Play Along

Windy City #4

by Liz Tomforde

Kennedy

I’m the only woman on staff for the Windy City Warriors, and after years of putting up with a sexist lead doctor, I’m desperate to land my dream job with a new team next year. All I have to do is maintain my professional reputation for my final season in Chicago.

But a Las Vegas run-in with the team’s shortstop threatens it all, leaving me with a fuzzy memory and a ring on my left hand.

Now, not only am I legally bound to the most persistent man I’ve ever met, but thanks to Isaiah’s scheme to save my job, I have to pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake.

Isaiah Rhodes is reckless, impulsive, and frustratingly charming. He’s also my brand-new husband.

They got the saying wrong. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas… sometimes it follows you right back home.


Isaiah

As the shortstop for Chicago’s professional baseball team, I’ve had my fair share of fun. But that all ended the day Kennedy Kay became a single woman.

I’ve crushed on the team’s athletic trainer for years. I’ve flirted to no avail, so imagine my surprise when I woke up in Sin City with a ring on my finger and my favorite redhead in my bed.

We agree to stay married for one baseball season, just long enough to keep her job safe, but in my mind, I’m using our time together to prove to her I’m husband material.

Kennedy might be reluctant to join in on our game, but it’s one I refuse to lose.

So come on, wife… play along.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Fake Dating, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity

384 pages, ebook

First published July 11, 2024

About the author

Liz Tomforde writes sports romance novels that depict realistic and healthy relationships. Her books offer a mix of witty banter and real-life struggles. Her heroes are alpha yet vulnerable, and her heroines are strong.
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Born and raised in Northern California, Liz is the youngest of five children. She loves all things romance, traveling, dogs, and hockey.
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When she's not traveling or writing, Liz can be found reading a good book or taking her Golden Retriever, Luke, on a hike in her hometown in Sonoma County, CA.

Reviews

[Has · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live, laughed, cried, and love this book. It was so romantic and so cute. The way Isaiah was obsessed with Kennedy was so beautiful. I love Liz Tomforde so much. The way she writes is so beautiful, she’s so talented. I just. This book is so beautiful.

Literally have no idea who it’s about just an automatic 5 stars because it’s Liz Tomforde. YOU GUYS THIS BOOK IS ABOUT ISAIAH AND KENNEDY😫😫😭😭💜💜💜 Rio’s book is going to be the last one in the Windy City Series!!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Liz? How do you do it? How do you manage to write the perfect man every time?? I can’t wrap my head around it. Nothing short of what I expected from this series. Another certified banger. Unbelievably excited for MY POOR BABY RIO
—————————————————————————————
FUCK YES ISAIAH & KENNEDY!!! BUT MY GOD WHEN WILL WE GET RIO’S BOOK

P.S. Liz if u see this and wanna send me an ARC I’ll literally never shut up about it 🫶🏼

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: I may just make this a 5 ⭐️ I can’t stop thinking about it


4.75 ⭐️!

Actually criminal how many reactions this book got out of me

“Time to play along” !!!!!!!!! Ok sir!!!!!!

(Also petition for a Monty book……..)

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD IM OBSESSSED!!!!!!!! I simply did not want this to end!! I tried savoring every word because what the fuck am I supposed to do now?!!!!! I refuse to believe this series is over until Rio’s book. I’m not ready to say goodbye 😭😭😭. Which has me in shock because who would have thunk I’d go from hating Mile High to absolutely loving the rest of the books in this series?!!! Actually everyone, everyone thought that. You guys told me so. I’m depressed. This put me back in a slump. YAY!!!!

Let me just say this…. Yes I AM STILL A KAI RHODES GIRLIE!!! He remains my number 1 Windy City man…. Who’s shocked?! Not me. God the crumbs we got of him Miller and Max, don’t even get me started, I was eating them up like a starved animal. ALSO HIS SPEECH?!!!!! No. No I can’t. I could not stop crying. God this series had me so emotional I was also not expecting that!! I’m so attached to these characters they feel like they’re MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!

Don’t even get me started on Isaiah Rhodes….
My flirtatious golden retriever man with the filthiest mouth who uses humor as a coping mechanism I CANNOT!!!! He had me absolutely SCREAMING!! And let me tell you I don’t typically love the golden retriever MMCs so he had me absolutely SHOCKED by how feral he had me!!! I swear nobody writes and acts of service man like Liz Tomforde. He fell first and my god did he fall so hard this man was so pathetically obsessed I was actually dying!!! The banter?!!! You want a man who begs….. pleads her…… wants to be a good boy for her…. GOODBYE DONE DONE DONE IM SWEATING JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WORDS THAT CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH!!!!! Ugh and he also broke my heart!!! This man made his baseball walk out song obsessed by Mariah Carey because it’s the song she walked down the aisle to when they got drunkenly married in Vegas because hes so obsessed with her. I CANNOT!!!!!! He gets such bad anxiety attacks during thunder storms and refuses to drive in the rain but was ready to drive to her to make sure she was safe 😭😭😭 no I’m done.

THE FAKE MARRIAGE TROPE HAD ME GIGGLING SO HARD!!!! Also him teaching her how to be comfortable with physical touch and intimacy…. Yeah no. I can’t. I can’t. This man would literally crawl to the ends of the earth for her. I also love how much he’s loves her mean and feisty side.

Like all the women in this series I absolutely loved Kennedy and her growth in this book made me so happy! I have a soft spot for black cat FMCs. Like I feel like all these girls are my besties I want to cry. Best sports romance series no question.

Windy City series ranking (this goes for the men too)
1. Caught up 5⭐️
2. Right Move 5⭐️
3. Play Along 5⭐️
4. Mile High 1⭐️

Quotes:

“I live, laugh, love you.”

“You’re very polite when you want something.”
“Oh baby, I told you already. I’m a good boy, especially when I want something.”
“Yes,” he pants. “Yes. Yes. Please. Please don’t stop.”

“Because you’re worth more than how you’ve been treated the last three years, and I love you enough to make sure you know that. I love you enough to make sure you start living up to your potential.”

“I have waited, and fucking waited for this. You’re my answered prayer. You know that?”

“Rhodes,” he says. “Her last name is Rhodes. Now get your fucking hands off my wife.”

“You look like you’re going to say something a little bit evil, break my heart, and I’ll end up thanking you for it.”

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Live, laugh, love Isaiah Rhodes ❤️

[annie]

MEN OF THIS SERIES ARE THE GREENEST FLAGS EVER <3🫰🏻

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idk how Liz can do it, but right when I think she can’t possibly write an even more perfect man, SHE DOES IT YET AGAIN. Isaiah had me from page 1 🙇🏼‍♀️ live, laugh, love, Isaiah

[April (catching up) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars ★

“Just think of this as one big game. C’mon wife. Play along.”


Obsessed by Mariah Carey was playing on repeat in my head, iykyk

WOW, this completely surpassed all of my expectations! I went into this for Kennedy and fully anticipated to come out still not liking Isaiah, but boy, was I ever wrong. Liz did her thing and gave him the redemption arc he deserves, and I was hoping for.

Play Along is the fourth book in the Windy City series and has become my favorite. I fell in love with this marriage of convenience, sports romance with all of its tension, banter, forced proximity, the spice, the emotions it took me through that I was not expecting, and metal health representation that was written and executed delicately. I was definitely not expecting to have tears streaming down my face in this.

Kennedy is the only female on the Windy City Warriors staff, and she's trying to keep things professional until she lands her dream job. That is put at risk when she has a run-in with the teams shortstop Isaiah, and they drunkenly get married. They decide to stay married for one baseball season and pretend that it was all planned that they eloped to Las Vegas to save her job until she leaves. The only problem is Isaiah has been crushing on her for three years and wants to prove to her that he is husband material. Will Kennedy fall for him before the season ends?


Kennedy Kay I'm not sure where to begin, but I absolutely adored her so much. This poor girl was so strong, though she has never really had anyone in her corner. She wasn't given the love that she deserved as a child, leaving her with some trauma. She is uncomfortable with love and affection as a result and has never truly been loved, and she doesn't feel she deserves it. She is a perfectionist at everything she does, but it's not a fault as she has to be working in a field that is dominated by men. I relate to her as she has a tendency to get in her head and overthink things. Isaiah helped her with this and taught her to just do what makes her feel good. I loved watching her growth and slowly lower her walls and let herself love and be loved.

"I’ve never been so comfortable. Never been so drawn to someone the way I am to him. I’ve never wanted to touch someone the way I touch him. Never wanted someone to touch me the way he so naturally does. Never wanted to be around someone the way I feel pulled into his orbit."


Isaiah Rhodes you have made your way into my heart. On the outside, he seems like he is cocky, a playboy, and always the life of the party. Beneath all of that, he is sweet, caring, and a hopeless romantic, and deals with deeper issues on his own, not wanting to burden anyone with them. This man has been obsessed with Kenny for three years and is protective over her. I love that he is so down bad for her. He is the perfect example of he falls first and harder because he did just that. Isaiah suffers from anxiety from a tragedy that happened when he was fourteen and doesn't let anyone see this side of him. She is one of the few to see this side and helps him by supporting him and letting him know that it is okay to be vulnerable and that it is okay to not be okay. I loved watching him unravel and realize that he can be this way around his family and friends as well and doesn't have to always appear to be happy, that he can show his true feelings of grief, hurt and being vulnerable. Don't even get me started on his love language of making sure that she is fed. Gah, I love that and would let this man feed me anytime.

"I’m tired of people I care about not sticking around. I play it safe, hoping if I’m enough of a laugh, if they have a good enough time around me, they’ll stay. It never works."


Kennedy and Isaiah are the definition of fate. Just ask him as he believes that's how they came to be. I honestly thought this was going to be insta-love given his obsession, but it is so much more than that. Their relationship is built on taking their time exploring and getting to know each other on a deeper level, patience, respecting each other's struggles, communication, and the list just goes on. They built a strong foundation of love and adoration for one another. Their chemistry was so palpable that it was felt with everything in me. They supported each other and helped one another grow while working on themselves, giving the other space when needed to work through their own struggles. Everything about their love felt so real and raw to me. It gave me butterflies and had me giggling and kicking my feet from just their banter and sexual tension as well as sobbing in their tender and vulnerable moments. It's easy to say that Isaiah and Kennedy have made their way into my heart, making a permanent spot and being my favorite couple in this series yet.

“I live, laugh, love you.”


One of the other things I loved about this is the found family. There is so much love here from the teammates to the characters in the previous books. Watching the interactions with Zee, Stevie, Ryan, Indy, Kai, Miller, Max, Rio, and Monty made my heart feel full. It wasn't just watching them with Isaiah but welcoming Ken with open and loving arms. Giving her the experience of what it is and feels like to be loved. The love between Kai and Isaiah is so astonishing. I knew it was there, but it is felt so much more here. Just Kai's speech alone shows it. Gosh, the way it had me having to re-read some of it because I couldn't see thorough all the tears. I'm so happy to see and feel all of the love and support they have for each other.

The ending was perfect it left me satisfied, but also, I just wanted more of them. I just can't get enough. The way that I was scouring looking for an extended epilogue only to not find one. So please, Liz, I have a couple of requests. Number one, please give us more of these two as I'm obsessed with them. And two, I need a book for Monty. Lastly, I can't wait for Rio's book as it is long overdue. Oh, and the gorgeous cover makes so much sense, and I love the relevance. Thank you for giving me Isaiah and Kennedy's story. They are my new loves.


Favorite Quotes and moments

“So, who is she?” On this day, where everything feels like a sign, I don’t hesitate when I say, “My future wife.”

"If we do this, I’m basically using you.” “Sounds terrible. Please, Kennedy, use me all you want.”

“Well, I can’t say the same about you. Average, I mean. The way you look in that dress…” I shake my head in disbelief. “You look like you’re going to say something a little bit evil, break my heart, and I’ll end up thanking you for it.”

“Excuse me?” I stand from my seat. “Watch your fucking words when you’re speaking to my wife.”

“Eyes are up here, wifey.” “I’m a doctor, Rhodes. Aced anatomy, in fact. I know where your eyes are located. I just don’t care right now.”

“Turn off your brain and do what feels good. It’s all just a game, right? You and me, it’s all a game, so play along.”

“I remember every single thing about you, Kenny. In case you haven’t figured it out already, you’re my favorite subject to study.“

"I like when you smile, Ken.”
“Me too.”
“Just for clarification, I think you’re stunning all of the time, but happy looks real fucking good on you.”

"But I’m tired of it. I’m exhausted from trying to convince others that I’m unbreakable. That I’m the fun one who doesn’t get too worked up about life, doesn’t take anything too seriously. I am breakable, and I’m currently at my breaking point."

