Princess and the Player is full of quirky characters, steamy chemistry, emotional backstories, and a romance that was undeniable. Princess and the Player is swoonworthy reading at its best. 

Tuck Avery is reaching the end of his NFL career, although he may not want to admit it, yet. It's been his life...well, forever. Celebrating another birthday is just another reminder that he's the oldest wide receiver currently playing, along with other horrible memories that surround his birthday, but Jasper, the current QB, and his current roommate, Jasper takes it upon himself to take him out. Instead of a nice quiet dinner that he normally prefers, yes he knows how old that makes him sound, Jasper takes him to a club...yes...a seggesy club and for one night he indulges in a beautiful woman...his Princess. Is it possible that he sees her again, living in his building? Was their night even happenstance or a total setup?  

Francesca Lane is a beautiful mix of strong woman and silent strength. On the day she was supposed to be married, which didn't happen due to a cheating ex, she decided to celebrate her freedom at a masquerade party. She spends one fantastic night, no names, no strings with a stranger and feels completely refreshed...except weeks later she's feeling run down and can't seem to shake a bug, but is it?  Then when she figures out who her masked stranger was, well, that is when she runs into him again, and again, and again...well, fate sure has a sense of humor because this is also when she realizes she might not actually be sick.

The secondary characters are so quirky and they added a ton of flavor to the story which brought out the fun and sassy to both Francesca and Tuck. There were lots of LOL moments between everyone, but at the heart they were a found family, which was beautiful, more than anything.

This is a book that once you pick it up you will not set it back down until you reach The End, I know I didn't. I was completely engrossed in the story of Francesca and Tucker that I had no idea I'd stayed up until 2am...whoops...I loved every second it of it...no regrets!!

Ilsa Madden-Mills has blown me away!
This was an amazing story about inner demons, strength, fear, heartbreak, perseverance, personal growth, love, chosen family and taking chances. I loved both characters.

Francesca was strong, independent, fiercely loyal to her loved ones, strong, and for the most part straight up. Tuck was strong, tortured, humble, charismatic, kind, and felt unworthy. Both needed to face and work through the demons of the past that haunted them, to let them go, and end up the strong, caring and loving individuals that could take a chance on each other. I loved the dark way these two characters knew each other and saw each other from the start without knowing each other. The way they met was so different and grabbed your attention.

The supporting characters of the "chosen family" are amazing! The Characters of Gianna and Valentina are also wonderful. I can't wait to know more about their stories hopefully! They show how a "chosen family" can be there for each other, and have each other's back. This story grabbed me from the start and had me routing for Fran and Tuck, both individually, and as a couple with the surprises that came along the way.

It is a must read!! I adored this one and could not put it down!! It was perfect and just what I needed. I was struggling to find something to read that I could get into before this story.

Princess and the Player is the 2nd standalone book in the Strangers in Love Series by Ms. Madden-Mills and I couldn't wait to read Tuck's story after having met him in the first book. If your favorite genre is one-night stands with some unexpected circumstances, I think you'll really enjoy this read. I really liked Tuck's character but it was Francesca's strong-willed, brave characterization that I really enjoyed. The secondary characters, most especially Darden, really add to the story line, but at times I felt it to be a bit disjointed, but that may just be me! If you enjoyed Ronan & Nova's story in Beauty and the Baller, you'll want to grab this one and dive in. I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

The Princess and the Player started out well, but sadly that’s about it. TPATP read very much like an uncorrected proof and could’ve used another round or two of editing. It was both too much and not enough. Too much in the sense that there were too many storylines, too many exes, too much emotional damage, too many coincidences and a rushed ending. Not enough in that there wasn’t enough detail in any of the storylines that Madden-Mills tossed out. TPATP would’ve been a much better book had she concentrated on one or two of the supporting arcs. Since there is so much going on the book is messy and unbelievable.

On the writing front there are some odd transitions, wrong words and weird phrasing. The worst being “I card my fingers through her hair.” I’ve never, ever heard this phrase before and it’s used eight times. Eight! I don’t think IMM knows how pregnancy works. Francesca and Tuck are having sex and she’s six-months pregnant. She’s not showing and the baby is healthy? I know everyone is different, but there is no way you can hide a naked six-month bump.

