"I caress her face. Don't break my heart, baby. I bite back."

This was one hell of an addictive and angsty read. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. I was captivated by Francesca because she was just so unapologetically herself and her bestfriend CeCe and her were hilarious together! Tucker on the other hand was instantly loveable at first but then something happened which made me not like him. There should've been some groveling on both Francessca & Tuck's sides because they were both in the wrong. Keeping that aside, I also liked the side characters especially Jasper and Francesca's neighbors. The chemistry between Tuck & Francesca was palpable and the angst was high towards the end. I usually do not like push and pull between the main characters but wierdly I liked the scenario in this one. Overall, I always like Ilsa Madden-Mills's writing style and it kept me hooked throughout the length of the book. I'm looking forward to read more about some characters in this universe if there will be more books published in this series.

ARC received in exchange of an honest review

The story
Tuck is an NFL player who’s turning 35. On his birthday his two friends surprise him with a visit to a sex club in Manhattan. With everyone masked, he meets a woman in a wedding dress, on the day that she should have been getting married. Francesca is an artist, as a child she was brought up in the foster care system but has made roots with her found family. Turns out a few weeks later she recognises just who Tuck is, and that he lives in the fancy penthouse of her building. Could they have a future together?

My thoughts
What appears on the surface to have two individuals with very little in common is not the case on an emotional level. Francesca has been rejected by her birth family, while Tuck comes from an extremely wealthy family, his friends are also his found family. They both have trust issues, a love of art and a need for belonging, which they find in each other. I loved the scenes that take place, walks together, bookshops, the people in their apartment building who root for them. A big part of this story is about Francesca’s surprise pregnancy but it’s handled sensitively and I loved how those around her sprang into ultra-supportive mode. This can easily be read as a standalone although Beauty and the Baller is great read and I recommend it too! ❤️

Oh my goodness me! The Princess and The Player is one steam filled, entertaining, delicious, intriguing story!
Tuck, an NFL player, meets Francesca, an artist, one illustrious night at a masquerade party at Decadence. Needless to say the chemistry between them is off the charts, will these two ever have the chance to meet again, no masks involved?!
Honestly this book had me on tender hooks and I just wanted them both to realise whats in front of them. Alot of soul searching, emotional moments, secrets and when certain information comes to light, can they look forward to a happy ever after or is their past destined to wreck it?
I really loved their friends, they are an absolute hoot and protective too. All in all a rather unputdownable read! I really enjoyed it!

Having read a number of books by Ilsa Madden-Mills was looking forward to reading Princess and The Player, the second book in the Strangers in Love series. What should have been one night of passion for Francesca Lane and Tuck Avery suddenly turns into a connection for a lifetime.
Fate often works in mysterious ways and these two are quickly tied together in a way that neither expected. Meeting at a masquerade ball at a sex club was an interesting meet cut and they were determined to remain anonymous to one another.
However fate has other plans and the journey they embark on was full of miss communication, ups and downs and witty banter. I really felt for Francesca, she has not had an easy life but she is focused on ensuring that her child will not have the same life as she had.
Surprisingly Tucker is on the same page, as his childhood was anything but idyllic. If they can only let the walls that they have surrounded themselves with come down and take a chance then they may find true happiness.
This was an emotional, at times witty, romantic well written story that ticked a number of boxes for me.

Princess and the Player by I. M. Mills, published by Montlake, is the second stand-alone in the Strangers in Love Series. The previous book Beauty and the Baller. For best reading experience I recommend to read the books in order.
Tuck is a NFL player on top of his world. He's a seasoned player, enjoys his life, but something is missing.
Francesca is a woman who's through a lot. Left her wedding, goes on a masquerade ball and spends the night with a stranger. Sounds so nono as they come, but its something entirely else.
This sports, enemies-to-lovers-romance has everything I love in a great read, annnnd I'm a huge sucker for oops baby stories- and this is a great one. 5 stars, hands down.

This book was really good. I flew through this last night and absolutely loved this. Makes me want to go back and read the first book because I haven’t read it and read more books by Isla. There were def some cringy phrases, which is why this is a 4.5 star but this was amazing :) loved the characters, side characters etc. At first I rolled my eyes with the little obstacle and the little hints that came with it but I’m not a hater of the trope, so I sucked it up.

