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The Sideline #1
The Play Maker
Playing football ruled every decision Julian MacIntyre ever made, including leaving his high school sweetheart behind to follow his dream. Sidelined by an injury on the field, he’s now making a huge comeback to the NFL as the league’s youngest head coach.
He wants it all. The glory, the job and the girl he walked away from years ago.
As one of the top sports reporters, Addison Hamilton has made a name for herself in a male-dominated industry. Proven to be a hard-nosed journalist, she asks the tough questions, but when given the opportunity to interview the man who broke her heart, is she willing to cross the lines of professionalism to get the answers she needs?
He wants it all. The glory, the job and the girl he walked away from years ago.
As one of the top sports reporters, Addison Hamilton has made a name for herself in a male-dominated industry. Proven to be a hard-nosed journalist, she asks the tough questions, but when given the opportunity to interview the man who broke her heart, is she willing to cross the lines of professionalism to get the answers she needs?
Published November 5, 2019
About the author
L.M. Carr
15 books639 followersLiving in Connecticut, L.M. is an educator by day and writer by night. She's a lover of chocolate and Hallmark movies; they come a close second to her husband and three kids.
Her work is considered realistic and relatable Contemporary Romance with an element of suspense.
To date, nine titles have been released since 2015.
The Giving Trilogy follows a school teacher and a single father.
The Stones Duet (Casting Stones & Conquering Stones) details the journey of a war veteran and his search for unconditional love.
From A Distance, inspired by true events, is about unrequited love that is found in an unexpected place.
Love Lyrics & Lies tells the story of following your heart versus following your dream.
The Love Duet (Entitled & Entrusted) is about earning love and protecting it.
The Play Maker offer a second chance at love when a football player comes back for the girl he loves.
L.M. Carr is a lover of "Happily Ever Afters" because the world is filled with enough sadness. Reading is an escape in which anything is possible. But like in reality, stories sometimes take you on a journey through Hell before you can reach Heaven.
Connect with her online!
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter
Her work is considered realistic and relatable Contemporary Romance with an element of suspense.
To date, nine titles have been released since 2015.
The Giving Trilogy follows a school teacher and a single father.
The Stones Duet (Casting Stones & Conquering Stones) details the journey of a war veteran and his search for unconditional love.
From A Distance, inspired by true events, is about unrequited love that is found in an unexpected place.
Love Lyrics & Lies tells the story of following your heart versus following your dream.
The Love Duet (Entitled & Entrusted) is about earning love and protecting it.
The Play Maker offer a second chance at love when a football player comes back for the girl he loves.
L.M. Carr is a lover of "Happily Ever Afters" because the world is filled with enough sadness. Reading is an escape in which anything is possible. But like in reality, stories sometimes take you on a journey through Hell before you can reach Heaven.
Connect with her online!
Website
Goodreads
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
November 8, 2019
"Promise you won't ever leave me again."
"You will have me until the devil drags me back to Hell."
I stiffen and pull back to look up at him. "Why would you say that?"
"Because from the moment I left you, that's where I've been."
A tricky 3.75 stars..
This was really unlike any sports romance I've read thus far. I thought I knew what to expect going into this novel, but this book did not follow any of the "regular tropes" typically found in second-chance or sports-romance, which I appreciated to an extent. However, this also meant that this novel contained lots of drama (sometimes OTT drama), which forces the reader to suspend their beliefs and not take this book too seriously.
Another hang-up I had with this novel was the two MCs--even though their separation wasn't entirely Julian's fault, both Julian and Addison were self-destructive and were constantly sabotaging their relationship despite claiming to love one another. Addison kept making stupid decisions and hid some pretty major things from Julian, while Julian proved to be a jealous and possessive asshole at times. Despite all of the obstacles in their path, they continued to fight for each other and eventually found their HEA, and there were some really sweet moments of love and growth between them. I'm slightly interested in Addison's brother's story, but I don't know if I want to commit to something that might be OTT as well.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
November 3, 2019
I’m having a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book LOL It’s a second chance to get it right trope, which is one of my favorites because, redemption!! Redemption can be tricky in a romance journey because while redeeming someone is crucial, it also takes pages/words/plot away from a couple actually moving forward and romancing, if you will. So, long story short, I love that the meat of this book focused more on AJ and Julian in the present but I hate how it was written. I’m not going into plot points, but I will say that if I can’t believe in the characters, there’s not too much for me to read for ….
I really like the idea of this story, but not so much on the execution. It wasn’t a complete loss, but it wasn’t a win either. I was entertained while I read the story, but I honestly didn’t believe in it so ….
I really like the idea of this story, but not so much on the execution. It wasn’t a complete loss, but it wasn’t a win either. I was entertained while I read the story, but I honestly didn’t believe in it so ….
October 28, 2019
The Play Maker was the first book I’ve read by L.M. Carr and there was lots to love here. As a lover of both football and romance, it stands to reason that football romance is my favorite trope and when I find one that doesn’t shy away from the football, I luxuriate in it. That’s what I found here. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re not a football fan (or you don’t know much about it), I don’t think you’ll be lost or bored. But if you, like me, spend your Sunday afternoons reveling in your love of the game – you’ll love that there’s plenty of game in this book.
And also romance. It took a while for the romance to take the stage, but once it did – I loved that it wasn’t a book about two people finding their way back to each other. I mean, it was. But it didn’t take the entire book for that to happen. My favorite part of any given romance is the time the couple actually spends being a couple – and there’s lots of that in The Play Maker. And while the reconciliation happens pretty quickly, I still felt like Ms. Carr did a great job of showing that it wasn’t without bumps in the road. I adored how fiercely devoted Julian was. I love it when an alpha hero is brought to his knees by his love and devotion to his heroine. These two as a couple were sexy and swoony and so much fun to read.
