What do you think?
Rate this book
Fake Boyfriend #2
Trick Play
MATT
Want to know the fastest way to get screwed out of a football career? Get photographed in a compromising position in a gay bar. Yep, welcome to my life.
My agent says he can fix my image. He wants me to become the poster boy for gay football players. Me? I just want back on the field. I’ll do anything to play for the NFL again, even pretend to have a steady boyfriend. If only my fake boyfriend wasn’t Noah Huntington III—the most arrogant, entitled rich guy in the world.
NOAH
Pretend to be Matt Jackson’s boyfriend, my best friend said. It’ll be fun, he said. What Damon neglected to mention is Matt is surly and bitter. Being his boyfriend is a job in itself. From his paranoia over being constantly photographed to his aversion to PDA, being with Matt isn’t the care-free fake relationship I expected when I signed on to do this.
It’s supposed to be a win-win. I get to stick it to my politician dad who thinks no one is good enough for the Huntington name, and Matt’s reputation of being the bad boy of football dies.
What I don’t expect is to start caring for the guy. That’s not part of the plan. Then again, neither is fooling around with him on my private jet.
Oops.
**Trick Play is a full-length MM novel with a HEA/HEA and no cliffhanger**
Want to know the fastest way to get screwed out of a football career? Get photographed in a compromising position in a gay bar. Yep, welcome to my life.
My agent says he can fix my image. He wants me to become the poster boy for gay football players. Me? I just want back on the field. I’ll do anything to play for the NFL again, even pretend to have a steady boyfriend. If only my fake boyfriend wasn’t Noah Huntington III—the most arrogant, entitled rich guy in the world.
NOAH
Pretend to be Matt Jackson’s boyfriend, my best friend said. It’ll be fun, he said. What Damon neglected to mention is Matt is surly and bitter. Being his boyfriend is a job in itself. From his paranoia over being constantly photographed to his aversion to PDA, being with Matt isn’t the care-free fake relationship I expected when I signed on to do this.
It’s supposed to be a win-win. I get to stick it to my politician dad who thinks no one is good enough for the Huntington name, and Matt’s reputation of being the bad boy of football dies.
What I don’t expect is to start caring for the guy. That’s not part of the plan. Then again, neither is fooling around with him on my private jet.
Oops.
**Trick Play is a full-length MM novel with a HEA/HEA and no cliffhanger**
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2018
About the author
Eden Finley
56 books6,065 followersEden Finley is an Amazon bestselling author who writes steamy contemporary romances that are mostly full of snark and light-hearted fluff.
She lives to create an escape from real life for herself and her readers.
She's also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don't make sense to anyone else.
She lives to create an escape from real life for herself and her readers.
She's also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don't make sense to anyone else.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,425 reviews
July 2, 2018
Awww, such a cute, fun story.
When this one starts out, Matt was an gruff, angry asshole, justifiably so, and Noah was a self-absorbed, rich kid, and the guys kind of hated one another.
For about 15 minutes.
Then, whether they liked it or not (spoiler: they did not), both of the guys began seeing that there was more to the other than first met the eye.
They understood one another, had more in common than either initially thought, and wanted to be there during the hard times -- even though that had *not* been part of their initial 'fake boyfriends' agreement.
“I’m sorry.”
Noah smiles. “This just became my favorite place on the ship. A joke and an apology within minutes of each other? Is this place magical?”
I sigh. Loudly.
“Oh wait, he’s back. Never mind.”
“Why do I have the feeling you get your ass kicked a lot?”
I loved how Damon was all, "end this" (meaning them sexing each other up) one moment, then after seeing the genuine caring first hand, eventually gave his blessing.
The first and last sections of the book were my favorites, with the middle section dragging on a bit more than I prefer. But the story felt compelling and kept my attention, in spite of feeling longer than absolutely necessary.
Another enjoyable part of this story was the arrival of Matt's quick-witted, sarcastic, little brother, Jet. I immediately adored him and can't wait to read his story. He's a little firecracker.
I also thought Noah's snark was pretty entertaining, but found it to be less present than I would have though (and hoped), after seeing his take-no-prisoners attitude in book 1. I got that his attitude softened as his feelings for Matt changed, but I still would've liked more of Noah's biting, signature banter on-page.
In regards to steam, the sheets were definitely set on fire, repeatedly and in a pretty versatile manner, which I much prefer to those "I only top, ever" stories.
“Guess we’re about to find out if you’re a top or bottom,” I say. He laughs against my skin, and I shiver. I close my eyes to enjoy the sensation.
“Pretty sure I’m going to be okay with either.”
My eyes fly open, and I turn in his arms. “How do you know?”
One side of his mouth turns up. “I have so many toys at home I could probably open my own sex shop.”
“Damn, that’s hot.”
Matt leans in and lays a kiss under my ear and then moves down my neck. His hands grip my hips and tug me closer. “And I’ve used them all. Every. Single. One.”
Maddox and Damon still hold my top spot as favorite MC's in the series, but Matt and Noah came in a damn close second, with this book rating at around 4.25 stars.
I highly recommend both books and am looking forward to reporter Lennon and hockey star Ollie's story next.
-----------------------------------------------
This book is *FREE* with Kindle Unlimited membership.
