This was a ok read. I thought there would be a bit more going within the story.
Parts of the story was quite enjoyable.
Parts of the story was quite spicy.
I encourage others to give it a go.

Overall I liked this book. The characters were well rounded. Farron and Tore were great and while I wish it would have kept going I enjoyed the ending.

Okay , it was really really sweet romance book. I just enjoyed so much(read it in one sitting). Torn is a prince, who get a chance to live his life as commoner and play football ⚽ (oops, soccer). But he got a serious beef with his team captain,Farron. Farron has rough life and he hates nothing more than rich, untitled, snobbish kida, who gets everything easily. Torn want to please his team captain, so he can see his dedication and determination toward team. And then a heated kiss change everything.
All the fire bwteen them was now blazing. They can't keep each other out of their mind. So in order to get this thing out of system , they started hooking up.

I really like Torn . He is literally a ray of sunshine, kind hearted , and of course his politness and charming. He stood everything , Farron hate.
Farron is a grumpy man. Literally is a dry man .
Their was amazing. Their were fire between them. Both of them was stronghead, passionate and determined person. And really like how Farron ,goes to win Torn heart. They both were insparable.
The plot was simple. There was not so external hurdle comes between their relationship.

Again it was spicy and sweet. And all the cultural and language diiference , done very well. Their were lot of funny moment ,I really enjoyed.
Sometimes I may feel Farron behaviour is too much and their can be more details about Farron's career.
Otherwise It was very enjoyable and lovely.

Okay, so I did find this to be quite enjoyable; however, I do have a lot to say.

FIRST, Nora is an outstanding writer. Not only is it detailed, but it is not unduly drawn out, which made for a refreshing read. The way they frame the settings and communicate the feelings of the characters was excellent. Personally, I found myself relating to and enjoying the writing style that they have.

SECOND, in my view, the narrative seemed somewhat underdeveloped, as the interactions between the two main characters felt insufficient before the romance took center stage. Additionally, the plot seemed to primarily focus on soccer and the sex, which left a significant gap in terms of depth and complexity.

The relationship between Tore and Farron felt somewhat rushed, as their connection seemed to leap straight into kissing anytime they saw each other and left me wanting for a deeper exploration of their bond and more conversation. The story just felt like it was missing something.

Farron's only reason for his animosity towards Tore felt odd, as it was rooted solely in Tore's wealth. While I understand the backstory involving Farron's father's family, the sense of injustice that he harbored felt more like jealousy and immaturity. I understand the aspect that it contributes to the angst and plot development, certainly, but that being his singular reason annoyed me, as Tore was nothing but kind, and in my opinion, it was an exhausted trope within the book.

With all that being said, it was a rather enjoyable read that had me going through many emotions, and I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I absolutely adored it!!!! I love a good grumpy sunshine moment and this book did not disappoint.

I really enjoyed Nora Phoenix's writing style and the bi-awakening from both MMC's. I can't wait for the rest of this series. 10/10 recommend.

DNF @ 28%. I was really excited for this one when I saw the comparison to Red, White, & Royal Blue, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. It wasn't a "bad" book, but I wasn't feeling a connection to the characters, and Farron's hatred towards Tore was a little heavy handed.

Also, this might be a minor thing, but in the scene where Farron interrupts the guy who was trying to drag home a drunk girl to SA, I was disappointed that Farron just threatened the guy and then internally was all "I know he won't dare to do something to her now" and let them still leave together! I think that scene would be much more impactful if Farron had also either 1. Gone with them to make sure the girl got home or 2. Taken the girl from the douchebag and taken her home himself. Him just verbally saying something felt like the bare minimum of intervention, especially when that other guy could still totally SA the girl and she's too drunk to even really remember! And it's not like Farron was following up with her the next day to double check sooo?! I think that scene was meant to make us like Farron after he was so unlikable towards Tore, but it missed the mark for me.

2.5 stars.

