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London Legends #2
Playing It Close
Where do you go to escape everything when you're one of the most famous rugby players in the world? For Liam Callaghan, that place is a remote lodge on Venezuela's Caribbean coast. Perfect, except he doesn't exactly want to be alone with his thoughts. Enter Tess Chambers, the ultimate distraction.
Still reeling from a professional disaster that's made her all but unemployable, Tess understands the desire to move through life as somebody else. So when instantly recognizable Liam uses a fake name, she runs with it and creates a temporary new identity of her own.
Their time spent together in paradise is idyllic but brief—after one passionate night, Liam wakes up to find Tess gone. Returning to London, he's shocked to learn she's taken a job with his team's new sponsor. As the Legends' captain, he'll have to not only figure out how to work with the one woman who ever left him wanting more, but also convince her that their feelings in the present mean more than any lies they've told in the past.
Still reeling from a professional disaster that's made her all but unemployable, Tess understands the desire to move through life as somebody else. So when instantly recognizable Liam uses a fake name, she runs with it and creates a temporary new identity of her own.
Their time spent together in paradise is idyllic but brief—after one passionate night, Liam wakes up to find Tess gone. Returning to London, he's shocked to learn she's taken a job with his team's new sponsor. As the Legends' captain, he'll have to not only figure out how to work with the one woman who ever left him wanting more, but also convince her that their feelings in the present mean more than any lies they've told in the past.
ebook
First published January 14, 2014
About the author
Kat Latham
20 books375 followersKat Latham writes sexy contemporary romance, including the London Legends rugby series. She’s a California girl who moved to Europe the day after graduating from UCLA, ditching her tank tops for raincoats. She spent several years teaching English in Prague followed by several more working for a humanitarian organization in London. She and her British husband now live in a small town in the rural Netherlands surrounded by miles and miles of green pasture, canals and Shetland ponies. Kat’s slowly adjusting to life in a place where bicycles and cows seem to outnumber people.
With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the humor and emotion of real life. Kat’s other career involves writing and editing for charities, and she’s had the privilege of traveling to Kenya, Ethiopia and India to write about the heroic people helping their communities survive disasters.
You can usually find Kat on her blog (katlatham.com), Twitter (@KatrinaLatham) or Facebook (facebook.com/KatLathamRomance).
She hopes you’ll hang out with her there!
With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the humor and emotion of real life. Kat’s other career involves writing and editing for charities, and she’s had the privilege of traveling to Kenya, Ethiopia and India to write about the heroic people helping their communities survive disasters.
You can usually find Kat on her blog (katlatham.com), Twitter (@KatrinaLatham) or Facebook (facebook.com/KatLathamRomance).
She hopes you’ll hang out with her there!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
March 17, 2014
4 ½ stars
Tess Chambers needed to get away; she had been tabloid fodder in London for a number of weeks now and all she wanted to do was just be someone else and to try a few new daring things. She has a habit of making rash decisions, which explains the pink hair she is now sporting, but her courage is not strong enough to follow through with her plan to skinny dip in the ocean. Too bad she didn’t reconsider soon enough to bring a towel to the beach, which left her looking like a candidate in a wet t-shirt contest. She thought she made it through that bad decision unscathed when the rugby player who stars in her fantasies pushed his way through the elevator doors, Liam Callaghan. Tess will just be quiet in the corner of the elevator for the short ride and not be noticed – that was her plan; well until the elevator jerked to a stop between floors.
I just loved how these characters met. Two people who need to break from the chaos of their lives meet in an exotic location. The anonymity of it allows them to be their true selves. Kat Latham is becoming a favorite author of mine because of her plots. They aren’t cookie cutter and actually they aren’t flavors I have even had before. She makes her characters real. This was a romance book, but so much more than just a bunch of steamy interludes with some dialog to hold it together. It is a very well-crafted story that allows us to look into the lives of people who may remind you of friends you have in your life; they have happy times, sad times and they make mistakes, they aren’t perfect and at the end you can really believe they have found an HEA.
I am pleased a rugby team carries a lot of players because that means there are plenty of books in Kat Latham’s London Legend’s series to come – and I plan on reading each one of them.
Please visit http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo... for my complete review closer to release date.
I received this book from the author for my honest review.
Tess Chambers needed to get away; she had been tabloid fodder in London for a number of weeks now and all she wanted to do was just be someone else and to try a few new daring things. She has a habit of making rash decisions, which explains the pink hair she is now sporting, but her courage is not strong enough to follow through with her plan to skinny dip in the ocean. Too bad she didn’t reconsider soon enough to bring a towel to the beach, which left her looking like a candidate in a wet t-shirt contest. She thought she made it through that bad decision unscathed when the rugby player who stars in her fantasies pushed his way through the elevator doors, Liam Callaghan. Tess will just be quiet in the corner of the elevator for the short ride and not be noticed – that was her plan; well until the elevator jerked to a stop between floors.
I just loved how these characters met. Two people who need to break from the chaos of their lives meet in an exotic location. The anonymity of it allows them to be their true selves. Kat Latham is becoming a favorite author of mine because of her plots. They aren’t cookie cutter and actually they aren’t flavors I have even had before. She makes her characters real. This was a romance book, but so much more than just a bunch of steamy interludes with some dialog to hold it together. It is a very well-crafted story that allows us to look into the lives of people who may remind you of friends you have in your life; they have happy times, sad times and they make mistakes, they aren’t perfect and at the end you can really believe they have found an HEA.
I am pleased a rugby team carries a lot of players because that means there are plenty of books in Kat Latham’s London Legend’s series to come – and I plan on reading each one of them.
Please visit http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo... for my complete review closer to release date.
I received this book from the author for my honest review.
April 6, 2014
4 1/2 stars
Not having read the first London Legends book, Knowing The Score, and never having watched Rugby League, I was not sure what to expect from Playing It Close. Now I know and let me share with you. Expect hotness. Expect to fall in love with the London Legends captain, Liam Callaghan. I definitely did. How could anyone not? He's kind. He's athletic. He's funny. He's hot. He is, as the Brits would say, fit.
Liam and Tess are both hiding from something when they meet-cute in an elevator at an eco-friendly resort in Venezuela. She's been at the centre of a media storm for her involvement in a workplace scandal and he's the famous face of a popular Rugby team and trying to deal with the unexpected loss of a close family member. Naturally they do what two people running from something do - they lie about who they really are, hoping the other will not find out, and start a holiday fling that threatens to become much more.
When Tess leaves Liam after one hot night, neither of them are expecting to see the other again - until they come face-to-face when she begins working for the Legends' new major sponsor. Needless to say, what follows are a few awkward (Dads - embarrassing their daughters since the beginning of time), sweet, frustrating, sexy and downright hilarious encounters.
I loved this book. I couldn't stop clicking pages long after my bedtime. I laughed out loud on several occasions and found myself reading with a smile plastered on my face. I felt for Tess and her male induced body issues and sighed in contentment when Liam attempted to make her see herself as he saw her. Without giving away spoilers, my heart was pounding as my desire to see our fated lovers triumph warred with my desire to see my country win a fictional rugby match (did I mention I've never even watched rugby?!) The only disappointing thing is that Liam and the Legends are fictional and therefore I can't do a Google image search for the totally hot calendar photo shoot that would have had me fanning myself with the pages of the book if, in fact, an ebook had physical pages. Now if y'all will excuse me, I'm off to catch up with the first Legends book...
This book can be read as a standalone, no cliffhanger.
~ Review by Beth
Not having read the first London Legends book, Knowing The Score, and never having watched Rugby League, I was not sure what to expect from Playing It Close. Now I know and let me share with you. Expect hotness. Expect to fall in love with the London Legends captain, Liam Callaghan. I definitely did. How could anyone not? He's kind. He's athletic. He's funny. He's hot. He is, as the Brits would say, fit.
Liam and Tess are both hiding from something when they meet-cute in an elevator at an eco-friendly resort in Venezuela. She's been at the centre of a media storm for her involvement in a workplace scandal and he's the famous face of a popular Rugby team and trying to deal with the unexpected loss of a close family member. Naturally they do what two people running from something do - they lie about who they really are, hoping the other will not find out, and start a holiday fling that threatens to become much more.
When Tess leaves Liam after one hot night, neither of them are expecting to see the other again - until they come face-to-face when she begins working for the Legends' new major sponsor. Needless to say, what follows are a few awkward (Dads - embarrassing their daughters since the beginning of time), sweet, frustrating, sexy and downright hilarious encounters.
I loved this book. I couldn't stop clicking pages long after my bedtime. I laughed out loud on several occasions and found myself reading with a smile plastered on my face. I felt for Tess and her male induced body issues and sighed in contentment when Liam attempted to make her see herself as he saw her. Without giving away spoilers, my heart was pounding as my desire to see our fated lovers triumph warred with my desire to see my country win a fictional rugby match (did I mention I've never even watched rugby?!) The only disappointing thing is that Liam and the Legends are fictional and therefore I can't do a Google image search for the totally hot calendar photo shoot that would have had me fanning myself with the pages of the book if, in fact, an ebook had physical pages. Now if y'all will excuse me, I'm off to catch up with the first Legends book...
This book can be read as a standalone, no cliffhanger.
~ Review by Beth
March 19, 2015
Kat Latham doesn’t disappoint with the second book in her London Legends series. And this time it’s the Legends’ and England captain Liam Callaghan’s turn to be thrown off his stride.
Once again a chance encounter leads to a captivating romance with a couple who are as frustrating as they are endearing. For very different reasons, both Liam and Tess are in the public eye and both are wounded souls. But both are real; the insecurities Tess has are the type that many women have and unfortunately they are male-induced. But whereby many heroines have that defeatist nature, Tess has retained her strong willed nature and does things for herself because she wants to and I could hug Kat Latham for creating a heroine who has fight and fire in her after all she has endured. But she’s also bloody frustrating and I could have shaken her several times for her decisions as Liam is a catch and a man whose heart is as big as his biceps. He’s sweet, dirty and a bit of an arse at times but his understanding nature and gentle way with Tess over her insecurities were sigh inducing.
I loved that rugby was more at the forefront this time bringing action and anticipation and the glossary of game terms and British-isms for non-Brit readers was a great addition (everyone should know what a banana-hammock is). I’ve been left wanting more from these boys and lucky me, I can can delve straight into Matt and Libby’s story.
September 25, 2015
When they met, Tess Chambers as trying to find herself again and Rugby player Liam Callaghan was trying to get away from the spotlight and working out his own problems. Liam is going under a fake name, but Tess really knows who he is and can respect that he doesn't want to share the truth. As they get close and act on their attraction, Liam is disappointed when Tess leaves.
Weeks later Tess shows up to a meeting where Liam is one of the attendees. Torn between feelings of betrayal and the insatiable need to get answers, Tess and Liam find themselves in a secretive relationship of sorts but the secret part seems to be one sided and if Tess doesn't get to grips with her true feelings, she may just lose the best thing that ever happened to her.
I am always a sucker for secretive beginnings in a story and Playing It Close certainly fit the bill for entertainment. Liam is a charmer, I was blown away by him. Tess is a work in progress, she is a perfect compliment to Liam. Highly entertaining read.
Weeks later Tess shows up to a meeting where Liam is one of the attendees. Torn between feelings of betrayal and the insatiable need to get answers, Tess and Liam find themselves in a secretive relationship of sorts but the secret part seems to be one sided and if Tess doesn't get to grips with her true feelings, she may just lose the best thing that ever happened to her.
I am always a sucker for secretive beginnings in a story and Playing It Close certainly fit the bill for entertainment. Liam is a charmer, I was blown away by him. Tess is a work in progress, she is a perfect compliment to Liam. Highly entertaining read.
September 4, 2016
This romance takes tried and true tropes and puts delightful spins on them.
They both lie to each other about who they are.
The heroine is involved in a scandal the looks at women in male dominated fields. She is really good at what she does. Her family stands by her.
It is a great love story with imperfect characters set against London, rugby, and eco tourism.
Very sexy. Very good.
I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it.
They both lie to each other about who they are.
The heroine is involved in a scandal the looks at women in male dominated fields. She is really good at what she does. Her family stands by her.
It is a great love story with imperfect characters set against London, rugby, and eco tourism.
Very sexy. Very good.
I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it.
April 2, 2016
On the eve of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, I wanted to catch up on Kat Latham's London Legends novels with the one I hadn't read yet, book 2 of the series ( all standalones). This rugby themed romance is the story of Tess and Liam. Liam is the captain of the London Legends, gearing up for the World Cup but taking a few days off to de-stress at a Venezuelan resort, where he has a brief sexy interlude with Tess who is escaping her own troubles in London as the result of a sexual harassment inquiry. It's first names only between them, but when Tess takes off, leaving Liam with a note of thanks but no forwarding information, Liam feels pretty used. When they meet up again in London and it turns out she's working with one of the team sponsors and will be around him a lot more, he's pissed off to discover that she knew who he was from the start, and that what he thought was a truly anonymous affair really wasn't. But he can't keep away, despite Tess's own misgivings about being involved again in a workplace affair, something that had already devastated her personally and professionally. Can they find a way to recapture the magic of their first night together, and transform it into a trusting and deep relationship?
I really felt a lot of empathy for Tess in this story. Making the mistake of sleeping with her superior at work who then maligned her publicly, she fought back by creating a blog detailing the harassment women feel in the man's world of the financial district, a step that while getting a lot of approval from other women in the same situation ended up with her on the inquiry stand having to give up the sordid details of an affair she wished she could forget. The loss of her personal and professional reputation was devastating, and the comfort she found in Liam's arms in the remote resort where they met is something she could only dream about happening permanently. Indeed, when they meet up again, Liam is obviously mistrustful of her intentions and it takes a while for the trust to build up again between them. Tess's abandonment issues from childhood have also affected her deeply, making her doubly afraid of making any more mistakes in her life that might cause her adopted family more grief than she's already put them through - an affair with London's beloved rugby captain on the eve of the World Cup is a definite no-no. Liam's reaction to Tess is understandable. He's a handsome, charming man, used to being in the public eye, and equally used to women using him for the status of his position and not really seeing the real man underneath. When he thought that the honesty he and Tess had shared with other on the resort (admittedly not revealing their true identities but sharing meaningful and emotional stories with each other) had been tainted by her revelation that she'd known who he was all the time, he was understandably angry and annoyed (mostly with himself for allowing his feelings to get involved with what was supposed to be just a fun night of sex). As time goes on and he realizes that Tess is a true rugby fan and didn't just sleep with him as a notch on her belt, he grudgingly must admit to himself that he feels more for her than he has for any other woman. It will take more than just desire and attraction between them to move their relationship to the next level.
I loved the sexual tension between these two and they share some very sexy scenes together, both on the resort, and later once they admit that the attraction they feel for each other isn't going away. Tess has issues with her body image and self esteem, and Liam is quick to reassure her that in his eyes, she is beautiful (and his are the only ones that should matter). He's a really sweet and loving man underneath his alpha male image, a friendly and supportive person and well deserving of his position as captain on the rugby team. They have a series of ups and downs as the story goes on, but eventually do find their happy ending in a very satisfactory way. The author does a great job of explaining rugby to the newbie, with a glossary of terms at the start of the story and several sporty scenes that are detailed and full of action. From start to finish, this was a truly entertaining story and a treat for readers familiar with rugby or looking for a new type of sports romance. 4.5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
I really felt a lot of empathy for Tess in this story. Making the mistake of sleeping with her superior at work who then maligned her publicly, she fought back by creating a blog detailing the harassment women feel in the man's world of the financial district, a step that while getting a lot of approval from other women in the same situation ended up with her on the inquiry stand having to give up the sordid details of an affair she wished she could forget. The loss of her personal and professional reputation was devastating, and the comfort she found in Liam's arms in the remote resort where they met is something she could only dream about happening permanently. Indeed, when they meet up again, Liam is obviously mistrustful of her intentions and it takes a while for the trust to build up again between them. Tess's abandonment issues from childhood have also affected her deeply, making her doubly afraid of making any more mistakes in her life that might cause her adopted family more grief than she's already put them through - an affair with London's beloved rugby captain on the eve of the World Cup is a definite no-no. Liam's reaction to Tess is understandable. He's a handsome, charming man, used to being in the public eye, and equally used to women using him for the status of his position and not really seeing the real man underneath. When he thought that the honesty he and Tess had shared with other on the resort (admittedly not revealing their true identities but sharing meaningful and emotional stories with each other) had been tainted by her revelation that she'd known who he was all the time, he was understandably angry and annoyed (mostly with himself for allowing his feelings to get involved with what was supposed to be just a fun night of sex). As time goes on and he realizes that Tess is a true rugby fan and didn't just sleep with him as a notch on her belt, he grudgingly must admit to himself that he feels more for her than he has for any other woman. It will take more than just desire and attraction between them to move their relationship to the next level.
I loved the sexual tension between these two and they share some very sexy scenes together, both on the resort, and later once they admit that the attraction they feel for each other isn't going away. Tess has issues with her body image and self esteem, and Liam is quick to reassure her that in his eyes, she is beautiful (and his are the only ones that should matter). He's a really sweet and loving man underneath his alpha male image, a friendly and supportive person and well deserving of his position as captain on the rugby team. They have a series of ups and downs as the story goes on, but eventually do find their happy ending in a very satisfactory way. The author does a great job of explaining rugby to the newbie, with a glossary of terms at the start of the story and several sporty scenes that are detailed and full of action. From start to finish, this was a truly entertaining story and a treat for readers familiar with rugby or looking for a new type of sports romance. 4.5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
March 30, 2014
Knowing the Score is a fantastic story about two wounded but very public people facing difficult times and finding love.
Liam Callaghan, rugby champion, is reeling from the loss of his mother. Tess Baily is facing a political fire storm over her sexual harassment charges against her ex-work place. Both find solace in each others arms in a eco-lodge resort in Venezuela. Both giving each other false identities...but when they return to real life and their jobs...they discover Tess might be the ultimate decision in financially saving Liam's rugby team.
Even if their burning passion follows them from the jungles of Venezuela, their working affiliation makes their chance at further relationships forbidden.
For some reason, the entire time I was reading Playing It Close I had a picture of Stu stuck in my head...what a visual.
I loved Latham's writing style. I was immediately pulled right into the complicated lives of these two characters. A tumultuous relationship, heart felt internal inventory, and two characters that might be famous/infamous but where completely relatable, how could I not be catapulted into their lives. Tess's father's introspective into Tess's character actually had me in tears, showing the true love a of family.
I didn't have the pleasure to read Knowing the Score first and would love the opportunity to get more on Spencer's and Caitlyn's story. That being said, Playing it Close completely stood on its own.
Don't miss this fantastic, sports infused, love story.
I received this ARC copy of Playing It Close from Kat Latham in exchange for a honest review.
Written by: Kat Latham
Series: London Legends
Sequence in Series: 2
ISBN-13: 9781426898211
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication date: 4/14/2014
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Liam Callaghan, rugby champion, is reeling from the loss of his mother. Tess Baily is facing a political fire storm over her sexual harassment charges against her ex-work place. Both find solace in each others arms in a eco-lodge resort in Venezuela. Both giving each other false identities...but when they return to real life and their jobs...they discover Tess might be the ultimate decision in financially saving Liam's rugby team.
Even if their burning passion follows them from the jungles of Venezuela, their working affiliation makes their chance at further relationships forbidden.
For some reason, the entire time I was reading Playing It Close I had a picture of Stu stuck in my head...what a visual.
I loved Latham's writing style. I was immediately pulled right into the complicated lives of these two characters. A tumultuous relationship, heart felt internal inventory, and two characters that might be famous/infamous but where completely relatable, how could I not be catapulted into their lives. Tess's father's introspective into Tess's character actually had me in tears, showing the true love a of family.
I didn't have the pleasure to read Knowing the Score first and would love the opportunity to get more on Spencer's and Caitlyn's story. That being said, Playing it Close completely stood on its own.
Don't miss this fantastic, sports infused, love story.
I received this ARC copy of Playing It Close from Kat Latham in exchange for a honest review.
Written by: Kat Latham
Series: London Legends
Sequence in Series: 2
ISBN-13: 9781426898211
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication date: 4/14/2014
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
February 16, 2023
4.5 stars
March 8, 2015
34. PLAYING IT CLOSE, BY KAT LATHAM (Book 2 of London Legends)
Yet another re-read. I bought this along with Playing It Close, in a bundle. To be honest, I don’t know if I would have bought it if they had been separated and I had only the first one as recommendation. She did talk about rugby in the first, which was what interested me, but I didn’t like it so much as to become a fan of the series. This is the one that got me.
Synopsis: Tess is trying to get a break from a scandal at work. Liam needs some time apart from rugby to try and come to terms with his mother’s death. They both meet in Venezuela, and, even though Tess recognizes him immediately, she decides to let him keep his anonymity. Once their summer affair is over, Tess is offered a job working as a sponsor for Liam’s team. She can’t afford to refuse it, so they have to find a way to work together.
Overall enjoyment: I like Liam a lot better than I liked Spencer. On the other hand, there were a lot of similarities between this book and the first that maybe prevented me from enjoying it fully. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn’t read the first (but then, I’m incapable of doing it; I always have to read series in the order the books were published).
Plot: Not very original, but that’s not a problem, in my opinion. Most romances follow the same line: they meet, they want to be together, they can’t for some reason, they work out their problems, they end up together. I also really don’t mind tropes, as long as they’re well done, and they were well done in this book (in my opinion, of course).
Characters: Like I said, Liam is a lot more likable than Spencer. I liked Tess a lot, too. It was nice to see how they are, in fact, very different characters than the ones in the first book. In this kind of series, it’s very usual to see the author re-writing the same book over and over, just changing the names; this is not the case. However, there are a few repetitions in theme that are a bit tiresome: namely, the fact that both Liam and Spencer dated lots of supermodels and groupies before meeting their counterparts, and that both Tess and Caitlyn had very low self-esteem when it came to their looks, even if for different reasons. Also, the repetition of the “angry ex” motif, and the women having to compete for the men.
World/setting: I mentioned it in my review of Keeping It Close, but I quite like how she writes about rugby. She doesn’t just happen to have a character that plays, she includes the sport in the narrative. Considering the biggest reason why I read these books is because of my love for the sport, that’s a big plus.
Writing style: Very pleasant to read.
Representation: There is an attempt, but it falls very short. I can’t help but think she could have done better than one paragraph containing a colored child and Liam asking Tess if she likes girls.
Political correctness: This was a lot less misogynistic than Keeping It Close, with Tess complaining about the sexism she suffers at her old job and calling other people (including Liam) out when they are sexist. But there’s very little representation, and she’s downright transphobic when she says that girls are born with a vagina.
One last thing: from a few comments I’ve had from the people I’ve recommended this book (not the XVettes, of course), I gather that people don’t know about this, but the calendar she mentions is very much real. It’s called Les Dieux du Stade, it is done every year, and it has sexy pictures of players from Stade Français, a French team. Here’s an example (hidden under spoiler alert because it's NSFW):
Up next: The Three, by Sarah Lotz
Yet another re-read. I bought this along with Playing It Close, in a bundle. To be honest, I don’t know if I would have bought it if they had been separated and I had only the first one as recommendation. She did talk about rugby in the first, which was what interested me, but I didn’t like it so much as to become a fan of the series. This is the one that got me.
Synopsis: Tess is trying to get a break from a scandal at work. Liam needs some time apart from rugby to try and come to terms with his mother’s death. They both meet in Venezuela, and, even though Tess recognizes him immediately, she decides to let him keep his anonymity. Once their summer affair is over, Tess is offered a job working as a sponsor for Liam’s team. She can’t afford to refuse it, so they have to find a way to work together.
Overall enjoyment: I like Liam a lot better than I liked Spencer. On the other hand, there were a lot of similarities between this book and the first that maybe prevented me from enjoying it fully. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn’t read the first (but then, I’m incapable of doing it; I always have to read series in the order the books were published).
Plot: Not very original, but that’s not a problem, in my opinion. Most romances follow the same line: they meet, they want to be together, they can’t for some reason, they work out their problems, they end up together. I also really don’t mind tropes, as long as they’re well done, and they were well done in this book (in my opinion, of course).
Characters: Like I said, Liam is a lot more likable than Spencer. I liked Tess a lot, too. It was nice to see how they are, in fact, very different characters than the ones in the first book. In this kind of series, it’s very usual to see the author re-writing the same book over and over, just changing the names; this is not the case. However, there are a few repetitions in theme that are a bit tiresome: namely, the fact that both Liam and Spencer dated lots of supermodels and groupies before meeting their counterparts, and that both Tess and Caitlyn had very low self-esteem when it came to their looks, even if for different reasons. Also, the repetition of the “angry ex” motif, and the women having to compete for the men.
World/setting: I mentioned it in my review of Keeping It Close, but I quite like how she writes about rugby. She doesn’t just happen to have a character that plays, she includes the sport in the narrative. Considering the biggest reason why I read these books is because of my love for the sport, that’s a big plus.
Writing style: Very pleasant to read.
Representation: There is an attempt, but it falls very short. I can’t help but think she could have done better than one paragraph containing a colored child and Liam asking Tess if she likes girls.
Political correctness: This was a lot less misogynistic than Keeping It Close, with Tess complaining about the sexism she suffers at her old job and calling other people (including Liam) out when they are sexist. But there’s very little representation, and she’s downright transphobic when she says that girls are born with a vagina.
One last thing: from a few comments I’ve had from the people I’ve recommended this book (not the XVettes, of course), I gather that people don’t know about this, but the calendar she mentions is very much real. It’s called Les Dieux du Stade, it is done every year, and it has sexy pictures of players from Stade Français, a French team. Here’s an example (hidden under spoiler alert because it's NSFW):
Up next: The Three, by Sarah Lotz
April 30, 2014
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/04/21/...
I don’t think I’ve ever watched a game of Rugby before, and yet after reading Latham’s debut novel last year, I kinda want to start!
Liam is trying to hide away at a resort in Venezuela, but running into Tess is the perfect distraction for him to think about anything but his own problems. While Liam hides his profession from Tess, he thinks they really hit it off, and looks forward to spending all his free time with her. But when she disappears the next morning, and Liam runs into her as representative of his team’s new sponsor, Liam is shocked and disappointed and unsure how to handle himself.
Tess was publicly shamed when her last job became a court case and she had to testify in front of the entire country. Running away to Venezuela was a chance for some anonymity. Running to Liam is more than she could ever dream, and their night together was incredible. But the real world is calling, and Tess can’t afford to blow off it’s call. When the only job she can get is working for her cousin, Tess is thrown back into Liam’s world and they will have to work together to save both their careers.
One of the things that Latham does so well is showcase a love of rugby to the readers. Like I said, I’ve never watched rugby, never even had a desire to, and yet after reading the first two books in the London Legends series, I absolutely want to watch a game. I want to love it as much as she does and her characters do.
While there was a lot of great stuff in this book, there were a few things that bothered me. The main thing was the way Tess didn’t try very hard to keep her libido in line when it came to Liam. After all the drama she went through with her previous job, and then having her cousin tell her flat out not to get involved with anyone, Tess went ahead with her relationship with Liam. I really wanted her to show a little more restraint, because she came across as a slave to her sex drive.
Another thing that rankled me a bit was the way Liam reacted to Tess not being totally honest at their first meeting. For someone who didn’t tell the whole truth about himself, he seemed to overreact a bit about the way Tess handled their Venezuela meeting. I didn’t see why that came across as such a huge problem for them, especially since Liam wasn’t totally honest either. It was just a little thing that didn’t really make sense to me, and threw off my enjoyment just a bit.
That being said, the rest of the book was fabulous. Tess and Liam had amazing chemistry, and the sexual tension between them was off the charts. I would have liked to see that stretch out a bit more and watch the two of them continue to struggle with maintaining a professional relationship and work through the chemistry that neither could ignore.
While the conflict at the end was full of angst, I did like the way it all played out. It was a good amount of groveling and putting yourself out there for your love, and I liked the way it played out with Tess having to be the one doing most of the groveling.
All in all, I thought Latham’s second book in the London Legends book was good. The sexual tension between Tess and Liam was incredibly written, and I wish it would have been drawn out even more. I’m anxious to see what Latham comes up with next.
I give Playing it Close a B-
I don’t think I’ve ever watched a game of Rugby before, and yet after reading Latham’s debut novel last year, I kinda want to start!
Liam is trying to hide away at a resort in Venezuela, but running into Tess is the perfect distraction for him to think about anything but his own problems. While Liam hides his profession from Tess, he thinks they really hit it off, and looks forward to spending all his free time with her. But when she disappears the next morning, and Liam runs into her as representative of his team’s new sponsor, Liam is shocked and disappointed and unsure how to handle himself.
Tess was publicly shamed when her last job became a court case and she had to testify in front of the entire country. Running away to Venezuela was a chance for some anonymity. Running to Liam is more than she could ever dream, and their night together was incredible. But the real world is calling, and Tess can’t afford to blow off it’s call. When the only job she can get is working for her cousin, Tess is thrown back into Liam’s world and they will have to work together to save both their careers.
One of the things that Latham does so well is showcase a love of rugby to the readers. Like I said, I’ve never watched rugby, never even had a desire to, and yet after reading the first two books in the London Legends series, I absolutely want to watch a game. I want to love it as much as she does and her characters do.
While there was a lot of great stuff in this book, there were a few things that bothered me. The main thing was the way Tess didn’t try very hard to keep her libido in line when it came to Liam. After all the drama she went through with her previous job, and then having her cousin tell her flat out not to get involved with anyone, Tess went ahead with her relationship with Liam. I really wanted her to show a little more restraint, because she came across as a slave to her sex drive.
Another thing that rankled me a bit was the way Liam reacted to Tess not being totally honest at their first meeting. For someone who didn’t tell the whole truth about himself, he seemed to overreact a bit about the way Tess handled their Venezuela meeting. I didn’t see why that came across as such a huge problem for them, especially since Liam wasn’t totally honest either. It was just a little thing that didn’t really make sense to me, and threw off my enjoyment just a bit.
That being said, the rest of the book was fabulous. Tess and Liam had amazing chemistry, and the sexual tension between them was off the charts. I would have liked to see that stretch out a bit more and watch the two of them continue to struggle with maintaining a professional relationship and work through the chemistry that neither could ignore.
While the conflict at the end was full of angst, I did like the way it all played out. It was a good amount of groveling and putting yourself out there for your love, and I liked the way it played out with Tess having to be the one doing most of the groveling.
All in all, I thought Latham’s second book in the London Legends book was good. The sexual tension between Tess and Liam was incredibly written, and I wish it would have been drawn out even more. I’m anxious to see what Latham comes up with next.
I give Playing it Close a B-
September 19, 2015
From the beaches of Venezuela to the rugby pitch in London, Kat Latham took me on a romantic adventure in Playing It Close. Smoothly written at a great pace, Playing It Close had all the elements that capture me in a romance...humor, heart ache, just the right amount of conflict, hope, love, great characters, and a great feeling in my heart.
Tess and Liam both just wanted to get away...away from 'real life', the spotlight and their troubles when they head to Venezuela separately. Neither expects to find the perfect holiday romance and lose a little piece of their heart. To Tess, it can only be a holiday fling...and when she sneaks off in the night, Liam is not sure he'll ever see her again. Especially since neither of them were honest about who they really were. Rugby, London, and Tess's new job bring them unexpectedly back together again. Tess is determined to keep things professional, even if everything inside of her flares to life around Liam. Liam is determined to have more with Tess. After that brief time with her, he knows he wants more. But lies of omission can take their toll and hurt them both. Will those ruin what's just getting started?
Tess and Liam make a fantastic heroine and hero. Tess is so realistic and easy to relate to! It was easy to see her in my mind, to understand her, and feel what she felt. I liked how she carried on, even through hurt and embarrassment, after the mess of her last job. I liked how she was able to lose her inhibitions even if it was just on holiday pretending to be someone else. She did what so many women would do! I really like Liam also! I liked how he was with Tess, how they were together. He is a strong character in more ways than one...and so easy to picture in my minds eye! Tess and Liam are both still hurting, and seeing them come together again, the push and pull of the newly forming relationship was believable. They both still had issues to work through, and I liked how they helped each other do this without even really realizing it. The way they both react when all the truths come out was hard to read because I wanted these two together! Seeing if they could work through it and how kept me intrigued. Tess was very admirable!!
