Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Playing by the Rules

SERIES:  Miami Piranhas, Book 3

AUTHOR:  Beth Bolden

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH: 372 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 7, 2022

BLURB:

Ex-quarterback Davis Abernathy knows he’s on his last chance.

If he strikes out as Paxton Kelly’s coach, nobody else is going to call him. Not to get back on the field, and not to stand on the sidelines.

He’s got a lot to teach Pax, and as a second-year quarterback, Pax has a lot to learn. But Davis doesn’t anticipate the irresistible way they’ll be drawn together from their first meeting. He never could have predicted such a fierce and uncontrollable yearning—or that Pax would feel the same.

It should be easy to remember rules aren’t meant to be broken, and certain lines aren’t meant to be crossed, but the only thing that’s easy is falling totally, completely in love with Pax.

As Davis falls harder, Pax succeeding becomes just as important—and maybe more so—than resurrecting his own career. If he messes this up, his last chance isn’t all he’ll be sacrificing.

What he should be is focused on being the perfect mentor. But what he wants is Pax in his bed, Pax in his life, and more impossibly, to win Pax’s heart forever.

REVIEW:

Beth Bolden’s Miami Piranhas series hits its high point in Playing by the Rules, the long-awaited romance of Paxton Kelly, the Piranhas’ second-year quarterback, and Davis Abernathy, a disgraced ex-quarterback who’s been brought in by Piranhas Head Coach Asa Dawson as Pax’s QB coach. Next to the definition of “unresolved sexual tension”, you can easily put this book, because Pax and Davis really run themselves through the wringer trying to literally play by the rules – the rules that say a coach and player shouldn’t date, that an M/M couple shouldn’t be out in the NFL, that personal relationships shouldn’t spill out onto the field.  Bolden milks this for all its worth, and the tension between them has been building throughout the previous two books. 

We’ve seen Pax and Davis’ extremely close connection, their joined-at-the-hip behavior (albeit not in the way they’d like to be joined at the hip), and feelings for each other that they both steadfastly ignore or deny. It’s been playing out in the background, although a pivotal scene involving Pax and Davis happens in book two, Playing the Player.  Playing by the Rules overlaps with the events of the first two books, so we see those same events play out from Pax and Davis’ points of view in this book, although I applaud Bolden for previewing it from the teammates’ viewpoints.  It helps round out the experience, the perception of what happens, and the fallout.

This story is a standalone, and Bolden provides everything you need to know within the text of this book.  However, because of the overlap and references to events and characters from Bolden’s other stories, I recommend you read these books in order starting with Playing for Keeps. In addition, because the Miami Piranhas series spins off from Bolden’s highly enjoyable The Riptide series, it’s helpful (although not essential) if you read that series as well. 

Bolden is an exceptionally thorough and thoughtful writer, and her series planning shows through in the careful way she weaves in cross-references and cameos from the other books within this fictional football universe. She gives the reader a comprehensive picture of her fictional universe and the events that play out, which makes it feel all the more real. Bolden’s clear understanding of football both on and off the field is extensive and evident. I find it fascinating to compare what she writes with the reality of what plays out in the NFL. The authenticity of her stories hits you, and it’s a large part of what makes these books so immersive and enjoyable.  

As for Pax and Davis, from the moment they shook hands, they were falling down the rabbit hole toward an undeniable, deep abiding love.  In an unusual twist, Bolden builds up such a thorough, deep, believable bond between them without having them so much as lay a hand on each other.  These two men share a powerful, unfortunate commonality: they are both fighting ghosts of their professional failures as football players – failures that are not really their fault, but rather due to the betrayal of the football organizations that promised to have their backs.  

As a rookie QB billed as the next great thing, Pax was left to twist in the wind by his coaching staff. Then as the pressure mounted, Pax faltered, the media circled like vultures and picked him apart and cast him aside as another example of overblown hype.  Pax’s talent is undeniable, but after that season, his self-confidence lay in tatters.  Davis is brought in to help him.

Asa’s offer to hire Davis as a coach is the first one Davis has had since his former team, the Carolina Condors, destroyed his career and, to a large extent, his life by throwing him under the bus. Then one ill-timed physical reaction to that betrayal showed a weakness that drove everyone else away. Davis feels this is his last chance. Even though he longs to give it one more try on the field, he knows he can help Pax, and he’s committed to doing it.  

For both Pax and Davis, chasing their dreams means chasing away the ghosts and their undeniable feelings for each other.  It’s a difficult row to hoe and one that almost breaks them in the process.  But the found family of their teammates helps get them on the right track.

I really loved Playing by the Rules and the character depth Bolden achieves in Pax and Davis.  She then places their personal struggles within the greater context of the unforgiving world of professional football. In a deliberately ironic twist, Bolden features the love story of two men who are sacrificing what they want most – each other – in order to adhere to the rules of a sport that broke all the rules in hurting them and their football careers. 

Playing by the Rules is a sweet, sexy, low-angst love story that will give you all the feels. Taking the emotional roller coaster ride with Pax and Davis is worth every twist and turn and start and stop along the way.  Highly recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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