Thank you Avon for my copy. I love Alexandria Bellefleur's books and she continues to deliver fun, steamy, gorgeous queer love stories! This was such a fun read and I, of course, loved the plot. I appreciated the mental health rep, character development and all the spiceeeeee.

I’m such a simp for Alexandria Bellefleur books. And I am so grateful that I got I experience Playing For Keeps early. I knew this one was going to be good but damn, I am down bad for it. Definitely, my new favorite of hers (sorry Count Your Lucky Stars, you have been dethroned)

Playing for Keeps follows the budding relationship between those two publicists of pop super star Lyric Adair and Portland Pathfinder’s quarterback Cash Curran. As the whirlwind relationship between Adair and Curran starts to make way, so does the tension and chemistry between Poppy Peterson (Cash’s publicist and best friend) and Rosaline Sinclair (Lyric’s publicist and best friend). Nothing could go wrong, if they decide to start a mutually beneficial, no strings attached situation, right? Can’t catch feelings if there’s no kissing.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. I was grabbed from the very start. Completely falling in love with all four characters. Even though the focal point is on Rosaline and Poppy, you can’t help but also root for Lyric and Cash. I don’t think I was more than 30% into the book and my jaw was permanently on the floor. Bellefleur has out done herself with this one. It was witty, full of fantastic banter, and holy smokes, her spice was elevated to the next level.

My only complaint is that I truly need and want more of these four lovely characters. I could read another 300 pages and still be so invested in their stories and relationship developments.

Playing For Keeps should be on everyone’s TBR for January! I’m truly excited for its release. It is by far my favorite read of 2025. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the e-arc!

I absolutely LOVED this book! This is my 4th Alexandria Bellefleur book and it 100% did not disappoint. I love how much humor and lightness was written into the book while also covering some more difficult topics. There were so many times that I was laughing out loud but you could also clearly feel the hurt and pain that the characters had from things that have happened in the past.

I also think the two of them had great chemistry with each other but I also really appreciated how close and protect they were over their friends. There were just so many different parts of this booked that I loved and I could barely put it down. I also think trying to add in trending things can sometimes be difficult or a bit cringy in books but this one did it so well. From shooting your shot on social media to laughing at Erewhon products, I felt like nothing was forced and it all actually felt realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy.

This was fun, sexy and hooking. I loved following Poppy and Rosaline. She always delivers a good sapphic romance.

Playing for Keeps

Alexandria writes some of the best sapphic stories and I will forever love her characters!

Poppy and Rosaline’s story had me appreciating the amount of work publicists must go through on a daily basis. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be to maintain someone’s image when the smallest rumor can cause things to fall apart. Kudos to them because I could never do it. Poppy and Rosaline’s chemistry was excellent and I loved how Poppy began the story by admiring Rosaline’s work and had a healthy dose of fear of her (understandably). By the end they were so wrapped up in each other and I ate it up. From seeing each other through various ups and downs, they learned how to make it work and things didn’t stay casual very long.

The part that bothered me about this book was how Poppy and Rosaline’s clients are essentially Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce fanfiction. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good fanfic, but it rubs me the wrong way when it’s fanfic of real people, especially some who are scrutinized every single day and try to keep things relatively private. The football player x pop star dynamic where he shoots his shot, her making the first official appearance in his private football suite with his parents, the numerology (jersey number 89), the quarterback x tight end besties dynamic. It was very obviously inspired by Taylor and Travis and I often felt like it took too much away from the main story. Instead of it being Poppy and Rosaline’s story, it felt like we had 2 main couples. Even the whole deepfake AI thing was reminiscent of when people made those inappropriate AI images of Taylor, even if in this book there was a video instead that destroyed relationships.

Overall, Poppy and Rosaline’s story was great in itself, but it was too often overshadowed by Cash and Lyric’s story. I would’ve loved to see the focus more prominently on Poppy and Rosaline, especially since glimpsing behind the curtain of being a publicist is unique. Real rating of a 3.5.

Alexandria Bellefleur achieves greatness once more. The characters of Poppy and Rosaline are expertly crafted in this fantastic book. It's a must-read. I was thoroughly captivated and couldn't put the book down.

I LOVED this story. Rosaline & Poppy are so endearing. I have at least 20 highlights/notes on my kindle that are variations of me screaming, and about another 20 that express some form of blubbering. Poppy is so freaking funny & I’m pretty sure Rosaline is the new love of my life.

Alexandria Bellefleur does a phenomenal job of mixing lighthearted moments with heavier content in a way that doesn’t feel convoluted or forced. Poppy & Rosaline broke my heart & stitched it back together. I read this within 24 hours of it hitting my inbox (had to take some time to sleep smh) and I cannot overstate how much I loved it.

