Thank you to for the ARC from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This amazing book gets published later this Summer on August 17th and I strongly urge you to add this to your TBR ASAP!

Now, what I loved about this book was not only the humor and the hot and spicy chemistry between Taylor and Jamar but also the real-life issues that were played out between the two.

Taylor is a hard-working, Army brat who is just trying to figure out her way through the world. Like many young adults her age, Taylor battles with her financial struggles and also trying to figure out if whether college is a smart decision for her financially knowing how much she struggled in school.

Jamar is well-known for not only being good-looking but also for his skills on the field. When a knee injury ruined his chances in the NFL, he ran across Taylor who not only got his attention for going viral, but also for her Army Style fitness program.

Throughout this novel, you not only feel their chemistry coming off the pages, but you cannot help but root for them to continue their fight to succeed. This book is a perfect way to end your Summer and if you want a steamy, yet funny book to end your Summer right make sure you pick up this great read.

I just knew that I would love Taylor's story!

I love the fake dating, I love how funny and genuine Taylor is, and I love how humble Jamar is!

I laughed my way through this and I was subdued by some hard things both Jamar and Taylor are dealing with. I thought that the author handled them both well. There is a scene with Jamar and his parents that just had me cracking up!

I love that there wasn't some HUGE blow-up (misunderstanding) between the two that tears them apart for so long and had so many miscommunicated feelings.... The relationship isn't without some hardships but nothing major and that's a relief.

First off, I'd like to thank Net Galley and Forever for this ARC. I tend to say that with most books I enjoy, I devour them.
The Dating Playbook was a fun read that while at it's core it is a romance, it covered various, deeper issues very well (financial, mental and physical health, education, and relationships). I loved Taylor and Jamar's dynamic, and their banter had me smiling and laughing along with them. The fake relationship trope is also one of my favourites so that scored major points with me as it was pulled off very well.

This was the first book that I've read by Farah Rochon, and I can absolutely say that it will not be the last. Going into the story blind, I was unaware that there was a previous story (The Boyfriend Project), but now I will definitely be picking that one up, and I can't wait for the final instalment in the series next summer!

Let me just start by saying I had some very impure thoughts while reading this and I ain’t mad about it. I literally kept finding myself screaming at the pages, “Girl, quit playing and kiss the man.” But if you’ve read The Boyfriend Project and enjoyed that, then you’ll definitely enjoy The Dating Playbook. And even if you haven’t read its predecessor, the chemistry between our romantic leads will not disappoint.

Picking up where we left off in The Boyfriend Project, Taylor has already been picked up from jail and is now at their weekly girls night out with Samiah and London and all Taylor can think about is the cost of the meal. Then the question comes up about how she ended up in jail. Long story short, it was all a misunderstanding and she was arrested because of an expired license and not because of the kids she cursed out (whom she apologized to) or the lawn chair she ran over (driving in reverse is hard okay). Panicking, Taylor blurts out that she is going back to school to get her degree. Anything to move the conversation into a positive direction.

I could really relate to Taylor in that moment as well as throughout the book. The less successful friend of the group, what with Samiah working in the tech industry and London a pediatrician. And Taylor with her Taylor’d Conditioning, her freelance business of fitness regiments tailoring workouts per clients needs. That whole mention of a degree was just a ploy to make herself sound better and haven’t we all been there?

However, things begin when Mr. Hot and Fit, as known as Jamar ‘Diesel’ Dixon, approaches her after one of her pop-up workouts and asks her to be his trainer. And come to find out, Jamar is a former football player who wants to return to the field. With what he’s willing to pay her, she could use the money to pay off her credit card debt and pay for the college entrance exam. Yet there’s just one condition: he wants to keep their training a secret, for now. Once he rejoins the NFL, he’ll endorse her for sure. Sounds like a win win. That was until they’re caught by a reporter and have to lie and say they’re dating.

But that isn’t the only issue. The reason Jamar had to stop playing was because he injured his knee while playing. For Jamar, he doesn’t just want to rejoin the NFL, he needs to come back to the NFL so he could go out on his own terms and shutup the naysayers. Even more so, Jamar wants to return to football to honor the memory of his deceased childhood friend, Silas, and be able to support Silas’s family.

Jamar is more than a ‘dumb’ jock. He got good grades in school and though he tells terrible jokes, he is funny and kind and humble. Rochon wrote a jock that has depth and layers with a smidgen of perfection and all the hotness. You can just tell from the descriptions. Yet you could appreciate Jamar’s resolve with Taylor’s determination. They pair well together.

