I wasn't a big fan of the plot of this book. It was an okay read but something about the book wasn't the best and didn't click with me.

Wow, wow and wow! I love sports romances. Who doesn’t love a hero who is strong, fit and sexy? And even though I thought that this was another hot  jock meets sweet and brainy girl romance, I still wanted to read it and give it a chance. And it turned out to be one of the best romance novels that I have recently read. 

Kate Donovan certainly accomplishes a very difficult feat. It’s not easy to feel kinship towards a couple who finds love on the heels of a divorce that effects 4 young kids. But she not only accomplishes that, but she makes us love each and every character involved. 

Jill Colby has just divorced her husband. The only man she has ever had a serious relationship  with. But she is left with a less than stellar view on sex. That all changes when she meets Jayce. A friend of her sister’s, Jayce, shows her that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her and gives her a night to remember ;) But will their  one-night-stand arrangement be enough now that they have both seem to have found what they were looking for?

Jayce Spurling is still in shock after the divorce that his wife sprung on him. He is ready to do anything to get his wife and four sons back. But three months is a long time and he is more than ready to get some action between the sheets and it seems that Jill is the perfect woman. She also is not ready for a serious relationship and just wants some fun. So what better way to release some stress than to have a steamy night with a woman who makes him feel like million bucks?

I must admit that there were times that I felt a little torn about Jayce and him getting back with his ex-wife. No one wants a family to split or to have four young boys live apart from their father, but believe me Kate Donovan does an amazing job of not only having us root for Jayce and Jill but also feeling compassion for them. 

This is my first Kate Donovan book and I absolutely loved it. And even though this is the sixth book of the series, I in no way felt lost or clueless. If anything, I loved the other characters so much that I ended up buying the previous books to read their stories too!! This is an absolutely delicious series that no fan of romance should miss!

Play Mates just didn't work for me. First of all, it's not a standalone, there are so many characters that apparently all have lives intertwined and I felt as if I were expected to know this before reading. So I was mostly confused while I was reading it, and it takes me a long time to finish it.Also there are moments I skipped some parts

Another super sexy Play Makers series book by Kate Donovan!

A recently divorced lawyer goes to visit her sister and ends up having a one-night stand with an injured footballer, also recently divorced. As one would expect in these kinds of stories, the one-night stand turns into much more.
Since this book is well into a series, there are a lot of people to meet, but because they’re all jammed into the start it’s difficult to keep track of who was who.
As always, I only enjoy these stories when I like the main female character, and there’s a lot to like here. She’s not a typical lawyer, fighting against the death penalty, and even gets a chance to do that unicorn of the profession, freeing a wrongfully convicted man. The surprising part here is how likeable the not-too-alpha-male football player is; much of that likeability comes from his being a dad to his four sons. Because of this, it was strange how long it took for someone to take his side against his ex; it was never clearly explained why she did what she did, so as far as I’m concerned it was all her fault, yet everyone blames him. But once it became about relationships I was reminded why I loved this author’s previous works so much.
Everything was going great until the badass lawyer went stupid, as someone always does at the end of these types of books.
Not the same feel as the superb Random series, but still pretty good.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

This was a great story with great characters. It flowed nicely without rushing the story. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author! Read it and you won't regret the time spent.

Not a stand alone as there are many situations and characters from other books in the series, Play Mates is a strong addition to the series. Centered on two divorced characters, neither of whom wants commitment, the premise was intriguing. Also interesting to me was that I didnt see this pairing coming from reading the rest of the stories. It was an entertaining surprise. Kate Donovan writes a solid story, her dialogue is always crisp and her humor spot on. I appreciate that the love scenes seem to move the story along. If you like sports themed contemporary novelists like Jaci Burton or Toni Aleo, I think you would like this series.

Loved and enjoyed reading Jace and Jill's love story.  Jace and Jill are both newly divorced looking for one fling.  The fling envolved into more than a fling.  They face so many challenges.  As feelings for each other grow Jace makes a big decision to ensure their future together. Lots of laugh out loud moments.  Recommended read.

