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Philia Players #4
Shiver
Samara Perez-Allen has had more than her fair share of misfortune in her life. But with thick skin and her head held high, she’s been able to make her dreams a reality despite the struggles that come with being a woman of color coupled with the added stress of PCOS.
Well, most of them anyway. Samara is a kick-ass child custody lawyer who takes high-profile cases in order to pay for the many pro bono ones she handles at her local women’s shelter.
When she gets a call from a friend asking her to take on a new client as a favor to him, she does her usual digging. And what she finds, she isn’t happy about.
Luca De Laurentiis is a goalie for the Philly Scarlets hockey team, but he’s so much more than that. He’s thoughtful and compassionate and has an ingrained desire to fix problems for others whenever possible. The problem?
The media doesn’t see that.
The way he’s portrayed is less than flattering, and as a man who just had a baby practically dropped on his doorstep, he’s got a lot going on, to say the least.
He may have been a playboy in a past lifetime, but he’s determined to clean up his act and be the best father he can be for his little girl.
When their barely contained desires threaten to run freely between the headstrong lawyer and her sinfully sweet client, will Samara be able to work through her internal battles and unrelenting independence to allow her the future she desperately wants? Will Luca be able to overcome his imposter syndrome and set aside the feelings of inferiority to grant him the happiness he desires?
Well, most of them anyway. Samara is a kick-ass child custody lawyer who takes high-profile cases in order to pay for the many pro bono ones she handles at her local women’s shelter.
When she gets a call from a friend asking her to take on a new client as a favor to him, she does her usual digging. And what she finds, she isn’t happy about.
Luca De Laurentiis is a goalie for the Philly Scarlets hockey team, but he’s so much more than that. He’s thoughtful and compassionate and has an ingrained desire to fix problems for others whenever possible. The problem?
The media doesn’t see that.
The way he’s portrayed is less than flattering, and as a man who just had a baby practically dropped on his doorstep, he’s got a lot going on, to say the least.
He may have been a playboy in a past lifetime, but he’s determined to clean up his act and be the best father he can be for his little girl.
When their barely contained desires threaten to run freely between the headstrong lawyer and her sinfully sweet client, will Samara be able to work through her internal battles and unrelenting independence to allow her the future she desperately wants? Will Luca be able to overcome his imposter syndrome and set aside the feelings of inferiority to grant him the happiness he desires?
438 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2025
99 people are currently reading
772 people want to read
About the author
Giuliana Victoria
10 books206 followersGiuliana Victoria is an author based in Pennsylvania who shares her readers’ deep love of all things romance. She’s a full-time physician assistant, whose passion lies in being there for her patients during their most vulnerable moments.
When Giuliana isn’t writing swoon-worthy book boyfriends, she can be found yelling about human rights on Threads, hiking with her three large breed rescue dogs, and, of course, curled up with a good book beside her husband, the best “book boyfriend” there is.
When Giuliana isn’t writing swoon-worthy book boyfriends, she can be found yelling about human rights on Threads, hiking with her three large breed rescue dogs, and, of course, curled up with a good book beside her husband, the best “book boyfriend” there is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
March 18, 2025
Arc review: I was really excited for this book as an avid reader of hers. I quite enjoy her books and I was extremely excited for a black FMC, especially as a Jamaican woman. I felt represented, but I actually didn't enjoy this book and dnf'd it about 66% in.
For me I found it hard to enjoy. I strongly disliked the FMC Samara, she does good things, but she's quite a horrible judgy person. I hated how she carried herself when it pertained to Luca. As a black woman who has to work harder and is constantly judged and knows what it feels like she was incredibly rude, judgy, stuck up and prejudice. What really started pissing me off was when she realised she had no valid cause to treat him the way she was and continued to do it.
Even when she started realising he was a good guy and she was very aware she was mistreating him by then, yet she continued to do it. It made her really hard to like.
She almost caused a scene at a family situation because she decided she didn't like him based on others opinions and not her own, aswell as projecting on to him while she was stressed. Even as she started to see his character. She speaks to her family crazy and I know Caribbean families are hard work sometimes. I come from immigrant grandparents, cousins aunties etc. I go back home to Jamaica so I get it, however she tends to not think before she speaks. With her family and other people she lashes out. I understand the pressure etc but it's not an excuse. I really didn't like this character and for me it almost plays into the harmful narrative of black/Caribbean women being "hardwork, miserable and difficult. "
I also found the patois hard to get into it didnt flow and I thought it was just me being gentrified lol but I confirmed it with true Jamaican family members and they found it to be over done. I’m sad I didn’t like this as I’ve loved everything else I’ve read from Giuliana, but I’m still looking forward to the rest of her books as overall shes a phenomenal writer.
For me I found it hard to enjoy. I strongly disliked the FMC Samara, she does good things, but she's quite a horrible judgy person. I hated how she carried herself when it pertained to Luca. As a black woman who has to work harder and is constantly judged and knows what it feels like she was incredibly rude, judgy, stuck up and prejudice. What really started pissing me off was when she realised she had no valid cause to treat him the way she was and continued to do it.
Even when she started realising he was a good guy and she was very aware she was mistreating him by then, yet she continued to do it. It made her really hard to like.
She almost caused a scene at a family situation because she decided she didn't like him based on others opinions and not her own, aswell as projecting on to him while she was stressed. Even as she started to see his character. She speaks to her family crazy and I know Caribbean families are hard work sometimes. I come from immigrant grandparents, cousins aunties etc. I go back home to Jamaica so I get it, however she tends to not think before she speaks. With her family and other people she lashes out. I understand the pressure etc but it's not an excuse. I really didn't like this character and for me it almost plays into the harmful narrative of black/Caribbean women being "hardwork, miserable and difficult. "
I also found the patois hard to get into it didnt flow and I thought it was just me being gentrified lol but I confirmed it with true Jamaican family members and they found it to be over done. I’m sad I didn’t like this as I’ve loved everything else I’ve read from Giuliana, but I’m still looking forward to the rest of her books as overall shes a phenomenal writer.
March 7, 2025
This was my first book by the author, and it was a good read. I enjoyed the romance and main plots in the book. We have the fmc, who is a badass lawyer and currently diagnosed with PCOS and going through the IVF process. The mmc is a hockey goalie who finds out early in the book that he had a baby and the mother wants to relinquish her parental rights. The fmc is his attorney representing him with the custody aspect of it.
I enjoyed both main characters a lot. The representation with the fmc was done so well, especially with the chronic illnesses and her journey with IVF and wanting a child. With the mmc, I liked his relationship with his meddling family and how he stepped up to take care of his child while navigating his career and what others thought of him. The romance was so heartfelt, and it wasn't this immediate lust, but it did take the fmc getting to know his character more and trusting him. It's a bit of a slow burn, but it gets steamy, and the chemistry between the main characters was everything. Overall, this was a cute read, and I'll be reading more by this author. Thanks to Happily Booked Arc and Giuliana Victoria for this arc for an honest review.
Read for:
- Dislike to lovers
- Slowish burn
- All the tension and chemistry
- Grumpy fmc and cinnamon roll mmc
- Attorney fmc and hockey player mms
- Fake dating
- PCOS and Infertiliy rep
- IVF and PPD rep
I enjoyed both main characters a lot. The representation with the fmc was done so well, especially with the chronic illnesses and her journey with IVF and wanting a child. With the mmc, I liked his relationship with his meddling family and how he stepped up to take care of his child while navigating his career and what others thought of him. The romance was so heartfelt, and it wasn't this immediate lust, but it did take the fmc getting to know his character more and trusting him. It's a bit of a slow burn, but it gets steamy, and the chemistry between the main characters was everything. Overall, this was a cute read, and I'll be reading more by this author. Thanks to Happily Booked Arc and Giuliana Victoria for this arc for an honest review.
Read for:
- Dislike to lovers
- Slowish burn
- All the tension and chemistry
- Grumpy fmc and cinnamon roll mmc
- Attorney fmc and hockey player mms
- Fake dating
- PCOS and Infertiliy rep
- IVF and PPD rep
June 26, 2025
DNF @ 21%
No.
I’m giving this 1.5 stars simply for Luca. I loved how quickly and easily he stepped into daddy roll. But I cannot stand Samara. I love a strong FMC but she was just so unlikes me for me personally. And as a BLACK woman who faces prejudice every day, she does the EXACT same thing to Luca off of ONE picture that she doesn’t even know the background of. Just, no. Nope.
Also, loved Luca but if I have to read ONE MORE LINE about how hard he is over this woman in going to puke.
So sad I did not enjoy this as I really thought I would.
Thank you to HBPR for the ARC but this was just not it for me. I don’t think the way this author writes FMCs is going to be for me.
No.
I’m giving this 1.5 stars simply for Luca. I loved how quickly and easily he stepped into daddy roll. But I cannot stand Samara. I love a strong FMC but she was just so unlikes me for me personally. And as a BLACK woman who faces prejudice every day, she does the EXACT same thing to Luca off of ONE picture that she doesn’t even know the background of. Just, no. Nope.
Also, loved Luca but if I have to read ONE MORE LINE about how hard he is over this woman in going to puke.
So sad I did not enjoy this as I really thought I would.
Thank you to HBPR for the ARC but this was just not it for me. I don’t think the way this author writes FMCs is going to be for me.
March 10, 2025
ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Giuliana brings us another beautiful story with Shiver! Filled with love, strenght, connection and family, Luca and Samara captured my heart.
This was a read that tugged on my heartstrings, broughts lots of feelings and mended my heart. Our new dad, Luca, who’s also a playboy hockey player, meet his match with Samara, his powerhouse lawyer. When they start getting to know each other on a deeper level, the connection they build was strong, solid and based on mutual respect. The way they start to grow as individuals was a beautiful part of this story. Their chemistry was also undeniable and worth the wait. In the end, it was such a rewarding slow burn story!
