I loved this story. It is a stand alone but if you read beauty and the baller you have met Tuck already. I loved learning more about him and the thought and feelings that were going on inside. Tuck isn’t looking for forever with anyone and definitely doesn’t want a family because of his own childhood. Francesca has made her own family as she grew up without one. One the day she was supposed to get married she goes to an exclusive club and literally runs into Tuck who is there as a surprise for his birthday. The first interaction isn’t great but the chemistry by the end of the night is off the charts. It is only supposed to be one night. Eventually the two end up running into each other again and realize they live in the same building. I loved watching them both open up to each other slowly. Their friends were also great side characters. I never want to give anything away so I will just say one click it you won’t regret it

This was an angst filled read about two emotionally broken MC’s. While I enjoyed following their story, I didn’t feel that their growth as individuals or as a couple was fully developed. There were quite a few sub-plots so maybe that was why there wasn’t the chance to focus on the couple. I loved all the secondary characters, my fave being Darden; the grumpy neighbour. I thought it somewhat strange that Tuck’s best friend, Ronan, didn’t show up more (he was only mentioned in passing) but I did enjoy meeting Jasper! Hope we see more of all of these characters in future stories.

Big truth... I started this book and stopped within the first few pages because I thought it would be a vastly different book than expected (personal preferences). However, once I convinced myself to continue reading, I kept thanking myself, because WOW. In this book, Madden-Mills truly brought the characters to life and the plot was so engaging.

You might remember Tuck Avery from Ronan's story. Well, Tuck has turned into quite the dynamic man. He has more depth, kindness, soul gentleness, and charisma than I remembered. While he was previously a "fun-time" guy, this new version of Tuck lets us peek into the dark corners of his soul. What you find will make your heart hurt and make you appreciate who he has become. And Cherry. A man who is soft for a pint-sized animal always pulls at my heart string.

However, what I found truly incredible was Francesca's story. I don't think there was a time when I wasn't surprised by her plotline; Madden-Mills created a story for her that was fun, interesting, and not predictable. Plus, I loved her spunkiness.

And let us not forget the secondary characters. I don't think I've ever loved a cranky, secretly kind old man this much before. Major hearts to Darden. Of course, this wouldn't be the same story without Cece and Brogan. They are absolute treasures!

The story is a hit and great addition to the series. #OneClick!

Princess and the Player is the newest sports romance with an opposites attract twist by Ilsa Madden-Mills. Tuck and Francesca’s story can be read as a standalone.

Being a pro-baller, you’d never think the day would actually come when you're locking eyes with retirement. Being the oldest on his team, Tuck is starting to feel the insecurity set in. And with the way this season is going, that insecurity is growing even closer with each loss experienced. Now it’s Tuck’s birthday and all he wants to do is dive into the one indulgence he lets himself have once a year…. Cake. But that’s not what his friends have in store for him. And a sex club is not what Tuck had in store for his thirty-fifth birthday…. And the Princess wearing the mask, is one he won’t be able to forget anytime soon.

Francesca lives for her art, and others art. Working at the tattoo shop also gives her an advantage with selling her paintings and sketches. But when all hell breaks loose and she catches her fiancé with the shop’s manager, she not only loses the one person she’s supposed to be able to depend on, but she also loses her job. With the help of her two friends they decide to bring her out and push her into the wonderful world of men once again….. What better way to experience life once again, than to go to Decadence, the underground sex club. This night is not at all what she expected, and meeting the handsome prince player was the icing on the cake of decadence.

Now, ten weeks later, Francesca is looking at a positive sign and motherhood is in her future. This will definitely be a story for her future grandchildren one day… I mean, who gets pregnant at a sex club… Ah, Fate, you cease to amaze me.

