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Playing the Player
The Good Girl Vs. The Player
Round one begins...
Trina Clemons needed the money. Why else would she - the most organized, prepared student in school - spend the summer as a nanny and partner with the biggest slacker ever? Now she's ready to tackle nannyhood with her big binder of research and schedules. Just don't ask her about the secret job of "fixing" the bad habits of a certain high school player...
Slade Edmunds prefers easy hook-ups, and Trina is definitely not his type. She's all structure and rules, while Slade wants to just have fun. Fortunately, Trina has no idea about the bet Slade made with his best friend that he can totally get her to unwind by the end of summer...
Then the weirdest thing happens. There's chemistry. A lot of it.
But nothing gets between a boy and a girl like a big, fat secret...
Round one begins...
Trina Clemons needed the money. Why else would she - the most organized, prepared student in school - spend the summer as a nanny and partner with the biggest slacker ever? Now she's ready to tackle nannyhood with her big binder of research and schedules. Just don't ask her about the secret job of "fixing" the bad habits of a certain high school player...
Slade Edmunds prefers easy hook-ups, and Trina is definitely not his type. She's all structure and rules, while Slade wants to just have fun. Fortunately, Trina has no idea about the bet Slade made with his best friend that he can totally get her to unwind by the end of summer...
Then the weirdest thing happens. There's chemistry. A lot of it.
But nothing gets between a boy and a girl like a big, fat secret...
400 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2015
90 people are currently reading
2440 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Brown Roberts
10 books632 followersLisa Brown Roberts’ award-winning YA romantic comedies have earned praise from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.
Lisa's teenaged self tweezed off all her eyebrows, crashed a car into a tree while trying to impress a guy, and accidentally went to prom with someone else's boyfriend. When she couldn't fix any of this in real life, she made up imaginary happy endings in her diary.
Not much has changed.
Lisa lives in Colorado with her family and many, many books.
Chat with Lisa:
Twitter: @LBrownRoberts
Instagram: LisaBrownRoberts
FB: www.facebook.com/authorLisaBrownRoberts
Website: www.lisabrownroberts.com
Lisa's teenaged self tweezed off all her eyebrows, crashed a car into a tree while trying to impress a guy, and accidentally went to prom with someone else's boyfriend. When she couldn't fix any of this in real life, she made up imaginary happy endings in her diary.
Not much has changed.
Lisa lives in Colorado with her family and many, many books.
Chat with Lisa:
Twitter: @LBrownRoberts
Instagram: LisaBrownRoberts
FB: www.facebook.com/authorLisaBrownRoberts
Website: www.lisabrownroberts.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
November 26, 2016
Giving this a 3.5-4 stars. As a YA reader/lover, I'm giving this a 4, but as a general contemporary romance, I'm giving it a 3.5
Review at Of Pens and Pages.
Trina Clemons has her job as a babysitter to adorable five-year olds Max and Gillian, but she's also stuck to mentor the school slacker/player, Slade Edmunds in the guise of a nannying partnership. She'd rather spend her time doing something else, but Slade's mom is paying additional and she needs the money.
She's not expecting the best, but she believes she can resist his charm; he's never been exactly nice to her anyway. She still can't forget the fact that he gave her the nickname 'Bird Brain' when she was advocating to save the tree with the hawks. And Slade Edmunds isn't the biggest fan of Trina either. He thinks she's uptight and 100% serious with her binders and organizational skills.
Two seemingly opposite kids, who have bad impressions on each other, have more in common than they first thought. After a disastrous nannying day that ended with two crying toddlers and one crying nanny, the two start anew to make their "partnership" work. They actually get along, and soon they both realize they feel an attraction that's getting hard to resist.
The achiever and the school player, one with a tragic backstory, misunderstandings, plus secrets and constant denial of feelings. This alternating POV novel is as cliche as it sounds, but it's what I loved about this book the most! It reminded me of the books I used to read in high school where I'd end up giddy and giggly and feel like a teenager.
As the story progressed, we got to see more about Trina and Slade and a little bit of side characters like Desi and Alex, Trina and Slade's best friends. Max and Gillian mirrored our two nannies, but these two tykes got along perfectly from the beginning 'til the end.
I have to say though, the end felt a bit rushed, and it was quite noticeable since the pace from start to somewhere near the end was quite steady compared to the end. I was close to panicking when I was in the 80% mark and the conflict hasn't been properly addressed.
But overall, I really enjoyed this story. It's light, sweet, and cute. I might read it again when I'm in the mood for a light fluffly YA novel. If you're a fan of that kind of YA and stories where opposites attract, you might enjoy this book.
*Contemporary copy given by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Review at Of Pens and Pages.
This feels like a really bad movie," I said. "One where you just know everything's going to blow up in a huge mess at the end."
Trina Clemons has her job as a babysitter to adorable five-year olds Max and Gillian, but she's also stuck to mentor the school slacker/player, Slade Edmunds in the guise of a nannying partnership. She'd rather spend her time doing something else, but Slade's mom is paying additional and she needs the money.
She's not expecting the best, but she believes she can resist his charm; he's never been exactly nice to her anyway. She still can't forget the fact that he gave her the nickname 'Bird Brain' when she was advocating to save the tree with the hawks. And Slade Edmunds isn't the biggest fan of Trina either. He thinks she's uptight and 100% serious with her binders and organizational skills.
Two seemingly opposite kids, who have bad impressions on each other, have more in common than they first thought. After a disastrous nannying day that ended with two crying toddlers and one crying nanny, the two start anew to make their "partnership" work. They actually get along, and soon they both realize they feel an attraction that's getting hard to resist.
The achiever and the school player, one with a tragic backstory, misunderstandings, plus secrets and constant denial of feelings. This alternating POV novel is as cliche as it sounds, but it's what I loved about this book the most! It reminded me of the books I used to read in high school where I'd end up giddy and giggly and feel like a teenager.
As the story progressed, we got to see more about Trina and Slade and a little bit of side characters like Desi and Alex, Trina and Slade's best friends. Max and Gillian mirrored our two nannies, but these two tykes got along perfectly from the beginning 'til the end.
I have to say though, the end felt a bit rushed, and it was quite noticeable since the pace from start to somewhere near the end was quite steady compared to the end. I was close to panicking when I was in the 80% mark and the conflict hasn't been properly addressed.
But overall, I really enjoyed this story. It's light, sweet, and cute. I might read it again when I'm in the mood for a light fluffly YA novel. If you're a fan of that kind of YA and stories where opposites attract, you might enjoy this book.
*Contemporary copy given by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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September 16, 2015
"Spontaneity isn't bad. It might even be... epic"
I should've known that I'll finish this in one sitting. …………and that I will swoon like crazy.
Entangled Crush can can do no wrong in my book. And Playing the Player is an evidence to that. Get ready girls, Slade is about to intrude your very organized life.... by distracting you with his not-so-good clothing style and irresistible charm. No one can be immune! Trina can attest to that.
I have been a fan Lisa Brown Roberts ever since I read How (Not) To Fall In Love. After reading that book, I was so sure that there'll be amazing books ahead from Roberts that's why I was ecstatic when I found out about Playing the Player and let me tell you, I was not disappointed at all. In fact, it exceeded my expectations!!