I loved all the secondary characters, but the ones who stand out the most for me are Charlie (Tess's cousin) and her Dad. They were hilarious! They kept the entertainment up for me, I just loved them. As funny as they were, they also felt real...and beneath the jokes and unintentional embarrassing comments, they both had a lot of depth to them that shines through. They are both an integral part of Playing It Close and added character and even more depth.
Playing It Close is a romance with so much more, it is a very well rounded book. There is definite heat and chemistry between Liam and Tess, but that is just one aspect of the plot.
I loved the settings...both in Venezuela and London. Kat paints a vivid picture of both places. I could feel the water on me on the beach...but in London I could hear all the voices and accents. I could smell the pitch, hear the crowds, and see the men!! Kat made me feel like I was part of this world and it was a great time!
Playing It Close is book 2 in the London Legends series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone. I'd recommend Playing It Close to any romance reader!
Tess and Liam both just wanted to get away...away from 'real life', the spotlight and their troubles when they head to Venezuela separately. Neither expects to find the perfect holiday romance and lose a little piece of their heart. To Tess, it can only be a holiday fling...and when she sneaks off in the night, Liam is not sure he'll ever see her again. Especially since neither of them were honest about who they really were. Rugby, London, and Tess's new job bring them unexpectedly back together again. Tess is determined to keep things professional, even if everything inside of her flares to life around Liam. Liam is determined to have more with Tess. After that brief time with her, he knows he wants more. But lies of omission can take their toll and hurt them both. Will those ruin what's just getting started?
Tess and Liam make a fantastic heroine and hero. Tess is so realistic and easy to relate to! It was easy to see her in my mind, to understand her, and feel what she felt. I liked how she carried on, even through hurt and embarrassment, after the mess of her last job. I liked how she was able to lose her inhibitions even if it was just on holiday pretending to be someone else. She did what so many women would do! I really like Liam also! I liked how he was with Tess, how they were together. He is a strong character in more ways than one...and so easy to picture in my minds eye! Tess and Liam are both still hurting, and seeing them come together again, the push and pull of the newly forming relationship was believable. They both still had issues to work through, and I liked how they helped each other do this without even really realizing it. The way they both react when all the truths come out was hard to read because I wanted these two together! Seeing if they could work through it and how kept me intrigued. Tess was very admirable!!
I loved all the secondary characters, but the ones who stand out the most for me are Charlie (Tess's cousin) and her Dad. They were hilarious! They kept the entertainment up for me, I just loved them. As funny as they were, they also felt real...and beneath the jokes and unintentional embarrassing comments, they both had a lot of depth to them that shines through. They are both an integral part of Playing It Close and added character and even more depth.
Playing It Close is a romance with so much more, it is a very well rounded book. There is definite heat and chemistry between Liam and Tess, but that is just one aspect of the plot.
I loved the settings...both in Venezuela and London. Kat paints a vivid picture of both places. I could feel the water on me on the beach...but in London I could hear all the voices and accents. I could smell the pitch, hear the crowds, and see the men!! Kat made me feel like I was part of this world and it was a great time!
Playing It Close is book 2 in the London Legends series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone. I'd recommend Playing It Close to any romance reader!
April 19, 2014
Going into this book all I expected was a hot promiscuous rugby player and lots of sex. Instead I was left reeling when I finished the book. This book took my expectations and blew them out of the water. I got all I wanted and so much more. Of course, had I read Kat Latham's debut book and the first book in the London Legends series, Knowing the Score, I probably wouldn't have been so surprised by how good it was. If you're like me and haven't read the first book, allow me to reassure you, this book is can easily be read as a stand alone.
I loved how both Tess and Liam were trying to escape their demons in England and yet met each other unexpectedly on the other side of the world and found themselves slightly unburdening themselves on each other all while keeping their given names from each other. I loved how they laid themselves and each other bare, both figuratively and literally. I love that while I got the hot sex I was expecting, it was exactly what Tess and Liam needed, and not over the top or too little. I love that Tess was a strong woman who didn't hesitate to face and admit her mistakes and short comings, yet she could've been you or me, especially when it came to the insecurities she felt regarding her body. Kat wrote characters I wanted to both be friends with and protect from the ugliness of life. It was very easy to forget Liam and Tess were fictional characters
This book is fast paced, I feel as if I read it in no time and yet it was so profound. There are a multitude of issues in this book that are dealt with a depth most wouldn't expect from a romance novel, let alone a sports romance. I love how seamlessly Kat Latham integrated them into the story. Nothing felt forced and everything was dealt with in a manner that was true but fair. I'm hoping Kat will write a story about Charlie, Tess's cousin especially since he plays a pivotal part in bringing Tess and Liam together again when they return to England. Oh and the index pertaining to rugby terms is a brilliant move. It kept me, someone who knows nothing at all about the sport of rugby, from being confused. I think it's safe to say I'm excited to have discovered another author to add to "my must read" and "want in paperback" lists as well as a new sport to read about.
I loved how both Tess and Liam were trying to escape their demons in England and yet met each other unexpectedly on the other side of the world and found themselves slightly unburdening themselves on each other all while keeping their given names from each other. I loved how they laid themselves and each other bare, both figuratively and literally. I love that while I got the hot sex I was expecting, it was exactly what Tess and Liam needed, and not over the top or too little. I love that Tess was a strong woman who didn't hesitate to face and admit her mistakes and short comings, yet she could've been you or me, especially when it came to the insecurities she felt regarding her body. Kat wrote characters I wanted to both be friends with and protect from the ugliness of life. It was very easy to forget Liam and Tess were fictional characters
This book is fast paced, I feel as if I read it in no time and yet it was so profound. There are a multitude of issues in this book that are dealt with a depth most wouldn't expect from a romance novel, let alone a sports romance. I love how seamlessly Kat Latham integrated them into the story. Nothing felt forced and everything was dealt with in a manner that was true but fair. I'm hoping Kat will write a story about Charlie, Tess's cousin especially since he plays a pivotal part in bringing Tess and Liam together again when they return to England. Oh and the index pertaining to rugby terms is a brilliant move. It kept me, someone who knows nothing at all about the sport of rugby, from being confused. I think it's safe to say I'm excited to have discovered another author to add to "my must read" and "want in paperback" lists as well as a new sport to read about.
September 7, 2015
Fantastic read! This is the second book in the series and it is just as intriguing as the first. I still know next to nothing about rugby but I do know a little about great romance reads and this is definitely one!
Away on holiday, Tess Chambers is trying to relax and get her head straight after her personal and professional life get entangled and implode. Liam Callaghan is reeling from the recent loss of his mother. He wants to get himself together before taking over as the captain of his rugby team. When he spots Tess at the resort, he doesn't want his fame to come in to play so he introduces himself with a fake name. She immediately knows who he is but since he obviously doesn't want to be recognized she goes with it. After one incredibly passionate night, Liam wakes up alone....
Back in London, imagine the surprise when he walks into a meeting with a new sponsor and sees Tess sitting there. The craziness is just getting started though!!
As I said this is a fantastic book. It moves along at a great pace and these characters grab your heart right from the beginning. I definitely recommend this one to everyone.
Away on holiday, Tess Chambers is trying to relax and get her head straight after her personal and professional life get entangled and implode. Liam Callaghan is reeling from the recent loss of his mother. He wants to get himself together before taking over as the captain of his rugby team. When he spots Tess at the resort, he doesn't want his fame to come in to play so he introduces himself with a fake name. She immediately knows who he is but since he obviously doesn't want to be recognized she goes with it. After one incredibly passionate night, Liam wakes up alone....
Back in London, imagine the surprise when he walks into a meeting with a new sponsor and sees Tess sitting there. The craziness is just getting started though!!
As I said this is a fantastic book. It moves along at a great pace and these characters grab your heart right from the beginning. I definitely recommend this one to everyone.
October 10, 2022
Cuánto me ha gustado, qué bien me lo he pasado leyendo esta novela.
Liam Callaghan es el capitán de los London Legends y de Inglaterra. En un viaje conoce a Tess Chambers, aunque ninguno de los dos dice quién es en realidad. Conectan, se caen bien y acaban teniendo un romance fugaz.
Cuando se reencuentran en Inglaterra, hay cierta hostilidad por parte de Liam. Que pronto superan porque son ideales el uno para el otro, en este momento de su vida. Pero por temas laborales, no pueden tener una relación,... y si la tienen, mantenerla en secreto. Algo con lo que están más o menos a gusto,... hasta que empieza a incomodarlos.
Toca temas muy interesantes, que le dan más chicha, como por ejemplo la misoginia de la City.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
Liam Callaghan es el capitán de los London Legends y de Inglaterra. En un viaje conoce a Tess Chambers, aunque ninguno de los dos dice quién es en realidad. Conectan, se caen bien y acaban teniendo un romance fugaz.
Cuando se reencuentran en Inglaterra, hay cierta hostilidad por parte de Liam. Que pronto superan porque son ideales el uno para el otro, en este momento de su vida. Pero por temas laborales, no pueden tener una relación,... y si la tienen, mantenerla en secreto. Algo con lo que están más o menos a gusto,... hasta que empieza a incomodarlos.
Toca temas muy interesantes, que le dan más chicha, como por ejemplo la misoginia de la City.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
August 9, 2014
3.5, probably.
Okay so when I woke up this morning, I wasn't feeling so negative about this as I did last night when I finished it.
But I think probably my expectations were too high for this book, and there were a few things that I really didn't like - the final scene in the elevator, the public scene right at the end, some other random things.
I'm impressed with how well the rugby stuff is done - but there were some parts where it felt off, like it reads like the author had a friend who helped her with some parts, rather than her own knowledge - which is fine! There were just some descriptions of rugby that didn't read right.
BUT. It was very hot. Very very hot.
Okay so when I woke up this morning, I wasn't feeling so negative about this as I did last night when I finished it.
But I think probably my expectations were too high for this book, and there were a few things that I really didn't like - the final scene in the elevator, the public scene right at the end, some other random things.
I'm impressed with how well the rugby stuff is done - but there were some parts where it felt off, like it reads like the author had a friend who helped her with some parts, rather than her own knowledge - which is fine! There were just some descriptions of rugby that didn't read right.
BUT. It was very hot. Very very hot.
April 16, 2014
I liked this SO much. My one quibble is the one at the end with the public thing, but that's not the book, that's me, but the rest of this was GREAT. And hot. Did I mention the hot? Because I should have.