I’m all for suspending belief when reading. However, a doorman building, granting a three bedroom apartment at a reduced rate to a low-income person is beyond believable. This book is a romcom, not fantasy. I love me a sports romance, but unfortunately I can’t recommend The Princess and the Player.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard not to fall for Tuck💕 He’s a kind hearted, dirty talking, football god his only flaw…he’s afraid to love and have a future with anyone😞

It only takes on fateful night to change his mind. He & Francesca are perfect together. They have great chemistry and she slowly gets him to believe in a future & love 💕

Their family group is goals for sure. I love their group. Darden is so sweet & grumpy🙃 Brogan & Cece will do anything for Fran…and Jay Bird is the best!! He’s sweet, kind, funny & loyal. — “We’re not blood but better.”

💕fave quotes📖
What to do, what to do . . . Choose door one or door two.—-always the question & Francesca chose the best answer for her & Tuck. 🥰


…and the world—ah, it’s the perfect chaos.—-that’s the best kind♥️

Omg! I love, love, love this book! Football star Tuck Avery gets taken to a secret masquerade x club for his birthday by his friends. With masks on, no one will be able to identify who they are. Francesca Lane is devastated with her now ex fiancé so she figures why waste a good wedding gown. She goes to a masquerade party instead. That’s where she stumbles into a hottie. One night to forget all her troubles…what could happen, right?! Well, when she gets in a argument with football star Tuck Avery she thought something was familiar. That’s when Francesca realizes who he is and gets an extra surprise in the form of two lines. Can she find a way to tell him? Will this princess bride and prince player find their happy ending? I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The banter, the chemis!ry, all of it was timed perfectly. A feel good romance for those that love strangers to lovers with plenty of laughs. There is also a sweeter and emotional story that lies beneath that’s is <chef’s kiss.> As a side note, Jasper is a hoot and the perfect comic relief lol. A definite top read of 2022! I could not put this down. Told in dual POV

This book is the definition of UNPUTDOWNABLE. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Breezing through page after page utterly transfixed, utterly mesmerized by the characters and their journey. Ilsa has slayed a troupe that I don’t particularly like, she may have just converted me to a lover of surprise pregnancy romance, I never thought I’d see the day.

This book hit the mark on so many levels. The banter between Tuck and Francesca was *chef’s kiss* flawlessness. The heat and passion were set your kindle on fire scorching. And the layering of so many contrasting emotions were twist your heart brilliance. I had been in such a book funk; nothing was really sustaining my attention and then this book dropped onto my kindle and immediately I felt so many emotions. I love a story that really wrenches and pulls every type of feeling possible from you. The type of book that can set your soul on fire and your panties a flame and this book was exactly that.

Tuck and Francesca are living in two completely different worlds. There is nothing inherently similar about them in anyway, but they work so well because of it. The darkness and pain that they each endured growing up, binds their very souls together. They may appear to be dissimilar, but their entire beings recognize the need and longing for each other. These two soared to the top of my favorite couples by Ilsa without a second’s hesitation.

Only Ilsa can take a troupe that I don’t predominantly like and create a world that I don’t want to leave. This entire story captivated me body and soul, securing Ilsa’s place as one of my go-to authors. My heart broke for them but healed because of them as well. Bravo Ilsa this book is a MUST READ for anyone who likes surprise pregnancy but also for those that may not, she unquestionably changed my mind.

The cover of this book looks like it will be a romcom, but there's some surprisingly dark content in the Princess and the Player. Francesca and Tuck meet at a sex club after Francesca finds out her fiancee is cheating on her. She wears her wedding dress to a masquerade ball and has a hot night with a stranger, who she later finds out lives in her building. Francesca ends up pregnant in the classic "accidental pregnancy" trope (of which I'm really not a fan, but I pushed through). Both Tuck and Francesca have some deep past trauma (including child abandonment, suicide, mental health concerns, etc.), which was unexpected based on the synopsis. This one could do with some trigger warnings!

“ I want to see you in my bed. I want to fuck you. I want you to suck me off. I want to see your face over candlelight. I want to take you to dinner. “

I really enjoyed this book! The book starts with Tuck and Francesa meeting at a sex party. It is Tuck’s birthday and his friends brought him there. Francesca is there to forget about the fact that it was supposed to be her wedding day. I loved their meet cute. Right away they have chemistry. but they didn’t exchange names or any info about each other and they were wearing masks. It was funny reading how A few weeks later they bump into each other and they both realized that they live in the same building. Francesca finds out that she’s pregnant but decides not to tell Tuck. Francesca was abandoned as a baby and shifted between different housings. She has always been left by people and can’t possibly take the fact that Tuck might not choose her or the baby. I loved how persistent Tuck was though to try to get her to go out with him. The things that came out of that man’s mouth are delicious! The only thing I really didn’t like about the book was that Francesca wasn’t upfront with Tuck from the beginning. The third act break up and make up was a little fast but I loved the ending. It was a beautiful way to end their story.

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Football hero
Surprised pregnancy
Neighbors to lovers
Open door romance
Supportive friends

I enjoyed this story, which pulled me in from the start. Francesca and Tuck meet at a masquerade party and eventually have a one night stand. Both think about each other, but they don’t even know each other’s name. When they run into each other one night and thereafter, it seems like fate is pushing them together. Tuck isn’t looking for a relationship based on family drama from his past and Francesca is trying to figure her career out as they try to navigate the pull they have to each other.

A masquerade party leads to a chance meeting. Later, Francesca and Tuck meet again, but she’s pregnant and he doesn’t know. They get involved and she still doesn’t tell him. As he gets further entangled with her and her life, what will she do?

I found myself more fascinated with Francesca and her friends in the building than I did with her and Tuck. I was not impressed with the behavior or attitudes presented by them. I’m sure they came across how they were meant to, so kudos to the author. Tuck showed some growth, so he redeemed himself.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was just not for me. It had potential and I did read it quickly but I felt like there were too many moments where Francesca could have opened up but didn’t. It just felt frustrating. The highlight for me was the secondary characters - and I need their books ASAP.

I'm binged this book in a day. I could not put it down. I absolutely adored tuck and his ability to show emotions and his fears from his past traumas.

Francesca's longing for family and finding family where you are with such a great pleasure in this story. As someone with my own family drama this was refreshing to read.

I'm a bit over the pregnancy trope, and I definitely loathe a lack of communication in a book. Those issues did not hinder me from devouring this story.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this galley copy. I would definitely recommend it.

god i love them. thoroughly enjoyed every moment i spent reading this and i loved the characters even more

The best word to describe this one is saucy. Super fun & tropey contemporary romance (and in the best ways possible)

I really loved the characters and the story was really fun. I loved the fate aspect, and the side characters were absolutely delightful. Honestly, I could read about Darden for the rest of my life.
I love books with a strong “found family” element, and this delivered in all the right ways.
The only reason this isn’t a 5 star, is just because I found it unbelievable that ticks emotional progress would happen within about 10 minutes.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! This was my first book by this author and I’d definitely pick up more.
Francesca and Tucks story was funny, sexy and I loved their connection, I am not normally a fan of pregnancy tropes but this had a good pace and the main characters just drew me in to their story. Overall a really enjoyable read!

it was a good read. Like the characters of the couple. must read this book. go and read this now. Must read and get it now.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the author's first book in this series, but I have to say this one was a bit different.
I liked the side characters, like Mr Darden, Cece, Jasper and Francesca's sisters. It was an interesting slide plot, finding some of her family.
However, I found Tuck and Fran to have funny interactions. It was difficult to see their relationship progress properly.

I read Princess and the Player this past weekend, and immediately went back to read Beauty and the Baller since I already had purchased that book previously. I did this because I loved P&P SO very much that I couldn't wait to read the other book. It took me a bit to warm up to Tuck and he had some deep issues that he had to work through, but I really did love Francesca. She was so good for Tuck. For a part of the book, I thought she just needed to be 100% honest with Tuck (so many books would have the conflict over if this was done), but the author did play this all out the way it should (no spoilers, so sorry I'm vague) and I was extremely satisfied with the outcome. Excellent book. 5 Stars!