Play Me (Players, #2)

by Katie McCoy

1 Chef (equal parts sexy and carefree)
1 Pianist (equal parts uptight and endearing)
1/8 inch of drywall between their apartments
2 opinions on everything
Combine all ingredients, mix vigorously, and be prepared for an explosion of heat.

Pianist Ella Thomas is training for the competition of her life. Finally in an apartment of her own, she can practice from dawn till dusk. But she didn't bet on the sexy and frustrating neighbor keeping her up all night - even if he does cook like a maestro and kiss like it’s his job.

Jake Matson is living his dream as Head Chef at one of the most popular restaurants in San Francisco. He's easy going, flirtatious and not looking for love. He didn't expect to be completely distracted by the girl next door, whose buttoned-up appearance hides the seductive firecracker underneath.

What happens when opposites attract? As their tension fires up, can they create a new kind of music together or will everything boil over? Find out in the hot and hilarious romance from Katie McCoy!

• ASIN: B01B3G5X8I
• Publish Date: 25 January 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Katie McCoy Books
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 251
• Language: English

Reviews

[Eve1972]

This was a super sweet read!

I loved Jake, he was a sweet and sexy chef covered in tats...yummy! I was worried at first that I wouldn't like Ella, for a short bit at the beginning she came across a bit prissy and cold, but that changed quickly and I ended up liking her.

The plot flowed nicely and there were some laugh out loud moments (the veggie pun discussion was HILARIOUS) I am not sure I would go so far as to say this was a "slow burn" but you don't get any sexy times until slightly over halfway through the book. It's very low angst, with only one incident near the end that wraps up fairly quickly, and yes, I shed a tear or two! *lol* The secondary characters where interesting, and amusing at times. I am hoping that Dakota will get her own book sometime soon!

My only negative with this book was I really wanted an epilogue. I wanted to see them married with babies and where they were at in their careers. It felt like it ended rather abruptly after the I Love You's were said Like I said though, maybe Dakota is going to get a book and we will see more of this couple in that book?? Fingers crossed in any case!

Overall I really enjoyed this one, it's sweet, it's low angst, no OW drama...perfect!

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

Ella is a classical pianist who is in the midst of an important competition when she moves into her own apartment and meets her upstairs neighbor, hot chef Jake. Their initial reaction to each other is adversarial laced with attraction, but that quickly changed. Soon, Jake was wooing Ella with food and Ella was shedding her "sexy nun" look. But the insecurities come knocking on their door and they both quickly retreat to the people they were before they met each other, saying things they regretted and then wondering how to fix it.

I can say, I've loved stories with this same formula before. But I think what fell flat with this one was how quick the storyline progressed. Ella and Jake went from being irritated with each other one day to practically the next dating. With how shy and insecure Ella was, I would have expected more of a fight from her when it came to any kind of a relationship with Jake. She has panic attacks, even suffered one in which Jake walks into the tail end of it, but that never gets revealed to the guy she's in love with. Jake is jealous of Ella's tutor, yet there wasn't any kind of standoff between the two, especially given what was said when he discovered Ella and Jake's texts. There were just so many different angles that could have been played with this storyline to give it a little bit more emotion and the in for one or both of the characters to really prove their feelings for the other.

The cover and the blurb pulled me in on this one, but the story of pianist Ella and hot ass chef Jake fell flat.