Book Review, Coming Soon, Romance Review

ARC Review: Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Levelheaded Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at an exclusive lifestyle club.

There, she meets unknown-to-her NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask—he’s there to celebrate his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.

Unfortunately, Francesca realizes quickly that her masked prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Getting tangled up with a shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs right now, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her (not that she’s his type anyway).

But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve…a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?


I loved Tuck in Ronan and Nova’s story and knew his story would be good. He’s a great character but Francesca stole the show here. She’s so strong and independent, having taken care of herself all her life. Until she met her friends, she never had a family or anyone to depend on. She’s initially annoyed to realize Tuck is the mysterious stranger with whom she shared the best night of her life but the more time they spend together, the more he grows on her.

A family is the last thing Tuck wants. His childhood was too scarred and he’s still tortured by his family’s dark truths.  I received an ARC from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. But he knows he’s falling for Francesca, no matter how hard he tries to resist. He also knows she has a secret and Francesca knows she’s running out of time to fess up, but she wants to hold onto him just a little longer, knowing she’ll lose him when the truth comes out.

This is a story about the family you choose and not letting the past define you. It’s sweet and a tad emotional but the ending is well worth it. Now I’m waiting for Jasper’s story and hoping we get it soon. I received an ARC from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.

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