Playing To Win

Playing To Win is my first Stacey Lynn novel. I’m a huge romance lover (for more years than I legally should be considering the fact I would steal my mothers Harlequin romances at 8...but I digress) and especially love when sports are involved. Hockey is a sport I’ve only gotten into within the past couple of years, but I’m quickly becoming a die hard lover. So those features combined made me immediately snatch up Playing To Win when it popped up in my NetGalley feed.

Now this review is for the audiobook version and that’s always something that gives me pause. I’ve heard amazing narrators and I’ve heard narrators that were supposed to be in their twenties sounding like 70 year old three-pack-a-day smokers. Based on that experience I go into audiobooks with a lot of hesitation.

I was initially trepidatious because Kate starts out by mimicking a commentator (which I didn’t know at first) so I was not impressed. But thankfully Kate’s normal voice was non abrasive and charming. As was Jude’s voice. Actually I could say a lot more about the scorching heat that zapped me to attention as soon as his voice tickled my ears, but we won’t go there.

Playing To Win is a fabulous second chance contemporary romance that follows Jude, a star hockey player, who returns home to Chicago to rehab from a career threatening injury. But instead of a quick recovery Jude is faced with a girl from his past (who is certain he has forgotten her) that tempts him to step one of his injured toes over the line into forbidden as he tries to rekindle the whirlwind romance he’s never been able to get out of his head.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review.

⭐⭐⭐

This audio book was enjoyable. I really liked both the female and male narrators. The story line was fun and flirty. Thanks to Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

This is the first book I've read/listened to by Stacey Lynn and I really enjoyed it. This is a sports romance (hockey) but the hockey itself is peripheral in that Jude, the hockey star, is injured and therefore, there aren't a lot of details about the sport. So the romance is the focus of this book. And it was a sweet second chance romance. Jude was hitting it big just when he and Katie started to get into a serious relationship. He had to leave her and there were communication issues (she thought it meant they were over, Jude didn't want it to be over.) Fast forward years and now, Jude has been injured and he returns home for PT. He sees Katie again at the office that he is getting therapy (I really liked that she wasn't his therapies) and they hit it off again. But can they survive when he goes back?

I really liked this low angst book. It was well written and interesting with great characters. NetGalley had the audiobook for early review (Thanks NetGalley!!) and the audiobook was good. I have to say, these are new to me narrators. Liam DiCosimo and Stella Hunter both did well when they were playing their primary characters but sounded quite strained and forced when they were playing the female or male characters, respectively. Overall, I enjoyed their narration.

I must be honest this is my first romance audiobook. I typically listen to nonfiction and read fiction.
I loved the male/female narrator and this book so much I ended up listening to half of it in one sitting!

This is the first book in Stacey Lynn's sports romance series Ice Kings.
If you are a fan of ice hockey romance, you'll find this audiobook is right up your street. It has all the elements I always look for in the genre. Jude is a strong, loyal, family-oriented protagonist who is dedicated to his sports career and his team, but without ever losing the sight of human relationships: family, friendship, and romance, and Katie is the one who almost got away.

Jude and Katie met at college and as we later find out, it took him some time to pluck his courage and speak to her. For Katie their very brief relationship and one night they spent together were unforgettable. But then Jude got drafted and became a professional player. He left Chicago and never graduated from the college. All Katie ever wanted was stability and normal life, something she didn't think she was going to get with Jude. So she blocked his number and continued working hard towards her goal of graduating and getting her physiotherapist licence. When she hears Jude Taylor got seriously injured , she knows how serious the consequences of this type of trauma can be for an athlete of his caliber. What she doesn't know is that his coach going to send him home to recuperate. And here he is in their office, ready for his appointment with a colleague of Katie's. Can Katie silence her heart which seems to beat a bit faster at his sight? Can Jude win her over once again?

I really listening to both narrators. Liam DiCosimo has a perfect voice for sports romance: I could easily imagine this confident, flirty, independent man. He had a great range of expression considering some parts involved talking to his mother, his coach, discussing his progress with his physiotherapist as well as hot and steamy scenes with his love interest Katie. Stella Hunter was charming and soft-spoken which was very fitting for Katie's dependable, caring, and unselfish character.

The second chance trope is one of my favourite, so I must say I really enjoyed this story. It was fun, had great characters and a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spectrum Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this audio book. This is a fantastic second chance sports romance. I love a good sports romance. The narrator did a fabulous job. I liked it so much I listened to it in one sitting.

