REVIEW - Playing for her Heart - Emily Robertson

TITLE - Playing for her Heart

AUTHOR - Emily Robertson

BLURB:

Wes had it all, an amazing job, a great family, and the best friends. He lives by the motto “work hard and play harder.” His only regret is the way things ended with his college girlfriend, Hailey. He knows he could have handled the situation better, and he has lived with that ever since the day they broke up.

Hailey used to love her job, the city, and life. That was until she suffered the unimaginable at the hands of a coworker. Since the assault life just isn’t the same, and she feels like she’s losing control. Now the job she loved is her personal hell, and the city she used to enjoy doesn’t seem so great. She’s got baggage, a lot of it, and so many regrets she can’t even count them all.

When Wes learns that Hailey’s world has come crashing down around her, he finally puts his hurt and pride away and reaches out to the woman he once loved. Hailey may think she’s unlovable, but he’ll show her that she’s wrong. Wes is all in and ready to show her that she can depend on him. A little work never bothered him before especially when he’s playing for her heart.



Jennifer's Review:

I just can’t even right now. I really wanted to write this review right away, but I felt I needed time to digest what I read. Let me tell you, this author has no fear. She wrote an amazing story covering a super sensitive topic, but did it in a way that felt realistic and respectful. Kudos to her for doing that. I will say that this book does discuss sexual assault, so if this is a trigger, you are properly warned. While this book does discuss that, this book is really about hope, healing, second chances, and how the choices you make effect you. I could not wait to read this book and I was not disappointed.

The plot of this book is that these two people were separated years before. Years later, they decide to reconnect. The only problem is that there have been major changes in both of their lives. They each had reasons for separating in the first place. This book asks the question, is it worth giving up love for all those reasons? Can they look past the past and move on to a better future? I think this book does an amazing job exploring this.

The characters are ones we have met before. Wes spoke to me when we first met him. He was a play boy who was funny and charming. Hailey was such an important character in that same book because she was a rock for Payton when she needed it. This made me love her character for being such a good friend over and over again for her. This story dives into where they are now. It really shows why they separated and the obstacles in their way of making it work. I feel this book is a good representation of why it is important to think every decision through before making it. This book shows that rash decisions are not always the right decision. We get to see how these characters have developed over the years and how they develop together.

Usually I would talk about heat here, but it is not appropriate for this book. Instead I will talk about the courage of the author and the strength she gives her characters. There is just a small bit of heat in this book, but overall, this book is about healing. When something bad happens to you, who is going to be there for you? Who can you trust to help you put your pieces back together? I think this book also shows that sometimes you are stronger than you think you are. 

This author is amazing. I cannot sing her praises enough. I have been impressed with her in the past, but this book seriously took it to a whole new level. Each one of her books covers a specific sensitive topic and she always does so respectfully.  This book especially goes into the sensitive topic of sexual assault. I know the author didn’t plan it, but this book really comes out at the perfect time. It is a topic in the news and I think the author does a great job diving into it with both feet. She discusses the topic in a way that I felt I could truly put myself in both characters shoes. 

In conclusion, this was an amazing book that I could not put down. So far I have loved every book in this series. These characters are so real to me. They have real life issues and not everything is solved with a wave of the hand. These characters have to fight to make things work, just like we all do every day. I would recommend this book and the entire series to others. Amazing job.

Star Rating:

Plot: 5/5

Character: 5/5

Heat: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Overall: 5/5