A Cinderella Story.
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked her friends a lot. I'm not a big fan of surprise pregnancies in my books. But it wasn't the focus of the entire book so I didn't mind it here. I really loved how the FMC grew up without a support system and has a strong support system (chosen family) now.

The Princess and the Player is the second book in the Strangers in Love series by the fabulous Ilsa Madden Mills. I knew when we met Tuck I was going to love him. His story is everything I wanted it to be and more! He's funny, sexy, a pro baller, but he's also hurting and has a past that's constantly haunting him. When he meets a beautiful stranger at a masquerade party at a sex club, it seems like the perfect night. No names, no faces and just one night. But fate had other ideas. Turns out she lives in his building and doesn't seem to want anything to do with him. Francesca never thought her one-night stand would turn out to be her rich and famous neighbor, but here we are. Now not only does she see him everywhere, she's keeping a very big secret from him. She's pregnant. What are the odds. The connection between Tuck and Francesca is too strong for either of them to ignore. For once Tuck wants to actually get to know a woman. There's just something about her that calls to him. Calms him. Makes him want to be a better man. But what happens when he finds out about the baby? Will that be the end of them or the beginning of their story? Oh man! I loved Tuck and Francesca! Their romance isn't all fun and games. They both have pasts and have a hard time accepting love. But they are destined to be together. I loved watching them fall and grow and finally give in. Overall, I laughed, cried, got hot and bothered and just loved it!

I love all of Ilsa Madden Mills books but I didn't think any book could knock Not My Romeo off the top spot until I read Princess and the Player. Everything about this book was so incredible. From the storyline, the character development, the side characters, it was just amazing. Tuck Avery has so many more layers to him than the outside world sees, but what athlete wouldn't embrace the bachelor heartthrob that woman fall all over them? Tuck often visits clubs that keep his identity anonymous. He meets the girl with the eyes that he can't forget. Little does he know she lives in his building of all places. These two are 100% drawn to each other instantly but can Tuck overcome his past to keep his new found princess?

3.5 Stars

This is the second book of this series however it can be read as a standalone. I liked this book but I didn't fall in love with it. I found it difficult to get fully immersed in the storyline or with the characters. I haven't read the first book maybe if I had I would have seen a different Tuck. He seemed a little immature at times and his personality was all over the place. Francesca was my favourite of the two characters I liked her personality and her eclectic group of friends. I would have liked her to come clean to Tuck sooner as it felt like everything was resolved really quickly also I would have liked him to work harder for forgiveness she gave in to soon.

I loved this book. I loved the incredibly layered characters, the intricate way the story weaves through Tuck and Fran’s past and present. I’m not usually a huge fan of an accidental pregnancy but the way this HEA played out, it was still a definite yes for me. I am always a sucker for Ilsa. Her MMCs are consistently complicated and dreamy and her FMCs are tough and resilient. 5/5 for me!

A great addition to this series. This one will have you feeling all the feels. The chemistry between Tuck and Francesca is on fire and their journey is full of emotions and laugh out loud moments. It’s definitely worth the read.

This was amazing and I listened and went back and forth between the audio and reading the digital version here. I just love Ilsa Madden-Mills and her steamy and swoony characters. She's one of my favorite authors to look forward to curling up and reading at the end of the day. She always pulls me in and I find myself lost in her book and lose time. Love her!

Thoroughly emotional, this is a rollercoaster of a romance that got me feeling all the things, Tuck and Francesca’s story begins one fateful night at a very exclusive sort of membership-only club where they promise each other one night and only one night. Neither of them knew it then, but they’d eventually find out they live in the same building and that they’ve met before. Very quickly after that Francesca finds out that her and Tuck’s night together left her with an automatic plus one, but for her own reasons she doesn’t rush to let him know. They begin to really get to know one another and eventually their reunion turns into much more, but how long can Francesca’s secret last?

If you love characters with tragic pasts, then this book is for you. Tuck’s life growing up was difficult, and Francesca’s life has always been hard from birth having had to grow up in the system. These two share that commonality, and it’s in large part their pasts that inform their current lives. Discovering how their characters backstories formed them made my heart hurt, but it made me fall in love with how they are in the present even more. Tuck’s become quite the man (despite making me mad especially at one point), and Francesca’s this feisty and incredibly strong heroine. To say I adored her is an understatement.

Something I especially enjoyed about this book is that it’s more complicated than your average sports romance. Don’t get me wrong, because I love a good sports romance, but the drama and angst inherent in this story just got me. I mean, at one point I actually cried. I won’t ruin the book by giving anything away, but it’s that tension that kept me rivetted. This book proved to be more powerful than I initially anticipated, and I loved the sort of strife that coursed through it.

Having said all that, I also loved how fun this book was at times. The banter is cheeky, and the secondary cast of characters is simply quality. They lend this lightheartedness to a storyline that could possibly become too serious and provide this lovely sort of family for Tuck and Francesca. They’re all pretty entertaining, and their addition to the book lends an almost playfulness to it that I think made the story even richer.