Somehow Alexandria Bellefleur gets better & better with every book, which should be an impossibility. I do wish this was dual POV & that we got more of a deep dive into their familial relationships, but as Mick Jagger once said, “you can’t always get what you want, no, no, baby.”

5 stars, loved it.

A massive thank you to Avon for sending me an eARC of Playing for Keeps! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will be posting a more detailed review on my Instagram feed in mid December, closer to the publishing date.

🎤🏈 Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur 🌈🔥
Pub Date: January 6, 2026

Bellefleur is back with a Sapphic rom-com that’s equal parts enemies-to-lovers, workplace chaos, and sizzling forbidden romance and honestly? It DELIVERS.

✨ The Setup:
NFL golden boy + America’s pop princess start dating = total PR nightmare.
Cue their publicists: Poppy (sweet, scrappy, trying to prove herself) and Rosaline (the ice queen of the industry). They’re supposed to be rivals, forced to collaborate to protect their clients… but the sparks flying between them are hotter than the scandal they’re supposed to contain.

✨ What I Loved:
✔️ Rival publicists turned reluctant allies turned… something way messier 👀
✔️ Workplace tension + forced proximity (late-night strategy meetings never looked this good).
✔️ Secret romance with major paparazzi/tabloid drama 📸.
✔️ Rosaline’s “cool and untouchable” vs Poppy’s “heart-on-her-sleeve sunshine” 🌞❄️.
✔️ Found family vibes within the industry, plus hurt/comfort that gave me FEELS.

This book is sexy, witty, and a little chaotic in the best way. Think: The Devil Wears Prada meets sapphic The Hating Game with just enough tabloid drama to keep you hooked. Bellefleur balances steamy romance with the vulnerability of two women learning to trust each other in a cutthroat world.

If you love queer workplace romance, enemies-to-lovers banter, and women who fall hard when they finally let their guard down then this one is a must-add to your TBR.

🔥 Tropes You’ll Love:
🌈 Sapphic Rom-Com
👩‍💼 Workplace Rivalry → Romance
📸 Forced Proximity in the spotlight
🤫 Secret Relationship
🤝 Found Family vibes
💔 Hurt/Comfort

#PlayingForKeeps #AlexandriaBellefleur #SapphicRomance #QueerRomance #LesbianFiction #EnemiesToLovers #WorkplaceRomance #ForcedProximity #SecretRelationship #FoundFamilyTropes #RomanceReadersOfIG #BookTokRomance #LGBTQBooks #SapphicBookTok #BookstagramRomanc

This book!!!

As sports romance’s self-proclaimed no1 fan, to find out my favourite author was writing a sapphic sport romance!! I ran!!

This didn’t disappoint, like everything Alexandria writes this was packed with romance, spice, humour and fun! This double celebrity romance was chaos in the BEST way, I couldn’t put it down.

Great for lovers of sports or pop star romance looking for a sapphic read!

Huge thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!

As I live and breathe, Tree Paine fanfiction, is that you? I've liked all the books I've read by Alexandria Bellefleur, but this one fell flat for me. There was so much happening and so much backstory thrown at me that I never felt like I truly connected with any of the characters. The sex scenes are numerous and spicy! Would have appreciated some better mental health rep _ the characters are given some heavy real world issues to deal with and I don't think they are ever really addressed well (or at all).

The ending though...it's on sight for me with Lyric and Roz. Lyric showing up in the middle of Cash's job to sing him a song was wild to me - I get the grand romantic gesture, but the man is at WORK!!! I did not understand how those relationships could have been resolved and moved into the epilogue.

Super cute, sapphic romance (if you're here for fanfic adjacent to a certain musician/athlete romance, you're not reading the best parts of the book but that's understandable because they sometimes dominate the story.) The spice starts early and often between Poppy and Rosaline. Just enough drama and longing. I'd prefer less product placement and pop culture references (don't get me started on the football...) but they mostly fit in well. Poppy's character growth is initially rooted in the support she receives from those around her but ultimately, she starts to stand on her own in ways that will hopefully have you cheering her on as much as I did. I LOVE Alexandria Bellefleur and can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Thank you @a.m.bellefleur for answering the question we were all asking, “What if Taylor and Travis’s publicists fell in love?” This book has two love stories for the price of one, and kept my high from New Heights and the engagement going.

ALSO, I’m 99% certain there are tswift/tree paine planted Easter eggs in here supporting the Super Bowl and Vegas sphere theories. It’s spooky. You all have two weeks after the book comes out Jan 6, 2026 before I discuss these theories publicly.