See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)
-----------------------------------------------
June 26, 2018
I really enjoyed the first book int this series, "Fake Out" and I was very curious to see if this one would be just as entertaining. I am so glad to say that I loved this one even more. Matt was just wonderful and I think everyone should have a Noah in their lives ;)
For those of you who have read the first book, already know Matt and Noah. Now I think technically this book could be read as a stand alone....but...
To fully enjoy the story, I would advice reading "Fake Out" first.
Matt, who's a famous NFL player, has been caught with his pants down (literally),and shoved out of the closet... in front of the whole world. The only way to save his career is to clean up his image. This is where Noah comes in...his brand spanking new "politician's son" boyfriend.
Noah has no problems posing as Matt's fake boyfriend. It's a great opportunity for him to stick it to his dad...
These two had some awesome kind of enemies to lovers thing going on, and I enjoyed every second of their back and forth banter. You want to know what I also really enjoyed ??? Their sexy times :P
There were some moments, I wanted to slap Noah in the face and make him wake the fuck up. Considering his past, I totally got where he was coming from. That doesn't mean it didn't annoy me at times though.Thankfully he eventually opened his eyes ...
It was great catching up with Damon and Maddox and I myself would love to read about Talon and Miller !!
I highly recommend this series ;)
My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession
Follow Us on➦
June 26, 2018
4 Stars!
I really enjoyed this one. Matt and Noah were super sweet and hot together and had great chemistry.
We met both men in the previous book, Faking It. I really loved that book and I was happy to get some Damian and Maddox as well in this book. Maddox and Matt were college roommates and had a bit of a fling and Noah is one of Damian's best friends. They met at Noah's when he was having a party but really don't know each other all that well. But once these men are thrown together in a fake relationship to help Matt with his image after he is outed by being caught in a compromising situation at a gay nightclub, sparks fly. First we get angry sparks with Matt being a bit standoffish and angry for the turn his life has taken. He just wants to play football and doesn't want to have to defend his sexual orientation. Then we get sparks of flirtation when Noah lets Matt know he has no problem helping him release some of that tension sexually. Matt refuses to go there and wants to keep it all business even if he can't help but find Noah attractive. But Matt has never had gone further than having some random hookups that never crossed from some HJ's and BJ's. He's very much a virgin in other area's. But then we get explosive sparks when a few kisses are exchanged and these boys decide they can handle a sexual relationship with their fake one and we finally get fireworks. Like I said before, the chemistry was strong with these two. I loved how protective they were of each other. Noah agreed to this relationship to stick it to his politician father who has done some really shady stuff to his son to keep him in line in order to keep their perfect family image intact. His father never takes responsibility for what he did to his son in college and for why their relationship is the way it is. I felt awful for Noah and even worse for Matt because his family was even more screwed up. His parents want nothing to do with their son but have no problem taking the money he sends every month to help take care of his five siblings that he's not allowed to have contact with. Both have "daddy" issues and it only brings them closer together. Slowly they let the other in. They gave each other their past and eventually they give each other their future.
They definitely had some struggles to get through in order to find their HEA. Noah had a lot of issues trusting. He didn't think he could find his person after what happened to him in college. But Matt pushed on and broke down all his barriers. Matt never had been in a relationship and was all about football and his career. He never thought he could have both, but being with Noah showed him that he could.
This was a great addition to this series and I am looking forward to the next one. We only got a glimpse of who Lennon is in this book and the hockey player is still a bit of a mystery so it will be very interesting seeing how these two get together. I'm not gonna lie and say I wasn't disappointed that the next book wouldn't be about Talon and Miller. I need their story!
Happy reading dolls! xx
I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this one. Matt and Noah were super sweet and hot together and had great chemistry.
We met both men in the previous book, Faking It. I really loved that book and I was happy to get some Damian and Maddox as well in this book. Maddox and Matt were college roommates and had a bit of a fling and Noah is one of Damian's best friends. They met at Noah's when he was having a party but really don't know each other all that well. But once these men are thrown together in a fake relationship to help Matt with his image after he is outed by being caught in a compromising situation at a gay nightclub, sparks fly. First we get angry sparks with Matt being a bit standoffish and angry for the turn his life has taken. He just wants to play football and doesn't want to have to defend his sexual orientation. Then we get sparks of flirtation when Noah lets Matt know he has no problem helping him release some of that tension sexually. Matt refuses to go there and wants to keep it all business even if he can't help but find Noah attractive. But Matt has never had gone further than having some random hookups that never crossed from some HJ's and BJ's. He's very much a virgin in other area's. But then we get explosive sparks when a few kisses are exchanged and these boys decide they can handle a sexual relationship with their fake one and we finally get fireworks. Like I said before, the chemistry was strong with these two. I loved how protective they were of each other. Noah agreed to this relationship to stick it to his politician father who has done some really shady stuff to his son to keep him in line in order to keep their perfect family image intact. His father never takes responsibility for what he did to his son in college and for why their relationship is the way it is. I felt awful for Noah and even worse for Matt because his family was even more screwed up. His parents want nothing to do with their son but have no problem taking the money he sends every month to help take care of his five siblings that he's not allowed to have contact with. Both have "daddy" issues and it only brings them closer together. Slowly they let the other in. They gave each other their past and eventually they give each other their future.
They definitely had some struggles to get through in order to find their HEA. Noah had a lot of issues trusting. He didn't think he could find his person after what happened to him in college. But Matt pushed on and broke down all his barriers. Matt never had been in a relationship and was all about football and his career. He never thought he could have both, but being with Noah showed him that he could.