Bonus points for Gloria’s character!! May she never stops her meddling ways. She always finds a way to bring a smile to my face with her antics.
This book was all about growth, gaining confidence and not judging someone by their perceived past. I highly recommend it!
*This book touches on sensitive subjects so please check the trigger warnings.
I would like to thank Giuliana Victoria for the opportunity to read and review Shiver.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Giuliana brings us another beautiful story with Shiver! Filled with love, strenght, connection and family, Luca and Samara captured my heart.
This was a read that tugged on my heartstrings, broughts lots of feelings and mended my heart. Our new dad, Luca, who’s also a playboy hockey player, meet his match with Samara, his powerhouse lawyer. When they start getting to know each other on a deeper level, the connection they build was strong, solid and based on mutual respect. The way they start to grow as individuals was a beautiful part of this story. Their chemistry was also undeniable and worth the wait. In the end, it was such a rewarding slow burn story!
Bonus points for Gloria’s character!! May she never stops her meddling ways. She always finds a way to bring a smile to my face with her antics.
This book was all about growth, gaining confidence and not judging someone by their perceived past. I highly recommend it!
*This book touches on sensitive subjects so please check the trigger warnings.
I would like to thank Giuliana Victoria for the opportunity to read and review Shiver.
March 26, 2025
DNF @ 55%
For me personally I was bored with the slow burn but also the fact that the characters felt very superficial. They had really deep aspects to their personalities but these aspects were brought up once, talked about for maybe a page and then done so they didn’t feel deep, they started to feel in there just to be there and not to progress the story on.
For me personally I was bored with the slow burn but also the fact that the characters felt very superficial. They had really deep aspects to their personalities but these aspects were brought up once, talked about for maybe a page and then done so they didn’t feel deep, they started to feel in there just to be there and not to progress the story on.
March 16, 2025
First, I want to give Giuliana her props for clearly putting in the work to write a Black female main character in a very respectful, realistic way that centers our lived experiences and emphasizes the trade-offs we have to make ourselves okay with in order to live in this world, especially when you live with chronic pain/chronic illness, are living an immigrant experience on top of being Black, and work in a career where few people who look like you thrive. I'm only taking the time to express this because I typically do not intentionally read Black characters written by non-Black people as they tend to be what I refer to as "dark white" where they are Black in skin color only. That is not the case for Samara and Shiver.
As is the case for the rest of the Philia Players series, I loved the MMC a LOT. Luca was very charming, patient, gentle, and loving. Luca's relationship with Gia was so beautiful, and the way he had to grow up quickly to be there for her was amazing to read. I also loved how much of an arc Gloria had over the course of the series! I adored getting glimpses into the main characters of the other books' lives as the years have gone on in this world.
I found Samara to be a tough nut to crack. I found myself wishing that she allowed herself to be soft with this man who was ready and willing to be hard enough for them both, but I also felt like her hesitancy to be soft was very realistic, especially in present times. I am very much not someone who likes characters who are hot and cold, so I wanted her to be less harsh in her judgement of Luca as she also feared being judged for what she was going through. I felt like her family dynamic was very realistic—and unfortunately common—in the Black community, but I loved how she was advocated for.
Thank you to @HappilyBookedPR and @Giuliana.Victoria.Author for providing me with an ARC! What a wonderful end to this wonderful series.
4.5 ⭐️s
2 🌶️
🚨 Pub Date: 03/20/25
As is the case for the rest of the Philia Players series, I loved the MMC a LOT. Luca was very charming, patient, gentle, and loving. Luca's relationship with Gia was so beautiful, and the way he had to grow up quickly to be there for her was amazing to read. I also loved how much of an arc Gloria had over the course of the series! I adored getting glimpses into the main characters of the other books' lives as the years have gone on in this world.
I found Samara to be a tough nut to crack. I found myself wishing that she allowed herself to be soft with this man who was ready and willing to be hard enough for them both, but I also felt like her hesitancy to be soft was very realistic, especially in present times. I am very much not someone who likes characters who are hot and cold, so I wanted her to be less harsh in her judgement of Luca as she also feared being judged for what she was going through. I felt like her family dynamic was very realistic—and unfortunately common—in the Black community, but I loved how she was advocated for.
Thank you to @HappilyBookedPR and @Giuliana.Victoria.Author for providing me with an ARC! What a wonderful end to this wonderful series.
4.5 ⭐️s
2 🌶️
🚨 Pub Date: 03/20/25
March 17, 2025
I *accidentally* read this all in one sitting, but I couldn't stop myself! When Luca finds himself with a 3 month old daughter he had no clue about, his life takes a 180 and he is forced to step up to be her dad. And does he ever deliver on rocking that role from the start, even when he feels like he's failing. The love and support from his entire family is also just the sweetest! And then we have Samara - the lawyer his friend had recommended to help him in navigating the case for custody. She is fierce, not afraid to speak her mind, but unfortunately dislikes Luca for some things in his past. But the banter between them, especially when Luca is flirty, is fabulous! He is so observant and caring that you can't help but swoon!
I also love how there are so many mental health aspects woven into this book - something that Giuliana always does an amazing job in representing in her books.
What to expect:
-Secret baby
-Hockey player MMC
-Child custody attorney FMC
-Single dad
-Fake dating
-Infertility, PPD, PCOS rep
Thank you so much to Giuliana Victoria for letting me read/review an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I also love how there are so many mental health aspects woven into this book - something that Giuliana always does an amazing job in representing in her books.
What to expect:
-Secret baby
-Hockey player MMC
-Child custody attorney FMC
-Single dad
-Fake dating
-Infertility, PPD, PCOS rep
Thank you so much to Giuliana Victoria for letting me read/review an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
March 22, 2025
4🌟
This dual POV, workplace, unexpected romance was a gem! Shiver absolutely gavd me Three Men and a Baby vibes with newly fathered Luca all over the place adjusting to his new life. Helping him in family court ,is his very attractive very single lawyer Samara . These two cannot fight fate. Samara has her own dreams and desires of having a family of her own that hasn't been the easiest route. I adored the chemistry between these two, the realistic and often complexity that comes along with life's changes. Sometimes what we least expect is exactly what we need. 💙💙💙🥹🥹🥹
● meddling family
● IVF / Fertility issues representation
● annoyed almost enemies to lovers
● close proximity
●workplace romance
This dual POV, workplace, unexpected romance was a gem! Shiver absolutely gavd me Three Men and a Baby vibes with newly fathered Luca all over the place adjusting to his new life. Helping him in family court ,is his very attractive very single lawyer Samara . These two cannot fight fate. Samara has her own dreams and desires of having a family of her own that hasn't been the easiest route. I adored the chemistry between these two, the realistic and often complexity that comes along with life's changes. Sometimes what we least expect is exactly what we need. 💙💙💙🥹🥹🥹
● meddling family
● IVF / Fertility issues representation
● annoyed almost enemies to lovers
● close proximity
●workplace romance
February 2, 2025
I instantly knew this was going to pull on all my heartstrings when I read the Foreword. Samara is the strongest character I’ve read in a while and her inner thoughts just absolutely wrecked me at times. I have PCOS and endometriosis as well, so I sadly know all too well about infertility issues and the emotional turmoil that comes from that.
This book was just pure perfection and I adored every bit of it. Thank you for this arc. 🫶🏻
Also I’m so so sad that this is the end of this series 😭 I need a legacy series or something because I don’t wanna say goodbye to them 😭😭
This book was just pure perfection and I adored every bit of it. Thank you for this arc. 🫶🏻
Also I’m so so sad that this is the end of this series 😭 I need a legacy series or something because I don’t wanna say goodbye to them 😭😭
March 16, 2025
Where to start? 🥰 Samara is a strong, kicka** woman who speaks whatever is on her mind & helps whoever she can. Luca is a one of the sweetest, dirty mouthed baby daddies I’ve come across in a HOT minute.
From the first time these two speak to each other to the very last you could feel the insane chemistry and tension between them and it’s safe to say no one picked up on this faster than Gloria De Laurentiis and her precious meddling ways!
I knew from the get go that this book was going to pull at my heartstrings and Giuliana didn’t disappoint! 💙
From the first time these two speak to each other to the very last you could feel the insane chemistry and tension between them and it’s safe to say no one picked up on this faster than Gloria De Laurentiis and her precious meddling ways!
I knew from the get go that this book was going to pull at my heartstrings and Giuliana didn’t disappoint! 💙
March 20, 2025
Samara has a chip on her shoulder and has already made her mind up about her new client Luca when she first meets him. Samara is the best custody lawyer to help him secure his daughter. But will Samara look beyond to surface and give Luca a chance to be the dad he is stepping up to be? Loved it. A great read.
March 20, 2025
It was beautiful read. I love the story and the sexy scene. The connection between two of the characters are beautiful and amazing. I do want to say there is some trigger so if anyone not for that then don’t read but I enjoy this book.
March 12, 2025
such a bittersweet ending ily giuliana
January 14, 2026
Finally an author who gets that black women can be in interracial relationships and still be a black women. We don’t say c**t or c**k. Her authors note gave me some ease as I started reading. The only thing I didn’t like was how the MFC had to always put on the strong black women act. I did love how the MMC didn’t play about her. Many characters we lovable and mama had me laughing the whole time.
April 22, 2025
good but not great
The concept of the book was good but the execution was lack luster. There was no wow factor and all the drama just fell flat. Also the FMC was annoying as hell
The concept of the book was good but the execution was lack luster. There was no wow factor and all the drama just fell flat. Also the FMC was annoying as hell
March 30, 2025
“Maybe my so-called confidence is merely a mask, and I’m finally being forced to let it down.”