Thank you @avonbooks and @netgalley for the eArc!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶/5
🏈🎤🍕🛩️🏟️/5

CW: emotionally abusive parents, infidelity, revenge porn, deep fakes, stalkers, uncomfortable heels, overpriced smoothies

#readromance #bookstagram #bookish #bibliophile #tayvis #playingforkeeps #sapphicromance #readqueerallyear

First, off thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC! At first I found the premise of the book super cheesy the romance that leads to the main love story being essentially (Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce) kind of gave me an ick. But I loved the moments where this book really differentiated the characters for the real life celebrities and would have loved more development behind Lyric since we learned a lot about Cash. At some points I did feel like the focus was on Lyric/Cash more than Poppy/Rosaline. With two different romances in the book I also would have liked another POV from another character. For me the Rosaline/Poppy love story felt very one sided. I didn't know where Rosaline's head was at through most of the novel which lead to me being confused on motives at multiple points throughout the story. My only other real problem with the book was the 3rd act breakup to me between the publicists felt very pointless and unnecessary. I also didn't love that the "I love you moment" wasn't until the very end. All in all a fun read if you don't take it so seriously.

Bellefleur knows how to wrap a reader into a storyline and Playing for Keeps was no exception! I enjoyed that this was a less cliche approach to the "famous person" love story draw. I really enjoyed the banter and steam between Rosaline and Poppy. And I thought the world building was excellent. I feel like the main conflict needed more resolution than we actually got -- like I would have been way more hesitant if I were Poppy! I also wish we'd gotten any update from Poppy's conflict with her family. But I highly recommend this book for all Bellefleur and sapphic romance fans!

DNF at 38%

I was hoping this would be a really fun read. I was intrigued that it seemed vaguely Taylor and Travis inspired with the football pop star but enough details are changed that it's not too cringy and the main couple is their respective PR agents. The sex scenes weren't really for me especially in a fuck buddies situation I hate the "you have to say out loud what you want" (they have already discussed consent previously) kink it's just so annoying to me personally and takes me out of the story. I decided to DNF when it was just way to BDSM for me which I was not expecting at all for a FWB. I realized it's just not the book for me when I was wishing I was reading about the football guy and female pop star instead and I have no interest in this main couple.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Received an e-arc of this book and eeeeee thank you!! This book was perfection!! Bellefleur writes queer romance in such a healthy breath of fresh air way! The romance between Cash & Lyric and Poppy & Rosaline was so cute! All of the characters felt whole and like they had agency in the book! The snippets of social media articles and such was such a small and cute detail I ate up!! I really enjoyed the small pop culture references, they added great detail as well! Genuinely this book had me giggling and kicking my feet! Tt made me feel joy again and was such a fun time!!

I don't know much on the music industry and the behind the scenes of it all, and I feel like this book had the right amount of the industry in it. It did a great job showing the way publicists need to think for their artists. The smut scenes in the book and the conversations in those scenes were really healthy and advanced the plot as well.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

Wow what a great book! I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The characters are great. I even enjoyed the secondary characters. The writing style was great and this really was an easy read. It had meek hooked from page one. I don't always have a hard time putting books down but this one had me..lol. I highly recommend this book if you are in a reading slump. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last. I loved that it had a bit of everything. Drama, humor, spice, romance.

Poppy and Rosaline are so cute! I do wish they were the full focus of the book because I found Cash and Lyric a little too much despite this being single POv.

I think maybe I was not the demographic for this, granted I don't consider myself a swiftie or do I care much for most social media at large. I picked this because I'm a sucker for a sapphic romance and I do generally like the trope where the two characters start as fwb and develop into more. Unfortunately, this just didn't land for me. I think the pacing of the romance feels off, and so does the chemistry between the two leads. Still looking forward to the next Alexandria Bellefleur release.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Playing for Keeps was a very fun read. If you enjoy pop culture, you’ll probably find some enjoyment in this book. The additions of tweets and articles throughout this book feel very true to life and fun. I will say that if you’re gonna find very direct inspiration being taken from Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift to be annoying, this book probably isn’t for you. There were some points in which I was hoping it was more subtly inspired.

The dynamic between Poppy and Rosaline is cute while also having off the charts chemistry. I’d describe them as a sunshine/black cat pairing which is always enjoyable to watch play out. Their relationship does flip pretty quickly from no strings attached to committed, but I do think there was good evidence of emotional intimacy developed to make that change make sense.

One negative was the third act conflict which felt a bit forced and thrown in because there needed to be some sort of conflict, but it just all felt very rushed.

Overall though, this is a fun quick read!