All that said, the first half of the book was more solid than the second half for me. It’s almost like there was too much squeezed into the second half and so things felt a little scattered. The pacing felt off at times, and in the end I was left with a few loose ends and unanswered questions. I was disappointed in Addison’s handling of much of the conflict, and the lack of maturity in some of her decisions. I lost the thread of the story a bit, and – because I’m not a very patient reader to begin with – I found myself skimming to get back to the heart of the story.
And I did – get back to the heart of the story, that is. Overall, I really enjoyed the time I spent with Addison and Julian. I love desperate love, so for the most part this fell right inside my wheelhouse and I am definitely on the hook and wanting to explore more of this new series! ~ Shelly, 3.5 Stars
And also romance. It took a while for the romance to take the stage, but once it did – I loved that it wasn’t a book about two people finding their way back to each other. I mean, it was. But it didn’t take the entire book for that to happen. My favorite part of any given romance is the time the couple actually spends being a couple – and there’s lots of that in The Play Maker. And while the reconciliation happens pretty quickly, I still felt like Ms. Carr did a great job of showing that it wasn’t without bumps in the road. I adored how fiercely devoted Julian was. I love it when an alpha hero is brought to his knees by his love and devotion to his heroine. These two as a couple were sexy and swoony and so much fun to read.
All that said, the first half of the book was more solid than the second half for me. It’s almost like there was too much squeezed into the second half and so things felt a little scattered. The pacing felt off at times, and in the end I was left with a few loose ends and unanswered questions. I was disappointed in Addison’s handling of much of the conflict, and the lack of maturity in some of her decisions. I lost the thread of the story a bit, and – because I’m not a very patient reader to begin with – I found myself skimming to get back to the heart of the story.
And I did – get back to the heart of the story, that is. Overall, I really enjoyed the time I spent with Addison and Julian. I love desperate love, so for the most part this fell right inside my wheelhouse and I am definitely on the hook and wanting to explore more of this new series! ~ Shelly, 3.5 Stars
March 22, 2020
I'm finding myself without the words -- can't seem to gather my wits enough -- so falling behind on reviewing. Reading is much more soothing during these trying times.
REVIEW WILL FOLLOW AS I CATCH UP.
REVIEW WILL FOLLOW AS I CATCH UP.
November 6, 2019
Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“You’re my girl, Addison. You always have been, and you always will be.”
How do you move past losing the love of your life? How do you live when the ending of a relationship isn’t understood? This is one of the underlying tensions of L.M. Carr’s newest book, The Play Maker. Julian and Addison were childhood sweethearts. They were everything to each other at a time when life was difficult for both of them. After graduation, Julian just leaves. He makes a choice to break his promise to Addison that they will be together forever. And this devastates her.
Fast-forward ten years, Julian is now the youngest head coach in NFL history. Having suffered a devastating injury early in his NFL career, he has found a place for himself in the world that he loves. Addison “AJ” is a top female sports reporter, using her love for sports to find her own place among her favorite sport. Over the years, Addison has struggled with her heartbreak. In many ways, she makes careless choices to alleviate it. Instead, it only reinforces it. Addison is given the opportunity to interview Julian since he’s the new head coach of their local pro team. What she doesn’t know is that they are close to reconciling. Julian pursues Addison, trying to remedy the mistake of his past. Will Addison allow Julian back into her heart? That is the question of this romance.
In its base form, Carr’s The Play Maker is a second-chance sports romance. Addison and Julian are soulmates, fated to each other. What I think I loved about this book is they reconcile their relationship quickly. When you hit 30% in, these two are together, thankfully, and they remain so for the rest of the book. Since that’s the case, one of my issues with this book is the level of manufactured tension between them. Julian adores Addison. It’s clear. However, it takes Carr most of the book to finally divulge why Julian made his choice to leave her without explaining himself. Quite frankly, it doesn’t quite correspond with Addison and Julian’s relationship in their youth. Yes, I accept it as Carr’s plot device to split them apart, but I don’t think his decision is consistent with their early relationship. Additionally, Addison makes choices that potentially undermine their new relationship throughout the course of the book, and they don’t seem motivated by the fear she states. There were many times when I found myself frustrated with her fear because, again, it didn’t seem true to their reconciliation. That being said, these were only little concerns in the general telling of this story.
Addison and Julian together are dreamy. Carr has created a palpable chemistry between these two that sometimes seems more $exual than emotional. These two cannot keep their hands off each other. Their emotional chemistry is built over the course of the book, finding its depth at the book’s conclusion. I think I would have liked to see this come sooner, but Carr has a lot that she’s doing with this particular romance.
What the true message of this book is the treatment of women in a male-dominated world. AJ is a sports reporter, yet the men who surround her objectify her in a variety of ways. She makes choices that seem careless (and probably are); however, if men made the same choices, they wouldn’t be deemed careless. Additionally, this story has a bit of suspense when Addison receives illicit pictures from an anonymous sender, and some of the story is spent figuring out the identity of the perpetrator. This leads to discussions about cyberbullying within the story. And the most heinous story arc relates to the sexual assault of Addison by a powerful and wealthy man. Carr incorporates these situations to remind us of the dichotomy of male/female relationships especially in worlds where men tend to dominate. This is the true message of The Play Maker beyond its second chance romance.
I love a good sports romance. It might be my past with sports that drives my interest. In the case of L.M. Carr’s The Play Maker, though, I loved her interrogation of social norms. I think at times it seemed superfluous to Julian and Addison’s reconciliation and journey towards their happy ending. And there were times when I thought Carr could have revised out some of the story (namely the continued obsession that an ex has for Julian), but L.M. Carr is doing something important with this book. She’s pointing to the contradiction of perceived acceptable social behavior between men and women. This is still an issue today in 2019, even after #metoo and the scandals related to the behavior of powerful men. If you want one reason to read this book, it’s Carr’s focus on this social ill, coupled with the beautiful romance between two soulmates.
