Series Name: Playing for Keeps, # 1
“I’m all in, as long as it’s you I’m all in with.” My lips meet hers with a gentle, sweeping kiss, brushing her hair behind her ear when we part. “Are you still scared?”
“Yes.”
“What are you most afraid of?”
“Falling.” She answers quietly and without hesitation.
“I’ll catch you.”
“Promise?”
Bringing her to me, I sear her with a kiss that feels every bit like a future I never knew I wanted.
“Promise.”
Consider Me is a spicy and fun romance that you will not be able to put down.
For a shot at love, he’ll do whatever it takes…
Carter Beckett is the NHL’s best player—both on and off the ice. His career is at its peak, his friends are performing better than ever, and there’s no shortage of women to spend the night with. What more could he want?
Olivia Parker isn’t new to professional hockey players, thanks to her best friend’s boyfriend, but she has no interest in dating one herself—no matter how hot he is. And anyway, she loves working as a teacher and hanging out with her best friend, drama-free. Why would she want to spend her time stroking the ego of an arrogant athlete?
But once Carter meets Olivia, he can’t think of anything else. Too bad for him, Olivia is hellbent on keeping him at arm’s length, with no intention of giving into his charms. Perhaps it’s time for Carter to up his game…after all, nobody said he had to play fair.
Sparks will fly as Carter does whatever it takes for Olivia to consider him.
Canadian romance authors are just on fire this year. I love that they are writing these romance books that keep sweeping me off my feet; the cherry on top is that their books are taking place in Canada. Don’t mind me as I swoon a little. This book might have destroyed me a little, and I am not ashamed to say that I am pretty obsessed with the world and characters Becka has created. For those who might not know, Becka and her series Playing for Keeps was a huge craze on TikTok. I’m not on TikTok, but I definitely understand all the hype this series and Becka have been getting after reading Consider Me. The series is now being re-published under Simon and Schuster Canada with gorgeous new covers.
I want to say this is a must-buy for any contemporary romance bookworm. It’s that good. It’s a beast of a book, clocking in at just over 500 pages, which is long in romanceland. But it didn’t feel long. It reads so well that I was halfway through the book in a blink of an eye. At no point did I feel like the story was dragging or that it should have ended sooner than it did. Everything works really well, and I think that is because Becka knows what romance readers want in their romances.
I think this is my first sports romance, and I can tell you it won’t be my last. I love hockey, so it was fun to see those behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a professional hockey player. I also loved the fact that Carter’s number was #87, which is Sidney Crosby’s number, whom I might have a slight crush on. There is, of course, plenty of drama in this book (which I loved), and I just adore every character in this book. The friendships and family dynamics are all perfect. There is so much fun light banter happening in this book, and I loved how goofy the characters could be at times, especially Carter’s mom (she was delightful). But there are also a lot of deep and meaningful conversations happening throughout this story. There are conversations about dealing with grief, insecurities, and infidelity. Throughout this story, there is a sense of coming together and helping during someone’s time of need.
Carter, Carter, Carter, that man completely surprised me… in a good way, of course. I thought his character was going to be a broody, arrogant, alpha male, but it wasn’t. Yes, he is definitely arrogant and can, at times, have alpha male tendencies, but he is this loud, goofy, hyper and a big ball of sunshine. He has no filter, often speaking before he thinks, which gets him into trouble. He also has such a big heart, and when he loves someone… cough Olivia cough…. he is all in and will shower that person with affection. He is a playboy at the beginning of this book, and the world knows it. He has no interest in being in a relationship, but of course, the moment he lays eyes on Olivia, and she puts him in his place, he knows he is a goner. What makes his character so special is that even though he appears to be this arrogant perfect guy, he is terrified of screwing up this new relationship with Olivia, and he works so damn hard to leave that playboy image behind him.
Olivia is fabulous. She is this wonderful mix of sassy, smart, and no-nonsense while being very insecure at the same time. She knows that she is attracted to Carter, but she also knows that he is a playboy and doesn’t want to be another of his one night stands. Olivia’s journey in this book is focused on learning to trust Carter with her heart while at the same time believing that she is good enough to be dating Carter. I loved the fact that Olivia’s journey really highlights the pressure women feel from society about how we look. Olivia knows that social media doesn’t believe she is good enough for Carter and that he will get tired of her. I loved the fact that Carter constantly reminds Olivia how perfect she is for him and how amazing she is as a person.
If you like your romances spicy, then you are going to love this book. Think Tessa Bailey or Elsie Silver spice level. The chemistry between Carter and Olivia is hot, hot, hot, and Lord, the dirty talk is on fire. I devoured the first few interactions between Carter and Olivia when Olivia kept on putting a cocky Carter in his place. It absolutely befuddled and bewitched Carter; he didn’t know what to do with himself. It was fabulous. Yes, there are a lot of sex scenes in this book, but there are also a lot of deep and meaningful conversations happening throughout the story. Even though Carter tends to be a goofball, he is often the start of those more serious conversations about their insecurities and fears when it comes to their relationship. I love these two together. I think their chemistry works, and they just fit.
Consider Me will get your heart racing in the best possible way.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.