"There are a lot of things I learned in our time together, but the biggest lesson my husband taught me is what it feels like to be loved for the first time in my life. I’ll never be able to thank him enough for being unwavering in his feelings for me, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure he feels as safe and secure with me as he’s made me feel with him."

"All this time, I wanted to practice, plan, and schedule how it’d happen. I wanted to be perfectly ready for love when the time came. But falling in love with Isaiah wasn’t a big, planned event. It was buying toothbrushes and providing food when I was too busy to eat. It was his mother’s ring and eating dinner together in a booth at Chili’s. It was his patience and unwavering commitment to show me my importance in his life."

~~~~~~

*•.¸♡ Pre-read: *•.¸♡

I'm here for Kennedy.  Isaiah, you better have a good redemption arc🤞 Please don't disappoint me 💜

[Clace]

I literally bought the whole series and started it because of THIS BOOK! So please, please, please be worth it.
__
I literally saw the cover irl and you don't know how fast I grabbed it 😭 but I don't have the other books and I absolutely cannot read a series from the middle but the FOMO is so real with this one 😩 HELP!

[Bailee Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Isaiah Rhodes just topped Ryan Shay for me???? What is happening?????

[bruna · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ 3.35 stars

𝅄 𓂃 𖥻 “How lucky am I that I get to love and be loved so effortlessly?” 𑇛 ˚

this is the best book in the series. hands down.

the first three books weren’t impressive at all to me. book one and three were bad and book two was mediocre at best; not as bad as the others, but generally speaking, it was not something that i could call great or memorable. i really, really thought this one would give me similar feelings, but luckily, it didn’t.

Play Along is way better than these three books combined and i can say that without a doubt. this time i actually was interested in seeing what would happen next instead of just pushing through. in comparison to the previous installments, the plot (albeit nothing necessarily new) is more engaging, the romance is more delightful, the scenes are more fun to read about, and the main characters are more interesting.

speaking of the characters, Isaiah completely stole the show for me. i always see people raving about the male main characters of this series and how they are so dreamy, sweet and all that, but i personally never related to that because i couldn’t really see what the fuss was all about (sorry, guys). they didn’t do much for me, sadly. but Isaiah? oh, he certainly did, i’ll tell you that much. this man is... ugh. so adorable, charismatic, funny, selfless, captivating and just so easy to like. he might not be the most incredible MMC i’ve ever come across, but he is definitely the most incredible MMC in this series — that is not debatable. Isaiah is the reason why i enjoyed this book as much as i did.

Kennedy, on the other hand, was... eh. more complicated. she left me with some mixed feelings. there were moments that i liked her and found myself getting touched by the things that she went through and loving her vulnerability and strength. but there were other moments where i didn’t like her all that much and felt disconnected from her and at certain points even thought she wasn’t a good partner to Isaiah. all in all, i suppose i can say i liked her and that her character somehow brought something to the story, but that’s all i can say. i can’t say that i truly loved her and that she was very remarkable because, quite frankly, she wasn’t. she didn’t captivate me like Isaiah did, that much is true.

regardless of how i feel about Kennedy, though, i think her and Isaiah had solid chemistry in general. their romance wasn’t perfect by any means, i definitely had a few issues with it and i’d undoubtedly change some things — but you know... i didn’t fully hate it and overall i can’t say that i had a terrible time reading about their journey. as i said, they had chemistry and they had some sweet moments throughout the story, so i’ll take that as a win.

to change topics, i have to say that just because this was the best book in the series, it doesn’t mean it was perfect (well, i think that much is easy to assume given my rating).

see, at first it did seem like it would be a somewhat perfect read. i’d say that up until 30%-40% things were going super well. seriously. i was having a blast and not having any issues at that point. i mean, okay, some little things bothered me here and there in the first couple chapters, but those things were not even relevant in the grand scheme of things, so it wasn’t affecting my reading significantly. in general, i was adoring the book and, at least then, i couldn’t see myself giving it a rating lower than four stars. and that says a lot because nowadays it’s hard for me to give high ratings to books, especially if they are contemporary romances, so yeah... you can see how much i was enjoying this whole thing.

much to my disappointment, though, it didn’t take long for my mind to change a little. i guess i should’ve known this would happen given my previous experiences with this author, but alas.

my first issue was that the story took a turn that i simply wasn’t a fan of. i don’t know... i just personally had other ideas of where the story could go and then the author came up with something that i wasn’t expecting and didn’t really like — the “him teaching her how to be intimate” thing. i don’t have anything against this trope or anything like that, it does seem good on paper, but i didn’t like it here because 1. i don’t trust Liz Tomforde so i could tell from the get go that it wasn’t going to be well-done [it wasn’t] and 2. like i said, i had other visions of how it could develop. given the premise, i felt like there were many other interesting things that she could’ve used to build their love story.

then, there was the fact that the author did not know how to develop the story well as it progressed. i wish i could bring myself to say that i was surprised by that, but after reading the previous books and having the same complaint, i can’t.

it felt like, after a certain point, she didn’t know what to do. most of the things that happened were repetitive and predictable, so that made my enjoyment decrease. don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying that i started hating it, because i didn’t; i was still liking the book, but less. i think that there was so much the author could’ve done to keep the momentum and add more layers to the story — the potential was literally right there, but oh well...

and i know i’ll sound like a broken record because in my reviews for the other books i talk about the same thing, but it’s inevitable at this point: i was deeply annoyed by the smut. for the millionth time, let’s prioritize developing the characters and the story first and let the sexual things for later. just to clarify, i don’t mind reading books with spicy scenes, but i do mind when there’s so much of it and when there’s focus to it in moments where it’s not at all necessary. there are two specific moments in this book that angered me a lot because it seemed like they were leading to something impactful and deep between the protagonists, but then... it ended up leading to smut instead, nothing more. see what i’m talking about?

obviously, i couldn’t help but feel a tad disappointed with those issues that came later on because the beginning truly seemed promising and i was kind of sure that, for the first time, i would give a book in this series a high rating. sighs.

that being said, i’m still happy that Play Along wasn’t a major flop and that despite of its issues i could still find things to like. it’s the first book (and possibly only one) that left me feeling like the time i’ve invested in this series wasn’t a total waste. cheers for that!

many thanks to my girl charlotte for reading with me and for making the experience more fun. 🪻

[ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh this was PHENOMENAL😭😭 right next to ‘hello stranger’ as one of my fave books of the year

[maria (catching up) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The epilogue for this book never fails to make me cry😭 second read and it’s still 6 stars!!!! I live, laugh, love this sm💜

rtc


_________

Nothing is hitting, the slump is slumping. So it’s time to go back and reread my loves🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️ I love Isaiah and Kennedy sm it actually hurts😭 hope this helps me🤞🏻

[Liani ♡ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ 5 / 5 ★’s ´ˎ˗

Liz Tomforde has done it again💖 a perfect story = perfect plot + perfect characters = a *chef's kiss* book 🤌🏼💕

𓏲 ₊♡𓂃“Just think of this as one big game.” His tone is low and deep when he leans down to my ear and whispers, “C'mon wife. Play along.”⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚

────── ⋆⋅💜⋅⋆ ──────

❥𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼💭 ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

I don’t have much to say, just that I absolutely loved this book 🛐💖

I loved that this book is so realistic with complex characters and their stories.

I loved that the relationship wasn’t an insta-love. Did Isaiah fell first and harder and was totally obsessed with Kennedy since the moment he saw her? Yes. He had a huge crush on her, but he still needed to know her better and fight for her. Also, she didn’t really notice him romantically for the first three years. It was a long process for Ken to lower her walls and give herself the opportunity to be loved and to fall in love with Isaiah. And this man is the most patient person in the world. He had the goal of making her fall in love with him, and he achieved it💫

They didn’t give up on each other❤️‍🩹

They fell in love with each other with patience, respect, time, communication, admiration, caring, getting to know each other, flirting, validating each other’s feelings, emotions and thoughts, supporting each other, and just playing along💘

It was a beautiful journey to witness their falling-in-love process and see how Isaiah and Kennedy helped each other with their struggles and insecurities. They were both worthy of being loved, respected, and cared for, and they took it upon themselves to do so for each other.

I absolutely love them <3 and I absolutely love the found family in this series. They’re the BEST and I’ll never get tired of them💗

────── ⋆⋅💜⋅⋆ ──────

❥ Many quotes just because I love them ✨

“So, who is she?”
On this day, where everything feels like a sign, I don't hesitate when I say, “My future wife.”

“Please try to be serious for once in your life. If we do this, I'm basically using you.”
“Sounds terrible. Please, Kennedy, use me all you want.”

She's so pretty and sometimes a little mean. It's a lethal combination for me.

“Well, I can't say the same about you. Average, I mean. The way you look in that dress...” I shake my head in disbelief. “You look like you're going to say something a little bit evil, break my heart, and I'll end up thanking you for it.”

“You're out of your mind if you think you're not exactly the kind of woman a man would want. Just because you're not comfortable with showing physical affection doesn't make you any less of a woman, Ken.”

“Remind me again why I married you.”
“Because you're obsessed with me. Remember?”

“I know. I see you, Kenny, even if you haven't been looking at me.”

Is that what it means to unequivocally care for another person? To want what's best for them even if it's going to hurt like a bitch to sit by and watch?
I want Kennedy to thrive in the position she trained for. I want her to get away from Dr. Fredrick. I want her to be comfortable in her own skin, to understand what it means to feel loved and cared for.
I just wish she could do all those things with me.

There's no denying it. I'm an absolute fool when it comes to this girl.

“For the last ten months, I thought I might have a real shot, so I've tried my fucking best. I've waited for you to see me, and I'd wait the rest of my life if I thought I ever had a real chance with you, but I don't. Do I? Never have.”

“God.” His exhale is full of agony. “Why can't you see it? Why can't you see me?”

“Go in, show off that big brain of yours, and be yourself. There's no way they're not going to love you the way that I l-” He stops himself.
My eyes go wide and his mirror them.
“Llllive, laugh, love you,” he finishes. “The way I live, laugh, love you.”

“Such a good girl for me,”
“Are you going to be a good boy for me?”
“… I'll be such a good boy for you, baby.”

“I remember every single thing about you, Kenny. In case you haven't figured it out already, you're my favorite subject to study.”

“Hey, Isaiah?”
“Yeah?”
“I live, laugh, love you too.”

“I like when you smile, Ken.”
“Me too.”
“Just for clarification, I think you're stunning all of the time, but happy looks real fucking good on you.”

“Because you're worth more than how you've been treated the last three years, and I love you enough to make sure you know that. I love you enough to make sure you start living up to your potential.”

But I'm tired of it. I'm exhausted from trying to convince others that I'm unbreakable. That I'm the fun one who doesn't get too worked up about life, doesn't take anything too seriously.
I am breakable, and I'm currently at my breaking point.

Yes, I want her to have a choice, but that doesn't mean I'm not entirely desperate for her to choose me.

Speaking of lucky.
How lucky am I that I get to call him mine?

How was there ever a day that I wasn't completely and utterly gone for this guy?
There are a lot of things I learned in our time together, but the biggest lesson my husband taught me is what it feels like to be loved for the first time in my life.
I'll never be able to thank him enough for being unwavering in his feelings for me, but I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure he feels as safe and secure with me as he's made me feel with him.

But falling in love with Isaiah wasn't a big, planned event. It was buying toothbrushes and providing food when I was too busy to eat. It was his mother's ring and eating dinner together in a booth at Chili's.
It was his patience and unwavering commitment to show me my importance in his life.
How lucky am I that I get to love and be loved so effortlessly?

“The good things in your life are there because of you. You are good and smart and capable and so fucking deserving, Kenny. Yes, I've known all that for years, but I think for the first time ever, you're finally seeing it for yourself.”

────── ⋆⋅⚡️⋅⋆ ──────

Anyways💜🦋 I ended up falling in love with another stunning book in this series💕 I’m totally obsessed with the previous books, and this one was no exception✨ and right now? I just want a time travel machine to travel to 2025 and read Rio's book😭 I love him so much, and I can’t wait for his story💫

𓏲 ₊♡𓂃“The way I live, laugh, love you.”⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚

────── ⋆⋅⚡️⋅⋆ ──────

˚˖𓍢ִ໋💜 ·˚ pre-read ˚ · ˖ another Liz Tomforde book? I’m in🛐 I’ve been waiting months for this book, so I’m really excited⚡️✨

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

”I live, laugh, love you.”

I'm grateful that I reserve second chances in life solely for my favorite authors, and none other. this book caught me off guard, as I devoured every moment of it with unbridled enthusiasm. the unexpected twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, eliciting both guffaws and tearful moments of despair. I was utterly thrilled to be reunited with Liz Tomford's masterful pen, which penned a protagonist—Isaiah— so distraught and desperate for the female lead's affections that it has become my new benchmark for romances.

”I remember every single thing about you, Kenny. In case you haven’t figured it out already, you’re my favorite subject to study.”

manifesting :
1-I begged you once, i’m begging you again PLEASE GIVE MONTY HIS HEA. he deserves to be happy and we deserve to get his own story (preferably an enemies to lovers, workplace romance with Reese..) just suggesting 😇

