I read this in one sitting. I stayed up until 3 a.m. because I could not put it down. Amazing as always Ilsa!!!!
Thanks so much for the ARC

I must admit that I went into this book knowing I would enjoy it.
I read Beauty and the Baller, which is book 1 in the Strangers In Love series, and had loved that too.

Francesca is a tattoo artist who meets RICH (he casually mentions his father left him 2 billion when he died) NFL player Tuck Avery at a masked party at a sex club. They have a crazy night together, then go their separate ways. They agree to keep masks on throughout the night, so neither has a clue who the other is.

They meet weeks later, & both get the feeling that the other is "that person", but are not sure. They have undeniable chemistry & can't keep away from each other.

There is a very steamy book store scene which I have though about since lol.

Francesca is an orphan & has created her own family with her friends, & her grumpy 80 yr old neighbour. Tuck is lonely, even though he has his friend Jasper - he feels like all he has is football; and is holding onto his career with everything he has.

There is a theme around the two being fated to be together, & I loved it.

The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances.

Their paths crossed at so many points & they never met until that night at the party.
It was the day that would have been her wedding day, & it was his birthday.

TW: Cheating / Childhood trauma (DV in the home)

Tropes:
One-night stand
Surprise Pregnancy

The story was a rollercoaster of emotions. It was funny at times, sad, steamy & at other times just made me feel happy.

I will admit that I was freaking out when things were getting serious between the tow, & Francesca wasn't telling him the truth. I was on the edge with every conversation at that point!

Overall, I really enjoyed the read, & would totally recommend.

I was a bit surprised that we were getting Tuck story. But I don’t care cause I will still read anything that Ilsa Madden Mills writes. She knows how to write heart-breaking sports romance books. I don’t know how she does it, but she can pull it off. It’s a talent that I love from her. And I hope we get more books from her. But let’s get back to her newest book, Princess and the Player (aka Tuck's story).

Princess and the Player will bring a one-night stand into multiple dates after Francesca and Tuck reunite with each other. It’s definitely surprising for both of them to reunite again because they never knew each other's identity. And yet, they also live close to each other by living in the same building. What a coincidence!

Even though they keep running into each other, they both have walls to break, though, if they want a relationship with each other, especially in Francesca's case. She is holding a big secret that affects his and her life as well.

There is so more to the story. Both of them have a past that they need to work on. It’s going to take time and trust to overcome their past. They just need to be honest with each other.

After a steamy one night stand with a masked stranger Francesca never expects to see her prince again much less find out that he is pro-football player who also lives in her building. But there he is and avoiding him when he turns up everywhere and seems intent on getting to know her. The only issue is that as it turns out orgasms aren’t the only things he gave her during their torrid night together and Francesca isn’t sure if or how she should let him know.

This book started a little shakey for me but once it hit its stride it was the fun weekend read I was looking for. I wish that Francesca had not kept the secret foe such an uncomfortably long time and that the conflict at the end hadn’t resolved so quickly and seemingly out of the blue but the fantasy of the hot football player wooing the object of his affection through winter time walks and lavished attention made it all worth while.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great 2nd book in the series. It starts out slower than I like but I loved the ending. Tuck takes some time to get to know but Francesca is perfect for him. I love the back story of friends who are family. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I am a total sucker for the One Night Stand Leads to Accidental Pregnancy trope, and so the blurb had me diving head first into Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills. This book had nuanced characters who showed great character growth, amazing banter and a well deserved HEA.
It's almost like nothing ever went right for Tuck and Francesca their entire lives. In the span of the storyline (5 months, approximately), Francesca had to deal with two exes, an unplanned pregnancy, and joblessness. Tuck has been scarred by his childhood, a stalker and has severe commitment issues as a result of his childhood. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Which is why their ending was rather relieving as (hopefully) their lives were all roses from there on.
This book was touching, and really makes you feel a rollercoaster of emotions for both main characters. Said rollercoaster brought me out of a month long reading slump, for which I shall forever be grateful.
Princess and the Player is a book that will pull on your heartstrings and is definitely worth reading. I jumped right into Beauty and l Baller after finishing to hold onto their world a little longer.


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

I loved this newest Madden-Milla book! It was a rollercoaster ride of a love story and kept me reading late into the night. I loved Tuck and Francesca's story!

This book has a great mix of romance, sexiness, and angst. The chemistry between Tuck and Francesca drives the book and an accidental pregnancy adds to the angst. A fun page turner with great dialogue that made me smile. I'm looking forward to Jasper's story.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy for an honest review.

This book was an easy read that had two likeable le characters that overcame past trauma to find love during unlikely circumstances. I loved that Francisca was able to think for herself and felt like a character that you are rooting for throughout the book when life seemed challenging for her.

Give this book all of the stars! I cannot accurately express in words how much I love this book. I was already so excited to read Tuck’s story after the first book, but this book exceeded all of my expectations. I just want more in the series- maybe even a novella featuring Ronan, Nova, Tuck, and Francesca?!