“You’re my girl, Addison. You always have been, and you always will be.”
How do you move past losing the love of your life? How do you live when the ending of a relationship isn’t understood? This is one of the underlying tensions of L.M. Carr’s newest book, The Play Maker. Julian and Addison were childhood sweethearts. They were everything to each other at a time when life was difficult for both of them. After graduation, Julian just leaves. He makes a choice to break his promise to Addison that they will be together forever. And this devastates her.
Fast-forward ten years, Julian is now the youngest head coach in NFL history. Having suffered a devastating injury early in his NFL career, he has found a place for himself in the world that he loves. Addison “AJ” is a top female sports reporter, using her love for sports to find her own place among her favorite sport. Over the years, Addison has struggled with her heartbreak. In many ways, she makes careless choices to alleviate it. Instead, it only reinforces it. Addison is given the opportunity to interview Julian since he’s the new head coach of their local pro team. What she doesn’t know is that they are close to reconciling. Julian pursues Addison, trying to remedy the mistake of his past. Will Addison allow Julian back into her heart? That is the question of this romance.
In its base form, Carr’s The Play Maker is a second-chance sports romance. Addison and Julian are soulmates, fated to each other. What I think I loved about this book is they reconcile their relationship quickly. When you hit 30% in, these two are together, thankfully, and they remain so for the rest of the book. Since that’s the case, one of my issues with this book is the level of manufactured tension between them. Julian adores Addison. It’s clear. However, it takes Carr most of the book to finally divulge why Julian made his choice to leave her without explaining himself. Quite frankly, it doesn’t quite correspond with Addison and Julian’s relationship in their youth. Yes, I accept it as Carr’s plot device to split them apart, but I don’t think his decision is consistent with their early relationship. Additionally, Addison makes choices that potentially undermine their new relationship throughout the course of the book, and they don’t seem motivated by the fear she states. There were many times when I found myself frustrated with her fear because, again, it didn’t seem true to their reconciliation. That being said, these were only little concerns in the general telling of this story.
Addison and Julian together are dreamy. Carr has created a palpable chemistry between these two that sometimes seems more $exual than emotional. These two cannot keep their hands off each other. Their emotional chemistry is built over the course of the book, finding its depth at the book’s conclusion. I think I would have liked to see this come sooner, but Carr has a lot that she’s doing with this particular romance.
What the true message of this book is the treatment of women in a male-dominated world. AJ is a sports reporter, yet the men who surround her objectify her in a variety of ways. She makes choices that seem careless (and probably are); however, if men made the same choices, they wouldn’t be deemed careless. Additionally, this story has a bit of suspense when Addison receives illicit pictures from an anonymous sender, and some of the story is spent figuring out the identity of the perpetrator. This leads to discussions about cyberbullying within the story. And the most heinous story arc relates to the sexual assault of Addison by a powerful and wealthy man. Carr incorporates these situations to remind us of the dichotomy of male/female relationships especially in worlds where men tend to dominate. This is the true message of The Play Maker beyond its second chance romance.
I love a good sports romance. It might be my past with sports that drives my interest. In the case of L.M. Carr’s The Play Maker, though, I loved her interrogation of social norms. I think at times it seemed superfluous to Julian and Addison’s reconciliation and journey towards their happy ending. And there were times when I thought Carr could have revised out some of the story (namely the continued obsession that an ex has for Julian), but L.M. Carr is doing something important with this book. She’s pointing to the contradiction of perceived acceptable social behavior between men and women. This is still an issue today in 2019, even after #metoo and the scandals related to the behavior of powerful men. If you want one reason to read this book, it’s Carr’s focus on this social ill, coupled with the beautiful romance between two soulmates.
November 6, 2019
The Play Maker is the first novel I’ve read for LM Carr and I’m not sure how I feel about it overall. I could only rate it 3 ¾ out of 5 stars for some reasons I’ve written below. But up first, a summary of the novel.
Addison Jane “AJ” loved Julian way back in the day. She has never gotten over the heartbreak of losing him, though she tries to keep him far from her every day thoughts he creeps in. She has some wild days trying to get him out of her system, but now her career is the most important thing in her life.
Julian is a hometown hero coming back to town to accept the head coach job for the local NFL team. The first thing he wants to do is win back his girl. Has too much time passed between them for him to have a chance? The only way he will know is to try, he goes for it full steam ahead. Will she give in to a second chance?
Having never read the author before I wasn’t sure what to expect. First, this novel is written solely in the female first person POV. I’m not crazy about first person novels, I enjoy feeling what they feel but all the I sentences usually end up driving me crazy. With it being only female POV, I really missed getting into Julian’s head and thought process. I want to know more about why he did what he did, how he felt during difference scenarios etc.
The novel also bounced around in the storyline really, really quickly. Some shifts made sense others did not. There were a couple plot points that I was scratching my head over, where they actually needed to move the storyline along?
I don’t know if all that would discourage me from reading another novel by the author but I will put all that into the mix whenever another pops up on my feed. I voluntarily read and reviewed a provided copy without expectations. All opinions expressed are my own.
Addison Jane “AJ” loved Julian way back in the day. She has never gotten over the heartbreak of losing him, though she tries to keep him far from her every day thoughts he creeps in. She has some wild days trying to get him out of her system, but now her career is the most important thing in her life.
Julian is a hometown hero coming back to town to accept the head coach job for the local NFL team. The first thing he wants to do is win back his girl. Has too much time passed between them for him to have a chance? The only way he will know is to try, he goes for it full steam ahead. Will she give in to a second chance?
Having never read the author before I wasn’t sure what to expect. First, this novel is written solely in the female first person POV. I’m not crazy about first person novels, I enjoy feeling what they feel but all the I sentences usually end up driving me crazy. With it being only female POV, I really missed getting into Julian’s head and thought process. I want to know more about why he did what he did, how he felt during difference scenarios etc.
The novel also bounced around in the storyline really, really quickly. Some shifts made sense others did not. There were a couple plot points that I was scratching my head over, where they actually needed to move the storyline along?
I don’t know if all that would discourage me from reading another novel by the author but I will put all that into the mix whenever another pops up on my feed. I voluntarily read and reviewed a provided copy without expectations. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 27, 2019
Julian "J-Mack" MacIntyre is known as the Play Maker, but after a devastating injury left him sidelined, he is now making a comeback as one of the youngest NFL coaches. Years ago he left Addison "AJ" Hamilton to chase his dreams, but now he's back in town and wants to have everything; his career and the girl. She just doesn't know it yet.
Addison "AJ" Hamilton works in a man's world as one of the top sports reporters. She loves her job, but she knows the pitfalls of being a woman in her field. When the interview comes down the pipeline that makes her rethink everything she's worked hard for, interview the new NFL coach J-Mack, because the ratings will go through the roof, she isn't sure she can do it.
After ten years, their chemistry hasn't faded. It isn't long before they reconnect, but can they last. Julian left her once, what's to say he won't leave her again? Can they really make this work? They both have skeletons in their closet, but who's to say they won't come out at some time to haunt them both?
While I liked the premise of The Play Maker, I didn't love it. There were certain aspects of the story where I felt cheated as a reader and honestly I didn't like how they both left a relationship and jumped into a new one the very next day. For all the years they were apart and the emotional toil it took on them it just felt emotionally cold when it came to their actions and how they treated others. So perhaps it could be chalked up to my personal preference, but something didn't connect with me. This story may connect with you, this is just my opinion.
Addison "AJ" Hamilton works in a man's world as one of the top sports reporters. She loves her job, but she knows the pitfalls of being a woman in her field. When the interview comes down the pipeline that makes her rethink everything she's worked hard for, interview the new NFL coach J-Mack, because the ratings will go through the roof, she isn't sure she can do it.
After ten years, their chemistry hasn't faded. It isn't long before they reconnect, but can they last. Julian left her once, what's to say he won't leave her again? Can they really make this work? They both have skeletons in their closet, but who's to say they won't come out at some time to haunt them both?
While I liked the premise of The Play Maker, I didn't love it. There were certain aspects of the story where I felt cheated as a reader and honestly I didn't like how they both left a relationship and jumped into a new one the very next day. For all the years they were apart and the emotional toil it took on them it just felt emotionally cold when it came to their actions and how they treated others. So perhaps it could be chalked up to my personal preference, but something didn't connect with me. This story may connect with you, this is just my opinion.
November 6, 2019
While I liked this book and read it in one day/sitting I also had a couple big problems with it that I felt could have been easily avoided. I liked that as a second chance sports romance the author gave us a lot of back story to greater understand Julian & Addison's history. We got to see a lot of memories Addison had of her time growing up with Julian and the first time they dated. Addison and Julian had a bad breakup and Addison has a lot of bad feelings, hurt and resentment towards Julian.
I spent most of the first half of this book doubting his intentions for coming back into her life. That was one of the things I disliked about this book. The book never changes POV so you never get the overall picture with his side of the story explained until much later in the book. I also thought that the second half of the book had a few too many items in the plot. Some things I would have liked more detail on were glossed over in terms of resolution. It almost felt a little rushed.
Now for the biggest grievance I have of all. I would have left this as a 4 star but for this reason alone I had to knock it down to 3. There is no trigger warning at the beginning of the book or in the blurb write up online. This book NEEDS a trigger warning for rape and sexual assault! This is a huge, and completely avoidable, mistake on the author's part. I hate having to review harshly based on a non-plot issue, but the lack of trigger warnings is a big no-no in my opinion.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I spent most of the first half of this book doubting his intentions for coming back into her life. That was one of the things I disliked about this book. The book never changes POV so you never get the overall picture with his side of the story explained until much later in the book. I also thought that the second half of the book had a few too many items in the plot. Some things I would have liked more detail on were glossed over in terms of resolution. It almost felt a little rushed.
Now for the biggest grievance I have of all. I would have left this as a 4 star but for this reason alone I had to knock it down to 3. There is no trigger warning at the beginning of the book or in the blurb write up online. This book NEEDS a trigger warning for rape and sexual assault! This is a huge, and completely avoidable, mistake on the author's part. I hate having to review harshly based on a non-plot issue, but the lack of trigger warnings is a big no-no in my opinion.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2019
3.5 stars
The Play Maker by new to me author, LM Carr is a sports, second chance romance with a little of brother's best friend thrown in.
AJ Hamilton and and Julian McIntrye were the stuff of sports romances the world over, until they just weren't anymore. Julian leaves AJ crushed and devastated with words she doesn't understand. The following years are spent overcoming the breakup and establishing herself as an award winning sports reporter, while Julian works hard to become a football legend. Each spend the majority of their time burying their lingering feelings in meaningless encounters. When Julian makes the transition from play maker on the field to play caller (coach) on the sidelines, they are thrust back together. Making it up to AJ will be the most important play of his life.
While the backstory was layered and well written, I just couldn't connect with these characters. AJ was this sports reporter expecting to be taken seriously but has a laundry list of athlete conquests so vast she can't remember them all? In addition, while there is plenty of angst, they seem to fall back together relatively easily, which seemed unlikely under the circumstances. Lastly, AJ's brother annoyed the heck out of me. I found both of them rather selfish. As I said, the story was well written and I'd happily read this author again but this one just wasn't for me.
