| Title | : | The Player Next Door |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 222 |
| Publication | : | First published July 21, 2015 |
NBA star Mike Giamaria doesn't mix basketball with love. Ever. Then Mike meets Tori Williams, his cute, quirky new neighbor who seems hell bent on refurbishing her death trap of a house on her own. When she falls from her roof and into his arms, Mike knows he's just caught a whole heap of trouble.
Trouble sums up Tori's life. Despite her academic success, no one believes she can take care of herself-not her family, not her ex-boyfriend. She's determined to live her life on her own terms, and if that includes a hot summer fling with the super-sexy athlete next door, so much the better.
But when Tori's around, Mike can't keep his mind on basketball. He wants...more. And to his horror, not just more time on the court. When training starts, it's game over-it has to be-unless Tori can convince Mike that love doesn't belong on the sidelines.
The Player Next Door Reviews
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I HATE this heroine so much I quit at 90% and am mad that I read that far! First she is a total ditz. That got better and I thought I would be able to find humor in her brand of crazy. Mike was waaay to disconnected with what he really wanted to be a hero I really like. But he was otherwise a good guy. As for my total dislike, I will just say major triangle and I will describe in a spoiler below for those who care.
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4.5 stars
I loved this hilarious and fun story! NBA star Mike is recovering in Evanston after a shoulder injury he suffered in a charity game. He's trying to stay out of the spotlight and recover in time for the fall basketball season so he's house-sitting for a friends parents. Tori recently got out of a relationship with a guy who just didn't understand her. She inherited her Aunt's house in Evanston and wants to do the remolding on her own. Everyone in her life thinks that she's incapable of doing it, that she's an airhead even though she has her PhD and is a college professor. When Mike looks outside and sees his sexy neighbor hanging upside down from her roof, he has to go save her. She literally falls right into his injured arms.
This story was really fun. Tori is super book smart but people think she's an airhead. When I first started this book, I wasn't sure what I thought about Tori but I ended up loving her. She is very ADHD at times but I found her character to be totally endearing. As much as I loved Tori my favorite thing about this book was Mike. He's a super sexy basketball star with a great personality who is incredibly sweet. I LOVED the way he understood Tori when nobody else did. Plus, My only complaint about this story, which is why I would rate it 4.5 instead of 5 stars is the ending was a bit out there. I liked it but it just seemed a little too much. I LOVED the epilogue though so this is a solid favorite for me!
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review** -
http://bookslifewine.com/r-the-player...
My God. This was just incredibly cute and sweet but hot and funny. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find that kind of combination but I found it in The Player Next Door.
So, I saw KatieBabs reading this a few days ago and was intrigued. I was ready to start reading as soon as I finished the blurb...and that's when I found out it hadn't been released yet. O_O I RAN to NetGalley to request an ARC and I was very lucky to receive one.
I started reading The Player Next Door as soon as I got my approval email. And it was glorious.
I ripped into The Player Next Door and devoured it like a starving woman. I thought Mike and Tori were wonderful together. They...understood each other. Which is so incredibly important. One of the things I loved the most about Tori and Mike was the fact that - unlike the majority of Tori's family - he took her seriously and he paid attention to her. He treated her like a person - unlike her previous (gigantic douchebag) boyfriend, Edward.She had no true interest in making sushi and was well known for getting distracted while… Well, while doing anything. It was how she was made, and Edward always said it was charming in a rare, overbred toy dog kind of way. She could never survive alone in the wild, according to him, but he appreciated having a purpose in life as her owner.
Tori was known for being witless and her family treated her like a natural disaster waiting to happen. Only Mike was able to see the humor in the things Tori said and he was able to follow her train(s) of thought.
Mike's biggest Achilles heel was his hyper-intensive focus on basketball. He was so focused that he eschewed relationships so that he could stay focused - too often he felt regret when he wasn't 100% focused on his game. Tori is the exact opposite of Mike so she helped him loosen up a bit and just enjoy life.“Can I tell you a secret?”