I usually love both the football/soccer and royal romance tropes, but sadly, my tolerance for eye rolling was at my limit for this book. Think about every romance cliche you can think of. Good. Now think about a story with every one of them in it. That is this book. You've got a character hating the other for no reason, judging them for every little thing. Is it hate or lust? "Tongues battle for dominance." "I suddenly love you through all this sex." 3rd act breakup and characters getting mad at each other for "lying" when it was just not telling your whole life story to someone you are hooking up with. Finally, there is the huge "romantic" gesture at the end to get back together. Even though this is a short book, it took me a while because I was groaning out loud throughout the book. At least the writing was easy to read, and the soccer scenes were pretty good. I think if the characters were more fleshed out and the rivalry wasn't so random and one-sided, I would have enjoyed it more.

Also, why does the cover art men have the wrong hair colors? The prince should be blond and the soccer player brown.

The Prince and the player is an MM enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine book that follows Prince Tore of Norway, who goes to college in America for a year to experience being normal. When he turns up, he joins the soccer team, and meets the captain Farron, who hates Tore instantly. Farron's family is poor and has a bias against rich people, and he can tell Tore is rich. Tore just wants Farron to like him, and the more time they have to spend together and closeness they are forced to have as teammates, it boils over to them hooking up. Farron thinks if they do it enough, they will get it out of their systems, but they end up falling for each other instead, which Tore knew would happen.
Enemies to lovers is my top favourite tropes, and this book is reminiscent of Red White and Royal Blue, which is the book that got me into reading. So I enjoyed this one a lot.

The Prince and the Player is a royally romantic, enemies-to-lovers college romance. It is the first book in the Prince Pact series and features an undercover, sunshiney prince and a grumpy, handsome soccer captain. The two of them must figure out that the line between love and hate is paper thin, and that fighting an undeniable and strong attraction is hard work.

Reading The Prince and the Player is like hugging a long lost friend. Warm, cheerful and safe. Being a huge fan of Red, White and Royal Blue, this book is just for me.

The book is written in a funny and easy language making it a quick read. I was drawn into the story from the first page and had difficulties putting the book down.

Tropes: MM romance, grumpy/sunshine, college soccer, double bi-awakening, opposites attract, exchange student

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if fire and ice had a meet-cute and then proceeded to set the world on fire (in the best way possible), The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix is your answer. Farron and Tore couldn’t be more different—one’s all refinement and duty, the other’s all passion and instinct—but watching them crash into each other and somehow create something beautiful? Absolute magic.

Farron turns into the ultimate boyfriend goals (seriously, where do I sign up?), while Tore is his biggest cheerleader, always lifting him up in ways that make your heart melt. The tension? Off the charts. The love? Explosive. This book is basically a masterclass in slow-burn meets fiery passion, and I adored every second of it.

The Prince & I meets the Bergman Brothers series in this new MM soccer romance. Prince Tore of Norway, fourth in line as his uncle's heir, has only wanted to be a professional football player. After a cousin's wedding, putting Tore further down the line succession, he convinces his uncle to allow him to attend an American university to play the sport he loves and misses. Under the guise of being a European transfer student, Tore joins the Hawley College soccer team, much to the dismay of captain Farron Carey. Farron works hard at both school and at his part-time job, to keep his scholarship and cover any additional costs of college. He really doesn't appreciate a rich boy flaunting his natural talent all over the field, constantly getting in Farron's way. But as the two begin to forge a friendship, something deeper sparks in the heat.
As much as I enjoy sports romances, secret identities, and rivals-to-lovers, this particular book didn't do it for me. The conversations are quite redundant, the boys' relationship is flat, and as much as the two MCs claim their families and friends are important to them, you learn virtually nothing about either's lives outside of the obvious.
The premise of the book is good, but I give this a 2.5/5 stars. I don't think I'll read any others in this series.

The Prince and the Player is a fun, steamy romance with strong chemistry between the leads and an engaging soccer backdrop. The familiar "enemies-to-lovers" plot is enjoyable but predictable, and while the writing is easy to follow, it occasionally feels clichéd. The character names (Tore, Farron, Caspian, Florian) feel forced and distract from the story's realism.

Overall, it’s a solid read for fans of light romance but lacks originality to stand out.