The Play Maker by new to me author, LM Carr is a sports, second chance romance with a little of brother's best friend thrown in.
AJ Hamilton and and Julian McIntrye were the stuff of sports romances the world over, until they just weren't anymore. Julian leaves AJ crushed and devastated with words she doesn't understand. The following years are spent overcoming the breakup and establishing herself as an award winning sports reporter, while Julian works hard to become a football legend. Each spend the majority of their time burying their lingering feelings in meaningless encounters. When Julian makes the transition from play maker on the field to play caller (coach) on the sidelines, they are thrust back together. Making it up to AJ will be the most important play of his life.
While the backstory was layered and well written, I just couldn't connect with these characters. AJ was this sports reporter expecting to be taken seriously but has a laundry list of athlete conquests so vast she can't remember them all? In addition, while there is plenty of angst, they seem to fall back together relatively easily, which seemed unlikely under the circumstances. Lastly, AJ's brother annoyed the heck out of me. I found both of them rather selfish. As I said, the story was well written and I'd happily read this author again but this one just wasn't for me.
October 31, 2019
4 star Review of The Play Maker (The Sideline Series #1) by LM Carr
LM Carr is a new author to me. I enjoyed The Play Maker, a second chance at love story but it didn’t grab my attention as much as I hope it would.
Leaving behind his high school girlfriend, Julian MacIntyre was determined to make it big in the NFL . Fast forward ten years or so and after being sidelined by injury, Julian is now the youngest coach in the NFL. Addison (AJ) Hamilton is now a sport’s journalist tasked with interviewing Julian, the man who broke her heart.
Julian has decided he wants AJ back; I am being totally honest, AJ, really frustrated me with how easily she fell for Julian, it was like all the pain of the past just disappeared, not holding Julian accountable for his actions. I think that part got to me because she has had to be strong, determined and focused to succeed in what is perceived as a male dominated profession and I would have liked her feistiness to shine in her dealings with Julian.
Julian was an immature jerk at times and both characters seemed to act younger than their years which was annoying. There was drama, angst, steam and humour within the story that LM Carr wove and it was well written.
LM Carr is a new author to me. I enjoyed The Play Maker, a second chance at love story but it didn’t grab my attention as much as I hope it would.
Leaving behind his high school girlfriend, Julian MacIntyre was determined to make it big in the NFL . Fast forward ten years or so and after being sidelined by injury, Julian is now the youngest coach in the NFL. Addison (AJ) Hamilton is now a sport’s journalist tasked with interviewing Julian, the man who broke her heart.
Julian has decided he wants AJ back; I am being totally honest, AJ, really frustrated me with how easily she fell for Julian, it was like all the pain of the past just disappeared, not holding Julian accountable for his actions. I think that part got to me because she has had to be strong, determined and focused to succeed in what is perceived as a male dominated profession and I would have liked her feistiness to shine in her dealings with Julian.
Julian was an immature jerk at times and both characters seemed to act younger than their years which was annoying. There was drama, angst, steam and humour within the story that LM Carr wove and it was well written.
November 5, 2019
The Play Maker is a second chance romance read that had to charters that were madly in love with each other and I really found to be perfect for each other. I enjoyed the way that we got to read about the history of the two characters together and how much they cared for each other. I found this story to be really well written with the way that it was written in present tense but also gave them flashbacks to the couples past giving readers the backstory to these characters.
AJ was a strong female character that I really enjoyed, I really felt for her with the way that she was left devastated with the way that Julian left her. I really enjoyed the relationship she had with her brother and how they were there for each other.
Julian was the hot sport coach that came back into AJ's life after some time finally ready to show his true feelings to her. I really ended the way that he was trying to become the east version of himself for AJ.
I enjoyed this story but felt that the two characters got back together really fast despite the way they ended their relationship years ago. Overall though this was an entertaining story that I would recommend.
AJ was a strong female character that I really enjoyed, I really felt for her with the way that she was left devastated with the way that Julian left her. I really enjoyed the relationship she had with her brother and how they were there for each other.
Julian was the hot sport coach that came back into AJ's life after some time finally ready to show his true feelings to her. I really ended the way that he was trying to become the east version of himself for AJ.
I enjoyed this story but felt that the two characters got back together really fast despite the way they ended their relationship years ago. Overall though this was an entertaining story that I would recommend.
November 3, 2019
3.5 Stars
This was an entertaining second chance romance. Julian is reunited with AJ the girl he left behind to make it in the NHL. I enjoyed the story and for the most part liked the characters. There were some parts that frustrated me. The way AJ was such a pushover, I really needed her to put up more of a fight and not give in so easily. The way Julian gets out of his current relationship was just wrong, no respect or feelings. I did enjoy them reconnecting but would have liked some more communication between them. The chemistry and steamy sex scenes added a lot to the story. At times there was too much drama but still an enjoyable read.
reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood
This was an entertaining second chance romance. Julian is reunited with AJ the girl he left behind to make it in the NHL. I enjoyed the story and for the most part liked the characters. There were some parts that frustrated me. The way AJ was such a pushover, I really needed her to put up more of a fight and not give in so easily. The way Julian gets out of his current relationship was just wrong, no respect or feelings. I did enjoy them reconnecting but would have liked some more communication between them. The chemistry and steamy sex scenes added a lot to the story. At times there was too much drama but still an enjoyable read.
reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood
November 5, 2019
AJ was left with a broken heart when Julian turned his back on all the plans they had made for their future together and left her behind to pursue his football career. She has found professional success but the same can’t be said for her personal life and now fate has brought the one man back in her life that she hasn’t been able to forget.
When an injury ended his football career, he decides to put all his experience to use and become a coach. Its been ten years since he ended their relationship and he has regrets about how it ended. When AJ is tasked with interviewing him he is determined to not let the opportunity go to waste and convince her to give him a second chance.
