Book Review: “Play Along” by Liz Tomforde

I didn’t expect to love any book in the Windy City series more than I love Mile High (Book 1), but Play Along (Book 4) surprised me. In every way.

Don’t get me wrong — Stevie and Zanders (from Mile High) are probably my favorite characters and couple, although they are right up there on that list, sharing the top spot with Isaiah and Kennedy (from Play Along). I loved this book so much. Simply put. It had everything: fake dating, accidental marriage, workplace romance, men yearning, and a found family (that’s a given with this series). The main characters, Isaiah and Kennedy, were so well thought-out — their individual character developments made for such a great story and believable romance.

But first, let me tell you what the book is about!

Synopsis:

Kennedy

I'm the only woman on staff for the Windy City Warriors, and after years of putting up with a sexist lead doctor, I'm desperate to land my dream job with a new team next year. All I have to do is maintain my professional reputation for my final season in Chicago.

But a Las Vegas run-in with the team's shortstop threatens it all, leaving me with a fuzzy memory and a ring on my left hand.

Now, not only am I legally bound to the most persistent man I've ever met, but thanks to Isaiah's scheme to save my job, I have to pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake.

Isaiah Rhodes is reckless, impulsive, and frustratingly charming. He's also my brand-new husband.

They got the saying wrong. What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas... sometimes it follows you right back home.

Isaiah

As the shortstop for Chicago's professional baseball team, I've had my fair share of fun. But that all ended the day Kennedy Kay became a single woman.

I've crushed on the team's athletic trainer for years. I've flirted to no avail, so imagine my surprise when I woke up in Sin City with a ring on my finger and my favorite redhead in my bed.

We agree to stay married for one baseball season, just long enough to keep her job safe, but in my mind, I'm using our time together to prove to her I'm husband material.

Kennedy might be reluctant to join in on our game, but it's one I refuse to lose.

So come on, wife... play along.

My Review:

What can I say about this book? First things first, I listened to the audio which was a fantastic decision because it was very engaging and the narrators (Jacob Morgan and Samantha Brentmoor) told the story so well. Liz Tomforde has created a wonderful story atmosphere and setting in the Windy City series. We got hints of both Isaiah and Kennedy in the previous books, especially in Caught Up (Windy City, 3) as it’s Isaiah’s brother, Kai. But Isaiah’s story? I loved him. He was this extroverted people pleaser, golden retriever. (Reminded me of Jeremiah Fisher from The Summer I Turned Pretty). He and his brother, Kai, lost their mother when Isaiah was young and so Kai raised Isaiah on his own. After the loss of his mother, and seeing his older brother step up, he wanted nothing more than to make others happy. And so he became a people pleaser.

And then he meets Kennedy. The moment he laid his eyes on her, he was transfixed. Not in an insta love type of way, but love at first sight. He pursued her from that moment on. But it wasn’t forced. Every moment he had to impress Kennedy or “win” her over, he did. But she was engaged to another man, and he backed off. Until he found out that she broke it off. Let me tell you, that man yearned for Kennedy. The level of yearning in this book would make Anthony Bridgerton proud.

I loved Kennedy! She had this tough, cold exterior to her that she often projected, but underneath, she’s someone looking to be loved. (And Isaiah was the one to love her!) She comes from a tough, no-love-shown family. Her failed engagement was even arranged. Everything in her life had been arranged for her, so she was looking to finally break free and make decisions on her own. Only one of the first decisions she makes for herself … is to get married in Vegas to the man who’s been pining after her for years. The man who is a professional baseball player for the team that she works as an athletic trainer for. The man who is off-limits, but still so attractive and she can’t ignore. Instead of getting the marriage annulled, they “play along” their relationship to convince their family and friends and coworkers (especially Kennedy’s sexist boss) that their marriage is real. Along the way, as they play along, their feelings bloom. Isaiah’s always been pining after Kennedy, but his crush becomes real. That love at first sight feeling he constantly described upon first meeting Kennedy? It blossomed into true, deep feelings for her. And Kennedy? She learned to love and let herself be loved. She learned how to make decisions for herself. And that’s what I really liked about her character. She really came into her own as the story progressed.

I loved this book so much. I loved Isaiah and Kennedy’s playful banter with each other. They had this instant magnetic attraction to each other every time they were in the same room together. Isaiah was the person who could finally show real, romantic love towards Kennedy and help her begin to make a new life where she can make her own decisions. Isaiah, along the way, can show love without the fear or anxiety that people would leave him.

If you’re looking for a romance book series to dive into this summer, one that has found family, a lot of heart, quite a few spicy scenes, and love, then Liz Tomforde’s Windy City series is for you. If you’re looking for a fake dating, accidental marriage book with men yearning, that’s also a baseball romance, then Play Along is for you.

Buy on Amazon, Bookshop.org.

Rating: 5/5