Consider Me: Playing for Keeps, Book 1

Loved it, loved it, LOVED it! You know things are going VERY well when the 20-hour runtime on an audiobook doesn't phase me, and I spend time doing math to determine whether it's physically possible for me to stay up late enough to finish before going to bed (sadly, no). I really wasn't sure what to expect from this new-to-me author, but I'll admit that I'm a softie for a manhoe who is smacked upside the head the moment he meets the right girl - and that is exactly what this story is all about. The hero at the heart of it undergoes SUCH a transformation from start to finish, and I absolutely adored seeing him work to earn his girl's trust and love. The intimidating length is actually perfect in this instance, because this hero is working so hard to prove himself, persisting through stumbles and obstacles along the way. Mack does an excellent job of showcasing the growth in intimacy, the build of the relationship, and puts it to the test to make sure they got it right. There are SO MANY swoony, tender moments, which pair perfectly with the intensity of emotion and the delicious spice. It's raw, real, and just the right kind of heart-wrenching, and I loved every single minute of it.The story follows Carter, a hockey star with a playboy reputation that he doesn't try to hide. No woman has ever made him want to change his ways, and he values his privacy and alone time, so casual encounters have always made the most sense. At least... until he meets Olivia. Intensely attracted to her from the moment they meet, it doesn't take long for Carter to pursue her. But when the sassy brunette resists his advances, it makes Carter work harder - and spending time together makes him realize that he wouldn't mind taking a chance with her. Unfortunately, Olivia is well aware of Carter's reputation, and she can't trust that his sudden change of heart is the kind that will last. Never did Carter think that his playboy ways would catch up to him in such a major way, and now he has to earn the trust that Olivia is so hesitant to give.I've had this on my kindle for a few months, and it wasn't until the audio version released that I decided to take the plunge. Devoting 20 hours to a book by a new-to-me author is always a little risky, but I am SO GLAD that I took the chance on this one. Playboys always seem to fall the hardest, and that is definitely the case here. I loved getting to know Carter, and seeing him be totally gone for his girl was immensely fulfilling. This balances swoony moments with drama and angst, ratcheting up the tension in all the best ways. We see Carter WORK for what he wants, and that was such a breath of fresh air. The page count was required to truly see their progression from strangers to lovers to soul mates with the strongest of bonds. And having a smitten hero is its own reward, with some incredibly heartwarming moments between them... and plenty of hot, SPICY moments as well. It's such a journey from start to finish, and I can't believe how engrossed I was the entire time.Audio note: I highly recommend the audio! I'd never heard of either narrator before starting, but they both give great performances in this dual narration audiobook. The female narrator gives a solid performance, but it's the male narrator who really takes things up a notch. He embodies Carter perfectly, this sexy hockey bro who is out of his element. Listening to the narration was a definite upgrade from simply reading the text, and it also helps makes the experience more immersive. I can't say that I recommend this as a workday listen though - there are steamy situations throughout, lots of language, and, honestly, the story is so good that you might find it too distracting to work, lol. At least I did. The runtime is also prohibitive, because 20 hours means you'll be listening for AT LEAST two days, probably more. So it's much more conducive to a weekend binge, but definitely worth the experience.

Hello everyone please drop everything and read this series IMMEDIATELYNow that that’s out of the way let’s talk about the first book.Carter Beckett is.. something. He’s a cocky playboy who’s never had a girlfriend. He’s looking for meaningless hookups with different girls every night. Until he sees her. He sees this tiny little brunette who changes his world. As Carter Beckett does, he puts on his best face, and goes to ask Olivia to hook up. He simply cannot believe it when she turns him down.Olivia has been warned about playboy Carter Beckett, I mean who hasn’t? Just check the latest gossip columns. She quickly turns him down and goes about her business but he just can’t seem to get the hint. There’s no way she would say yes..is there?Carter is PINNING for Olivia from the beginning of the book and frankly it’s hilarious. This man is so down bad. He has stopped hooking up with girls as he focuses on the one and only Olivia Parker. Carter trying to get Olivia to noticed him is genuinely so wholesome and funny. If I say he’s obsessed and won’t stop til she says yes you definitely get the wrong idea but trust me this is too good.The beginning had me laughing, the middle had me smiling, the end had me tearing up. These two are just so cute and I love them so much. Carter is ready to settle down with Olivia and he’s such a cute boyfriend. Their interactions are so funny and eventually turn spicy. It’s just the relationship you want to read about.There’s some more serious topics discussed such as loss of a parent and insecurities. The topics feel well done and add to the story. I genuinely just love this book so so much.

