I’m Payton Blake. Just another twenty-something girl, living the dream.
That’s what I tell myself every morning. That I’m successful, self-aware, and well-balanced.
It’s just a tiny fib. I would be all of those things, if I had friends who didn’t work with me at the bank. And if I made it to pilates more than once a quarter. And if watermelon slushies weren’t the main source of nutrients in my diet. It wouldn’t hurt if I’d had sex in the last year, either. (My best friend insists Jorge the Nightstand Boyfriend doesn’t count.)
But when you know where you’re going, you don’t need to enjoy the ride. Right?
Even if some teeny part of me did want to fool around, Max Donovan would be the last guy I’d call. Sure, he made the indie video game that broke the internet. And yeah, his eyebrow piercing’s sexy, in a ‘what-are-you-in-a-band?’ kind of way. And fighting with him gets me going faster than Jorge on bezerker mode…He’s still colder than a cactus and twice as prickly. And I’m not talking about his face, because the guy’s barely old enough to shave.
It’d really be best if we just ignored each other. Which is a problem, because Max Donovan is my new biggest client.
So what happens when the girl who lives to work meets the guy who was born to play?
Game on.
I was a big fan of Piper Lawson’s NSFW when I read it last year, so when I saw that Play was free on Amazon, I jumped at the chance to one-click it. Nine months later, I’ve finally gotten around to reading it. (Why am I like this?) I’m not sure what the problem was with Play, but I just didn’t enjoy it as much.
And that’s not to say it’s a bad book! I liked Payton and Max. It’s pretty clear to me that Piper Lawson has a knack for writing sassy heroines and heroes that initially come off as jerks but actually have hearts of gold. I laughed out loud more than once while I was reading (mostly at the beginning) and definitely swooned a time or two.
But I think that something was missing. Maybe it was that everything worked out a little too easily? Romantically and professionally, there was conflict, but it kind of just conveniently faded away. I also thought that the romantic relationship between Payton and Max kind of came out of nowhere, with them bickering and keeping things professional and then hooking up with very little transition. I also felt like the story dragged a little bit after that initial hookup, and even though this book is barely over 300 pages, it probably could have been a bit shorter.
All in all, this was a fun, sexy romance and while I didn’t love it, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.
Previously: NSFW
#killingthetbr: nine months on shelf
#ps19: a book revolving around a puzzle or game
#romanceopoly: library
Have you read Play? Do you have a favorite new adult book?
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The Bibliophagist 