I often wonder if an author can beat her last amazing novel. Well, Becka Mack does it again in the Playing For Keeps series with PLAY WITH ME. We are joyously reunited with some of our favorites from book one Consider Me as we continue to follow the tough hockey guys to meet their match. Of course, we are talking about women, not an opposing team of equally tough guys on the ice. Hockey is enormously popular in Canada and in some states. I’m from Pittsburgh, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Marty Straka, Alexei Kovalev. Just to name a few. Fierce rival of the Philadelphia Flyers. So this series speaks to me on so many levels.

Of course, PLAY WITH ME is about off-ice activities but the personalities are just as vibrant and real as the pros. Our season tickets were behind the players' families. So, we got to eye the parents along with the flavor of the month. Pure entertainment. Again, just like PLAY WITH ME.

What happens when people realize they have much in common? But both are not secure enough to actually venture into a relationship. Garrett and Jennie are the picture of this kind of non-couple. Their largest challenge is trust.

Garrett is a popular wealthy hockey star and with that comes an entourage of interested females. Jennie is a talented dancer with performance creds and the younger sister of Carter, the captain of the hockey team. Neither has been able to weather the disappointment of being targeted for these reasons and not as a pure love interest.

So it looks like the two of them have figured out a way to have fun with a person that attracts them without needing it to lead to an actual relationship and candidly keep it on the sly when it comes to Carter.

Becka Mack out does herself with the often-hysterical antics of Jennie and Garrett. Text shorthand moved up to an art form. Dialog is crisp, concise, and sassy as can be. Keep a fan handy. Can’t wait for the next installment of this series.