Risky Play
(Red Card #1)

Rachel Van Dyken

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Release Date March 19, 2019

Even one-night stands deserve a second chance in New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken’s novel of sporting desire.

What else can a virgin do when she’s ditched at the altar? Seattle heiress Mackenzie Dupont is treating herself to a single-girl honeymoon in Mexico and a desire to relinquish her innocence to a gorgeous one-night stand. Fake names. True pleasure. But when she wakes up alone, Mackenzie realizes just how much anger is left in her broken heart.

Suffering a tragic personal loss, pro soccer player Slade Rodriguez has his reasons for vanishing without a goodbye. Right or wrong, he’s blaming the beautiful and infuriating stranger he never wants to see again. They’re both in for a shock when Mackenzie shows up as his new personal assistant. And they both have a lot to learn about each other. Because they share more than they could possibly know, including a common enemy who’s playing his own games. And he’s not afraid to get dirty.

Now there’s only one way Mackenzie and Slade can win: to trust in each other and to stop hiding from the lies they’ve told, the secrets they’ve kept, the mistakes they’ve made, and the attraction that still burns between them.

A vacation fling with no real names and no promises sends both of their lives reeling.

Wine heiress, Mackenzie Dupont has been jilted by her fiance and is getting away on an adventure in Puerto Vallarta. When she meets a handsome, sexy man on the plane, she never expected him to rock her world. And she really did not set out for him to be her first one night stand, but keeping men is apparently not her strong suit.

Soccer star, Slade Rodriguez had his own reasons for getting away. He also had a good reason for leaving her. Due to something happening in his own life, his emotions are all over the place. And to deal with his own guilt, he misplaces anger onto the girl who was distracting him. He has been going off the rails and upsetting everyone ever since.

A twist of fate brings them back in each other's lives on at least a temporary basis. Lust has seemed to turn to antagonism. He is not the same fun, vibrant man she remembers. And her presence just seems to set him off. He can't seem to handle being around her and certainly does not want her to have attention of any other men. But Mackenzie is a sweet girl and people pleaser, and she just keeps trying to make the best of it and wear him down.

They find themselves playing a game that they are not sure they can win. There are other people running interference as well. There is angst, drama, jealousy, and betrayal. There is plenty of push and pull. These two are both have trust issues, insecurities, and are just trying to figure out how to move on and navigate their new lives after undergoing significant changes and losses. And they are also trying to figure out what if anything they could possibly mean to each other and if the risk of getting hurt again is worth the possible reward.

The chemistry and attraction is there, but is there more to it? Is the biggest player ready to give up the games or is he just temporarily playing her?

This is a sexy, snarky, emotional, and romantic second-chance-at-getting-it-right-story. I really liked Mackenzie's sass and spunk. She was really trying to get out of her rut and make positive changes. Slade was an acquired taste. He started out really likable, then moved into jerk territory, but I had hope that there was a swoony hero underneath that cocky, bitter facade. It is the sign of a good author that even when the hero was being a douche, I was still rooting for him. I loved his ever-suffering agent, Matt and his sort-of- nemesis, Jagger. I am looking forward to stories for them. 

Mackenzie Dupont needed a break. After being left at the altar and facing her ex-fiance at work every day, she needs a break where she doesn’t have to be the jilted woman. She already had the honeymoon planned and booked, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to take some time for herself.

Slade Rodriguez wants a few days to unwind before reporting to his new team in Seattle. Having ended his European soccer career earlier than some would have liked, he has his own reasons for being ready to play stateside.

Their meeting was serendipitous. Two people looking for a short period of anonymity. Using fake names, their time together is intense and has both craving more time together, until Slade finds himself needing to leave suddenly and without time to notify Mackenzie. When they meet again, neither expects what they find in the other, and Slade is still dealing with the events that had him fleeing Mexico.

I loved watching the two of them circle around each other when they meet again. Mackenzie’s new role in Slade’s life was exactly what she needed to find her feet again, but also gave them a series of uncomfortable encounters that force them to face what was developing between them in Mexico.

Mackenzie was a well rounded character and I enjoyed getting to know her. She just wanted to get out of the rut her life had become, a rut she hadn’t recognized until her ill-fated wedding day. The changes in her life, though unexpected and shocking to her family, were exactly what she needed to find herself again. Despite the rocky start with Slade, and then the rocky reintroduction to him, she held herself high, kept moving forward, and maintained her search for herself.

There were times it was hard to like Slade though. He is avoiding the emotions that sent him running in Mexico and hasn’t taken the time to work through them. When he finds himself face to face with Mackenzie again, those emotions come back full force and he doesn’t know how to deal with them. He turns into a massive jerk for a time, though his friends (and rivals) try to warn Mackenzie that it really is his problem not hers. I had a hard time during those jerkface moments, but had already fallen in love with the man we met in Mexico so gave him a pass to figure out his baggage.

This was a sexy, fun read filled with fantastic tension and conflict as they work through the baggage they are each carrying from previous situations. The side characters were a great addition to the story (with the exception of Alton, who it was entirely too easy to dislike) and they provided some great pushes and encouragement for both main characters. I look forward to more from this group of characters, especially the always exasperated Matt.

Kickin' It

(Red Card #2)

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Expected June 11, 2019