He grinned. “Sure.”
“I never regret anything. Ever. People try to make me regret things. They tell me how I was stupid or not thinking or something. Usually they’re right, so I pretend to be sad so they’ll go away. But really and truly, I never regret anything.”
He tried to imagine living like that. Never looking back and wishing you could do it all over again.
Mike didn't want to fall in love with Tori: she was a distraction from his basketball game and his achivement goals but Tori cut through all of Mike's defenses and stole his heart. And I was entranced. I loved, loved, loved watching Mike fall in love even though that's the only thing he didn't want to do.“You know,” Joey said, his tone conversational. “I’ve listened to every superstition you nutcases can dream up. Lucky shorts, purple socks, three green beans with a steak dinner. I’m sure one of you dances naked and howls at the moon before every game. I’m all for whatever gets you to a winning season, but, Mike, your system is straight up stupid.”
“It’s not stupid. It’s about focus and time. There’s only so much—”
“Bullshit.”
Mike dropped his arm and glared at Joey. “You don’t have to understand it. Just know that it works.”
“Fine, it works. You’re a monk. But I’m giving you until your next barbecue to get your head out of your ass or I’m moving in.”
“What?”
“I’ve got a thing for smart blondes.”
Mike rose to his most intimidating height. “You’re uninvited.”
“I’ll crash it.”
“I could pick you up and throw you across the room.”
“Not without ripping up your shoulder, you can’t.”
It was a measure of how insane Mike was that he actually considered it. But after a few furious breaths, he realized the ass was right.
So. If we're going for 100% disclosure, I was Not. A. Fan. of the ending. At all. It felt awkward and nothing like the preceding parts of the novel. It was infuriating when I first read it that I skimmed through to the end in a bit of a funk. Then I decided to re-read the ending and...it worked a lot better for me and was much cuter. In parts. There's still one thing that just drives me bananas . It honestly felt - to me - that the entire situation was a set up for the quirky ending. And that just killed it for me.
This would have been a 4.5-5 star read for me except for parts of the ending. That dropped the rating down to 4 stars.
All in all, this is an adorable, funny and quirky love story that really warmed my heart. I certainly recommend it.
Note: I received this book free from
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Player Next Door and other books written by Kathy Lyons can be found at
Kathy Lyons/Jade Lee's website. -
Cheyenne's review posted at
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
I was pleasantly surprise how much I really I like Player Next Door. I have been in a bit of a bad streak of books that just didn’t work for me and Player Next Door was the perfect amount of sweet, sexy, funny and drama to keep me reading and not wanting to stop. Mike and Tori may not seem to be a match made in heaven, but the way Mike balanced out Tori’s quirkiness and the way she helped keep him on tack was the perfect match in my opinion.
Mike was trying to recover from an injury prior to the upcoming NBA season. Little did he know that his neighbor would be the best medicine there is in life. Tori was fixing up the house she inherited from her aunt and well to say that she had a lot to not only work on but to learn about house repairs was an understatement. Mike saves Tori more than once and their relationship begins from there.
Player Next Door reminded me to not judge a book by it’s cover, and I am not talking about actual books here people, I am talking about actual people like me and you, because while there may some things that may make you originally not want to pick a certain one, it is what is inside that counts.
Review copy provided for an honest review. -
I read this book less than 24 hours ago and I have already forgotten the main characters names. That is how unmemorable it was. There were certain things that I found annoying.
-The h was way too quirky. She had a lot of weird random personality traits that I think were supposed to be cute but seemed contrived. I felt like she became a caricature of what hard science majors think social sciences professors are like. Does that make sense? My major was cultural anthropology in college and I can tell you that not one of my professors behaved like she did. Also, and this is just nitpicking, professors aren't experts on the whole world. They choose a region, or language, or religion to focus on. A professor who is incredibly knowledgeable about African tribal ceremonies is not also going to be an expert on Buddhist culture.