3.5 stars

E-arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Francesca Lane is betrayed by her fiancé, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade party at an exclusive club, where she meets Tuck Avery. One thing leads to another and they end up having a steamy, incognito, one night stand.

When her anonymous masked lover turns out to be her wealthy NFL star neighbour, she decides to keep out of his way and decides not to let him know of her identity. But things don't go as planned and an unexpected plus sign on a pregnancy test puts a new twist to their story.

The blurb caught my attention because the tropes mentioned are exactly my jam! And it didn't disappoint. The chemistry was hot, they were funny, the side characters were interesting and it was an enjoyable, breezy read.

They agreed it would be one night only, no strings. But then, they keep running in the other. Is it coincidence, fate or is one of them a stalker? Francesca and Tuck are two broken people looking for family, love and acceptance. He fears turning into his father, she fears rejection.
The story is easy to read, some parts are a bit cheesy but all in all, I’ve enjoyed it.

Ugh. I desperately wanted to love this book. Not only did I love the first in the series (standalones) but the premise is my kryptonite! Sadly, it was not meant to be.

I can't help but this that maybe the book hadn't been polished and wasn't ready for reviewers. It was a mess. A complete and total mess. It was a whole lot of tell, and not a lot of show. I was annoyed by 40%, aggravated at 60%, and completely p***ed off by 75%. The beginning was good, the middle was a jumbled mess, and the end was rushed and poorly contrived.

Not good.

I'm torn with this book.
I connected a bit more with Ronan and Nova from the first book, but I liked the pregnancy aspect of Princess and the Player.
I enjoyed Tuck's first meeting with Francesca a lot. I've read things similarly written before but what made this one unique was the vibe Isla painted.
Excited to see whose story is next.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this arc!

This book interested me because I’ve read another book by this author. Although the book had one of my least favorite tropes in it, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t mind it at all in this story.
I do like that Tuck got his stuff together much faster than other stories I’ve read. Nothing annoys me more when over half the book is a should I or shouldn’t I conundrum. It’s a waste of good writing space.
My favorite character is Darden…he cracks me up and I love how fiercely protective he is of Francesca and tries to be grumpy about it. Overall, I love Francesca and Tuck’s story. I can’t wait to read more that in this universe!!

3.5 stars

I was really excited to see this book on NetGalley! So excited in fact that it took no time at all for me ti download it and read it instantly! The blurb caught my attention immediately, I love the whole Romeo and Juliet esque, they don't know who the other is because they're at a masquerade ball, so good right? Very princess fairytale!

Either way, the beginning of this book was great and fun while the two were bantering and while the female MC was playing hard to get. It got kind of rocky towards the middle and end when things started to not go so well for the couple, hence my rating. I'm also not a huge fan if the surprise pregnancy trope, but didn't mind it in this book.

I appreciate the harder topics that were introduced and talked about throughout the book and with how they were dealt as well while regarding the pasts of the MCs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the earc in return for an honest review.

Hooked from the start I really like the writing style and the creative prowess the author uses to help you connect with Francesca and Tuck as you follow their romance throughout the book.

The humour was on point throughout and found the dialect, betwewn characters, drew me in and was one of the highlights of the book. Plus the steamy scenes were a bonus.

My favourite aspects of the book were; The depth of the character's backgrounds and how it impacts on their decisions throughout the story. Another fav of mine was the 'family' of additional characters introduced and the sense of individuality, warmth and kinship you feel from them. To me it just added another layer to a great story.

I am so glad I gave this author another chance!!
I absolutely loved this book! It was fun, steamy,
and it gave all kinds of feels. It was also refreshing,
the characters were AMAZING, all of them.
🏈Sport Romance
🥵One-Night Stand
🥺Found Family
I'm looking forward to read more book from this
series😉

The Princess and the Player is the second installment in the Strangers in Love series by Ilsa Madden-Mills. This story follows Tuck Avery, a NFL wide receiver past his prime, and Francesca Lane, an artist feeling lost.

After an unconventional meet-cute, Tuck and Francesca can't seem to avoid each other. In a city of millions, there seems to be a tether drawing them together. Is it fate? Or coincidence? In each other, they recognize a kindred spirit, leading them on a path neither anticipated traveling. A journey that is both amazing and terrifying.

Overall, this was a quality read. From the moment they met, it was clear Tuck and Francesca had great chemistry and an easy dynamic. Their romance was charming and spicy and moving. There was a nice balance.

If you are a fan of side characters with big personalities and even bigger hearts, this is the book for you! A great group of friends surrounded Francesca and Tuck, offering them so much love as they navigated a new relationship and various other life changes. Most of my favorite books showcase friendships that feel genuine and warm and constructive and that was on display here.

And as a lover of a good epilogue, my reader heart was shining during this one. You're going to want to stick around to see where these characters end up!

Potential Spoilers Below:

What I didn't love: I struggled with the length of time one character in particular was kept in the dark about something important. While I could understand the justification to some extent, the secrecy did invalidate some aspects of the romantic development for me unfortunately.

→ received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really loved how Ilsa dove into the complicated past of these two MCs and have them their HeA. There were tears, sass and a lot of laughs. I’m a sucker for this series so far!