Trina is another heroine you'll admire! With her pixie fairy vibe and super uptight trait, you'd she would be annoying but nooooooo. I can't help but admire her whole personality, I loved her even more because of her character development that you will totally see throughout the story. She'll go from the neat freak girl to the girl who loves spontaneity. And how did that happen? Well, with the help of our hero of course! Oh man, Slade!! SLADE PEOPLE, SLADE! You know my favorite thing about this book? Is that the love interest isn't cliche so he's not your usual dark any broody mysterious hero. Everybody needs a break from that, right? Slade is obnoxious, a charm inducer and a swoony stud wrapped in a very bad clothing ensemble. And yes, you will still LOVE him to pieces.
The friendship between Slade and Alex, who is gay, is very adorable. Alex was such a delight to read even though he caused some trouble between my OTP. It's incredible how Roberts inserted a very little diversity in the story and yet, the impact was huge. The friendship is one of the huge reason why this book is different from others. Even the kids that Slade and Trina are nanny-ing didn't fail to crack me up. They add more cuteness to the already swoon worthy love story of their nannies.
I just wished that Trina and Slade had more moments together as a couple though, but other than that, I have no more problem with the book.
You will laugh, you will sigh and you will swoon. Playing the Player will play with your emotions... and you will love every moment of it because Slade and Trina are worth it. Roberts did it again! With characters that you will fall for, romance and friendships that you'll swoon over, Playing the Player absolutely deserves your attention!
January 3, 2016
“I wondered if this was how it felt to sell your soul to the devil. I bet there were awesome cookies in hell, too.”
Such a cute young adult book! I really enjoyed reading this,the story is extremely fun and quirky but with some serious elements and delicate topics.The characters are very interesting and I loved reading from both Trina’s and Slade’s POV. Throughout this book both main characters develop a lot and you’ll get to know their stories a bit more-you’ll realize that they are much more complex than they seem.Of course,there are some pretty awesome supporting characters like Gilly and Max,kids that they’re babysitting,Alex,Slade’s best friend, and Desi,Trina’s best friend.And,yeah,not everything goes the way Trina planned,but she knew things would get complicated eventually.
“This feels like a really bad movie,” I said. “One where you just know everything’s going to blow up in a huge mess at the end.”
And so did Slade.But you’ll have to read the book to find out what happens to them. Oh,and Slade…
I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a nice young adult book with a very cute romantic story.
You can read this review on BookishFever.
February 9, 2017
Playing the Player was beyond adorable. I couldn't stop smiling or keep the laughter contained that kept bubbling out of me. I honestly can't remember the last time a book made me laugh this much. Plus it had the perfect amount of angst that pulled at my heart. Playing the Player was the perfect feel good story and such a huge win!
Ironically, I started out this book unsure if it was going to work for me. Slade Edmunds came across as a slacker who seemed to have maturity issues and Trina Clemons was a control freak who didn't know how to let loose and have fun. But I was so wrong. So very wrong! Because while that may have been my first impression of them, I got to learn who they were. I got to understand why they were the way they were since we got to alternate being in both of their heads. And I absolutely loved the both of them!
Trina got a job being a nanny to both Gillian and Max. Well technically she was Gillian's nanny and Slade was supposed to be Max's nanny. But here's the thing, Gillian was being paid to nanny both kids and she was also being paid to report back on how Slade was performing to his mom. Slade's mom was friends with the kiddos mom, and thinks that Gillian will help her son mature and grow up. It sounds like a recipe headed for a huge disaster right?! While I guessed how a few things would play out, it definitely didn't take away from the story that unfolded!
The two little kids they were nannying, Gillian and Max, were beyond crazy and energetic! They made me laugh so hard. Saying they added chaos to Trina and Slade's day is a huge understatement. And Slade and Trina already have a rocky past. He's the reason she earned the nickname Bird Brain years ago. Plus they are literally the polar opposites from one another in almost every way imaginable. Slade was relaxed, calm and enjoyed being a player so no one could break his heart again. Trina was controlling and had the minutes of her day planned down to a T. So between the two of them and the crazy kiddos, things were bound to be explosive, hilarious and emotional! And as time proceeded, Spade's playboy charm started to affect Trina, and Trina's cute pixie ways started to cloud Slade's head.
Playing the Player was so cute, and it was filled with such a charming story! I have to say that my favorite scenes by far were the shredder incident, oh my gosh I went from laughing so hard to crying! And the climbing wall. Butterflies, excitement and nervousness consumed my thoughts while those moments took place. If you're looking for a book that is going to make you laugh, feel giddy, and fall in love then this is definitely your book. I can't wait to discover the other books this author has written!
PS I have to give a huge shout out to Trina's best friend, Desi and Slade's best friend, Alex. They were so full of life and added so much to the story-line!
*ARC kindly provided by Entangled: Crush via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
Not even two weeks into this gig and it had all turned upside down and backward. - Trina
Ironically, I started out this book unsure if it was going to work for me. Slade Edmunds came across as a slacker who seemed to have maturity issues and Trina Clemons was a control freak who didn't know how to let loose and have fun. But I was so wrong. So very wrong! Because while that may have been my first impression of them, I got to learn who they were. I got to understand why they were the way they were since we got to alternate being in both of their heads. And I absolutely loved the both of them!
“You’re late,” she announced.
I looked around at the empty library. “ Yeah, it was crazy. We had to drive in circles waiting for a parking spot. Almost as bad as a concert at Red Rocks.”
Trina’s glare intensified, and her chest shifted higher. Why was I noticing this? - Slade
Trina got a job being a nanny to both Gillian and Max. Well technically she was Gillian's nanny and Slade was supposed to be Max's nanny. But here's the thing, Gillian was being paid to nanny both kids and she was also being paid to report back on how Slade was performing to his mom. Slade's mom was friends with the kiddos mom, and thinks that Gillian will help her son mature and grow up. It sounds like a recipe headed for a huge disaster right?! While I guessed how a few things would play out, it definitely didn't take away from the story that unfolded!
“Naked party!” Gillian screeched. Before I could stop her, she’d peeled off her sundress and shot up the stairs in her swimsuit. Max followed her, giggling, with Spike in pursuit.
The two little kids they were nannying, Gillian and Max, were beyond crazy and energetic! They made me laugh so hard. Saying they added chaos to Trina and Slade's day is a huge understatement. And Slade and Trina already have a rocky past. He's the reason she earned the nickname Bird Brain years ago. Plus they are literally the polar opposites from one another in almost every way imaginable. Slade was relaxed, calm and enjoyed being a player so no one could break his heart again. Trina was controlling and had the minutes of her day planned down to a T. So between the two of them and the crazy kiddos, things were bound to be explosive, hilarious and emotional! And as time proceeded, Spade's playboy charm started to affect Trina, and Trina's cute pixie ways started to cloud Slade's head.
“I know the Heimlich.” I kneeled in front of him, worried by all his hacking noises. “Do you want me to do the Heimlich on you? Give me one finger for yes, two fingers for no.”
Still coughing violently, he waved four fingers at me, two on each hand.