2-also cody and dean..? maybe ??? it felt like there was more to dean’s hatred toward isaiah and that some of it was because he was attracted to him? SO PLEASE, A MM RIVAL SPORT ROMANCE 😗

favorite quotes:

“the way you look in that dress . . .” I shake my head in disbelief. “You look like you’re going to say something a little bit evil, break my heart, and I’ll end up thanking you for it.”

“she was cute.”
“she’s not you.”

”his smile is warm as he looks down at me, and maybe that’s exactly what my coldness needs.”

“I’m tired of people I care about not sticking around. I play it safe, hoping if I’m enough of a laugh, if they have a good enough time around me, they’ll stay. It never works.”

“grief seems like a privilege, in a way,” she says. “to have loved someone so much that you can’t imagine life without them. I’ve never felt that.”

“thanks for marrying me, baby.” “It was the best mistake I ever made.”


———
reading this one for kennedy & ken only<3

(never started a book thinking i wouldn’t enjoy it but im very one dimensional in thinking that it’s not fair to sentence a book based on another one.)
———
´caught up´
this book is really about kennedy and Isaiah ?? the man literally harassed her sexually on the previous book.. sexualizing a physiotherapist woman work back in 2003’s romcoms was already bad BUT to normalize that in 2024 bc the man is hot??? i dont know how we downgraded from RYAN MF SHAY to this excuse of human being.

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 5 out of 5]

there’s no words to describe this book besides: perfection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“come on wife.. play along”

every book in this series is amazing, so i always expect a lot. and as usual, it didn’t let me down. the friendships, found family, the romance, the spice.. everything hits.

it has deeper topics but also humor interlaced in there.

can u tell i loved it?
gimme rio immediately!!!!!!!!

“you live, laugh, love me?”
“so fucking much”

[Hannah Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never be the same after this book oh my gosh

[manas · Rating 2 out of 5]

➳ 2 ☆

“her last name is rhodes. now get your fucking hands off my wife.”

i FINALLY got my fatass around to reading this, and i am quite happy with the end result. i originally rated book three, “caught up” four stars, however, i did go back and re rate it five stars. i really thought this book would be better than that, but there were some major issues i had with this one, that i couldn't look past. overall, this series is special to me, and i love how real and authentic the characters feel.

➺ kennedy—are you surprised that most of my issues came with her lmao??? she was quite annoying and very jejune. i know some of you are tired of hearing this but as a medical student, i beg authors to stop writing doctors like these puerile and farcical people. kennedy was very one dimensional and didn't do much for me in terms of selling herself as a main character/love interest. she was quite rude and adversarial toward isaiah for no real reason, and her personality was super lacking. if it wasn't isaiah obsessing over her and telling us everything, i wouldn't know shit about her character. i already had issues with miller and her fleetness in “caught up”, but kennedy's antics were way more jarring and blaring with this one. i just could not look past her deportment. she was also steadfast on painting him as this man-whore who is looking at other women—even though at that point the entire damn cast of characters said it was the complete opposite??? i have no issues with characters being detached and aloof, but there was entirely too much repetition that ultimately ended nowhere for her character.

➺ isaiah—i really enjoyed his character, but unlike ryan and kai, my man was doing THE MOST. trust, i found him to be very sweet and winsome, but his obsessiveness was just not doing anything for me, as nothing was ever requited or reciprocated. he was just a love sick man constantly pinning after her for years, and even though every second of this book was him desperately justifying the obsession, i felt nothing. isaiah and miller had more authentic and palpable platonic love, than he had romantic love/chemistry with kennedy. i am not joking when i tell you everything felt shoved up my ass. it was really forced and after a while all the original meaning lost it’s appeal. kennedy by far was my least favorite girl, and their relationship seems like the most superficial of the four we have so far. i like that isaiah’s personality went deeper than being some phony playboy, but i just cannot say the same for her. at the ripe age of thirty-one, i think i expected way too much, which might even be my fault (???). the best part of this entire book was isaiah and kai's sibling dynamic. they truly ate up every scene, as i have a soft spot for strong sibling dynamics. max and monty were also really memorable and adorable.

gotta display some quotes by yours truly ⁀➷

“i should warn you, ken, i like it when you’re mean. it does something to me.”

“i married the girl i’ve been obsessed with for years.”

“i’m not worried about other women.”

“c’mon wife. play along.”

“watch your fucking words when you’re speaking to my wife.”

“why can’t you see it? why can’t you see me?”

“it’s about time you get on your knees for me. i’ve spent the last three years on mine for you.”

➼ although these quotes seem tantalizing, it wasn’t just one-sided, it was aggressively one-sided. there wasn't much of a balance when it came to their relationship, and i feel like of all the four couples, they were almost never on the same page about anything. i enjoyed seeing kenny overcome her fears and insecurities, but sadly that overtook the entire damn book and left little room for their development outside of that. i mean this with all my love when i say, i feel like i have more romantic feelings for my bathroom than kennedy did for isaiah; it was just so frivolous to read about. other than that, the writing and setting were really enjoyable. i loved being back in this universe. i know this sounds so…

kai stays being the hottest man, i don't make the rules. the entire retirement speech got me so bad.

my ranking of the characters ↴

kai > ryan > isaiah ≥ zanders!
miller > indy ≥ stevie >>>> kenny!

monty needs a book. i need that desperately.

[paula ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐

💜“Hey, Isaiah?” “Yeah?” “I live, laugh, love you too.”💜

OH. MY. GOD... I don't even know where to start, I think this will be the least close to a serious review but, as you know I love these books, they are one of the reasons why I resumed my reading habit, so expect from this review just my emotions and feelings about how much I love these characters and their stories.

I knew from minute 0 that it was announced that a book about Isaiah would be made that I was going to love him but wow... I never thought he would be on par with Kai, his brother

It hurt my heart so much to see how vulnerable and sweet Isaiah is behind that "playboy" thing and, oh god, finally knowing Kennedy's story also completely destroyed me, I think they are one of the most adorable couples in the whole series.

Seeing everyone together for MORE than one chapter made me squeal with excitement, I missed them so much...I can't believe there's only one more book left for this to end, I'm not ready at all.

I want to end by saying that, Liz Tomforde, if you're reading this review (she probably won't be lol) I want no, I NEED a Monty and Reese enemies to lover. Oh! And also a Travis and Natalie book (we all know they're going to end up together so yeah). And please, please, please make Rio's love interest amazing, that guy deserves to be happy 🥹💜

I'll probably edit this review several times as I come up with more things to comment on, but for now this is what my heart dictates after finishing reading Play Along and yes, I'm crying like a bitch writing this, I don't care 😭

