Denise Grover Swank did it again. The Player, the second book in The Wedding Pact series won me over hands down.
I must admit I was a bit unsure whether I’d like this book or not. I didn’t mention this in my review for The Substitute (the first book in the series), but Blair, the heroine of this book was portrayed as such a despicable, skeptic BITCH who was full bent-on stopping Megan’s wedding and her portrayal frustrated me so much. So I think my concerns and hesitation about this book was legitimate. I wasn’t sure if I would even enjoy this book as much as I did the previous book.
But it didn’t take me long to realize that I might have been wrong. The writing is as brisk and crisp as the last one, and the characters are all fleshed out and vivid. Their emotions and the energy are literally leaping off the page, kept me on the edge of my seat til the end.
That said though, I had some slight issues with this book especially with the characterization of Blair and the whole ‘grabbing the second chance’ thing.
Let’s take one thing at a time – first, about Blair. She is portrayed as a very smart, independent woman who could come across quite confrontational and aggressive. Her marriage to Neil is only 5 days ahead but her marriage is not your-typical ‘cannot wait to be together’ type of thing. It even seems like a well-calculated one which puts the convenience and stability before ‘love’ and ‘passion’ which should be fundamental to any romantic relationships. She is kind of cynical and jaded in many ways yet she displays her vulnerability and insecurities when it comes to romance – especially when Garrett is involved.
Of course, it stands to reason and understandable given he is the one who broke her heart 5 years ago, but her agitation over the sight of him and her adamant (frustratingly adamant and obstinate) denial in ‘love’ in particular, didn’t sit well with me. It came across a bit too much and too contrived even considering the circumstances Blair was in when she broke up with Garrett.
Could we be so hopeless and cynical towards love for just one heartbreak?? Wouldn’t we be a bit more willing to give ‘love’ a second chance?
That was my first niggle about this book.
Secondly, the rekindle of love on Garrett’s side. When he encounters Blair after 5 years since their breakup, he was as broken-hearted as Blair was and despite the numerous attempts to find his true love. He hang out with dozens of women after Blair but none of them sufficed to sate his hunger. He couldn’t get Blair out of his mind and he kept pining for her.
Nonetheless, his pledge and resolution to win her back seemed to arrive a bit too early on for my liking.
Granted, he is emotionally agitated at the sight of the love of his life and he ends up seeing her more than once in 24 hours – he is most likely to put it down to kismet and take his chances – but to me, it came across a bit hasty and I think it would have sat better with me had the progression been a bit slower.
Neither of them was such a big deal though; I must say I was completely hooked and impatient to move on after 70% mark of this book.
Trust me, the plot thickens (really thickens) and so many things happen in the latter part of the book. Some of the twists are predictable and I could see what was coming from miles away, yet I still had my emotions messed up by this book. The last several chapters are simply brilliant, it’s like a whirlwind. I was literally running my hand through my hair with frustration and agitation, shouting at the total dochebag, and grinning from ear to ear by the denouement. (Yes, you can expect a happy-ending. We all need it sometimes, don’t we?)
Some scenes are slightly over the top, but I think you can brush them off (and I did).
Just like the previous book, this book is not all about love and lust-driven romance. It’s got friendship, mother-daughter moments and the importance of trust. I appreciate the way all those elements were interwoven with the storyline, giving a bit more depth to this book.
The title is also clever. Although it is a singular noun, but in my opinion, there are at least 3 players in this book and Blair, oh, Blair. I ended up in awe of her. She’s a real kick-butt heroine. Not physically, but she’s smart as a tack. I adore this side of her.
To put it in a nutshell, I enjoyed this book as much as I did the last book.
The narrator, Shannon McManus did an amazing job and breathed life into the characters, making them even more vibrant and vivid.
If you enjoyed The Substitute, this book won’t disappoint you. Even if you disliked Blair as much as I did, just give this book a chance and pick it up. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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![The Player: A second chance wedding romantic comedy (The Wedding Pact Book 2) by [Denise Grover Swank]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51sYJ4fEfiL._SY346_.jpg)
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