Hot chemistry, drama and just enough suspense to keep you guessing.
When an injury ended his football career, he decides to put all his experience to use and become a coach. Its been ten years since he ended their relationship and he has regrets about how it ended. When AJ is tasked with interviewing him he is determined to not let the opportunity go to waste and convince her to give him a second chance.
Hot chemistry, drama and just enough suspense to keep you guessing.
November 5, 2019
Omg Julian and aj really got me with this story. I devoured this book in one sitting. Very much recommend this book
October 30, 2019
I read this book in one sitting! I really liked their chemistry and their sexy times were really hot!
April 24, 2020
Oh I just loved Addison and Julian. There story was wonderfully unique and packed with amazing moments. Their second chance is definitely one for the records.
November 17, 2019
Beautiful
The Play Maker was not what I expected when I began reading, but as usual with anything written by LM Carr I fell in love with the story line and the plot. The journey that AJ and Julian take is so relatable at its core, following along with the roller coaster ride.
The Play Maker was not what I expected when I began reading, but as usual with anything written by LM Carr I fell in love with the story line and the plot. The journey that AJ and Julian take is so relatable at its core, following along with the roller coaster ride.
November 6, 2019
Addison Hamilton has always loved football, so she did the miraculous, and made herself a name in the Sports Industry as a sports journalist, which is usually male dominated. Julian MacIntyre's whole life revolved around football, but a permanent injury took him out of the game. However, he's making a splash as the league's youngest coach, and this is when Addison was assigned an interview with him, and despite her NOT wanting to do it, she has no choice if she wants to keep her job. See, AJ & Julian have a big history, since they've known each other from a young age, he was her brother's best friend, and the love of her life, until he broke her heart into pieces. She's never been able to move on from it, as she refused to be in any sort of relationship, it's just too bad that he didn't feel the same. However, when they come face to face, he wants her back, she wants nothing to do with him, but he's very determined. I didn't appreciate him much, as he did a lot to hurt her, then waited for about 10 years before he was ready to face her, which I saw as cowardice. And then, I got upset at how easily she let him back in her life, without much explanation. Luckily, there were some pretty big twists that had me dropping f-bombs, as I'm a sucker for football & twists. I can say this, I couldn't put it down, though I read the pages with a ton of rage, but that's just me. If you want to know what went down, if she ever actually trusted him, then hit that one click button to find out! I certainly can't wait for the next story, and HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL!
November 5, 2019
3.5 stars
ThePlay Maker by new to me author, LM Carr is a sports, second chance romance with a little of brother's best friend thrown in.
AJ Hamilton and and Julian McIntrye were the stuff of sports romances the world over, until they just weren't anymore. Julian leaves AJ crushed and devastated with words she doesn't understand. The following years are spent overcoming the breakup and establishing herself as an award winning sports reporter, while Julian works hard to become a football legend. Each spend the majority of their time burying their lingering feelings in meaningless encounters. When Julian makes the transition from play maker on the field to play caller (coach) on the sidelines, they are thrust back together. Making it up to AJ will be the most important play of his life.
While the backstory was layered and well written, I just couldn't connect with these characters. AJ was this sports reporter expecting to be taken seriously but has a laundry list of athlete conquests so vast she can't remember them all? In addition, while there is plenty of angst, they seem to fall back together relatively easily, which seemed unlikely under the circumstances. Lastly, AJ's brother annoyed the heck out of me. I found both of them rather selfish. As I said, the story was well written and I'd happily read this author again but this one just wasn't for me.
AnnMarie - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
ThePlay Maker by new to me author, LM Carr is a sports, second chance romance with a little of brother's best friend thrown in.
AJ Hamilton and and Julian McIntrye were the stuff of sports romances the world over, until they just weren't anymore. Julian leaves AJ crushed and devastated with words she doesn't understand. The following years are spent overcoming the breakup and establishing herself as an award winning sports reporter, while Julian works hard to become a football legend. Each spend the majority of their time burying their lingering feelings in meaningless encounters. When Julian makes the transition from play maker on the field to play caller (coach) on the sidelines, they are thrust back together. Making it up to AJ will be the most important play of his life.
While the backstory was layered and well written, I just couldn't connect with these characters. AJ was this sports reporter expecting to be taken seriously but has a laundry list of athlete conquests so vast she can't remember them all? In addition, while there is plenty of angst, they seem to fall back together relatively easily, which seemed unlikely under the circumstances. Lastly, AJ's brother annoyed the heck out of me. I found both of them rather selfish. As I said, the story was well written and I'd happily read this author again but this one just wasn't for me.
AnnMarie - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
November 5, 2019
Loving this second-chance romance! Julian and AJ were high school sweethearts and had their future planned out together, but that all changed when Julian decided to break up with AJ and go to college elsewhere. During his professional career, Julian has a career-ending injury, and transitions into a coaching role as a way to still be involved in the game. In the meantime, AJ has risen to fame in her own right in the sports world as a reporter. After making some poor decisions in an attempt to get Julian out of her mind, she seems to be turning her personal life around and starting to come to terms with her past, but Julian plows right back into her life and announces he wants her back. Resistant at first, after some sweet talking and a story for her station, the pair end up spending time together and because fate brought them back together, they end up getting involved again. Meanwhile, someone is blackmailing AJ with her past discretions and she’s unsure where to turn because telling Julian will risk her relationship. Overall, it was a good book mainly because of the suspense of figuring out who it was that was blackmailing AJ, and I was somewhat surprised to see who it was, but also loved the clues that the author left along the way.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
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November 3, 2019
The Play Maker is the first book I’ve read from L.M. Carr and I’m a sucker for any sports romance so I had to read this one. I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed every single moment of the story.
Addison is a sports reporter and landed an interview for Houston’s new head coach, he just so happens to be the man that broke her heart years prior. Julian’s NFL career ended quickly due to an injury but he has the chance to come back as a head coach. When he see’s the woman whose heart he broke things change for him and he wants to make up for everything he lost. Will they get the second chance they deserve?
I liked Addison, she was a woman in a male dominated industry and kicked booty doing it. When it came to Julian I wanted her to make him fight for her more, to make him beg. She just kind of took him back pretty easily and I wanted a little more drama there, however, there was still no shortage of drama in this story. I wanted to hate Julian when he was first introduced, however, I found that difficult. He was sweet and caring and I couldn’t help but swoon.
The Play Maker is a great second chance sports romance full of steam, drama and plenty of hot football players. I can’t wait for the rest of this series.
Addison is a sports reporter and landed an interview for Houston’s new head coach, he just so happens to be the man that broke her heart years prior. Julian’s NFL career ended quickly due to an injury but he has the chance to come back as a head coach. When he see’s the woman whose heart he broke things change for him and he wants to make up for everything he lost. Will they get the second chance they deserve?
I liked Addison, she was a woman in a male dominated industry and kicked booty doing it. When it came to Julian I wanted her to make him fight for her more, to make him beg. She just kind of took him back pretty easily and I wanted a little more drama there, however, there was still no shortage of drama in this story. I wanted to hate Julian when he was first introduced, however, I found that difficult. He was sweet and caring and I couldn’t help but swoon.
The Play Maker is a great second chance sports romance full of steam, drama and plenty of hot football players. I can’t wait for the rest of this series.
October 23, 2019
The Play Maker by L.M Carr
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of , and for that I’m very grateful. Release Date is 05/11/19!
“Addison” he calls after me. I look over my shoulder and find him staring at me, a smouldering look in his eyes. “I would let you go... if I could.”
The Play Maker is a second chance sports romance with some best friends little sister thrown in as well. This as the first book by L.M. Carr that I’ve read and after this book I will definitely be reading more.
The Play Maker follows young couple who no matter what has happened to them, know that love will win in the end. Addison is an amazing woman, but keeps her heart looked up after having it ripped out by her childhood love.
Julian has done some stupid things in his life, but the worst one he makes results in his life going in a completely different direction. I absolutely loved this book, and I highly recommend going and pre-ordering now!
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of , and for that I’m very grateful. Release Date is 05/11/19!
“Addison” he calls after me. I look over my shoulder and find him staring at me, a smouldering look in his eyes. “I would let you go... if I could.”
The Play Maker is a second chance sports romance with some best friends little sister thrown in as well. This as the first book by L.M. Carr that I’ve read and after this book I will definitely be reading more.
The Play Maker follows young couple who no matter what has happened to them, know that love will win in the end. Addison is an amazing woman, but keeps her heart looked up after having it ripped out by her childhood love.
Julian has done some stupid things in his life, but the worst one he makes results in his life going in a completely different direction. I absolutely loved this book, and I highly recommend going and pre-ordering now!
October 23, 2019
Let me start off by saying I liked the book, from about 30% on. The first little bit had be confused and a little angry, more on that later, but instead of putting it down I kept going and I was glad I did. Sports genre is really my bread and butter, I enjoy reading these types of stories and I liked Julian and Addisons storyline. What I didn't like was how she made such a big deal about working in a male dominated field (sports reporting) and how she had to fight and claw to prove herself, but then turned around and basically admitted she slept with a lot of football players. Hmm.
I also feel like we didn't get enough Julian, he came on a little strong in the beginning but overall he wanted to be the best partner for Addison even though she was super stubborn and was trying to self-sabotage. I enjoyed the little suspense and the banter between the characters. I can't want for Rence's story!
I also feel like we didn't get enough Julian, he came on a little strong in the beginning but overall he wanted to be the best partner for Addison even though she was super stubborn and was trying to self-sabotage. I enjoyed the little suspense and the banter between the characters. I can't want for Rence's story!
November 4, 2019
The Play Maker is the first book I have read from L.M Carr it but it most certainly won’t be my last.
We meet AJ Hamilton a very successful sports reporter but she not so successful when it comes to love, when the one you want doesn’t want you, you have to do whatever it takes to make yourself happy, but when Julian MacIntyre comes back into her life can there be hope that there could be a second chance or is it too late.
Julian MacIntyre was a NFL superstar but when his career changes in an instant can coaching be what makes him happy or is maybe seeking out the only woman you ever loved be the answer.
There is no denying the chemistry is still there between the two of them but can past hurts stop them from trying to rekindle what they once had or will it be too late. You can’t help feel yourself cheering them on from the sidelines and hoping they can find that HEA that they wanted all those years ago.
We meet AJ Hamilton a very successful sports reporter but she not so successful when it comes to love, when the one you want doesn’t want you, you have to do whatever it takes to make yourself happy, but when Julian MacIntyre comes back into her life can there be hope that there could be a second chance or is it too late.
Julian MacIntyre was a NFL superstar but when his career changes in an instant can coaching be what makes him happy or is maybe seeking out the only woman you ever loved be the answer.
There is no denying the chemistry is still there between the two of them but can past hurts stop them from trying to rekindle what they once had or will it be too late. You can’t help feel yourself cheering them on from the sidelines and hoping they can find that HEA that they wanted all those years ago.
November 4, 2019
Let me start off by saying I liked the book, from about 30% on. The first little bit had be confused and a little angry, more on that later, but instead of putting it down I kept going and I was glad I did. Sports genre is really my bread and butter, I enjoy reading these types of stories and I liked Julian and Addisons storyline. What I didn't like was how she made such a big deal about working in a male dominated field (sports reporting) and how she had to fight and claw to prove herself, but then turned around and basically admitted she slept with a lot of football players. Hmm.