*fans self*
*fans self*
April 19, 2022
This is only my second Kat Latham book and I'm kinda loving her writing and how her heroines are so interesting and complex. Here we have Tessa who meets Liam on vacation when they're both rather low - she's taking a break from all the attention she's gotten as the whistleblower to the sexist, toxic masculinity of in the investment banking industry and he's grieving from his mom's unexpected death from ovarian cancer.
They have one amazing night before Tessa's called back to London but fate brings them together again when his team loses its key sponsor and her cousin brings her in as the financial ringer to vet the sponsorship deal.
Much of the conflict is driven by Tessa's issues - she was adopted after essentially being abandoned by her birth mother at the age of 3 and the remembered trauma has followed her through her life such that she's always testing the people in her life to see if they will still want/love her when she acts out. Obviously, they work things out, but what stood out to me in this book was this was the first time a heroine is presented as being flat chested - the assholes where she worked called her Titless Tess - and she's made an appointment that Liam found out about to look into getting implants and there's a great scene where he tells her all the ways he loves her body and she ends up changing her mind after she goes to the consult. Anyway - it was great.
They have one amazing night before Tessa's called back to London but fate brings them together again when his team loses its key sponsor and her cousin brings her in as the financial ringer to vet the sponsorship deal.
Much of the conflict is driven by Tessa's issues - she was adopted after essentially being abandoned by her birth mother at the age of 3 and the remembered trauma has followed her through her life such that she's always testing the people in her life to see if they will still want/love her when she acts out. Obviously, they work things out, but what stood out to me in this book was this was the first time a heroine is presented as being flat chested - the assholes where she worked called her Titless Tess - and she's made an appointment that Liam found out about to look into getting implants and there's a great scene where he tells her all the ways he loves her body and she ends up changing her mind after she goes to the consult. Anyway - it was great.
November 26, 2017
Schon das Cover hat mich sehr angesprochen und Rugby Spieler als Buchprotagonisten finde ich toll. *-* Obwohl ich mir die Spiele selbst nicht ansehe. :D
Ich habe erst gemerkt, dass es der zweite Teil einer Reihe ist, als ich das Buch schon durch hatte. Das macht aber überhaupt nichts, denn ich hatte nicht das Gefühl, ich bräuchte das Vorwissen des ersten Teils.
Ich bin sofort in die Geschichte reingekommen und finde es gut, dass aus zwei Perspektiven erzählt wird. So hat man die Möglichkeit in die Gedanken von Tess und Liam einzutauchen. Die beiden passen unglaublich gut zusammen und ergänzen sich wunderbar.
Ich konnte nicht aufhören zu lesen, weil ich von den Handlungen begeistert bin. Was mir ganz besonders gut gefallen hat, waren die vielen entspannten Szenen zwischen Tess und Liam. Klar gab es auch einige Dramen, die natürlich bei einem guten Buch nicht fehlen dürfen, aber die haben hier nicht überhand genommen.
Ich habe erst gemerkt, dass es der zweite Teil einer Reihe ist, als ich das Buch schon durch hatte. Das macht aber überhaupt nichts, denn ich hatte nicht das Gefühl, ich bräuchte das Vorwissen des ersten Teils.
Ich bin sofort in die Geschichte reingekommen und finde es gut, dass aus zwei Perspektiven erzählt wird. So hat man die Möglichkeit in die Gedanken von Tess und Liam einzutauchen. Die beiden passen unglaublich gut zusammen und ergänzen sich wunderbar.
Ich konnte nicht aufhören zu lesen, weil ich von den Handlungen begeistert bin. Was mir ganz besonders gut gefallen hat, waren die vielen entspannten Szenen zwischen Tess und Liam. Klar gab es auch einige Dramen, die natürlich bei einem guten Buch nicht fehlen dürfen, aber die haben hier nicht überhand genommen.
October 19, 2020
Four and a half stars
Playing It Close is the second in Kat Latham's London Legends series, and is about rugby team captain Liam Callaghan and Tess Chambers.
These two meet by chance at a remote getaway in Venezuela, but find they share a connection. When they return to reality and discover they have to work together, that is quite the complication.
Kat Latham does a lovely job with Liam and Tess, neither of whom is entirely an open book nor uncomplicated. Again, their issues feel very real, and they figure out how to tackle them, making this a page-turning read.
Looking forward to more in the series!
Playing It Close is the second in Kat Latham's London Legends series, and is about rugby team captain Liam Callaghan and Tess Chambers.
These two meet by chance at a remote getaway in Venezuela, but find they share a connection. When they return to reality and discover they have to work together, that is quite the complication.
Kat Latham does a lovely job with Liam and Tess, neither of whom is entirely an open book nor uncomplicated. Again, their issues feel very real, and they figure out how to tackle them, making this a page-turning read.
Looking forward to more in the series!
January 12, 2021
This one was meh for me. Liam and Tess are cute together. But, among other things, I didn’t enjoy the sexual harassment excerpts at the beginning of most chapters or the hamfisted way wanting breast implants and having body insecurity was handled.
CWs: workplace sexual harassment, body shaming, body insecurity
CWs: workplace sexual harassment, body shaming, body insecurity
September 15, 2017
Loved that our heroine is flat chested and struggles with body image issues instead of a cookie cutter busty babe. Also loved the sensitivity of how our hero handles her struggles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2022
Liked but thought they fought themselves a little too much. The misunderstanding at the restaurant for the business meeting was classic though.
December 6, 2016
Hotness Rating 3 out of 5
Review to come...
Review to come...
May 15, 2014
Trapped in an elevator....yes! I love this scenario especially when it involves a famous professional rugby star and a woman who has recently made herself infamous before the media. What a hoot! And it was. The story engaged all my emotions. It touched on some pretty serious themes- guilt, harassment in the workplace, acceptance, and self-worth. All around good story that was fun, sexy and had some depth.
This is the second book in a series, but I had no trouble reading this one first. I liked the brief visit I had with the characters from the first book so I'll be going back for that one when I can.
The story opens when Tess Chambers is staying (code for hiding out and licking her wounds) at a private hotel in Venezuela determined to tick a few items off her bucket list and do some soul-searching. Her skinny dipping plan falls through when she decides that it wouldn't be wise to bare all on the hotel beach in the strong moonlight right after that debacle in London when she bared all on her blog and ended up in the middle of a huge workplace scandal. Her temper got the better of her when her former boss 'kiss and told' and even before that when she let off some steam in a blog about the actions of the misogynistic jerks she worked with. Poor treatment of women in the workplace became the investigation of the court and she became the champion of women or the office pariah depending on who you asked. So shirt on. Too bad she left her bikini top in her room and too bad her scramble across the hotel lobby in wet t-shirt is noticed by the hot guy checking in. And really? He wanted to share the elevator. And it got stuck when she hammered on the door close button. Tess recognizes him right away, but he is traveling incognito. That sounds like a fab idea so she gives a false name too and lies about knowing nothing about Liam Callaghan, rugby or the fact that she's a life-long fan and season ticket holder for his team the London Legends. Liam is nothing like she expected and he rocks her world too bad the real world comes crashing down on her to wreck it for her.
Liam is taking time away to get his head back in order after losing his mum to cancer. He is now captain of his team and the World Cup will be in London this year while he is playing for the English team. Lots of pressure. Oddly, the time he spends with the pixie-sized female that treats him like a normal guy helps him to center and feel right. Being with her feels right until she ditches him after their night together and runs clear back to London to get away from him. He is still hurt and angry when he discovers that she is working for the company who has just become the Legends newest top sponsor. Now he knows she lied about a lot of things and he is determined to move past his encounter with Tess and keep everything business-like and professional. Too bad he still wants her and wants to be with her, yet he can't figure out how to make it happen now that the fraternization issue is in effect since they're co-workers.
The plot moved along at a good pace. This is a sports romance, but the sports is more the backdrop or one of the major settings then a plot thread. This was my first glimpse at the sport of rugby and even from this angle of behind the scenes, it has me fascinated enough to want to watch a match now.
The story is focused on both individual growth in the main characters and the romance that develops between them. These two are a hot mess that is sometimes hilarious and sometimes painful the way they jump to conclusions and leap into speech. Both have personal issues and are naturals at finding the sore buttons on each other. I grimaced so many times when words and actions got them into trouble. I was impressed with how the author kept things on the lighter, heartwarming side and managed to avoid things falling into undue angst. They might jump to conclusions, but the misunderstandings never last longer than is reasonable. They both showed good staying power when it was soul-bearing time too. And passion? Lord, yes! That was so not a problem for these two that struggled with everything else.
All in all, this was an enjoyable and engaging romance that I would recommend to those enjoy contemporary romances set in the sporting world.
My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is the second book in a series, but I had no trouble reading this one first. I liked the brief visit I had with the characters from the first book so I'll be going back for that one when I can.
The story opens when Tess Chambers is staying (code for hiding out and licking her wounds) at a private hotel in Venezuela determined to tick a few items off her bucket list and do some soul-searching. Her skinny dipping plan falls through when she decides that it wouldn't be wise to bare all on the hotel beach in the strong moonlight right after that debacle in London when she bared all on her blog and ended up in the middle of a huge workplace scandal. Her temper got the better of her when her former boss 'kiss and told' and even before that when she let off some steam in a blog about the actions of the misogynistic jerks she worked with. Poor treatment of women in the workplace became the investigation of the court and she became the champion of women or the office pariah depending on who you asked. So shirt on. Too bad she left her bikini top in her room and too bad her scramble across the hotel lobby in wet t-shirt is noticed by the hot guy checking in. And really? He wanted to share the elevator. And it got stuck when she hammered on the door close button. Tess recognizes him right away, but he is traveling incognito. That sounds like a fab idea so she gives a false name too and lies about knowing nothing about Liam Callaghan, rugby or the fact that she's a life-long fan and season ticket holder for his team the London Legends. Liam is nothing like she expected and he rocks her world too bad the real world comes crashing down on her to wreck it for her.
Liam is taking time away to get his head back in order after losing his mum to cancer. He is now captain of his team and the World Cup will be in London this year while he is playing for the English team. Lots of pressure. Oddly, the time he spends with the pixie-sized female that treats him like a normal guy helps him to center and feel right. Being with her feels right until she ditches him after their night together and runs clear back to London to get away from him. He is still hurt and angry when he discovers that she is working for the company who has just become the Legends newest top sponsor. Now he knows she lied about a lot of things and he is determined to move past his encounter with Tess and keep everything business-like and professional. Too bad he still wants her and wants to be with her, yet he can't figure out how to make it happen now that the fraternization issue is in effect since they're co-workers.
The plot moved along at a good pace. This is a sports romance, but the sports is more the backdrop or one of the major settings then a plot thread. This was my first glimpse at the sport of rugby and even from this angle of behind the scenes, it has me fascinated enough to want to watch a match now.