This was a great addition to this series and I am looking forward to the next one. We only got a glimpse of who Lennon is in this book and the hockey player is still a bit of a mystery so it will be very interesting seeing how these two get together. I'm not gonna lie and say I wasn't disappointed that the next book wouldn't be about Talon and Miller. I need their story!
Happy reading dolls! xx
I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 6, 2018
Well! looks like i will be reading every single book that comes out in this series.
I loved this one too, even though it lacked the banter that was present in book 1.
MC1: Matt the NFL player, sweet, grumpy, gentle and a loving guy. I loved Matt from the beginning, he started out as broody, grumpy keep to himself type of guy and with the help of Noah came out of his shell and damn! did he shine.
MC2: Noah the politician son, sarcastic, and a**hole to his friends, which was just a pretense, no filter, sweet, generous and loving guy. I f**king LOVED Noah. He was a spitfire, lit up the pages with his presence.
Matt and Noah's relationship starts as a publicity stunt to help Matt clean up his image after he was outed and Noah to piss off his stuck-up dad.
What started out as fake developed into something really enjoyable to read. These two opposites discover they have a lot more in common that they thought. The relationship is easy and fun i enjoyed that. The sex was good too, though i would have loved it to be detailed. Yaap i am a perv.
Matt's brother Jett was an amazing addition to this book. I would love to read his book too.
Matt's parents should be 6 feet under somewhere, they were horrible parents. Noah's Dad was a dick sometimes but he wasn't that horrible, he just needed to get rid of the stick up his ass.
Like the Audiobook for book 1, the dual narration for this one did not work out for me, so i switched back to ebook. Alexander Cendence narration was so on point as Noah, but when it came to Matt's POV Iggy's voice was too quiet and slow for me.
Overall it was an enjoyable, easy read.
I loved this one too, even though it lacked the banter that was present in book 1.
MC1: Matt the NFL player, sweet, grumpy, gentle and a loving guy. I loved Matt from the beginning, he started out as broody, grumpy keep to himself type of guy and with the help of Noah came out of his shell and damn! did he shine.
MC2: Noah the politician son, sarcastic, and a**hole to his friends, which was just a pretense, no filter, sweet, generous and loving guy. I f**king LOVED Noah. He was a spitfire, lit up the pages with his presence.
Matt and Noah's relationship starts as a publicity stunt to help Matt clean up his image after he was outed and Noah to piss off his stuck-up dad.
What started out as fake developed into something really enjoyable to read. These two opposites discover they have a lot more in common that they thought. The relationship is easy and fun i enjoyed that. The sex was good too, though i would have loved it to be detailed. Yaap i am a perv.
Matt's brother Jett was an amazing addition to this book. I would love to read his book too.
Matt's parents should be 6 feet under somewhere, they were horrible parents. Noah's Dad was a dick sometimes but he wasn't that horrible, he just needed to get rid of the stick up his ass.
Like the Audiobook for book 1, the dual narration for this one did not work out for me, so i switched back to ebook. Alexander Cendence narration was so on point as Noah, but when it came to Matt's POV Iggy's voice was too quiet and slow for me.
Overall it was an enjoyable, easy read.
August 30, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
I loved that, due to the circumstances, Noah and Matt spent so much time together. It was so much fun reading about them. I absolutely loved their dialogues.
The side characters were wonderful in this one, especially Jet, Talon and Miller. I was kind of hoping Talon and Miller's story would be next. I'm so looking forward to that. And I definitely want Jet to have his own book as well.
I loved that, due to the circumstances, Noah and Matt spent so much time together. It was so much fun reading about them. I absolutely loved their dialogues.
The side characters were wonderful in this one, especially Jet, Talon and Miller. I was kind of hoping Talon and Miller's story would be next. I'm so looking forward to that. And I definitely want Jet to have his own book as well.
November 8, 2018
4 Stars
Matt has to pretend is in a relationship with Noah (Thanks to Damon) to save his football image! Matt is football and he does everything to save his career, even fake a relationship! Noah has a carefree attitude and he’s confident. And he is exactly what Matt needed in his life. But there is a teeny-tiny problem! Noah’s relationship phobia, thanks to...!
The second half was better than the first! I liked both characters, especially when Noah’s mouth spoke without his brain’s permission! They both are likable! Told in dual POV, 1st person. It’s the second installment in the "Fake Boyfriend" series with characters crossover but it can be read as a standalone. Overall, it was a fun read and hope you enjoy it as well!
Matt has to pretend is in a relationship with Noah (Thanks to Damon) to save his football image! Matt is football and he does everything to save his career, even fake a relationship! Noah has a carefree attitude and he’s confident. And he is exactly what Matt needed in his life. But there is a teeny-tiny problem! Noah’s relationship phobia, thanks to...!
The second half was better than the first! I liked both characters, especially when Noah’s mouth spoke without his brain’s permission! They both are likable! Told in dual POV, 1st person. It’s the second installment in the "Fake Boyfriend" series with characters crossover but it can be read as a standalone. Overall, it was a fun read and hope you enjoy it as well!