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.7 ⭐️

Love

[Dul · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚?”
“𝙔𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬.” “𝙔𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬.”
“𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙮𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬?”
“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮.” 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣.

Kennedy is the only woman working on the medical team for the Windy City Warriors. She's about to land her dream job, but everything goes sideways after a wild night in Las Vegas with Isaiah Rhodes, the team's handsome player. Turns out they got drunk-married, and now Kennedy's worried this might wreck her career.

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas... sometimes it follows you right back home.

Isaiah, on the other hand, is thrilled. He's had a crush on Kennedy for years and sees this as his big chance. He suggests they pretend their marriage is real for a baseball season so she doesn't lose her job. But secretly, Isaiah plans to use this time to show Kennedy he can be a great husband.

I'm speechless about how amazing it was to read one of my most anticipated books. I'm sure the next one will be one of my favorites.

The plot might not be groundbreaking, but for me, it's simply beautiful because of how well it's written. The chemistry between the main characters makes this book even better. I love the idea that this guy saw her and knew he'd marry her.

Isaiah is the kind of guy who's obsessed with his girl and would do anything for her, but he's proud of who she is. If you ask me, Liz always writes great character development, and this time was no exception. We see a lot of personal growth and growth as a couple. The fact that he waited 3 years for her because he didn't know she wasn't engaged to that other guy!

If you ask me, he's my ideal type because even though it started as a fake marriage, he always took it seriously. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴.

That's not the only thing that makes this man so unique to me, but all the countless things he did to protect her, love her, and adore her. In the end, he did so many things that I can't even express how precious he is. When you read this book, you'll see what I mean.

Please read it.

Kenny is probably one of my favorite main characters because I saw myself in her fears and how she's afraid to be herself with the people around her. Her personality was a lot for me because I adored everything about her and how she acted when she realized she's important to someone.

My God, this woman is amazing, and I couldn't describe how I felt while reading about her, but I can say it was euphoric. I was full of emotions the more I learned about her character.

This woman protected and cared for this man in her own way, but one of the things I loved about this book was her development in being able to express her thoughts and emotions. When she realized that she had never really been wanted or loved the way this man did.

Without a doubt, one of the things I love about this series is that it feels like a sweet found family, and the fact that they made Kenny feel like family was so beautiful to read.

Liz Tomforde always manages to make me care about these characters and want to protect them at all costs.

I'm definitely fascinated by Liz's writing, and I'm thrilled to read everything she publishes because the next book is about Rio.

I'm happy because this book became one of my favorite reads. I cried with happiness over this story, and I recommend it to you, so enjoy this read. I'm just a girl excited because one of her favorite authors just published another book.


“𝙊𝙝, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮, 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚. 𝙈𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮.”

“𝙄𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙚.”

“𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨.”

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡, 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩.”

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 . . .” 𝙃𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚. “. . . 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.”

[ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

isaiah rhodes, i would never talk back, dinner would always be served, the house would be clean. as many kids as he wants 🙏🏻

[Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series never fails to remind me exactly why I love reading. 😭💜

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isaiah Rhodes and Travis Kelce went to the same school of manifesting and I need to learn a thing or two from them, because their delulu skills are truly ✨ superior ✨

[Ayushi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s as if all this time together, I’ve been practicing to be good enough for
someone to want me, and he’s been here all along, waiting.

°｡⋆♡ ℐ𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒶𝒽


I honestly regret forming a negative opinion of him based on the previous books😓, because he fucking nailed and railed the 'man obsessed' trope to the core. No banging chests or outright stalkerish behavior just pure "I'm gonna do anything for this girl" vibes. Firstly, the guys who are all rainbows and sunshines just because they'd rather make everyone happy around them and wallow in their grief by themselves are my personal favorite, I adore tf outta such characters because I can relate to them. I actually have a pattern where I love their books the most in the whole series. 🤍

Her eyes are wild. “Then you should’ve told me no!”
“When have I ever been able to say no to you?!”

He was a dicktwat in the prev book icl & I assumed the whole manwhore persona would put me off but man I was surprised to see a completely different Isaiah here, and it made so much sense now because in his defense, he wasn't cheating on ken or betraying her when she was engaged so wtf was he supposed to sit around and wait his whole life?It's not like he predicted the turn of events, moral police please look into this before blaming my pookie. 😩

She’s so pretty and sometimes a little mean. It’s a lethal combination for me.

He was so fucking badly whipped?!? I really pitied him😭❤️. Enunciating this by flailing my arms around widely like a booktuber. He was really out here believing in fate and shit, trying to find signs, meanings behind ken's presence in his life. I don't think there is something he wouldn't have done for ken even before their marriage. Brought her new shoes right when she told that her feet were hurting, fought against her boss, her fam and the stupid exes.., faked things for her promotion though she would go away from him... the list is endless and what's swoonworthy is all these moments were right from the beginning, back when there was no confirmation of feelings from ken's side. MOST OF ALL, HE'S A CONSENT KING AND EXTREMELY PATIENT WITH KEN, got me tearing up along with her. An unbothered man and his heartwarming crush against the world, y'all!


°｡⋆♡ 𝓀ℯ𝓃𝓃ℯ𝒹𝓎

The rarely serious Isaiah tends to be very serious when it comes to his confidence in me.

She's one hell of a lucky woman, and I'm so jealous to be existing rn. But Isaiah is equally lucky because ken is so badass yet vulnerable at the same time. She ran eight fucking blocks in the rain because she didn't want isaiah to be alone during the storms😩, encouraged him to not hide his emotions, shared everything with him. They were so fucking in sync with each other, I felt like a 3rd wheel reading about them. She reminded me a lot of Indy, another fav girl of mine. But really kudos to ken for not giving into Isaiah, she's got some balls because I would be lying if I said, I wasn't questioning her resolve like girl, how are you not able to give in to him?😭

“And it doesn’t bother you that I can’t really stand you most of the
