From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely comes the swoony and oh-so-romantic title…MOST VALUABLE PLAYBOY!

In MOST VALUABLE PLAYBOY, the NFL starting quarterback Cooper Armstrong needs his best friend’s sister to pretend to be his girlfriend. Violet is willing, but neither one expects their boyfriend-girlfriend scrimmage to turn into a full-contact sport so quickly. Find out if their fake play will become the real deal or if they can turn back the clock to when they were just friends in this sexy new standalone sports romance!

Told from the guy’s POV, MOST VALUABLE PLAYBOY is now available on all retailers just in time to celebrate the start of fall and football season! 

*ONE-CLICK TODAY*
Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | Paperback | Audio

*The audiobook is narrated by Zachary Webber!*

 

 

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Blurb

Hands down, my favorite thing in the world is to score. Touchdowns.

Don’t let the fact that I’m the leading pick in the Most Valuable Playboy charity auction fool you. These days, I’m only a player on the field. I’ve kept my pants zipped all season long — and it has been long — because nothing’s more important than leading my team to victory every week. Except maybe escaping from the owner’s handsy-as-hell sister who seems dead set on winning more than a date with me at the auction.

Enter Violet and a well-placed Hail Mary.

She’s my best friend’s sister with a smile as sweet as cherry pie and a mind that runs quicker than the 40-yard-dash. After Violet saves the day with the highest bid, I don’t even give her a two-minute warning before I kiss her in front of the whole crowd and then announce that she’s my girlfriend. Which would be fine except my agent tells me the next day that we’ve got to keep up the act while he’s negotiating my contract.

Violet says she’ll take one for the team and pretend to be mine, but our boyfriend-girlfriend scrimmage quickly turns into a full contact sport. And soon enough, I want this game with her to go into overtime. The problem is — I’ve been riding the bench for years.  

How can a guy like me, who finally has a chance to prove his worth on the field, convince the girl she’s most valuable to his heart?

*MOST VALUABLE PLAYBOY is a brand new standalone sports romance written in the guy’s POV!*

Find Most Valuable Playboy on GOODREADS 

 

 

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Review

5 stars!

“The quarterback and the hometown girl. Now, that is a winning bid.”

I love a good sports romance and Lauren Blakely has hit the nail on the head with this one. Combining three of my favorite romance tropes – friends-to-lovers, best friend’s sister, and a pretend relationship – I couldn’t have asked for more. Most Valuable Playboy is a sweet, sexy, feel good read, and I loved it!

Cooper Armstrong is the starting quarterback for the San Francisco Renegades and takes his job seriously – no messing around when there’s a job to do. That includes leaving behind the playboy lifestyle he has lived for the past few years. The Renegades participate in a annual charity auction and every year, Cooper brings in the most cash. Usually, he is more than happy to “please” the winner but this year is different.

I need all my focus on the field, which means no full-benefits package with this date, even if the opportunity should present itself. I spent the last three years idle on the bench but busy after hours. This season is a whole different beast now that I have a record and reputation to think about…these days the only scoring I plan to do it on the field.

When the wealthy, recently divorced sister of the team’s owner makes it known she wants to win more than just a date with Cooper, he needs an out ASAP. Enter Violet Pierson. She has been friends with Cooper for twenty years and is the sister of his best friend, Trent. When she steps in to save the day by outbidding everyone else, Violet doesn’t know just how drastically their lives would change.

Lauren Blakely is fantastic at writing male POVs. She really gets into their heads and creates entertaining and lovable heroes. Cooper has a great personality, is genuinely nice, and is a total sweetheart when it comes to Violet. He is also hilarious and I loved watching him try to get his thoughts under control.

I want her to rip off my shirt, tear off my shorts, and murmur, “Your body is unreal.”
The I’d show her how inspired this unfrumpy body can make her feel.
Crap. Fuck. Dammit.
I did it again.
My brain went there.
Out-of-bounds.

It’s refreshing that Cooper isn’t just another playboy and he takes his feelings seriously. He was an all-around good guy and he constantly put a smile on my face.

Violet was sweet and real. I instantly liked her and her outgoing personality. She was down to earth and fun, but she was also hardworking and understood how much football meant to Cooper, supporting him unconditionally.

I absolutely adored Cooper and Violet together. Even before they become more than just friends their relationship is easy. Their banter is natural and they continuously made me giddy.

“I would very much like to give you another orgasm. I find it helps my focus on football immensely.”
Her lips curve up in a smile. “I’ll take on for the team, then.”

They were so cute together and my heart warmed whenever they were around each other. I felt the emotions that came with the uncharted territory of falling for a friend who happens to be your best friend’s sister. The forbidden aspect was well done and the reactions were realistic. The unsureness about which feelings are real and which are pretend was believable, and I felt the nervousness and the excitement of new love.

Being this close to Violet is dangerous. Something changed last night. I’m not sure how to name it – the way I feel being near her. But I like it. I like it too much for my own good.

The transition from friends to lovers was seamless and progressed nicely. I felt the pull Cooper and Violet had on each other and the attraction was apparent from the beginning. The chemistry and sexual tension were well-written and the sexy time and dirty talk was hot. They knew how to heat the pages but it was so much more than just the physical stuff. Their initial friendship created a solid foundation for more and there was no stupid behavior between Cooper and Violet. Even though there were potential openings for conflict, I loved that there wasn’t drama added just for the sake of drama, and the way everything played out was wonderful.

Most Valuable Playboy is a new favorite and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fantastic heartwarming sports romance.

*ARC generously provided by the author and InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

 

 

 

Most Valuable Playboy

 

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Excerpt

The business suit woman raises a hand, offering forty-one hundred.

Maxine’s eyes laser in on me, and she slashes an arm through the air. “Five thousand dollars,” she says, jacking the price up by nine hundred and staking her claim. I shudder inside.

The guy’s eyes widen, and he holds up his hands. “I’m out.”

My stomach plummets when the business woman shakes her head.

“Going once?” Sierra asks, scanning the tables, looking for perhaps one last big spender. My eyes scan the crowd, too. Hell, maybe I’ll find an escape hatch. A trapdoor to drop into and disappear like in a magic act. Maybe Trent will learn to read my mind. Trent, I’ll cover you for anything you bid. Just raise that hand, name a price, and save me. 

My best friend’s expression is merely curious now as he watches Maxine and Sierra, waiting for the verdict. My opportunity to play yard boy slips through my fingers.

The look in Maxine’s eyes is pure satisfaction as she waits for the final word. She winks at me, as if we have a secret. Holy shit. She thinks I want this. She thinks I want her to win me.

A flash of chestnut brown hair in the back catches my attention. A flurry of silver. It’s Violet, hands in the air, wildly flapping over her head in the middle of the ballroom. She brings her finger to her nose. And she’s tapping it, like fucking Santa Claus coming down the chimney, and Harlan tapping his nose to signal his agent, and all the greatest solutions in the universe at once.

My heart goes crazy.

It hammers in my chest. This is like finding an open receiver a second before you’re sacked.

“Going twice,” Sierra says, trailing off as she waits.

I raise my arm and tap my nose, too. Violet is the only one who knows I need to get out of this jam. She’s the only one I mentioned it to. And she’s the only one now who can save me.

“Ten thousand dollars.”

Holy shit. Violet does not mess around with my money. Her eyes widen, as if she’s surprised she bid that high.

My gaze finds Trent. He’s staring at his sister, slack-jawed.

Sierra’s smile is bright and wide. “Ten thousand dollars. Do we have ten thousand, one hundred?”

The room is hushed. Maxine’s expression is blank. She must be shocked. She probably didn’t expect anyone to vie with her to this extent.

I tap my foot, willing Sierra to close this quickly. Just slam the door shut, please, fucking please.

“Going one. Going twice.”

I say a silent prayer. I cross my fingers. I hope.

Maxine blinks, opens her mouth, and I steel myself for a disgustingly high counter bid.

But there’s only silence. No words come. Violet has shocked her speechless. This type of bid wasn’t in Maxine’s playbook.

Sierra raises her arm. “And a night with the quarterback is sold for ten thousand dollars.”

Talk about a Hail Mary.

 

 

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Giveaway

Lauren’s Most Valuable Playboy Team Spirit Prize Package Giveaway!
This bundle is valued at $450 and includes a Coach Handbag ($300 value) and $150 Stub Hub Gift Card to use for tickets to the game, your favorite concert, or theater performance.

 

ENTER GIVEAWAY

 

The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway.

 

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About the Author

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 80 times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In June she’ll release THE KNOCKED UP PLAN, a standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her NEWSLETTER!

 

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