Jill Colby is down because life hasn't been great for her recently with her marriage over and feeling the pity of little sister. She meets a divorced Jayce Spurling a football hunk. She decides one night of fun with this hot sexy guy might be what she needs.  

Jayce Spurling wife divorced him and he wants to win her back so he can bring his family back together.  His ex-wife tells him its over and to move on. But he thinks he can fix things.  Jayce meets Jill and sparks fly, she suggests a night of hot fun steamy sex. He wants the hot sexy women.  

His family want him to win his ex-wife back. Jill sister would flip a lid because of the friendships and connections between these two families. No one is to know about their night together.

It’s just one night. But what happens when Jayce wants more of the sexy Jill? This has a recipe for disaster written all over it.

I really loved this book. I love the connection Jayce and Jill have. Their plan is for one night but Jayce can't stop thinking about Jill. I love the push and pull these two have and their desire for each other. Jill knows Jayce is going back to his ex-wife making it hard for her because she tries to remember the Jake's family and not get emotionally involved. It is a great read with no a dull moment. I love the character development and growth of the characters.  I am rooting for Jake and Jill to get a happily ever after because they both deserve love.

What a treat this story was.  It is filled with sexual tension, an engaging storyline and unforgettable characters.  I not only enjoyed the two main characters, but there are also fun and entertaining secondary characters as well.  They are all close friends and help each other whenever needed.   They are also opinionated and have comments about everything.  I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series.  Each book is a standalone but all the characters are interconnected.



Jill Colby and Jayce Spurling get together for a one night stand.  They are both just coming out of difficult divorces and neither one of them is looking for anything permanent.  However, once they are together, they can't seem to stay away from each other.  I really liked Jayce and Jill.  They are both feeling insecure after their divorces and they help each other feel better about themselves. 

.

Jayce is a well known professional football player and an all around nice guy.  When he meets Jill, he finally finds someone who likes everything about him and has no interest in changing him. 



Jill is a loving and compassionate person and perfect for Jayce.  She is an attorney and has always done the right thing, until she meets Jayce.  He brings out the bad girl in her.  Jill has never met anyone like Jayce and he makes her feel things she never knew she could feel.  I was pulling for Jayce and Jill and I wanted everything to work out between them.  They are always thinking about everyone else but themselves. In their past relationships they were never appreciated.  They are great together but people and circumstances keep pulling them apart.  I enjoyed this heartfelt story.

These two just wanted to play with each other then things got twisted and feelings got involved and things change and they change fast. 

I was all for them from the beginning and I love a HEA

Absolutely loved Jayce and Jill, although I had to had the chance to read other books in the series I was able to quickly catch up. I definitely want to go back and read he other books to understand each of the characters. Jayce and Jill are both recently divorced and decide to have a one night stand. The one night quickly turns into multiple nights as they are unable to stay away from each other. Explosive chemistry and making everything better by simply completing the other. Loved it!

Play Mates just didn't work for me. First of all, it's not a standalone, there are so many characters that apparently all have lives intertwined and I felt as if I were expected to know this before reading. Second, as adorable as I found both Jayce and Jill, and I like Jayce's kids and some of the secondary characters, I just could not connect with anyone. I like them, but didn't feel that strongly about any of them. The sex scenes were kind of awkward and almost fade to black, not very descriptive. And then there's the whole martyr thing, I absolutely cannot stand it when someone does something self sacrificing because 9 times out of 10, it's not necessary, and it will upset, anger, freak out, what have you, the person for whom the character is sacrificing themselves. And in this case, Jill martyring herself in regards to their relationship?! All so someone so undeserving of it, can profit?!?! Um no, soooo not OK, and so stupid and so ridiculous!!!

So yeah, Play Mates is sweet and cute and all and has some adorable characters, but it didn't come together for me. There's not enough there to hook me, so I can't really rate it higher.