The story is focused on both individual growth in the main characters and the romance that develops between them. These two are a hot mess that is sometimes hilarious and sometimes painful the way they jump to conclusions and leap into speech. Both have personal issues and are naturals at finding the sore buttons on each other. I grimaced so many times when words and actions got them into trouble. I was impressed with how the author kept things on the lighter, heartwarming side and managed to avoid things falling into undue angst. They might jump to conclusions, but the misunderstandings never last longer than is reasonable. They both showed good staying power when it was soul-bearing time too. And passion? Lord, yes! That was so not a problem for these two that struggled with everything else.
All in all, this was an enjoyable and engaging romance that I would recommend to those enjoy contemporary romances set in the sporting world.
My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 29, 2014
This is the second book in Kat Latham’s series about the London Legends, a rugby team with sexy, funny players. The first book, Knowing the Score, was surprisingly fun, so I was anxious to read the next one.
Tess has been at the center of a scandal for the past year. She was one of the few women who worked in London’s financial district and witnessed (and was the subject of) almost daily sexual harassment. She wrote an anonymous blog, parts of which are quoted in the novel, and the situations were extremely coarse. When she sued for wrongful termination after sleeping with her boss, everything hit the metaphorical fan. She was outed as the blog writer and had to testify at an legal inquiry. She is frankly fed up with anyone having any opinion about her body (thin) and her boobs (small enough to earn her the nickname “Titless Tess”).
As the story opens, Tess is on vacation in Venezuela, trying to rediscover herself and try new things, like dying her hair pink and skinny dipping. She gets trapped in a broken elevator with Liam, the rugby player. Now, Tess is a lifelong Legends fan, and she recognizes him instantly. But Liam tells her a fake name, and she understands his desire to be anonymous, so she plays along. She even tells him that she prefers football to rugby, which is a very telling character trait: “The choice between football and rugby said so much about where a person had grown up and in what circumstances.”
Liam is attracted to Tess because she’s from the “real world,” not a stalker fan. Tess responds to his attraction and sets aside her insecurities for the duration of the vacation, and they spend a fabulous day together that includes some sexy times in (and under) a secluded jungle lake and waterfall.
Back in London, they meet up again when Tess has a new job working for a team sponsor. Their first business dinner is full of tension, misunderstandings, and emotional roller coasters, as Tess and Liam both have all their defenses up. I loved every minute of it. The book plays with the “I hate you/I want you/I can’t have you” trope before the characters agree that maybe they could try hooking up. In secret.
I thought Tess was a really interesting character. At first she was so defensive about her body that I thought she was just really sexy and tired of hearing about it. But she’s not, at least not in a stereotypical way. She’s also got a scrappy fighter instinct, mouthing off when she should stay silent, making impulsive decisions that cost her. But she’s sticking up for the underdog, for the women, and for herself.
When Liam makes an off-color comment about football players faking injuries, calling them “little girls,” Tess says, “I think you’ll find they’re not girls, and whining and cheating doesn’t make them girls. Not unless they were born with vaginas. That would make them girls… I get a bit annoyed when men assume that girl is an insult.” I loved the author — through Tess — making that point.
Liam isn’t as strong a character. He’s just a guy who’s struggling to get the girl. His job has kept him from having any long-term relationships, so he mainly knows how to buy gifts and look handsome. Tess is so strong and so independent that she doesn’t want anything from him, leaving Liam feeling like he can’t bring anything to the relationship. His insecurity felt a little forced to me, but luckily he didn’t dwell on it for long.
This book includes a brief dictionary of British and rugby terms, so you’ll learn something as you get properly immersed in London life. It’s a fun ride, deftly written, and it makes me want to watch rugby.
Rating: B+
This review originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/05/review...
Review copy provided by the publisher
Tess has been at the center of a scandal for the past year. She was one of the few women who worked in London’s financial district and witnessed (and was the subject of) almost daily sexual harassment. She wrote an anonymous blog, parts of which are quoted in the novel, and the situations were extremely coarse. When she sued for wrongful termination after sleeping with her boss, everything hit the metaphorical fan. She was outed as the blog writer and had to testify at an legal inquiry. She is frankly fed up with anyone having any opinion about her body (thin) and her boobs (small enough to earn her the nickname “Titless Tess”).
As the story opens, Tess is on vacation in Venezuela, trying to rediscover herself and try new things, like dying her hair pink and skinny dipping. She gets trapped in a broken elevator with Liam, the rugby player. Now, Tess is a lifelong Legends fan, and she recognizes him instantly. But Liam tells her a fake name, and she understands his desire to be anonymous, so she plays along. She even tells him that she prefers football to rugby, which is a very telling character trait: “The choice between football and rugby said so much about where a person had grown up and in what circumstances.”
Liam is attracted to Tess because she’s from the “real world,” not a stalker fan. Tess responds to his attraction and sets aside her insecurities for the duration of the vacation, and they spend a fabulous day together that includes some sexy times in (and under) a secluded jungle lake and waterfall.
Back in London, they meet up again when Tess has a new job working for a team sponsor. Their first business dinner is full of tension, misunderstandings, and emotional roller coasters, as Tess and Liam both have all their defenses up. I loved every minute of it. The book plays with the “I hate you/I want you/I can’t have you” trope before the characters agree that maybe they could try hooking up. In secret.
I thought Tess was a really interesting character. At first she was so defensive about her body that I thought she was just really sexy and tired of hearing about it. But she’s not, at least not in a stereotypical way. She’s also got a scrappy fighter instinct, mouthing off when she should stay silent, making impulsive decisions that cost her. But she’s sticking up for the underdog, for the women, and for herself.
When Liam makes an off-color comment about football players faking injuries, calling them “little girls,” Tess says, “I think you’ll find they’re not girls, and whining and cheating doesn’t make them girls. Not unless they were born with vaginas. That would make them girls… I get a bit annoyed when men assume that girl is an insult.” I loved the author — through Tess — making that point.
Liam isn’t as strong a character. He’s just a guy who’s struggling to get the girl. His job has kept him from having any long-term relationships, so he mainly knows how to buy gifts and look handsome. Tess is so strong and so independent that she doesn’t want anything from him, leaving Liam feeling like he can’t bring anything to the relationship. His insecurity felt a little forced to me, but luckily he didn’t dwell on it for long.
This book includes a brief dictionary of British and rugby terms, so you’ll learn something as you get properly immersed in London life. It’s a fun ride, deftly written, and it makes me want to watch rugby.
Rating: B+
This review originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/05/review...
Review copy provided by the publisher
October 2, 2015
I got a review copy from the author (first time that’s happened! Exciting!) but that didn’t influence my review at all, this is completely honest.
I read the first book in the series about a year ago and adored it. It was so cute and pushed all my sports romance buttons. This one was not QUITE as good, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I might have some trouble articulating why, because I’m much better at expressing complete adoration or total dislike than I am at “I liked it, mostly!” because I can never pinpoint what kept it from being tipped over into the love category.
So, first, what I liked! The rugby setting was really well done and, I think, integrated better than in the first book. It didn’t feel quite as background-y here, but an integral part of the characters lives. The plot was definitely interesting and unique. That is one thing Kat Latham is really good at, all her plots have elements of tropes you’ve seen before but she mixes it up with interesting elements that you see less often. In this case it’s Tess’s past and how that effects her life now. Yes, she can’t get involved with Liam because they kind of work together, but there’s more to it than professionalism.
I really liked that Tess was far from perfect, and she felt bad about what she did at her last job but she isn’t made out to be some awful woman in need of reform. (Beware, this gets a bit spoilery, I guess) Yes, she slept with someone at her old job and it blew up in her face and she made mistakes while dealing with a truly shitty professional situation. It would have been easy to punish her for all that in an awful slut-shaming way, but she’s not. By the time the book starts, she’s moving on from all that. She learns from her mistakes and is trying to rebuild her life and make a future for herself. It was really refreshing to have a heroine with actual flaws that aren’t part of the obstacle for the couple to get together. She doesn’t have to fix herself to be with Liam. Though some soul searching is required, it’s not directly related to her past screw-ups.
Liam was a total sweetheart. My favorite sports romance always does this and Kat Latham once again hit the nail on the head with this one. He’s so into her but wary of getting hurt again so close after losing his mom. And oh man, when he talks about the circumstances surrounding her death, I just wanted to give him a hug, it was soooo sad. I mean, sadder than just his mom dying, that is, which is already really sad.
Ok, now onto the parts I liked less. First, Tess’s realization about herself at the end was waaaay too quick. This is an emotional issue that goes all the way back to her childhood and she figures out the problem out of nowhere. Also, one conversation with her dad is all it takes to clear it up? I don’t buy it. The issue made sense, but I think the lightening bolt moment of realization didn’t seem realistic especially not when she clears it up so quickly. You can’t fix things like that and then immediately run off for a big romantic gesture. It just felt way to easy and pat to me.
Still, up until that point this was funny and sweet with some really great characters who were realistically flawed. I’ve already got the next book lined up from the library and there’s a Christmas novella already on my ereader from last year when it was 99 cents and I was stuck in the airport on Christmas Eve (I got approximately 4 other Christmas novellas from several series because I make good decisions). This is shaping up to be a really good series and I can’t wait to keep reading.
(originally posted here: http://wp.me/p6uSyl-21
I read the first book in the series about a year ago and adored it. It was so cute and pushed all my sports romance buttons. This one was not QUITE as good, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I might have some trouble articulating why, because I’m much better at expressing complete adoration or total dislike than I am at “I liked it, mostly!” because I can never pinpoint what kept it from being tipped over into the love category.
So, first, what I liked! The rugby setting was really well done and, I think, integrated better than in the first book. It didn’t feel quite as background-y here, but an integral part of the characters lives. The plot was definitely interesting and unique. That is one thing Kat Latham is really good at, all her plots have elements of tropes you’ve seen before but she mixes it up with interesting elements that you see less often. In this case it’s Tess’s past and how that effects her life now. Yes, she can’t get involved with Liam because they kind of work together, but there’s more to it than professionalism.
I really liked that Tess was far from perfect, and she felt bad about what she did at her last job but she isn’t made out to be some awful woman in need of reform. (Beware, this gets a bit spoilery, I guess) Yes, she slept with someone at her old job and it blew up in her face and she made mistakes while dealing with a truly shitty professional situation. It would have been easy to punish her for all that in an awful slut-shaming way, but she’s not. By the time the book starts, she’s moving on from all that. She learns from her mistakes and is trying to rebuild her life and make a future for herself. It was really refreshing to have a heroine with actual flaws that aren’t part of the obstacle for the couple to get together. She doesn’t have to fix herself to be with Liam. Though some soul searching is required, it’s not directly related to her past screw-ups.
Liam was a total sweetheart. My favorite sports romance always does this and Kat Latham once again hit the nail on the head with this one. He’s so into her but wary of getting hurt again so close after losing his mom. And oh man, when he talks about the circumstances surrounding her death, I just wanted to give him a hug, it was soooo sad. I mean, sadder than just his mom dying, that is, which is already really sad.
