Title: Trusting You
Series: Players to Lovers #1
Series: Players to Lovers #1
Author: Ketley Allison
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 8, 2018
Blurb
Carter
My best friend died
tonight and her baby girl might be taken away from me, too, if I don’t find
Lily’s father before she’s ripped out of my life and given to another family.
tonight and her baby girl might be taken away from me, too, if I don’t find
Lily’s father before she’s ripped out of my life and given to another family.
Unfortunately, I
know who he is. He’s my best friend’s ex, and I hate him in memory and on
sight.
know who he is. He’s my best friend’s ex, and I hate him in memory and on
sight.
I love this baby,
but I don’t love him. Even if he does whatever it takes to make me trust him,
and it seems he’s determined to do exactly that.
but I don’t love him. Even if he does whatever it takes to make me trust him,
and it seems he’s determined to do exactly that.
There’s just so
little of my heart left, and I can’t—won’t—reserve any of it for that bastard,
Lachlan Hayes.
little of my heart left, and I can’t—won’t—reserve any of it for that bastard,
Lachlan Hayes.
Locke
A pro-football
prodigy, success was laid out in golden dollar signs—until an injury so
cringe-worthy it went viral laid me out for good.
prodigy, success was laid out in golden dollar signs—until an injury so
cringe-worthy it went viral laid me out for good.
Since then, I’ve
discovered booze and sex, and I get both whenever I want.
discovered booze and sex, and I get both whenever I want.
Until a girl shows
up at my literal doorstep, telling me about a baby I never knew I had.
up at my literal doorstep, telling me about a baby I never knew I had.
As she looks at me
with tears her eyes, I have a sick feeling my world is about to spin out again.
with tears her eyes, I have a sick feeling my world is about to spin out again.
I’m in deep sh*t,
because in no life plan did I think I’d raise a daughter, and I sure as hell
didn’t think I’d fall in love with the woman that comes with her.
because in no life plan did I think I’d raise a daughter, and I sure as hell
didn’t think I’d fall in love with the woman that comes with her.
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Excerpt
CARTER
“I’d better go,” I say.
“Yeah.” Locke waves us off. “Go. But make sure to come back,
okay?”
okay?”
I offer him a small, deflated smile as I push the stroller
through the doorway. “I’m not going to abscond with your baby.”
through the doorway. “I’m not going to abscond with your baby.”
“I don’t just mean the baby.”
The door’s almost shut, but I catch a glimpse of his face as
he says it, and in those brief seconds, I detect nothing but irritation.
he says it, and in those brief seconds, I detect nothing but irritation.
It makes no sense, his words coupled with his expression,
but I’m coming to understand that about Locke. The conflict and layers and
constant upkeep it takes for him to keep pretending everything in his life is
okay.
but I’m coming to understand that about Locke. The conflict and layers and
constant upkeep it takes for him to keep pretending everything in his life is
okay.
I lift the stroller the way I saw Locke do it—surprised by
the lightness—and descend the staircase sideways. Lily smacks at my face and
tries to palm my nose. I blow a raspberry at her, but I’m thinking about the
man I left behind, and how I’m coming to learn that sometimes, it’s not
kindness I crave.
the lightness—and descend the staircase sideways. Lily smacks at my face and
tries to palm my nose. I blow a raspberry at her, but I’m thinking about the
man I left behind, and how I’m coming to learn that sometimes, it’s not
kindness I crave.
Seeing Locke angry is upsetting. But understanding its
impact unearths a sexual lust coiled beneath my bones.
impact unearths a sexual lust coiled beneath my bones.
I’m used to emotional charge. Usually in the rollercoaster
form of grief, thinking everything will to be all right, like when the
treatment’s working and Paige has more energy, before the crash of devastation
when told there’s nothing more that can be done.
form of grief, thinking everything will to be all right, like when the
treatment’s working and Paige has more energy, before the crash of devastation
when told there’s nothing more that can be done.
But this ride with Locke…the leap from
anger to happiness to sweetness, then back to anger, in such a short amount of
time, has me wanting to lift my dress and deal with the overdrive in an
entirely different way. I want to straddle him, to massage and kiss and tame
him.
anger to happiness to sweetness, then back to anger, in such a short amount of
time, has me wanting to lift my dress and deal with the overdrive in an
entirely different way. I want to straddle him, to massage and kiss and tame
him.
I shudder as I drop Lily’s wheels to the ground.
Maybe…
I can keep looking forward to dinner.
My Review:
Wow! This is an emotional, angsty, tear jerker story. You could tell the author had an emotional investment in the telling of a mother dying of cancer and leaving her baby girl’s future up in the air. There’s so much going on in the story that it was disjointed at times and repetitious and the drama went on and on and on. I was over all the drama by the end but something kept me reading even if the storyline was predictable for the most part. The story was set in the US but some of the language and terminology was off and sentence structure was confusing. I really couldn’t get a bead on the characters. I liked Locke for the most part because of his commitment to his daughter and his treatment of Carter. For me there was too much drama and condemnation around his playboy lifestyle. Carter vacillated between being a bitch and crushing on Locke but her commitment to the welfare of the baby was commendable. I didn’t buy her reasons for not knowing who the father was or Paige not making sure her daughter was taken care of instead of going into foster care. I got whip lash from the back and forth between the would be lovers. It was good when they let go and the chemistry flowed but that didn’t last long and they went back to their separate corners. Locke’s posse of Ben, Asher and Easton were okay but I couldn’t figure out the backstory and connection for these four. There is a setup for additional stories for these guys. The best character was Locke’s twin, Astor, a kickass attorney that speaks her mind. But the timelines didn’t line up for her to finish law school and her first year as a lawyer at the same time Locke finished college and entered the NFL. I think this could have benefited from a good edit. I am curious about future stories from this bunch especially Astor and Ben’s story.
Author Bio
Ketley Allison has
always been a romantic at heart. That passion ignited when she realized she
could put those dreams into words and her soul into characters. Ketley was born
in Canada, moved to Australia when she was thirteen, to California when she was
twenty, and finally to New York to attend law school, but most of that time was
spent sitting in coffee shops and wine bars thinking of her next book.
always been a romantic at heart. That passion ignited when she realized she
could put those dreams into words and her soul into characters. Ketley was born
in Canada, moved to Australia when she was thirteen, to California when she was
twenty, and finally to New York to attend law school, but most of that time was
spent sitting in coffee shops and wine bars thinking of her next book.
Her other passions
include coffee, wine, Big Macs, her cat, and her husband, possibly in that
order.
include coffee, wine, Big Macs, her cat, and her husband, possibly in that
order.
Author Links
ginreads 