October 7, 2018
ok i'm not going to lie to you, when i started this book and up until about the 40% mark I was looking like this:
but then... something changed??? the feelings really snuck the fuck up on me and then I was like:
so this book picks up where the last book leaves off and we're thrown into the lovely faux relationship of matt and noah. noah is our lovable relationship- phobic mixed guy & matt is our long time closeted NFL player who was publicly outed.
to be honest i had a hard time connecting to the characters and the plot at first. matt was beyond fucking whiny about having to spend his time with a hot dude who was willing to do sexual shit with him. i mean... no offense but he wasn't exactly discriminatory in the past what with his club hookups. but he gets assigned a smoking hot guy to be his fake bf and he's all like "wah wah woe is me."
it was super hard to sympathize with him. and then the fake boyfriend thing in general was just kind of ehhhh for me in this scenario. like a fake bf to make you seem less promiscuous since you're a gay man? shitty. i understand why this was done and eden does a good job at addressing the bigotry especially in male centric careers like sports. but it was still just not that exciting to me.
but
after about 40% in we got some serious eden finley magic and i started to like matt a lot more. i already loved noah but he really made me sympathize with his shitty past/family issues. and i started to understand the attraction between the two characters as well. they both had shared family issues and other commonalities.
not to mention that the sex was fucking hot and not at all gratuitous
honestly by the end of this i was kind of squealing and tearing up and i mean what else did i expect from eden finley. this was fun. if you're looking for a new MM read i would highly recommend this series.
ARC provided for honest review by Foreword PR & Marketing
but then... something changed??? the feelings really snuck the fuck up on me and then I was like:
so this book picks up where the last book leaves off and we're thrown into the lovely faux relationship of matt and noah. noah is our lovable relationship- phobic mixed guy & matt is our long time closeted NFL player who was publicly outed.
to be honest i had a hard time connecting to the characters and the plot at first. matt was beyond fucking whiny about having to spend his time with a hot dude who was willing to do sexual shit with him. i mean... no offense but he wasn't exactly discriminatory in the past what with his club hookups. but he gets assigned a smoking hot guy to be his fake bf and he's all like "wah wah woe is me."
it was super hard to sympathize with him. and then the fake boyfriend thing in general was just kind of ehhhh for me in this scenario. like a fake bf to make you seem less promiscuous since you're a gay man? shitty. i understand why this was done and eden does a good job at addressing the bigotry especially in male centric careers like sports. but it was still just not that exciting to me.
but
after about 40% in we got some serious eden finley magic and i started to like matt a lot more. i already loved noah but he really made me sympathize with his shitty past/family issues. and i started to understand the attraction between the two characters as well. they both had shared family issues and other commonalities.
not to mention that the sex was fucking hot and not at all gratuitous
honestly by the end of this i was kind of squealing and tearing up and i mean what else did i expect from eden finley. this was fun. if you're looking for a new MM read i would highly recommend this series.
ARC provided for honest review by Foreword PR & Marketing
January 30, 2022
i liked the banter at first but honestly i found this one to be so boring and hard to get through. i had to read it in 5% increments and felt accomplished when i made it a single chapter lmao. 😅 such a snooze fest and it probably didn’t help that i didn’t like or care about either character all that much.🙃🙃🙃
May 3, 2023
3.5 Stars
First reaction:
The second half was so much better than the first half, because the dudes of the first half needed a swift kick in the nads, but then they (slowly but surely) started making less douchey decisions and started acting like grown-ups, much to my wary reader delight.
Second reaction:
I’m getting really exhausted by the use of horrible, manipulative parents in romance books. It’s becoming a real crutch that authors use to create conflict outside of the relationship itself and I’m sadly really, really over it.
Third (more positive) reaction:
The MCs, Matt and Noah, had white-hot chemistry, so the smex was a treat. Plus, as characters, they both grew as the story unfolded, and, boy, do I love me some character growth.
Fourth (even more positive) reaction:
I LOVED the secondary characters, mostly because they called Matt and Noah on their bullshit and that always garners mad respect from me as a lover of truth speaking.
Fifth (sage advice) reaction:
Skip this audiobook because there were major inconsistencies with character voices—the narrators clearly did not communicate and therefore the voice changes were not only jarring but cringey, to the point I had to give up, return my audio, and finish the rest by physically reading.
First reaction:
The second half was so much better than the first half, because the dudes of the first half needed a swift kick in the nads, but then they (slowly but surely) started making less douchey decisions and started acting like grown-ups, much to my wary reader delight.
Second reaction:
I’m getting really exhausted by the use of horrible, manipulative parents in romance books. It’s becoming a real crutch that authors use to create conflict outside of the relationship itself and I’m sadly really, really over it.
Third (more positive) reaction:
The MCs, Matt and Noah, had white-hot chemistry, so the smex was a treat. Plus, as characters, they both grew as the story unfolded, and, boy, do I love me some character growth.
Fourth (even more positive) reaction:
I LOVED the secondary characters, mostly because they called Matt and Noah on their bullshit and that always garners mad respect from me as a lover of truth speaking.
Fifth (sage advice) reaction:
Skip this audiobook because there were major inconsistencies with character voices—the narrators clearly did not communicate and therefore the voice changes were not only jarring but cringey, to the point I had to give up, return my audio, and finish the rest by physically reading.
June 8, 2020
The premise behind this book isn't a novelty.
Matt has just recently been outed by a strategically taken photograph in an unstrategic tryst. So as to stop the media bloodbath that hounds him and his career, Matt's agent decides to get him a fake boyfriend so as to 'clean up' his image.
Noah is a trust fund brat who has a senator for a father and jumps at the chance for the charade so as to annoy his father.
The two start out with a lot of friction and A WHOLE LOT OF CHEMISTRY.
