Garrett Lowry is a divorce attorney who's ready to settle down. The problem is that he can't find a woman who suits him nearly as well as the one he loved and lost. He broke her heart by playing the field after their breakup - something he's always regretted. But after months of pining for Blair, Garrett stumbles across her in a freak coincidence, and then destiny keeps throwing them together. He's convinced it's a sign that they should give their love a second chance. Can Garrett convince Blair that a player once isn't a player forever and that happy endings aren't just for dreamers?
©2015 Denise Grover Swank (P)2015 Tantor
Blair Hansen has life and relationships all figured out. After seeing the devastation that her mother went through when her cheating father abandoned them with nothing, and after helping her broken-hearted clients seek justice from the men who were supposed to love and honor them, Blair knows that romantic love only leads to heartache. She herself had a first hand experience with that kind of loss five years ago in law school. Garrett Lowry, the only man she had ever loved, broke up with her after a fight and the very next day began sleeping his way around campus. Their strong fiery love left her in ashes while the scoundrel seemed to have no problem moving on. Nope, she was done with romantic emotional messy love. Blair Hansen was going to be practical. That's why she was marrying Neil. While she had no sizzling chemistry with Neil, their relationship was convenient, practical and economical. Neil was a doctor who valued his career, he was easy to get along with, independent and not requiring much of her time - and most importantly he was safe. There was no change he could break her heart if she never gave it to him to begin with.
While Garrett Lowry loves his family, he has no interest in attending the wedding of his pompous, jerk of a cousin until his grandmothers demands he be one of the groomsmen. However much he can't stand his cousin, he'd be hard pressed to say no to his ornery yet loving grandmother who he's been close to since childhood. After a feud between his mother and her sister gets out of hand, Garrett's grandmother requires him to attend to help keep the piece. Garrett expects a tough weekend of family events with his sharp tongued aunt and cousin, but what he never expects is to know the bride. When the bride turns out to be the only woman he's ever loved, the one who still haunts his dreams at night and still holds residence in his heart, he knows he can't let her marry a man of such ill character as Neil. He was a fool to let her go in law school, and there's no way he'll make the same mistake twice, especially when he notices how unhappy Blaire seems with Neil. He must find a way to stop the wedding. He must find a way to win Blaire back.
Neil, however, is not one to be outdone. He's chosen to marry Blaire for his own gain and besting his cousin only makes his marrying her all the more sweet. He plans to win Blaire as his bride no matter who gets hurt in the process.
The story is a page turner right from the very beginning! After an initial glimpse of Blaire in The Substitute, it's great to see her softer side as the heroine of The Player. While she may project a cool exterior, fire runs through her blood whenever Garrett is near. Their chemistry is electrifying and you can't help but cheer for Garrett as he battles his cousin to win Blaire's heart. The cast of characters is entertaining and they are well done. The romance is excellent. The story is gripping.
I listened to the audio version by Shannon McManus who did an excellent job portrayed the characters, the dialogue, and the emotion in this novel. Definitely a great read from start to finish!
Narrated by: Shannon McManus
Length: 9hrs and 32 mins
Series: Wedding Pact, Book 2
Release Date: 10/07/2015
Publisher: Tantor Audio