Calling the Play by Samantha Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Calling the Play
Author: Samantha Kane
Series: Birmingham Rebels
Pages: 223
Publisher: Loveswept
Date: December 1, 2015
Summary:
Quarterback Tyler Oakes plays hard and parties even harder. That reckless lifestyle nearly derailed his career, and now the Birmingham Rebels are Ty’s last shot at football immortality. But staying out of trouble can take its toll—especially for a man with a taste for girls and guys. Because curvy, gorgeous Randi McInish is just the kind of trouble he’d like to get into.
A tough-as-nails undercover cop, Randi meets her match in Ty. After they get wrapped up together in a drug bust and a high-speed car chase, Randi’s eager to take the notorious bad boy for another wild ride. Turns out Ty already has something in mind. When he introduces her to the Rebels’ sexy new quarterback coach, things start heating up a little too fast for Randi.
Brian Mason coached Ty in college, and boy do they have history together. With Brian taking control on the field and in the bedroom, they were an unstoppable team. But Brian, blindsided by love, ran from his feelings for Ty. He won’t let Randi make the same mistake. Both men agree they need more than each other. They want a woman they can share. And when they make a pleasure play for Randi, all three are sure to score.
Review:
I’m a big fan of Samantha Kane’s historical menage novels and this contemporary title is no exception. Calling the Play is the second book in her Birmingham Rebels series. The Rebels are a new NFL franchise and the players are, for the most part, the ones no one else wants. They have had personal and professional problems and are trying to get their lives together again.
What these guys are not though is losers.
They want to win and they want to be a team that works together to win . . . but, they also want to be a team that is a family.
In the first book, Broken Play, Marian, and assistant coach, and two of the players, Cass and Beau, form a menage relationship. This relationship is some ways draws the team closer together, but with some of the other players, it drives a wedge between them.
The stress of this relationship is still felt in Calling the Play.
Ty, the quarterback of the team, has to stay on the straight and narrow. The Rebels is his last chance at professional football and any bad publicity could get him kicked off the team. So, of course, he ends up in a bar where a drug bust is going down.
Randi (and I just realized what a cliche that name is) works for the local police force. She normally works burglary, but has been brought in undercover for this one case. She realizes that Ty is not part of the drug deal and tries to get him out of the bar before things go wrong.
Too late.
There is a high speed car chase, a shooting, and sparks flying between Ty and Randi. So, of course, she takes him home with her.
Enter Brian, a new coach who worked with Ty in the past. They participated in menages at that time, but never had a sexual relationship with each other. Brian has been brought in because he did such a good job of coaching Ty to be a winning quarterback in college. However, Brian took the job because he is still in love with Ty and wants another chance.
Three people, all with emotional issues in their backgrounds that interfere with any relationship, and they have to fall in love with each other.
Of course, it all works out in the end. It’s not easy. It’s not perfect, but they are all willing to work at what they have together. And that’s what makes it such a good romance. It’s not a “and they lived happily ever after.” It’s we love each other and there are going to be problems, but we will stick together and work things out.
I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I think I liked this one even better. My only criticism is Randi comes off as really raunchy. It’s intentional. That’s her personality. She is very open about sex and what she enjoys. It’s just to start with, it’s a little jarring.
The series is called the Birmingham Rebels, so I am assuming all of the books will be about the team. However, Randi has a brother named Moon and I really want to know his story. Maybe there will be a spinoff series? When you meet him, you’ll understand my fascination.
This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Elaine Reads . . . constantly! 