Ok, now onto the parts I liked less. First, Tess’s realization about herself at the end was waaaay too quick. This is an emotional issue that goes all the way back to her childhood and she figures out the problem out of nowhere. Also, one conversation with her dad is all it takes to clear it up? I don’t buy it. The issue made sense, but I think the lightening bolt moment of realization didn’t seem realistic especially not when she clears it up so quickly. You can’t fix things like that and then immediately run off for a big romantic gesture. It just felt way to easy and pat to me.
Still, up until that point this was funny and sweet with some really great characters who were realistically flawed. I’ve already got the next book lined up from the library and there’s a Christmas novella already on my ereader from last year when it was 99 cents and I was stuck in the airport on Christmas Eve (I got approximately 4 other Christmas novellas from several series because I make good decisions). This is shaping up to be a really good series and I can’t wait to keep reading.
(originally posted here: http://wp.me/p6uSyl-21
November 16, 2014
3.75 stars
ABOUT THE BOOK: January 14, 2014
Where do you go to escape everything when you're one of the most famous rugby players in the world? For Liam Callaghan, that place is a remote lodge on Venezuela's Caribbean coast. Perfect, except he doesn't exactly want to be alone with his thoughts. Enter Tess Chambers, the ultimate distraction.
Still reeling from a professional disaster that's made her all but unemployable, Tess understands the desire to move through life as somebody else. So when instantly recognizable Liam uses a fake name, she runs with it and creates a temporary new identity of her own.
Their time spent together in paradise is idyllic but brief—after one passionate night, Liam wakes up to find Tess gone. Returning to London, he's shocked to learn she's taken a job with his team's new sponsor. As the Legends' captain, he'll have to not only figure out how to work with the one woman who ever left him wanting more, but also convince her that their feelings in the present mean more than any lies they've told in the past
~~~~
REVIEW: 3.75 stars PLAYING IT CLOSE is the second instalment in Kat Latham’s contemporary, adult London Legends romance series focusing on the London Legends Rugby Team. This is team captain Liam Callaghan and Tess Chambers’s storyline. The timeline runs parallel to the first instalment Knowing the Score but very little of the premise overlaps.
Liam and Tess will meet while on vacation in Venezuela but Tess’s abrupt departure following a wild night of anonymous sex will leave Liam struggling with what has happened. Upon returning to England, Liam will discover that the company looking to back the London Legends rugby team is headed by Tess’s cousin and Tess will become part of the team’s PR. What follows is a series of misunderstandings and broken hearts when Liam believes that Tess had set him up all along. But Tess has had to endure months of humiliation following a disastrous revelation at work, and her connections with Liam will have to be kept under the radar.
The relationship between Liam and Tess begins as strangers in paradise but quickly moves to bitter exes following their reconnection. There is a definite attraction, one fueled by lust, sex and desire but betrayal and dissolution are first and foremost on Liam’s mind. The sexual tension is palpable and you know that there is only one woman on Liam’s mind. To get the girl back, Liam will learn that there is more to Tess than he could have possibly known. Tess has some major self esteem issues that drive part of her personality and her emotional fragility. Years of humiliation and a need to protect the man that she loves have led to a public breakdown that will push Liam away for the last time.
The secondary characters are colorful, believable and lend a little comic relief when necessary. The world building continues with the inclusion of the London Legends players as they strive to lead England to the World Rugby Championships.
PLAYING IT CLOSE is an engaging storyline about two people with issues of trust. Kat Latham pulls the reader into a provocative tale of seduction; an intense story about family and friends; and the drama of living your life in the public eye. It is a passionate story, sprinkled with a little humor and some heartbreaking discoveries, but in the end, another London Legends rugby player will find love and his happily ever after.
Copy supplied by the publisher.
ABOUT THE BOOK: January 14, 2014
Where do you go to escape everything when you're one of the most famous rugby players in the world? For Liam Callaghan, that place is a remote lodge on Venezuela's Caribbean coast. Perfect, except he doesn't exactly want to be alone with his thoughts. Enter Tess Chambers, the ultimate distraction.
Still reeling from a professional disaster that's made her all but unemployable, Tess understands the desire to move through life as somebody else. So when instantly recognizable Liam uses a fake name, she runs with it and creates a temporary new identity of her own.
Their time spent together in paradise is idyllic but brief—after one passionate night, Liam wakes up to find Tess gone. Returning to London, he's shocked to learn she's taken a job with his team's new sponsor. As the Legends' captain, he'll have to not only figure out how to work with the one woman who ever left him wanting more, but also convince her that their feelings in the present mean more than any lies they've told in the past
~~~~
REVIEW: 3.75 stars PLAYING IT CLOSE is the second instalment in Kat Latham’s contemporary, adult London Legends romance series focusing on the London Legends Rugby Team. This is team captain Liam Callaghan and Tess Chambers’s storyline. The timeline runs parallel to the first instalment Knowing the Score but very little of the premise overlaps.
Liam and Tess will meet while on vacation in Venezuela but Tess’s abrupt departure following a wild night of anonymous sex will leave Liam struggling with what has happened. Upon returning to England, Liam will discover that the company looking to back the London Legends rugby team is headed by Tess’s cousin and Tess will become part of the team’s PR. What follows is a series of misunderstandings and broken hearts when Liam believes that Tess had set him up all along. But Tess has had to endure months of humiliation following a disastrous revelation at work, and her connections with Liam will have to be kept under the radar.
The relationship between Liam and Tess begins as strangers in paradise but quickly moves to bitter exes following their reconnection. There is a definite attraction, one fueled by lust, sex and desire but betrayal and dissolution are first and foremost on Liam’s mind. The sexual tension is palpable and you know that there is only one woman on Liam’s mind. To get the girl back, Liam will learn that there is more to Tess than he could have possibly known. Tess has some major self esteem issues that drive part of her personality and her emotional fragility. Years of humiliation and a need to protect the man that she loves have led to a public breakdown that will push Liam away for the last time.
The secondary characters are colorful, believable and lend a little comic relief when necessary. The world building continues with the inclusion of the London Legends players as they strive to lead England to the World Rugby Championships.
PLAYING IT CLOSE is an engaging storyline about two people with issues of trust. Kat Latham pulls the reader into a provocative tale of seduction; an intense story about family and friends; and the drama of living your life in the public eye. It is a passionate story, sprinkled with a little humor and some heartbreaking discoveries, but in the end, another London Legends rugby player will find love and his happily ever after.
Copy supplied by the publisher.
April 2, 2014
I won an ARC of Kat Latham‘s second book in her London Legends contemporary romance series–and I’m so glad I did!
See, I adore romance, but I NEED variety. That’s why there’s no rhyme, nor reason to my choices. One day it’s New Adult. The next, maybe YA paranormal romance. Then throw in a few M/M romances, and iPad melting erotic romances and you got a whole lotta flavor going on.
And, PLAYING IT CLOSE tickled my romance-fancy, and my variety-fancy. It’s all about the English, baby.
In fact, I nearly dropped over when I opened the book and found the handy-dandy Guide To Briti-cism’s. How else would I have learned that “pants” means underwear across the pond. Or, that a proper Brit might watch sport (plural) and hate maths (singular)? My inner Anglophile shouted BRILLIANT! and I dove into the heady domain that is rugby (union, not league you twit!).
Tess Chambers is professionally mortified. She has been unmasked as the whistle-blower on the sexist world of investment banking, and she’s on holiday to escape the headlines and inquiries. Which explains why she’s hiding in a resort in Venezuela–sporting pink hair–when she encounters Liam Callaghan (Stars and garters, that’s a sexy name!) He’s the big, buff captain of her abso-fave London Legends rugby team.
[Side note: Rugby is not my sport. I know virtually NOTHING about it. Yet, I fell right into this book. Yay!]
Liam is spending a week in seclusion ridding his mind and heart of the guilt he’s buried since his mother died, alone. She’d been his biggest supporter but neglected to tell him she was dying of cancer–probably because (like mothers are wont to do) she didn’t want him agonizing over her last days. Still, Liam’s re-evaluating his priorities, and he’s finding his Love-’Em-And-Leave-’Em lifestyle is missing a bit of…heart.
Tess and Liam spend two days and one night together. I’m not going to say it’s love at first sight–because it isn’t. They do find respite in each other, however, and that’s pretty valuable. Liam is finally starting to relax, even open up, when Tess disappears.
A few weeks later, Tess’s cousin recruits her to manage the financials and logistics of a new joint venture–Lead Sponsor of the London Legends. Oy vay! Imagine Liam’s surprise when he shows up to the business dinner, a Hollywood starlet on his elbow, to meet the lady he’d missed terribly when he woke in his empty bed.
Tess is, well, personally mortified to find the close quarters she’ll have to spend with Liam. Having had a huge scandal at her last employ, she isn’t willing to indulge herself–or Liam–though the attraction crackles betwixt them. Oh, and did I mention the calendar shoot? Those buff athletic men hanging out in the…buff? *V swoons* *Tess swoons too*
There’s plenty of misdirection and crossed wires to keep the plot hopping. Tess is a fun MC. She’s smart and sassy, and believably vulnerable, too. Liam’s a good guy at heart, one who wants a woman to love him, not his celebrity. He wants to be a hero for his good deeds in the real world, not on the rugby pitch. I had a fantastic time being a vicarious Londoner, and relished the chance to drop into both characters’ brains as the POV alternated. This is the second book in the series, but I could see where Book One and Book Three had come and will go, which was fun.
PLAYING IT CLOSE is a standalone with an HEA that satisfies.
See, I adore romance, but I NEED variety. That’s why there’s no rhyme, nor reason to my choices. One day it’s New Adult. The next, maybe YA paranormal romance. Then throw in a few M/M romances, and iPad melting erotic romances and you got a whole lotta flavor going on.
And, PLAYING IT CLOSE tickled my romance-fancy, and my variety-fancy. It’s all about the English, baby.
In fact, I nearly dropped over when I opened the book and found the handy-dandy Guide To Briti-cism’s. How else would I have learned that “pants” means underwear across the pond. Or, that a proper Brit might watch sport (plural) and hate maths (singular)? My inner Anglophile shouted BRILLIANT! and I dove into the heady domain that is rugby (union, not league you twit!).
Tess Chambers is professionally mortified. She has been unmasked as the whistle-blower on the sexist world of investment banking, and she’s on holiday to escape the headlines and inquiries. Which explains why she’s hiding in a resort in Venezuela–sporting pink hair–when she encounters Liam Callaghan (Stars and garters, that’s a sexy name!) He’s the big, buff captain of her abso-fave London Legends rugby team.
[Side note: Rugby is not my sport. I know virtually NOTHING about it. Yet, I fell right into this book. Yay!]
Liam is spending a week in seclusion ridding his mind and heart of the guilt he’s buried since his mother died, alone. She’d been his biggest supporter but neglected to tell him she was dying of cancer–probably because (like mothers are wont to do) she didn’t want him agonizing over her last days. Still, Liam’s re-evaluating his priorities, and he’s finding his Love-’Em-And-Leave-’Em lifestyle is missing a bit of…heart.
Tess and Liam spend two days and one night together. I’m not going to say it’s love at first sight–because it isn’t. They do find respite in each other, however, and that’s pretty valuable. Liam is finally starting to relax, even open up, when Tess disappears.
A few weeks later, Tess’s cousin recruits her to manage the financials and logistics of a new joint venture–Lead Sponsor of the London Legends. Oy vay! Imagine Liam’s surprise when he shows up to the business dinner, a Hollywood starlet on his elbow, to meet the lady he’d missed terribly when he woke in his empty bed.
Tess is, well, personally mortified to find the close quarters she’ll have to spend with Liam. Having had a huge scandal at her last employ, she isn’t willing to indulge herself–or Liam–though the attraction crackles betwixt them. Oh, and did I mention the calendar shoot? Those buff athletic men hanging out in the…buff? *V swoons* *Tess swoons too*
There’s plenty of misdirection and crossed wires to keep the plot hopping. Tess is a fun MC. She’s smart and sassy, and believably vulnerable, too. Liam’s a good guy at heart, one who wants a woman to love him, not his celebrity. He wants to be a hero for his good deeds in the real world, not on the rugby pitch. I had a fantastic time being a vicarious Londoner, and relished the chance to drop into both characters’ brains as the POV alternated. This is the second book in the series, but I could see where Book One and Book Three had come and will go, which was fun.
PLAYING IT CLOSE is a standalone with an HEA that satisfies.
May 7, 2014
Originally posted on Adria's Romance Reviews
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not a sports fan at all and until recently avoided sports romances but I’m glad that I’m adding a light sprinkling of them to my list because then I would miss books like Playing it Close!
Taking on the world of rugby (I had to Google it, that’s how non-sporty I am), author Kat Latham created a story that even non sports fans like myself could enjoy and characters I could fall in love with.
Liam and Tess at first glance seem like they would make a perfect couple with Liam being a top rugby player and Tess being such a fan of the sport. However, Tess carries a lot of baggage that seem to take over her life. She doesn’t handle stressful situations very well and tends to make a bad situation worse but that’s what made me like her so much, she’s not a calm, cool, and collected 100% of the time and she makes very real mistakes, ones that I related to because I’m not the best in stressful situations either. Even while I was thinking Ouch, that was a bad call Tess, I still liked her and wanted her to overcome her personal problems and win Liam in the end.
Liam to me didn't have an athlete's personality or even the perceived stereotype. He's confident about his skills but he didn't annoy me with an over the top ego and a two track mind that started with rugby and ended with sex. In fact, Liam came off as a sweetheart kind of guy who only played the role of typical athlete but had more to offer any one who took the time to get to know him. He even had me falling for him and athletes are not my thing! That's how sexy and adorable he can be!
I understood why both Liam and Tess felt the need to create a false identity in the beginning. A false identity provides both freedom and safety for the person and that’s what both of them needed, a safe way to be themselves. That’s part of what drew me to these characters, I wanted to know what was so bad about their lives that they felt the need to hide and I wanted to know how they would find a way to reveal the truth to one another without it creating too much of an obstacle for their romance.
There’s a lot of chemistry between Liam and Tess, they create some serious tension and the way they play off each other makes the romance all the hotter, I enjoyed the way they danced around their attraction, acted on it, then went back to dancing around it until they figured out what they wanted.
With rugby being the sport of choice in Playing it Close, there was the requisite rugby vocabulary that appeared now and again with the sports scenes. While I still have no idea what any of it meant, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the romance and the thrill of the (imaginary) game.
Final Verdict: Playing it Close is one of the handful of sports romances that I actually enjoyed. I didn't feel like I was being forced to picture game after game or endless babbling about the game. There was just enough to remind me that the hero was an athlete but not too much to distract from the romance. It was fun, hot and I would definitely read Kat Latham again.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not a sports fan at all and until recently avoided sports romances but I’m glad that I’m adding a light sprinkling of them to my list because then I would miss books like Playing it Close!
Taking on the world of rugby (I had to Google it, that’s how non-sporty I am), author Kat Latham created a story that even non sports fans like myself could enjoy and characters I could fall in love with.
Liam and Tess at first glance seem like they would make a perfect couple with Liam being a top rugby player and Tess being such a fan of the sport. However, Tess carries a lot of baggage that seem to take over her life. She doesn’t handle stressful situations very well and tends to make a bad situation worse but that’s what made me like her so much, she’s not a calm, cool, and collected 100% of the time and she makes very real mistakes, ones that I related to because I’m not the best in stressful situations either. Even while I was thinking Ouch, that was a bad call Tess, I still liked her and wanted her to overcome her personal problems and win Liam in the end.
Liam to me didn't have an athlete's personality or even the perceived stereotype. He's confident about his skills but he didn't annoy me with an over the top ego and a two track mind that started with rugby and ended with sex. In fact, Liam came off as a sweetheart kind of guy who only played the role of typical athlete but had more to offer any one who took the time to get to know him. He even had me falling for him and athletes are not my thing! That's how sexy and adorable he can be!
I understood why both Liam and Tess felt the need to create a false identity in the beginning. A false identity provides both freedom and safety for the person and that’s what both of them needed, a safe way to be themselves. That’s part of what drew me to these characters, I wanted to know what was so bad about their lives that they felt the need to hide and I wanted to know how they would find a way to reveal the truth to one another without it creating too much of an obstacle for their romance.
There’s a lot of chemistry between Liam and Tess, they create some serious tension and the way they play off each other makes the romance all the hotter, I enjoyed the way they danced around their attraction, acted on it, then went back to dancing around it until they figured out what they wanted.
With rugby being the sport of choice in Playing it Close, there was the requisite rugby vocabulary that appeared now and again with the sports scenes. While I still have no idea what any of it meant, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the romance and the thrill of the (imaginary) game.
Final Verdict: Playing it Close is one of the handful of sports romances that I actually enjoyed. I didn't feel like I was being forced to picture game after game or endless babbling about the game. There was just enough to remind me that the hero was an athlete but not too much to distract from the romance. It was fun, hot and I would definitely read Kat Latham again.
April 28, 2014
As a fan of sports-themed romances I was immediately drawn to this story and its likable characters, witty dialogue, heartfelt romance, and engaging circumstances. From their unconventional first meeting you can expect the unexpected as Tess and Liam take a twisty and turny journey to HEA.
Star rugby player Liam is still struggling with the loss of his mother, which has him off his game and frustrated with the superficiality of his relationships and desperate to find something more while taking a break in Venezuela. For weeks Tess has been fodder in the press for her whistle blowing in a work-related sex scandal. Tired of being the butt of jokes and for again disappointing her family she takes a break at her family's Eco-friendly spa in Venezuela where she's torn between her instincts to be a wild child and not wanting to give people more to criticize her for. A slightly poor decision leaves her wet and semi-naked in an elevator that breaks down after star rugby player Liam rushes in. From this engaging opening scene full of playfulness and sexual tension you sense a deep connection between these two people who feel lost and alone. Though neither of them gave their real names, their connection and emotions were as honestly displayed as ever before. Their short time together brought out the best in both of them but it wasn't meant to last as the real world was awaiting them.
Arriving back in London didn't stop their problems as she starts a new job that will greatly impact his future as his team is on the verge of bankruptcy. Though their attraction is just as intense as before their new working relationship forbids anything sexual. Working so closely amps up their attraction and soon their relationship becomes combustible as they both fight for the happiness they glimpsed millions of miles away. I enjoyed their romantic journey as their both immensely likable. Tess is a woman tired of disappointing her family and tries to walk the straight and narrow as she just wants to be accepted. She's willing to throw away what she has with Liam out of fear and it left their HEA in jeopardy. I still liked her though as she's outspoken and quirky in her actions. She has self-esteem and body image issues that every woman can relate to and left me sympathetic to her and rooting for her HEA. Liam is a kindhearted man who just wants to be loved for who he is. He too is desperate not to disappoint others, as he feels he did to his mother on her deathbed, which leaves him struggling to do the right thing. He's willing to admit when he's wrong though which endeared him to me even more.
Needless to say he's super sexy too, as are the other colorful characters of the London Legends rugby team. These intriguing men mean there's plenty more stories for Ms. Latham to tell and as the scenes featuring the team were engaging there's plenty of sexy stories left to tell.. Ms. Latham's story flowed nicely with the romance building in increments that allowed their playfulness and sensuality to come shining through and I look forward to the next installment as well as going back to read the previous book in this series.
Star rugby player Liam is still struggling with the loss of his mother, which has him off his game and frustrated with the superficiality of his relationships and desperate to find something more while taking a break in Venezuela. For weeks Tess has been fodder in the press for her whistle blowing in a work-related sex scandal. Tired of being the butt of jokes and for again disappointing her family she takes a break at her family's Eco-friendly spa in Venezuela where she's torn between her instincts to be a wild child and not wanting to give people more to criticize her for. A slightly poor decision leaves her wet and semi-naked in an elevator that breaks down after star rugby player Liam rushes in. From this engaging opening scene full of playfulness and sexual tension you sense a deep connection between these two people who feel lost and alone. Though neither of them gave their real names, their connection and emotions were as honestly displayed as ever before. Their short time together brought out the best in both of them but it wasn't meant to last as the real world was awaiting them.
Arriving back in London didn't stop their problems as she starts a new job that will greatly impact his future as his team is on the verge of bankruptcy. Though their attraction is just as intense as before their new working relationship forbids anything sexual. Working so closely amps up their attraction and soon their relationship becomes combustible as they both fight for the happiness they glimpsed millions of miles away. I enjoyed their romantic journey as their both immensely likable. Tess is a woman tired of disappointing her family and tries to walk the straight and narrow as she just wants to be accepted. She's willing to throw away what she has with Liam out of fear and it left their HEA in jeopardy. I still liked her though as she's outspoken and quirky in her actions. She has self-esteem and body image issues that every woman can relate to and left me sympathetic to her and rooting for her HEA. Liam is a kindhearted man who just wants to be loved for who he is. He too is desperate not to disappoint others, as he feels he did to his mother on her deathbed, which leaves him struggling to do the right thing. He's willing to admit when he's wrong though which endeared him to me even more.
Needless to say he's super sexy too, as are the other colorful characters of the London Legends rugby team. These intriguing men mean there's plenty more stories for Ms. Latham to tell and as the scenes featuring the team were engaging there's plenty of sexy stories left to tell.. Ms. Latham's story flowed nicely with the romance building in increments that allowed their playfulness and sensuality to come shining through and I look forward to the next installment as well as going back to read the previous book in this series.
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