Such a wonderful read.

I adore Amy Andrews. She is one of the best at writing sexy, swoony heroes. Cole Hauser is no different. But boy does he have is work cut out for him with Jane Spencer. Although Cole doesn't realize any of this at first since he's got his own troubles to work through. Bring in precocious, 4 year old Finn and he's a goner. LOL

Playing with Trouble is a steamy, opposites attract story of the rugby star and the single mom renovator. With witty banter and chemistry galore, this book delivers a great getaway to Credence, Colorado.

Cole’s rugby career with the Sydney Smoke is over after a car accident. He travels to Colorado to stay at an old friend’s place while he figures out what to do with the rest of his life. Once he arrives, he awakens to meet Jane, who is renovating a room in the gorgeous mansion for a magazine feature. He also meets her 4 year old son Finn, and Finn’s pet chameleon Carl. (Everyone should have a pet chameleon named Carl.) Finn was supposed to be with his dad while Jane worked on this extensive project, but he changed plans at the last minute, leaving Jane to try to do it all. Cole unexpectedly steps in and offers to watch Finn during the day so Jane can focus on the work at hand.

Of course, spending time with Finn brings the pair closer together. Cole and Jane are a down-to-earth couple who look at things rationally, and neither one wants to admit it’s possible to fall in love so quickly. Nor can either of them quickly dismiss the complication of living on different continents.

I loved this book, with its prickly, hard working heroine and her understanding, hottie partner. Not only do they work together to make sure Finn is loved and taken care of, but their chemistry heats up the pages. Amy Andrews does a fantastic job of adding touches of two of my favorite series in this book, with a Sydney Smoke rugby player somehow making a plausible trip to scenic Credence, Colorado. Add in the author’s trademark witty dialogue, and you have a nearly perfect romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story and didn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you into these characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

After Cole Hauser, an Australian rugby player, has a career ending injury he escapes to Credence, a small town in Colorado. His friend Wade Carter, an NFL player, offers Cole the use of his house to stay in. When he arrives at Wade's home, he is so exhausted, he crawls into bed - only to discover there is a beautiful, feisty woman beside him. Jane has been hired by CC, Wade's wife, to renovate and restore their home in Credence to its former glory, and as her ex dropped off Finn, her 4 year old son, she is trying to juggle both the work and entertaining her child. As the sparks fly between Cole and Jane, Cole' agrees to look after Finn so that Jane can get her work done. This means Jane has the evenings to spend with Cole and for some reason she can't stop kissing him, which of course leads to so much more. With Cole getting more attached to both Jane and Finn and the offer of a job taking him back to Australia, Cole has to decide what he wants from his life now that his rugby career is over. Throw in an unreliable ex and a cute, funny, live wire of a 4 year old, and this is an adorable read.

This was a really fun book to read. I love a good “they rescued each other” story. Two smart, determined (aka stubborn) snarky people are both a little stuck. Cole, an Australian rugby player is in the US and staying at a friends home in a small Colorado town while recovering from a career ending car accident. He really wants to be left alone to wallow, drink a little beer and figure out what is next for him. Rugby was his life so he has some big decisions ahead of him and his friends home in a small Colorado town is just the place. Jane, is a home renovation and reclamation specialist who, unbeknownst to Cole is at both working and staying at the very house he is seeking as refuge. She is on a strict timeline and has absolutely no time or interest in having a housemate. She already has her son with her who was supposed to be with her ex who unsurprisingly has bailed on her yet again. Their journey is filled with humor, lots of crankiness on both sides, truckloads of their own emotional baggage and history, a small towns worth of people, the knowledge that they live separate hemispheres as their feelings change and grow and a seriously adorable little boy. This is the perfect beach read that can be read any time of the year!! This book is yet another wonderful fun read and clarifies why I always look forward to a new release by Amy Andrews!!! This is a perfect happy mental getaway. Enjoy!!

This is another great book by Amy Andrews. I really enjoyed getting to know Jane, her son Finn, & Cole. Jane is a single mom who has built her own business & is working on restoring a room in a house for Wade & CC Carter (from previous book). Cole is a rugby player recovering from a career ending injury. He knows Wade from his brief stint with the Broncos before he committed to rugby in Australia, so when Wade offers use of his house to get away, he jumps at the offer. Little did he know what he would find once he arrived. Their first meeting is fantastic & it only gets better (& hotter) from there. Highly recommend reading this story!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/m frenemies to lovers
-Australian rugby sports romance
-single mother
-close proximity
-vacation romance
-this is just a hookup denial
-a sweet four year old who loves cookies and licking paint
-a chameleon named Carl
-porch swing sex

I loved this book so much. Cole living with his disability and moving on from playing Rugby professionally. His disability was part of the story but not a main plot point. I really enjoyed the included diversity and representation woven into the story, it was acknowledged and treated with respect, even in the sex scenes. Cole was just a sweetheart, figuring out his life, falling in love with both a single mom and her cute little boy at the same time without even realizing it.