-The H was indecisive. He wavered back and forth about being with her and she didn't seem to be all that upset about him leaving (despite believing herself to be in love with him).
-The ex-boyfriend kept popping up randomly even though he was completely useless to the story. He even showed up at the very end when the H was going to make his big move. And this wasn't some love triangle thing. It was pretty clear the h had no feelings for him. Literally, no feelings. Not positive or negative. So why even put him in the book? What was his purpose?
The writing style wasn't bad so I'm tempted to give it three stars but I can't. It was bland, forgettable, and only okay. -
4 stars
What a fun, heartwarming and amusing read The Player Next Door turned out to be.
I totally got into it and couldn't stop reading. I wanted to see how these two would get together and how Tori would handle a serious relationship.
I loved watching Mike and Tori get together, they made me laugh and I was touched with how patient and understanding Mike was with Tori's quirky personality.
I laughed out loud so many times I even had people side-eyeing me on the train while going to work #sorrynotsorry =D
After having said how much I loved this book there was a few things I wasn't too happy about which kept me marking The Player Next Door a little higher.
I would have liked the situation with Tori's so called ex to have been dealt with in a better manner. It was like he never got the memo he was no longer with Tori =/
Even though that part bugged me overall this was still a very entertaining read.
The epilogue left me with so many happy feels, still smiling...
Thank you Entangled Lovestruck via Netgalley for the advance copy. -
It was one moment of clarity in a very unconventional way that had Tori Williams dumping her boyfriend and moving to her inherited home. A home that is a mess of projects that Tori has no clue how to do, but that is why they have books. It is one of these projects that has NBA star Mike Giamaria finding her hanging from a roof. Mike is trying to get rest from an injury so he can be back in time for the basketball season. He doesn't need a distraction but he finds he likes Tori, a lot. When she suggests they become a summer fling Mike isn't sure if it is the best idea and if he will be able to let her go.
Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=10828 -
couldn't finish this one.
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Review by Trinette Dungee
Don’t let the title fool you…he’s a player all right….a basketball player. Mike Giamaria is on the mend from a torn rotator cuff and while recuperating he’s house-sitting for a friend’s parents who are on vacation. Mike doesn’t do relationships. During the off season he does women, women without a face, with names he will easily forget, who he doesn��t even entertain the idea of committing to. Nope basketball is his main lady. That’s where his commitment lies. Basketball is the only woman that completely absorbs him. That is until he meets Tory Williams, the neighbor who just happened to inherit the house next door that requires much needed work; a house fixer-upper that she’s determined to fix all on her own. A task that Mike isn’t convinced won’t land her in the nearest ER. Just one encounter with Tori Williams and Mike knows he’s about to stumble down and dangerous path.
Tori Williams is very successful academic. What she’s not successful at is convincing everyone that she is more than capable of taking care of herself. Tori marches to the beat of her own drummer. She doesn’t really care what people think about her. She just kind of lives day by day and handles each day accordingly. What she’s having a problem handling, is this attraction to Mike or at least convincing him to handle the attraction. Then there is also the pesky ex-boyfriend who doesn’t know he’s an ex. All Tori wants is for the ex to go away and for Mike to agree to a summer fling. After all she’s insanely sexually attracted to him and even though he won’t admit it, he’s insanely sexually attracted to her. This should be a piece of cake.
Mike is only around for the summer until the season starts and Tori is only around for the summer until fall classes starts. Tori finally manages to convince Mike to embark on a no-strings attached, sex-filled, summer fling but as the summer comes closer and closer to ending both Mike and Tori realize that it may not be so easy to leave the summer behind.
4% into this book and I was hysterical. From the moment Mike stopped short on his jog to find Tori dangling upside down from a much frayed rope…hanging from her roof I was laughing. This book was full of humor but unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with the characters. Although Mike and Tori seemed to have unlimited sexual chemistry, I just couldn’t see it. I also think they had a solid friendship but as hard as I tried I just couldn’t see them together a true couple. They had all the right ingredients but the finished product fell just a little too short for me. Extremely funny read though. -
Note to self: love triangle ,h is stupid! see CC review.
