Review: Playing with Desire by Reese Ryan

Playing with Desire by Reese Ryan
Published by Harlequin on March 1st 2017
Genres: African American, Contemporary, Fiction, Multicultural & Interracial, Romance
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
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three-half-stars

Summer Loving Next in line as CEO of his family's international luxury-resort empire, Liam Westbrook didn't make his way to the top playing it safe. So when the fast-living British bachelor spies an exotic beauty under a smoldering North Carolina moon, he makes a scandalous proposal. The night culminates in an all-consuming passion that leaves them both burning for more. Liam knows he can't just walk away. But after a devastating past betrayal, can he trust where his heart is leading him? Maya Alvarez's two young daughters are her entire world. But when she ends up alone—on her birthday—the divorced single mother does something totally out of character. She accepts an invitation that leads to a hot summer fling with a seductive stranger who makes her feel bold and desirable again. When Maya must return to the real world, will Liam and their pleasure-fueled fantasy end up as only an affair to remember?

I’ve had Reese Ryan’s Playing with Desire on my nightstand for quite some time and was finally able to read it over the weekend. It was my first read by the author, but I’ll definitely be playing catch up and check out some of her other work.

Liam Westbrook is handsome, rich, and a bit reckless; the kind of book hero I don’t mind reading about. Maya Alvarez has been bitten once by love and now as a single mother is wary of falling for someone for fear of pain for both herself and her children; something a lot of women can relate to.

What I liked: I loved that we saw a single parent romance (something I’ve mentioned a few times before that I would like to see more of in romance novels).

What I didn’t like: I didn’t necessarily agree with Maya’s decision to keep “the secret” from Liam. It did seem a little bit out of character at first since readers were well aware that she was very much devoted to her children.

Liam and Maya both had a bit of growing up to do in this film. Maya had to be open to love after her ill-fated marriage and be willing to put both her and her children’s feelings on the line. Liam had to shed a lot of his selfishness; he had to learn how to love and let go but most importantly how to forgive.

Playing with Desire was a quick sexy and playful read, and I fully expect to visit Pleasure Cove again with the next installment in this series, Playing With Temptation.

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Natalya

Natalya is an Account Manager by day and an editor and author's assistant to passionate creatives by night. When she is not adding to her enormous book collection or stationery supply, she is catching up on her favorite television shows.

Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.

You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.