Ollie: “I want to be your anything”Carter: “How about my everything?”Carter and Ollie are definitely added to my list of fave book couples 🫶🏽Playboy NHL star Carter Beckett is sexy, big and has dimples 🤤 (I mean come on DIMPLES!) He is so use to being the hot shot playboy that he is caught off guard by his attraction to Ollie. Olivia (Ollie) knows all about Carter and his way with women. She doesn’t fall for his charm the way most girls do. She is small but her attitude is anything but. They both take a risk of heartbreak, trust issues and ultimately love. I like how this book had hard times and it took your through how they navigated through it and came out stronger in the end. Carters golden retriever energy is unmatched, the way he loves Ollie. Big, loud, unapologetic. When a book takes you through an array of emotions, happy, sad, angry and sobbing it’s always a winner right?The only reason for missing star is because I felt it could of been slightly shorter and would of still been a great book!

I loved 95% of this book. A new author for me and even though the book was so long, it kept me interested and engaged. Carter as a character is so endearing as he develops throughout the book. She really got you hooked in to all the sweet ways he was attached to Olivia. I don’t always like instalove but I understand why it was necessary for the plot. There were times Olivia had me on the edge of really despising her (because she couldn’t comprehend how Carter could choose her), but the author pulled back just in time to show growth in her character.I hated the “conflict” because it just seemed so easily solvable, but I understand why it was the way it was. It beautifully portrayed how much both of them had grown throughout the book and their relationship. Hoping the rest of these books deliver the same quality of writing and character development. Hoping I found a new favorite author.

This had all the fun, adorable & sometimes cringy moments, and I was so here for it!There isn't really a plot, but if you love character-focused stories, you won’t even care! I think the characters will make or break the enjoyment of this story.And what can I say? I would definitely not say no to my own Carter Beckett. He MADE this book work for me. I LOVED his adorable àss.He’s like a cute adorable puppy, but with abs lol 😂~ “Hey! Hi! Olivia!” He’s yelling; I don’t know if he realizes. “G-good,” he sputters. “You look good!” Still yelling. He slams the fridge door and drops his elbow to the countertop, nearly missing his chin when he tries to prop it up in his palm. ~Especially the scenes around Valentine's were probably my favorite! The card was hilarious, and (w/o context) the "paint me like one of your french girls" part made me fall in love with this guy even more!It was so cute how he fell head over heels for Olivia, and his inexperience in dating/committed relationships created some hilarious moments.Olivia was a great FMC. She was feisty but with a big heart. I loved that she didn't let people walk all over her and found she was perfect for Carter.These two hit it off pretty quickly, but I surprisingly didn't get bored after they got together 🤯 I probably would've been satisfied had the book ended on the 50% mark, but I still enjoyed the rest of it.However, could this have been shortened? Yes, easily! I'm not a reader who thinks 'the longer, the better'. On the contrary, I feel like, especially in the Romance genre, it tends to be unnecessary and often even reduces my enjoyment of the story.And that also happened here. The third act felt unnecessary and out of character 😅But I could easily see past a not-so-great ending because the rest of this book worked so well. And everything was so freaking corny! I ADORED it 🥰Additionally, the supporting characters were all so fun. Especially Carter's teammates and Olivia's best friend.Overall, this book was my kind of cheesy, and I can't wait to read more in this series!🗂Genre: Contemporary Romance📕Type: Interconnected Standalone🏷Tropes:- Hockey Romance- Reformed Playboy Star Athlete x Reluctant Girl- Awkward, adorable Couple- Character heavy- He falls first- Boy obséssed- MMC with Golden Retriever/ puppy Vibes- Insta-Lust- Funny & Corny- Spice📖Format: 1st person, dual POV, and narration (Kasha Kensington & Alex Kydd)

