Play Along: Windy City Series, Book 4

Not gonna lie, I was a little worried about this one - but I should’ve known that Tomforde could take tropes I hate and still deliver a story I love. There’s a reason why all three of the other books in this series have made my Best of the Year list in the past, and that’s because she is an incredibly talented writer. The found family aspect in this series is so, so good, and I ADORED the steadfast, smitten hero. This is definitely a case of “he falls first,” since our hero knew from the moment that he met his girl. She takes a (much) longer time to come around, but the story shines once she lets love into her life. It’s sexy, swoony, and so sweet that my heart was full to bursting. The hero steals the show, but this was another complex, completely engaging read from the author. I never get tired of spending time with these characters, and Tomforde has created something truly special with this series. I loved it!The story follows Kennedy, a woman who works in the male-dominated profession of sports medicine. While overqualified for her current position, she has to be careful to be seen as professional at all times… which means drunkenly marrying one of the players she works with is the worst thing she could’ve done. Especially when her new husband is Isaiah, the wild, ever-smiling flirt who has been professing his love for years. Kennedy has never taken Isaiah’s flirting seriously. First, because she was engaged to another man until recently. And second, because Isaiah is playful with everyone. But when Kennedy and Isaiah are forced to pretend that they intended to get married for real, Kennedy starts to see a different side of her new husband. He’s been a constant in her life for years, but Kennedy quickly realizes that she never knew Isaiah at all.Let’s talk about the elephant in the room - Isaiah has been a manhoe, even while flirting nonstop with Kennedy for years. It’s one of my least favorite tropes, and the reason I was so nervous to go into this. It's handled really well here though; Isaiah knew Kennedy was engaged and that he didn't stand a chance with her, so he never expected it to go beyond some one-sided flirting, even though he hammed it up. Once Kennedy became single? Completely different story. He hasn't even looked at another girl since then, and he was nothing but loving, loyal, and patient throughout. Probably more patient than me, actually, since Kennedy's refusal to see what was right in front of her was frustrating at times. She's got her own issues to work through, and I loved watching Isaiah uplift and support her in every way. There are some seriously great moments when he spins things in totally unexpected directions, and I loved that he took every opportunity to be SUCH a great man. Isaiah ended up being my favorite part of the book - his devotion to his wife was obvious, and I adored that from him. It's the kind of nuanced storyline that not every author can pull off, but Tomforde navigated the complexities with ease. Even with my initial hesitations, this was an EASY 5-star rating for me.Audio note: The audio is awesome! Samantha Brentmoor is one of my favorites, and she showcased her skills here. Jacob Morgan's voice is never a hardship to listen to, and he also gives a stellar performance. The combination made for a fantastic experience. The runtime (12 hours) meant it was a full day binge, but I was completely hooked on the story - and binge it I did. It's a slowish burn that begins to sizzle along the way, so not recommended for the office. But it's so good in the format, and I'm happy that I got to experience it that way. Highly recommended.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥Well, I didn’t think Kai Rhodes could ever be replaced from his top book boyfriend pedestal, but Isaiah Rhodes might have just knocked him off… or at least joined him up there.This book was delightful and easily a favorite of mine. I will never get over loving the accidental marriage trope, and the vibes in this one were so good!TROPES✨ Accidental Marriage✨ Workplace Romance✨ Baseball Romance✨ He Falls First✨ Grumpy (her) / Sunshine (him)✨ Found FamilyLet me just say that the way Isaiah loved Kennedy brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion. That man is an angel and absolutely no one can convince me otherwise. He has my entire heart and I will fight the world for him.When Isaiah and Kennedy ran into each other in Vegas and accidentally got married, they find themselves having to pretend to be in love in order for Kennedy to keep her job with the Windy City Warriors. Isaiah has been in love with Kenny since the moment he met her, and is determined to get his wife to@fall in love with him if only she will play along.Kennedy, oh Kennedy. My heart broke for her in parts because it was clear she didn’t know how to express or receive love and i felt all the feels as she slowly opened up to Isaiah.Also Liz never disappoints with the side characters, and I will say it again, Monty is the best thing to ever walk this earth. I loved seeing everyone from the previous books and I need Rio to get his family ever after pronto.

Isaiah Rhodes had a rough childhood (teen years) after losing his mother when he was 13 and his brother Kai was 15. They struggled with food and financial insecurity, but they never lacked in love and were always there for each other. Isaiah learned to cultivate a carefree and happy persona because he thought it made his brother happier, but he carried some pretty deep seated fears.Kennedy Kay is a doctor, but when she interviewed for the 2nd position on the Windy City Warriors baseball team, she ran up against a misogynistic department head who gave her a much lower position than her experience warranted, simply because she's a woman.Isaiah met her on her first day and knew she was the one for him. Unfortunately, she was engaged at the time. When he found out she was no longer engaged, he decided it was time for him to make his feelings known. But Kennedy is also suffering from a bit of low self esteem, plus she's not comfortable with physical touch, because she was raised by wolves - nope, sorry, that's unfair to the wolves. She was raised in a financially privileged family but one that never showed affection. She never even got a hug from her mother.After she and Isaiah drunkenly get married in Vegas, he's determined to give her all the firsts she's missed out on, allowing her to get comfortable at her pace. He loves her quietly all along, knowing there's a probable end date to their marriage, and he's just so loveable and sweet - cultivating that pleasant persona is completely engrained in his personality (until they finally get around to consummating their marriage LOL)Love these players and the friends and family around them. Love seeing women portrayed as intelligent and capable leaders. Well done, Liz Tomforde. Can't wait for Rio's story!

Me atrapó desde el primer capítulo, de los cuatro que han salido, se volvió mi favorito, súper recomendado, obvio que lo volvería a leer.

oh this was pure perfection written!!! i loved every single moment of and it was amazing. there were parts where i bawled my eyes out but it was so good! the characters were amazing and i loved the story line. i can’t wait for the next book although i’m sad that it’ll be the last one in the series

The way Liz makes (Im)perfect couples gives chills, every book is a new discovery and it only gets better every release. I'm in love with all these characters, the pacing was amazing, as usual, adult characters having adult problems and resolving as adults, loooooove. Hope everyone can have fun reading and felling like a part of this beautiful made up family. PS: Rio's book can't come fast enough!

Sweet, sexy and exiting! Just as good as the other books. This book made me laugh, cry and want more books like this one

I love all windy city’s boys so much