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Loved this book! Tori is a brilliant woman with a Ph.D., that constantly acts like a ditz to keep others away. Mike is a basketball superstar that moves in next door to have time to heal from an injury out of the public eye. Tori has no idea who he is, just that he is sexy and she wants him, but Mike has a system and Tori can't be a part of it. However, you know what they say about the best laid plans....
I loved the characters, especially Tori and how she was always so willing to try new things and put herself out there. Her coping technique of dealing with other people by acting like an ditz was entertaining. Mike made a worthy potential partner and I enjoyed his routines and superstitions. Edward, while necessary to the story, was just annoying (yes, I know that's the point) and I preferred when his character wasn't present. For this, I'd take away half a star, but am rounding up to five stars.
If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. The author is on my must read authors'list. -
The Player Next Door by Kathy Lyons gave me so many feels! This was a joy to read. The hero and heroine are so cute together. I found myself snickering as I read, because of the heroine, who not only drives the hero batty, but ends up impressing him with her intelligence, sweet nature and sexy self. Plus the hero is a bi-racial NBA basketball player who is uber-sweet and wants to help out the heroine any way he can.
Mike, a big basketball star for The Knicks is recovering from a shoulder injury on the off season for the summer. He’s staying at his friend’s parents’ house in a town in Illinois. While he’s jogging, he spots a woman hanging upside down from a roof. He rushes to rescue her, and she falls on him, and on his bad shoulder. That’s how he meets Tori, a college professor of religion and theology, who has just broken up with her boyfriend of 5 years. Tori has book smarts, and a PhD, but people think she’s a blonde ditz who can’t take care of herself. She’s remodeling her new house, her recently deceased aunt willed to her. Mike is her next door neighbor for the next 2 months. She has made quite the impression on him, which at firs isn’t the best. But there’s something special about her that makes him want to see her again.
Tori is surprised how well she gets along with Mike, especially after her roof falling mishap. He’s not a dumb jock or not some cocky, rich sports guy. He listens to her and gives her advice about fixing up her house. He’s the total opposite of her ex-boyfriend Edward, who has strung her along and enjoys putting her down and babying her. She may say strange and bookish things, but Mike gets a kick out of it. She then decides he would be a great rebound lover, which he’s not too sure of. He’s only there for the summer, and then goes back to NYC to play basketball. He doesn’t want Tori to get attached to him. She just wants sex with him. Mike may just have the best summer of his life with Tori, but what happens if he doesn’t want it to end?
The Player Next Door is the type of book you want to hug. It has a very meet-cute between the main couple, who are total opposites, not only in personalities, but their beliefs and their physical appearance. Appearances can be deceiving, which is pointed out and taken care of right away. Tori isn’t some blonde ditz. Mike isn’t just obsessed with playing professional basketball and making money. Plus it’s an interracial romance! The way Kathy has written Tori and Mike is golden. They’re each other’s perfect match. Tori is very, go with the flow, while Mike is more stable with his beliefs. He is the one who realizes how special Tori is him before she does. Their banter and conversations are very adorable. The sex between them a nice touch.
The ending is a bit too pat, but it’s what I would have expected with a romance like this. Kathy has a winner with The Player Next Door. This is a must read for any romance fan! -
The Player Next Door by Kathy Lyons
The heroine in this story was fun, a bit sassy, but sad too in that she was so accommodating to people that she didn't get to make meaningful friendships in her life. The hero really listens to her, which is irresistible in a relationship.
Kathy Lyons can write really hot and steamy sex scenes and this book includes several. Hold onto something. It's gonna be a fun ride.
Tori Williams is renovating her inherited house in Evanston. She's incredibly smart, but loses interest in projects quickly so the house is filled with partially finished renovations throughout.
