REVIEW: Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills: When professional hockey player Tuck Avery walked into the dark halls of Decadence on the night of his birthday he definitely did not think that this slightly strange birthday present from his team mate would change his life so much or that he would meet his princess… the question is can Tuck let go of his past in order to truly have a future?

After Francesca learns that her no good fiancé is cheating on her, she does what any self respecting woman would do; puts on her wedding dress and goes for a masquerade party to a sex club with her best friends. Francesca just never expected her no strings attached fling would be with non other than the wealthy jock that lives in her apartment building or for their night together to come with a little present that will change both of their lives forever…

This book was just perfection, I loved every moment of Princess And The Player. Normally the surprise pregnancy trope can be very hit or miss for me but I have to say that it just worked for me in this book. I loved that it was not the main factor in Francesca and Tuck’s story and we got to see these two getting to know each other before the baby became an issue.

I really liked Francesca. After have a not to great start in life she really pulled herself up and found her own happiness. I loved that she was determined to be better for her own baby and give it the love that she never had. She was such a resilient character that you could not help but love and root on. I loved that she was so creative and that she had painted her story and this helped her find her birth family. I absolutely loved the added layer of Fran finding her birth family and that this helped bring her story full circle. But more than anything I loved her found family; Brogan, Cece and Darden were just gold. I loved that they rallied around her when the baby news broke and that they were really their own mini family unit.

Now our hero Tuck, gosh he was just tortured by his past and this just broke my heart. Gosh this guy was good to his core but he could not see past his fear. It broke my heart reading about his relationship with his mother and that she still held so much pf power over him. It was impossible not to love this guy and his kind heart. I loved his relationship with Jasper and the playful bromance banter that they shared. I will sat that we got to see Tuck really grow as the book progressed.

Gosh both out main character were so broken and hurt. They had both been shaped by the pain and traumas of their past. I will say that I liked that being together help both of them grown and in some way let go of the past that had been haunting them. These two just fit together, their broken pieces joined together to make each other whole. Basically I really loved this couple. Also their chemistry was insanely hot! Right from their first meeting you could tell that they would be burning up the pages.

The secondary characters in this book were just amazing. I loved all the laughs that came from Cece, Brogan, Darden, Jasper and Widow Cares. More than anything I loved the fact that these characters helped provide a sense of family and belonging for our main characters. Also I just loved that they all lived in the same building, and that this was their little cocoon.

Princess And The Player is a total must read! This heart melting surprise pregnancy, sports romance will have you tearing up, giggling and rooting this couple on as they find their way to true love. I can not wait to read the next book in this series!

Book Info:

Publication: November 8th 2022 | Montlake | Strangers in Love #2

Level-headed Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at a sex club.

There, she meets NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask as he celebrates his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.

Unfortunately, Francesca soon realizes her prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Another shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her, not that she’s his type anyway.

But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve… a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?