Shiver is the 4th and last book in the Philia Players series and it was just as much a delight as the previous ones. I love how G.V. writes her characters, they are so human. Even when they can be “annoying”, even with the type of characters/attitude I usually don’t like, they remain very easy to love because she writes with so much empathy, and gives them (great) reasons to act like they are. She puts her heart and soul in her stories, and it feels in the tact and respect of her writing, regarding the heavy themes (or the communities involved).
Luca is a retired playboy and doesn’t give up despite Samara’s reserves. That is something I usually don’t like, but here it’s not heavy or annoying, and he always gives her space to withdraw. His attitude regarding the baby situation (another thing I usually don’t read but loved here) is faultless, and how he interacts with his ex is *chef kiss*. Like I said, balanced and human characters.
I adored Samara. Just like Luca, she has many reasons to act and think like she does, to be “gnashing” and I absolutely loved her path to see past her prejudices about Luca and to overcome her own difficulties and resentment with –in the end– a lot of lucidity.
The relationship between Luca and Samara is a slow burn but it blazes after that (& the spice is spicy) and the story is so addictive that I’ve read it in one go, on a rainy day. Like in the other books, the De Laurentiis family is meddling, the book club is spicy, and it will be very difficult to let go of all these characters now the series is over.
Thank you Giuliana Victoria for the eARC of Shiver. My opinions are my own.
Rate 4.5/5
Shiver is the 4th and last book in the Philia Players series and it was just as much a delight as the previous ones. I love how G.V. writes her characters, they are so human. Even when they can be “annoying”, even with the type of characters/attitude I usually don’t like, they remain very easy to love because she writes with so much empathy, and gives them (great) reasons to act like they are. She puts her heart and soul in her stories, and it feels in the tact and respect of her writing, regarding the heavy themes (or the communities involved).
Luca is a retired playboy and doesn’t give up despite Samara’s reserves. That is something I usually don’t like, but here it’s not heavy or annoying, and he always gives her space to withdraw. His attitude regarding the baby situation (another thing I usually don’t read but loved here) is faultless, and how he interacts with his ex is *chef kiss*. Like I said, balanced and human characters.
I adored Samara. Just like Luca, she has many reasons to act and think like she does, to be “gnashing” and I absolutely loved her path to see past her prejudices about Luca and to overcome her own difficulties and resentment with –in the end– a lot of lucidity.
The relationship between Luca and Samara is a slow burn but it blazes after that (& the spice is spicy) and the story is so addictive that I’ve read it in one go, on a rainy day. Like in the other books, the De Laurentiis family is meddling, the book club is spicy, and it will be very difficult to let go of all these characters now the series is over.
Thank you Giuliana Victoria for the eARC of Shiver. My opinions are my own.
Rate 4.5/5
April 3, 2025
What the hell! Giuliani has done it again, built a world that is so true, your heart strings pull for both Shamara "Principessa" and Lucas. The way that Lucas leaned into fatherhood after the surprise that it was to him, was so realistic and beautiful to see, the pains that Shamara went through and why she felt the way she did, you understand why she was feeling the way that she did with her family, you understood the way that she thought because of her reasoning for being upset in her infertility, the heartbreak of this and the way that everything fell into place and you get the last piece of the puzzle at the end. Luca my stupid stupid boy (IYKYK, AND YOU NEED TO KNOW), my heart went out for him knowing that he made mistakes in the past that came to haunt him as he matured, was truly beautiful, the growing the father that he was becoming, compassion and co-parenting, just speechless in all the best of ways, and that court scene, just shows the beautiful and amazing person that he is and continued to turn into. The way that a family can continue to grow and become was just utter perfection, that family comes in different shape and sizes
March 20, 2025
4.75⭐ Wow, I actually have so much to say. Ever since the beginning of this year, I have been struggling to force myself to commit to anything more than standalone manga so the fact that I devoured this in two days speaks a lot about how much I enjoyed it, which is a lot more than I thought I would. Thank you so much to Giuliana for gifting me the opportunity to receive an eARC of this book.
The thing I really appreciated the most I think is that you can tell how much the author genuinely cares for every single topic put in this book. At the beginning of the book, the author talks very candidly about not only the realities of infertility issues and disability but also cultural appropriation.
I'm not going to lie. As this is my first book by this author, I automatically assumed it was written by a Black woman, which is what intrigued me to sign up for the arc. When I found out the author was, in fact, not a Black woman, I was sceptical, as I have seen some truly terrible representations of WOC in books (especially recently iykyk). I can gladly say I was proven wrong. I can't speak on the Jamaican representation as I don't speak the Jamaican Patois language so I'm unsure how accurate it was but you can see the attention and care that was put into representing the realities of Black women, written not as something to check off in a diversity box but with respect and adoration. She is very open about the fact that it is not her experience and that she doesn't want to blind benefit from experiences that aren't her own without acknowledging where they come from and while it is the bare minimum it is greatly appreciated. I greatly appreciated the list of BIPOC authors at the back of the book, further uplifting the voices of the people she is trying to represent.
To some degree, the way race was talked about in the book felt a bit heavy-handed and on the nose, like she was trying a bit too hard to encapsulate the experiences of Black women, but I believe that it was necessary. It may feel heavy-handed and obvious to me because I already know these things from my own lived experiences and that of my family members as well as my education on the topic, but that is not the case for everyone. I can appreciate how blunt it is because as we all know, white people really cannot see the intricacies of the realities of what it means to be a BIPOC in North America. There is no nuance and you actively need to spell it out. This may sound harsh but this book was Blackness written for white people, not Blackness written for Black people. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to a Black friend because they already know these things and don't need it spelt out for them, but I would recommend it to a white friend. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and in all honesty, I appreciate it to some degree; the reality is many white people are a lot more likely to listen to a white person talk about race than they are to listen to a Black person talk about race. In this book, there is no room for misunderstanding what the character is saying or going through and as a white author writing a Black character, I believe that it is a very good way to go about it.
There was something very healing about this book for me, not just in the representation the topics brought but also in the way they were handled. It's honestly what I crave from every book that brings up certain emotionally traumatic situations but doesn't properly know how to resolve them. As someone who inserts herself into the stories I feel, I take personal blows when I see a character go through something that I don't feel is resolved in a way that does the situation justice. ***Slight Spoiler ahead*** In this book our main character has a lot of familial trauma and explains that her parents treat her and her sister (and cousins) differently because she is the only one without a ring and children. This hit me to my fucking core. In all honestly a lot of the issues hit me to my core as they mirrored things I'm dealing with in real life right now so there was a lot of room for disaster on my part. The feeling that you're doing something wrong and disappointing your parents for not living up to their expectations by simply living your life was represented very well, and resolved in a way that didn't leave me feeling worse about the situation which is rare for me. Luca telling her family off and them actually listening and taking into account what he said and doing something about really did something to me. ***Slight spoiler finished***
On much lighter notes, I genuinely enjoyed every character and situation. The way their relationship progressed as they learnt more about each other was honestly so refreshing and I loved that his family was in on the fake dating thing as it made it all the funnier and every interaction with them was such a treat. Putting an excerpt from an upcoming book with a preorder link was honestly so funny and I respect it so much.
The thing I really appreciated the most I think is that you can tell how much the author genuinely cares for every single topic put in this book. At the beginning of the book, the author talks very candidly about not only the realities of infertility issues and disability but also cultural appropriation.
I'm not going to lie. As this is my first book by this author, I automatically assumed it was written by a Black woman, which is what intrigued me to sign up for the arc. When I found out the author was, in fact, not a Black woman, I was sceptical, as I have seen some truly terrible representations of WOC in books (especially recently iykyk). I can gladly say I was proven wrong. I can't speak on the Jamaican representation as I don't speak the Jamaican Patois language so I'm unsure how accurate it was but you can see the attention and care that was put into representing the realities of Black women, written not as something to check off in a diversity box but with respect and adoration. She is very open about the fact that it is not her experience and that she doesn't want to blind benefit from experiences that aren't her own without acknowledging where they come from and while it is the bare minimum it is greatly appreciated. I greatly appreciated the list of BIPOC authors at the back of the book, further uplifting the voices of the people she is trying to represent.
To some degree, the way race was talked about in the book felt a bit heavy-handed and on the nose, like she was trying a bit too hard to encapsulate the experiences of Black women, but I believe that it was necessary. It may feel heavy-handed and obvious to me because I already know these things from my own lived experiences and that of my family members as well as my education on the topic, but that is not the case for everyone. I can appreciate how blunt it is because as we all know, white people really cannot see the intricacies of the realities of what it means to be a BIPOC in North America. There is no nuance and you actively need to spell it out. This may sound harsh but this book was Blackness written for white people, not Blackness written for Black people. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to a Black friend because they already know these things and don't need it spelt out for them, but I would recommend it to a white friend. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and in all honesty, I appreciate it to some degree; the reality is many white people are a lot more likely to listen to a white person talk about race than they are to listen to a Black person talk about race. In this book, there is no room for misunderstanding what the character is saying or going through and as a white author writing a Black character, I believe that it is a very good way to go about it.
There was something very healing about this book for me, not just in the representation the topics brought but also in the way they were handled. It's honestly what I crave from every book that brings up certain emotionally traumatic situations but doesn't properly know how to resolve them. As someone who inserts herself into the stories I feel, I take personal blows when I see a character go through something that I don't feel is resolved in a way that does the situation justice. ***Slight Spoiler ahead*** In this book our main character has a lot of familial trauma and explains that her parents treat her and her sister (and cousins) differently because she is the only one without a ring and children. This hit me to my fucking core. In all honestly a lot of the issues hit me to my core as they mirrored things I'm dealing with in real life right now so there was a lot of room for disaster on my part. The feeling that you're doing something wrong and disappointing your parents for not living up to their expectations by simply living your life was represented very well, and resolved in a way that didn't leave me feeling worse about the situation which is rare for me. Luca telling her family off and them actually listening and taking into account what he said and doing something about really did something to me. ***Slight spoiler finished***
On much lighter notes, I genuinely enjoyed every character and situation. The way their relationship progressed as they learnt more about each other was honestly so refreshing and I loved that his family was in on the fake dating thing as it made it all the funnier and every interaction with them was such a treat. Putting an excerpt from an upcoming book with a preorder link was honestly so funny and I respect it so much.