Geez. Whatever. Not like I’d hurt him. I totally knew what I was doing from Babysitter First Aid class. I stomped away and opened cupboards until I found a glass, then filled it with water and handed it to him. - Trina
Playing the Player was so cute, and it was filled with such a charming story! I have to say that my favorite scenes by far were the shredder incident, oh my gosh I went from laughing so hard to crying! And the climbing wall. Butterflies, excitement and nervousness consumed my thoughts while those moments took place. If you're looking for a book that is going to make you laugh, feel giddy, and fall in love then this is definitely your book. I can't wait to discover the other books this author has written!
“You called me a man whore.”
He looked surprised, then he laughed. “No I didn’t. But I wish I had. How ’bout I just call you bro-ho for short? Since you’re hardly a man.”
I splashed water at him as hard as I could.
“Bro-ho!” he yelled, sending a wave of water my direction. - Slade talking to his bff Alex
PS I have to give a huge shout out to Trina's best friend, Desi and Slade's best friend, Alex. They were so full of life and added so much to the story-line!
*ARC kindly provided by Entangled: Crush via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
March 16, 2016
UTIMATE RESULT
July 24, 2016
3.5 STARS
I'm pleasantly surprised with this one. I picked it up completely by random on Overdrive and it was exactly what I needed right now. It was fast, light, fluffy, a little frustrating at times, I'm not gonna lie, but I enjoyed it.
PS: I feel like this rating is a little ridiculous (Goodreads please make half stars a thing) but I just honestly think this falls somewhere between a 3 and 4 star rating for me. I don't think this is necessarily a book everyone would enjoy, but if you're a fan of YA contemporary romance and want a fast read, I'd recommend this.
I'm pleasantly surprised with this one. I picked it up completely by random on Overdrive and it was exactly what I needed right now. It was fast, light, fluffy, a little frustrating at times, I'm not gonna lie, but I enjoyed it.
PS: I feel like this rating is a little ridiculous (Goodreads please make half stars a thing) but I just honestly think this falls somewhere between a 3 and 4 star rating for me. I don't think this is necessarily a book everyone would enjoy, but if you're a fan of YA contemporary romance and want a fast read, I'd recommend this.
December 27, 2015
This is a beautifully written teen romance!!
I'm not a big fan of YA romance, mostly because the characters are so young.I haven't read too many so I don't have much to compare this to. But if I was in my late teens I am sure that I would absolutely cherish every second of it. It'd be a book I'd read over and over and over again, until the pages were worn and much loved. That's why I've given this 5 stars. Because, for what it is, its absolutely brilliant!!
Slade and Trina truly hate one another at the beginning of the story. But a reluctant friendship slowly develops as they are forced into a summer job together.The friendship grows and eventually they fall in love. But the secrets they've kept threaten to destroy them...
I loved it! Pure, innocent romance.
I'm not a big fan of YA romance, mostly because the characters are so young.I haven't read too many so I don't have much to compare this to. But if I was in my late teens I am sure that I would absolutely cherish every second of it. It'd be a book I'd read over and over and over again, until the pages were worn and much loved. That's why I've given this 5 stars. Because, for what it is, its absolutely brilliant!!
Slade and Trina truly hate one another at the beginning of the story. But a reluctant friendship slowly develops as they are forced into a summer job together.The friendship grows and eventually they fall in love. But the secrets they've kept threaten to destroy them...
I loved it! Pure, innocent romance.
June 26, 2022
I almost gave this one two stars for how the male MC is described as hot each time the female MC sees him. I get it already! He’s super hot. The romance is really cute once they fall for each other. You’ll like this if you like enemies-to-lovers.
December 22, 2016
3.5 Stars
Playing the Player is a very cute YA contemporary romance. Lisa really knows how to play out these young adult issues and topics.
I have no doubt that many young adults will love this story. I enjoyed reading about the characters different personalities and watching each grow a bit. Trina and Slade are very reluctant to be hanging out together for their summer job but neither really have a choice.
The beginning moved at a great pace as they got to know one another and saw a different side to one another. However, I felt the conflict and how it was resolved felt sort of rushed at the end. I don't think there was really any other way to have that play out. So I think my issue with the pace was the timeline everything was based on. The beginning went day to day and then near the end, each chapter was sort of fast forwarded weeks instead of the day to day as is was before. Other than that, I felt the book was well written and flowed well.
If you are looking for a quick, light read or something where you don't want to get too caught up in drama, this is the book for you. It's a perfect read for young adults.
Playing the Player is a very cute YA contemporary romance. Lisa really knows how to play out these young adult issues and topics.
I have no doubt that many young adults will love this story. I enjoyed reading about the characters different personalities and watching each grow a bit. Trina and Slade are very reluctant to be hanging out together for their summer job but neither really have a choice.
The beginning moved at a great pace as they got to know one another and saw a different side to one another. However, I felt the conflict and how it was resolved felt sort of rushed at the end. I don't think there was really any other way to have that play out. So I think my issue with the pace was the timeline everything was based on. The beginning went day to day and then near the end, each chapter was sort of fast forwarded weeks instead of the day to day as is was before. Other than that, I felt the book was well written and flowed well.
If you are looking for a quick, light read or something where you don't want to get too caught up in drama, this is the book for you. It's a perfect read for young adults.
December 29, 2015
Absolutely loved it! It was perfect and I couldn't put it down, unless I had to. YA is a genre I read sometimes, not often, but books like this make me want to read it a lot more!
Enemies to friends, friends to lovers, finally seeing someone you've known for years in a whole new light...all these tropes factor into this amazing story. Told in dual pov's, It was the perfect combo of sweetness, comedy, angst and romance. I thought the author did a great job with Slade's characterization. He was a very believable, sexy player with a heart of gold. Loved Trina as well, she was wound up so tight, but justifiably so.
This book had a beautiful quality to it! I can't say enough about it! The antics, the wonderful secondary cast...adored it! <3
Enemies to friends, friends to lovers, finally seeing someone you've known for years in a whole new light...all these tropes factor into this amazing story. Told in dual pov's, It was the perfect combo of sweetness, comedy, angst and romance. I thought the author did a great job with Slade's characterization. He was a very believable, sexy player with a heart of gold. Loved Trina as well, she was wound up so tight, but justifiably so.
This book had a beautiful quality to it! I can't say enough about it! The antics, the wonderful secondary cast...adored it! <3
July 31, 2015
If I had been 20 years younger, this DEFINITELY would have been a 5 star read. Unfortunately, I don't read YA much, hence the 4 stars, because while this was an extremely well written story with lots of cute and sweet moments, I found it a bit hard to relate!
*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Entangled Publishing*
*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Entangled Publishing*
February 15, 2017
3.5 stars
Light, fluffy and clean romance
Light, fluffy and clean romance
July 26, 2024
This was another book that was included with my audible membership. It was a really quick read, but unfortunately, I could never really connect to the story. It felt very shallow and the characters made decisions that really bugged me, especially towards the end of the novel. RTC
August 22, 2015
4.5 stars
Playing the Player was such a fun, sweet and entertaining read.
Loved both Trina and Slade, they were likable and very relatable.
Trina is the nerd who is organized to a fault, she thinks her way is the right way and doesn't let people get too close, she doesn't trust easily. Her past has left her cautious of taking risks and just letting go and having fun.
Then we have Slade, the boy who is totally opposite to Trina. He's laid back, loves life and just having fun.
