Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

Release Date: January 22nd

Playing for Keeps, a stand-alone Heartbreaker Bay romance, by New York Times and USA Today best selling author Jill Shalvis.

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s yoga pants, he’s a suit. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

you’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

… someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MftKXm

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/PlayingForKeepsJS

Nook: http://bit.ly/2IMbJ4G

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2kq2dFA

Paperback: http://bit.ly/2J6Kh0K

Add to Goodreads: https://goo.gl/Ngb229

Excerpt:

“Don’t run off,” he said.

“I don’t like it when people tell me what to do.”

“I get that,” he said. “And same. Also, I try very hard to never tell anyone what to do. But I think we need to finish this.”

Another quiver from deep inside her. “I keep telling you, there’s no this.”

“Are you sure?” Very slowly and carefully, clearly giving her plenty of time to get away if she really wanted, he stepped into her, making her extremely aware that she now stood hemmed in between the alley wall and his body, neither quite touching her.

But she wanted him too. She actually ached to close that last inch between them. She didn’t do it. Instead, she lifted her chin. “I could make you an eunuch right now if I wanted.” The threat was minimalized by the fact that she whispered the threat, but suddenly holding onto her temper was difficult. So was talking. “Don’t think I can’t.”

“I have no doubt,” he said, still holding one of her hands. He took the other as well and squeezed gently. “I think you could probably do anything you set your mind to.”

No one had ever said those words to her, not ever, and when she felt the back of her eyes sting unexpectedly, she closed them in self defense.

“Sadie.”

She shook her head.

“Look at me. Please?”

It was the damn please that had her opening her eyes. Caleb had closed the gap so that if she so much as took a breath, they’d be touching.

So she did just that. She took a deep breath, and then their bodies were up against each other, his warm and hard. Everywhere. “What’s happening?” she whispered.

“I believe you’re deciding between kicking me in the nuts and kissing me.” One side of his mouth curved very slightly as he lifted their still joined hands above her head, against the wall. “But that last part might just be in my dreams.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Yes, it’s just in my dreams?”
She meant to say yes again, she really did. She even opened her mouth to say it, because this was insane, this incredible … craving she had for him. It made no sense. Less than no sense, and yet …

She went up on tiptoe and touched her mouth to his.

About Jill:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

Jill lives with her family in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters (Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental). She does most of her writing on her deck surrounded by more animals than humans. Which is quite astonishing considering she’s a city girl who was plucked from the wilds of L.A. to the wilds of the Sierra’s. Most of her books come from a combination of hard work, cookies, and hot guy pics, and not necessarily in that order.

Jill often travels to reader weekends & conventions where she LOVES getting to meet and hang-out with readers. The only problem being she tends to get lost in her hotels. So if you ever see NYTimes Bestselling author Jill Shalvis roaming the halls, someone please return her immediately.

Connect with Jill:

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/

Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JillShalvis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillShalvis/
Mailing List:: http://jillshalvis.com/faq/newsletter/

*** ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review ***

I adored Playing for Keeps. So much. Sadie and Caleb stole my heart. When opposites attract, the sparks fly! I think that Caleb won me over the moment he decided to take care of a dog and damn if the sight of man being all sweet and caring for that dog wasn’t swoony… le freaking sigh.

Sadie and Caleb have common friends but not things in common… until they rescued the cutest dog ever and leading to share custody of that baby. They sounded like so not meant to be but their differences would bring them together and oh my I loved it.

Sadie always left like the black sheep of her family, tough on the outside but still hurting on the inside. She was working hard to get her clientele in the tattoo parlor she worked at, and the other half of her time working in a Spa. Independent and strong, and terribly stubborn, caring for her friends and taking care of them. Mostly she tended to judge a bit quickly people and she was going to learn it the hard way.

Caleb wasn’t just a successful businessman, a suit. He might have been married to his job but since the moment he rescued that dog with her, he was definitely changing his perspective. Well he seemed to distracted by the fiercely woman who pushed people away. His sisters were  intrusive and business tended to be mix with his personal life. As the family’s youngest, he’s been smothered a lot for sure but never he would have seen the day where a woman was holding all his attention, craving for more. It was a challenge he was willing to take. To risk his heart even if he wasn’t aware of.

You know that reading about that guy with his dog was just so swoony, was he even real? Book boyfriend material, trust me!!! Sadie was such moving, trying not to show the world her scars, honest with herself… almost. But when it came to Caleb, their insane attraction could put a room on fire. They had an amazing chemistry and I loved their dynamic, challenging the other, passionate and supportive.

I didn’t say that their dog, Lollipop stole the show, but the part where she was involved were kinda my favorites.

The author brought an emotional story about two people who had been challenged in the past, being fighters and they felt real. This series still got this heartwarming side, sweet and cute but with a serious tone. I’ve been hooked from the beginning and it was so natural to connect with them.

Once again the fountain worked its magic…