March 23, 2025
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes:
💼 Client x Attorney
🏒 He Falls First
💼 Slow Burn
🏒 Successful Co-parenting
💼 Found Family
🏒 Golden Retriever MMC
💼 Black Cat FMC
🏒 Fake Dating
💼 Mutual Pining
I will forever be grateful for how wonderfully structured Victoria’s stories are. I’m never asking how something happened or where something came from. There is no confusion and it’s always a blissful read. That being said, this first chapter made my eyes pop out of my head. I WAS NOT expecting the book to start like that. *cue the laughter* I was caught off guard, almost as much as Luca with that unexpected arrival, that I just had to keep reading.
Luca’s accountability and willingness to take responsibility made my heart ache (in a good way). He was completely blindsided and yet he stepped up and sought to find out what had happened instead of making accusations and running with them. Not only is he compassionate, this guy has a mouth on him. I laughed and blushed whenever he spoke with Samara, and awed whenever he spoke with Cecily and Gia. He truly is a family man.
Samara is a headstrong woman. I adore her passion and independence. I empathize with her struggle for acceptance and recognition. At first, I didn’t appreciate that she judged Luca on articles she found before meeting him in person, however, projecting and making assumptions based off of personal experience is common (as much as it is annoying) so I didn’t fault her too much. I’m glad that she took the time to get to know the real him and not the celebrity.
The communication and banter between them is 10/10. I hate the miscommunication trope and push-pull relationships, so thankfully you get none of that here. What you do get, is a couple willing to put in the effort for themselves, each other, and their friends and family.
The book focuses on the relationship between Luca and Samara while featuring Luca’s daughter, Giavanna, and Giavanna's mother, Cecily. I’ve read a couple of romance books that include children but only to introduce or create a link between the two romantic partners. I've also read a couple of stories where if the mother of the male lead's child isn't the female lead, she is only introduced to complete the other woman drama trope. Cecily is her own person. You get to see her struggles and efforts to get better. Giavanna, or Gia, is Luca’s precious daughter, and every moment she was mentioned in this story only helped to showcase how much Luca grew from his playboy facade into a loving father.
My one and only complaint is that I wish there was more. When it ended, I felt robbed. I wanted to see more of their time together as an official couple. Don’t get me wrong, the ending is sweet and a wonderful way to finish off this interconnected standalone series, I’m just being greedy.
I recommend giving this a read. It's a low-drama story, full of laughs and spice. A great book to just sit down and read at your leisure.
A few of my favorite quotes:
“What you seem to not realize,” he says, pulling me abruptly into his chest before whispering, “is that I like it rough.” My skin heats at his words, but I refuse to show that I’m affected in the slightest despite the wetness that’s pooling in my core. “Cocky little boys like you always do,” I tell him with a wink.
“Ignoring me, principessa?” he asks, dragging my attention back to his insanely gorgeous eyes. Damn him and those pretty eyes of his. “Just looking for a better view,” I tell him, clearly lying. I’m unsure that a better view even exists when Luca’s in the room. He smirks. “Let’s go find you a mirror because there’s no better view than the one I’m seeing.”
“There’s not a chance they aren’t extraordinarily proud of everything you’ve accomplished. I think they love you an immeasurable amount, but I also think that maybe they haven’t loved you the way you needed to be loved.”
Her feet and ankles are swollen from dancing and those sexy heels she’s always wearing. It’s a love-hate relationship for me. They accentuate her impossibly long legs, making her look even more delectable, but they also look so painful that I resent them for causing her any discomfort at all.
I received an eARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
Tropes:
💼 Client x Attorney
🏒 He Falls First
💼 Slow Burn
🏒 Successful Co-parenting
💼 Found Family
🏒 Golden Retriever MMC
💼 Black Cat FMC
🏒 Fake Dating
💼 Mutual Pining
I will forever be grateful for how wonderfully structured Victoria’s stories are. I’m never asking how something happened or where something came from. There is no confusion and it’s always a blissful read. That being said, this first chapter made my eyes pop out of my head. I WAS NOT expecting the book to start like that. *cue the laughter* I was caught off guard, almost as much as Luca with that unexpected arrival, that I just had to keep reading.
Luca’s accountability and willingness to take responsibility made my heart ache (in a good way). He was completely blindsided and yet he stepped up and sought to find out what had happened instead of making accusations and running with them. Not only is he compassionate, this guy has a mouth on him. I laughed and blushed whenever he spoke with Samara, and awed whenever he spoke with Cecily and Gia. He truly is a family man.
Samara is a headstrong woman. I adore her passion and independence. I empathize with her struggle for acceptance and recognition. At first, I didn’t appreciate that she judged Luca on articles she found before meeting him in person, however, projecting and making assumptions based off of personal experience is common (as much as it is annoying) so I didn’t fault her too much. I’m glad that she took the time to get to know the real him and not the celebrity.
The communication and banter between them is 10/10. I hate the miscommunication trope and push-pull relationships, so thankfully you get none of that here. What you do get, is a couple willing to put in the effort for themselves, each other, and their friends and family.
The book focuses on the relationship between Luca and Samara while featuring Luca’s daughter, Giavanna, and Giavanna's mother, Cecily. I’ve read a couple of romance books that include children but only to introduce or create a link between the two romantic partners. I've also read a couple of stories where if the mother of the male lead's child isn't the female lead, she is only introduced to complete the other woman drama trope. Cecily is her own person. You get to see her struggles and efforts to get better. Giavanna, or Gia, is Luca’s precious daughter, and every moment she was mentioned in this story only helped to showcase how much Luca grew from his playboy facade into a loving father.
My one and only complaint is that I wish there was more. When it ended, I felt robbed. I wanted to see more of their time together as an official couple. Don’t get me wrong, the ending is sweet and a wonderful way to finish off this interconnected standalone series, I’m just being greedy.
I recommend giving this a read. It's a low-drama story, full of laughs and spice. A great book to just sit down and read at your leisure.
A few of my favorite quotes:
“What you seem to not realize,” he says, pulling me abruptly into his chest before whispering, “is that I like it rough.” My skin heats at his words, but I refuse to show that I’m affected in the slightest despite the wetness that’s pooling in my core. “Cocky little boys like you always do,” I tell him with a wink.
“Ignoring me, principessa?” he asks, dragging my attention back to his insanely gorgeous eyes. Damn him and those pretty eyes of his. “Just looking for a better view,” I tell him, clearly lying. I’m unsure that a better view even exists when Luca’s in the room. He smirks. “Let’s go find you a mirror because there’s no better view than the one I’m seeing.”
“There’s not a chance they aren’t extraordinarily proud of everything you’ve accomplished. I think they love you an immeasurable amount, but I also think that maybe they haven’t loved you the way you needed to be loved.”
Her feet and ankles are swollen from dancing and those sexy heels she’s always wearing. It’s a love-hate relationship for me. They accentuate her impossibly long legs, making her look even more delectable, but they also look so painful that I resent them for causing her any discomfort at all.
I received an eARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
March 20, 2025
3.75⭐️
I was struggling with the number of stars cause 3 is definitely not enough, but at the same time it was not exactly pure 4⭐️ read to me and would be unfair to my other rankings. However I AM giving it 4 goodreads stars as the only option here is 3 or 4.
I read it in two days, but to be honest I managed to finish it so quickly, cause I started to feel a reading slump hitting so I “needed to” push this book and pick my next read very wisely (something with high probability of being 5⭐️ that would make me stay up half the night)
It’s book 4 of the series.
Tropes:
-Client x attorney
-Hockey goalie
-Fake dating
-Secret baby
-Cinnamon roll MMC
-Couple dance lessons
-IVF, infertility, PCOs and surrogacy rep
-Reformed playboy
-a little bit of co-parenting
I was very excited for this book based on tropes. It was my first book by Giuliana. It’s always tricky reading a book from middle of the series. I’m a big fan of reading series in “correct” order, but I didn’t manage to read books 1-3 before getting this ARC. But thanks to this little fact I was able to determine if “it’s a standalone” box can be ticked off! I didn’t feel like I was missing important parts of the plot because I haven’t read other books in the series prior to “Shiver”. I strongly believe reading the books in correct order enhances your reading experience, but you don’t need to read in order to understand each (or at least this one, haha) book. I did struggle a bit to understand who is who from all the side characters. I’m still pretty lost and don’t understand who was a sibling of who, who was the spouse and whose were the children’s son Luca’s family 😅. It didn’t influence my overall experience of reading this book, tho!
I liked the writing style. I didn’t exactly flow with it like “give me 14 of them right now!” but it was good (enough) for me to read this book pretty quickly, not struggle when reading, and of course have fun!
For the most part it was going to be 4⭐️ read, but somewhere along my reading experience of this book, I was missing something. It might have partially been a me issue, but something was just not clicking for me here. I didn’t really feel the tension between the characters as I expected too. It had potential to be a story full of FEELS and tension, but I didn’t feel it.
Usually when I read a series, especially one that has other books already published, I wanna read the other books asap. I don’t have this feeling towards this series. I am adding books 1-3 to my TBR but the writing style (which is good!!!) didn’t hit me in a way that made me wanna jump to other couples’ books IMMEDIATELY.
I still think “Shiver” is well written and entertaining! It just didn’t hit the perfect spot for me.
I was excited for the PCOS representation, but I feel like it was not done with justice. It’s one of the tropes but it was mentioned mainly at the beginning, and that’s it. I just expected more of the PCOS trope in the plot.
