Play Me by Diane Alberts

Title:  Play Me

Series:  A Take A Chance Novel, Book #3

Author:  Diane Alberts

Genre:  Romance

Blurb:  Even the best-laid plans can go awry.

Single-mom Kiersten Worth knows a bottle of champagne and night of hot, no-strings-attached sex is the perfect solution to her jilted bride blues…and Garrett Kelly, long-time friend and her teenaged son’s sexy basketball coach, is just the stud for the job.

Garrett wants more from the elusive temptress than a casual affair, but he never expects it to come in the form of an unexpected pregnancy. When he proposes an unorthodox solution—move in and raise their baby together—Kiersten has to decide whether to let down her guard and open her heart to the man who secretly loved her for years, or risk losing his tender embrace for good.

Thoughts:  Entertaining is the best word to describe this book.  From page one, it captures your attention and holds it throughout the course of the book.  I have always enjoyed childhood crush stories, particularly when one of them ones up in the “friend zone” and is so frustrated they can’t see straight.  In this case, that is Garrett.  He’s had a crush on Kiersten for forever – and thought he had managed to get over the fact that he would never get her to see him as anything more.  He had even listed in his head all these great reasons why that was a good thing.  But the moment Kiersten decides to turn the tables – all his reasons just shot out the window….and in less than a heartbeat they found themselves in bed together in a night neither one of them would forget!

Kierstan didn’t want a relationship – she just wanted sex!  She never planned for anything more.  But when Garrett makes it plain that he wants more – and in fact is not willing to settle for anything less – their time together is over even before it’s begun.  But fate has other plans – and those plans give Garrett another shot at winning the girl of his dreams.  So can he talk into giving him a chance – and make their one night last forever?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The characters were really well-written and likeable.  There were moments where you were really frustrated with Kierstan, but you could really see where she was coming from, and why she felt the way she did.  And Garrett…WOW!…he was so sexy yet sweet….and when he exposed how vulnerable he felt at times, you just really felt sorry for him and wanted to soothe all his aches away….!

You can’t go wrong reading this book.  Even though it is book three in a series, the series seems to involve more around a theme rather than the characters, so the book is more stand alone.  You don’t feel like you’re missing anything when you read it.  Although I do hope that changes, and that Mike (Garrett;s best friend and Kierstan’s brother) gets his own book!

Rate:  A