Now the air is charged with electricity, sending sparks flying off the page. Jamar can’t help but be attracted to Taylor. He finds her drill sergeant approach to their workouts sexy, her passion for fitness inspiring and her desire to go back to college admirable. He just has to figure out how to fake date his trainer when he’s falling for her.

They start out small, just hanging out in public and taking selfies together. But that quickly leads to holding hands and intimate glances and out of nowhere, there’s a kiss. Sweet and innocent but definitely a smoldering burn of desire. Yet that burn ignites into flames when Taylor finds herself pinned against a tree in a rainstorm, Jamar pressed firmly against her as his tongue explores the furthest corners of her mouth. Ahem . . . moving on.

Clearly it’s more than just pretend between these two. Jamar doesn’t want to fake date anymore but Taylor is sticking to her rule of not dating her clients. Or at least she was until she got injured in a kickboxing session, spraining her ankle. And to make matters worse, her apartment building is being evacuated for toxic mold. Injured and out of a place to stay, Jamar offers to let her stay with him. He does have a huge mansion and she did fire him as a client because of her injury, so she reluctantly agrees. Forget flames, it’s a damn forest fire now.

The Dating Playbook is a red hot read that you’ll want to enjoy uninterrupted. The chemistry between Jamar and Taylor is on fire but the love they share is what truly keeps the flames burning throughout this novel. Not only that, there’s more to these characters than meets the eye and they are relatable. Never a dull moment in The Dating Playbook.

I am a sucker for a sports romance! Football? Yes, please. Baseball? I hope the bases are loaded. Hockey? Give me that puck!!

For starters, this is my first time reading a book by this author, and I don't know what took me so long! I need to go and read my copy of The Boyfriend Project now because this book was so fun and sweet! I love how Farrah Rochon also identified a character with a learning disorder in this book too because all our lives we're in school, I'm currently in university, and we're always expected to continue it rather than to stop and think of how we can further ourselves, and to shed light on a learning disability and the issues that arise from that was very informative and thoughtful!

I recommend this book ten fold!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publications for the earc in return for an honest review.

After The Boyfriend Project, I was really excited to see how things would play out for the remaining two friends and I was not disappointed. This was definitely a page turner. I really enjoyed the banter between Jamar and Taylor. Although they tried to keep things on a professional level, their chemistry was undeniable. They were just what each other needed in order to overcome their struggles. Always a pleasure to see girlfriends supporting each other. I definitely recommend this book. I am looking forward to London’s story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ACR in exchange my honest review.

Worthy followup to The Boyfriend Project. Simiah, Taylor, and London are still meeting often and supporting each other in their goals. Taylor is the focus in this book but the friends make appearances being a sounding board and encouraging her. Everybody needs best friends like these.

Taylor is a personal trainer with ambitions. But she is finding that a lot of doors are closed to her without a college degree in fitness or nutrition. She is floundering in debt and needs new clients to stay afloat. Enter Jamar, he is 25 and played only half a season of NFL football before a knee injury put him on the sidelines. He wants to hire Taylor as his trainer to get back into the shape he needs to try out for the pros again.

I like that the author brings learning disabilities into the discussion. I've had more than one friend have diagnosis's as adults. I also appreciate that Taylor owns the fact that she made mistakes with her finances causing her debt situation. But her character was a little all over the place jumping what she wants from one thing to another. (May have been intentional given her disability.) She creates rules, disregards, makes new ones etc. Jarmar was great as a love interest. He is smart, gentle and caring, He is also dealing with his own back issues.

For me the story slows down with too much time spent on getting physically fit and healthy nutrition. I get this is what Taylor does for a living but in London's book I hope we don't have page after page of her doing surgeries. Also I think as a couple a lot of time is spent on their past problems. I just described the characters to my daughter and recited a list of their obstacles. I don't know much else about them after finishing the book.

I did enjoy the book and especially the BFF's. I and will look forward to London's story when it comes out. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first wish I had granted on NetGalley so it was awesome that I LOVED the book.
I love the women's friendship. It was real and spicy and relatable. I am that broke friend who doesn't have their stuff together 😕.
I love the depiction of Taylor's learning disability and how it's shown POSITIVELY. That's so important.
And the chemistry! Wow! I haven't rooted for a couple that fast in a while. Jamar and Taylor were hot, without being "can't read that in front of my boss hot."
I wouldn't recommend reading while eating anything like donuts or ice cream- there's a lot of health conscious exercise and vegetables, but as a fat person- I swear, it's almost empowering. It made me want to hike around Austin.
Points off because I saw the ending coming, but only half because it was such an enjoyable ride.