I also feel like we didn't get enough Julian, he came on a little strong in the beginning but overall he wanted to be the best partner for Addison even though she was super stubborn and was trying to self-sabotage. I enjoyed the little suspense and the banter between the characters. I can't want for Rence's story!
Reviewed by: Paige R.
I also feel like we didn't get enough Julian, he came on a little strong in the beginning but overall he wanted to be the best partner for Addison even though she was super stubborn and was trying to self-sabotage. I enjoyed the little suspense and the banter between the characters. I can't want for Rence's story!
Reviewed by: Paige R.
November 6, 2019
AJ had her heart broken by the love of her life. Now, she dates but doesn’t let anyone get too close. But then her job brings her ex back into her life. Julian has regretted his decision since he made it all those years ago and wants a second chance with her. But both are pretty famous people and second chances in the spotlight are hard to pull off.
This book is a lot. I didn’t love Addison but I could definitely empathize with her. The speed at which she changed her mind about things made my head spin. She was an emotional roller coaster. I just could not connect with her that much. There are so many side plots and drama that it’s hard to keep up sometimes. But this wasn’t a ‘bad’ book. I didn’t dislike it, even though I wanted to shake Addison sometimes and yell at her to get her brain straight.
Content warning – this book does have descriptions of sexual assault, so if that is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this.
This book is a lot. I didn’t love Addison but I could definitely empathize with her. The speed at which she changed her mind about things made my head spin. She was an emotional roller coaster. I just could not connect with her that much. There are so many side plots and drama that it’s hard to keep up sometimes. But this wasn’t a ‘bad’ book. I didn’t dislike it, even though I wanted to shake Addison sometimes and yell at her to get her brain straight.
Content warning – this book does have descriptions of sexual assault, so if that is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this.
October 22, 2019
The Play Maker by L.M. Carr is the first in this series. I would consider this a stand alone as the story of the couple featured is complete.
Throughout, I kept thinking that this would be a tearjerker because of the heavy history and baggage the main characters had. What I got was chuckles of laughter from all the banter.
I have a soft spot for second chance novels because of how beautiful they tend to be and this was no exception. Beautiful, well written story that I can't wait to continue.
This story focused heavily on football, but if you're like me and know nothing about the sport, don't worry, your [lack] of knowledge of the game really won't affect how the story unfolds. Lots of drama, steamy love scenes and hot athletes... need I say more.
Look out for the next title in this series: The Game Changer
Throughout, I kept thinking that this would be a tearjerker because of the heavy history and baggage the main characters had. What I got was chuckles of laughter from all the banter.
I have a soft spot for second chance novels because of how beautiful they tend to be and this was no exception. Beautiful, well written story that I can't wait to continue.
This story focused heavily on football, but if you're like me and know nothing about the sport, don't worry, your [lack] of knowledge of the game really won't affect how the story unfolds. Lots of drama, steamy love scenes and hot athletes... need I say more.
Look out for the next title in this series: The Game Changer
November 4, 2019
This is the first book I have read from LM Carr and now I can't wait for more.
AJ Hamilton (aka Addison) is a successful sports reporter she is all for the game.
One thing she is not lucking in is love one man broke her heart ten years ago and she vailed no man would every do that to her again.
That is until her boss calls her into his office to tell her that she will be interviewing the new NFL coach Julian Macintyre.
The same man that broke her heart can she Interview the play maker the man that broke her heart and have no feelings at all.
The feelings they have for each other have not changed the chemistry between them is still there you will find a few surprises as you read on a few twists that will leave your head spinning.
Will Addison and Julian get the HEA they deserve you will have to read it to find out.
AJ Hamilton (aka Addison) is a successful sports reporter she is all for the game.
One thing she is not lucking in is love one man broke her heart ten years ago and she vailed no man would every do that to her again.
That is until her boss calls her into his office to tell her that she will be interviewing the new NFL coach Julian Macintyre.
The same man that broke her heart can she Interview the play maker the man that broke her heart and have no feelings at all.
The feelings they have for each other have not changed the chemistry between them is still there you will find a few surprises as you read on a few twists that will leave your head spinning.
Will Addison and Julian get the HEA they deserve you will have to read it to find out.
November 6, 2019
The Play Maker is a sweet second chance sports romance. I enjoyed the characters although I did find them frustrating at times. Julian and AJ have known each other since they were young. They fell in love as teenagers but something big happened and Julian left. It took most of the book to find out the reason why, but I felt bad for all the years they wasted. I was surprised that AJ being a reporter and always asking questions didn’t want to find out the real reason Julian left and never looked back all those years ago before she let him into her life again. Now they are both ready to jump back into a relationship and pick up where they left off, but she is keeping secrets from him. Will these secrets threaten their future or is their love enough to overcome years apart and secrets now?
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think you will too.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think you will too.
October 18, 2019
I like The Sideline...Series. Who knew being off the field was as entertaining as on!?! The Play Maker is going to make you mad. He is going to confuse you. He is going to woo you. Essentially, Julian is going to make you so hormonal and confused you have to give in or risk permanent psychosis. (Okay, that was a tad dramatic!)
The Play Maker has some great moves in this book but Julian isn't the only one! Watching these two try to man the field single handedly is painful but when they get on the same team...its magic.
I feel like one of the family. And as a part of the family, I'm so upset that I have to wait for more! It's okay though, it gives me time to figure out what my jersey is going to say!
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
The Play Maker has some great moves in this book but Julian isn't the only one! Watching these two try to man the field single handedly is painful but when they get on the same team...its magic.
I feel like one of the family. And as a part of the family, I'm so upset that I have to wait for more! It's okay though, it gives me time to figure out what my jersey is going to say!
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
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