Mike Giamaria, a NY Knicks player is recovering from an injury and staying in the house next door to Tori. He is drawn to her quick mind and how what may seem to be non-sequiturs to some, are really connected in some way in Tori's mind. It fascinates him and they grow close. Plus the instant lust they both feel makes for a really "hot" and sexy summer.
I received a copy of this book via NetGallery. -
This was a fun romance and I enjoyed every minute of it. Mike Giamario is basically hiding out for a quite no stress summer for rest and rehab for his injured shoulder. Then he meets his neighbor Tori Williams, who is all types of stress wrapped in one very sexy package. I loved Tori from the beginning. She is smart and incredibly quirky and totally adorable. Mike is very sexy and knows he needs to stay as far away from his quirky neighbor but he can't seem to get her out of his thoughts. They are both in for one hot summer!
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A heroine with something to prove meets a smooth talking athlete with more than sports on his mind. Will these two be a match in the game of love or will one call foul? I thought this was an adorable look at love. It was interesting because Tori was the pursuer and Mike the big basketball star was the wary one. Kathy Lyons' The Player Next Door is a winner. It supplies an entertaining spin on an age old theme. I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review.
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I write this review in English and Bahasa, so for Indonesian readers, you could skip right to the Bahasa part :)
I'm trying not too curse too much in this but I'm sorry if I do.
So, like the blurb stated, this book followed a girl named Tori who moved in to her deceased aunt's house and met a guy named Mike by accident (literally by accident as she fell down her roof). And surprise surprise, he was actually a super famous athlete that she never heard about!
I got really excited when I read the first three chapters of this book. It was light hearted and funny and cute. And Tori sounds a lot like Luna Lovegood too! And I thought, finally, after the last 3 failed attempts to discover enjoyable books that could make me happy. Then the 4th chapter came and shatter my hopes.
Turned out this is just another I-don't-date-girls-but-oh-she-is-different-she-has-brain-unlike-other-girls. Effing ignorant human that Mike was literally said that. He doesn't even acknowledge that "those other girls" are women. Excuse me, do you know how stupid that statement was?
I don't know every girl on this earth but every girl I know has brain. They may not optimally used it due to the fact that some human beings think that genius women are not cute.
I just don't understand bitch-shaming. I don't understand why it was a thing, I don't understand why some people do that, I can't ever understand why literary world now has so many works that contain it.
Hell I don't understand why any girls who is slim and pretty and has big boobs and love sex is called bitch/slut. I don't understand why those girls got antagonized while guys who do the same thing didn't. I don't understand why this female writer has to make faceless "bimbos" for the heroine to be "unique" and "different".
Okay move on to the next bad thing. The basketball concept ugh. I don't care about world of basketball (okay except maybe for Kuroko no Basuke lol) or how amazing NBA is or what. Why this writer thinks anyone could just understand without any explanation is beyond me. As romance books are marketed towards women I feel like I won't be the only reader who was baffled by the basketball terms like NY Knick (what is it? A bakery? A souvenirs shop? Oooh a team. But what team? Is it a real life famous team or fictional? Nope. No explanation.), and the Bulls (?). Other terms you could know from P.E. classes, but still..
And then, after all the show of fancy basketball terms, suddenly no other mentions of it. All because the hero was conveniently at recovery leave. Ha!
All in all, I highly recommend it to feminist who needs to burn their feminism spirit lol
Bahasa:
Mohon maaf dengan segala umpatan yang saya tulis, sungguh, saya berusaha nggak banyak-banyak kok..
Jadi, seperti yang sinopsisnya sebutkan, buku ini bercerita tentang seorang gadis bernama Tori yang pindah ke rumah bibinya yang sudah meninggal. Tori ini gadis yang rada mirip Luna Lovegood, pinter tapi bloon hahaha. Disana dia bertemu tetangga sebelah rumah yang ganteng bernama Mike (ketemu di sebuah kecelakaan yang bener-bener kecelakaan). Dan surprise surprise, ternyata Mike adalah atlet NBA!
