My favourite Ilsa Madden-Mills book yet! I think this is the fourth book of hers that I’ve read and it is definitely the best. I really enjoyed the relationship between Fran and Tuck, and while accidental pregnancy is not normally a trope I go for (I can only think of one other book I have read with this trope), I was surprised at how much I also enjoyed that aspect! That said, we didn’t actually get a lot of the later pregnancy stuff, more of the plot happened early on and midway through, and the book essentially ended with the birth, but yeah I really liked it.
A couple of other things I loved about this book were the New York setting, and the focus on art - which is Fran’s career. And there was even an unexpected plot point or two that I most definitely was not expecting, but I enjoyed the ride all the same! Overall, I would definitely recommend this book as a romance, the characters are both fun and interesting to read about and this is actually a book I could see myself buying and rereading after it comes out.
Though I would say if you're looking specifically for a sports romance, this one doesn't actually have a very big focus on the sport, regardless of Tuck being in the NFL, so just keep that in mind.

I so enjoyed this story that halfway through I added the other books to be read pile. Francesca and Tuck develop such a great relationship., their chemistry of off the charts, and the verbal play is hot., The supporting characters are a hoot and incredibly supportive. All of them added background and depth to the story.

A masquerade ball brings together an NFL player and a penniless princess in this smart and sexy romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Levelheaded Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for 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—he’s there to celebrate his birthday. 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 is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Getting tangled up with a shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs right now, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her (not that she’s his type anyway).

But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve … a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?

I was waiting so long for this book. And ahh it really didn’t disappoint. And, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it was rather worth the wait. I liked and loved almost all the characters in this book. However, my absolute favourite has to be Francessca; she was so relatable to me. But, it was the romance between the MCs that made dreamily sigh every now and then!! So, it’s a full 5 stars read for me.

I don't know why I haven't read Ilsa Madden-Mills yet. This story was great. I loved Tuck and Francesca. I love the secret baby trope and this was a good one. Good cast of characters around the main characters. Now I REALLY want Jasper's story.

Well hello there again favorites! Back with another advance review. This time for Ilsa Madden-Mill’s upcoming contemporary sports romance Princess and the Player, book 2 in her Strangers in Love series. Having read book one (featuring Nova and Ronan) and feeling a little lukewarm about it, I was hesitant to jump into this one. And after reading it I think I might still have a few, uh weird feelings about it?

As always huge thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the advance copy, thoughts below are my own.

One of my very first thoughts when I sat down to write this review, went something like: If Vi Keeland’s The Baller and P. Dangelico’s Wrecking Ball had a baby, it would be Princess and the Player. I’m currently pretty torn about my full feelings on this one, I’ll be honest.

At it’s core this is a one-night-stand-turned-accidental-pregnancy. Which when done well can be really slow burn-y, sweet and VERY satisfying. But there were so many a,b,c,d (and so on…) plots happening at once that I really struggled to connect with the overarching love story.

First we have the trauma filled back-stories of both Tuck and Francesca. Which are SO heavy. Montlake, hook a reader up with some trigger warnings. Physical abuse, abandonment of a child, terrible experiences in foster care, addiction trauma, suicide of a parent, negative depictions of someone living with Bipolar disease, almost sexual assault at a sex club, a throw away line about a hysterectomy from endometriosis, like y’all what the actual heck?! Folks, please take good care of yourself if any of the above is hard for you to sit with, read or process.

There were some good moments, and honestly I would have loved to kind of just ditch all the trauma-porn and hang out in what seemed to be a less murder-y Arconia (from Only Murders in the Building), with Darden and the Widow, and whoever else goes to bookclub and shits on Nicholas Sparks books. THAT would have been a real treat.

And for fans of the accidental pregnancy trope (of which there are many) if you’re looking for care-taking, sweet baby daddy moments or two almost perfect strangers bonding over the duration of the pregnancy, there is almost none, because spoiler alert she hides it from him for almost the entire duration of the book, which (you guessed it) leads to the 3rd act break up. And the biggest, most essential issue I have with all of this, is while he’s on his yacht “processing” and coming to his whirlwind of a realization, she’s also FIGURING OUT WHO HER PARENTS WERE THAT ABANDONED HER, who are both dead (and died in really horribly traumatic ways).

Listen, this book may work for you. You may read it and love it, and to you I say: YES! LOVE THIS FOR YOU! For me, it was a lot and made my head hurt and my heart a little heavy. If you’re interested in picking up Princess and the Player, grab it wherever you get your books when it hits shelves November 8th, 2022.

Tuck and Francesca meet at a high-scale sex club and, faces hidden behind masks, they have a no strings attached One Night Stand. Both are intent for it to be only one night, as Francesca has recently discovered her fiancé’s cheating ways and Tuck has no plans for a relationship. However it is hard for both of them to forget the other and they end up running into each other and figure out that they live in the same building.

I flew through the book, it was well written, had an interwoven story and an engaging romance.

The book started with establishing chapters from Tucks perspective and I really loved that we got his thoughts on their first meeting. And was a great first meeting that was, they hit it off so well - I loved their camaraderie and chemistry! Overall I enjoyed the romance.

