Blog Tour + Review + Excerpt | The Punk and the Plaything (When Rivals Play #3) by B.B. Reid -->
The Punk and The Plaything, the third romantic standalone in the When Rivals Play series by B.B. Reid, is LIVE!
SERIES: When Rivals Play #3
AUTHOR: B.B. Reid
GENRE: New Adult / Second Chance Romance
RELEASE DATE: December 9, 2019
Never trust a nice ass and a smile. That girl is definitely poison.
When I first came to Blackwood Keep, I was just looking for a thrill.
Instead, I found a beautiful fraud—a tomboy my wildest dreams couldn’t conjure.
Bee didn’t just run with boys; she ran the boys. It was only a matter of time before I gave chase.
It took one summer for me to win her over and two to lose her forever.
My summer love turned ice queen. Without heart or thought, she ruined me.
Four years and an ocean between us, I still can’t forget that she chose my cousin…so I won’t.
Are the When Rivals Play books standalone?
Each novel depicts a different and completely unique romance. However, the stories and their plots are connected. It’s recommended that you read them in order for the full reading experience.
It is strongly advised that you read The Peer and the Puppet and The Moth and the Flame before reading The Punk and the Plaything. Content suitable for ages 18+.
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⭐️ 4.5 Stars ⭐️
To say I was excited about The Punk and the Plaything would be an understatement. I’ve been so eager for this story since meeting Jameson Buchanan and Barbette Montgomery in The Peer and the Puppett. There was always something powerful brewing between those two in the previous novels that had me so intrigued. B.B. Reid captivated me with this third book in the When Rivals Play series. The angst, heartbreak and humour are so well merged making this read addictive!
Jamie with his wittiness and sexy innuendos is so interesting and charming. He had me laughing and rolling my eyes at his flow of one-liners. Under all this carefree attitude though, it’s evident he’s still hurting from Bee’s treatment. I enjoyed discovering gradually through flashback chapters the way their relationship started and turned sour. Even if he can’t forgive the girl, it’s easy to see he’s so not over her!
Barbette! I wasn’t expecting that heroine! We only knew her so far as the queen Bee of their high school with her arrogance, but she’s so not that petty girl. She’s truly down to earth and only living a life of appearances under her family’s thumb. It was quite sad to see her being a pawn for her father and mother. Her personality is so much like Four. She’s a rebel at heart! I enjoyed discovering her past with the boys (Ever, Vaughn, Jamie), where she’s part of the gang.
Jamie and Bee’s relationship in the now progresses beautifully. Their resentful feelings create so much angst, but their love and attraction only make their reunion inevitable. They’re just amazing together!!!
Why not a five-star review? Well, my little disappointment comes from the lack of resolution happening with the Exiled. There’s not a lot mentioned, so needless to say this story isn’t as suspenseful as the others. Otherwise, The Punk and the Plaything is exactly the kind of story I enjoy on the characters’ development aspect. B.B. Reid certainly made the anticipation for the final installment so real! I love this cast of this series so much! Tyra and Vaughn will surely have an intense story to tell!
** ARC received in exchange for an honest review **
“Well, isn’t this the most delicious surprise.”
My head confirmed what my eyes were showing me, but my stubborn heart still refused to believe. Jamie was back from Ireland? Why hadn’t Ever told me? Neither of those answers seemed to matter as much as why Jamie was back.
The short sleeves of the button up he wore were rolled and bunched at the shoulders, displaying the muscles he’d grown since I’d last seen him four years ago. The white cotton only pronounced his tanned skin. He’d left the buttons undone, allowing anyone who laid eyes on him to see his hard chest and defined abs…and the many tattoos that covered them. Most of them were angry and aggressive, almost scary as if he were showing off his demons for anyone to see. Recalling my sweet Jamie from long ago, and what happened the last time I’d seen him, I knew I was responsible for every one of them.
Gone was the gentle boy next door with a full mop of hair, a lanky body, and an easy smile. This boy standing before me was darker, edgier…more tragic to my lonely, fragile heart. Was that yearning burning in the pit of my stomach or fear of the unknown? Because I didn’t know this Jamie, and judging by the wicked gleam in his eyes as he flashed that mocking grin, I didn’t want to know.
“What the hell are you doing back here?”
“Is that any way to greet your first love? I got to say”—his gaze slowly traced every dip and curve of my body—“I love how well you’ve grown up, Bette.”
“First love?” I scoffed, even though it felt like he’d stolen my breath. “You were hardly that.”
“Then what was I?” he challenged, backing me against the opposite wall. “I’m breathless to hear more of your lies.”
“You were nothing.”
He flashed me that sad, beautiful smile I hadn’t realized I’d missed so much. I stood perfectly still as his wolfish gaze ate me up. As close as he stood now, he wouldn’t miss a single fucking flaw. There were many, but no one dared looked close enough to see. I might as well have been Medusa. As he ran his gaze over me, I took the time to study him as well, noting the silver bar piercing his right brow and the small diamond in his right nostril. I could have sworn I’d even glimpse a flash of metal piercing his nipples. Jamie had taken all that sinful deliciousness he naturally possessed and multiplied it by ten thousand. As if the world didn’t already have enough injustices.
“You're so beautiful. Did it hurt?” He kept his gaze on me as he turned his head and blew out smoke.
“Did what hurt?” I could feel the heat from Jamie’s cigarette when he defiantly brushed his thumb across my bottom lip. To Jamie’s knowledge, I belonged to his cousin now, but he clearly didn’t give a damn.
“When you fell from heaven, Satan.”
I slapped his hand away while telling myself to get a grip. Jamie might have surprised me, but he was nothing I couldn’t handle. “Get lost, Jameson.”
Tapping the end of his cigarette, he sprinkled ash onto my designer blouse. A piece of the flame had fallen, burning through the sheer material, scorching my skin. Before now, I’d never thought Jamie capable of hurting me. The truth was now so blatantly blazed into our history that it could never be unwritten.
Without warning, he pressed closer until I could see nothing but the angry blackness of his eyes. “I’m afraid I’m not going anywhere. By the time I’m done with you, Barbette Montgomery, you’ll be crawling back to me… but I doubt I’ll want my cousin’s sloppy thirds.”
“I wouldn’t hold your breath.” I wasted little time pushing him away. Tragically, the moment my hand connected with his warm skin, the electricity threatening to make my broken heart beat again became too obvious to ignore. I tried to run from it, but some inexplicable need to seal our fate had me spinning on my heel to face him again. “Better yet, Jameson, do us both the favor, won’t you?”
WHEN RIVALS PLAY SERIES
Book #1
The Peer and the Puppet
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Book #2
The Moth and the Flame
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Book #2.5: Evermore
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
B.B. REID
B.B. Reid is a bestselling author of new adult romance. She grew up the only daughter and middle child in a small town in North Carolina. After graduating with a Bachelors in Finance, she started her career at an investment research firm while continuing to serve in the National Guard. She currently resides in Charlotte with her moody cat and enjoys collecting Chuck Taylors and binge-eating chocolate.
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