Touchdown by Ilsa Madden-Mills! Love this series of footballers. This is Tuck's turn. He has insecurities and needs someone who won't abandon him. Francesca has her own abandonment issues. They meet in an unconventional way. The chemistry between them is excellent and the author just turns up the heat. Lots of great supporting characters and the story builds and an interesting way that keeps you entertained and wanting more. Their is an HEA and they other stories in the series are not needed but do add to the plot if you want the entire picture.

Francesca has not had an easy life, but she has made the most of it. As an amazing artist who currently works as a tattooist she is reminded daily of what she had a few months prior with a fellow artist. Growing up in the system has reminded Francesca of the family she has chosen for herself. They are whom she is truly open with. After a total chance meeting with a mystery man the one time she allowed herself to be a version of herself she always held back, she meets Tuck. Tucker lived his life one party at a time. As a pro football player his teammates decided that he needed to celebrate his 35th birthday in style. When he meets Francesca, they are explosive together. I love that these two were neighbors and Francesca vowed to have nothing to do with him because according to the tabloids, he is a true playboy. The thing is as they spend time together they see that the other is so much more than they ever thought possible. As two people that are used to shielding themselves from everyone around them, they find that they can be vulnerable together.

I was excited to read this story and it didn't disappoint!  

I was totally lost in Tuck and Francesca's story.  

Two characters with such different upbringings but both had their own difficulties which have left them both a little wounded.  

When these two first meet they have such an intense connection and then when they unexpectedly course paths again it's like fate intervened.  

Not only did I love Francesca and Tuck but I also loved all the side characters and I am going to need Jasper to have his own story!  

I absolutely loved Princess and The Player, I couldn't put it down!

Princess and the Player is book two of the Strangers in Love series of interconnected standalones. I wasn’t expecting this book to be as emotional as it was but it tore my heart out! Don’t worry, it mended it by the end! This was a sweet, funny and unputdownable read…read it in one sitting! Francesca was strong and fighting her past of being abandoned as a child. Tuck was dealing with his own past of a mother that didn’t love him and feeling unwanted as a child. The connection between Tuck and Francesca was instant and no matter how much they fought it fate had other ideas. And the side characters were funny, supportive and added so much to the story. I really hope we get more from them…I need Jasper’s story! Overall, this was a story about found family, learning to let others in and giving in to your heart. I absolutely adored this story and highly recommend it!

Ever since I read Beauty and the Baller I fell in love with Tucker a bit so I was one of the happiest people when Ilsa Madden-Mills announced that this would be his book, and although I really enjoyed it, especially at the beginning and at the end, I don't think I managed to love it as much as the first of Strangers in Love, it was still a funny & sweet read in unexpected ways.

Tucker was a much more complex character than he seemed the first time I read him, and I loved that, he's a sweet, tender, flirtatious man with a big heart, but he's also VERY AFRAID of letting people into his life and getting hurt, he's a very private person, even with his teammates and it really broke my heart to read his personal story, the hardships he goes through throughout of the book and that his relationship with Ronan was not present in this book. Something I loved about his character was that he gave me a completely different view of the professional soccer player: Tuck is at the end of his career, things are not going well at all and it seems that everything in his life just keeps getting worse, until he meets a mysterious girl on his birthday and EVERYTHING in his life changes completely.

Francesca is as complex as Tuck and has had an equally complicated life that has made her not feel enough, plus she is terrified of being abandoned by the people she cares about, however she is a loving, kind and understanding girl who has known how to find her own family throughout her life. One thing that I loved about her was her love for art, although I would have liked her career as tattoo artist was explored a lot more in the book because it's a pretty original plot and I think that part of it was a bit wasted though, and even though it broke my heart to read everything that Fran has been through in her life I really liked knowing her story, knowing about her family and knowing that she is surrounded by people who love her, care about her and are willing to do anything to protect her.

I think that Fran & Tuck's love story was very interesting, I loved that everything between them started as one night with no strings attached and no names and all the ways in which Ilsa< /i> linked their destinies throughout the plot, I loved reading Tuck losing his head over Francesca in all aspects and trying to show him what he didn't even know he felt, plus I loved that Francesca grew so much throughout the plot from letting Tucker into her life and especially the strength she showed when Tuck decided to make the biggest mistakes. I think the only thing I didn't like that much was reading the way the author dealt with the whole pregnancy thing, I think Tuck & Francesca suffered too much, even though they both grew out of that pain, and I also missed many more moments between them, in which the great connection they share and how much they mean to each other was seen much more as towards the end of the story.

