Player's Ultimatum by Koko Brown

3.5 to 4 stars

You need to take this story with a grain of salt or you will really not enjoy it. Suspend disbelief for a few hours.

Yvonne Floyd agreed to become her best friend Robbie’s beard until he gets his contract signed and delivered. You see Robbie is drafted as Italy’s new soccer star. In a society that is traditional (especially when it comes to their soccer players), questions regarding sexuality is dangerous and career ending. Since Yvonne is up to her eyeballs in student loans, she agreed to be Robbie’s fake fiancé for pay and for the sake of friendship.

Until she catches the eye of Paolo Saito, he is the team’s captain and Robbie’s nemesis. Paolo has it out for Robbie. Robbie took the spot slotted for Paolo’s best friend and consequently committed suicide because of it. So, yeah. Even though it’s not Robbie’s fault, Paolo still had an axe to grind.

Okay this is the part where the grain of salt comes along…

Yvonne insta-lusts Paolo (nothing wrong with that) and Paolo insta-lusts back (nothing with that too) and because Yvonne bangs the shit out of Paolo (not knowing it was him because they were at a masquerade) he is now blackmailing her into a panty burning affair behind Robbie’s back.

Fine. I’ll bite.

Because the story was decent and I love (LOVE) Paolo, I will take the odd premise. I have to keep suspending disbelief because I can’t understand Yvonne’s reasoning for continuing the affair (besides the hot, hot monkey sex). She knew that Paolo hated Robbie who is her best friend and trying to keep him away from scandal. How can she not deduct that he’s using her to take Robbie down?

There were some eye-roller moments in the book. Some scenarios that were just a little scripted. Some were just plain weird. I think with better editing the book would have been awesome. Odd scenarios like: She asks him to cut his hand off because he offended her with his advances and he is actually thinking about doing it. Not pretending…actually contemplating it. With a knife and everything.

Cuckoo.

But in the interest of telling a story…erase…erase…

This would have been a solid 3 stars for me if it wasn’t for PAOLO!!!!

Hot Japanese/Brazilian soccer player? Arrogant…doesn’t take no for an answer…possessive.

What was wrong with him? Paolo remembered walking in on a girlfriend once having sex with another man and he didn’t even blink an eye. Robbie pulled his fiancé into his side and he wanted to tear the other man’s head off and use it as a practice ball.

Yum. Yum.

Heat level: Nuclear

Characters:

a) Him – me likey

b) Her: on the fence. She kind of annoyed me but I really can’t explain why.

I think it’s because she just lets everything happen to her. She just kind of reacts and goes along to what is happening around her.

Recommend: Yes. Just because Paolo is so yumerrific.