And Jane. Snarky, independent, and fierce. I loved that she controlled the sexual nature of their relationship and was given such power in this book. Even the ending was just so realistic which I appreciated.

I have a soft spot for all sports romances and this was the perfect example of a sweet story about a single mom and some great steam.

Rating: 5
Steam: 3.5

Cole Hauser, Internationally known rugby player, has been traveling over 24 hours to get from home to his friend's home outside Denver for a quiet vacation., Well actually, time to decide what he's going to do with the rest of his life, now that a car accident has injured his thigh and hip so badly that he will never play rugby again.
He manages to get in, make it up the stairs and, opens the first door, and collapses onto the bed..
Jane Spencer, wakes up in terror, trying to figure out who just crawled into her bed in the middle of the night.
Not the best way for two people to meet but, this was a lovely romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jane is very standoffish because of her first husband. Cole is very angry that this woman wants him gone when he's exhausted, in pain and, just wants to sleep for the next 2 days!!
The interactions between these two are cute, funny and, loveable. I also loved the way that Jane's son, Finn, immediately loves Cole.
You will want to curl up with this story and, not put it down!!

I liked this book a lot, but the romance felt a little rushed. The lust didn’t - Ms. Andrews is one of the best in the business at steamy scenes that feel emotionally grounded - but the love/happily ever after? That all felt… eh to me. I like that the book is 150pp because I got it done in one night, but I didn’t like it because giving the relationship more time to breathe would have made this a full try (rugby reference!) to me.

I’ve never met an Amy Andrews book I wouldn’t recommend, and this is no exception.

This was a sweet read. Jane is staying at the house she is renovating, along with her son. Cole is recovering from a car accident and goes to stay at his friends house. Cole and Jane are unaware that the other is also staying at the house. When Cole arrives late at night he goes straight to bed, which happens to be where Jane is sleeping. So they start off on the wrong foot with each other. I loved Coles relationship with Jane’s son Finn. This was a sweet quick read.

This book ended up being really sweet. I was a bit skeptical because I don't know anything about rugby, but I do love a good romance novel. This didn't feel like every other romance novel I've read which is nice because some authors get stuck in a rut it seems on storyline. I thought Andrews did a fantastic job of keeping you interested. It would have been 5 stars, but I felt there were too many instances where it seemed to move a bit slow. However, it was an interesting enough story so I didn't have a problem hanging in during some of the slower moments.

PLAYING WITH TROUBLE was my first book by Amy Andrews. This book is a love story that brings Cole Hauser, Jane Spencer and her 4 year old son, Finn, together.
Wanting to get away, Cole just wants to hide out. When his football buddy offers him his home in Colorado he travels half way around the world only to have a run in with Jane, wielding pliers at him in her bedroom. The attraction is instantaneous and hot.
Jane is there doing a renovation along with Finn, who is so adorable, he melted my heart!
I really enjoyed the characters and it was well written. Looking forward to reading more of Ms. Andrews books. Highly recommend!

Cole is in the US to have a break, after an accident ended his sports career. His friend Wade has offered him a house to stay in, only it's not empty when he gets there.

Jane is staying in the house to renovate one of the rooms. When she unexpectedly has her son Finn with her for the summer, it means the work is that much harder.

At first Cole is just wallowing, and not a good person for a child to be around, but soon he is helping out with childcare and spending more time with Finn while Jane gets on with work. But Cole is only there for a few months, so even though Cole and Jane are growing closer, do they have a future together?

A great read.

This was a quick and enjoyable read right from page 1. I loved Cole's relationship with Finn - it felt really authentic and just made me like Cole so much more than I already did. Their bond just came about so naturally and at times was just downright adorable. Jane made for an interesting and complex woman - her habit of going hot- and-cold with Cole was a little frustrating at the beginning, but ended up being worth it when she decides to take a chance on him. I liked that Jane's ex wasn't a complete jerk and did love his kid - he just doesn't always put him first. Another aspect I really enjoyed about this story was that neither character had to give up something they really wanted in order to be together.

