PLAY HARD is book five in L.P. Maxa's Devil's Share series about a close group of friends and band members. PLAY HARD works as a stand-alone novel, but reading PLAY NICE first will give the reader more insight into the dynamic between Luke and his longstanding affection for his friend Lexi. Drummer extraordinaire Luke Matthews is nursing his broken heart in Costa Rica. Unrequited love is difficult to get past, especially since the object of his affection was his best friend, and now the wife of his band's lead singer. In PLAY HARD, Luke shakes off his melancholy and becomes a hero worth fighting for.

Fans of the Devil's Share books have been longing to see Luke get his own happily ever after since he was first introduced. Harlow Davis is quick-witted and immediately acts as a perfect foil for Luke when they first meet on a plane. Wealthy in her own right, Harlow isn't impressed by his wealth or celebrity status. It's not long before Harlow has Luke thoroughly captivated, attracted, generally tied up in knots, and distracting him from thoughts of Lexi. The teasing and sexy flirtation between Luke and Harlow is fun and ratchets up the sexual tension exponentially. I love stories with pretend romances, so I was happy when Luke propositioned Harlow to be his temporary fake girlfriend. I like that money was not a factor in the arrangement, since Harlow has money of her own. The romance gets hotter as Luke and Harlow get to know each other better.

Lexi makes a cunning and persistent cupid in her efforts to keep Luke and Harlow together, even as she suspects the initial romance was fake. Luke's bandmates are endearing in their unfailing support of Luke and Harlow, as well as each other. As with other books in this series, I like how there's never any huge conflict between the hero and heroine. Any conflicts come from circumstances that arise over the course of the story, or from other characters. There's no real barrier to Luke and Harlow being together, but the heart of the story is all about them getting there.

PLAY HARD is about a quick-witted heroine, a rock star looking for a connection, and the fireworks that happen when they meet. Having read about Luke in previous books, the reader is able to get a refreshing look at the character when seen through newcomer Harlow's eyes. I look forward to the next book by L.P. Maxa.