Ms. Rochon has done it again!!! She continues to create excellent stories with fully developed characters. The story masterfully displays humor, romance, friendships and real life issues. I see myself and my friends in her characters. Really enjoyed the banter between Taylor and Jamar. Hate that it is over because now I am ready for London's story. Perfect summer read! Had already preordered my copy. Will continue to recommend.

5 STAR READ, I would give it 5 eggplants... but that isn’t an option. I read this as an ARC, from NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start this off by saying that The Boyfriend Project was one of my top reads in 2020. Mainly because of the badass squad that came from it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the romance, but these powerful ladies are a highlight. The support and love that they have for one another is great. I can’t wait to read London’s story in 2022.

Now that we have the groundwork laid, let’s get down to business.

I, like Taylor, know little to nothing about football. I fell asleep during the SuperBowl last year... in my defense I had just flown into Florida for Disney, but that’s a different story. I also, am not, nor have I ever been a fitness guru. This being said, the storyline was fun, and didn’t go over my head. I enjoyed the fact that Taylor was Jamar’s trainer.

The book has a slow burn. The romance is fire 🔥🔥 Don’t get me wrong, but it takes a while to get there. Clients to fake dating turned real. I loved watching it escalate. I wanted them to bang the whole time. Like climb him already gurlll.

I also loved that the book covered many real life topics. Military childhood, grieving the loss of a loved one, learning disorders, poverty, walking away from a dream... just to name a few. Farrah develops real world problems for our hero and heroine. Their story is interesting, and she doesn’t just use them to drive the plot along. They are believable.

I definitely recommend this book, as well as The Boyfriend Project. Farrah has done it again.

I love fake dating tropes because there’s always so much angst. This one didn’t feel too angsty and like they jumped into both admitting how they felt too soon? I wanted more tension between them. A lot of their internal thoughts felt very repetitive and I didn’t fully buy into the sudden love that bloomed between them. I was left wanting more.

I loved the representation of mental health and learning disabilities. The heat and tension were also written very well.

I will say that this was a little bit of a hard read for me because the heroine is a trainer and there was a lot of talk about getting fit, and constant body talk/ relationship with food.

This story was cute and fun!! Taylor and Jamar are hot together and their chemistry is on fire!! I love Taylor’s character, her strength and tenacity, and Jamar is the perfect guy, respectful and loyal. I read The boyfriend project earlier this year so I was excited for the 2nd in the series and it did not disappoint! I liked The Dating Playbook even better!! Can’t wait to read book #3 next year with London’s story!

Thank you Net Galley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in return for my honest review!

The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon is an amazing contemporary romance/ romcom that I truly enjoyed. It is the newest installment (second book) to the super awesome: The Boyfriend Project series. I cannot recommend this series enough!

I really enjoyed The Boyfriend Project, so I knew I just had to read it's follow up. I was equally impressed with this gem.

I am repeatedly blown away by how talented Ms. Rochon is with every book I read of hers. I loved all of the characters and strong, passionate, intelligent, and independent women from the previous book, so I was so eager to be able to read more about Taylor's story.

I loved Taylor and I also loooooved Jamar! Such an ingenious plot on how they ended up meeting and how their relationship began. Toss in money challenges, crazy fans and press, external factors/complications, hidden crushes/feelings, and a lot of chemistry and the reader has one amazing book. I loved the narrative, pacing, dialogue, wit, banter, humor, and chemistry!!!! I was rooting for Taylor and Jamar from the very beginning. I loved how each seemed to match what the other was longing for and secretly hoping for. They seemed to bring the best out of one another and I loved the progression that each brought to the table individually, as well as, together. And of course I loved the ending!

This series just keeps getting better and better. I cannot wait until the next book. I cannot recommend this series enough!!!!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

It’s hard not to compare books in a series but I liked the first book better. The Dating Playbook is very sports and fitness heavy, neither of which I have any interest in. Still love the friend group that supports each other and I enjoyed the writing and dynamics among the characters.

Thank you Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Where do I start? This book was so darn good. Like I could not put it down. I loved getting to know Taylor and Jamar and seeing their love unfold. They each had such intricate back stories and I liked how they supported and challenged each other through it. Jamar was carrying around so much guilt and Taylor had esteem issues. The characters were so relatable and imperfect but yet perfect for each other. Ms. Rochon is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint. The only sad thing is I have to wait a whole year to read London’s story. Awesome book!

Farrah Rochon did it again, and she did it from the very first page. I fell in love with Taylor, Samiah and London in The Boyfriend Project, because they came together to celebrate being strong women in the face of a scumbag who dated them all at the same time. And they came up with a game-plan to make their lives better. I have to admit I love them even more now that I have read Taylor's story with Jamar. Because the women's friendship is still very important, and they continue to lift each other up.