He's known as a player but behind this is a boy who is scared of being hurt so he doesn't do relationships.
Slade made me laugh with his quick wit and sarcasm, loved him.
Watching these two work together as nannies was a hoot, Trina with her daily binder all organized and set out to the min and Slade with his lets just go with it attitude you knew this wasn't going to go well. But as things start to go wrong Slade steps up and takes charge, what we saw was a boy a lot smarter than he lets people see. Watching this Slade made Trina warm to him and start to let her walls down. It was heartwarming seeing them get closer and opening up to each other.
For me the two 5 year old's Gillian and Max that Trina and Slade were in charge of nearly stole the show. I laughed out loud so many times, I couldn't help but love them both dearly. Gillian was funny and such a spit fire, god I loved her =D
And Max, what a sweet sensitive little boy he was, seriously I need a book about them in the future lol
If you're looking for a sweet, fun and heartwarming read with great characters you'll love Playing the Player. I was so caught up with the story I read it in one sitting :)
Thank you Entangled Crush via Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Playing the Player was such a fun, sweet and entertaining read.
Loved both Trina and Slade, they were likable and very relatable.
Trina is the nerd who is organized to a fault, she thinks her way is the right way and doesn't let people get too close, she doesn't trust easily. Her past has left her cautious of taking risks and just letting go and having fun.
Then we have Slade, the boy who is totally opposite to Trina. He's laid back, loves life and just having fun.
He's known as a player but behind this is a boy who is scared of being hurt so he doesn't do relationships.
Slade made me laugh with his quick wit and sarcasm, loved him.
Watching these two work together as nannies was a hoot, Trina with her daily binder all organized and set out to the min and Slade with his lets just go with it attitude you knew this wasn't going to go well. But as things start to go wrong Slade steps up and takes charge, what we saw was a boy a lot smarter than he lets people see. Watching this Slade made Trina warm to him and start to let her walls down. It was heartwarming seeing them get closer and opening up to each other.
For me the two 5 year old's Gillian and Max that Trina and Slade were in charge of nearly stole the show. I laughed out loud so many times, I couldn't help but love them both dearly. Gillian was funny and such a spit fire, god I loved her =D
And Max, what a sweet sensitive little boy he was, seriously I need a book about them in the future lol
If you're looking for a sweet, fun and heartwarming read with great characters you'll love Playing the Player. I was so caught up with the story I read it in one sitting :)
Thank you Entangled Crush via Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
September 29, 2015
Review Also Posted Here:Dreamy Addictions
I’m a huge fan of all of Entangled Crush’s books! They are always adorable and fun to read. Playing The Player is another great addition because it was funny and cute read, as expected. This book just looked all sorts of adorable! I was in the mood for a light read, and that’s exactly what I got, so it was perfect! It is the first book I’ve read from the author and I really liked it.
Trina and Slade are perfect opposites of each other and together they are supposed to be nannying two little kids for the summer. Both Trina and Slade were interviewed separately for the nanny job and Slade’s mom offers Trina with Extra salary if she agrees to mentor slade in being a responsible person. She was hesitant at start but ultimately she gives up because she really needs the money and she agrees with a condition that Slade shouldn’t know about this deal. Slade was always considered as slacker and unreliable by his parents and to prove them wrong, he reluctantly agrees to do the Nanny job because it was either this or forfeit his allowance for the summer. When Slade learns he’s got a Nanny partner, he expects her to be a hot nanny but instead he gets Trina who is a Type-A organized person and definitely not his type. Trina thought that she was completely immune to Slade’s charms but when she finally get’s to see a new different side of him, she realizes her immunity wouldn’t last longer and tries very hard to resist her attraction towards him.
I really liked Trina! At the beginning, She was a bit uptight and a organized person who always follows her binder but after meeting Slade she begins to loosen up. Slade Edmunds is a popular guy in the school, he is a real player, who had his fair share of girls and they always like to flank around him. He is totally charming and swoon worthy guy who is also very good with kids. I love his messy fashion sense especially his shoe lace hair tie. Both Trina and Slade are truly an adorable couple and I really liked their relationship, and not to forget their banters. There’s no insta-love because their relationship began with hate and it slowly turned to love after they get to know each other better. Gillian and Max are really cute kids specially Gillian, she’s definitely a trouble maker and both kids actions has always brought a smile to my face. Alex is another character that I’ve come to like, he is a fun guy and also Slade’s best friend.
The plot was quite predictable with some clichés but it was well executed. I really enjoyed the author’s great writing style. The pacing of the plot was slow but still it was entertaining and I wasn’t bored anywhere. It has well written characters and there’s a nice character development of Trina at the end. Another best thing about this book was, it was written in alternative pov which I always appreciate in a book.
Overall, it is fun and entertaining read, and I really enjoyed reading it! It has great characters, good plot pacing, great writing style and an adorable story line. If you are looking for a sweet, cute, fluffy, romantic YA contemporary read then I highly recommend this book.
I’m a huge fan of all of Entangled Crush’s books! They are always adorable and fun to read. Playing The Player is another great addition because it was funny and cute read, as expected. This book just looked all sorts of adorable! I was in the mood for a light read, and that’s exactly what I got, so it was perfect! It is the first book I’ve read from the author and I really liked it.
Trina and Slade are perfect opposites of each other and together they are supposed to be nannying two little kids for the summer. Both Trina and Slade were interviewed separately for the nanny job and Slade’s mom offers Trina with Extra salary if she agrees to mentor slade in being a responsible person. She was hesitant at start but ultimately she gives up because she really needs the money and she agrees with a condition that Slade shouldn’t know about this deal. Slade was always considered as slacker and unreliable by his parents and to prove them wrong, he reluctantly agrees to do the Nanny job because it was either this or forfeit his allowance for the summer. When Slade learns he’s got a Nanny partner, he expects her to be a hot nanny but instead he gets Trina who is a Type-A organized person and definitely not his type. Trina thought that she was completely immune to Slade’s charms but when she finally get’s to see a new different side of him, she realizes her immunity wouldn’t last longer and tries very hard to resist her attraction towards him.
I really liked Trina! At the beginning, She was a bit uptight and a organized person who always follows her binder but after meeting Slade she begins to loosen up. Slade Edmunds is a popular guy in the school, he is a real player, who had his fair share of girls and they always like to flank around him. He is totally charming and swoon worthy guy who is also very good with kids. I love his messy fashion sense especially his shoe lace hair tie. Both Trina and Slade are truly an adorable couple and I really liked their relationship, and not to forget their banters. There’s no insta-love because their relationship began with hate and it slowly turned to love after they get to know each other better. Gillian and Max are really cute kids specially Gillian, she’s definitely a trouble maker and both kids actions has always brought a smile to my face. Alex is another character that I’ve come to like, he is a fun guy and also Slade’s best friend.
The plot was quite predictable with some clichés but it was well executed. I really enjoyed the author’s great writing style. The pacing of the plot was slow but still it was entertaining and I wasn’t bored anywhere. It has well written characters and there’s a nice character development of Trina at the end. Another best thing about this book was, it was written in alternative pov which I always appreciate in a book.
