The Perfect Play (Play-By-Play, #1)

by Jaci Burton

[Ing Cruz]

My Synopsis:
Mick Riley is the star quarterback for the San Francisco Sabers. He's handsome, charming, and a playboy. Mick doesn't do relationships. A chance meeting with a woman lost in the basement of the Sabers practice facility sparks some major chemistry. After helping said woman find the front office, Mick watches her walk away not expecting to ever run into her again.

Tara Lincoln is the owner of The Right Touch an event planning company. She is watching all the festivities around her and making sure all is going smoothly. This is biggest name client event that she and her team have organized. Tara is hanging back watching things when she is approached by Mick. Mick had helped her earlier when she was lost and Tara didn't expect him to notice her at the event.

Neither Mick or Tara can deny the sparks between them. Mick and Tara hit it off. They end up spending a scorching burn your sheets night together. In the morning Mick is left alone and wanting more of Tara. After the help of his agent he learns where Tara works and begins to pursue her. Tara didn't expect to see Mick after the one night. She doesn't normally do things like that. She has avoided any relationship and has been focused on raising her teenage son and getting her business started. Mick doesn't understand why he wants to be with Tara so much but he's going with it. Tara on the other hand is hesitant to start anything with Mick but she can't deny what's between them either. What started off as just sex turns into something more.

My Thoughts:
I have wanted this book from the first moment I saw the cover. I read the blurb and wanted it even more! I love football and I love romance so with this combination plus the cover I had high hopes. Jaci did not disappoint. The book was a perfect balance and blend of football, romance, and smoking sexing! Mick with his black hair, blue eyes, and Irish background had me at hello! He is caring, considerate, aggressive (I lurve me some aggressive men), confident, and just downright delicious. You would think with all those adjectives he'd be a cocky jerk but he's not. Mick is drawn to Tara he goes with it and treats her and her son Nathan with nothing but care. He's not perfect. He's fought his own demons and he has his moments of male clueless. This just made his character more endearing.

Tara is strong. I think that's the best word to describe her. She basically raised herself and fought hard to give Nathan a wonderful life. She loves her son. All she does is for him. I could relate with Tara on all levels as a mother myself. I think her character was pretty realistic in her hesitancy to jump into a relationship with a known playboy football star. There were times when I wanted to shake her and tell her stop it though. LOL! Overall I liked Tara. She was a well developed character.

There is a lot of scorching sexing in this book. I mean the chemistry between these two is very palpable. I love watching them discovering things about one another and slowly falling from lust to love. All the secondary characters from Nathan (Tara's son) to Mick's family added to my love for this book. The relationship Mick has with his siblings and parents was a nice part of this book. Mick wins me over even more during his moments with his brother Gavin and his talk with his mother. He also does and share something with Nathan that made me root for him and hope he would win his girl in the end. I can't wait for the next book which will be Gavin's story. He is a baseball player and his heroine Elizabeth has a big appearance in The Perfect Play. Elizabeth came off has a big BITCH in this book so I can't wait to see how Jaci will make the readers root for her. I'll be rooting for Gavin.

If you love sports and romance then I think you will definitely enjoy this book. It had a nice storyline and characters that were pretty well developed. The romance will keep you turning the pages to watch these two characters find love.