time?” There’s a playful glint in his brown eyes. “I think that’s what I like most about you.”

Ken was very much relatable as well, the perfectionist syndrome and trying to make a name for her in a male dominated field, ik how that feels and I absolutely loved tf outta her confidence and professionalism. One thing about Liz, she sure as fuck knows her way with passionate fmc's who's existence/worth prominently revolve around their career than men. She was also super delusional, jesus woman how could you not see that the man is undeniably and immensely in love with you? 💀And it's not just a stupid crush, but honestly can't blame for thinking so when you've got someone like Isaiah fucking rhodes by your side, realistically worshipping the ground you walk on! Reverse grumpy x sunshine never fails, she glares he grins and I melt into a puddle🤌🏻. And most importantly, he fell first but she fell just as harder!

°｡⋆♡ 𝔬𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔰


I honestly started this book for ken but Isaiah won me over along the way, I'd legit put him on par with Ryan and dare I say he pulled the obsessed trope better than any other windy city man? 🤭Liz, I see what you did there 👀 making us hate Isaiah and then working your "the right move" magic. My most fav part about her books are the wholesome cameos, I teared up at kai's retirement speech plus we got ryanindy crumbs too, couldn't ask for more.

Usually, Cr's don't work for me, I'm more of a dark reader but if there's someone who makes me fawn over the genre, it's Liz. Queen really left no crumbs with this one. Also trav x natalie? Hmm but I have a feeling it's going to be another isaiahken anyways the next book is rio's and I'm so so freaking excited, love that man. Second chance romance for rio? Or childhoold friends to lovers? Idc ik it's gonna be angsty and I'm fucking sat here. 🧎🏻‍♀️


°｡⋆♡ ℴ𝓉𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝒻𝒶𝓋 𝓈ℯℊ𝓂ℯ𝓃𝓉𝓈


‧₊˚🖇️ 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐼𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑎ℎ 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑎 𝑏𝑖𝑔, 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑎𝑡. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑡 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑖’𝑠.𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒. 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑦 𝑎𝑚 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑦?

‧₊˚🖇️ "𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘢𝘩, 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

‧₊˚🖇️ 𝐺𝑜 𝑖𝑛, 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑖𝑔 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒’𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑙—” 𝐻𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓. 𝑀𝑦 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑔𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. “𝐿𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ, 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢,” ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑠. “𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝐼 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ, 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢"
“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ, 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒?” “𝐺𝑜𝑑, 𝑠𝑜 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ.”

‧₊˚🖇️ I𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼’𝑚 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑜𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒. 𝐼 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑎 𝑏𝑖𝑔 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑠.

‧₊˚🖇️ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 . . .” 𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑓. “𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙, 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼’𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑡.”

‧₊˚🖇️ I’𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑛𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼’𝑚 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒’𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑚.

[Gry ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ★'s
Starting off I need to acknowledge that their favourite colors are complementary colors; Yellow and Purple. 🥹 “These combinations bring out the best in each other by making their complement more vibrant or noticeable.” (Source: Interaction Design Foundation)
I think that fact speaks so much for who Isaiah and Kennedy are in themselves and to each other.
Them getting to know one another, showing each other parts they themselves perceive as weaknesses but the other see as a thing of beauty, art, something to love and cherish. It’s such a pure and wonderful story of love, finding security in yourself but being brave enough to lean on others. I'm really glad I got to take part of it.

✧“Isaiah motherfucking Rhodes. What happened to the guys’ night you were so adamant about?”
“Fate happened.”✧

Isaiah mf-ing Rhodes really is that man. The one that always has a smile on his face, that no one can say a singular bad word about(try it I dare you) and he is helplessly in love. I love love, and I especially love seeing Isaiah in love and so down bad for his girl. I want him to get all the love in the world, and I loved seeing Kennedy fall for his charm and see the genuineness in his actions.

Miss Kennedy Kay, she doesn't know love, has never expected it and when it hit her, it hit her hard. Isaiah's patience and understanding with her truly stole my heart away. Even though they are total opposites in many ways, they do complement each other so well.

✧“His words are pleading for me to not think of him any differently, but this version of Isaiah, vulnerable and honest… it is different. It’s the most attractive he’s ever been to me.”✧

Another part I truly love about this series is how I still get fed tidbits from the other couples. I'm a full-fledged Kai & Miller girlie, and my heart was so full seeing their family, hearing Kai's words about them, as well as seeing Kenny & Isaiah interact with them. (I'm not yet over that speech. You'll find me and Isaiah sobbing in the women's restroom together.)

✧“I don’t let people see my weaknesses either Isaiah. But still you know all of them.”
“There’s nothing weak about you, Kenny. You’re just a perfectionist who doesn’t see how perfect she already is.”✧

As this one is a fan favourite I do want to preface this with the fact that I still very much enjoyed it. ✋😳🤚
However I must say I missed some of the banter we saw between them in Caught Up.:( I loved seeing the deeper, more serious side to Isaiah and his relationship with Kennedy but I at times felt like the tone was a bit too solemn and would've benefitted by some more fun, light-hearted ones. Especially with Isaiah as one of the main characters. I'm unsure if Liz didn't want him to continue to play that role with us. If so, I'm happy for him, but I still feel like more banter could've been incorporated somehow.
The second reason as to why this isn't getting the full five star is how uneven the love felt. I understand it took Kennedy much longer to recognise what an amazing man she has in Isaiah, and eventually fall for him. But as a certified Isaiah lover, it hurt me seeing him hurt by her lack of caution in dealing with his emotions. Whilst she did show her love in ways, I wish she would've been even more vocal about it.

All in all, beautiful book, beautiful characters. I do understand why you all love this man so much.
💛💜💛💜💛💜💛💜💛💜💛💜

✧“You always tell me to do what feels good, and I’ve never felt better than when I’m with you.”✧

Windy City #1 - Mile High Review
Windy City #2 - The Right Move Review
Windy City #3 - Caught Up Review
Windy City #4 - Play Along Review
__________
⌞Pre-read:⌝

I know Isaiah and Kennedy are gonna have me giggling and kicking my feet in this.
ngl I am also so excited for any Kai & Miller crumbs I can get🤭

