Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Playing for Keeps

SERIES:  Miami Piranhas, Book 1

AUTHOR:  Beth Bolden

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH: 322 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 11, 2022

BLURB:

Sebastian Howard is the best damn cornerback in the NFL.

Or at least he was.

Age and injuries have taken a toll, and while most people have written him off, Sebastian isn’t ready to acknowledge that at only thirty-two, he’s already in the twilight of his career.

He signs with the Miami Piranhas intending to prove everyone wrong.

Only to realize that the head coach’s son, out-and-proud Beau Dawson, doesn’t believe he can.

Beau is infuriating but brilliant, and when he offers to help him on the field, Sebastian wants to say yes, but there’s one thing stopping him: the unexpected, inconvenient, and all-consuming crush he doesn’t want to have on Beau.

But Beau isn’t interested in playing it safe, with football or with anything else, and soon they’re embroiled in a hot—and secret—affair that would finish Sebastian’s career if Coach Dawson found out.

As Sebastian falls harder for Beau, he begins to realize that actually the worst thing in the world isn’t getting benched, but losing the man he loves.

REVIEW:

Beth Bolden’s Playing for Keeps, the first book in her Miami Piranhas series, surprised me in all the best ways. Inhabiting the same universe as Bolden’s other football series, The Riptide, (and also her Food Truck Warriors spinoff series, which bears a loose connection to The Riptide), Bolden accomplishes no small feat in making this football-centered sports romance feel entirely different and fresh from any of her previous stories.  That is despite her (very welcome) cross-references to characters and events from these other same-universe romances, including some easter eggs and cameos to whet your appetite for the delicious romances told in those books. It also makes the Miami Piranhas series feel grounded right from the start.  She provides context and plausibility, which we easily latch on to, providing a familiarity and comfort that lends itself well to the romance she spins out here.

Bolden establishes Playing for Keeps ostensibly as a forbidden, secret romance between uber successful football corner Sebastian Howard and brilliant, sports analyst/pseudo-Piranhas assistant coach and head coach’s son Beau Dawson.  Their fledgling relationship seemingly has three strikes against it right out of the box (yes, I know — it’s an analogy from the wrong sport 🤣🤣): they are (pseudo)coach and player on the same NFL team, a gay couple in the NFL – an organization that is less than welcoming to LGBTQ players, and Beau is the coach’s son – who’s supposedly been warned off of getting involved with players for fear of it bleeding onto the field. 

However, these “obstacles” that Bolden lays down are really red herrings in relation to Sebastian and Beau’s romance.  In actuality, the focus of Playing for Keeps is on these two ambitious, successful men trying to forge their way, operating well outside their comfort zones, taking risks with their careers and with love.  Sebastian and Beau have every reason to be cautious and every reason to stay apart. But they are mature enough to realize their connection is too strong and too meaningful to ignore. As Sebastian notes, “[f]inding a genuine connection to another human being [i]s hard as fuck,” and he and Beau refuse to squander the opportunity they’ve amazingly, unbelievably, against all odds, been given.

The love story that plays out is about how Sebastian and Beau improbably, given their differences, fill in each other’s open spaces, making them complete, fulfilled, and at peace in a way that no one else can.  They’ve got plenty of challenges due to their interracial relationship, their sexuality, and their roles in a very unforgiving sport. They harbor fear about acceptance by the people who mean the most to them (Beau’s dad, Sebastian’s mom, their teammates, and friends), concern about the reaction from homophobes and racists who may revile them for their love, and the potential jeopardy to their careers in the NFL. Yet, they don’t let it deter them and lean into honesty and trust in each other.  

Bolden pulled a bit of a bait and switch with the premise vs. the story. She also downplays the magnitude of the difficulties Sebastian and Beau face and the ease with which they make the relationship work, all while playing up the Teflon skin that Beau, in particular, wears. I like that Bolden acknowledges the concerns related to their interracial relationship, but doesn’t make it the focus or a point of contention.  However, some suspension of disbelief is required because Bolden does make it all feel a bit too easy.  But we can readily accept that because it gets us to a very satisfying HEA that isn’t overdone and feels real enough to be satisfying.

Playing For Keeps provides a thoroughly enjoyable romance between two complex men who were easy to like and root for.  We get some nice found family elements as well in Sebastian and Beau’s teammates and sweet, heartwarming moments with their respective parents, which helps round out the story.  I wholeheartedly recommend Playing For Keeps, and can’t wait to see what happens with Logan and Dylan in Playing the Player.

RATING: 

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