REVIEW: Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

In Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis, businessman Caleb Parker has always rubbed tattoo artist Sadie Lane the wrong way. That was until she discovers him trying to coax an abandoned three-legged dog into trusting him. They decide to co-parent Lollipop together. The more time they spend with each other, the more they thaw towards one another, but will they be able to move on from their pasts to get together?

I loved Caleb and Lollipop together. He’s incredibly patient and gentle with her. He even helps her with her anxiety. Pet lovers are going to love Lollipop.

==Lollipop immediately began whining and trying to get back into Caleb’s lap.
Without taking his eyes off the road, he reached out to pet her. This helped until he stopped touching her. Soon as he did, Lollipop held up a paw in his direction like, keep petting me.
Caleb took her paw in his big hand and kept driving.
While holding the dog’s paw.
Lollipop relaxed, even smiled as she turned in Sadie’s lap to face the windshield, now appearing to enjoy the ride.==

Caleb was great. Even when he gets mad at Sadie, he gets over it quickly. Sadie, on the other hand, tends to hold on to her anger. I felt bad for her because of what she went through as a teenager. But for someone who feels like she doesn’t fit in with her family and is misunderstood, she comes across as awfully judgmental. She even admits it.

She blew out a sigh, “I’m sorry. For hanging up on you.”
“But not for the judging?”
Dammit. “Maybe a little for the judging. But I’m not going to lie,” she said. “I’m probably not done judging you. I mean, I’ll try to work on it, but it’ll be a process.”

But it was a process that doesn’t really happen. She continues to judge him, and even brings him to meet her parents, only so they could judge him, too. I thought he deserved better than they way she used him for that. Honestly, her behavior brought the book down for me. At one point she gets mad at him for something he didn’t even do. If she wanted to be mad at anyone, she should have directed her anger towards his overprotective sisters, but she doesn’t.

I would have liked to have seen some resolution between Sadie and her family, perhaps a sit down for her to explain about how what she was put through as a teen affected her. Sadie’s relationship with her mother seemed to have gotten a little better by the time of her sister’s wedding, but readers are never really shown how they got to that point, which I would have liked to have seen as well.

For those new to the series, you can read this as a standalone. For those who have read the previous books, some familiar faces make appearances, and it was nice to see them again.

Readers will adore Caleb and Lollipop’s relationship, and, to an extent, Lollipop and Sadie’s relationship as well. I would recommend it to those who enjoy something along the lines of the enemies to lovers trope, and those who enjoy books where pets play a large role in bringing a couple together. While this wasn’t my favorite Jill Shalvis novel, I still enjoyed it and I believe other readers will as well.

Book Info:

Publication: January 22, 2019 | Avon | Heartbreaker Bay #7

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 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.