THE PLAYER AND THE PIXIE (Rugby #2) by PENNY REID & L H COSWAY

‘If I knew anything about rugby, I knew it was chock-full of testosterone and egos, and those two were not a good mix.’

We absolutely love LH Cosway and Penny Reid, each Author have a wicked sense of humour and a flair for writing a perfect mix of romance, passion, emotion and well placed comedy. The writing is flawless and the characters, Sean and Lucy, have such strength and individuality that we fell in love with both. We cried with laughter and our pulses skyrocketed at the passion. Sean is a hero to die for and Lucy is the type of heroine who steals your heart. Their story is hilarious and romantic yet sweet and emotional too. At the heart of it was such vulnerability on both sides which simultaneously broke and melted our hearts. Peppered with spot on humour, The Player and The Pixie was an engaging read which we just couldn’t put down.

“You must know how beautiful you are?”

“I’m too big and imposing to be beautiful.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it? Most beautiful things are delicate, so fragile that even to look at them feels like they might break.”

We first met Sean in, The Hooker and The Hermit. He was an arrogant cold arse who’d wronged his team-mate, Ronan. You may think how on earth will I fall in love with this cocky male slapper? Trust us, you will and you will fall hard after he performs a straight tackle on your heart. Sean has become one of those heroes who leaves such an impression you won’t forget him. He will clumsily woo you as his character is so misunderstood. His story will win you over as he makes you laugh at his dry sense of humour, melt over his ‘inadequacies’ and swoon over his masterful teachings. The crux of the story as to how Sean & Lucy come to be is fabulous. It could have gone so wrong but it truly didn’t – it just worked without emasculating Sean in the slightest. In fact it made him that much more of a hero. Heart of gold!

‘She wasn’t odd. She was unique. She wasn’t freaky. She was free-spirited. She was enchanting. Breath-taking. Wonderful. Perfect.’

As for Lucy, what a genuine sweetheart. Being the sister of Ronan, she’s lived in his shadow for as long as she can remember. We met Lucy in Hooker and The Hermit and she’d already won us over with her eccentricity, flamboyance and endearing flightiness. As we sift through her layers, we truly learn what motivates her as well as what brings her crashing down. She’s one of those heroines that you just need to have in your life for the craic yet at the same time you just have this incessant need to hug her. Again, what a big heart!

“All I can think about is you, Sean. I’m into this. Believe me, if it weren’t for certain circumstances, I’d be wooing you like a motherfucker right now.”

It shouldn’t work, surely it can’t work. Can it? The obstacles are humongous….literally. Well, go find out for yourselves as it all starts with a – teach you I will.

“Stop the chit-chat, Cassidy. Put the penis in the vagina and let’s get this dinner train rolling.”

In the end we actually ended up loving this second book more as there was just something about it that truly touched our hearts. We just can’t express how much we love the Cosway-Reid collaborations, they just absolutely bloody work and they never fail to make us laugh out loud as well as fall head over heels at the romance.