The romance between main characters Cole and Jane was definitely a slow burn. In fact, it may have gone a bit too slow at first, and that's coming from a reader whose favorite trope is slow burn! In the first half of the book, Cole spent more time with Jane's son Finn than with Jane herself, and
while Cole and Jane had a few decent conversations and shared a couple of passionate kisses in
that time, it didn't feel like quite enough of a basis for their relationship.
Fortunately, things improved substantially about halfway through the book. Cole and Jane finally started to grow closer
and I felt the chemistry between them more and more. Despite the obvious challenges they faced, I really liked them together and
wanted things to work out for them.
Cole was an incredibly likeable and sympathetic lead character. I felt so bad for what he was going through because of his injury and having to come to
terms with the end of his professional rugby career. Fortunately, he seemed to be
handling it well, and the time he spent with Jane and Finn seemed to be therapeutic in a lot of ways. Cole turned out to be really good with kids, and I loved the scenes of him interacting with the 4- and 5-year-olds during his rugby clinic. His nicknames for them were hilarious, as was his spot-on observation that working
with kids at that age is like trying to herd cats.
There were a number of wonderful secondary characters included in this story, many of whom I recognized from earlier books in the Credence, Colorado series. I especially enjoyed the time Cole spent at the Lumberjack bar with Arlo, Tucker, and
Drew. I'm still hoping that Arlo and Drew will get stories of their own in the future!
Despite the slow start to Jane and Cole's romance, I loved this funny, sweet, and heartwarming story and highly recommend it for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I look forward to seeing what Amy Andrews writes next.
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Grey's Promotions. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Playing with Trouble"
From pro rugby player to...Manny?
From pro rugby player to...Manny?
Australian rugby pro Cole Hauser has had enough of speculations about his future post-injury. So when a football buddy puts his house in America at Cole's disposal, he jumps at the chance for some peace and anonymity. The plan is perfect--until he discovers he's roomies with a woman who knows how to wield a nail gun and her kid. Awesome. Not.
Single mom Jane Spencer is supposed to be spending four weeks alone in the wilds of Colorado rehabbing a house that'll put her business on the map. Instead, her time is overrun by her four-year-old and a grumpy, too-sexy rugby dude whose only goals are to watch ESPN and brood. Awesome. Not.
When, surprisingly, McHottie offers to get his ass off the couch and help Jane out with Finn, she's hesitant. But before she knows it, Cole is knee-deep in kid activities during the day and they're both fighting their simmering attraction at night.
Anything between them can only be temporary - their time together is short and Cole lives on the other side of the planet. It should be easy to say goodbye, right? Wrong. It doesn't take long for them to realize they've borrowed a whole lot of trouble.
But trouble never felt this good.
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