[aleerless · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fictional man written by a woman never disappoints

[Destiney Bomberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone give Liz her flowers because yeah, she really did do that!! THIS WAS EVERYTHING I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED!!! The way this put me in a chokehold from the beginning and held me hostage until the minute I put it down. OBSESSED!! Shame on me for ever doubting that Isaiah and Kennedy’s romance story would be anything short of pure perfection!

This delivered in every aspect!!! Liz quite literally plated up a steamy pipping hot romance story between two people that gave tension, banter, SPICE, emotional vulnerability, raw and tender moment then said “DINNER IS SERVED” and let me tell you, I was well fed, the best version of girl dinner if I’ve seen it.

But seriously Isaiah gave Kennedy the love this girl freaking deserved from the very start and he showed up time and time again, our green flag king!! He is truly the sweetest most softest tender hearted man known to human kind, truly Ryan Shay standards. Also Kennedy, ugh my heart was weeping for her! She was such a strong + independent woman and seeing her finally receive the treatment she deserved got me teary eyed! These two have both been through it and are honestly two puzzle pieces finally finding each other!

You are probably like girl shut up, get to the point!
POINT IS I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
Also please I’m excited for rio, but are we getting redacted?? Cause I’m so down!!!

[Ri ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Thanks for marrying me, baby.”
“It was the best mistake I ever made.”

I live, laugh, love Isaiah Rhodes and Kennedy Rhodes.

Liz Tomforde not only write romance stories but she writes hopeful romance stories. Her stories always has a realistic and positive approach. She has this power to immerse her readers in her easy and effortless narrative that makes you feel all the emotions vividly and enlightening my heart inside out. I love how her characters always feel real to me, like if I google Rhodes brother I will them with all their athletic profiles, pictures and all.

I had qualms before reading Play Along because of my impression of Isaiah Rhodes in Caught Up but I regret thinking he was just a playboy because it was like me questioning Liz's capabilty of writing green flags and Isaiah is just everything. One of the best fictional man I have ever read. I can seriously not choose between Ryan and Rhodes brothers because how can I when they all are perfect gentlemen who knows how to love their woman in a way they deserve to be loved.

“I married the girl I’ve been obsessed with for years.”

The plot for Isaiah and Kennedy's love story was perfect. An accidental drunk marriage in Vegas turned marriage of convenience? I devoured every moment of it. The romance was a perfect slow-burn with sexual tension and undeniable emotional intimacy that was palpable throughout the story. Kennedy and Isaiah's chemistry was off the charts and it's been a while since I felt all those butterflies in my stomach while reading a romance story. The spice was immaculate with all the sweet little details that usually authors miss but Liz Tomforde knows how to write best spice scenes! She never misses.

“I’ve never, not once, been looked at the way my husband looks at me. Wanted. Important. Devastating to his life plans.”

➸ Kennedy Rhodes the woman you are. She is a complex character with flaws and imperfections trying to maintain her image of perfectionist, trying her best to make a name of herself in this men dominant field. Kennedy is the antipode of Isaiah. She was vulnerable and lonely at first in this book and never felt enough because people around her made sure of that for years and so much of it is why she felt so real and relatable to me. She exudes confidence and resilience and is a badass with her comebacks and I love how she kept Isaiah on his toes for years. She always does her best to prove her self-worth to everyone around her but Isaiah loves her for who she is and that's the most amazing thing in this book. She asked and accepted help from him when she needed and I loved how they introduced and explored intimacy together in their newfound frienship.

“This is different from that hug. That felt like I was someone’s friend. This feels like I’m someone’s everything.”


➸ Isaiah Rhodes is the definition of man obsessed trope. Now a reformed playboy with his singular focus on his wife he's obsessed with for years. It felt refreshing to see various facets of him that he rarely shows to anyone. He smiles, jokes, always tries to be the life of the party but real Isaiah Rhodes is just a man who is sensitive, sweet, kind and thoughtful of everyone in his life. I fell for him instantaneously in this book. His confidence and assertiveness that was weird to me in Caught Up is what made me love him in this book. How he was so devoted and attentive of Kennedy for years, just waiting for the right time to prove her what he is in reality. This man worships the ground she walks on, loves her in all the quiet and loud ways. How obsessed a man can be with a girl if he believes in fate, signs and just anything that proves him Kennedy and him are meant to be? That's Isaiah Rhodes for you. He can literally and figuratively have me on my knees.

“The way you look in that dress . . .” I shake my head in disbelief. “You look like you’re going to say something a little bit evil, break my heart, and I’ll end up thanking you for it.”


: ̗̀➛ Isaiah and Kennedy

“She was cute.”
“She’s not you.”

Isaiah and Kennedy's story is everything I crave in a romance. They have palpable sexual tension, flirty banter and stifling intensity and the slow-burn build up was just chef's kiss. The romance was a perfect balance of heartfelt and vulnerable moments and I loved how they slowly wormed their way in each other's heart by communicating their feelings to one another, broke all the barriers that separated them and cherished the vulnerable and flawed parts all the same way... like the other person is the human embodiment of perfection. The way these two love each so intensely with admiration and affection is everything.

“Have I told you lately how much I dislike you?”
“Mmm,” he hums. “I should warn you, Ken, I like it when you’re mean. It does something to me.”

Isaiah with his unwavering commitment, support and patience for Kennedy showed her her importance and significance in his life and how she just makes everything better for him. She was his light in the dark. Isaiah truly let go of his outside facade when he is with her. He let her in even when he was in a vulnerable state and it was just beautiful to watch them truly see each other and how they revealed their fears and insecurities to each other because they just trusted each other before they even properly began their realtionship. I was so emotional and head over heels everytime Isaiah did these little things for her. How he made her feel comfortable with him with his little touches and how he just knew what she needed because he's just perfect like that.

“I remember every single thing about you, Kenny. In case you haven’t figured it out already, you’re my favorite subject to study.”

The ending was everything I needed. It was perfect and the epilogue have all my heart. Perfect for Isaiah and Kennedy but it was perfect for Kai and Miller as well. To see Rhodes brother build a family is the highlight of my year.

I know Rio's book is last but Monty deserves his own book with Reese. I smell a delicious workplace enemies to lovers with age-gap and I can't just let it go.

“I live, laugh, love you.”
“You live, laugh, love me?” “God, so fucking much.”

———————
I live, laugh, love Isaiah Rhodes 🧎🏽‍♀️ rtc
———————
i need more of liz tomforde and her fictional men 😗 also so ready for isaiah and kennedy and their drunken marriage accident in vegas 🤭

[sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

what’s stopping men from becoming isaiah rhodes