Noah is one of my favourite characters I have read this year.
The relationship with these two was just amazing from the get go. And theirs remains the best story this author has ever written.
Matt has just recently been outed by a strategically taken photograph in an unstrategic tryst. So as to stop the media bloodbath that hounds him and his career, Matt's agent decides to get him a fake boyfriend so as to 'clean up' his image.
Noah is a trust fund brat who has a senator for a father and jumps at the chance for the charade so as to annoy his father.
The two start out with a lot of friction and A WHOLE LOT OF CHEMISTRY.
Noah is one of my favourite characters I have read this year.
The relationship with these two was just amazing from the get go. And theirs remains the best story this author has ever written.
October 21, 2019
Cute, cute, cute. This was a very good follow up! As a fan of the fake relationship setup, well, I welcome a series that focuses just on that. This series is doing it just about right. This book left me feeling pretty much the same way the first book did and that is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with this formula honestly. It was a little bit bumpy getting started and then mostly predictable with this sort of setup but not at all bad. Fun comes to mind.
I thought Matt was going to get on my last nerve truthfully but once he got out of his own way I liked him. Like I said, the beginning was a little rocky. He was just so angry and standoffish I didn’t know how long I was going to be able to put up with that. He didn’t seem appreciative at all for the help. Thankfully that didn’t last forever. Once we really got to know him he had a huge heart of gold and I wanted everything for him.
Noah didn’t bother me nearly as much as I expected him too. I think he was perfect for Matt and was a huge help in keeping him grounded. He didn’t read crazy spoiled to me, just kind of lost. I ended up loving him toward the end once he really opened his eyes and just got it. Love looked really good on him.
I’m digging the series and am invested in who is next. The setups for the next books are done really well and I hope the author continues to write about the secondary characters. The author asked the readers to let her know if we wanted more books at the end. I guess she doesn’t want to write it if we don’t want it or something?? Seemed a little odd to me, but yeah, Lennon seems cool. I want his story. And yes, let’s let JJ (Jet) grow up a bit first but then yeah, I’m all for his story as well. Oh, and the Quarterback. Yes please.
**ARC provided by Foreword PR & Marketing in exchange for an honest review.**
I thought Matt was going to get on my last nerve truthfully but once he got out of his own way I liked him. Like I said, the beginning was a little rocky. He was just so angry and standoffish I didn’t know how long I was going to be able to put up with that. He didn’t seem appreciative at all for the help. Thankfully that didn’t last forever. Once we really got to know him he had a huge heart of gold and I wanted everything for him.
Noah didn’t bother me nearly as much as I expected him too. I think he was perfect for Matt and was a huge help in keeping him grounded. He didn’t read crazy spoiled to me, just kind of lost. I ended up loving him toward the end once he really opened his eyes and just got it. Love looked really good on him.
I’m digging the series and am invested in who is next. The setups for the next books are done really well and I hope the author continues to write about the secondary characters. The author asked the readers to let her know if we wanted more books at the end. I guess she doesn’t want to write it if we don’t want it or something?? Seemed a little odd to me, but yeah, Lennon seems cool. I want his story. And yes, let’s let JJ (Jet) grow up a bit first but then yeah, I’m all for his story as well. Oh, and the Quarterback. Yes please.
**ARC provided by Foreword PR & Marketing in exchange for an honest review.**
October 8, 2021
dnf @ 45%.🔪
i am bored out of my mind. i don’t care about the characters or the plot enough to actually keep reading. bye!
i am bored out of my mind. i don’t care about the characters or the plot enough to actually keep reading. bye!
March 26, 2023
I read the first two books in one day, idk what that says about me.
July 12, 2018
**2.5 stars**
Reading Fake Out had been a delight for me, so I went full on with this one, a stand-alone in the “fake boyfriend” series. As you can guess, the trope is about fake boyfriends and this time it’s between Matt, a football player that has just been outed in the tabloids and Noah, wealthy, indolent and commitment-phobe.
It’s only around 60% of the story that I began to get interested but even then, I was disturbed by the pace of the story. I felt that for each long term issue the characters had, it was all solved in a flash. Noah’s phobia with relationship seemed very weak and fabricated. And all this miscommunication between Noah and Matt was in contradiction with all the understanding they had of each other. Only the difficulties of Matt dealing with being outed in a sport world were well developed imo.
It just didn’t click. Maybe I missed the jest. This one didn’t hold a candle to "Fake out" for me. It seems I’m the odd one out, so don’t mind me : I’m going to sit on the bench.
Reading Fake Out had been a delight for me, so I went full on with this one, a stand-alone in the “fake boyfriend” series. As you can guess, the trope is about fake boyfriends and this time it’s between Matt, a football player that has just been outed in the tabloids and Noah, wealthy, indolent and commitment-phobe.
It’s only around 60% of the story that I began to get interested but even then, I was disturbed by the pace of the story. I felt that for each long term issue the characters had, it was all solved in a flash. Noah’s phobia with relationship seemed very weak and fabricated. And all this miscommunication between Noah and Matt was in contradiction with all the understanding they had of each other. Only the difficulties of Matt dealing with being outed in a sport world were well developed imo.
It just didn’t click. Maybe I missed the jest. This one didn’t hold a candle to "Fake out" for me. It seems I’m the odd one out, so don’t mind me : I’m going to sit on the bench.
May 12, 2019
4.5
I loved this one more than the first book. I’m always interested to see how authors handle a sports romance when someone is outed and their life seems to be falling apart. I liked this idea of presenting a fake boyfriend and creating a fake persona for the press and public.
Matt and Noah are so hot 🥵 together and all that chemistry I felt it in my bones. Whew Chile the heat....
The Narration: 5 Pants Off
Alexander Cendese is my #2. I will be listening to all his things even the M/F things because I’m obsessed with his voice. Iggy Toma also did a decent job but I’m not so crazy about the accent he did here 😖 but still a solid effort.
Overall, another great story to the series and I look very forward to checking out the rest of the series.
I loved this one more than the first book. I’m always interested to see how authors handle a sports romance when someone is outed and their life seems to be falling apart. I liked this idea of presenting a fake boyfriend and creating a fake persona for the press and public.
Matt and Noah are so hot 🥵 together and all that chemistry I felt it in my bones. Whew Chile the heat....
The Narration: 5 Pants Off
Alexander Cendese is my #2. I will be listening to all his things even the M/F things because I’m obsessed with his voice. Iggy Toma also did a decent job but I’m not so crazy about the accent he did here 😖 but still a solid effort.
Overall, another great story to the series and I look very forward to checking out the rest of the series.
December 24, 2019
This is a bit of romance well written characters you sympathise, and care are likeable. It is given depth and not rushed which makes it even more enjoyable. The term “old money” is quite amusing from an English perspective as we speak in hundreds of years they see it as going back 80 years. One thing is common there clearly must be just as many gay or bi players in American Football just as normal football (not being narrow minded but no plays American football outside of America) yet to this day no one is out so still a gentle exploration in unchartered waters.
December 18, 2018
Another hit from Eden Finley in this series all focused on the fake boyfriend trope.
This one worked even better for me than the first one, which I also really enjoyed, as I absolutely loved both characters.
Noah was all prickly and unwilling to trust anyone, perfectly understandable when you find out what happened when he was young and impressionable. Matt was a reluctant figure under the spotlight, outed and dumped by his team.
But they were fabulous together, the banter was on form and prickly Noah found that his role as fake boyfriend was way more than a means to annoy his politician father.
It was also good to catch up with Damon and Maddox from book one and see them still happy together.
There's a few new potential pairings nudging their way into the storyline in this book too and I'm looking forward to reading about Lennon the journalist and Ollie the hockey player.
And yes, I'd love to get quarterback Talon's story too, especially if it pairs him with his college hook up and fellow NFL player Miller.
#ARC kindly provided by the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This one worked even better for me than the first one, which I also really enjoyed, as I absolutely loved both characters.
Noah was all prickly and unwilling to trust anyone, perfectly understandable when you find out what happened when he was young and impressionable. Matt was a reluctant figure under the spotlight, outed and dumped by his team.
But they were fabulous together, the banter was on form and prickly Noah found that his role as fake boyfriend was way more than a means to annoy his politician father.
It was also good to catch up with Damon and Maddox from book one and see them still happy together.
There's a few new potential pairings nudging their way into the storyline in this book too and I'm looking forward to reading about Lennon the journalist and Ollie the hockey player.
And yes, I'd love to get quarterback Talon's story too, especially if it pairs him with his college hook up and fellow NFL player Miller.
#ARC kindly provided by the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
February 19, 2024
AUDIOBOOK Feb 2024 - Still a 4!
EBOOK Jul 2018
Loved it!!
Fun, fun, fun read. I did want to smack the MCs around quite often and make them SPEAK, but since the lack of communication was at the heart of what kept these two men separated, I figured it would have ruined the plot if they just TALKED OPENLY.
This could be considered an enemies to lovers. Or enemies to fake boyfriends to lovers book. It had great sex, it was flirty. There was fantastic chemistry between Matt and Noah, and great banter!
I wish it had been written in the 3rd person instead of the 1st, but I still enjoyed it even if I got confused as to who was speaking at times.
I saw growth in both characters and I pray for a book about Talon—the guy TOTALLY intrigued me.
So, another great addition to the series with cameos of Damon and Maddox from Book 1 throughout.
EBOOK Jul 2018
Loved it!!
Fun, fun, fun read. I did want to smack the MCs around quite often and make them SPEAK, but since the lack of communication was at the heart of what kept these two men separated, I figured it would have ruined the plot if they just TALKED OPENLY.
This could be considered an enemies to lovers. Or enemies to fake boyfriends to lovers book. It had great sex, it was flirty. There was fantastic chemistry between Matt and Noah, and great banter!
I wish it had been written in the 3rd person instead of the 1st, but I still enjoyed it even if I got confused as to who was speaking at times.
I saw growth in both characters and I pray for a book about Talon—the guy TOTALLY intrigued me.
So, another great addition to the series with cameos of Damon and Maddox from Book 1 throughout.
July 9, 2018
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Cute*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
The book centers around football player, Matt Jackson (23) and the most arrogant, entitled rich guy in the world and Matt's pretend boyfriend, Noah Huntington III (26). Matt gets publicly outed and it ruined his career. In the hopes of saving it, Noah does his friend - and Matt's agent -, Damon Isaac King a favor by acting as Matt's boyfriend. It also doesn't help that he is sorta giving his father a big fuck you by doing so.
I don’t want to admit to myself what I’ve been trying to deny for four years—ever since being drafted to the NFL. I’m so tired of being alone.