Overall, it is fun and entertaining read, and I really enjoyed reading it! It has great characters, good plot pacing, great writing style and an adorable story line. If you are looking for a sweet, cute, fluffy, romantic YA contemporary read then I highly recommend this book.
September 14, 2015
I first became a fan of Lisa Brown Roberts after reading How (Not) to Fall in Love earlier this year. I was instantly drawn to how accurate her portrayal of teenagers were, keeping their romance at the appropriate age level and extremely realistic. And I was happy to see that this story had the exact same feel.
Trina and Slade are complete opposites and thrown together for a summer of nanny two children. Both go into this arrangement with a secret… which is sure to inevitably bring about the drama. Trina is a strictly Type A organized-beyond-imagination type of girl, while Slade is a laid-back lifeguard who loves the ladies. They couldn’t be more opposite, and this brings about a boatload of trouble more often than not. These two spend their days butting heads, while trying to nanny these two extremely difficult (one more so than the other) children together. I really enjoyed this story, which brought me back to my days of babysitting siblings during the summer when I was a teenager. (Days I DO NOT miss, AT ALL! Man, I’m so NOT a good babysitter…) I was giggling more often than not while reading about their days battling these two tykes.
Yes, this story was cliche… but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This incredible author took the often-done concept of “good girl changes player” and made it her own. This wasn’t only about Trina transforming Slade into something different, but even more so about Slade changing Trina as well. These two learned and grew as individuals while spending this summer together, and I loved every minute of it.
I read this a few weeks ago while sitting outside on the deck in the sun. It was such a great summer read for me, quick and effortless, and fun above all else. I love how innocent and pure Lisa Brown Roberts’ stories seem to be. Yes, there is drama, per say, but her stories are never dark, never filled with turmoil, and are always accurate to the age group of the characters. These characters reminded me of teenagers I knew growing up, all of their faults and bad decisions included. I even saw a little bit of myself in Trina, which was a little eye-opening, to say the least. A very realistic story that will leave you smiling and happy. Another extremely enjoyable, gives-you-the-warm-and-fuzzies read from Lisa Brown Roberts.
(Thanks to Entangled Crush for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
Trina and Slade are complete opposites and thrown together for a summer of nanny two children. Both go into this arrangement with a secret… which is sure to inevitably bring about the drama. Trina is a strictly Type A organized-beyond-imagination type of girl, while Slade is a laid-back lifeguard who loves the ladies. They couldn’t be more opposite, and this brings about a boatload of trouble more often than not. These two spend their days butting heads, while trying to nanny these two extremely difficult (one more so than the other) children together. I really enjoyed this story, which brought me back to my days of babysitting siblings during the summer when I was a teenager. (Days I DO NOT miss, AT ALL! Man, I’m so NOT a good babysitter…) I was giggling more often than not while reading about their days battling these two tykes.
Yes, this story was cliche… but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This incredible author took the often-done concept of “good girl changes player” and made it her own. This wasn’t only about Trina transforming Slade into something different, but even more so about Slade changing Trina as well. These two learned and grew as individuals while spending this summer together, and I loved every minute of it.
“I didn’t know what we were doing or what any of this meant. But I intended to follow it all the way through, because for the first time in forever, I felt fully alive.”
I read this a few weeks ago while sitting outside on the deck in the sun. It was such a great summer read for me, quick and effortless, and fun above all else. I love how innocent and pure Lisa Brown Roberts’ stories seem to be. Yes, there is drama, per say, but her stories are never dark, never filled with turmoil, and are always accurate to the age group of the characters. These characters reminded me of teenagers I knew growing up, all of their faults and bad decisions included. I even saw a little bit of myself in Trina, which was a little eye-opening, to say the least. A very realistic story that will leave you smiling and happy. Another extremely enjoyable, gives-you-the-warm-and-fuzzies read from Lisa Brown Roberts.
(Thanks to Entangled Crush for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
January 25, 2017
I'm sure I could write a review, but Jasmine's review, somewhere amongst the two stars does it so much better.
And I can't copy the link because the Goodreads app on iPhone is kind of horrible.
But in short, he's an asshole, parades around and hooks with OW for about 50% of the book before feeling guilty, and she was so disgustingly uptight and kind of virgin/kill joy. I suspected that she was medically ill, but alas, no. The explanation was that her brother, during their childhood drowned. K. -___-
Plus, H teased/sort of made her feel like shit in the past and present.
Whatever floats your boat!
And I can't copy the link because the Goodreads app on iPhone is kind of horrible.
But in short, he's an asshole, parades around and hooks with OW for about 50% of the book before feeling guilty, and she was so disgustingly uptight and kind of virgin/kill joy. I suspected that she was medically ill, but alas, no. The explanation was that her brother, during their childhood drowned. K. -___-
Plus, H teased/sort of made her feel like shit in the past and present.
Whatever floats your boat!
September 23, 2015
This book wasn't original or refreshing. I've read plenty of books about the uptight, nerdy female lead and the hot "bad boy" who tries to get her to loosen up. But this book fell flat and was extremely boring. It's one of those books that you can read in one sitting, then when you're done you realize you're bored out of your mind and wish you spent the last couple hours doing something else.
So we have the characters. The incredibly underdeveloped characters. It seemed like the author attempted to give them some depth...but it didn't work out. Trina is super uptight because her little brother once drowned. Now it could be understandable why she's uptight...but it wasn't executed very well at all. It was easy to guess what happened, and by the time the big reveal came, I was like "....so?" And I kinda felt bad, cuz death isn't something to yawn at, but it was dealt with so poorly that I didn't a choice but to feel unbothered by it. Besides her brother drowning, we don't really know anything about her family. Her mom barely appears in the book and her dad doesn't live with them because her parents are divorced. Okay. And? There's this thing called elaboration and detail. And her backstory had none. Which made her seem flatter than a pancake.
Same with Slade. Or maybe all of the characters' hype didn't live up to my expectations. Everyone was always talking about how hot and charming and charismatic he was...but I saw none of that. He was quite dull, in my opinion.
His "character depth" seems to stem from the fact that he's viewed as a playboy and a slacker and he doesn't like that people see him that way. But he doesn't do anything to prove them otherwise and that's the kicker. How can you get mad at someone for viewing you the way you are? He's constantly hooking up with girls and breaking their hearts, but he gets mad when people call him a man-whore. He doesn't really try to do things because of his "go-with-the-flow-attitude" but people aren't supposed to think he's a slacker? Get off your lazy behind and do something. Also, after reading NA romance, I can't quite buy into 16-year old womanizers who tie their hair with shoelaces.
Anyway. He has no depth and even though the characters talked about how amazing he was, he was about as exciting as a snail.
There were hardly any other characters. Despite Slade being sooooooooo popular, the only person he talks to is his best friend. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you're trying to sell that this guy is incredibly popular and everyone likes him, don't make his social life off-screen.
His best friend is gay. And that's the only thing we know about him. This is where his supposed depth ends.
Trina's best friend is tall, looks like a supermodel, and has a boyfriend. This is where her supposed depth ends.
Slade's parents are shrinks. This is where their depth ends.
The children they baby sit are children. One is super wild, the other is scared of everything. This is where their depth ends. These are the only main characters in the book, maybe because it's set in the summer so there's no school interaction with added characters. Either way, less characters equals less exciting.