And of course, Princess and the Player also has amazing supporting characters, my favorite was Jasper! I fell in love with his personality, how cute, loving, understanding and a good friend he is to Tucker, even Francesca, and I really hope he gets his own book and that don't be with Courtney, please!

🎨Tucker: 4/5
🎨Francesca: 5/5
🎨Plot: 4/5
🎨Love story: 3.5/5
🎨Secondary characters: 5/5
🎨Universe: 5/5
🎨Cover: 5/5
🌶️: 2/5

Reseña en español:

Desde que leí Beauty and the Baller me enamoré un poco de Tucker así que fui una de las personas más felices cuando Ilsa Madden-Mills anunció que este sería su libro, y aunque si lo disfruté muchísimo, especialmente al principio y al final, creo que no logré amarlo tanto como el primero de Strangers in Love, aún así fue una lectura divertida, tierna y que me rompió el corazón de formas inesperadas.

Tucker fue un personaje mucho más complejo de lo que parecía la primera vez que lo leí, y eso me encantó, es un hombre dulce, tierno, coqueto y con un gran corazón, pero también tiene MUCHO MIEDO a dejar entrar a las personas en su vida y que lo lastimen, es una persona muy reservada, incluso con sus compañeros de equipo y me rompió mucho el corazón leer su historia personal, las dificultades que atraviesa a lo largo del libro y que su relación con Ronan no estuviera presente en este libro. Algo que me encantó de su personaje fue que me dio una visión completamente diferente del jugador de futbol profesional: Tuck se encuentra al final de su carrera, las cosas no están yendo nada bien y parece que todo en su vida no hace más que empeorar, hasta que conoce a una chica misteriosa el día de su cumpleaños y TODO en su vida cambia por completo.

Francesca es tan compleja como Tuck y ha tenido una vida igual de complicada que le ha hecho no sentirse suficiente, además de que le aterra ser abandonada por las personas que le importan, sin embargo es una chica amorosa, amable comprensiva y que ha sabido encontrar su propia familia a lo largo de su vida. Una cosa que me encantó sobre ella fue su amor al arte, aunque me hubiera gustado que su carrera como artista del tatuaje se explorara mucho más en el libro porque es una trama bastante original y creo que esa parte de ella fue un poco desperdiciada, sin embargo, y aún cuando me rompió el corazón leer todo lo que Fran ha pasado en su vida, me gustó muchísimo conocer su historia, saber sobre su familia y saber que está rodeada de personas que la aman, se preocupan por ella y están dispuestas a todo para protegerla.

Creo que la historia de amor de Fran & Tuck fue muy interesante, me encantó que todo entre ellos empezara como una noche sin ataduras ni nombres y toda las maneras en las que Ilsa unió sus destinos a lo largo de la trama, me encantó leer a Tuck perder la cabeza por Francesca en todos los aspectos e intentar demostrarle lo que ni él mismo sabía que sentía, además de que amé que Francesca creciera tanto a lo largo de la trama a partir de dejar entrar a Tucker en su vida y especialmente la fortaleza que demostró cuando Tuck decidió cometer los errores más grandes. Creo que lo único que no me gustó demasiado fue leer la manera en la que la autora trató todo el asunto del embarazo, creo que Tuck & Francesca sufrieron de más, aún cuando ambos crecieron a partir de ese dolor, y también me faltaron muchos más momentos entre ellos, en los que se viera mucho más la gran conexión que comparten y lo mucho que significan el uno para el otro como hacia al final de la historia.

Y por supuesto, Princess and the Player también tiene personajes secundarios maravillosos, mi favorito fue Jasper! Me enamoré de su personalidad, de lo lindo, amoroso, comprensivo y buen amigo que es para Tucker, incluso para Francesca, y de verdad espero que tenga su propio libro y que no sea con Courtney, por favor!