However, the two of them didn't expected to feel such a strong attraction towards each other, and soon the business deal becomes more. Overall, I liked it. It was fast forward, not too deep, but still had some sort of depth to it. It was also cute, a little funny and it got me smiling. Sure, it was predictable, but going in, I wasn't expecting a huge mystery, so I got what I wanted, and I wouldn't have minded a second book for the couple. I wonder who the next couple will be, though I do have a feeling I know who...
A month ago, I was alone in the world. Sitting here with my brother and a guy I’m beginning to care for, I realize I have people in my corner. My heart sinks at that thought because, with it, the weight of my decision becomes heavier. Now I have a brother to support and the potential to walk away from Noah with a broken heart. Or maybe break his.
I examine Noah’s face as he drives, taking in his easy smile and relaxed posture and know I can’t break his heart when he’s not open to letting anyone inside it.
Which means the only one open to getting hurt is me.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult? Adult?) Contemporary Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series (Can Be Read As A Standalone), Book Two.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Matt Jackson.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not, but who knows.
Rating - 3 stars.
January 26, 2023
Snooze fest 😴
February 10, 2019
Audio - 3.5 stars
Story - 4.5 stars
Story - 4.5 stars
July 2, 2018
***4.25 Stars***
There's something so easy about Eden Finley's writing. I instantly fall in love with her characters and I'm all in on their journey.
Here we continue the fake relationship trope with Matt, the newly outed football player who lives and breathes the game and Noah, the carefree trust fund baby set up to pose as his boyfriend to give Matt a more wholesome image.
But both guys get so much more than they bargained for.
I love how easily Matt and Noah fit together. They found a comfort with each other rather quickly and with each passing day that comfort grew into friendship and affection and later love (even though they were scared to admit it to each other).
This book, just like the first, had the perfect balance of humor and heart with a splash of angst.
Noah had me cracking up so many times with his lack of filter. And the sex....oh these two burned up my pages!
I can't wait for more in this series! Looks like the next book is about a certain journalist and hockey player...but I'm so here for the hint of something between a certain star quarterback and his college friend and current teammate.
January 17, 2024
Free cruise, he said. Pretend to be Matt Jackson’s boyfriend, he said. It’ll be fun, he said. You know what Damon didn’t say? That Matt Jackson is a miserable asshole.
😭😭😭😭 I loved it!!!! Mutual pining while fake dating is a god tier trope combo! They both had such good reasons for hiding their feelings and it was killing me (in a good way) when they kept lying to themselves and each other.
The found family continues to be excellent, the side characters were fantastic, the family drama was so well done on both sides. 5 million stars. Wish I could read it again for the first time.
“There’s no number when it comes to you. We’re infinite.”
😭😭😭😭 I loved it!!!! Mutual pining while fake dating is a god tier trope combo! They both had such good reasons for hiding their feelings and it was killing me (in a good way) when they kept lying to themselves and each other.
The found family continues to be excellent, the side characters were fantastic, the family drama was so well done on both sides. 5 million stars. Wish I could read it again for the first time.
“There’s no number when it comes to you. We’re infinite.”
February 18, 2020
I honestly don't have much to say about this one that I didn't already say about book one. Sure, this is a different couple, different circumstances, but in TRICK PLAY the background noise was definitely easier to bear. But the ensemble cast is growing as befits a long-ish series and I'm having fun with the new, and recurring, characters. It's fairly low angst, though definitely enough to offer some substance and stakes to the romance, it's sexy, and there's banter to keep things light and fun. I think it took me a little longer to warm upto this couple in the first place but once they started to hit it off, I was in. Probably my only real complaint is yet more family backstory drama that, again, I'm not entirely sure needed as much page time as it got -- and some maybe was totally unnecessary considering how it's never really a driving point of the story -- but, again, I had a good time with this. And I think this binge train is gonna keep on ridin'.
September 23, 2020
3.5 stars.
This one had a very slow start and it was really hard for me to feel connected to Matt and Noah. I liked Matt and Noah as characters in the previous books, but it took me awhile to feel the chemistry between Noah and Matt and really feel connected to them. I do love a fake dating trope, but this didn't do it as well as the previous book did. I did like how Matt's family came in closer to the end and I felt like that gave Matt's character a lot more substance and was part of why I enjoyed the story more. I just wish there was more to the characters from the start. I still feel like I'm missing something with Noah and that he wasn't as fleshed out as I wanted him to be.
This one had a very slow start and it was really hard for me to feel connected to Matt and Noah. I liked Matt and Noah as characters in the previous books, but it took me awhile to feel the chemistry between Noah and Matt and really feel connected to them. I do love a fake dating trope, but this didn't do it as well as the previous book did. I did like how Matt's family came in closer to the end and I felt like that gave Matt's character a lot more substance and was part of why I enjoyed the story more. I just wish there was more to the characters from the start. I still feel like I'm missing something with Noah and that he wasn't as fleshed out as I wanted him to be.
August 20, 2018
I enjoyed this way more than I thought and actually went without sleep to finish it in one hit ! It was sweet, cute and made me smile. What begins as a set up, concludes as something beautiful. Noah & Matt both had issues and really hid their true feelings to everyone... slowly but surely, these emotions rose to the top ❤️
July 6, 2018
2.5 stars
I didn't hate it, but it wasn't really good for me either.
