family affection, the grim reality of an injured professional athlete, etc.).

The dual-narrators for the audiobook are great, perfectly personified the Jude and Katie. The only awkwardness comes when narrator tries to imitate the other protagonist's character in their section; particularly with Katie's performer, her attempt to portray the masculine growl of Jude comes across as a tad try-hard.

'Playing To WIn' is a pleasant, if forgettable story; the narrators brought additional dimension to the story—this is a more than passable distraction to listen to while multitasking.

***This audio-book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***

This is such a fun book, so easy to listen to.
Both Jude and Katie are so sweet and immensely likeable, seeing and seizing their second chance.
With no intense angst or shattered hearts, this is an great little romance and a wonderful start to an awesome series.

4.5 stars and a cranky cat.