My Thoughts:

I loved the premise and the originality of Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills. I had a hard time putting this one down. Both, Francesca and Tuck, come from broken pasts. Pasts that most people wouldn’t survive. And pasts that have the ability to irrevocably mark a soul in the worst ways possible. But that’s where fate interveins and fights for a brighter future. You see, Tuck grew up in a dysfunctional household. He had wealthy parents who grew up in the highest of social standings. They were perfect in front of a camera, but once you take the lens away, it was hell on earth for Tuck. He watched his father turn from the man everyone loved, into a monster at the snap of a finger. And he watched his mother turn from a typical debutant into someone unrecognizable… Growing up with that much dysfunction in your life weighs heavy on the heart, the mind, and the soul. My heart felt so heavy for this man. It broke time and time again with every moment he had to relive those dreadful incidents.

And then we have Francesca. Francesca grew up in a nonconventional way. As a baby, she was left outside on the steps of a police station and from that moment on she was placed in several foster families with the hopes of one day being adopted. The only thing she ever familiarized was people turning their backs on her. Except for the three people she made into her very own family after she turned eighteen. Now she fears the great unknown, which is life in itself. So you only get one chance before she casts you out of her life. But in all honesty, can you blame the woman for being so weary when it comes to people. My heart broke for her and her inability to form attachments. But then something happened at Decadence, she found herself being drawn into another who was just as weary of people as she was. She took one night and lost herself within another….. And if you’ve read the synopsis you already know how fate intervened… My heart hurt so hard for this woman and all life threw at her. You know the saying, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… this is the perfect definition for Francesca. Here is a woman who had nothing but bad with little moments of good thrown at her, she buried the pain down deep, brushed herself off, and kept onward. All the pain powered her art. So I guess there was a positive towards all the negatives she endured.

I’m not going to lie, I love a good accidental pregnancy romance! In fact, this may be one of my top three favorite tropes! So of course, when I saw that last line in the synopsis I knew I had to pick this book up as soon as possible. Let’s state the facts first, Ilsa Madden-Mills did not disappoint when it came to the accidental pregnancy trope. She gave us a level of vulnerability that was so off the charts I felt my chest caving with a small amount of anxiety for both Tuck and Francesca. Here’s two people who know nothing about raising a baby, and fate throws exactly that in the midst… yep, it was a genius move on Ilsa Madden-Mills’ part. And that is the main reasoning behind why I couldn’t put this one down! The amount of emotion portrayed had tears in my eyes…

But there is a reasoning behind why I dropped a rating in my review. I felt some moments were a bit fast paced for my liking. I wanted to see Tuck more involved with the pregnancy instead of keeping said pregnancy a secret for the majority of the book. I feel like he was told, he ran away, he had his period of redemption, a moment with the tummy, and then BAM she was having the baby. Call me a spoiled reader, but I wanted him to connect with the baby more while the baby was inside Francesca’s tummy. I wanted that inner turmoil through his eyes while she was pregnant… Like I said, call me a spoiled reader… I just wanted a little more connection…

Honestly, the epilogue saved me from rating this novel 3 ½ stars. The moment between Tuck and Franco that had me clutching my chest with the biggest smile on my face. That was the moment I was craving. I just wish there were more ‘Bonding’ type moments like that one.

Overall, I really enjoyed Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills. I loved the romance and I loved the opposites attract twist. I loved the fact that the artsy girl was matched up with the football stud. And even though I wanted more from this trope, I did love the accidental pregnancy/secret baby trope. My heart feels full after reading this novel. And I guess, if you think about it, that’s a job well done in my mind.

Another wonderful winner from this author!

"One night. No names. No strings. And the masks don't come off."

When Tuck Avery and Francesca Lane first meet at an exclusive sex club, he's reluctantly celebrating his 35th birthday, and she's getting drunk in her wedding dress on what would have been her big day. Even wearing masquerade masks, there's a spark between them and they spend an unforgettable night together. Weeks later, they bump into each other and she realises that her mystery lover is the NFL superstar who lives in the penthouse of her apartment block. And, that's not the only surprise she gets.

"She's hammering on the steel walls around my heart. I can't let her in. Can't. Can't."

Oh, wow! Who knew that Tuck was hiding such pain behind his easy-going exterior? I would never have guessed the personal demons he harboured. Both he and Francesca were broken but together they were strong, passionate, and ultimately full of hope. I loved Tuck's dirty mouth and the way he pursued her. They were super hot together! Francesca wrestled with her own issues, but I loved the support she had from her besties. I admired her resilience and her determination to do her best by her baby, whether or not Tuck was going to be in the picture. Tuck's grand gesture was something else. Gah! Swoon! And, I adored the sweet epilogue. The cameo characters were awesome and I hope to see one or two of them in future novels.

✨ARC Review ✨
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Thank you to Ilsa Madden-Mills and Social Butterfly PR for the ARC to review.
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My heart so so happy. I absolutely loved Princess and and the Player. This book stoled my heart. It was so good. I loved the writing and the characters were perfect. Francesca and Tucker were meant to be and a match made in heaven. I loved both of them so much. Their past and stories broke my heart. Francesca is definitely my hero. I loved her strength and her ability to overcome all her troubles. Her relationship and chemistry with Tucker was amazing. Her found family was so sweet and the messages in this book were perfectly written. I loved it all, but the ending seriously left me with a smile on my face.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Princess and the Player is the second book in Ilsa Madden-Mills' in the Strangers in Love series and I was completely swept up into this "fated" romance. I absolutely adored the first novel in this series, but this second installment had an emotional depth that felt different and interesting. Ilsa's characters are both dimensional and have things they need to work on outside of each other. Ilsa's writing swiftly draws the reader in and keeps them turning the pages to see how this romance will play out. Ilsa is able to balance the chemistry and pull between these two characters with pasts and experiences that they must work out on their own before they can both fully commit to the other.

Francesca is an artist who has recently broken off her engagement so decides to go to a masquerade with her friends on her wedding date to an exclusive club. At this club she meets a mystery prince who rescues her from a unpleasant situation. This prince is celebrating his birthday, and they both find themselves easily drawn to each other so they decide to have one night together. They never expect to see each other again, but fate might have some other plans. This romance is a secret baby trope, so definitely be aware are you venture into this novel.

Francesca is a level-headed woman, she has lived her life learning to protect her heart, look out for herself and to build a found family who truly loves and supports her. Francesca was abandoned as an infant and has no knowledge to who her parents are. But she is strong and she has built her own support system with her best friends-Cece and Braden and her older next door neighbor who is basically a grandfather figure to her. Tuck is a 35 year old football player, who has been with his team his whole career and now at a cross roads where he is aging out of the game. Tuck's relationship with his parents is also very fraught (content notes for parent death, parental abuse, and physical abuse between the parents and to him). Because of Tuck's father's temper, he believes he will never be able to have his own family out of his own worries that he might have the same anger issues. When Francesca and Tuck meet they are both drawn to each other, and then we see the pull they have to the other build throughout the novel. These two have banter and chemistry that just danced off the page to me. I really enjoyed watching these two strong individuals learn that trusting and leaning on the people who love you is not a burden. I love that they both slowly learn to open up to the other and trust wholeheartedly. I love that this story is about found family, and support that you can find from your friends. I love that we see both hero and heroine are not perfect and they have issues that they do have to work out on their own. I love that their romance, while hot and steamy, is also built on the small moments they spend together in which their hearts are fully open and vulnerable. Their romance. to me, was just really beautiful and the support and friendships they have really helped to bring this story fully to life for me.

I absolutely loved this book and I so highly recommend it! While the second in the series it can definitely be read as a standalone. If you love Ilsa Madden-Mills you are sure to love this new release!

"Was it fate or coincidence that we met . . ?"

I think we all have those authors whose books we automatically pick up without even reading the description. However, there are times we're reading and end up asking ourselves the question: Wait, what's this book about? I definitely felt that way with Princess and the Player .

It had a much different vibe than what I was expecting, especially after having enjoyed Beauty and the Baller so much. These two books can be read as standalones just in case you're wondering─Tuck doesn't even feel like the same character from one book to the next, so I didn't even correlate the two while I was reading.

Tuck and Francesca have a lot of steamy chemistry, but their characters and relationship don't get much time to develop. Their story starts off strongly, but so many conflicting elements get tossed into the mix and the middle of the story is quite jumbled, while an extremely late conflict before everything is rushed up into a neat and tidy ending. Their story is messy─all those middle story elements, both of MCs past traumas are not dealt with well, and everything else (no spoilers) along the way─and I needed some angst and story development, growth and forgiveness before an HEA happens.

I love the emphasis of Francesca's found family that she's created for herself and how they are integrated into the story and how Jasper has become Tuck's surrogate bestfriend─where's Ronan!?─but I feel like there were too many elements fighting for attention in this story that it felt out of focus.

The Strangers in Love series has some great characters and while Princess and the Player wasn't my favorite, I'm still looking forward to more stories from the series.

2.5 stars

I love Ilsa Madden Mills books and this one is SO good!
An unexpected meeting and one-night stand turns into something more when Tuck and Francesca keep randomly running into each other in NYC and find themselves living in the same building. Can we say it’s fate?! I think so!!!
Both characters with broken pasts, unable to trust and let people in so easily.
I just LOVED their story... The secondary characters are some of my favorites EVER.
Watching them open themselves up to each other made my heart so unbelievably happy ❤️ and the epilogue and look into the future is complete bliss.
I hope Jasper’s story is next!!!

“You are my soul. The light that guides me home.”

It was a good book, a nice addition to this series, and Francesca and Tuck were a hot couple, but I lost some interest in their relationship along the way. While the characters were compelling, every problem worked out in the end because of lucky coincidences. After a couple of them, I just didn’t believe anything would really threaten their relationship, and I felt less invested.

To be fair, there’s some talk of fate between Francesca and Tuck at some point, and that seemed an acceptable explanation for all those coincidences. Francesca has been abandoned as a baby and lived in the system for a long time, but then happens to get an appartment in a high-rise building in Manhattan–how unlikely that is–where, of course, Tuck owns the penthouse. Her exes’ appearances always coincide with a pivotal moment in her life. Hazard sure has its fun. Other coincidences are spoilery, so I won’t say more.

I loved the fact that they come from opposite upbringings, with Tuck being from a wealthy family and part of a successful football team, yet Francesca is the one who has mostly found her place in the world. She’s built her own family, with people she cares about and who care about her, while Tuck is quite alone, or surrounded by what he thinks of as really shallow acquaintances, and is stuck in his past family drama.

In the same vein, Francesca isn’t really afraid of not knowing what she’ll do next, but Tuck is seeing the end of his career and has no idea where to go from there. The imbalance is unexpected and welcomed. Francesca’s way to navigate the world, plus the little secret she keeps in her belly, will ground Tuck–after he fights against everything, of course.

From an unusual meeting, in a private club, followed by what is probably the most datey date I’ve read about in a while, which subsequently becomes several chance meetings that don’t lead anywhere–until they do–their whirlwind romance was great. If deus ex machina wasn’t at the wheel. The good thing was that those coincidences threatened the trust Tuck had in Francesca at the beginning, and trust is one of Tuck’s major issues. So not such a bad plot device after all.

Quickie

- Series: Strangers in love #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #football romance #opposite sides of the tracks #surprise pregnancy #art
- Triggers: mention of past addiction and death, cheating, past domestic abuse
- Main couple: Francesca Lane & Tuck Avery
- Hotness: 5/5
- Romance: 5/5
- + their first time was FIRE, even though it was off page
- – way too many lucky coincidences

think this maybe had a bit too much going on with it all at once, with them meeting and then getting pregnant without much in between, but not bad overall!

An endearing story and the witty dialog made this a fun and lovely read! Dumped by her fiancé, a night of fun might be what Francesca Lang needs. She has never been to Club Decadence and the night will change her life forever. Wide receiver Tucker Avery just wants to celebrate his birthday the way he always has, with cake. Instead, he is taken by his teammates to Club Decadence and spends one glorious night with Francesca that will have far reaching consequences. Tuck was raised by his wealthy, but dysfunctional parents. Francesca was abandoned at birth, grew up in foster homes, but always wanted a family. She has made her own family with a zany group of friends and her neighbor Mr. Darden. Meeting Tuck again was not in the cards, but it seems as fate has more planned for them. Will she convince Tuck that he is not his parents? Will he realize, in time, that Jasper is right and he and Francesca belong together like “peas and carrots?” I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Loved Francesca and Rowan’s story. Both have rough pasts, are so drawn together. How they get to happily ever after is beautiful and heartbreaking as they figure themselves out to be together. I loved the secondary characters and friendship! Another great Ilsa Madden-Mills book!

Loved Francesca and Tuck! Tuck is a NFL football player. His friends take him out for his birthday to a sex club. There he meets Francesca, who is celebrating what should have been her wedding day. They have a one night stand, but Tuck wants more. Francesca ends up with more than she bargains for! Such a great read! So many layers! Loved the secondary characters so much, including Darden, her elderly neighbor, and Jasper, Tuck’s friend and the quarterback. 5 amazing stars

This is a strong 4.5 star review. For a woman that believes in fate and aligning of the stars I related to Francesca. I also am a strong advocate of making your own family so as you may figure she was my favorite. The idea of her in Tucker was great. How she gave him a run for the money she had no desire for. Add in Jasper bet and Cece and Bragon encouragements, and you got one of Ilsa's best books to date.

The desire to feel love and wanted was strong and baby I was here for all the drama, lust, tears, and celebrations.

This is definitely a reread worthy book.

4⭐️
2.5🌶️

TROPES: playboy, one night stand, sports romance, accidental pregnancy

I have been WAITING for this book since I read Beauty and The Baller! Ilsa didn’t disappoint because I devoured these two. Francesca and Tuck were everything. I loved finally getting to see Tuck break down his walls and let someone in. When they both end up at the same exclusive club, one thing leads to another and they have a one night stand. Surprise surprise when Francesca discovers that her sexy stranger is none other than her woman loving NFL neighbor. Her plan to avoid exposing her identify to him doesn’t last long when she discovers that she’s pregnant. From there we get are crazy love story.

This was a super quick and enjoyable read for me. It was one that made me just smile a little bit ya know? I highly recommend you give this book a shot if you’re in the mood for these tropes, loved!


*thank you to Amazon & Ilsa for sending me an early copy of this book. this is my honest & voluntary review.

Ilsa Madden-Mills has another fun read in Princess and the Player! There's a wonderful easiness to her books--they're flirty and engaging, but also introduce a deeper element that keeps your attention. In this case, Francesca and Tuck's one night stand starts off the story on a steamy note, but the plot and their relationship gets deeper as they bond over their shared difficulties and similarities.

This is the kind of read that's perfect to read in one sitting, because you'll be rooting for the characters soon after you meet them!

I almost finished this book in one sitting, which is rare for me these days. It wasn’t in one sitting but I did finish it in one day. Ilsa just writes comfort reads! Additionally, I’d like to make it clear that accidental pregnancy is one of my least favorite tropes… and I still couldn’t put this one down. I think what I enjoyed was that the focus was on Francesca and Tuck’s relationship rather than the pregnancy. I will say I don’t love secret keeping as a major conflict because it’s hard for me to relate to, but I guess it’s a thing in real life also.

Something I really liked in this book is that it showed different forms of trauma among characters who had vastly different backgrounds. I think it was illustrative of the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all with what causes it or how it manifests.

This is one I would recommend if you enjoy:
👑 Quick romance reads
🏈 Sports romance
👑 Spicy scenes 🔥
🏈 HEA

I strongly recommend you check trigger warnings prior to reading this book.

Rating: 3.5/5

I’m sorry, but the main characters have no chemistry, and I didn’t particularly like either of them, though Tuck was especially infuriating. At least it’s a quick read - I think I read this in about an hour.

I love reading books by Ilsa. They’re always witty and sexy, with lovable side characters and real life problems. This one was no different. My only complaint was how long Francesca kept her secret from Tuck and then how quickly it resolved.