The Player

Oh it was so good! One little thing that I didn’t like, but I devoured the rest. I s was pleasantly surprised by this book and warren. Kept me on my toes And hoping for more.

I’m going to read everything this author puts out.The only reason this book didn’t get 5 stars is because the plot twist came out of left field, there was no hint that something was wrong. And I’m not sure how I truly felt about not even having a hint that there would be this type of plot twist.Second I didn’t like how the first 50% of the book he was only about hooking up with her. He didn’t seem to have any real feelings for her until after they hooked up.

I started my Claire Contrares journey with Until I Get You and I have fallen down a rabbit hole now with The Player! Warren was so flirtatious the entire book and it had me smiling from ear to ear the entire time. My only reason for not rating this one a 5/5 was because it didn’t have a lot of spice to it in comparison to Until I Get You but I still loved this book just the same! Claire is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors and I am excited to fill my bookshelf with her books!

This Soccer romance was definitely not what I was expecting but it was so well done. The characters in this book were great. I loved the surprise twist, I didn't see it coming. The parts of this book that were written out of the country are wonderful. The couple's chemistry was brilliant. Would definitely recommend.

I haven't read anything yet that can top this book... it's top on my list...you will enjoy it!

Trope: sports romance, comes from different worldsSlow burn level: 47%Heroine lives in a poorer neighborhood in New York. She lives in a small apartment, in a building that will be torn down. She goes to a meeting to advocate for the tenants. This is unlike her, she is usually shy and reserved. She works at a non profit and bartends for fun and to help a friend. She is admired by guys and doesn't realize. She appreciates the small things and lives in the moment.Hero is a pro soccer athlete, plays in Europe and is rich, comes from money. He visits new York after many years away, to visit his ailing father and to check on his investments. One investment is the building project where heroine lives. He is instantly enamored with her and is pulled towards her.She keeps turning down his advances. So a little chase is involved. Jealousy (hero towards guys around heroine).Hero keeps a secret which causes the crisis to the storylineGood chemistryHEA (no pregnancy)Trigger Warnings: none

Claire somehow nails the boy who is obsessed and falls first without making it too cheesy. And the Audio of this is perfection!!! Highly recommend.

Okay I loved this book. Warren was just a big softy. He used to be a player but the moment he saw Camila it was game over. I loved how their stories intertwined. Big fan of this author!

Camile meets Warren when she goes to a meeting about her apartment block. The residents have been told they are being evicted with no place to go and she is furious, she also hates the Belmonte family for what they did to her father. Warren is an investor and when his eyes catch Camile, he wants her in his bed. He is the rich, handsome, arrogant footballer and he normally gets what he wants. Camile is chased by him but she holds him at arms length insisting that they can only be friends. Warren is enthralled by her and eventually he gets the girl but he has to return to his team in England. He persuades her to visit but he isnt very good to her whilst she is there. She finds out who his father is and wants nothing more to do with him. Her trust is broken and Warren cannot loose her. Really good read from this author. Its a nice length to get to grips with the characters and I will look for her other books.