The hockey part is also mainly just a fact that the male character is a hockey player. There is no actual hockey happening on page. It’s not a bad thing! But if you want a hockey romance with some of the sport actually happening in the book, just be prepared that it’s not such a story.
I really liked the little bits of co-parenting! This was something I didn’t expect and was a nice surprise.
OVERALL it is a well written, entertaining story with beautiful representation of multiple conditions/situations that are not covered in romance books that often.
The ending, the epilogues were beautiful!
I was struggling with the number of stars cause 3 is definitely not enough, but at the same time it was not exactly pure 4⭐️ read to me and would be unfair to my other rankings. However I AM giving it 4 goodreads stars as the only option here is 3 or 4.
I read it in two days, but to be honest I managed to finish it so quickly, cause I started to feel a reading slump hitting so I “needed to” push this book and pick my next read very wisely (something with high probability of being 5⭐️ that would make me stay up half the night)
It’s book 4 of the series.
Tropes:
-Client x attorney
-Hockey goalie
-Fake dating
-Secret baby
-Cinnamon roll MMC
-Couple dance lessons
-IVF, infertility, PCOs and surrogacy rep
-Reformed playboy
-a little bit of co-parenting
I was very excited for this book based on tropes. It was my first book by Giuliana. It’s always tricky reading a book from middle of the series. I’m a big fan of reading series in “correct” order, but I didn’t manage to read books 1-3 before getting this ARC. But thanks to this little fact I was able to determine if “it’s a standalone” box can be ticked off! I didn’t feel like I was missing important parts of the plot because I haven’t read other books in the series prior to “Shiver”. I strongly believe reading the books in correct order enhances your reading experience, but you don’t need to read in order to understand each (or at least this one, haha) book. I did struggle a bit to understand who is who from all the side characters. I’m still pretty lost and don’t understand who was a sibling of who, who was the spouse and whose were the children’s son Luca’s family 😅. It didn’t influence my overall experience of reading this book, tho!
I liked the writing style. I didn’t exactly flow with it like “give me 14 of them right now!” but it was good (enough) for me to read this book pretty quickly, not struggle when reading, and of course have fun!
For the most part it was going to be 4⭐️ read, but somewhere along my reading experience of this book, I was missing something. It might have partially been a me issue, but something was just not clicking for me here. I didn’t really feel the tension between the characters as I expected too. It had potential to be a story full of FEELS and tension, but I didn’t feel it.
Usually when I read a series, especially one that has other books already published, I wanna read the other books asap. I don’t have this feeling towards this series. I am adding books 1-3 to my TBR but the writing style (which is good!!!) didn’t hit me in a way that made me wanna jump to other couples’ books IMMEDIATELY.
I still think “Shiver” is well written and entertaining! It just didn’t hit the perfect spot for me.
I was excited for the PCOS representation, but I feel like it was not done with justice. It’s one of the tropes but it was mentioned mainly at the beginning, and that’s it. I just expected more of the PCOS trope in the plot.
The hockey part is also mainly just a fact that the male character is a hockey player. There is no actual hockey happening on page. It’s not a bad thing! But if you want a hockey romance with some of the sport actually happening in the book, just be prepared that it’s not such a story.
I really liked the little bits of co-parenting! This was something I didn’t expect and was a nice surprise.
OVERALL it is a well written, entertaining story with beautiful representation of multiple conditions/situations that are not covered in romance books that often.
The ending, the epilogues were beautiful!
March 16, 2025
4.75 stars
"Well crap, there's a reason this author is an auto buy for me."
"He makes me feel alive and wanted. My body is on fire and my heart is about to explode as my pulse skyrockets."
"My whole world is spinning and if I'm going to fall off the edge of the earth, I want it to be with Luca."
"I'm not worried about me, Samara. I'd walk through the fire to get to you, sweetheart."
Thanks to the author for an E- ARC!
It is so interesting that an author's writing continues to be a smashing hit after hit after hit!! I absolutely loved and adored this story this so much. This author continues write character with the upmost respect, love, and care that any reader could ask for / relate too. The numerous representations felt real, raw, relatable and extremely well rounded to offer a story filled with meaning and love which is at the heart of this story. Samara and Luca's love story is a slow burn but it is a slow burn that is so worth it and makes the most sense for the both of them. As both of their lives are turned upside down as soon as they meet one another, their intense attraction does not go unnoticed. I truly love that Luca was extremely ground and aware of his feelings for Samara and was extremely patient with her while she got her feeling situated and sorted out. His awareness of her trueself under the grumpy intentions was meaningful and was so sweet because he knew deep down she was worth the wait. Their banter is extremely cute, funny, and corny and I loved every second of it!
Luca's journey on overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a new dad does not go unnoticed, his inner dialouge and constant pressure he places on himself on fatherhood and doing it right was so relatable. He was vulnerable and always wanted to showcase his love to all who was around him. I love the support and sense of community he gets from his family. The unwavering support and care Luca's family showed was extremely loving and so carefree.
Samara's grumpy tendencies concerning Luca was so funny, and in the same breathe it was also sad as well. Samara's hesitancy to take Luca seriously due to her own insecurities, experiences, and assumptions makes sense from her pov. Samara's growth was beautiful to see and I like how she herself came to terms on her mindset and did her best to stop fighting her feelings and go after what she wanted. I love that we get her culture and family sprinkled into the story, those descriptions and language differences was beautiful and shows that Samara's love and impression never wavered. I really loved and think the author did a great job executing Samara's grumpiness, it never felt forced / it was not too much in my opinion because her reserves had merit and her personality / experiences / work life kind of molded her into who she is as a person.
I do think the ending felt a tad bit rushed, I wish we got more time with Samara and Luca once they were on the same terms and expressed their love for one another. I kind of wanted to see more of them once everything settled and they were comfortable in their new life together. However with that being said, I do think that this was the perfect story to close out this series!
"Well crap, there's a reason this author is an auto buy for me."
"He makes me feel alive and wanted. My body is on fire and my heart is about to explode as my pulse skyrockets."
"My whole world is spinning and if I'm going to fall off the edge of the earth, I want it to be with Luca."
"I'm not worried about me, Samara. I'd walk through the fire to get to you, sweetheart."
Thanks to the author for an E- ARC!
It is so interesting that an author's writing continues to be a smashing hit after hit after hit!! I absolutely loved and adored this story this so much. This author continues write character with the upmost respect, love, and care that any reader could ask for / relate too. The numerous representations felt real, raw, relatable and extremely well rounded to offer a story filled with meaning and love which is at the heart of this story. Samara and Luca's love story is a slow burn but it is a slow burn that is so worth it and makes the most sense for the both of them. As both of their lives are turned upside down as soon as they meet one another, their intense attraction does not go unnoticed. I truly love that Luca was extremely ground and aware of his feelings for Samara and was extremely patient with her while she got her feeling situated and sorted out. His awareness of her trueself under the grumpy intentions was meaningful and was so sweet because he knew deep down she was worth the wait. Their banter is extremely cute, funny, and corny and I loved every second of it!
Luca's journey on overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a new dad does not go unnoticed, his inner dialouge and constant pressure he places on himself on fatherhood and doing it right was so relatable. He was vulnerable and always wanted to showcase his love to all who was around him. I love the support and sense of community he gets from his family. The unwavering support and care Luca's family showed was extremely loving and so carefree.
Samara's grumpy tendencies concerning Luca was so funny, and in the same breathe it was also sad as well. Samara's hesitancy to take Luca seriously due to her own insecurities, experiences, and assumptions makes sense from her pov. Samara's growth was beautiful to see and I like how she herself came to terms on her mindset and did her best to stop fighting her feelings and go after what she wanted. I love that we get her culture and family sprinkled into the story, those descriptions and language differences was beautiful and shows that Samara's love and impression never wavered. I really loved and think the author did a great job executing Samara's grumpiness, it never felt forced / it was not too much in my opinion because her reserves had merit and her personality / experiences / work life kind of molded her into who she is as a person.
I do think the ending felt a tad bit rushed, I wish we got more time with Samara and Luca once they were on the same terms and expressed their love for one another. I kind of wanted to see more of them once everything settled and they were comfortable in their new life together. However with that being said, I do think that this was the perfect story to close out this series!
March 30, 2025
This was my second novel that I have read by this author and I greatly enjoyed it.
Novel 4 in the Philia Players series focuses on Samara, a kick-butt family law attorney who is struggling with her own personal demons and Luca, the once playboy turned single father(-ish) (surprise) NHL hockey goalie.
One thing that I genuinely enjoy when reading books by this author is that she makes her characters real, with real health issues and they are not glossed over and forgotten a page later; they are part of the character the entire story and add a layer of depth to them. In this case it was infertility, PPD, PCOS and IVF. The way in which these topics are written about shows care and love for this community of women who are struggling every day. Samara is someone they can see themselves in and I love that they are being seen.
Samara, This poor FMC could not catch a break, and while it was hard for me to connect with her, namely because I have no experience in dealing with the health issues she does, I did connect with her as the "black sheep" of the family. The one who tries to make her parents proud only to feel like she is failing or not living up to their expectations of how her life should look. As a person who deals with body image issues of my own, I can connect with not feeling comfortable in my own skin or not being able to take a compliment about my appearance. My heart broke in these moments (and other moments too). It is character like Samara where I feel seen.
Luca, that man, finds out he has a child and has the WTF moment and then goes into dad mode. He does what needs to be done to support his daughter but at the same time does what needs to be done to support his daughter's mother because he recognized the need for both parents to work together to raise a child, even if they are not together romantically. Instead of harboring ill will for being told nothing, he put his own pride aside to ensure that his daughter's mother got the help that she needed to be present in their daughter's life and navigate this new co-existence and learn to trust her again.
Can we talk about the meddling family? as an Italian-American, I understand Luca's family dynamics so well (sans all the adopted siblings). The drop everything and anything and rally behind whoever is in need. They don't have to ask; it is just going to get done, because that's what needs to be done. The bickering between siblings and the unconditional love that they show to each other. It is never a what do you need? or how can I help? but you needed this so I did it.
Also, if Gloria isn't a written representation of my own Nana, I don't know who is.
Read for:
- Dislike to lovers
- Slowish burn
- All the tension and chemistry
- Grumpy fmc and cinnamon roll mmc
- Attorney fmc and hockey player mms
- Fake dating
- PCOS and Infertiliy rep
- IVF and PPD rep
Novel 4 in the Philia Players series focuses on Samara, a kick-butt family law attorney who is struggling with her own personal demons and Luca, the once playboy turned single father(-ish) (surprise) NHL hockey goalie.
One thing that I genuinely enjoy when reading books by this author is that she makes her characters real, with real health issues and they are not glossed over and forgotten a page later; they are part of the character the entire story and add a layer of depth to them. In this case it was infertility, PPD, PCOS and IVF. The way in which these topics are written about shows care and love for this community of women who are struggling every day. Samara is someone they can see themselves in and I love that they are being seen.
Samara, This poor FMC could not catch a break, and while it was hard for me to connect with her, namely because I have no experience in dealing with the health issues she does, I did connect with her as the "black sheep" of the family. The one who tries to make her parents proud only to feel like she is failing or not living up to their expectations of how her life should look. As a person who deals with body image issues of my own, I can connect with not feeling comfortable in my own skin or not being able to take a compliment about my appearance. My heart broke in these moments (and other moments too). It is character like Samara where I feel seen.
Luca, that man, finds out he has a child and has the WTF moment and then goes into dad mode. He does what needs to be done to support his daughter but at the same time does what needs to be done to support his daughter's mother because he recognized the need for both parents to work together to raise a child, even if they are not together romantically. Instead of harboring ill will for being told nothing, he put his own pride aside to ensure that his daughter's mother got the help that she needed to be present in their daughter's life and navigate this new co-existence and learn to trust her again.
Can we talk about the meddling family? as an Italian-American, I understand Luca's family dynamics so well (sans all the adopted siblings). The drop everything and anything and rally behind whoever is in need. They don't have to ask; it is just going to get done, because that's what needs to be done. The bickering between siblings and the unconditional love that they show to each other. It is never a what do you need? or how can I help? but you needed this so I did it.
Also, if Gloria isn't a written representation of my own Nana, I don't know who is.
Read for:
- Dislike to lovers
- Slowish burn
- All the tension and chemistry
- Grumpy fmc and cinnamon roll mmc
- Attorney fmc and hockey player mms
- Fake dating
- PCOS and Infertiliy rep
- IVF and PPD rep
January 11, 2025
“It should be illegal to pull out the Italian at a time like this, but I’ll allow it,”
“and if you’d just shut the hell up, I could have you using that mouth for good instead of all the bitching you’re choosing to do.”
“No”—he shakes his head adamantly—“ I am not okay, Samara,“ he tells me, his chest heaving. “What’s going on with you?” I ask him, confused as hell. “Horses. No one said shit about horses!”
“What’s meant for you will come; this is just a changing of the tides.”
‘Always Smutty In Philadelphia.’
I don’t not subscribe to “reserve grumpy x sunshine” as a way to explain that the FMC isn’t all rainbows and sparkles … because show me one real life woman who is that. But I digress. This is about Samara and Luca 😅
Samara is my FAVOURITE kind of FMC. She takes zero shit from anyone and gives as good as she gets and she is my hero. She works hard and knows what she wants. Her vulnerability is bricked behind a wall of self preservation and she gives herself the grace she needs to remove those bricks herself. She doesn’t need a man to do that heavy lifting for her and again, I love her for it.
Samara leans on her own (very fancy) high heels and she supports herself through her struggles with POCS, fertility, being a career woman and working as an advocate for female victims. She is the real MVP!
Luca ! If someone ran his DNA through ancestry.com the results would show he is 100% pure breed golden retriever. And again, I am here for it.
The dichotomy between these two characters is the most relatable piece of writing I’ve ever read. Someone is always ‘on’ and serious and usually deeply under supported and the other, their person is levity and light and backed by almost overbearing support and together they come together and they can achieve anything because separately they both have skills to deal with their hand in life and it balances the scales beautifully.
I know I will always love anything Giuliana writes but from the Philly series this is by far my favourite story.
It has so many layers and touches on so many important issues that don’t typically appear in romance novels because it’s hard to romanticise but doesn’t make it less important.
Also as it’s the final book in the series the extended epilogues gives us all some “six feet under” level of closure that had me
In tears !
Tropes
Hockey goalie MMC
fake dating
Secret baby
Single father turned successful coparent
Cinnamon role MMC
Couples dance lesson
Client x attorney
Woman’s shelter volunteer
IVF, infertility, PCOS and surrogacy rep
Reformed playboy
Multipart epilogue
Imposter syndrome
“and if you’d just shut the hell up, I could have you using that mouth for good instead of all the bitching you’re choosing to do.”
“No”—he shakes his head adamantly—“ I am not okay, Samara,“ he tells me, his chest heaving. “What’s going on with you?” I ask him, confused as hell. “Horses. No one said shit about horses!”
“What’s meant for you will come; this is just a changing of the tides.”
‘Always Smutty In Philadelphia.’
I don’t not subscribe to “reserve grumpy x sunshine” as a way to explain that the FMC isn’t all rainbows and sparkles … because show me one real life woman who is that. But I digress. This is about Samara and Luca 😅
Samara is my FAVOURITE kind of FMC. She takes zero shit from anyone and gives as good as she gets and she is my hero. She works hard and knows what she wants. Her vulnerability is bricked behind a wall of self preservation and she gives herself the grace she needs to remove those bricks herself. She doesn’t need a man to do that heavy lifting for her and again, I love her for it.
Samara leans on her own (very fancy) high heels and she supports herself through her struggles with POCS, fertility, being a career woman and working as an advocate for female victims. She is the real MVP!
Luca ! If someone ran his DNA through ancestry.com the results would show he is 100% pure breed golden retriever. And again, I am here for it.
The dichotomy between these two characters is the most relatable piece of writing I’ve ever read. Someone is always ‘on’ and serious and usually deeply under supported and the other, their person is levity and light and backed by almost overbearing support and together they come together and they can achieve anything because separately they both have skills to deal with their hand in life and it balances the scales beautifully.
I know I will always love anything Giuliana writes but from the Philly series this is by far my favourite story.
It has so many layers and touches on so many important issues that don’t typically appear in romance novels because it’s hard to romanticise but doesn’t make it less important.
Also as it’s the final book in the series the extended epilogues gives us all some “six feet under” level of closure that had me
In tears !
Tropes
Hockey goalie MMC
fake dating
Secret baby
Single father turned successful coparent
Cinnamon role MMC
Couples dance lesson
Client x attorney
Woman’s shelter volunteer
IVF, infertility, PCOS and surrogacy rep
Reformed playboy
Multipart epilogue
Imposter syndrome
April 1, 2025
First of all - I absolutely love Giuliana - she's a breathtakingly beautiful person inside & out and the way she writes feels almost magical. She writes characters and stories that I really adore.
That being said, the FMC - Samara in this one was really hard for me to like. I related SO much to her infertility journey - the prologue gutted me because I know that pain, that horror in questioning everything every single month. That's my life as well as hers. So I absolutely love her as a result... but once it came to actually getting to know her character? She fell flat for me. She does so many good things and yet she never thinks before she speaks - even when she knows better she still doesn't do better. She's incredibly judgy - she has all of the respect I have because I know that as a black female, she has to work harder than anyone else to get even a slight ounce of respect. That being said, I still think she was far too judgemental and rude. No matter the stress load, you really don't need to lash out on others over and over again. We all do on occassion because no one is perfect, but it seemed to truly be a constant thing with this character.
I loved the MMC - Luca is such a good man, and I just adore his overwhelming & meddling family. They have good hearts & the way that they show up for Luca AND Giavanna (I LOVE that name!!) is truly incredible. The way that Luca just truly opened up and made a choice to be a father - he made the quick choice to truly grow up and take on the responsibility and it was really beautiful to read. He was so incredibly cute and when he thought he was failing everything - aww, my heart just went out to him.
I loved the banter and overall the chemistry between Samara & Luca - it was easy to see even with how she behaved. The tension between them was intense from their very first meeting and it just built - absolutely delicious!
Seeing all the old characters from other books - and getting so much of Gloria (I can't help it, I love her meddling ways!!) just really added to the entire experience.
As usual with Giuliana's books we have some excellent mental health representation all throughout this book - the representation just always blows me away at how real & good it is.
I was miserable upon the ending of this book - only because I am going to miss these characters, and this family so very much. I want and need more! But I do look forward to what comes next and cannot wait to continue reading books by this author.
Thank you to Giuliana (and Kait & Kylie!!) for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
That being said, the FMC - Samara in this one was really hard for me to like. I related SO much to her infertility journey - the prologue gutted me because I know that pain, that horror in questioning everything every single month. That's my life as well as hers. So I absolutely love her as a result... but once it came to actually getting to know her character? She fell flat for me. She does so many good things and yet she never thinks before she speaks - even when she knows better she still doesn't do better. She's incredibly judgy - she has all of the respect I have because I know that as a black female, she has to work harder than anyone else to get even a slight ounce of respect. That being said, I still think she was far too judgemental and rude. No matter the stress load, you really don't need to lash out on others over and over again. We all do on occassion because no one is perfect, but it seemed to truly be a constant thing with this character.
I loved the MMC - Luca is such a good man, and I just adore his overwhelming & meddling family. They have good hearts & the way that they show up for Luca AND Giavanna (I LOVE that name!!) is truly incredible. The way that Luca just truly opened up and made a choice to be a father - he made the quick choice to truly grow up and take on the responsibility and it was really beautiful to read. He was so incredibly cute and when he thought he was failing everything - aww, my heart just went out to him.
I loved the banter and overall the chemistry between Samara & Luca - it was easy to see even with how she behaved. The tension between them was intense from their very first meeting and it just built - absolutely delicious!
Seeing all the old characters from other books - and getting so much of Gloria (I can't help it, I love her meddling ways!!) just really added to the entire experience.
As usual with Giuliana's books we have some excellent mental health representation all throughout this book - the representation just always blows me away at how real & good it is.
I was miserable upon the ending of this book - only because I am going to miss these characters, and this family so very much. I want and need more! But I do look forward to what comes next and cannot wait to continue reading books by this author.
Thank you to Giuliana (and Kait & Kylie!!) for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
April 4, 2025
Tropes:
-single dad
-attorney x client
-NHL hockey goalie
-fake dating
-reformed playboy
-found family
-slow burn
-PCOS and infertility rep
This was another incredible book from Giuliana. She tackles heavy topics like a pro. I love Luca with my whole heart, and I want to be in his family. All of the men in this family are swoon-worthy. His mother is the coolest. I want to join her book club.
Luca is suddenly thrown into fatherhood when Gia is three months old. He had no clue CiCi was pregnant. He handles his new role remarkably. My heart was melting with every interaction. His co-parenting skills and ability to empathize with CiCi and her mental health struggles were incredibly written. He also goes above and beyond to prove he thinks Samara is perfect.
I will be honest: Samara wasn’t my favorite in the beginning. As a woman of color who dealt with judgment and having to work twice as hard for anything, she was very judgy herself. To be fair, she was going through a lot, and what she saw about Luca triggered her. After finishing the book, I fully understood the author’s approach. I ended up really loving both characters' growth and development.
Overall, I loved and adored this book. I recommend checking out it or any other books in this series. They are available on KU. I hope you read them and love them, too. Let me know what you think.
Quotes:
It’s as if something changed in me at a cellular level the moment she was placed in my arms. Some fatherly instinct fighting to be let free. I love her already.
But if you think for a single second that there’s any piece of your body I wouldn’t gladly devour, you’re not as intelligent as I’d thought. Size doesn’t matter to me, Samara. I don’t discriminate. You’re gorgeous, and if you’d just shut the hell up, I could have you using that mouth for good instead of all the bitching you’re choosing to do.
“Luca, as a woman, I have to work twice as hard, and as a Black woman, three times as hard to be afforded the same respect as my colleagues. That extends outside of the workplace. My Blackness is a part of who I am, and I love my culture and am honored by the strength of the people who’ve laid the groundwork for all that I’ve accomplished, but make no mistake that there will be things you’ll have to endure too. Interracial couples experience racism every day, and the fact that you’re a white hockey player doesn’t change that.”
-single dad
-attorney x client
-NHL hockey goalie
-fake dating
-reformed playboy
-found family
-slow burn
-PCOS and infertility rep
This was another incredible book from Giuliana. She tackles heavy topics like a pro. I love Luca with my whole heart, and I want to be in his family. All of the men in this family are swoon-worthy. His mother is the coolest. I want to join her book club.
Luca is suddenly thrown into fatherhood when Gia is three months old. He had no clue CiCi was pregnant. He handles his new role remarkably. My heart was melting with every interaction. His co-parenting skills and ability to empathize with CiCi and her mental health struggles were incredibly written. He also goes above and beyond to prove he thinks Samara is perfect.
I will be honest: Samara wasn’t my favorite in the beginning. As a woman of color who dealt with judgment and having to work twice as hard for anything, she was very judgy herself. To be fair, she was going through a lot, and what she saw about Luca triggered her. After finishing the book, I fully understood the author’s approach. I ended up really loving both characters' growth and development.
Overall, I loved and adored this book. I recommend checking out it or any other books in this series. They are available on KU. I hope you read them and love them, too. Let me know what you think.
Quotes:
It’s as if something changed in me at a cellular level the moment she was placed in my arms. Some fatherly instinct fighting to be let free. I love her already.
But if you think for a single second that there’s any piece of your body I wouldn’t gladly devour, you’re not as intelligent as I’d thought. Size doesn’t matter to me, Samara. I don’t discriminate. You’re gorgeous, and if you’d just shut the hell up, I could have you using that mouth for good instead of all the bitching you’re choosing to do.
“Luca, as a woman, I have to work twice as hard, and as a Black woman, three times as hard to be afforded the same respect as my colleagues. That extends outside of the workplace. My Blackness is a part of who I am, and I love my culture and am honored by the strength of the people who’ve laid the groundwork for all that I’ve accomplished, but make no mistake that there will be things you’ll have to endure too. Interracial couples experience racism every day, and the fact that you’re a white hockey player doesn’t change that.”
March 19, 2025
Okay, I’ll admit—I jumped into Shiver by Giuliana Victoria at the tail end of the series, and while I did feel a little adrift at times (like showing up at a party where everyone already knows the inside jokes), Luca and Samara’s story kept me completely hooked.
Let’s start with Luca. This guy? A cinnamon roll wrapped in a hockey player’s jersey, with a side of pure perfection on the dance floor. Sweet, caring, and the ultimate reformed playboy. When life throws him the curveball of surprise fatherhood, he steps up like the golden retriever we all know he is. (Seriously, this man is all loyalty and love, no questions asked.) His family? Heartwarming, supportive, and honestly, I want to join their next Sunday dinner.
Then there's Samara—she is the definition of strength. A powerhouse lawyer balancing high-profile cases, a women's shelter, and her own deeply personal struggles with PCOS and infertility. Giuliana Victoria nailed the emotional complexity of dealing with a body that doesn’t always cooperate, and Samara’s journey was a reminder of how powerful resilience can be. (Please read the preface—GV really lays out such a thoughtful explanation of the topics broached and how she approached them.)
However, I did wish we got to see Samara lean into her vulnerability a little more—especially with Luca. Her self-preservation instincts are strong, but I was rooting for her to trust in their connection sooner. Watching her finally break down her walls was a beautiful moment, but oh, how much more emotional depth I think could've been added if she allowed herself to really let go.
And then there’s Chapter 65. Watching them dance together was sheer perfection. A cinnamon roll who can take the lead on the dance floor? Chef’s kiss. I must’ve played those songs 1000000 times—I'm still not over it.
Now, I do have to mention the epilogues. Look, I appreciate the closure, but honestly, there were a lot of them. That said, I really did enjoy the different ways the author showed how families can form, and how love isn’t just about blood—it’s about choice and connection. It was beautiful to see all the different forms of what it means to be a family.
If you're into a romance that’s more than just swoon-worthy moments (though there are plenty of those), add Shiver to your TBR.
Thank you to Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to review the ARC!!
Let’s start with Luca. This guy? A cinnamon roll wrapped in a hockey player’s jersey, with a side of pure perfection on the dance floor. Sweet, caring, and the ultimate reformed playboy. When life throws him the curveball of surprise fatherhood, he steps up like the golden retriever we all know he is. (Seriously, this man is all loyalty and love, no questions asked.) His family? Heartwarming, supportive, and honestly, I want to join their next Sunday dinner.
Then there's Samara—she is the definition of strength. A powerhouse lawyer balancing high-profile cases, a women's shelter, and her own deeply personal struggles with PCOS and infertility. Giuliana Victoria nailed the emotional complexity of dealing with a body that doesn’t always cooperate, and Samara’s journey was a reminder of how powerful resilience can be. (Please read the preface—GV really lays out such a thoughtful explanation of the topics broached and how she approached them.)
However, I did wish we got to see Samara lean into her vulnerability a little more—especially with Luca. Her self-preservation instincts are strong, but I was rooting for her to trust in their connection sooner. Watching her finally break down her walls was a beautiful moment, but oh, how much more emotional depth I think could've been added if she allowed herself to really let go.
And then there’s Chapter 65. Watching them dance together was sheer perfection. A cinnamon roll who can take the lead on the dance floor? Chef’s kiss. I must’ve played those songs 1000000 times—I'm still not over it.
Now, I do have to mention the epilogues. Look, I appreciate the closure, but honestly, there were a lot of them. That said, I really did enjoy the different ways the author showed how families can form, and how love isn’t just about blood—it’s about choice and connection. It was beautiful to see all the different forms of what it means to be a family.
If you're into a romance that’s more than just swoon-worthy moments (though there are plenty of those), add Shiver to your TBR.
Thank you to Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to review the ARC!!
March 27, 2025
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Giuliana Victoria was able to hit it out of the park with 'Shiver'. 'Shiver' is the fourth and last book in the Philia Players series and tells the story about Samara Perez-Allen and Luca De Laurentiis. This story right from the start has everything anyone could ever want. If you have read past books from Giuliana Victoria you will already know that each book she has is always filled with emotion and the tidal wave emotion will just keeping you from the moment you pick up the book. Well if that is what you are looking for with brilliant writing and emotion 'Shiver' is that book for you. This book was a great way to say good-bye to the characters we have grown to love with each book in this series. But like all good things everything has to end at some point.
Each book that Giuliana has written for the Philia Players series deals with some sort of hard issue that either we have all dealt with or know someone who has dealt with it. ‘Shiver’ is no exception to this and just like her past books she has dealt with these medical issues with so much respect along with respect for the culture that the characters are from. Having an author pay attention to detail like this is great to see and really helps add to the feeling of the story to another level.
Since ‘Shiver’ is the last book in the Philia Players series it was nice to see that Giuliana was able to write herself in the book towards the end. The way she did it was so perfect and made a lot of sense and it was great to see her self being included in the story. With this being the last book in this series that means a new one is going to be coming along. While reading ‘Shiver’ you will read excerpts of the new book. So really this is one book that is wanting to leave you wanting more.
‘Shiver’ is a solid Four star read and I can’t wait to read this book again. It also wouldn’t be a Giuliana book if there wasn’t spice and boy did she deliver with this one. The Spice Level is a total of Four Chili Peppers.
Don’t waste any more time getting this book. It is available wherever you get your books and if you are a Kindle Unlimited member ‘Shiver’ is included in your membership.
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Giuliana Victoria was able to hit it out of the park with 'Shiver'. 'Shiver' is the fourth and last book in the Philia Players series and tells the story about Samara Perez-Allen and Luca De Laurentiis. This story right from the start has everything anyone could ever want. If you have read past books from Giuliana Victoria you will already know that each book she has is always filled with emotion and the tidal wave emotion will just keeping you from the moment you pick up the book. Well if that is what you are looking for with brilliant writing and emotion 'Shiver' is that book for you. This book was a great way to say good-bye to the characters we have grown to love with each book in this series. But like all good things everything has to end at some point.
Each book that Giuliana has written for the Philia Players series deals with some sort of hard issue that either we have all dealt with or know someone who has dealt with it. ‘Shiver’ is no exception to this and just like her past books she has dealt with these medical issues with so much respect along with respect for the culture that the characters are from. Having an author pay attention to detail like this is great to see and really helps add to the feeling of the story to another level.
Since ‘Shiver’ is the last book in the Philia Players series it was nice to see that Giuliana was able to write herself in the book towards the end. The way she did it was so perfect and made a lot of sense and it was great to see her self being included in the story. With this being the last book in this series that means a new one is going to be coming along. While reading ‘Shiver’ you will read excerpts of the new book. So really this is one book that is wanting to leave you wanting more.
‘Shiver’ is a solid Four star read and I can’t wait to read this book again. It also wouldn’t be a Giuliana book if there wasn’t spice and boy did she deliver with this one. The Spice Level is a total of Four Chili Peppers.
Don’t waste any more time getting this book. It is available wherever you get your books and if you are a Kindle Unlimited member ‘Shiver’ is included in your membership.
March 19, 2025
Luca is in the for the shock of his life when he finds out that his ex girlfriend has had baby, he’s the father, and she no longer wants the baby. He decides to step up and be a father to Gia and hires Samara, an attorney, to make sure that he keeps his legal rights. Samara always looks her clients up before taking them on, and what she finds out about Luca, she does not like. He’s a hockey player that seems to like hooking up with girls every night. She even found a story of him bringing an unknown girl to an abortion clinic – which really rubs her the wrong way. Samara has PCOS and after a few rounds of IVF, is dealing with still not being able to get pregnant. Now he’s faking being her boyfriend for her family and she attends his brother’s wedding with him. But will her distaste for him change?
When I saw that this book had PCOS representation, I was all for it. It’s very rare that a book talks openly about this and I was excited for it. There are so many struggles surrounding PCOS and most people don’t even know what they are; amongst other things, like weird hair growth and weight gain, trouble conceiving is one of them. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 16 and was told it was going to be really hard for me to have children, if I was able to have any at all. That was a LONG time ago and science has come a long way since then. I have two beautiful boys, but I’m VERY lucky. Not all are as lucky.
Luca is the ultimate cinnamon roll MMC. He’s got this tough exterior but he’s so sweet and giving of himself. I fell in love with him falling for Samara. I really loved tough as nails Samara though. She wasn’t mean or nasty, she was just sassy; she could take it and give it back. She had spunk. Her growth and acknowledgement of her judgment of Luca was beautiful.
Luca was an amazing dad to Gia, struggles and all. I also really loved his family. They were so supportive and kind. Hey Luca… got another brother?! haha! All kidding aside, I really enjoyed this book. I do wish it had a little bit more about PCOS but I understand the author’s choice of it not being too over the top.
When I saw that this book had PCOS representation, I was all for it. It’s very rare that a book talks openly about this and I was excited for it. There are so many struggles surrounding PCOS and most people don’t even know what they are; amongst other things, like weird hair growth and weight gain, trouble conceiving is one of them. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 16 and was told it was going to be really hard for me to have children, if I was able to have any at all. That was a LONG time ago and science has come a long way since then. I have two beautiful boys, but I’m VERY lucky. Not all are as lucky.
Luca is the ultimate cinnamon roll MMC. He’s got this tough exterior but he’s so sweet and giving of himself. I fell in love with him falling for Samara. I really loved tough as nails Samara though. She wasn’t mean or nasty, she was just sassy; she could take it and give it back. She had spunk. Her growth and acknowledgement of her judgment of Luca was beautiful.
Luca was an amazing dad to Gia, struggles and all. I also really loved his family. They were so supportive and kind. Hey Luca… got another brother?! haha! All kidding aside, I really enjoyed this book. I do wish it had a little bit more about PCOS but I understand the author’s choice of it not being too over the top.
March 18, 2025
Wow! What a storyline ! And told so divinely too . A kick ass custody lawyer Samara Perez-Allen and a bad boy Hockey player but the way he’s portrayed . Well it does annoy her! She takes on high profile cases so she can charge an arm and a leg , so that she can do pro bono for those in need. Yes he’s got a past but it’s time to see past who he was then and how he is now ,with this baby he cares so much about . He’s devout and he’s honest . Luca De Laurentiis is Goalie on the Philly Scarlets Hockey team. The media sees him as less than he is . He’s just be landed with a baby on his doorstep as it is and he’s doing all he can. Yes he was a playboy WAS being the operative word ,so it’s quite absurd , a media circus is all that’s ever heard . Not his side of the tale , oh no that’s by the wayside but there’s his lawyer about to join the media affray . She’s on his side anyway! When all he wants at the end of the day is to do is care for this poor defenceless child ,a baby in arms . It’s Samara who is up in arms as his lawyer firstly and a woman who wants of a child and this woman is giving hers away , does seem like justice anyway…and as their chemistry rises ,there’s a few surprises and worse , but plenty of heat and a bit of finding their feet and it’s time for the dance . The legal shuffle of papers and such. There’s a bit of light relief along with the angst though and the dance of romance . Perfectly sublime reading when they take a chance on love as well as the found love. So profound and soundly written ,with these great characters that I was in awe of ,an a happy ending you couldn’t be surer of. If they only thought of their happiness too. I was blown away by this great portrayal and so will you too. Although a newbie to this author’s work . I will definitely read again . That’s her worth. Great writing style ,you could immerse in a while . Taken on a journey of gritting teeth one minute and smiling the next, such is the context of the storytelling .
March 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I devoured this book by Giuliana! She has effortlessly continued her amazing ability to write characters that we don’t see enough of and need more representation. She outdid herself in ensuring the FMC was strong, realistic, and respected. This book touched on so many real world experiences that many people go through; but with compassion, raw emotion, and genuine heart. You can easily tell that Giuliana put a lot of effort in ensuring everything she wrote about was researched and confirmed.
Luca continues to showcase Giuliana’s ability to write MMCs that cause readers to fall over themselves! He is patient, loving, and such a good guy. Being put in the situation he is, he has to pivot unexpectedly, but does so without question. Knowing that he has to be the best version of himself was an easy decision to make for Luca.
Samara was an excellent FMC, but definitely rough around the edges. Her life experience has definitely hardened her, but I loved seeing her soften with Luca and his situation. It was easy to understand why she is guarded and doesn’t let people in easily. Life hasn’t been sunshine and rainbows for her and she has had to work for the life she has built. However, when she does let you in, you know you are special. Getting let in is worth the effort.
Like I said earlier, I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The third book in Giuliana’s interconnected series Philia Players, it added something special to the series. Along with the MCs, the side characters each added their own seasoning to the story and made it that much better! Themes of growth, self confidence, and not to quickly judge are consistent in this book. Through everything I just described Giuliana has provided a wonderful book that is a must read!
As always, review any author notes before reading.
Tropes:
💖Interracial Couple
💥BIPOC Represented
💖Hockey Romance
💥Fake Dating
💖Plus Size Rep
💥Mental Health Rep
💖Dislike to Lovers
I devoured this book by Giuliana! She has effortlessly continued her amazing ability to write characters that we don’t see enough of and need more representation. She outdid herself in ensuring the FMC was strong, realistic, and respected. This book touched on so many real world experiences that many people go through; but with compassion, raw emotion, and genuine heart. You can easily tell that Giuliana put a lot of effort in ensuring everything she wrote about was researched and confirmed.
Luca continues to showcase Giuliana’s ability to write MMCs that cause readers to fall over themselves! He is patient, loving, and such a good guy. Being put in the situation he is, he has to pivot unexpectedly, but does so without question. Knowing that he has to be the best version of himself was an easy decision to make for Luca.
Samara was an excellent FMC, but definitely rough around the edges. Her life experience has definitely hardened her, but I loved seeing her soften with Luca and his situation. It was easy to understand why she is guarded and doesn’t let people in easily. Life hasn’t been sunshine and rainbows for her and she has had to work for the life she has built. However, when she does let you in, you know you are special. Getting let in is worth the effort.
Like I said earlier, I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The third book in Giuliana’s interconnected series Philia Players, it added something special to the series. Along with the MCs, the side characters each added their own seasoning to the story and made it that much better! Themes of growth, self confidence, and not to quickly judge are consistent in this book. Through everything I just described Giuliana has provided a wonderful book that is a must read!
As always, review any author notes before reading.
Tropes:
💖Interracial Couple
💥BIPOC Represented
💖Hockey Romance
💥Fake Dating
💖Plus Size Rep
💥Mental Health Rep
💖Dislike to Lovers
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