The Dating Playbook includes a fake relationship between Taylor and Jamar, because Jamar needs a personal trainer but doesn't want anyone to know about it. Just in case. Of course, playing a new couple when they are so attracted to each other couldn't do anything else but lead to real feelings. But my goodness, especially Taylor tried to fight those feelings. And she was fierce!

Reading about strong women is something I absolutely love. And when they are able to deal with all the different kinds of difficulty life throws their way, I love them even more! Taylor had a lot to deal with, between not earning enough money, to realizing it would be a good idea to go back to school. Only, she also knew that school hadn't worked so well for her in the past. And I love how she and her friends walked through things, and how Jamar helped her understand that she was definitely strong enough to do what she wanted.

Between the hot chemistry, the friendships, and the somewhat difficult relationship Taylor had with her family, I was hooked from start to finish!

I loved The Boyfriend Project so I’m beyond thrilled that The Dating Playbook lived up to the promise of the first book. This book BRANG it. We read Samiah’s story in The Boyfriend Project and we get Taylor’s, the fitness trainer, story this time.

Taylor got her hit of social media fame after the infamous video of her, Samiah, and London calling out the loser who tried to date all three badass women without them knowing about each other. Sadly, the fame was fleeting, a job fell through because she doesn’t have a college degree, her credit cards are maxed out, and the bills keep coming.

She needs to take her business to the next level but how?

Jamar had to leave the NFL during his rookie year due to a shattered knee. He needs to make an against the odds comeback. And he thinks Taylor can help him achieve his goal. But he wants to keep his possible comeback quiet so no one can know Taylor’s his trainer. When a sports blogger sees them together, the obvious answer is to claim to be dating, right?

Oh my! *fans self* Fake dating and forced proximity plus So.Much.Heat make this the perfect romcom.

I love that Taylor, Samiah, and London are supportive of each other – encouraging and even a little harsh when it’s needed. But Farrah Rochon writes their relationships with each other so well, you can feel the love. And I’m absolutely here for it.

She also touches on a host of deeper issues – grief, obligations, perception of Black men, especially as athletes, CTE, military families. Even how difficult and even intrusive fame can be, even if it brings a more than comfortable lifestyle.

The sweet and spicy banter between Taylor and Jamar was everything. I truly adored all of their conversations about vegetables, especially eggplants. I loved that you could feel the depths of how much they cared about each other – even when they were disagreeing.

And the heat between them was sizzling almost immediately. No fade to black moments here!

This is a fast-paced, contemporary, steamy romance with well-developed characters that you cannot help but cheer for. I can’t wait until we get London’s story in 2022!

4.5 stars outta 5

I read The Boyfriend Project last year and absolutely loved it, When I saw that The Dating Playbook was coming out this year I KNEW I had to get my hands on it. I absolutely fell in love with Farrah Rochon's writing, as well as the way she can weave a story. I love that she creates such realistic characters and scenarios. After reading Samiah and Daniel's story I couldn't wait to get into Taylor's story, If you love fake dating tropes as well as sports romance with two really down to Earth characters this book killed it! The best part about it for me was that there was so much depth and discussion in this book. It touches on mental health, it touches on grief, as well as things that I have personally struggled with. Jamar is a former football star who is determined to get back into the game after a serious injury took him out. He hires Taylor to be his personal trainer to get him back into shape and in the right condition to continue his career. While all of this is going on they are both doing a whole lot of soul searching and learning about themselves and I think it is a beautiful thing to see. Watching the relationship between Taylor and Jamar blossom was such a beautiful thing. I also really like seeing the friendship between Samiah, London and Taylor grow. Also, can we talk about the fact that this book and thus far any books that Farrah Rochon puts out are completely and utterly bingeable? I flew through this one too, reading the large majority of it in the span of a couple of hours.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Romance for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Dating Playbook is the follow-up novel to The Boyfriend Project. This book was one of my most anticipated summer releases and let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. It has everything I love: sports romances, friends to lovers, fake dating, only one bed, slow burn, forced proximity.

Taking place three months after the first book began, Taylor Powell is running out of money and maxing out her credit cards. After a few poor business decisions, Taylor'd Conditioning isn't taking off like she'd hoped. Out of desperation, Taylor holds a pop-up boot camp, where she meets Jamar, a former NFL standout, who is trying to get back to the League after suffering a career-ending knee injury. He convinces Taylor to be his trainer, but when a sports reporter calls the pair out, they decide to put on a fake relationship for the public in order to keep Jamar's plans under wraps. But when the pair find themselves carrying on the charade, even when no one is watching, they must decide whether to pursue something real or stick to the dating playbook rules.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book. Taylor and Jamar have quick, easy banter and their chemistry is amazing. I loved that they started off as friends, but both secretly had the hots for each other. It allowed their relationship to develop quickly, because they spent day in and out together in extremely close quarters.