One of my favorite parts of the story were the side characters. The whole cast of them were great and added a lot to the story as they were distinctive and not one of them felt like they could’ve written off without missing a part of the story.

It would’ve been interesting if Francesca had revealed her pregnancy a little earlier as the ending felt a little to fast and some plotlines didn’t get the proper amount of times to unfold.

what a super fun book this was!! i truly enjoyed this one a lot!! i'm so thankful to netgalley for supplying me with yet another huge hit of a book!!

Tuck and Francesca might meet under false pretenses, but the spark that is felt rolls over into a storyline that is not only explosive but combines the perfect amount of humor and opposite attraction. With both characters carrying emotional baggage from past hurts, it is the steps they take to overcome these obstacles and tear down the walls surrounding their hearts that makes this book a joy to read. Ilsa Madden-Mills once again gives her readers just what they needed in a romance story.

𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 follows NFL star Tuck Avery in an exclusive club on his birthday night where he encounters Francesca Lane on her supposed wedding night i.e. before her fiance betrayed her. Clad in fairy tale attire, they share a night of pleasure and passion, no names exchanged. Days later Francesca finds out she's pregnant and soon also discovers the real identity of Player aka Tuck aka the guy who lives in the same building as her, yeah definitely not a problem.

- ~ -

Right well I've never really been a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope but genuinely it wasn't even about the trope here.

In my opinion, Tuck's personality in this book doesn't correspond with his personality in Rowan's book.

On another note, the romance felt like it was missing that spark. They met without any idea of who the other was, they were attracted, they had sex, the night ended, she got pregnant, they met again but this time with introductions, still attracted, they get into a relationship, she tells him the truth, his vulnerability takes over, he gets some sense knocked into him, he begs for forgiveness, she forgives, baby is born, end of story.

When did they fall? Or did they even? Did the emotions take over? I don't know.

Overall: The first romance in the series was much better and it honestly hurts to say this but Tuck deserved better. I was so excited for his story after getting to know him in Rowan and Nova's book but alas. Also, I was expecting atleast one Rowan and Nova cameo but nada... nothing.

- ~ -

3.58 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Loved!!
Pregnancy troupe but done so well. Loved both main characters. At the start i thought this would be a totally different book than what it was.

I absolutety adored this book !!!! FrancesCa and Tuck literally rules and theres NO OTHER way, than fall love hard in their love story.

I couldn't put this book down! From the begining this author proved that her plan is to leave her readers speachles and in awe, and she did it so well. Ilsa Madden Mills a one click author for me since the first moment I read her book few years ago. Until today nothing had changed... Princess and the Player is everything what I would love to recieved from this author.

This book might start with a big baby suprise, but I loved how author made the rest story as a slow burn romance. From one page to another one, the action bring all the feels and breathtaking moments. Francesca is young woman, who exaclty knows what she wants from life, sometimes the patience is very needed, but step by step she is reaching her goal. Author couldn't write her more perfect for Tuck. He looks like big - let's play - alpha, but underneath he's a big carring and loving teddy bear. They both has certain life experioence, so their relationship evoled thru the pages, just to show at the end, there's nothing more beautifull, than pure love, that had been born from friendship.

MUST READ ALERT!

Francesca and Tuck meet, masked, at a sex club. It’s supposed to be one night, no strings, but a series of coincidences and a positive pregnancy test completely change all that.

I’m vacillating between 3 and 4 stars for this one. It starts so well. I liked Francesca’s voice, her determination, the way she created her own family. But then, as it progresses… I promise this is not a spoiler, but the very last line of the book makes a reference to chaos, and that’s how the whole second half feels. There’s too much going on, and some characters and sub-plots feel unnecessary. The relationship between Tuck and Francesca develops choppily: I didn’t feel I saw enough of it, didn’t feel the chemistry, possibly because of all the other stuff. It’s a shame, because I enjoyed the first in the series, but this time I was a little disappointed.

Princess and the Player is a second book in a series by Miller. It follows Tuck Avery and Francesca (I forgot her last name). For Avery's 35th birthday party, a couple of his teammates take him to a sex club with strings attached, like you much keep identity a secret. At said club, he meets Princess Bride where they have a night filled with unimaginable passion. Fast forward to actual story, and we meet our female main character, Francesca, a tattoo artist, who is recently fired from her job due to her fiancée sleeping with the manager. (It's a convoluted mess and really very illegal). In a slew of events, she figures out her masked Lover and her virus that just won't quit are non other than Tuck Avery and his baby. The book follows Tuck and Francesca's relationship, weaving ideas of fate, past trauma, and hope.

I don't normally like pregnancy trope, but I decided to give this one a go. It felt fascinating because the pregnancy was a source of redemption for Francesca, and a sense of secrecy. The fall out of Tuck finally figuring out he is the father was a bit lackluster, and turnaround//ending of the book seemed forced.

I loved Beauty and the Baller, but I think this one just sorta fell short.

However, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read this before published date in exchange for an honest review

This book was heart-warming, heart-wrenching, and heart-pounding. The characters were well-written, the emotional depth was just the right amount of heavy, and the sexual tension was perfect. I teared up, I laughed, I bit my nails, and I loved every minute of it.

Princess and the Player is the second book in the Strangers in Love series by Ilse Madden-Mills. The first book in the series Beauty and the Baller was one of my favorite books of 2021. I was excited to read more about Tuck who was the best friend of the first book's hero.

Tuck and Francesca meet at an exclusive private club. Both are going through a tough time and agree to a masked no questions asked one night stand. Weeks later, Tuck and Francesca have a chance encounter at a coffee shop that ends with them verbally sparing. They almost immediately recognize each other from the private club. Francesca realizes she is pregnant but knows that Tuck isn't interested in anything serious. He continues to pursue her despite her turning him down. How can she navigate her feelings toward Tuck and the secret that she is keeping from him?

Francesca drove me a bit batty during this book. I loved that she was so feisty and confident but when it came to the pregnancy she spent entirely too much of the book keeping it secret. I know she "tried" to tell him a couple of times but it felt like she had soooo many opportunities to really tell him if she wanted to.

Tuck has a troubled past. He may have grown up privileged but life with his parents wasn't easy. I think adding the element of coping with his mother's mental illness gave Tuck a level of depth that he needed as a character.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but was missing that spark the first book captured. Make no mistake though, it was steamy! One aspect that was particularly strong was Francesca's found family. From her grouchy elderly neighbor to her nosy best friend roommates, the secondary characters were a highlight of this book. Thank you to MontLake and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tropes include: one night stand, surprise baby, sports romance, tortured hero, found family, sex club
#netgalley #illsemaddenmills #princessandtheplayer #montlake

Francesca Lane is an artist who was betrayed by her fiancé. On the night that was supposed to be her wedding, she goes to a mascarade at a NY club. There she meets Tuck Avery, famous wide receiver for the NY Pythons football team. Since they are wearing masks, they don’t have a clue who they are with. They agree to one night, no names and the masks remain on. Of course, they live in the same building, and that night left a little souvenir that will make itself known in nine months. Both Tuck and Francesca have complicated backstories that make trust and a potential happily ever after difficult. Seeing their progression and growth was truly enjoyable. Thoroughly enjoyable book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Since first discovering her books, this Author is an instant Download for me.
I love how we get not only the feels and get to peel back the layer of the MC in each of her books, we also get the funny and laugh out moments.

We first met Tuck in Beauty and the Baller, the Bestie of Ronan with his quick wit and charm he easily became a favorite secondary character.
As we know tho, those who smile the most and laugh the hardest sometimes have the most to hide inside, and out Tuck was holding a lot inside.

Francesca, our FMC is betrayed by her fiancé, so she goes with a friend to a exclusive club donning her wedding dress and mask, she has an out of this world encounter with a masked player.... none other than our Tuck. They have an explosive night with no names, no attachments, and no worries.... so they thought.

I absolutely loved this book, loved our main characters and as always the side characters.

Princess And The Player is book 2 in a series of standalones!

I honestly didn’t read the premise it’s an Ilsa book so I grabbed it (thank you NetGalley and Publisher)

The way that these two meet was unexpected but honestly perfect because though each one is wearing a mask they are both able to shed the mask they wear in society! They do not click immediately but when Fran finally gives him a chance he because her knight!! They agree to one night of passion!

Fate had other ideas and keeps throwing these two together! Their encounters are hilarious but over time a friendship starts to form! Francesca hides a secret though and it just might be their undoing.

I will honestly say that at first I was skeptical with my feelings on this book. Tuck wasn’t who I thought he was at first but in a good way. He has a few nuances but once you get to know him he makes sense and he fits with Fran perfectly. I loved Fran she is very strong and has found her people. She loves those close to her heart fiercely and I love how she paves her own way! Once Tuck let’s his walls down you truly see just how strong and loving he is. He just needed the right person to show him the way.

An intimate encounter at a sex club masquerade ball leads to a surprise connection–and a surprise pregnancy–in Princess and the Player. An artist and jilted bride, who grew up without a family, and a famous football wide receiver, whose family memories are colored by pain–can they really have more in common than being incognito at the same party, at the same time in NYC?

It turns out fate has been crossing their paths for years, and later, when they see each other unmasked, there’s no mistaking who they were that night at the club.

She has hard edges with a soft core; he has insecurities; and both are apprehensive to enter into anything serious for their own reasons. This one has some heaviness, and while there is some humor mixed in, there is not the same level of levity to balance out the heavier themes as you find in Beauty and the Baller.

In this one Ilsa Madden-Mills serves up plenty of steam, some anywhere but the bed action, heart-wrenching moments, and heart touching ones. Some of my favorite scenes involve Francesca’s found family and Jasper’s upbeat and offbeat friendship with Tuck.

CW: abuse, foster homes, abandonment, infidelity, stalker, manic depression, suicide, death of a parent, guilt

I received an advance copy from Montlake and NetGalley. Review opinions are my own.