Ok, first of all, how about that cover?! For real. It just screams hotness. BUT that was the exact reason I was being swayed AWAY from it. Sure I like a good romance, but I love a good story and development of characters even more and for that very reason, I don't need a body on the front of romance books. But knowing the caliber of Claire's writing, I knew I was going to read the book. I've loved all of her other books and so I knew this story would at least be a well written one. What I wasn't expecting to see was the balance between the characters and their levels of angst and emotions, love and likability and everything in between.Warren War Zone Silva is the equivalent of a David Beckham in terms of soccer stardom. He is hot. He is tattooed. He is cocky and he gets what he wants. He is untamed perfection. And that's what we like to read in a bad boy right? Who will be the one to tame him? But that's not all he is. He is not the young buck anymore, and perhaps he is looking for something more from his life. Life can be empty, even when you are on top.Then there is Camila. The girl from the wrong side of the tracks in NYC with all the good looks and does everything right in her community. She is a voice within that community, although it is a quiet voice. She gives and gives without taking or even without recognition. She just wants to make other lives better. But when will it be time for her? What could go right or wrong when these two total opposites collide? Maybe when these 2 meet, they can give what each other has been searching for.This sweet story made me fall head over heals for Warren. Yes he is cocky, but to see him develop, change and see things through a different set of eyes had me laughing and even crying a little bit."We carried our stories so tight that we become suffocated with them, and more often than not, the person right beside us is suffering in the same silence we are."2 total opposites coming together make for a fun, sweet and lovable story. I loved that Camila didn't back down, but also she gave into what she needed. She hadn't done that for herself in so long. But the journey getting there was the best part. "Chasing the moments" all made sense. The ups, the downs, the fight within the two spirited people. Loved it!"To love is to put your own feelings aside for the benefit of another."4.5 smoldering stars

“Life is short. We’re only here to chase moments. I’d rather make those moments worthwhile.”OK simply put I LOVED this amazing, beautiful story!!! This is the first book I read by Claire Contreras although I have so many of her other books on my Kindle so I am definitely going to check out her other books very, very soon!!!.“He was untamed perfection.”Here we have Warren Silva as the oh so HOT "The Player" who has been known to play with many women both on and off the field of soccer. But when he meets Camila Avila he just wanted to score a goal with her alone. Oh my Warren.....who would have thought I would have loved the name "War" as in Warren the soccer player ("football" in Manchester) but WOW. He pursued Camila Avila after countless rejections but finally captured her heart. Camila was a strong, funny, down to earth, no nonsense, sensible girl....my kind of girl.... but could these two really be together with Camila living in New York and Warren living and playing in England?? They were a match made in heaven but so many obstacles stood in their way to finding true love. You definitely have to read this to explore the beautiful, difficult yet amazing journey Warren and Camila were set on. You will understand the true meaning of determination, trust, compromise, patience, acceptance, forgiveness but most of all love.“I'd give up my career to chase moments with the right woman.”I appreciate a good story where the main characters teach each other about different things in life about "needs" and "wants" and what is truly important in life. It is nice to see that they are not changing each other yet seeing things from different perspectives. Claire does this through her brilliant story telling. I love Claire's writing....it is simple yet powerful at the same time. I felt all the characters in this story especially the lust, the love, the relationship between Warren and Camila. She introduces us to their families and friends which gives us an understanding to their sense of belonging and their family values and the ties to them. It was so nice to see this as family is so important. Well done and Congratulations to Claire for creating a "War" Zone we all want to play in!!!

If you are a fan of Sporty Hotties , sexy footballers (soccer not NFL), romantic gestures and incredibly intense chemistry between a hot man and a beautiful woman, you should absolutely check this book out.Warren Silva is a famous (mainly in Europe) footballer who has it all and he knows it. He is arrogant, driven and hell bent on getting what he wants. And he wants Camila.I'm glad I saw the 'good' side of Warren first- not including the prologue which was a brilliant start- because when he returned to the UK I did not like him much at all on occasion. He did redeem himself and at points afterwards I felt great sympathy for him but it was an uphill path to liking him again. He seemed like a totally different person in the USA to the UK.Camila was a really loveable heroine. Sweet but not saccharine. She is so likeable and people warm to her easily. Warren is absolutely captivated by her and it's easy to see why.I did find I got a bit lost with some of the finer intricacies of the plot sometimes. It felt like the story jumped about a bit in regard to the secondary characters especially. It felt like I'd missed something pivotal somewhere. That said, the way the connection between Warren and Camila is written is beautifully spellbinding.This was a really enjoyable read with a good balance of angst, drama, humour, sass and sexy.Lots of sex and swearing so recommend over 18's only.HEA? YesCheating? No

Wow, this was an incredible book. I love the characters and I love that parts of it took place in my country. We love our footie here. Can't wait to read more books by the author.