Well written and filled with emotion and amazing characters, this is a romance that’s not to be missed. It’s an addictive tale that’s filled with ups and downs that I found instantly addictive, and I think you will, too.

I'm typically a big Madden-Mills fan (I've enjoyed nearly a dozen of her books), but this particular series hasn't been resonating with me. The biggest downfall for this book, however, is that there's a huge difference between an accidental pregnancy romance (which I like) and a secret baby romance (which I loathe). Somewhere along the way, this crosses the line from one to the other, and that demolished my interest in the book. There were some other issues as well, so this is the kind of book that I never became emotionally invested in - there was a decent amount of skimming involved. Madden-Mills' writing style is great, so here's hoping that the next one goes smoother.

What I love most about Isla Madden-Mill’s stories is that they involve broken characters and a group of friends that are sometimes better than family. And this motley crew show so much love and support that it makes the story super heartwarming, apart from the steam of the sexy scenes!

Francesca and Tuck have crappy upbringings; Francesca was abandoned as a baby and grew up in the foster system, Tuck grew up wealthy but with chaos from a mentally ill mother and a father with anger issues. Both have fears that prevent them from having fulfilling love relations, but that hasn’t stopped them from having lovely friends.

As they meet up, fall in love, they recognize each other’s dark places, accept and love them. And what is best, they mix their family, not of blood but of the heart and make a better crowd. Their only challenge is the fear inside themselves of letting go, of trusting the love for the other. For Francesca it was easier but she was hiding a secret that she didn’t confess for fear of losing Tuck. He was loving Francesca but perceived there was something in between them.

Tuck was dealing with the upcoming end of his career and was slowly imploding from his inner demons. He only found peace in the arms of Francesca. And Francesca was dealing with all the losses she had suffered in her life, and concerns about her parentage.

This story was deliciously angsty and lovely to read. You can’t help falling in love with Jasper, Cece, Brogan and Mr. Darden. They provide the lighthearted repartee and the loving devotion of true friends. So apart from the romance and the sexy times, you get a lot of entertainment and laughs and end up feeling like the world is not such a crappy place.

“when Princess Bride meets Prince Player. A naughty nighttime story about a masquerade ball.”

One night only, no names, no strings attached. Sounds simple enough but what happens when months later you find out you’re pregnant? And the father is someone you kind of already know and not a fan of?

Francesca is not a fan of Tuck Avery, not that she knows him personally. They live in the same building and he’s a player in all sense of the word. He’s a football player and according to tabloids he loves partying with super models.

But Fate seems to have other plans for them and their paths cross again.

Francesca and Tuck both have pasts that plays a big part on how they live their lives and what kind of future they want. Unfortunately they don’t seem to be going the same direction. But they can’t help but act on the intense attraction and chemistry they have. Now they have to decide if the the other is worth the risk and choose a path together.

Love the friendships and the found family in this one. No one said family has to be blood and I’m so happy that Francesca found hers.

Francesca and Tuck are explosive together!! and oh my getting it on in public! 🙈🥵 Love that they built on their attraction with friendship and really tried to get to know each other.

This story was great, what I liked most was the way Tuck and Francesca were intertwined from the beginning to the end of the story. More and more little things were explained and revealed through out the story, that made you smile about how fate can work in mysterious ways.

A sexy, funny suprise pregnancy story with all the feels! A chance encounter in a secret club leads to an unforgettable night for two strangers. But that is all it is. Or so they think! Until a suprise pregancy leads to a whole lot of soul searching and secret keeping that in turn leads to a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. Unforgettable! Incomparable! This one was everything you love in your stories! All the feelings, past trauma, scared and so so in love! You don`t want to miss it!

OMG This book! Absolutely amazing!
Levelheaded Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress goes to a masquerade ball—at an exclusive lifestyle club. There, she meets unknown-to-her NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.
Unfortunately, Francesca realizes quickly that her masked prince lives in the penthouse of her apartment building and maybe fate already has plans for them.
I read this book in a day. These characters are great. Francesca is resilient and strong and has an enormous heart. Tuck is just adorable. He doesn´t do commitment (he has his reasons) but he definitely lost his head for our girl. The dialogs between them are soooo good, witty and funny. There are a few steamy moments that were closed doors and that disappointed me a bit, but there are a couple of really hot encounters in public places that were beautifully written.
This story is sexy, sweet and addictive. I couldn’t stop reading it or smiling. I loved it. LOVE IT.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Princess and the Player is book 2 in the Stranger in Love series by Ilsa Madden-Mills. A stand-alone romance, told from both POV with a HEA

Tropes:
✔️ big city
✔️ strangers to lovers
✔️ sports
✔️ surprise pregnancy

What do a jilted bride, a surprise birthday celebration for and NFL player and a sex-club have in common? It’s the setting for a fiery meet-cute between the Princess Bride and Prince Player, otherwise known as Francesca Lane and Tucker Avery. A tattoo artist-slash-art connoisseur and the NY’s NFL best wide receiver.

They agreed on a no strings, no names, one night stand without taking their masks off at the sex club. But not long after, they realize they live in the same building. And while they’re both besotted, Francesca has a bug of the 9-month kind that will surely not be welcomed by the extremely cautious Tuck.

I loved Beauty and the Baller and was eagerly awaiting Tuck’s book, which I did enjoy and could hardly put down. But there were a couple of things that caught me off guard.

The first was that I was expecting a lighter rom-com-ish story. Princess and the Player was a bit too angsty for me to be considered rom-com. The second, and more concerning was that even though I didn’t really know Tuck from the previous book, I thought of him as an easy going guy, but he had a lot of baggage that made him more complex. That said, I really liked getting to know him.

My heart hurt for him and for Francesca. Neither had an easy upbringing, and that carried over to their relationship, the openness and trust issues they had to work through to be able to forge a deep and meaningful relationship.

They did have the help and support of their chosen family, especially Francesca. Her roommates and best friends Brogan and Cecelia, together with her cantankerous next door neighbor Mr. Darden along with Tuck’s temporary roomie and teammate Jasper were all loveable, fun and a wonderful added layer to the story.

Quick review:
★ Character development: 👤👤👤👤
★ World building: 🌏🌏🌏🌏
★ Plot: 📚📚📚
★ Romance: 💕💕💕💕
★ Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

OVERALL RATING – 5

RECOMMENDED for those that like: football Hero-artist heroine/ chosen family/ unexpected baby

First my usual points:
- I do not do spoilers unless warned.
- Read the summary above; it will tell you what the book is about. I will not reiterate.
- This is a standalone but second in a series. Best enjoyed when read in order but not necessary.
- No errors that I caught as far as editing.
- The author was not new to me.

BOOK:
- Cover adequately reflects the story
- Genre/troupe: contemporary romance
1st person POV alternating
Most Characters from first book make appearance in name only

Star Ratings - 1 (poor) - 5 (READ THIS BOOK)
• Writing Quality: 5 stars
• Story ingredient: 5 stars
• Ease of reading/Pace: 5 stars
• Plot strength: 5 stars
• Steam Level: 4stars

Notes/Opinion (personal):

Entertains read that pulls you in from the start. Tuck and Francesca each dealt with baggage but overall it was believable. Only complain was how long it took her to tell him about baby. Seemed a bit crazy that he noticed no changes in her body or behavior that might have hinted to him.

I finished this book last night and it was so fun to go back to this series.

NFL wide receiver Tuck Avery meets Francesca at a sex club one night that his friends drag him to on his birthday as a joke. They immediately hit it off and make a one-night-only agreement.
Later on, they bump into each other again at a local neighborhood restaurant and soon discover that they actually live in the same building.

I loved that this story grabbed me from the beginning. Talk about a hook!

I recommend this one if you like:
• Found families
• Lots of pining
• Hilarious secondary characters
• Public shenanigans
• Dating the celebrity

And let me just say that I have my fingers and toes crossed that book 3 in this series is Jasper and Courtney's story because, good Gawd, I'm already invested!

This was a quick read. I don't think I loved it quite as much as Beauty and the Baller but really hits the ground running and kept my interest throughout!

I unfortunately didn't enjoy this one as much as I did with the Beauty and the Baller which is the first in the Strangers in Love Series.

Unfortunately the surpirse pregnancy trope isn't my favourite but I really didn't enjoy it in this book and what ultimately gave it the 3 stars was that the third act drama could've been easily avoidable, if they communicated like adults.

What I did like was the found family and rom-com aspects of this book.

In this book we get Tuck’s story and from the previous book I was excited to get more of him because he was such an interesting character. Tuck seemed like he was this laid-back fun guy that hid his darkness behind a laugh, but in this book his lighter fun side didn’t shine through like the glimpses we saw with Ronan. I loved that we got his back story and learned the pain he went through, but it seemed like part of his personality was missing. Francesca at first really held my interest she was strong and amazing, yet somewhere in between she kind of irritated me. It didn’t make sense that they had this intimate relationship and she’s 4-6 months pregnant because either Tuck really was clueless or just not observant at all. How on Earth did she think he would feel after repeatedly telling her his insecurities and secrets about not trusting those who lie and so on and she does just that to him? The banter in the beginning was so on point that it held my interest, but I also feel like there was so much going on it lost its sparkle. Overall, I still love Tuck and his reaction to everything was spot on because being lied to by someone who knew everything about you isn’t something that someone with trust issues just accepts. The story was interesting, but I feel like Tuck deserved better.

3.75/5 - 2/5 Spice - Strangers in Love #2 (Available on Kindle Unlimited; Audiobook available)

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but the unexpected pregnancy trope was done iffy in this book, and honestly, Tuck’s character just frustrated me too much. I was physically pained with the ‘third act break-up’ for this book. Just not the positive impact the relationship in book #1 had for me overall.

Brief Plot: After a one night stand meeting at a sex club, Francesca learns she is pregnant, and that the father is a famous football star, Tuck Avery. As Tuck battles to prove to Francesca they could be in a relationship, Francesca battles trying to tell Tuck, who is vocal he doesn’t want a family, that she is pregnant.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for an eARC copy of Princess and the Player by Isla Madden-Mills. This is my honest review!