The Player Next Door by K.A. Tucker

The Player Next Door

by K.A. Tucker

From the international bestselling author of The Simple Wild and Ten Tiny Breaths comes a new second-chance, hate-to-love romance.

Scarlet Reed has returned to Polson Falls, convinced that twelve years away is long enough to shed her humiliating childhood identity as the town harlot's daughter. With a teaching job secured and an adorable fixer-upper to call home, things in her life are finally looking up.

That is, until she finds out that Shane Beckett lives next door.

Shane Beckett, the handsome and charismatic high school star quarterback who smashed her heart. The lying, cheating player who was supposed to be long gone, living the pro football dream and fooling women into thinking he's Prince Charming. Shane Beckett, who is as attractive as ever and flashing his dimples at her as if he has done no wrong.

Scarlet makes it abundantly clear that old wounds have not been forgotten. Neighbors they may be, but friends they most certainly are not. She won't allow herself to fall for the single father and firefighter again, no matter how many apologies he offers, how many times he rushes to her aid, or how hard he makes her heart pound.

But as she spends more time with him, she begins to fear that maybe she's wrong. Maybe Shane has changed.

And maybe this time she's the one playing herself-out of a chance at true happiness.

Reviewed by Linda on

5 of 5 stars

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I love second chance at love romances, and that's what I got with The Player Next Door, with a little hint of enemies to lovers thrown in for good measure. Scarlet had been thoroughly hurt by Shane the summer before senior year, and she still had hard feelings when she moved back to her home town thirteen years later.
Only, now, Shane is her next door neighbour, and he's even hotter than he is even hotter - and much nicer - than he was before. And he's openly flirting with her from the start, too. What is a woman to do? Scarlet tried holding on to her ire, but it sure wasn't easy.
I loved the lightness of this novel, even if it also dealt with some heavier subjects too. The story was cute, hot, flirty and fun, and exactly what I didn't even know I needed.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 16 June, 2020: Reviewed