The thing about contemporary novels is that if your characters lack depth, the book won't be any good because the characters can make or break these types of books. Why would I want to read a realistic story about the life of a cardboard cut out? I don't. But that's what reading this book was like.
The romance was cute and fluffy. It wasn't outstanding, there wasn't great sexual tension, and their relationship wasn't interesting. It was just cute. So if cuteness is all you're looking for in a book, this one is perfect for you.
So we have the characters. The incredibly underdeveloped characters. It seemed like the author attempted to give them some depth...but it didn't work out. Trina is super uptight because her little brother once drowned. Now it could be understandable why she's uptight...but it wasn't executed very well at all. It was easy to guess what happened, and by the time the big reveal came, I was like "....so?" And I kinda felt bad, cuz death isn't something to yawn at, but it was dealt with so poorly that I didn't a choice but to feel unbothered by it. Besides her brother drowning, we don't really know anything about her family. Her mom barely appears in the book and her dad doesn't live with them because her parents are divorced. Okay. And? There's this thing called elaboration and detail. And her backstory had none. Which made her seem flatter than a pancake.
Same with Slade. Or maybe all of the characters' hype didn't live up to my expectations. Everyone was always talking about how hot and charming and charismatic he was...but I saw none of that. He was quite dull, in my opinion.
His "character depth" seems to stem from the fact that he's viewed as a playboy and a slacker and he doesn't like that people see him that way. But he doesn't do anything to prove them otherwise and that's the kicker. How can you get mad at someone for viewing you the way you are? He's constantly hooking up with girls and breaking their hearts, but he gets mad when people call him a man-whore. He doesn't really try to do things because of his "go-with-the-flow-attitude" but people aren't supposed to think he's a slacker? Get off your lazy behind and do something. Also, after reading NA romance, I can't quite buy into 16-year old womanizers who tie their hair with shoelaces.
Anyway. He has no depth and even though the characters talked about how amazing he was, he was about as exciting as a snail.
There were hardly any other characters. Despite Slade being sooooooooo popular, the only person he talks to is his best friend. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you're trying to sell that this guy is incredibly popular and everyone likes him, don't make his social life off-screen.
His best friend is gay. And that's the only thing we know about him. This is where his supposed depth ends.
Trina's best friend is tall, looks like a supermodel, and has a boyfriend. This is where her supposed depth ends.
Slade's parents are shrinks. This is where their depth ends.
The children they baby sit are children. One is super wild, the other is scared of everything. This is where their depth ends. These are the only main characters in the book, maybe because it's set in the summer so there's no school interaction with added characters. Either way, less characters equals less exciting.
The thing about contemporary novels is that if your characters lack depth, the book won't be any good because the characters can make or break these types of books. Why would I want to read a realistic story about the life of a cardboard cut out? I don't. But that's what reading this book was like.
The romance was cute and fluffy. It wasn't outstanding, there wasn't great sexual tension, and their relationship wasn't interesting. It was just cute. So if cuteness is all you're looking for in a book, this one is perfect for you.
December 19, 2016
3.5 “Nannying can be fun” Stars
ARC via NetGalley
Thank you, Entangled Crush!!
This is my third Lisa Brown Roberts’ book. While I didn’t connect with Playing the Player as much as Resisting the Rebel or The Replacement Crush, I still could count on this author to write a cute teen love story that made me swoon and smile.
Playing the Player is the story of Slade and Trina, two high school kids who kind of hated each other (more her than him) but were forced to spend the summer together.
Trina and Slade’s main problem was that they were opposites—while Trina was all “my-life-is –organized-to-the-last-minute”, Slade was one to go with the flow. Both Slade and Trina saw their differences as each other’s flaws, with Trina calling Slade a slacker, and Slade thinking Trina couldn’t recognize fun if it hit her in the face. So, when they both got a summer job nannying two BFFs five-year-olds, Trina and Slade had the opportunity to learn from each other.
I really enjoyed the message here---I especially liked how it wasn’t a in-your-face kind of message, but it was still there. Trina and Slade learned from each other and let go of their preconceptions as they became nannying partners, then friends, then something more.
The nannying job was a plus not only because of how it forced Slade and Trina to interact with each other, but also because of the kids. Max and Gillian were funny and energetic, and they provided some great scenes. I loved how Max was the one fearful and insecure, while Gillian was the most energetic person I’ve read about in a while. I can’t imagine being that girl’s nanny. It sounded exhausting! The friendship between the two kids was also adorable. The only thing I thought needed a bit of improvement in this area was the kids’ voices. Sometimes they sounded a lot older than five-year-olds.
The romance, when it finally came in, was just as adorable and steamy as I’ve come to expect from this author. Too bad it took a way to come into play. I thought the book could’ve benefited from the romance developing a little bit earlier. We got to see a lot of Trina and Slade developing their friendship, but we didn’t get too see to much of Trina and Slade together. When they finally gave in to their attraction, things moved too fast and the big conflict came in, spliting them up. It was a shame, because the little we got to see of them as a couple was pretty adorable.
Overall, Playing the Player was a solid YA Contemporary Romance with an extra entertaining factor in the two kids Slade and Trina were nannying.
August 11, 2015
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Playing the Player is a young adult contemporary romance that totally made me smile. I think it is safe to say that I am a huge fan of new adult contemporary romances, but young adult contemporaries are tougher for me to fall in love with. I feel like they have realistic and age appropriate for them to be well done, and for some reason I think that is harder in the young adult arena. I think Lisa Brown Roberts did a fantastic job keeping these high schoolers true to themselves and true to actual high school students in Playing the Player. That does not mean that they were perfect. Not by a long shot, but they were just like so many high schoolers that I knew growing up.
Playing the Player takes an age old concept- the good girl reforming the player, and breathes new life into it. It is not that Lisa Brown Roberts did something totally different with the cliche, but she executed the story so so well. And I have said time and time again, cliches are not a bad thing. They are proven concepts for a reason. They work- if they are well done. And this one was so well done. I absolutely loved the slow burn romance between Trina and Slade. No insta love here.
Trina is type A and organized to a fault. It actually hinders her in her every day life. (some of her little quirks did irk me momentarily. Like her hang up on people "ditching" her. I'm sorry, she was not ditched at any point in the story.) Slade mellows her out. And Trina helps Slade in all the best ways too. Slade gets to be vulnerable and himself around Trina. Not all at first, but it creeps up on him. Day after day working together and they each get a little bit closer, a little more crush worthy to the other. It was just so darn cute. I can't even take it. (I am smiling just thinking about this book, as I write my review.)
If you like young adult contemporary romances, Playing the Player is one you will not want to miss. I can't wait to read more books by Lisa Brown Roberts because she tells a story so well. This book brought me back to my summers as a camp counselor. It is totally easy to see Trina and Slade fall for each other because I watched it happen every summer. It is inevitable. But are they just for right now, or something more. Who is truely playing the player? Read the book to find out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Playing the Player takes an age old concept- the good girl reforming the player, and breathes new life into it. It is not that Lisa Brown Roberts did something totally different with the cliche, but she executed the story so so well. And I have said time and time again, cliches are not a bad thing. They are proven concepts for a reason. They work- if they are well done. And this one was so well done. I absolutely loved the slow burn romance between Trina and Slade. No insta love here.
