Book: The Wrong Playbook by Bree Hayden
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4.5/5
The Wrong Playbook by Bree Hayden
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
I can't believe I hadn't come across Bree Hayden before now. The Wrong Playbook has everything I love: a deeply yearning hero, a multifaceted heroine, fantastic banter, and enough heat to raise the temperature in the room.
Tallulah is such a fantastic character. Her entire life, she's been seen as dependable and a little meek, but she doesn't want to be confined to those labels. She has a very healthy sexual curiosity (get it, succubus!!—IYKYK) and isn't afraid to stand up for the people she loves. She's constantly underestimated by those around her, especially her parents and ex-boyfriend, who have boxed her into someone she's not. That's why it melted my heart that Nick sees all of her and believes in her completely. Honestly, Tallulah is the biggest badass in the book, and I loved her for it.
And Nick? He is the most yearning, down-bad man to ever exist. He is completely obsessed with Tallulah and willing to put himself through absolute hell just to be with her. Yes, he keeps secrets, but they're born out of love rather than selfishness. He's terrified of scaring her away with the depth of his feelings. Show me another college-aged man who invents an entire dating bucket list just to spend more time with his crush... I'll wait.
Together, Tallulah and Nick are everything. They're incredibly vulnerable with each other and learn to understand one another in a way that feels intimate and earned. I also have to shout out the anxiety representation. Tallulah is one of the most accurate portrayals of anxiety I've read in romance. Nick recognizes what she's experiencing almost immediately and does everything he can to help ease it—not by trying to fix her, but by reassuring her and giving her exactly what she needs in those moments. It was beautiful to read.
And the spice? Hot and emotional. Aftercare talks? YES!!
The Wrong Playbook is the third book in the For the Arena series. It works perfectly well as a standalone, but I'll definitely be going back to read the first two books.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC!