It's been a while since I last read a strangers to lover, surprise baby, one night stand, and not to mention... a hot NFL wide receiver!

After Ronan and Nova's story, I'm already looking forward for Tuck's cause I really love him and this book didn't dissapoint.

The angst, sexual frustration, and the pull between the main lead is so palpable I can't help but to sigh and fall inlove with them and I really love every bit of their story.

Thank you so much for the ARC!

Another awesome story in this series. So many feels and wonderful characters. Absolutely loved the story-line and man do my heartstrings hurt a bit. Ilsa Madden-Mills is one of my all time favorite story tellers and this series goes to show you that she is here to stay.

Princess and the Player will hold you captive from the masquerade to the epilogue.




Francesca and Tuck were strangers only meant to have a night together, but it seems fate was putting the two of them in one another’s paths long before they spent the night as the Princess and the Player.




I adore the way Madden-Mills weaves emotion, heat, and wit throughout every story. Whether it’s an NFL star or a girl down on her luck, she has a way of making them relatable, and I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that more than I do now.




Francesca had every reason to be angry at the world, and while she may have kept her heart under lock and key, those who wormed their way in became her chosen family. She was sweet and sassy. Her best friend Cece was a bit more on the crazy side, and I can’t even say how many times they made me giggle. It was the unyielding love and support they had for one another that tugged at my heartstrings.


Tuck was past the point of guarding his heart; he had it cased in cement. He had been shown time and time again that people were out for themselves, and inevitably they would screw him over. He didn’t seem to have a choice when it came to Jasper, and definitely not when it came to Francesca. He was mostly in a state of irritation, kind of growly, and a bit broody. Add in the fact that he was possessive AF once he met Francesca, and I was done for. A broody and broken hero that meets the one and becomes all homicidal when another man is within touching distance—it’s basically my love language.


The chemistry was there the moment they met, not knowing anything about one another and not even seeing their whole faces, and the tension was pulsating in the air around them. Yet when they run into one another again, they become combustible and eventually soul-encompassing. It was everything.


The reasons why they kept their hearts guarded were something I think a lot of people can relate to. The fear of letting anyone else get close to you after being burned by people who were meant to love you feels like handing someone a pin from a grenade. After that, it comes down to whether they will let go of the trigger and destroy you or if they will hold on tight to protect you. My heart bled out right along with Francesca and Tuck as what they thought were their worst fears played out and actually became a safe place they had never known.


Madden-Mills never fails to deliver anything less than emotionally stunning and complex characters that will stay with you long after you reach the end. Player and the Princess is teeming with witty banter, feelings, steam, and a beautiful reminder that family isn’t always meant to be the one you were born into.

This was a fast-paced book. Once I picked it up I could not put it down and read it in one day. This is the second book in the Strangers in Love series but can be read as a standalone.

Tuck’s friends take him to a secret sex club to celebrate his birthday. On what should be her wedding day, Francesca puts on her wedding dress to attend a masquerade at a secret sex club. After bumping into Tuck and spilling her drink on him while trying to get away from someone, he comes to her rescue and they spend the rest of the night together. A few weeks later Francesca runs into the arrogant football player from her apartment building. While arguing she realizes that he’s the unknown stranger from several weeks before.

This was a fun read full of banter. There are some strong enemies-to-lovers vibes between Tuck and Francesa at the beginning, add in a personable and comedic found family group and I found myself laughing quite a bit. I liked the touch of humor mixed in with angst. Francesa and Tuck haven’t had an easy life and are faced with overcoming their pasts. This is a hidden pregnancy book so it’s easy to know what was coming, I do wish that it was revealed a little quicker and I would have liked another twist/plotline to have gotten a little more attention.

This book is full of emotions and was addicting. Tuck, Frances, and their found family were marvelous. Don’t let the surprise pregnancy trope keep you away.

"Princess and the Player" is the second book in the "Strangers in Love" Series, written by Ilsa Madden-Mills, but it can be read as a standalone. The story begins with a masquerade ball in club Decadence, where anything and everything can happen. Tuck Avery, NFL wide-receiver, is celebrating his birthday and the day always brings up bad memories, so when his buddy, Jasper, challenges him to seduce a stranger he is all for it. Francesca Lane came to Decadence with one purpose in mind: to forget she was supposed to get married today with her cheating fiancé. After a night where they get lost in each other, they both return to their real lives without knowing each other's identity. How long will it take for them to find each other?I have mixed feelings about this book... In theory, it sounds like such an intriguing plot, but it felt a little flat for me. I think it would have been better if the author had explored in more detail the backstories of both characters and extended the scene of the masquerade ball. In fact, by cutting all the sexy scenes of the first time the characters are together it immediately lowered my opinion of the book. In romances, the first love scene is crucial, and the author just shot herself in the foot with this decision. The supporting characters displayed such a nice chemistry, and it filled the book with many enjoyable moments, which kind of saved the book for me!

Princess and the Player is book two in the series. Francesca's wedding is off after being betrayed by her fiancé. Months later she heads to a masquerade ball at a sex club wearing her wedding dress. There she meets a man dressed as a Prince, the two share a night together with no names, no Strings and masks stay on. Turns out the man is Tuck Avery, NFL star who just so happens to live in her building. I liked Francesca and Tuck but they were both kind of annoying and I hated how long it took Francesca to let Tuck in on her secret. I loved the secondary characters, especially Mr Darden and Jasper.

Princess and The Player Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Francesca and Tuck have been wounded by their past. They tend to keep their hearts closed to avoid further hurt. They first met at a sex club and have a one stand. But fate brings them together again. They both live in same building. Tuck is at a cross road in his life with his football career ending and fearing becoming his parents. While Francesca is starting over again in her career and has one little secret together. Are they willing to risk it all to become each other’s true love. I love the sides characters for example Darden, Cece, Jasper, and Brogan are best found family!
Thank you for the arc!


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Favorite book from Ilsa Madden-Mills! I absolutely loved Francesca and her fiery spirit. No one else could break through to Tuck's heart. The fire between the two of them will burn up your pages and their banter with make you laugh. Great supporting characters who I hope to see again. This book is all about the family you choose.

This was an awesome story with leads that I really loved. Its not light reading but has a really awesome set of characters and a plot that I adored. I don't want to say too much and spoil the surprises behind this book but it was such a fun story and I adored Fransceca and Tuck. They had one very hot night that lead to so much more and it was such a really fun journey for both of them.

This was a great addition to this series and not what I expected from this read!

In this installment we meet Tuck, an aging NFL star that is floundering in life. He had a horrible childhood with parents that should not have had children and then to later be have his mentally ill mother return to his life to only want anything to do with him when she wanted something. He worries that he will have the anger issues that his father had - a father that committed suicide on his birthday in front of him and does not really have many people in his life to look to for support. He also is afraid of the future - a future when he can no longer play football and what his life will look like when that day comes. He also does not easily trust people as he has been burned by people that he thought were close to him in the past.

Enter Francesca - an artist with no family of her own but one that she built from the people around her. She is an artist that has a way of seeing into people and once she has been betrayed she moves on with her life - a thing she learned to do after growing up in the foster care and later group home system after she was abandoned as an infant.

This pair have a chance encounter on Tuck's birthday at a sex club and after drinks and some hard to get goes down they steam things up. In what was supposed to be a one time anonymous meeting where masks were involved this pair defies odds and has another chance meeting without the masks only to learn that they live in the same building. Also defying the odds is Francesca discovering she is pregnant with Tuck's baby from their first encounter.

To be honest here I liked how this pair met and then stumbled upon each other afterwards. I then got scared that this was going to be the cliche surprise pregnancy story but the surprise was on me since it wasn't - you need to read it to see that it wasn't! I did like how the story moved along and I enjoyed getting to know Francesca and how she built her family. I did wish that there was a little more to Tuck and his past with his mother but I guess we can't have it all. I enjoyed watching this pair truly fall for each other and seeing that Tuck is not like his father and for him to later realize that himself. I did think that the ending was kind of rushed in the resolution but again I can't have it all! I loved Jasper through this book and I hope that his book is next in this series.

Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills started on a sexy note, moved to witty banter and flirting and then went to the angst central territory. This was a sweet yet intense surprise pregnancy sports romance. And you can expect a good time!

NFL wide receiver superstar Tuck Avery and tattoo artist aka struggling painter extraordinare Francesca Lane had a masked rendezvous in a sex club. It was his birthday and her running day from her cheating fiance. But fate has plans for them. They live in the same building. Tuck cannot forget her but he feels he is too damaged to give her more than casual relationship. But Francesca isn't sure she can do it as she has found out she has become pregnant...

I applaud the author for making Tuck so real and relatable. He may be a NFL superstar but his life is far from perfect. His cold, unloved and scarring childhood. His trauma and his grief and his darkness in heart. He is struggling and it shows. His career and his personal life is a mess and Francesca came into his life like a sweet sunny reprieve. He is a good man in heart. Kind and compassionate and loving. But his past is really holding him back. Francesca had a complex and less than privileged upbringing too. She still has difficulty with abandonment issues and trusting others. But she is such a fierce and strong woman. Her sense of humor in bad situations,her big heart, her fighter spirit..it is really admirable. It's hard to say who had it worst in their past but they both had loads of emotional baggage. They had a slow build up of feels after the first sinful encounter. A sweet and hesitant friendship turned into deep feels. Tuck did make some mistakes as he let his past darken his future but Francesca forgave him. They both had to heal. The story has a lot of side characters and sometimes they were occupying too much time. They were definitely entertaining but at some point, I just wanted to see more of Tuck- Francesca interaction. The last part of the book was brilliant and I wanted to see that vibe throughout the book.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

Angsty, heartfelt and healing, Princess and the Player is a beautiful read.

With wonderfully written characters - both main and supporting, an engaging plotline and all the feels, this story plucked at my heartstrings and had me shedding more than one tear. Full of hurt, hope, heartbreak and steam, Tuck and Francesca's connection is so powerful it seeps off the page, and their shared trauma and baggage, each with their own unique story is both their greatest strength and weakness culminating in a beguiling romance.

4.5 stars and a tattoo

Sometimes, the people you need come to you in the most unexpected ways. On the day she was to be married, Francesca decides to hit up a very exclusive club. Dealing with what she considers "perverts" (well some of them anyway lol), she soon finds a hero in Tuck. They have no idea who the other is. Soon, there will be many revelations and surprises coming their way. Are they equipped to deal with all the punches life has to offer them, both individually and together? I loved the cast of characters and look forward to reading more in this series.

To celebrate his birthday, Tuck Avery’s friends bring him to a masquerade party being held at an exclusive club. He’s conflicted when the club turns out to be a little more “adult” than he was expecting but he soon finds himself drawn to a masked beauty in a wedding dress. Francesca Lane couldn’t let her bridal gown go to waste, even if her fiance turned out to be trash, so she decides to join her friends for a night of no-strings-attached fun. Tuck and Francesca are thrown into reality when their one night of passion turns into a life-altering change.

Princess and the Player contemporary, one-night stand romance. It is the second book in the Strangers in Love series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Even though I knew that my least favorite trope plays a major role in the plot I still wanted to give this book a chance. I enjoyed the first book in this series but this one was just not for me. “Accidental pregnancy” aside, the romance between the MCs is stagnant. They seem to have very little chemistry beyond their first lust fueled meeting. They fight constantly throughout the plot and display a very toxic relationship.

While this book was not my favorite, I do like this author’s work. I’m interested to see where she takes this series next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake!

I read this 5 star story in one sitting. I started it and couldn’t seam to be able to put it down.

Tuck is a football player who’s nearing the end of his career. One night out in an elite club, he meets a woman who rocks his world. Francesca is trying to stay a float. He doesn’t expect to ever see that stranger/one night stand again.


This was a lighthearted and heartwarming all in one, kind of story. There was humour in the midst of heartbreak. Beautifully written with an addictive storyline. Bottomline this is a must read.

The second book in the series, but rest assured it can be read as a standalone. Told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.

Francesca and Tuck meet at a masquerade ball (that just so happens to be held at a sex club) where each is immediately drawn to the other, and they end up having a passionate night together. Fast forward a few weeks ahead, and Tuck wants to get to know Francesca better, but she is hiding a positive pregnancy test secret from him.

This is more of what Ilsa Madden-Mills writes best! I love her sports romances, and this is another great book full of fun banter, great supporting characters, and super sexy chemistry! Each of the characters suffers from different forms of abandonment during their childhood, which makes taking the plunge into a serious relationship a difficult journey for either, making their HEA that much sweeter!

Thank you to Montlake Publishing for providing me an Arc of this book.

I needed this fast paced, football romance in my life. This story of Tuck and Francesca and their one night stand turned more was a steamy and page turning romance. I liked the cast of characters that filled all of the extra space. Both sets of friends and the community in their apartment building added so much life to the story. I struggled a little with secrets, but such is the nature of the trope. I like that Madden-Mills gives her characters depth and feelings and conflict within themselves so that we can see real growth as the story progresses.

“One night. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.”

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚🖤💙❤️💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 🤓☹️🙃☺️🥰

The heroine: Francesca Lane - she caught her fiancée cheating on her right before the wedding. So on the night that she was supposed to get married, she dons her wedding dress and goes with her friend to club decadence for their fairytale masquerade night where the women are all dressed as fairytale princesses and the men are all in masks.

The Hero: Tuck Avery - he just turned 35, which is old for a wide receiver in the NFL. His birthday is also the same day his dad died ten years ago. His friends on the team take him out for his birthday to a high class BDSM club where the patrons all wear masks and/or costumes. There was a time in Tucks life where he sowed his wild oats, but lately he has enjoyed having regular girlfriends rather than different women every night, but he didn’t have one at the moment so decided to enjoy the night out.

The Story: When the princess bride calls Tuck Avery a pervert in the bar of club Decadence, he is not used to that, especially since she was wrong about his intentions. However, when his friend, the Quarterback of the team makes a bet that he can’t get the princess, Tuck decides to take on the challenge.

Tuck and Francesca have a one night stand, but they find out later that they live in the same building. Tuck has some issues from his past and Francesca grew up in foster care, group homes and Juvie. I like that despite the steamy beginning, their relationship ends up building naturally. They become friends and really enjoy each other’s company. They both have tragic pasts that they struggle to come to grips with.

There are also some great supporting characters in this book from each of their room-mates and best friends, to Francesca’s grumpy old next door neighbor. I liked how they each made their own family from their close friends. Ilsa Madden-Mills writes great romance with so much heart, I was pulling for these two from the start.

This is one of those books that starts with a series of insane events that lead up to Tuck and Francesca. I have been looking forward to Tuck’s story and I really enjoyed this one. I loved the no strings attached and no names aspect but when things are realized, it adds to the drama of the story. Especially when that positive line pops up. I honestly really enjoyed this aspect of the story!
I enjoyed getting to know that there is so much more to Tuck than what the tabloids say. My heart ached for Francesca and history. Together these two are pure magic and it is beautiful to watch how things played out between them. There is great wit and banter between all the characters, not just the two main ones. The side characters add so much depth to this story that you are wrapped up in a great world that Madden-Mills has created for us with this story.

Another fantastically written book by one of my favourite contemporary romance authors. I've been a fan of IMM for years and she rarely ever misses. This was WAY more emotionally charged than I was expecting but I was along for the ride from the start. I could barely put it down. From banter to angst to the surprise baby it had everything I wanted and more. I volunteered to read and review an early copy of this. All opinions are my own.