Trina is type A and organized to a fault. It actually hinders her in her every day life. (some of her little quirks did irk me momentarily. Like her hang up on people "ditching" her. I'm sorry, she was not ditched at any point in the story.) Slade mellows her out. And Trina helps Slade in all the best ways too. Slade gets to be vulnerable and himself around Trina. Not all at first, but it creeps up on him. Day after day working together and they each get a little bit closer, a little more crush worthy to the other. It was just so darn cute. I can't even take it. (I am smiling just thinking about this book, as I write my review.)
If you like young adult contemporary romances, Playing the Player is one you will not want to miss. I can't wait to read more books by Lisa Brown Roberts because she tells a story so well. This book brought me back to my summers as a camp counselor. It is totally easy to see Trina and Slade fall for each other because I watched it happen every summer. It is inevitable. But are they just for right now, or something more. Who is truely playing the player? Read the book to find out.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
September 28, 2015
Another fresh-cute read that can totally get you out of a bad reading slump (which I have been experiencing for the past few days). The presence of two cutie litttle children- Gillian and Max makes the reading much more fun with their crazy antics and tantrums.
The chemistry of the main characters Trina and Slade sadly didn't quite work well with me. The excitement is there but I'm looking for something more to happen.
The chemistry of the main characters Trina and Slade sadly didn't quite work well with me. The excitement is there but I'm looking for something more to happen.
August 15, 2019
This had potential, especially since I've got a soft spot for the enemies-to-lovers / good-girl-bad-boy trope. But the book turned out to be so cliche and predictably cheesy that I couldn't take anything seriously. I lowkey skimmed the entire thing.
Note: A line of "You're so gay." near the beginning really pissed me the hell off and I was ready to dnf. Later on in the book, one of the character explicitly says that his friends call one another "queer" to reclaim a negative work. Okay, fine.
Note: A line of "You're so gay." near the beginning really pissed me the hell off and I was ready to dnf. Later on in the book, one of the character explicitly says that his friends call one another "queer" to reclaim a negative work. Okay, fine.
August 29, 2016
Very awkwardly sweet, and laugh out loud funny! Slade and Trina are such a great opposites attract couple!
dnf-2025
March 28, 2025dnf . too immature and yes i know it’s YA
August 3, 2020
Such a cute YA contemporary! The kids that Slade and Trina were looking after were super cute and I loved seeing Slade’s relationship with Trina grow and change. I also liked that Slade’s parents were involved in his life - a welcome change for YA. Overall this was really cute and I liked it a lot.
December 17, 2016
3.5 stars.
Against her better judgment, Trina agrees to "mentor" Slade without his knowledge under the guise of them jointly babysitting two kids for the summer. Trina already has some preconceived ideas about Slade, namely that he's a slacker-player type, and he thinks she is far too intense and serious.
At first, they are sniping at one another and trying to outdo the other and it made for some excellent reading. The two kids they are nannying, Gilly and Max, were brilliant - I loved their characters and there were some very funny interactions between them all.
It is actually easy to warm to Slade because he is quite laid back and he just tries to go with the flow. He stays calm where Trina freaks out and it quickly becomes clear that she's the one in need of mentoring, not him. Trina is very uptight at the start of this book and I had to laugh at her lists and organization because it is actually like something I would do, however, I would never try to force children that young to go to so many boring places and she was seriously cracked if she thought they would enjoy it.
Slade didn't come across as a bad boy player at all - he was a nice guy from the start, so I'm not sure where his mother got her ideas that he needed direction and focus. He seemed to have his head screwed on. I thought his addiction to chick flicks was funny if totally unrealistic. He gained additional brownie points for his stated love of Titanic as I love that movie!
As the story progresses, they both change, and also start to realize the other person isn't at all who they thought they were and a strong attraction develops between them. The build up was done really well and the chemistry came alive - I totally shipped them, but it took forever for them to even kiss and I was growing frustrated by that point. Then, it skips forward three weeks and I was yelling at my Kindle. Make me wait all this time for them to get their act together and then gloss over their actual romantic relationship? The ending felt very rushed and I wish more time had been spent showing us their relationship, and how others adjusted to it, rather than accelerating it very fast, throwing in the (predictable) conflicts and then giving them their HEA.
The writing is great and I'll definitely read more of this author.
In summary, this was an enjoyable read and if you are in the mood for a quick relatively light-hearted sweet, clean romance then you should definitely check it out.
Thanks to Entangled for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This review will appear on my blog in due course - http://myyanabookobsession.com
Against her better judgment, Trina agrees to "mentor" Slade without his knowledge under the guise of them jointly babysitting two kids for the summer. Trina already has some preconceived ideas about Slade, namely that he's a slacker-player type, and he thinks she is far too intense and serious.
At first, they are sniping at one another and trying to outdo the other and it made for some excellent reading. The two kids they are nannying, Gilly and Max, were brilliant - I loved their characters and there were some very funny interactions between them all.
It is actually easy to warm to Slade because he is quite laid back and he just tries to go with the flow. He stays calm where Trina freaks out and it quickly becomes clear that she's the one in need of mentoring, not him. Trina is very uptight at the start of this book and I had to laugh at her lists and organization because it is actually like something I would do, however, I would never try to force children that young to go to so many boring places and she was seriously cracked if she thought they would enjoy it.
Slade didn't come across as a bad boy player at all - he was a nice guy from the start, so I'm not sure where his mother got her ideas that he needed direction and focus. He seemed to have his head screwed on. I thought his addiction to chick flicks was funny if totally unrealistic. He gained additional brownie points for his stated love of Titanic as I love that movie!
As the story progresses, they both change, and also start to realize the other person isn't at all who they thought they were and a strong attraction develops between them. The build up was done really well and the chemistry came alive - I totally shipped them, but it took forever for them to even kiss and I was growing frustrated by that point. Then, it skips forward three weeks and I was yelling at my Kindle. Make me wait all this time for them to get their act together and then gloss over their actual romantic relationship? The ending felt very rushed and I wish more time had been spent showing us their relationship, and how others adjusted to it, rather than accelerating it very fast, throwing in the (predictable) conflicts and then giving them their HEA.
The writing is great and I'll definitely read more of this author.
In summary, this was an enjoyable read and if you are in the mood for a quick relatively light-hearted sweet, clean romance then you should definitely check it out.
Thanks to Entangled for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This review will appear on my blog in due course - http://myyanabookobsession.com
August 18, 2015
Check out this and other reviews on my blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
Also, you can read my interview with author Lisa Brown Roberts here!
This book was really cute. While I'm not always one to go right for cute, fluffy YA romances, I absolutely adored this one. It was fun, it was interesting, and it was heartwarming.
The book starts off with Trina making a deal with the popular Slade's mom to "mentor" him while doing her summer nanny job. She agrees to pay her double Trina's salary, since she assumes she will end up watching both kids, as well as teaching Slade a few things about real life (like how to be responsible, for instance). While Trina is hesitant to accept the deal, she eventually does, because she figures it will be a piece of cake.