10/10!! Will definitely read again, couldn’t put it down at all. Excited to read the next two soon, starting tonight

I loved this, it was my first Becka mack and it was so good

A sports romance with lots of funny moments, a few spicy scenes and a former player that is head over heels with his woman. This book was a good and easy read, but with the hype that led me to buy it, I had my expectations a little too high and ended up slightly disappointed.It's not a bad book, I need to mention that. It's a good one but there were a few subjects I couldn't go past in the end:The male MC had a tragic event happen in his life a few years before the story in the book starts. An event that has altered his family dynamics and even affected - even if only partially - his personality and world views. In the end, I felt like this subject was brushed in a shallow manner in the book whereas it could have given Carter more depth as a man and the growth we expected by the end of the book. I also felt like for someone who values family too much, there weren't enough moments of bonding, with at least his mother. I expected this subject to be approached more, or at least, with more depth than the way it was.The female MC, despite being funny, and feisty overall had a sensitive side. Which is normal, but her insecurities really lead her brain for most of the book. In a way it often made me think that there had been a previous event that had made her be that way. When, by the time I get it the end, nothing is mentioned, at all it makes me feel like most of her worries are unwarranted for most of the book. Especially when the male MC is so adamant in showing her how much he is interested.The overall on those subjects made me feel that the characters had a lot of space to show more depth and growth within and I felt like it lacked a little - especially considering the length of the book. To me, that was the most disappointing part.In the writing department, it's good. Well constructed, no mistakes or typos and not confusing at all. But that's it, after reading another book - by same the author - where the inner thoughts and feelings are better explained and where the writing is more creative. I also felt it was lacking, according to my expectations.THOUGH, the fact that it didn't meet my expectations is not equivalent to the fact that the book is bad. It is a good read and if you like to have a few comfort books that you'd have on your shelf, to reread, for when you need something that'd lift your spirit with funny characters. This is the book for you, for sure!

Consider Me is the first book in the Playing For Keeps series and follows Carter Beckett, a NHL hockey player for the Vancouver Vipers, who is know to be quite the notorious playboy but when he meets Olivia Parker, a high school physical education teacher, he can’t seem to think about anyone else.Going into this book I was expecting to have a good time and laugh about hockey players and their crazy shenanigans, swoon and melt over their romantic gestures and get hot and bothered by their filthy mouths but what I didn’t expect was to fall deeply and utterly IN LOVE. Carter Beckett is a TOP TIER book boyfriend with so much heart and more sweetness than an entire box of Oreo cookies. His thoughtfulness and protectiveness over his family and those he loves is something that I admired from the beginning. His grand gestures and overtop flare are so endearing and had my heart turning to mush. Everything about this man is perfect and I could go on for hours about why I love him.Another surprise while reading this is how much I loved Ollie. I have never related so much to an FMC, in any other book I have read, as I did with Ollie. There are so many things in me that I saw reflected in her. Her sarcasm and wit but also her heart and ability to understand where someone else is coming from. Allowing only those she truly trusts and loves to see the softer vulnerable side of her. Her fears and stubbornness and the way she doesn’t like to be the center of attention. There were quite a few times where I had to just stop reading and take a moment to myself to process how similar we are. Thank you Becka for creating a character that truly spoke to the parts of me that I hide away from others but am slowly learning to reveal.Other parts of Consider Me that I loved were the little nods to Canadian things like the Sarah McLachlan commercial and All Dressed Ruffles chips. The found family trope in this book is one of my favourites. From the other guys on the team, to Hank, to Cara and both Carter and Ollie’s families, they are people I would want to have in my real life and call my family. They are hilarious and ridiculous but there is so much love poured into every once of them. This book is overflowing with heart and emotion that I didn’t expect and I have found a new comfort series that I will cherish forever.