🎨Tucker: 4/5
🎨Francesca: 5/5
🎨Trama: 4/5
🎨Historia de amor: 3.5/5
🎨Personajes secundarios: 5/5
🎨Universo: 5/5
🎨Portada: 5/5
🌶️: 2/5

“Just when you think I’ll zig, I zag.”

OMG, I loved this book and could barely put it down so I could go to bed. Princess and The Player was unexpectedly emotional and gave me all the feels. Francesca and Tuck both had painful pasts that left them a bit broken and dark inside, but both had an inner strength that they didn’t always know that they possessed. I loved watching their journey develop!

“He is something I never imagined I needed. And I don’t want to lose him.”

Francesca was one tough cookie. She had been through so much, but she was still fighting for a better life even though it seemed that she was knocked back two steps for every one step forward. Her heart was beautiful and I loved how she never gave up.

“She accepts me and embraces me for who I am.”

When we had met Tuck in the previous book, he was the carefree player friend who was always full of jokes. Now we find that all that humor and lightheartedness hides a man who is struggling with anger and a darkness inside. He was so much more than I expected.

“If there’s no darkness, then there’s no room for light.”

Tuck and Francesca’s journey is painful, emotional, and raw. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful and they are each other’s light in the dark. Their chemistry was sizzling and I loved how they slowly opened up to each other even though each had their own issues with betrayal and mistrust.

“It’s like she’s been coming and going in my life for years, and I didn’t even know.”

Princess and The Player was a captivating story of two people who are fated to be together and all the obstacles they face both together and separately. I absolutely loved it!!

4.5 Stars!

Princess and the Player follows the story of Tuck and Francesca. Tuck and Francesca were two lost and broken souls who met at the most unconventional places. They end up spending one glorious night together, with no strings attached. However, fate had other plans for these two. Suddenly their paths are crossing at every possible chance and despite not wanting a relationship, Tuck and Francesca are powerless to fight the pull they feel toward one another…

Princess and the Player is a fast-paced and addictive read. I devoured this book in just a few short hours and wild horses couldn’t have made me put this book down. I was consumed by the entertaining banter and explosive chemistry. I loved the push and pull between Tuck and Francesca. Neither one of them was perfect and had their fair share of flaws, but when they set their hearts on something, they’re not afraid to fight for what they want. I loved watching these two navigate past their fears and disappointments, and thoroughly enjoyed their journey to happily ever after.

This story was everything I was hoping it would be and in the end, it left me with the biggest smile on my face. If you’re looking for an entertaining, swoon-worthy story that has just the right amount of angst, you won’t want to miss Princess and the Player.

Arc, for an honest review.

OH MY G! Ilsa scores a touchdown-see what I did there. This. Freakin. Book. There wasn't a thing I didn't like. Backstory upon backstory.
Mr. Darden was grumpy but a perfect grumpy.
All the besties were freaking awesome.
But Tuck and Francesca, were icing on a very yummy cake. Their chemistry was off the charts.
She just gets better and better.

This was a fun, fast read. Tuck and Francesca meet at a private club and after their one night stand, they think they’ll never see each other again but fate has other plans. She’s an artist, he’s a pro football player and it turns out they’re neighbors. She has an amazing made family, his family is broken but together they find their zen. Although it was entertaining and I enjoyed reading it, I wish the pregnancy thing wouldn’t have been dragged as much as it was.

4.5 stars

This author is one of my favorites and I enjoyed the first book in this series (Beauty and the Baller), but I REALLY enjoyed this one a lot more! Tuck and Francesca both have their difficult (and sad) family upbringings. Both are still affected by it in their adult life.

Tuck and Francesca meet at a sex club where both are first time guests. One night of pleasure leads to my least favorite trope in romances--the secret baby. But, surprisingly, I didn't hate this one. I loved it! Tuck doesn't want marriage or children and he makes that known to her. Once she learns of his abusive father and bipolar mother, she understands that and finds it more difficult to tell him that she is pregnant.

This story is more emotional than the first book. Tuck is going through a lot. He's coming up on the end of his NFL career, his mother blames him for his father's death and won't talk to him and he has a fear of turning into his abusive father. Tuck also has a difficult time trusting if women are genuine or not and has had a past stalker.