Saya bener-bener excited banget pas baca 3 chapter pertama buku ini. Lucu dan imut. Udah gitu si Tori kelakuannya mirip ama Luna Lovegood lagi! Pikir saya, Yey akhirnya nemu juga buku seru setelah 3 buku terakhir yang saya baca gagal. Dan kemudian muncul si chapter 4 dan hancur lah harapan saya T_T
Ternyata buku ini sama aja kayak buku romance dewasa lainnya. Isinya tentang cowok sok iye yang mikirnya "nggak, aku nggak akan pernah hubungan serius sama cewek, tapi kok cewek ini beda banget, dia punya otak.."
Eh sialan dia.
Yep. Dia asli ngomong begitu di bukunya.
Mungkin dia nggak pernah belajar ipa kali ya sampe dia nggak tau klo semua manusia punya otak. Boloho.
Beneran deh saya kurang faham sama buku romance yang disitu hero atau heroinenya ngejelek-jelekin cewek lain,. Terutama klo cewek lainnya itu nggak punya kepribadian lain selain cantik, tinggi, langsing berdada besar dan jadi mantan pacar cowoknya. Apa banget. Klo bikin antagonis yang jelas aja nggak bisa kenapa harus bikin antagonis. Kenapa?
Saya beneran nggak faham sama fenomena bitch-shaming. Saya nggak faham kenapa bisa ada, kenapa ada yang ngelakuin, dan kenapa ini happening banget di dunia penulisan saat ini. Apa cuma saya yang capek bacanya??
Lagian juga beberapa cewek bergaya cantik modis tapi bego dikit kan gara-gara stigma masyarakat (yang jelas-jelas dibentuk sama cowok plis) yang bilang klo cewek kepinteran itu nggak imut. Lah pas cewek bergaya begitu diomongin juga piye tho.
Dan yang bikin saya tambah heran adalah ini buku yg nulis cewek omg
Oke poin kedua yang bikin saya sebel.
Ini kan buku yg pasar utamanya cewek, harusnya die tau dong klo cewek suka nggak faham sama sport. Ini mah semua istilah basket keluar semua, dari shoot, screen dribble, pass, rebound point guard, center, shooting guard dan
dan lain sebagainya yang (saya faham karena saya cinta Kuroko no Basuke tapi saya yakin) cewek-cewek umum nggak faham.
Dan lagi ada istilah The Bulls, NY Knicks dll yang jelas itu tim tapi kita nggak dikasih tau apakah dia tim terkenal atau nggak, apakah dia ada di kehidupan nyata atau nggak.
Oke cukup sekian. Intinya saya nggak rekomen buku ini kecuali buat perempuan feminist yang lagi pingin ngomel-ngomel hahahaha -
KRISTEN'S REVIEW
This read can be summed up in two words (and a lot of vowels), Sloooooooow Buuuuuuurn. Oh my gosh, beat me with sexual tension why don’t you!
I would love to be friends with Tori… well maybe. She is completely, spunky, independent and impulsive. I loved her from the sushi cookbook, to the roof, and finally the basketball game. And I would love for you to read it and understand what I am saying!
The biggest appeal of Mike was from the get go, he got her. Mike understood her need to day dream, to wonder and he totally took it as a challenge to keep her focus on him. And that made their first time so fun and sexy. It is refreshing to read about a love that can be light-hearted and passionate.
The book keeps the two characters secluded. There is not much drama or angst in it. Except for Tori’s ex, who she leaves at the beginning of Mike and Tori’s story. He starts out as seemingly very controlling, but then he becomes more of a clueless leech. So I did give a bit of a head tilt trying to figure him out. The angst DOES come (like any good book) at the end!
This would be a good option if you are needing a light and funny read. -
**My thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**
Tori has decided to leave her boyfriend after an aunt has left her her house in the will and her boyfriend is less than supportive of what she really wants.
Moving in however she find that the man currently living next door is injured when her rescues her from falling off the roof that she is fixing.
Tori is extremely smart, but everyone underestimates her, but she does keep having accidents of forgetting the everyday things. Mike, her house sitter next door who rescues her soon becomes interested in her. She is fun, a hazard to herself and extremely sexy, but also a distraction.
I loved seeing the relationship develop with all the little bumps that happen along the way with other people interfering. -
This funny and sexy sports romance was a page turner...I couldn’t put it down. Lighthearted without a bunch of unnecessary angst, Mike and Tori are two opposites who definitely attract. She’s brilliant but more than a little spacey while he’s recovering from a potential career-ending injury in a small town.
Before she falls for him, though...she falls on him, which may not be the way to win his heart but it the cutest meet-cute I’ve read about in a long while! Loved this couple, the storyline and the writing style. I’ll be reading more Kathy Lyons books for sure! -
The Player Next Door by Kathy Lyons was a quick read about a quirky neighbor and her very hot NBA player neighbor. Tori is determined to refurbish her new home, even if no one else thinks she can. Mike is resting and getting ready for the season and love is the last thing he needs. But somehow he keeps finding himself helping Tori out. But with an ex that will not go away, his stern no relationship policy and her always around, can they stay away from each other?
3.5-stars. Happy reading! -
I loved these well written characters! Tori is a hoot but everyone thinks she can't take care of herself. Her next door neighbor, Mike, sees Tori for who she really is and not who everyone thinks they see. I loved their chemistry! Kathy Lyons has created another great read!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read. -
niet uitgelezen
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It’s funny how we will allow small things to rule our lives even crazy ones. It seems like it widely accepted in the sports world but Mike Giamaria might have taken his mother’s good advice just a little too far.
After twice burned once in high school and once in college both related to girls he was involved with he took her literally. His mom told him he needed to pick between his hopes of a career and screwing around with girls. He chose his career which meant a lot of one night stands that first year until it became old.
He got drafted by the NBA after college. His “system” as he calls it worked until now. This is the system: Love and Basketball don’t mix: Basically no woman during basketball season, because you can’t have both. When he is recuperating in Evanston, IL. In order to stay out of the presses limelight who would think to find a N.Y. Knicks player in Bulls country.
After his third jog of the day, he is really liking the suburbia. When he gets home he sees the neighbor lady dangling by a rope upside down from the roof. The odd thing is she looks calm. But he realizes that the rope is too thin to hold her for long. As he enters the side yard he looks around for a ladder of which there is none that he can see. When he looks back at the lady the t-shirt she is wearing is gathered around her neck showing her ample breast. Instead of pulling it up in this case she takes it off. Now it is all he can do to keep strict eye contact. It is also when Tori Williams notices Mike. When he speaks to her she says, what? When she remembers she has her earbuds in. Mike ask if she needs help she says no she’s got it.
He tells her to hold on he’s going to look out front to see if there’s a ladder there. No, just her Prius. He asks her how did she get up there and why was she up there? She says she was roofing and she used the tree to get up there. With her face of Duh! He says his name and she gives hers. He waits for her to know him (has a pro player) but she doesn’t. He says here let me climb up and hoist you up. She says no that she has been working out the plan before he arrived. She starts swinging her body out at weird angle. He knew what she was trying to do but she was not doing it right.
When he looks up to see where she is tied off it’s not bad it is the fireplace. When he starts following the rope down he sees where it was fraying. He tells her to stop swinging but he’s too late when she is flying in the air right into his arms. Albeit awkwardly and at the expense of the shoulder he just had surgery on. Then he goes to help her up as he is gripped in his pain. When she uses that shoulder to get up. Causing a shooting pain to course through his body.
Once she helps him home things really start to become interesting. Because you have a guy who used to being well known and playing to the press. Yet, he’s there to avoid it, so when Tori doesn’t know him it takes some adjustment to his ego. Then there is Tori a professor of religion and philosophy at Northwestern who as a child was a bit of an airhead. Yet, as an adult figured out it helps her avoid people and confirmations if she relied on the airhead routine. Funny thing is they each figured out each other’s game but allowed it to get a better understanding of the other’s life. Making for an interesting storyline. The characters are funny and real. They bring a realness to each other’s lives as well to the story itself. I give this 5 stars. Provided by Netgalley.
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*ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review *
First Impression: Well-written , fast-paced, excellent characterization.
The Player Next Door is a hilarious, new, feel-good contemporary romance by Kathy Lyons. In it, fun, quirky Tori is determined to fix up her late grandmother's rundown house, despite no one actually believing she can do it. She meets NBA basketball star Mike after he catches her when she falls off her roof and into his arms. And let me tell you, folks, that is one cute, memorable, fun meet. I adored it!
I think I fell in love with this book right from the start. It was just so hilarious and fun to read. I absolutely adored Tori and her quirkiness, and I loved, loved, loved how patient and observant Mike was with her. Even knowing her for such a short time, it was easy to see that Mike gets Tori in ways no one else does, and really, isn't that all any of us want in someone? To know we're understood and accepted? I feel like that's who Mike was for Tori, and I seriously loved him for it because it was part of what made this book special.
This is one of those books that I will remember because it's just so fun, and the heroine is beyond hilarious with some of the things she says. I loved every single ounce of her quirkiness, her witty retorts and subtle sarcasm, and I think the author did a brilliant job of bringing that part of her personality to life on the page because she consistently made me smile and shake my head and laugh out loud.
And Mike! Oh my goodness, did I love him and his reactions to Tori. It was crystal clear that he didn't always know what to do with her because she both exasperated and charmed him. And yet, he took exception to the people in her life running her down and making her feel bad about herself or the things she does and enjoys, or never letting go of things she can't do well. He became such a champion for her and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is exactly the kind of man Tori needs in her life.
These two are both pretty perceptive of each other, which worked to give them a deep, natural feeling connection with each other. I loved every scene this couple had together, and each one was better than the last.
The Player Next Door is fun, sexy, and so outstandingly memorable. I adored this book and I loved these characters. Highly, highly recommend this romance read. -
4.5 stars. This book is adorable. And sexy, and fun. Mostly fun, with a side order of cute, and I loved every second of it. What a great heroine Tori is. She’s completely off-the-wall, playing up her blonde hair with ditzy behaviour in order to get people to leave her alone. In truth she’s super smart, knows loads of stuff about obscure and esoteric religious rituals and is just amazing. I loved her. From the first page where she buys a book on sushi simply because her idiot boyfriend doesn’t get why she found the cover funny, right up to the end. She’s delightful and made this book into such a fun ride.
Then there’s Mike, the NBA star. He might not be an odd-ball like Tori, but he’s still fun and very sexy. I loved how he appreciated Tori and saw her for who she really was behind all the silly acts. Sure, he has problems of his own regarding his shoulder and his “system”, but I loved how his relationship with Tori developed. Especially when it involved her family, idiot Edward or Mike’s friends.
Okay, that ending is beyond cheesy, but it still works. And all right, Mike’s confusion regarding certain things towards the end was a bit dumb considering how Tori was acting towards him, but I don’t care. It didn’t stop me reading and it definitely didn’t stop me enjoying. I devoured the whole thing with a massive smile on my face.
If you need something to pick you up, like a different kind of heroine or a hero who can appreciate a good thing when he finds it, then try this. It’s fun and cute and cheesy, with a bit of sexiness thrown in to complete the deal. What’s not to like? I just hope there’s going to be more, because there’s at least one of Mike’s teammates that I need to get to know better. Regardless, this might have been only my first
Kathy Lyons book, but it certainly won’t be my last.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
