The Player and the Pixie
by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports, Humor
Excerpt
*Sean*
I didn’t know
what I was doing.
Requests, things I wanted, words I would
never speak or allow myself to think were now uncontainable.
It’s
the sex, I reiterated. Again. I’d used this
explanation, now on repeat, as a simple justification for the complex cacophony
of my mind.
“Be with you?” Her long, dark lashes
fluttered, beating like distressed butterfly wings against warming pink cheeks.
I licked my lips, tasting her there. “Yes.”
She stared at me, confused. I was also confused.
And oddly frightened.
Because it wasn’t the sex.
Several seconds ticked on as we studied each
other in breathless silence. She found her voice before I did. “What does
that—”
“Lucy?” Annie’s voice was paired with a soft
knock on the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”
I opened my mouth to whisper a clarification
to the question Lucy hadn’t quite posed, because I was compelled to tell her it
wasn’t the sex. We didn’t have to have sex. We could just . . . talk. Or play
cards. Or touch. Or look at each other from across the room.
We could merely be together.
But she covered my mouth with her hand. Her
features arrested with unmistakable panic.
“Yes. I’m fine! I just . . . started my
period is all. Made a mess in my jeans, like a crime scene.” Lucy hollered in
response then grimaced. She immediately mouthed I’m sorry to me. Her cheeks flushed red.
I lifted an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes,
ducking her head with obvious embarrassment. I pressed my lips together so I
wouldn’t laugh.
Issuing me a quelling look, Lucy released me
and skittered out of the stall, whispering, “Stay here and count to three
hundred.”
“Oh! Do you need anything?” Annie’s voice was
less muffled and I surmised she’d opened the bathroom door.
“Ah, no. Have it all sorted now. Thank God
Tom has these nice absorbent napkins instead of those troublesome hand driers.
Although I feel like I’m wearing a nappy. They’re bad for the environment, so I
should talk to him about replacing the napkins. Maybe make a few available for
emergencies . . .”
Lucy’s anxiety-riddled chatter faded as the
bathroom door clicked shut.
I released an audible exhale. My heart was
beating as though it might leap from my chest. I needed to catch my breath.
Neither had anything to do with being caught.
What
the fuck were you doing?
It
was the sex. She’s phenomenal in bed. You’ve never had that before. It was just
sex.
I nodded, reiterating the logic of my
justification for the uncharacteristic behavior. If I repeated it enough,
perhaps I would believe it.
I didn’t count to three hundred as
instructed. I counted to one hundred and twenty-three, then realized what I was
doing.
“You’re mad, Sean,” I muttered, shaking
myself and promptly leaving the ladies’ room. I checked the cufflinks on my
dress shirt—a nervous habit—and strolled back to the table, eyeing the
assortment of eejits gathered.
REVIEWS
This was
such a fun book to read, as most of the time it was light-hearted. Lucy
(Ronan's sister) and Sean (Ronan's teammate), are the main characters this time
around.
Lucy has a problem....she shoplifts small items when she feels anxiety, which is usually caused by her mother, as their relationship is strained. Sean also has a problem- he's a lousy lover, never able to satisfy his partner; and he also pushes people away as a defense mechanism. Sean sees Lucy stealing an item and uses it to bribe her to go to dinner with him; she agrees and this is where the fun begins.
Lucy and Sean's interactions are filled with sarcasm and wit, and it made the book quite enjoyable. After a time, Sean asks Lucy to teach him how to please a woman, to which she agrees. It's supposed to be short and not develop, but of course it does. Lucy is to really get herself attached to Sean because of his and Ronan's antagonistic relationship. Sean is afraid of being hurt, as he's finally allowed someone to see who he really is. They're both of afraid of pursuing what they want, afraid of rejection or of hurting family.
Sean eventually goes back to Dublin, believing the relationship with Lucy won't work, even though he wants to stay. Lucy realizes after Sean leaves what she really wants, but isn't quite sure how to go about getting it. The sparks fly yet again when Lucy travels back to Dublin for Ronan and Annie's wedding and she knows she'll see Sean. Everything comes to a head and we get a pretty sweet reaction all around.
The epilogue was great! And the sneak peek at the next book just makes me wanna scream....in a good way.
Lucy has a problem....she shoplifts small items when she feels anxiety, which is usually caused by her mother, as their relationship is strained. Sean also has a problem- he's a lousy lover, never able to satisfy his partner; and he also pushes people away as a defense mechanism. Sean sees Lucy stealing an item and uses it to bribe her to go to dinner with him; she agrees and this is where the fun begins.