Francesca was left as a baby and grew up in foster families. She has never known her parents. I like the found family aspect of her story. The secondary characters of her roommates and building complex were all wonderful.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing (Montlake Romance) and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review

Aaah, this one was a bit of a miss for me.

In fact, I nearly DNF'd at around 40%.. and 50%, but i kept going to the end.

I just ... nope. I liked the beginning, loved that she was a tattoo artist. But then things got contrived, the from 40% on it was some kind of a mess.

And I love all these tropes.

I was sad that I didn't like this book, as I loved the first Strangers In Love book.

Sorry IM-M.

After really enjoying Beauty and the Baller earlier this year, I was excited to see that Tuck would get his own HEA in Princess and the Player. Even though this book contains one of my least favorite tropes (accidental pregnancy), I went into it hopeful that Tuck would turn it around for me but no such luck. I’m giving this book two stars for a lot of reasons - the character development (or lack of it), the too quick resolution, the lack of chemistry between the MCs and the unnecessary plot points.

Tucker (Tuck) Avery and Francesca Lane meet at an exclusive sex club and have one night together that results in an unexpected pregnancy but they never saw each other’s face and didn’t exchange names. They live in the same building together so it was inevitable that they’d find each other again. I liked the beginning of this story - their meeting and how their paths kept crossing was interesting to me but the coincidences quickly got old and felt really unbelievable. The biggest problem with this story though was that I just didn’t care about either of the MCs - they didn’t really have great chemistry, they were both kind of self-absorbed and I wasn’t invested in their growth or relationship.

And where were Ronan and Nova?! We get a few mentions from Tuck about them, but I was hoping for an appearance by these two at some point but it never happened - felt like a huge missed opportunity. There were so many side characters in this story, what’s two more? Would have loved to see more of a connection between the stories since Tuck still considers Ronan his best friend.

I wanted to enjoy this one just as much as BATB but I found myself skimming the last 25% just to see how it ended. The resolution is one of the things that drove me the most crazy…so many things wrapped up so quickly - Tuck’s grand gesture felt so abrupt and I really disliked that Francesca just expected him to change just because she wanted him to be in her and the baby’s life. Things really didn’t come together here for me and I finished the story feeling pretty underwhelmed.

NFL Player Tuck Avery is at a crossroads in his career and his life. Burned by love one time too many, this is a man in the public eye with no trust, in women. He's just too familiar with the back-ground checks and NDA contracts, also throw in a harsh past he wants to keep in the past. A night out with the boys is just what he needs
Francesca Lane couldn't be more opposite to Tuck, she's got no knowledge of her back-ground due to being abandoned as a baby, yet they instantly connect at a masquerade night in a "nawty club" with what was supposed to be a one-night thing.
The stars have aligned, and fate takes control. Now realizing they both live in the same apartment block and running into each other all the time, finds them growing closer each day.

Love comes when we least expect it and I loved every aspect of Tuck and Francesca's relationship. The closer they became the more my emotions got involved. The friends of both were a blast, the family issues were heartbreaking.
Both had trust issues that could obviously blow up in their faces at any time and I had great difficulty putting this book down, i was so afraid of missing something!!!
Of course, we also have twists and turns that send your emotions flying, you just never know what's going to happen.
I loved this story from beginning to end, I was just sorry it had to end, I could have stayed in their world with them for a long, long, time!
If you want a book with characters, you can love, and own your heart this is a book for you!!!

Princess and the Player was one of those books that I picked up and absolutely devoured!

Francesca Lane learned that her fiancee was cheating on her and so on what would have been her wedding day, she donned her wedding dress and went to a party at an exclusive sex club. She ends up meeting a man she dubs "the player" and they spend a hot, no strings attached night together.

Tuck Avery is at the party that night because his friends decided they were going to take him out for his birthday. While Tuck isn't all that into partying, he isn't upset when he encounters the beautiful, sexy, enchanting woman he ends up spending the night with.

Of course neither thinks they'll never see one another again, but fate has other plans for Francesca and Tuck. They start ending up in the same places around town, they figure out they live in the same building and they start building a friendship that could lend itself to being more. Will they end up finding their way together or will a piece of information that Francesca hasn't divulged end up tearing them apart before things even start?

I'm a sucker for a good sports romance and there is no doubt this was a great one. This series has been so enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the next one that Isla Madden-Mills has for us!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**