This book was good! The audiobook was really good and very easy to listen to. I had never listened to a book before that had two narrators, one for the female character and one for the male. While I enjoyed that for when they were doing their own voices I felt like it was especially weird when the male narrator would read women's dialogue. It just sounded kind of weird but I understand why they had to do it like that. Overall the book was really good and I thought the characters were well developed and fit together. My one thing though is that I'm still confused as to what exactly happened while they were in college like it's mostly just alluded to and never discussed directly. Like I understand that the author didn't want to have them stuck in the past but as a reader having that backstory might have been a little helpful. Overall, I liked it even though I found the plot a little bland so I give it 4 stars!

Disclaimer : I received a free copy in exchange of an honest review.

This book was an amazing surprise, I was hooked into it from the first seconds I started to listen to the audiobook.

This is the story between a super popular professional hockey player who was injured during a game and a physiotherapist. They were together for a couple of weeks in college until Jude Taylor our main character left for a hockey contract before their final year, after an amazing night were they realized their feelings, they lose contact as a misunderstanding happens. Katie. believing he was just another jock who wanted to sleep with her blocks his number but never forgets him. Jude, trying to contact her left believing their relationship meant more to him than her. Five years later, they meet again when, after his injury, he is sent back to Chicago for rehab at the center where Katie works as a physiotherapist.

The chemistry between the two main characters was unreal, they were steamy, but sweet and just perfect together. There was also an amazing bunch of side character, their best friends were MVP's, there for them and just the best friends you could wish for. Katie's colleague, Avery, was the representation of us fangirling over Jude, she was so funny. I really hated Megan, her boss, she was so angry and such a bad person, like she was just gunning for Katie, wanting her to be miserable. I loved how her other co-workers, Logan, was looking out for her from page one, he was on her side while also looking out for her career as being with Jude could cost her her license since he was Logan's client at their workplace.

The narrators were amazing, I felt the emotions through their voices and it felt raw and real. The story was passionating, I loved how it was a second chance romance the two main character Katie and Jude were deep and felt real, tangible, listening to their story felt like people telling me their stories. The sex scenes are to say, steamy and at first awkward to listen to, but it felt natural once I was further into the story.

Overall it was a great listen, I totally recommend it,

4/5 stars

Bookarina.

I enjoyed this one. Sports romance can cause me a bit of anxiety at first only because they usually have heavy "other women" involvement due to overeager fans. I'm happy to say you do not get that in this book. In fact, I really like how much Jude was crushing on Katie, even years later after their first encounter. I felt like because of that, this was a fun romance even though they had a few obstacles to overcome.

I listened to the audiobook version of this and really enjoyed the narrators. It had both a male, and female narrator who showcased both POVs, and I love that. This gives us readers a look into both characters thoughts throughout the book. I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a fun, safe sports romance.

Playing to Win grabbed me right from the start and I found myself finding things to do to keep listening to the audiobook. Katie and Jude were likeable, fun, and caring. You could feel their attraction and I loved how their past was woven in to the story. Jude is a hockey player who got hit bad and is now doing physical therapy to recover. Katie is a physical therapist that works at the same place he is getting therapy, but is not his therapist. I really appreciated this.

There was a fun cast of side characters that I hope to read more about in the future. They added a lot to the relationship that Katie and Jude were working on, without overwhelming the narrative.

If you're looking for something light and funny Playing to Win is for you.

Playing to Win by Stacey Lynn

A second chance romance. Jude and Katie were together for a short time in college. Katie thought she had found her forever. Jude found his forever of the moment and left skid marks leaving the next day to follow his dream leaving Katie before she knew what was happening. He went on to fulfill his passion of following in his father and brothers footsteps and became a professional hockey player. Katie was left behind with a broken heart. From then on she guarded her heart and decided to fulfill her own dreams of planting roots, becoming a physical therapist and creating her own version of family that she has always craved and never experienced as a child. Jude, is injured during a game and goes home to Chicago to rehab his damaged knee and hobbles in to her physical therapy clinic. The sizzle is still there, but is Katie willing to risk her her heart and career? Jude decides he is going to get it right this time and isn’t leaving her behind a second time. It’s a fun, sweet, steamy journey back together with a bunch of nosy friends, family and coworkers all chiming in with their opinions and comments all along the way. Of course there is a HEA and it was a long time coming and well deserved for both of them. The one hiccup for me in this book was a woman who Katie worked with who made it her mission to torture Katie from the day she started at the rehab clinic. If there is going to be woman on woman hate in the work place in these times it would have been nice for that woman to be called to the mat and held responsible for the way she treated her. For one person who saw it happening to stand up for Katie. That she just walked away rang false even though she was moving forward to a whole wonderful new life. Seemed out of character and again, in these times just a terribly wrong message to set forth. Other than that issue, which is small in the big picture this is a terrific listen.