I love Amy Andrews’ Sydney Smoke series but the one book I read in her Credence, Colorado series was the very opposite so I this was always going to be a risk for me because it could swing either way. Sadly that swing just wasn’t in the direction I was hoping for and the magic she creates was missing. If Amy returns to Sydney I’ll be there with bells on but I just have to accept that Credence isn’t the place for me.

3.5☆
Cute

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Finn
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Playing with Trouble by Amy Andrews a fantastic five-star read. I enjoyed this one, it did get a little draggy at points, but honestly overall I loved it, Cole Hauser was like the broken little boy when he arrived, you can fee his pain getting up those stairs its so well written. The emotions in this story as so palpable you can feel the excitement from a certain little boy when exuberant about such simple things like Cricket. This is a heart-warming story, but it also warms other parts as well. Amy Andrews writes a good story, there is enough sport to make it worth it, but there isn’t too much that its all you read, don’t miss this amazing story.

4.5 stars.
A great story with amazing characters, including an initially surly but very kind Australian ex-rugby player, a single mom and her delightful four year son.
There’s so much to love about “Playing with Trouble”, by Amy Andrews (Entangled: Brazen): the wonderful characters, so relatable, down-to-earth, decent people, the hot and sweet scenes between Cole and Jane, the unique brand of the author’s wit, and the skilled way she gives insight into the characters’ minds and writes the scenes.
I was immersed from beginning (and what a beginning, so fun and well written!) to end and it was such a pleasure to read. The enthusiasm, the lust, the sexual tension, the humor and these true to life characters: Cole’s easy connection with Finn, the unpretentious attitude and self-deprecating humor and how he falls head over heels for the fierce, determined heroine.
It was the fact the characters changed, evolved and revealed new, unknown facets that made them so interesting. And also they seemed so regular, kind, decent people, you couldn’t not relate to them.
Some characters in this crossover book are claiming for their own story – Griffin King, the Sydney Smoke’s coach (we’ve been waiting for too long!), Arlo and the new American player.

Playing With Trouble is a low angst, enjoyable romance between a former rugby star and a single mother.

Cole Hauser was one of the best on the rugby pitch, but a horrific car accident brought his career to a premature end. After getting to the point where he couldn't take all of the news and lamenting about the end of his career, he heads to Colorado to vacation at his friend Wade's home. What he discovers when he arrives at the house is not at all what he's expecting, but it might just be the best thing for him.

Jane Spencer is a single mother raising her four year-old son Finn and running her restoration business. She is currently working to restore original floors in a home in Colorado and when her ex shows up with Finn and tells her he's got a gig, so he can't keep their son for the several weeks he was to have him, it leaves her wondering if she'll be able to juggle finishing the floor and being the Mom she wants to be.

When Cole realizes that Jane is struggling to get everything accomplished, he offers to play "manny" and watch Finn during the day. Not only do Finn and Cole hit it off, Jane becomes smitten with Cole pretty quickly herself. While she doesn't really want to pursue anything, the draw between them is undeniable and they meet each evening to chat which eventually leads to emerging feelings. Will these two be able to keep things casual or will they become serious a lot quicker than either expects?

This was an enjoyable read and Finn is absolutely adorable! He was such a bright spot for me in this book. I've enjoyed all of the Amy Andrews books I've read and this one was no exception.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

***I received a copy of Playing with Trouble from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. My Opinions are my own and not solicited in any way***

Playing with Trouble by Amy Andrews was fantastic and little Finn stole my heart plus Cole had the patience of a saint even with the Houdini chameleon lizard. I had already read Wayne and CC's story so hearing that Jane was helping with the restoration was a plus. This story is completely worth all 5 stars and then some more besides you had me a "Needle nose Pliers" .

Jane Spencer is restoring the parquet floors in Wayne and CC's mansion in Credence what she thought would be a easy job ends up with her ex dropping off their 4-year old son and a Chameleon. But during the night a handsome yet jet lagged Aussie Rugby player Cole Hauser to crawl into bed with her. (hence the pliers) Can Jane, Finn and Carl worm their way into Cole's heart? What happens when not one but job offers are given to Cole will he return to Australia or will he stay to see if Jane and Finn are his HEA?

Cole Hauser is recovering from a serious car accident and has come to Credence to recover out of the media spotlight and decide what his future will be without playing Rugby. Little does he know that Jane and her son Finn are there doing restoration and he'll run a Rugby clinic for the kids in Credence and perhaps fall in love with a kick a** single mom with a cute 4 year old named Finn.