Lucy and Sean's interactions are filled with sarcasm and wit, and it made the book quite enjoyable. After a time, Sean asks Lucy to teach him how to please a woman, to which she agrees. It's supposed to be short and not develop, but of course it does. Lucy is to really get herself attached to Sean because of his and Ronan's antagonistic relationship. Sean is afraid of being hurt, as he's finally allowed someone to see who he really is. They're both of afraid of pursuing what they want, afraid of rejection or of hurting family.
Sean eventually goes back to Dublin, believing the relationship with Lucy won't work, even though he wants to stay. Lucy realizes after Sean leaves what she really wants, but isn't quite sure how to go about getting it. The sparks fly yet again when Lucy travels back to Dublin for Ronan and Annie's wedding and she knows she'll see Sean. Everything comes to a head and we get a pretty sweet reaction all around.
The epilogue was great! And the sneak peek at the next book just makes me wanna scream....in a good way.
This book
was absolutely adorable. I loved every page.
Lucy, the rainbow-haired sister of Ronan, is a trip. She has a compulsion to shoplift, she loves yoga retreats as relaxing getaways, and she's loyal to her brother.
Sean, Ronan's despicable arch nemesis and teammate, has more to him than our first impression. A lot more. He's a snob. Well bred. He likes fancy things and he has a penchant for nabbing lotions and moisturizers from the medicine cabinets of his conquests. Oh and he's terrible in bed. And he knows it.
What an original and refreshing plot point. An attractive, athletic alpha male that's bad in bed - it was completely endearing. I couldn't have come up with a better way to get us to like him, especially after all of that nastiness with Brona. I was immediately on board. Lucy and Sean may seem like an unlikely couple but Cosway and Reid pulled it off.
If you're looking for a book to make you smile, look no further. Definitely one of my faves of the year.
*Fyi - Even though this is a stand alone I highly recommend reading The Hooker and the Hermit first.*
The Player
and the Pixie was an absolutely fantastic story, I honestly loved everything
about it. I am a big fan of both authors but together they make magic. With a
refreshing and fun plot as well as heat, humor, and heart you can’t go wrong
reading this.
Lucy is a really good person but she is flawed. To cope with not feeling good enough she manages the anxiety her mother stirs up in her by shoplifting. She is deeply ashamed of this but doesn’t know how to seek out the help she needs. Lucy is smart, funny, and quirky but best of all she was confident in her sexuality and this is what draws Sean to her.
Sean is an insensitive jerk that doesn’t make friends. He is gorgeous, cocky, and rude but despite his player persona he is bad in bed. *GASP* a hero that is bad in bed!?! I loved Sean’s transformation. He is more than a spoiled rich boy; he is hurting and lonely and doesn’t know how to fix it. Lucy quickly sees there is more to him than meets the eye and can’t help but be drawn to him. Sean quickly learns that Lucy can teach him more than just having good sex; she makes him lighter and happier and he wants to keep her.
The idea of the alpha male Rugby player that’s bad in bed paired with the fun and colorful shoplifter was fantastic. Sean and Lucy were perfect for each other and so much fun to read. I felt this was a great story about acceptance and finding yourself.
I am already anxious for the next Cosway/Reid release and based on that tease at the end it’s going to be a doozy!
Lucy is a really good person but she is flawed. To cope with not feeling good enough she manages the anxiety her mother stirs up in her by shoplifting. She is deeply ashamed of this but doesn’t know how to seek out the help she needs. Lucy is smart, funny, and quirky but best of all she was confident in her sexuality and this is what draws Sean to her.
Sean is an insensitive jerk that doesn’t make friends. He is gorgeous, cocky, and rude but despite his player persona he is bad in bed. *GASP* a hero that is bad in bed!?! I loved Sean’s transformation. He is more than a spoiled rich boy; he is hurting and lonely and doesn’t know how to fix it. Lucy quickly sees there is more to him than meets the eye and can’t help but be drawn to him. Sean quickly learns that Lucy can teach him more than just having good sex; she makes him lighter and happier and he wants to keep her.
The idea of the alpha male Rugby player that’s bad in bed paired with the fun and colorful shoplifter was fantastic. Sean and Lucy were perfect for each other and so much fun to read. I felt this was a great story about acceptance and finding yourself.
I am already anxious for the next Cosway/Reid release and based on that tease at the end it’s going to be a doozy!
L.H. Cosway
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books. She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.Penny Reid
SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing). By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment