Plays Well with Others

De: Lauren Blakely

Narrado por: Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon

Am I fake dating my best friend? Hear me out....

So I'm throwing myself a breakup party, a glittery fete where I envision I'll lift a glass and celebrate being free and single again. What I actually do: drink too much champagne and blurt out to my best guy friend that I'd really like to get back on the horse. But what I truly don't expect is Carter's answer—he volunteers as tribute.

With his sinful brown eyes and too-good-to-be-true body, it'd be no hardship for me to say yes, though I certainly don't want him to feel obligated to, um, service me, just because my failed, loveless marriage was an s-e-x desert.

But since the charming and confident pro football star owes five public dates to his dating-app sponsor, we make a deal to help each other out. Pretty soon, our public how-to-date lessons turn into, ahem, very private ones. And I'm a star student, graduating quickly from flirty banter and lingering looks to toe-curling, sheet-grabbing, mind-blowing hours of physical education.

The problem? Turns out learning to date again feels a lot like the real thing. Can our friendship withstand all these late-night bedroom sessions? Especially since I'm suddenly longing for my best friend, and there's nothing fake about my feelings...

©2023 Lauren Blakely Books (P)2025 Lauren Blakely Books

Carter is a dirty talking teddy bear! Love him!

When Rachel returns home after a very tough breakup with her cheating husband, she heads back home to be near her friends and family. Her best friend Carter, a professional football player, gives her all the support and silliness she needs. And her girlfriends are also wonderful. When Carter has to fulfill his obligation of documenting his dates with a team sponsor who manages a dating app—even though his girlfriend dumped him before the dates were completed—he and Rachel have the great idea to help each other out. He can honor his date mandates, and she can get her confidence back and ready herself for dating after her divorce. Yes, they’re best friends, but what they don’t expect is for the dates to go as well as they are. The dates expand to a limited time friends-with-benefits situation. Quietly, they admit (only to themselves) to feeling certain things about each other. But it doesn’t mean anything, and their friendship is more important than a one-sided crush on their best friend.

Even though you already know the ending, I love how Lauren Blakely takes you on this wonderful journey of a strong friendship evolving into more. The chemistry between Carter and Rachel was off the charts. Carter has quite the dirty tongue, and I loved every minute of it. After both of them dealing with their breakups separately, it definitely affected how they wanted their next relationship to be. Because there was already so much love and respect for each other, Carter and Rachel made the best lovers, then something much more.

In her books, Lauren sometimes drops something about a character that is something people are dealing with in their own lives, sometimes quietly, sometimes not. Even though it’s important to the character, you aren’t given a heavy topic to deal with in addition to the couple finding their way to an HEA, but enough that people recognize what’s being discussed. No spoilers on it, but I really admired how it was handled and seamlessly woven into the tale.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and Lauren doesn’t disappoint. Teddy Hamilton and Erin Mallon did a wonderful job narrating, and they make a great duo.

Carter and Rachel

𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬, 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙮 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙬. 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡.

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 is the second book in the How to Date series by Lauren Blakely, which is Carter and Rachel's story.

Carter and Rachel are best friends and are both done with dating after some bad luck. So when Carter needs to fulfil a contract obligation about dating, he asks Rachel to help him. A few nude accidents and a few confessions later, Carter and Rachel move out of the friend zone into more, and as the dates start to dwindle, Carter needs to figure out how to keep Rachel as more than a friend.

Carter and Rachel are fun, flirty and smoking hot together, making me wish I could have what they have with each other. I loved how they moved from best friends to lovers so seamlessly that it never became awkward between them. I always love getting glimpses of other characters as it gives mini updates about them.

Audio... Teddy Hamilton and Erin Mallon do a great job bringing the characters and story to life.

Get ready for...

🏈 Sports (Football)
🩷 Best Friends
🏈 He Falls First
🩷 Fake Dating
🏈 Cinnamon Roll Hero
🩷 First-Person, Dual POV

Content... Disability (ADHD)

4 Maple Leafs | 4 Flames

Cute Friends to Lovers

This was a fun and steamy friend's to lovers story! I love the balance of Carter and Rachel's friendship and their budding romance. I really enjoyed how their romance just feels like natural extension of their friendship and not an awkward or forced thing. I loved seeing how Carter treats Rachel, especially in the heels of what her ex has done to her. I really enjoyed seeing her be treated how someone should be in a relationship. Was a great read!

KNOCK OUT

Again Lauren has knocked it out of the park. I say it's my favorite but she just keeps making hits.

Hot book

Good Story line with real like people. 👍 hot and sexy book . Read bygrear readers.

Another winner! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My goto author for just the right amount of romance and comedy, sprinkled with low levels of angst. Loved Carter and Rachel’s story. Two characters who have made appearances in several other stories, finally get their own HEA. Best friends who have lasted through seeing each survive their own bad relationships, step out of the friend zone.

Delightful best friends romance

These characters are so likable- except for the exs. Carter is a football player with adhd. Having family members with this I recognized the behaviors and the strategies to cope with it. Thankfully this is incorporated beautifully into the character and while not a main focus of the story it is written about accurately and with dignity.
Rachel is recovering from a terrible betrayal by her ex husband and comes home to be with her friends including her best male friend Carter. She learns to trust again when Carter gives her dating lessons. An old trope but fun. The dialogue is witty and the characters have personality. A very pleasant romance or a light hearted read and worth a credit or a sale purchase.

Great series

Makes me laugh and cry, and puts me in a good mood. Cannot wait to read rest of series and learn more about the other characters

Very touching

I loved Carter what a sweet person. I love the connection as friends they had. I liked it a lot.

Became uninteresting...DNF

Couldn't take Erin Mallon's unrealistic narration. Teddy was great. Story was o.k. may finish later.