Manhandled

Winner Takes All, Book 5

By: L. Blakely, Lauren Blakely

Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan

Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

My buddies made me do it. I swear.

I didn’t plan to bid big on a date with my baseball player best friend at the auction. But he looked really good in that tailored suit, and I can't resist a dare.

The media jumps all over the story–the city’s new quarterback nabs a date with the bigshot star shortstop.

Not so fast–we’re just friends.

Until we hit the links for the strictly platonic date I won. Suddenly, I'm looking at my silver-tongued, devilishly handsome best bud in a whole new light–and it’s dark and dirty.

We cross way over the friendship line at my place that night, but in the morning we agree it can’t happen again. Trouble is, we can’t keep our hands off each other, especially not when we’re stuck in the same hotel room at our friend’s wedding.

But Tanner wants a real relationship, and I’m only serious about football. So when my second season as a starter begins next week, our late-night games (and talks, and sleepovers, and morning coffees) will have to end.

Except, as the cutoff looms closer, I’m feeling a whole lot more than friendship, and that’s a big problem for my career....

Don't miss this red-hot friends-to-lovers, only-one-bed-in-the-room MM sports romance from NYT best seller Lauren Blakely!

©2023 Lauren Blakley Books (P)2023 Lauren Blakley Books

It’s hot in here🥵

I swear each one of Winner Takes All gets hotter & hotter…Luke & Tanner are scorching! Can’t get much better than two hot af besties who realize they are much better as more🥵

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🎧

Another HIT!

It started out as friends and a Bid and it turned into so much more than either of them could have hoped for.

I just loved the whole story. I liked that they were friends before, I liked that they had their own careers and that they were both so supportive of each other. The chemistry is crazy wild and can’t be tamed once it was unleashed even if they wanted it to be.

The communication and putting your heart on the line never gets old even if it is the hard thing to do.

The narration is fabulous as a huge Teddy fan he never disappoints 💕. Jacob is great as always.

Outstanding!!!

Brilliantly written. The performance we have come to expect from Teddy and Jacob. this is an outstanding addition to this hot, hot, Hot, series. definitely added to my return to listen too lists.

Soooo Good!!!

As always this is another incredible story. The narrators are awesome too. Can’t wait for the next from this trio of artist (author & narrators).

WOW

Hot! Hot!Hot! I really liked the dynamic of best friends to lovers. Everyone should be so lucky as to have their spouse as their best friend.

I want more please

I love love love these books. They are all well written and touching with happily ever after. I hope there is more to come.

Good story. Great narration.

I am a sucker for a friends to lovers romance, and this one was a bit sweet and a bit ridiculous. The narrators added some flavor to the sweetness, and I enjoyed every minute.

It all starts with a dare...

What started out as a fun dare got sexy pretty darn fast. Luke and Tanner are long-time friends who are also neighbors. They constantly love to dare each other to do silly things. There’s an attraction between them that they try to deny, but it's way too strong. Things get real during the auction that puts things in motion. I was so heartbroken for both Tanner and Luke. Luke, for thinking he isn't worth much with the situation with his team and Tanner who puts his heart on the line and gets it broken all in one go. I literally bawled after the wedding.
Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton are an absolute dream to listen to. They're so good at all of the humor and emotions that Lauren Blakely writes into every story.

Love This Series.

I wish this particular book was longer. I feel there was much more story to be told, but the author took it short, predictable and sweet. I much prefer Lauren’s MM books than her M/F books. Hopefully we’ll see more of that genre.
Performances were fantastic as usual!!!

I didn’t want this series to end!

The entire Winner Takes All series was just so amazing and it ended so perfectly. This story is so sweet and funny and just filled with all the feels you come to know and love from Lauren Blakely. Tanner and Luke are a perfect friends to lovers tale with those bumps along the way that jolt your heart into a moment of panic but ultimately smooth with a classic Blakely HEA. Speaking of classic Blakely, her narration choices are always magnificent. Jeddy is just so good and the compliment each other so well. Their depiction of their characters really carry over to the listener. Read this series, it’s just phenomenal!!

Couldn’t stop listening, so good!

Another winner in this amazing series! I just couldn’t stop listening to Manhandled, I had to know what was happening between Tanner and Luke. Their banter is the best, and their love so clear. They’re great together, making me swoon and grin the whole book through. It was great to have all the guys in one place together as well, I love it when other characters pop into their friends’ stories!

Definitely listen to the audio if you can, Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton lifted this story to another level! Go read this book if you’re looking for a great, steamy, friends to lovers sports romance!

Tanner & Luke

Manhandled is a great friends to steamy lovers story.
Tanner and Luke have great friend chemistry but when a dare (such a manly thing) is called they finally understand that their great chemistry isn’t just in a great friends kind of way. It’s also scorching hot!!!
Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan bring Tanner and Luke to life with all the feels and sizzling smex scenes.

Manhandled is like a warm hug

Manhandled can be read as a standalone. It’s the fifth and final book in the Winning Takes All series.

I like the friends to lovers trope and this one's a gem. Manhandled is like a warm hug, full of bubbly joy and everything that makes you smile. It’s the ultimate bromance that intensifies into romance.

Luke is a total dare devil who struggles to be vulnerable, I love how protective he is of Tanner, even before they get together. Luke and Tanner were all kinds of sappy, romantic, friends-to-lovers, perfection that caught all the happy feels. Plus one of Luke’s cats - End Zone - is absolutely adorable.

Tanner and Luke take temptation up a notch. Their connection is so intense it threatens to drown out everything that crosses it's path. What ensues is a romance that grabs you by the heart and refuses to let go. Manhandled is a fire that will not be tamed. Spicy has found it's heart.

Jacob Morgan (Luke) and Teddy Hamilton (Tanner) dual narrate, bringing the romance, and all their struggles to life. Utter perfection.

I love the cameos (however small) of Jason & Beck; Bryan & Sebastian; Zane & Maddox; Gunnar & Rafe.

This book made me laugh, swoon and left me wanting more.

Plot: 📚📚📚📚📚
Character rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Feels: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Writing style: 🖊🖊🖊🖊
Narration by Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