***Spoiler(ish) Review Follows***
***
***
***
***
***
The first 30% is all very business like, transactional. I didn't feel the heat. It was all sex sex and more sex without any real connection.
The relationship develops in the middle. But I'm still not feeling their connection. It's still very focused on sex. I needed to see them laughing, talking, cooking or doing just about anything together other than sex. Enjoying each other's company out of bed.
Then the last 30% they're too stupid to tell each other how they feel when it's blatantly obvious to both of them. Plus, I simply couldn't understand the reason why they both kept thinking it wouldn't work. They're both rich. One rich boy could move to the city the other rich boy has a career in. Hell, it's a relatively short term career anyways. But the story just dragged on with both of them being stupid. All the way through until the rainbow bow at the end.
No, this one didn't really work for me. The evil dad was too far fetched and basically resolved in one paragraph of nothing.
I'm very intrigued by a young musician. But the author already decided he's too young to be an MC for now. Maybe I'll pick this series back up when he gets his spotlight. In any case, I hope this strange comma problem goes away in the next book.
I didn't hate it, but it wasn't really good for me either.
***Spoiler(ish) Review Follows***
***
***
***
***
***
The first 30% is all very business like, transactional. I didn't feel the heat. It was all sex sex and more sex without any real connection.
The relationship develops in the middle. But I'm still not feeling their connection. It's still very focused on sex. I needed to see them laughing, talking, cooking or doing just about anything together other than sex. Enjoying each other's company out of bed.
Then the last 30% they're too stupid to tell each other how they feel when it's blatantly obvious to both of them. Plus, I simply couldn't understand the reason why they both kept thinking it wouldn't work. They're both rich. One rich boy could move to the city the other rich boy has a career in. Hell, it's a relatively short term career anyways. But the story just dragged on with both of them being stupid. All the way through until the rainbow bow at the end.
No, this one didn't really work for me. The evil dad was too far fetched and basically resolved in one paragraph of nothing.
I'm very intrigued by a young musician. But the author already decided he's too young to be an MC for now. Maybe I'll pick this series back up when he gets his spotlight. In any case, I hope this strange comma problem goes away in the next book.
July 5, 2018
I love me a good enemies to lovers story and Trick Play was GOOD! Eden Finley writes brilliant banter, there's no doubt about it, Noah and Matt were on form.
“Told you to jerk it,” I say quietly out the side of my mouth.
These two had me in stitches at times, they bickered like an old married couple before they were even a couple.
Both men had issues - Noah and his trust issues (which got a bit old at times) and Matt with being forced to out of the closet and thrust straight into the limelight which in turn lost him his place on his team. Cue Damon and Noah with a fake boyfriend rescue plan.
I'm well invested in this series and can't wait for Lennon and Ollie's book.
“Told you to jerk it,” I say quietly out the side of my mouth.
These two had me in stitches at times, they bickered like an old married couple before they were even a couple.
Both men had issues - Noah and his trust issues (which got a bit old at times) and Matt with being forced to out of the closet and thrust straight into the limelight which in turn lost him his place on his team. Cue Damon and Noah with a fake boyfriend rescue plan.
I'm well invested in this series and can't wait for Lennon and Ollie's book.
June 28, 2018
4.25 stars.
Trick Play was exactly the type of book I've been looking to read. Eden Filney killed it with the first book Fake Out which I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed a tad bit more than this one. So I was really excited when she said she was releasing this book about Noah & Matt. It made the book nerd in me very happy.
Fake relationship tropes is something I'm starting to love a lot. And Eden does an amazing job of writing some of the best. Noah and Matt's relationship was something that progressed over time and just like their relationship, somehow and somewhere while reading the book you fall in love with the two. They really did balance each other in the best way.
There was the perfect balance of sarcasm, seriousness, humor & steamy moments to make me happy. The characters were easy to relate to with problems a lot of people go through. But, basically I loved everything about this. Although this is a standalone, I would recommend reading the first book because they do overlap with each other. Also, I can't wait for the third book!!!!
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Free cruise, he said. Pretend to be Matt Jackson's boyfriend, he said. It'll be fun, he said. You know what he didn't say? That Matt Jackson is a miserable asshole.
Trick Play was exactly the type of book I've been looking to read. Eden Filney killed it with the first book Fake Out which I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed a tad bit more than this one. So I was really excited when she said she was releasing this book about Noah & Matt. It made the book nerd in me very happy.
Fake relationship tropes is something I'm starting to love a lot. And Eden does an amazing job of writing some of the best. Noah and Matt's relationship was something that progressed over time and just like their relationship, somehow and somewhere while reading the book you fall in love with the two. They really did balance each other in the best way.
Huh. He'd rather deal with the media than kiss me. Someone get be a crash cart, because my ego just flatlined.
There was the perfect balance of sarcasm, seriousness, humor & steamy moments to make me happy. The characters were easy to relate to with problems a lot of people go through. But, basically I loved everything about this. Although this is a standalone, I would recommend reading the first book because they do overlap with each other. Also, I can't wait for the third book!!!!
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2018
Fan de esta serie, el libro anterior es ligero, se lee bien, tiene momentos divertidos y algunos otros muy bonitos, exactamente lo mismo pasa con este. Pareja con mucha química y muy entretenido. Pareja interracial, mundo del deporte, situaciones románticas y otras muy sexys, no se puede pedir más para pasar un buen rato.
Muy muy agradable de leer.
Muy muy agradable de leer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,425 reviews