When the time comes to nanny both children, she isn't looking forward to working with Slade, who has never been very nice to her in school. Slade also isn't looking forward to working with Trina (he was hoping for a summer romance with an attractive girl...for him, that isn't Trina). The chapters are told in alternating viewpoints (Trina and Slade), and tell quite an interesting story of how the two of them manage a summer nanny job together.
While the book is cute and fluffy, it is kind of predictable, and that's usually why I tend to stay away from most romance books. However, it's easy to look over this, because the story itself is adorable, and Lisa Brown Roberts has done an amazing job in creating characters that you can't help but love. Also, the fact that these characters develop a romance over time (instead of in the first chapter), really makes it worth the read. The character development (especially Slade's) is pretty remarkable, as well.
Note: I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Also, you can read my interview with author Lisa Brown Roberts here!
This book was really cute. While I'm not always one to go right for cute, fluffy YA romances, I absolutely adored this one. It was fun, it was interesting, and it was heartwarming.
The book starts off with Trina making a deal with the popular Slade's mom to "mentor" him while doing her summer nanny job. She agrees to pay her double Trina's salary, since she assumes she will end up watching both kids, as well as teaching Slade a few things about real life (like how to be responsible, for instance). While Trina is hesitant to accept the deal, she eventually does, because she figures it will be a piece of cake.
When the time comes to nanny both children, she isn't looking forward to working with Slade, who has never been very nice to her in school. Slade also isn't looking forward to working with Trina (he was hoping for a summer romance with an attractive girl...for him, that isn't Trina). The chapters are told in alternating viewpoints (Trina and Slade), and tell quite an interesting story of how the two of them manage a summer nanny job together.
While the book is cute and fluffy, it is kind of predictable, and that's usually why I tend to stay away from most romance books. However, it's easy to look over this, because the story itself is adorable, and Lisa Brown Roberts has done an amazing job in creating characters that you can't help but love. Also, the fact that these characters develop a romance over time (instead of in the first chapter), really makes it worth the read. The character development (especially Slade's) is pretty remarkable, as well.
Note: I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2015
This was such a cute and fun book that I just devoured it immediately. It was a perfect summer read. Nothing too heavy... just good fun and romance. Sometimes the best type of book, if done well, and Lisa Brown Roberts did it right!
I loved the fact that going into this nanny scenario, both characters are keeping a secret. Slade has made a bet with his friend that he can't get the uptight and structured Trina to loosen up, and Trina was hired by Slade's mother to be a co-nanny where all her wonderful organization and structure will rub off on her son. I love that this put them at cross-purposes immediately. Lots of great conflict here that became so interesting and funny.
I loved both of the characters. Both had a certain idea about how their job as a nanny would go, and I as a reader made some assumption myself. It was hysterical how things just didn't work out the way they, or I, thought they would. Number one because Slade is better at this nanny thing than everyone thought he would be, and the kids were much different than Trina thought they would be. Some of the scenes with those kids had me laughing my head off. But I loved how this job brought out their characters and really let you get to know them.
The romance was not instalove, but built slowly, with a little bit of love-hate at the beginning to spice things up. As I said before, this was a fast-paced story, and I read through it very quickly. I loved the characters, loved the conflict, and was very satisfied with the romance. The author did a fantastic job making me love her people.
I loved the fact that going into this nanny scenario, both characters are keeping a secret. Slade has made a bet with his friend that he can't get the uptight and structured Trina to loosen up, and Trina was hired by Slade's mother to be a co-nanny where all her wonderful organization and structure will rub off on her son. I love that this put them at cross-purposes immediately. Lots of great conflict here that became so interesting and funny.
I loved both of the characters. Both had a certain idea about how their job as a nanny would go, and I as a reader made some assumption myself. It was hysterical how things just didn't work out the way they, or I, thought they would. Number one because Slade is better at this nanny thing than everyone thought he would be, and the kids were much different than Trina thought they would be. Some of the scenes with those kids had me laughing my head off. But I loved how this job brought out their characters and really let you get to know them.
The romance was not instalove, but built slowly, with a little bit of love-hate at the beginning to spice things up. As I said before, this was a fast-paced story, and I read through it very quickly. I loved the characters, loved the conflict, and was very satisfied with the romance. The author did a fantastic job making me love her people.
July 28, 2015
I received an ARC of this book from Entangled Crush via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very enjoyable book. Yep. Enjoyable. Other words I'd use to describe it include pleasurable, pleasant, satisfying, gratifying... etc. You get my drift. To me, this is more of a book that you'd read to pass time. I mean, if you were looking for an intense, thought-provoking book, then this obviously isn't it. But if you were looking for one to read during a rainy day to pass time or while lounging outside in the sun, then this is definitely it.
This was a pretty funny book and, most of the time, the exchanges between the characters left me laughing quietly at 3 am. The characters were amusing and there were hilarious one-liners.
To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the whole "bad-boy-player-falls-for-good-girl" hype, but I felt like this book gave a slightly different vibe than that. There was the nannying, which was very entertaining to read, and there are tragic secrets from the MC's past to be uncovered. (I love that in books, it's my guilty pleasure.)
Overall, this book was a fun, lighthearted page-turner with amusing characters and witty one-liners. I'd recommend it if you just finished a heavy series and want to take a small break!
This was a very enjoyable book. Yep. Enjoyable. Other words I'd use to describe it include pleasurable, pleasant, satisfying, gratifying... etc. You get my drift. To me, this is more of a book that you'd read to pass time. I mean, if you were looking for an intense, thought-provoking book, then this obviously isn't it. But if you were looking for one to read during a rainy day to pass time or while lounging outside in the sun, then this is definitely it.
This was a pretty funny book and, most of the time, the exchanges between the characters left me laughing quietly at 3 am. The characters were amusing and there were hilarious one-liners.
To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the whole "bad-boy-player-falls-for-good-girl" hype, but I felt like this book gave a slightly different vibe than that. There was the nannying, which was very entertaining to read, and there are tragic secrets from the MC's past to be uncovered. (I love that in books, it's my guilty pleasure.)
Overall, this book was a fun, lighthearted page-turner with amusing characters and witty one-liners. I'd recommend it if you just finished a heavy series and want to take a small break!
September 24, 2015
When I started this book, I had to suppress a lot of eye rolling, but what started out as cheesy and overdone turned out to be a really cute and enjoyable read! Trina is a control freak with a bit of a geeky side and Slade is the uber popular, lax dude. Basically the complete opposite of her. When Slade's mom hires Trina under the table to be a mentor to Slade for a nanny job, the two lives collide. Turns out Trina isn't quite as smart as she thinks and Slade is maybe just a bit better at the nanny stuff than her, which really ruffles her feathers, even more so than his heart-melting smile and golden boy good looks. At first, I really didn't like either of these characters a whole lot, especially Trina. I knew she was hiding a secret in her past that made her so rigid, and I knew it would be tragic, but I still didn't care. She annoyed me too much. But somewhere I switched and all of a sudden liked both of them and found myself rooting for them and the love story that was developing between them.
Overall, this was a good way to spend my reading time the last two days and I recommend this book for those who are looking for a light read and/or those who like youthful romance without a ton of sex.
Overall, this was a good way to spend my reading time the last two days and I recommend this book for those who are looking for a light read and/or those who like youthful romance without a ton of sex.
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