I was first introduced to this author a few years ago with her book, It’s Raining Men. That story was a hoot and I was thrilled to see another publication upcoming by her.
Check out my thoughts on this review for her newsest release below.
Playing for Keeps by Julie Hammerle
ISBN: 9781649373830
RELEASE DATE: MAY 8, 2023
PUBLISHER: Entangled
OVERVIEW:
Bryce Barrett has disappeared off the face of the earth. Well, technically she’s just temporarily hiding out in a teeny Midwest town, away from her ruined marriage and professional demise…at least until she can figure out her next steps. But when she bumps into her ex—dressed in what could be only described as “dumpster chic”—she does the only reasonable thing a woman can do: panics and pretends the cute security guard on the scene is her new boyfriend.
Free-spirited nomad Jake Warner knew returning to his hometown was a bad idea. It’s bad enough that his family’s pressuring him to step into his dad’s hypercompetitive shoes and settle down, but when a complete stranger (cute, though possibly unbalanced) enlists him as her fake boyfriend, Jake knows he’s making some questionable choices…especially when he inexplicably goes along with it.
Now these two mismatched misfits are temporary allies against a town filled with happy, normal, and annoyingly stable people. Fake dating keeps everyone off their back while they plot their respective escapes. But nothing botches a plan more than unexpected chemistry…
Playing for Keeps by Julie Hammerle Review
I have to say this book had some love-hate portions in it for me. You see, I hate being manipulated and I hate reading about it too! This book is loaded with some family drama that for me was frustrating and just ish.
But to balance it out Hammerle added humor, compassion, and understanding. The two characters worked so well together with their attempts to hide and disassociate from the world and their families. I loved Jake and the way he understood and stood by Bryce.
Hammerle touched upon a few emotional and tough situations in Playing for Keeps that we have to experience in order to understand the characters. However, she tempers that by building their connection, support, anticipation, and steam as we progress. And plenty of humor too!
This story is a clean romance with a great plot, and lots of laughs, but loads of emotional baggage to get through. The HEA totally makes the story worth it all!
4 STARS!
Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.
Hi! I’m Chris! Just a Midlife Wife sharing about life’s journey; screaming and kicking through it while supposedly aging gracefully…
Focusing on healthy living, low carb & keto, things I am loving right now, and life in general.