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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series Book 3) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Jenni Bishop

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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series Book 3)Playing for Keeps by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aria Cook was raised by her father and is definitely not a girly girl. She works for her father in his bar A shot of Whiskey, where you give as good as you get and flirt for a bigger tip. She is one hell of a straight shootin, sassy young woman. She has all she needs, friends and family. She has her two best friends in the world, Cassie and Callie, her father who she loved fiercely, her job in the bar and her job dancing for the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team. But she has know heartache, that heartache found her leaving behind her dreams, more than one dream. One dream she can live without, the second is keeping her from fully living her life. Know one knows the second one, it is something she has kept hidden from all who love her, one that she fights to keep hidden every day, one that will stop her from finding love.

Trevin Anderson loves women. If it has two legs and wears a skirt he’s your man, a man who is a love them and leave them kind of man, a man who doesn’t get attached, doesn’t do relationships. Women know what he’s like and what he wants so it’s a win win. He is also famous he is an NBA athlete, he plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team a job he absolutely loves. He has all he needs and loves in his life, his family and his best friends, he adhores his baby sister and love his mum. But when he meets a certain red headed Thunder dancer he starts to think that maybe, just maybe there is space in his life for more. Slowly but slowly he is trying to break down her walls, walking away is not an option, he will make her see he is boyfriend material.

Will Aria let Trevin in? Will she finally share her secret from the past? Will her past catch up to her? Will Trevin finally give up because it is too hard to fight for?

This is the third book in the series and is just as good as the other two. Ashlie weaves a story that pulls you in and you feel like you are right there with these wonderful loving and funny characters. This is one series you do not want to miss.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Playing for Love (Playing Series, Book 2) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Jenni Bishop

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Playing for Love (Playing Series, Book 2)Playing for Love by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All Cassie Randall has ever wanted to do is help kids, kids with secrets the same as she is hiding. Secrets she has that have haunted her every day of her life. Secrets that ensures she will never trust a man, never have a relationship, never have a family. Cassie finally left her home in Alaska and her secret behind her when she moved to Oklahoma. In Oklahoma she has found a life she has fought hard to build and she has the most amazing best friends, Callie and Aria who are her family now. Cassie is studying hard to be a teacher, in fact she is nearly finished her study and is getting class time which she is loving. Teaching is her calling and her students adore her. Cassie is always studying but her best friends have decided she needs to put the books down for a while and learn to start living life, have a little fun, find a boy. Cassie does not need a distraction, does not need a man, does not need a complication but she is finding that someone or something is getting under her skin.

Jamal Jenkins had to grow up fast as a teenager, much sooner than someone that age should have to do. He is the point guard for the Thunder basketball team and is good at it. He is in the lime light and is portrayed as a player, a ladies man, a womaniser but if only they knew. Jamal would like nothing more than to live a quiet life with his family, his friends, with the people he loves. Jamal finds himself thinking of more than his next game, more than his responsibilities, he is distracted in a way he never thought was possible for him, something or someone is getting under his skin.

Can Jamal convince Cassie believe that he is a good guy? Can he convince her that he can be trusted? Will Cassie finally give in to her heart and finally trust the man before her? Will Cassie finally find love? Will Cassie’s secret finally catch up to her?

Ashlie Knapp has written another good story. The characters make you feel with them, laugh with them, cry with them. You feel a connection with each one of them and drawn into the story with them. Well worth the read.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Playing to Win (Playing Series, book 1) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Jenni Bishop

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Playing to Win (Playing Series, book 1)Playing to Win by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Callie Thompson has spent her life around basketball. Sports is her life, it is in her blood and that is why she is studying journalism at the University of Oklahoma. All she wants to do when she graduates from Uni is be a broadcaster of sports it has always been her life’s dream. To help pay her way she is a dancer for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Callie may love the sport but after being burned and had her heart broken she lives by her rule and that rule is to never ever date an athlete. But with her Dad and best friends by her side she has all she needs, or does she?

Kyle Kelly is only twenty six but he is the best at what he does and that is play for the Oklahoma Thunder. He is currently the man and everybody loves the sexy charismatic man and pure gentleman. All he has ever wanted to do is play basketball and he knows he is damn lucky to be where he is but winning an NBA championship would be the icing on the cake. But is he unknowingly missing something?

Will Callie’s dream come true? Will she break the one rule she has lived by? Will Callie find herself back in the same situation with her heart shattered? Can Callie learn to trust again? Will Callie find love? Will Kyle win the heart of the spunky and sassy girl? Will he earn her trust? Will he lose the things he loves most in life? Will he remember what is important in life or will it be too late?

Enjoyed the characters in this story You are immediately drawn into the story by the characters that were fun, sassy, spunky and witty. I found myself laughing out loud at their antics. It was a great read from start to end. It was light hearted, funny and all round entertaining. Ashlie is a good writer and I can not wait to read more of her outstanding work. For those of you who like a good romance with a little sports thrown in then look no further.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series book 3) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Shannon Fowler

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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series Book 3)Playing for Keeps by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ashlie Knapp earns her own Championship Ring with this book! I love it! Playing for Keeps is book three in the Playing Series. I really love a good romance story where the main characters say they are not looking for love. You just know they are going to find it. It’s the adventure they take to finally get there that truly makes a great story.
Our heroine is Aria. She is such a well rounded person. She sings, dances, bar tends, plays guitar, loves animals, is a great friend. She is almost perfect. Except that she thinks she’s broken and unworthy of a loving relationship. Until Trevin breaks down all her walls.
Trevin is NBA’s bad boy, the biggest player, and we aren’t talking playing basketball. He is a womanizer. Until he meets Aria of course. Trevin isn’t a jerk about his relationships, he just knows he wants to have a good time. The women he hooks up with know this.
I loved so many of the references to pop culture, the reality TV shows, the celebrities. I found myself laughing out loud several times. And of course I was sighing, because this story is sweet too. Love is what everyone wants, in the book world and in real life. Ashlie Knapp has found what makes readers fall in love with her books.

“I know you don’t. But having someone to share your day with, someone who’ll rub your feet when they’re hurting, someone who’ll listen to you go on and on about something they don’t care one whit about but listen anyway because they care about you…well, that’s something not everyone gets in life. If you get the opportunity, you better hold on to it with both hands.”

You can not go wrong with this book or anything Ashlie Knapp writes!

Review by @shannonlovesbooks

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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series Book 3) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Heidi Eich Woodring

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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series Book 3)Playing for Keeps by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Playing for Keeps is the third book in the Playing series by Ashlie Knapp. I loved this book because I am always drawn to the books where someone is on the run from a bad past and this one hit it home for me. While this book can be read as a standalone, characters from past books in this series do appear. I love how I am able to connect with the characters in this book and others in the series. Another great book in a great series.
Aria Cook might be the sassy and not a car in the world girl her friends and family see. Everyone sees what she wants them to see while she tends to her father’s bar and is a dancer for the Oklahoma City Thunders. What everyone doesn’t know or see is that she is running from a past that no matter how hard she tries she can’t escape. Then enter Trent, NBA star and the guy who doesn’t want anything other than to have fun. He cares about his career, his mother, and his sister. After a not to good date with Aria, he can’t walk away. He care about her and she can’t seem to get rid of him! What can happen to these two amazing characters, read and find out!
I loved this story.. From the guy who was a love and leave them, to Aria and her needing to get away from a past that haunts her. These characters are real and the story line draws you right in. I have to say this one is the best book I have read in the series. I love how Both Trent and Aria see what is blooming together as something so different and I love when things all start to come together. I give this book 4 stars and highly recommend not just this book but the series. This author truly has talent to draw you in and wanting more. I was able to read this book in one sitting and truly loved it, this is a book that I KNOW I will be reading again!

Review by @Heidi Eich Woodring
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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series Book 3) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Stacey Baxter

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Playing for Keeps (Playing Series Book 3)Playing for Keeps by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aria has a painful past which she finds hard to move on it effects her outlook on life now while she’s happy her friends are settling down Aria feels sad as she think she will never get a happy ever after. When Trevin keeps hitting on her she tries her best to keep pushing him away plus hes a player why would he want her when he can any other girl falling at his feet. Trevin wants Aria to be his hes never had this feeling before where he cant stop thinking bout her no matter how much she pushes him away he will do everything I his power to convince her that they could be happy even if that means starting out as platonic friends even with how much he is craving to touch her. Aria and Trevin are perfect together hes a sweet guy who has had mistakes in the past but he wants to good by her and Aria she just needs to let go and be happy but will she? What will happen when Aria finally open up to Trevin? Will they get there happy ever after? Wow I loved there story I was hooked right from the start it was really emotional for me at times especially when you find out more about Aria you cant help but feel her pain. Throughout this hold novel I was rooting for Trevin he was a awesome leading character yes he may of been a player in the past but he is so much more then that which you will learn throughout. I can absolutely recommend this novel but I was also recommend reading the previous books to this series so you can get a better understanding of the other characters. Happy reading!!!

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Playing for Love (Playing Series, Book 2) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Shannon Fowler

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Playing for Love (Playing Series, Book 2)Playing for Love by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ashlie Knapp has done it again! She has written another heart melting, tear wiping, feel good, love story. This story is about Cassie and Jamal, who are friends of Callie and Kyle from book 1.
Cassie has a little bit of an ugly past, although no fault of her own, making her not trust any man. So instead of dating and socializing in any way, she turns to education and books. A girl after my own heart.
Jamal is a basketball star, single father of JJ and best friend of Kyle Kelly. Which means this story will be better understood if read after Playing to Win. This one starts right where book 1 left off. Many returning characters along with some new ones and an evil force help to give this story its 5 well deserved stars.
I loved that Cassie doesn’t have an athletic bone in her body and she accepts it and is ok with it.
“Har, har, har, you two. I can’t help it that I wasn’t born with an athletic gene in my body.”
I know some people like this and it made me laugh a lot. Even though Jamal is a star basketball player, the two find themselves together, a lot.
There are many times this story had me snickering to myself, laughing out loud and even tearing up. JJ and Jamal’s Whip and Nae Nae dance off is just one example of the laugh out loud scenes.
Ashlie Knapp has a writing style that is easy to read and follow. She includes fun, heart felt characters. And while this story is dreamy and romantic, Knapp keeps it realistic as well.
This is just a great story all around. I highly recommend this story, but don’t stop there. I highly recommend the series and author as well.

Review by @shannonlovesbooks

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Playing to Win (Playing Series, Book 1) by Ashlie Knapp – Review by Shannon Fowler

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Playing to Win (Playing Series, book 1)Playing to Win by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a cute cute fun story! Quick and easy to read, too! Ashlie Knapp is a new to me author and I am pleasantly surprised and happy to have taken a chance on her! This story is a stand alone and has a very……..ending. Ha! No spoilers in this review! If you are looking for wild and crazy, out of control alphas, then this is not the story for you. However, if you are looking for a hometown, boy next door, heart melting story, you will be delighted with Playing to Win!
This is a story about basketball star Kyle Kelly and cheerleader and future hopeful, sports broadcaster, Callie Thompson. Callie has sworn off all types of athletes thanks to one ex high school sweetheart. But when she literally runs into Kyle, there’s something about him she can’t resist. Especially when she loses a game of horse with him. How will they overcome Callie’s belief that all jocks are the same? Is Kyle too good to be true?
I loved the references to things I already love, like Taco Bell, basketball and O.M.G. Garth Brooks!
“And I named him Garth because Garth Brooks is the best musician in the history of music .”

These two characters had me laughing and hoping for the best to happen to them. I couldn’t help but to love them both! While there are no hot love scenes for delicate eyes to be offended by, there were moments of swooning. #sigh #sweetlove

“And he was right. Their lips did want to get to know each other. And if it were up to her, they were on their way to becoming best friends.”

The secondary characters, or best friends in this story, as well as their families, added to the fun and are also looking for happiness and love. Lets hope Ashlie Knapp is helping them find it!

Review by @shannonlovesbooks

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