The Player: The Wedding Pact #2

I'm giving this one 3.75 stars which is a very weak 4 in my opinion. It was right on the line of being a great story but I had one big pet peeve that knocked it down a little bit.

So this story isn't for the weak kneed readers who can't handle a STUBBORN heroine. I had been ardently looking forward to reading this book since I finished the first one in the series, "The Substitute" (which was fabulous!). Blair (heroine) did not impress me in that book, she actually damn near turned me off her story completely but towards the end, the first book offered a sneak peek at hers so I was hooked after that. (Natch).

Blair is a tough cookie. Her father abandoned her and her mother leaving her bitter and cynical about relationships so when she met Garrett in college it took a while to warm up to him. It did happen though and the two were happy together until a nasty fight split them up followed by a gnarly misunderstanding that has kept them apart for 5 years. Present day finds her face to face with him again by happenstance and thanks to a family request has thrown Garrett into the mix of Blair's impending nuptials to his cousin Neil.

There's a whole lot of drama, a whole lot of hurt feelings and old wounds that need to be tended to and all in all it was a good second chance story. Garret was a wonderful guy (once you get past his past of being a big slut) and did everything right to win her back and I was 100% invested in the story...up until the 80% mark. Long story short, Blair's fiance Neil isn't a man she loves, she doesn't believe in love because it burned her before, now she wants practical which is what Neil is. My problem wasn't that Blair was stubborn, it was that a big "not so secret" secret wasn't fleshed out until the very very end. I handled Blair's repetitive stubborn streak, her waffling about getting back together with Garrett and even Neil's BS but for some reason, the way the ending was laid out just bothers me. It didn't feel organic to Blair's personality. She never holds her tongue and although she waited to ambush Josh at a family dinner in the first book, the way she handled herself at the end just wasn't how I expected her to take care of things. Plus the whole "contract" thing that Garrett had worked up seemed too damn easily wrapped up for my taste. I went through this entire infuriating story WAITING (patiently, mind you) for a juicy reveal that didn't happen. Every opportunity that (I felt) could have been used to bring everything to light was missed and certain things were left up in the air. Maybe they'll be revealed in the next book which is about the flighty/hippy Libby and Josh's brother Noah. I can't wait for that book!

I'm not saying I didn't like the book. I actually did. Blair was a character I saw a tremendous amount of my own personality in which helped me understand her a lot better than most will. There were times even I wanted to unfriend her and it made me realize what my own besties go through being around me. Women like us aren't easy to be around but her friends were amazing people I loved from the start. They make you love her even more. Not to mention how amazing Garrett was with his charm and Chuck-E-Cheez dates. I loved that Blair made him work for another chance and how fiercely he fought for her and was willing to give up a lot to have her. The romance, the conflict and secondary characters I loved from the first one all made this a story to remember. Despite my qualms with a few aspects I'd still recommend it because it's a second chance romance that was hard fought and won.

oood book

I’m rounding up and giving this 4 stars, but it’s probably somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 for me. I hated Blair in the first book of this series and was worried how I would feel about her in this novel. I started to like her until maybe the half way point and then it went back downhill for most of the remaining half of the book. I just found her so hateful and I couldn’t stand how she continued to treat Megan and Libby, who were doing everything they could for her. But I did like Garrett and I enjoyed seeing the characters from the first book back again. The ending was pretty cheesy with going viral on social media, but I still laughed during it and enjoyed the cheesiness.

I had read The Substitute before I read this, and I have to say, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this book because it is Blair’s story and I really couldn’t stand her in the first book. After reading it though, I have to say, this is my favorite book in the series! I think Blair makes such a transformation into a better person in this book and I love seeing it in progress and the behind-the-scenes of her emotions and reasoning on why she acts this way and acted in the past. The story line is amazing and I love that it is still based on the “wedding pact” that carried over from the first book but the events that take place and the situations are completely different than the first book. It keeps things interesting while still staying connected as a series. Also, I love Garrett and seeing his side of things. I can really feel his emotions in the book.

Great read the all of the wedding pact books.

A very entertaining continuation of the The Wedding Pact series. This is book two of the 3 books series. It was a delightfully light easy read. I enjoy these stories with all the serious issues we face each day in the world. You know with a romance book all will end happy. It was a nice escape.

I loved the book series!

Another wonderful book. Blair is about to get married. She starts thinking about an exboyfriend. She ends up running into him and Blair starts questioning everything, wondering if she's making the right decision. But is Garrett still the player Blair once knew? Is Blair going to get her happy ending?

good read

My Denise Grover Swank purchases were a gift for a family member. They loved the collections of books.