INTERNATIONAL PLAYER by Louise Bay
Release Date: April 30th
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Blurb
Being labelled a player never stopped me from being successful with women. Until I met Truly Harbury.
Truly was the first girl who ever turned me down.
The first female friend I ever had.
And she might just be the first woman I ever fall in love with.
When an emergency means she needs my help running her family’s charity, I’m happy to introduce her to the glitz and glamour of the London business world—taking her to dinners, coaching her through speeches, zipping up the sexy evening gown I helped her pick out.
The more time we spend together, the more I want to convince her I’m not a man to avoid, that we’re not as unsuited as she believes.
She sees herself as the book-reading, science-loving introvert while I’m the dangerous, outgoing, charmer.
She thinks I love parties and people whereas she prefers pajamas and a takeaway.
What she doesn’t realize is that I like everything about her–the way her smile lights up a room, how her curves light up my imagination, and especially the way her lips taste when coated with tequila.
She’s the first woman I ever fell in love with. I just need to know if she could ever love me too.
*International Player is a complete standalone contemporary romance
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BN: coming soon!
My Review
International Player is a light, sweet, and steamy friends-to-lovers’ romance with a sexy British hero and a quirky, intelligent heroine who take readers on quite the journey as they attempt to figure out exactly how they fit into each other’s life and if friendship is the only thing they have to offer one another.
Noah is definitely a typical playboy – one who lives in the moment, conquering whatever obstacles are in his way. And, in some ways, I can’t blame Noah for living his life the way he does because there was a time when Noah was younger that he thought he may never walk again, so the fact that he grabs hold of life and experiences all that it has to offer makes sense. But what it also does is indicate to Truly that he’ll never be the man she wants him to be because he’s not about a forever kind of relationship, which is exactly what Truly wants from him.
But it also feels like Truly gets stuck on who Noah used to be and doesn’t truly see the man who is standing in front of her because if she would listen to him, stop overthinking everything, and realize that love isn’t logical or certain and risking everything for the man who seems to know how to take care of her body, her head, and her heart if she’d only take a chance on what they could potentially be.
Even though Truly frustrated me with her mixed signals, her need to analyze every word spoken and action taken, and her feelings about not being just as beautiful and amazing as her twin sister, I really liked her and found a lot about her relatable. And it’s her differences that make her stand out, that draw people to her, that prove just how truly remarkable she is.
While the path that Noah and Truly’s relationship takes is a predictable one, I still enjoyed watching everything play out between them and just how much Noah opened Truly up, not just due to their sexual intimacy but also due to Noah’s ability to truly see her and tell her exactly how special she is, not only to him but to every person who comes into contact with her.
I love Louise Bay’s British alpha males and the women who show them how to live and love, and International Player was just the light read I needed after a string of emotional and dark romances!
4 Poison Apples
Excerpt
In, two, three, out, two. Shit. I tried again. In, two, three, out, two, three. It wasn’t helping. My heart was hammering against my chest, my palms were sweaty, and images of hundreds and hundreds of faces staring at me flashed into my head.
I ignored the knock on my office door. I was too concerned about what was happening to me. Was it possible to have a heart attack at twenty-eight?
“Truly,” a familiar, male voice called.
I couldn’t look up. Couldn’t even open my eyes.
Warm hands covered my knees and body heat radiated in front of me.
“Are you okay? Take a breath.” What was Noah doing here?
I nodded, still counting my breath. As if he was familiar with the technique, he began counting along with me. “Out, two, three. In, two, three. Out, two, three.”
His voice was calming. The counting hadn’t worked when I’d done it alone, but hearing him counting too helped me settle into a rhythm.
Eventually, his hands slid from my knees, and I sat up and opened my eyes, right into his.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his brow
furrowed.
I was such an idiot. A mess. And this was why Noah and I had only ever been friends. He was used to seeing me in no makeup with a smear of kung pao chicken on my face. And now I was panicking about a meeting that he would think nothing of. Yes, Noah only ever saw me at my absolute worst.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. I didn’t want him to see me like this.
“Do you want some water?” He stood and poured me a glass of sparkling water from the bottle on my desk.
“Thanks.” I took a sip and sat back in my chair.
“I came to talk to you. Apologize if I seemed harsh last night. I’m sorry if I made this worse, Truly.”
I cleared my throat. “I’m fine. Just a little . . .” I watched as he slid into the chair opposite my desk, his long legs unfurling in front of him. “I just have a lot to do.”
He nodded, steepling his fingers. “And I’m here to help.”
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes sexy, contemporary romance novels – the kind she likes to read. Her books include the novels Faithful (not currently on sale as undergoing maintenance!), Hopeful, The Empire State Series, The Royals Series, The Nights Series (both series of standalone books each following different characters) and the standalone Gentleman series.
Ruined by romantic mini-series of the eighties, Louise loves all things romantic. There’s not enough of it in real life so she disappears into the fictional worlds in books and films.
Louise loves the rain, The West Wing, London, days when she doesn’t have to wear make-up, being on her own, being with friends, elephants and champagne.
She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!
Connect w/Louise
Website: https://louisebay.com/
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8056592.Louise_Bay
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/louise-bay
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, Succession, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
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