Play You For It has a lot going for it. It's a fast paced, engaging read with a compelling plot centered around a sapphic romance between a sports journalist and a trailblazing college basketball coach. I especially appreciated the strong LGBTQ+ representation and the empowering message about women holding their own and excelling in male dominated spaces. It’s refreshing and important to see stories like this getting told.

The romance between Beck and Jordan is both sweet and full of tension, with plenty of chemistry and moments I really loved seeing. I loved reading about two ambitious, passionate women navigate the pressures of their careers while slowly letting down their walls for one another.

That said, I did find the writing style a bit difficult to follow at times. The third person perspective, while consistent, occasionally made the emotional depth and internal thoughts of each character feel distant. Since each chapter tended to focus on either Beck or Jordan, a first person dual POV might have helped the story flow more smoothly and made the characters’ inner worlds more vivid. With that being said, I still had a great time reading this and appreciate any sapphic romance I can get my hands on.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and its themes of perseverance, love, and professional ambition. With a bit more structural polish, it would have been a five star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Saldivar, and Dell for the eARC of this book.

Thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Play You For It has a lot going for it. It’s a quick, easy read with a great plot. I really liked the LGBTQ+ relationship and how it showed that women can do the job just as well as men — love seeing that.

My main issue was with the writing style. The whole story is told in third person, and it sometimes made things confusing. It felt like each chapter was mostly about either Beck or Jordan, so having split POV chapters and using first-person narrative would have made it flow a lot better. I think it would’ve helped bring the characters to life more, too.

Overall, I liked the story and the message — just wish the structure had been a little tighter.

I loved the LGBTQ+ representation that there was in this novel and how the book was able to portray the reality of the situation for LGBTQ+ athletes and those in a high-pressure workspace. I love the sweet romance between Jordan and Beck, and how both women strived past their problems to be together. I really admired how Jordan was such a strong, brave woman despite the pressure of her job and how Beck was the same, standing up for herself in the end and being the spitfire she is.

Disfrute de la historia. Jordan y Beck son excelente en lo que hacen, pero al ser mujeres son cuestionadas y minimizan sus trabajos por lo que constantemente tienen que “enseñar” que si saben lo que hacen y justamente debido a esto llegan a volverse cercanas. Me gustó que no todo es sobre su romance sino que también las vemos superarse en todos los ámbitos de sus vidas.

No se que más poner sin dar spoilers … estoy en blanco.
Más adelante editaré mi reseña.

No vi venir lo del accidente, sentí feo por la persona afectada.


Gracias NetGalley por el ARC a cambio de mi honesta opinión.

Jordan D’Amato , la primera mujer entrenadora de un equipo masculino de baloncesto universitario de alto nivel, y Caroline Beck, una periodista deportiva decidida a conseguir la exclusiva que impulse su carrera. Lo que empieza como una entrevista profesional se convierte en una relación prohibida, marcada por la pasión, la ambición y los riesgos de enamorarse en un entorno donde todo está en juego.

Con química irresistible, diálogos ingeniosos y una mirada honesta a los desafíos del machismo en el deporte, esta novela combina romance sáfico, tensión laboral y superación personal. Aunque algunos temas delicados como el acoso podrían haberse abordado con más profundidad, la historia destaca por su fuerza emocional y el crecimiento de sus protagonistas.

Ideal para quienes buscan un romance deportivo con corazón y coraje.

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La semana pasada intenté leerlo, pero por alguna razón no me gustó y no pasé de los seis primeros capítulos. Afortunadamente, fue solo cuestión del momento equivocado, porque al final terminó gustándome.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

With high tension, powerful women, and a romance pulsing with both passion and professional stakes, this book kept me up way too late flipping pages. It’s absolutely worth it.

This sapphic sports romance follows Jordan, a newly promoted D1 basketball coach, and Beck, a sports journalist covering Jordan's team. Sparks fly as these two characters interact with each other.

Their romance was easily one of my favorite parts of this novel. The banter between Beck and Jordan had me giggling and kicking my feet. The passion each character showed for their work was inspiring. I love that neither of the characters let anything stop them from reaching their potential. The growth between Jordan and her players was refreshing and so funny. 

TW: SA

However, one aspect of the book that I found troubling was Beck’s experience with sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault. Of course, it’s important to show the sexism and homophobia that Beck and Jordan face in their male-dominated fields. But, Beck is sexually harassed twice in the novel without any real pushback or consequences for the male characters. Having Beck use her experience as “dirt” or “insurance” on the male character made me feel uncomfortable. I believe that men should be seen having negative consequences for their mistreatment of women. Again, I recognize this is a nuanced discussion, but it left me uncomfortable.  

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sapphic, workplace, or sports romance.

hello sapphics!!!! i loved every second of this omg. im not sure if saldivar is a debut but i’ve read nothing from her and now i fear id read her grocery list at this point! she was quick, steamy, and so so perfect!!