A fun new queer royal romance that is perfect for fans of RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE! This was such a fun read!

NORA PHOENIX – THE PRINCE AND THE PLAYER ****
Over the years that have been multiple gay novels with a sports theme premise, enemies to lovers, will-they-won’t-they? This novel adds into the melting pot another familiar trope – the prince who hides his true identity. Norwegian this time.
It’s surprisingly well told, for such a familiar story, and you root for the on-off I-can’t-stand-you couple. What was surprising in a simple love story was the number of pages with descriptions of sex, usually something that slows a story down. In this case the author describes it well, in un-embarrassing terms, by which I mean it is not cringingly awful. The author has skill at telling a story. It’s not Shakespeare but it’s an easy read that doesn’t engage the brain too often. Recommended for the beach.

A good read and an excellent way to start a series; looking forward to the other princes! I hadn't read anything of hers that wasn't cowritten but I enjoyed it very much.

I loved this book. The enemies to lovers trope + college romance + sports (soccer) elements all amounted to a excellent novel. The main characters were easy to connect with, even with their differing backgrounds and and somewhat polar-opposite life experiences. It was truly a joy to follow along as they grew closer and their relationship developed.

The whole latter half of the book, I was on the edge of my seat battling with the tug-of-war of emotions this story was making me feel. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and give it 5/5 stars. I will be checking out more books by Nora Phoenix!

k you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Nora Phoenix for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to get sent the ARC for this book as it sounded as though it ticked all my tropes:

✅️ Grumpy x Sunshine
✅️ Enemies to Lovers
✅️ Forced Proximity
✅️ Opposites attract
✅️ Bi Awakening
✅️ Sport Romance

I read it so fast. My first time reading Nora and won't be my last especially as I've found out this is the first in what is intended to be 'Prince Pact' series. 

We get dual POV with Farron and Tore and the tension, Chemistry and subsequent spice is wow. Loved both their characters development throughout the story.

I also love that I understood the football references (mainly thanks to Ted Lasso) and enjoyed all the side characters. Some of whom I am sure are to be the leads in the next novels.

If you enjoyed Red, White and Royal Blue, Ted Lasso and She's the Man (it gave me those vibes!) Then you'll love this book.

Desperate to read more!

I found the Prince and the Player to be an overall enjoyable read. I have a few aspects of the book that would benefit the story greatly, though I still enjoyed the book in general.

First, I liked the relationship between Farron and Tore a lot. They clicked very well and their chemistry is why I finished reading the book. This is where my main issue comes in. I would have liked to see more of that connection between the two leads because they are the entire pull of the story. This could have been solved by fixing the pacing and length of the book. Since there were only around 200 pages, a lot of the story gets rushed to fit a lot of moments that should have gotten more time. The main relationship needed to develop more throughout the story.

There should have been more focus on Farron and Tore's families and personal lives before jumping into the main part of the story (Their conflict and relationship). This is why the pacing felt so rushed in the beginning. I would have liked to see more of Farron's family and upbringing to understand why he has such strong feelings towards rich people and Tore instead of telling me why he has those feelings. There was a lot of telling and not showing throughout the book that frustrated me. Similarly, I need to see the actual duties Tore has instead of just telling me he has responsibilities. It was hard to connect with their upbringings and struggles if I couldn't experience it with them.

This is all to say that I enjoyed the book, and I think there should have been more of it. I would have liked to see more development between their conflict and their relationship, and why they connected at all, but that couldn't happen in 200 pages without being rushed. I am excited to see more of this series and I plan to keep an eye out for the next installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of The Prince and the Player. I will be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon on the publication date.

Starring Tore and Farron in an enemies to lovers’ football (soccer) romance. Tore makes a pact with his friends that they will all spend a year aboard way from there royal or noble lives to just live as themselves for once. As a result, Tore ends up in the United States at a college playing soccer. Farron team captain of the soccer team, but now this rich kid has shown up out of the blue to play for his team. Immediately Farron hates everything about Tore, spoiled privileged rich kid.

It was okay, i enjoyed the idea and concept of the book.but i wish for more. I still liked reading this book