Donovan shines in this latest installment.  Very happy to see these two strong leads find themselves and each other in this quick read.

Jill Colby is a beautiful, young attorney who has gone through an ugly divorce. She goes to a party with her sister and meets a handsome, professional football player, Jayce Spurling. Jayce was married until his wife used a hammer on their television set. It was a sad divorce for Jayce and his four young boys. When Jill and Jayce meet, they are instantly attracted to each other and decide to have a fling until he is able to make amends with his wife and go back to his family. This precious story is about young children and their fragile feelings after a divorce. It's also a sweet love story about new beginnings and trying to recapture the past. The characters are realistic and charming while the story is endearing and fulfilling. A great contemporary romance for those who love sports stories. 

Play Mates by Kate Donovan is now available from Beyond the Page Publishing. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I just love this series and I have read them all and they keep getting better and better with each other. What a fantastic author who needs to get to more readers out there as they are missing out on such fantastic books and stories. Can't wait for more from this author and this series. Would totally recommend this to everyone

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.  It is actually funny that I almost chose not to request this book and it ended up being my favorite in the series.  To those of you who have not read the series- I am not sure that this works really well as a stand alone because former characters pop up a lot and their weird relationships and loud personalities (I am looking at you Bam) might be too much of a distraction for the uninitiated.  

That said, I think I liked this one so much because it focused on someone not as invested in that group of friends.  They are both related to members of that crew which is why we see them and are expected to care about their opinions but I found their appearances jarring and kind of annoying.  

I though the relationship between Jayce and Jill was really well done and the transition from let's just have some fun to genuine feelings felt real and was well handled.  They both have issues to deal with from their previous relationships and Donovan makes it work that they expect this to be a fling.  I found Jayce's family blaming him for his divorce and trying to shame into spending all of his time groveling to his ex infuriating which is a good sign that I was invested in Jayce's story.

I liked this book so much more than I expected to and recommend it to any fans of the series.

Received an ARC for my fair review for netgalley. Yeah this one was not for me, and I do not think it is a stand alone, there were too many instances where the couples from previous books were around, so if you have not read those books you might have been lost.  Now, I understand when people want to work on their marriage because of kids, but your wife cheated on you! And your friends, and this woman you are sleeping with are encouraging you to get back together? yeah, I am so not getting that. Then, Jayce and Jill have sex, without protection (hello???) your exes, cheated, cheated on you!!!

Frustration..It does not deserve a 2 I mean it just my opinion, so I am not going to do that to author, but god, help me understand...

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book
OMG this book was absolutely amazing, I have to say I have not read any of Kate Donovan's books before
but I will be picking up all the books in this series, Although it is a series this was written in a way that I was not lost at all in the story, yes there are characters that you just NEED to know their back story but this centers around Jill and Jayce. I have to say I could NOT understand why everyone loved Beth so much, I just could not stand her, I think she was mean, hateful, and manipulative to Jayce, I really felt he loved her so much but then I got to thinking that he loved what they 'were' more than anything, Jill was absolutely perfect for Jayce. This story had me laughing and crying and had me madder than a wet hen many times as well. It is HOT, it is sweet and it is heartbreaking as well. I highly recommend this book!

<b>2.5 Stars</b>

I want to start by saying my rating should be taken with a grain of salt. <b>I thought this book could be read as a stand alone when I requested it and, in my opinion, it should not be.</b> I was bowled over immediately by the mention of so many characters from other books in the series that I had zero chance of keeping it all straight. I'm a simple gal by nature and if my brain's hurting a couple of chapters in, it just may not be the book for me.


<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/LEA3o7aT31A8U/giphy.gif">

I like the idea of a successful lawyer and a hot football player using each other to get their grooves back, so to speak, but honestly I just didn't connect to the writing. Why did they already know so much about each other? Not a clue. Why was he okay with her basically saying "go get her, champ!" after mutually gratifying naked time? Got me.

I'd most definitely try something else by this author but <I>Play Mates</i> just wasn't for me.

</I>ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</I>