In The Boyfriend Project, Taylor was my least favorite out of the three friends, but after reading her book, she has such a special place in my heart. She is much more than the frazzled messed she shows in the first book. Taylor won me over with her spunk, no bull attitude. She did not care who Jamar was, only that he reached his goals. She was absolutely hilarious and her great one liners had me laughing out loud so many times. I loved seeing her more vulnerable side, especially when it came to her struggle with potentially having a learning disability that's gone undiagnosed for much of her life.

And oh Jamar...he is such a stand-up guy! Hard working and incredibly determined, Jamar will let nothing stand in his way. He is always working hard to up the competition and is a natural born fighter. Nothing comes easy for him and I loved seeing how Taylor pushed him closer to his dream. Both characters were absolutely perfect for each other; they knew when to push and when to comfort, something both needed greatly throughout the book.

Jamar's struggle to get back to the NFL is touching. His entire goal is to make it back to fulfill a dream he had with his best friend who was tragically killed in a car crash their senior year of high school. Grief drove his goals, but his journey during the book was touching and incredibly relatable. Grappling with his involvement in Silas' death was raw, vulnerable, and I am glad that this element was included in the book.

I love, love, LOVED this book even more than the first and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next with London's story. Please do yourself a favor and pre-order this book today!

⚠️ CW: car crash/death of friend (off page), learning disability

The Dating Playbook is out August 17. Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

First, thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC for an honest review.

We are back with our lovely trio of #squadgoals, Samiah, London, and Taylor. Taylor takes center stage in this book as she struggles to get herself out of a financial crisis and get her brand of personal training/meal planning/fitness regime running. While running a boot camp style exercise camp to help pay off a meal with her friends the night before, enter Jamar Dixon, a former football player for the Chicago Bears. He knows her style of no-nonsense, kick ass training is what he needs to get back into the NFL after an injury put his very newly NFL career to a halt. Sprinkle in some fake dating, not so fake dating, misunderstandings, grief, guilt, and self-esteem issues, and you have The Dating Playbook.

I really enjoyed Taylor. I liked her a lot in the first book, and I'm glad we got her story for the 2nd. Not that Samiah didn't feel real, but Taylor felt more relatable to me. As someone who has struggled to make ends meet, who had to decide if my car payment was getting paid versus keeping my electric on, I understood Taylor's struggles significantly. I rooted for her since Samiah's book, and it was no different in this one. I also understood how frustrating it can be to know that you can only get so far without the education behind it. Taylor was just as capable as those with degrees, but in a world that requires people with advance degrees (that are usually useless anyway), she was stuck.

That was a slight gripe I had with this book. The very big focus on education. Yes, an education is very important, but there were definitely other avenues that Taylor could have taken to get certified that didn't require an expensive degree. Taylor was already in financial debt, but that was never a reason for her to not want to go to school. I'm sorry, but if you're $20K in debt, maybe school wasn't going to be an option. I did appreciate that Taylor decided to make the decision on her own (after a kickboxing incident that felt...unrealistic and put there to force Taylor to see the "error of her ways" in not getting a degree), but I would have liked this better if Taylor could have succeeded without feeling as if she needed to put herself into more of a financial hole. There was no talks of grants or scholarships, so I left the book wondering, "How is she going to pay for this?"

As far as Jamar goes, I liked him far better than Daniel. Granted, he wasn't hiding a huge ass secret. His grief for his late best friend and the guilt he carried felt so incredibly real, and there were times where I wanted to hug him while also smacking him on the back of the head. His ending felt a bit contrived, this forced notion of "you can't have your cake and eat it, too." It kind of made the rest of the book seem...pointless? Obviously there needed to be a reason to put him and Taylor together, but to have no reward for the work he put in? Honestly, if he had told Taylor about his knee beforehand, this could have been something they could have addressed, so in the end, he dug his own NFL grave.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book, the brutally honest friendship between our three ladies, the communication between Taylor and Jamar, the talks of grief, guilt, family issues with feeling inadequate. There were a lot of things I didn't like which I've mentioned above as well as the luke warm love scenes. The love scenes could have been fade to black, and I don't think they'd have taken away anything from the book. Farrah's writing has a lot of strengths, but sex scenes were not it.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to London's book although I have a feeling that her book, especially going through the buy out with her hospital is going to test me as a reader. Not with regards to London, but what she's about to go through. I look forward to more friendship bonding between our three Badass ladies.