The Play (THE MCGREGOR BROTHERS)

Quotes of Note: "'Don't compare yourself to others, only to the person you were yesterday.'" - Page 46 "Privacy is everyone's given right, and the problem with the world today is the fact that everyone thinks they have a right to it, too." - Page 60 "'You only get one life. Well, two lives. the second one starts the moment you realize you only have one.'" - Page 134 "She's a riptide. I'm just a man without oars." - Page 151 "Everything is always more clear in the dark." - Page 186 "We could take time and stretch it between our fingers and spend an eternity in each other's arms." - Page 249 "'You're ruining me to the very ground, can't you see, but there's nothing else I want more than to be at your feet.'" - Page 470 Opinion: As always, Karina Halle knows just how to cut you to the core. I must admit, I had extremely high expectations before reading this book. Knowing Halle had felt such a special connection while writing, I expected excellence. In other words, I expected a leading man that could compete with Mateo, and a story that could hold its own against Love, In English. (For those of you that don't know, Love, In English is another novel by Halle. Mateo is the leading man in it, and he is arguably my favorite book boyfriend of all-time.) And I am so thrilled to say that The Play achieved both of those things; this book is Halle's new masterpiece, and Lachlan McGregor can hold his own against any man - whether fictional or real. I was most impressed by the poetic wording and the profound one-liners that Halle incorporated throughout the story. I tried to give a little taste in the Quotes of Note section of my review. I believe that in this way, Halle's writing has matured greatly - not that it was immature or unrefined to begin with. Far from it. But I did detect a seriousness and a soulfulness in this novel that I hadn't detected as deeply in any of her others. One thing that Halle has always been impeccable at is creating complicated and surprising characters. Lachlan and Kayla were no different in this case. Both characters were not only complicated and intriguing, but their faults often came as unexpected twists. As an aspiring writer, I love it when a story or a character surprises me. Perhaps that's why I enjoy reading novels by Karina Halle so much. Apart from their complications and their quirks, Lachlan and Kayla also had such depth. Whenever I review one of Halle's novels, I always comment on how realistic her characterization is. Her characters are so relatable. Whether it's Kayla's fear of love, or Lachlan's fear of abandonment, both characters experience worries and faults that any person can realistically empathize with. But I think my absolute favorite thing about the characters that Halle creates is how she is able to capture the feeling of being totally lost and at a loss for what to do about it. A lot of times that feeling translates into many different things; Kayla's unhappiness about her career choice, Lachlan's reliving of past nightmares, Kayla's grief, Lachlan's guilt, etc. In most novels within the Romance genre, everything seems to work out. But Halle creates a world that's more realistic. That isn't to say that things never work out. It just means that the characters don't always have everything figured out - even at the end. And above all else, I appreciate that because it's the truth. This is most definitely one of Halle's longer novels - if not the longest. Because of this, I was initially apprehensive about how the pacing would develop, but as always, Karina Halle rises to the challenge. I felt as if I were propelled through the story naturally. Halle also breaks up a lot of the intense moments with quite a few sexy and steamy ones. Those particular moments were exactly as I just described them - sexy and steamy. But I also think they were all perfectly placed. Another Romance novel trope is an overabundance of sex and a lack of a true storyline. But Karina Halle finds a perfect balance between both and created a story that captivates and a romance that entertains. It was truly a pleasure reading another beautiful novel by Karina Halle. I enjoyed The Play immensely, and I absolutely cannot wait to read The Lie (which releases in a month). I only wish I had read it sooner. After accepting two jobs within the last three months, I haven't had as much time to dedicate to my reading. But The Play was always at the very top of my TBR List, and I suggest you all put it at the top of yours as well. Overall, I give this a 4.5/5 star rating, only because I'm comparing it to my favorite book by Halle (Love, In English). Love, In English may be my favorite, but The Play comes in as a close second. Happy reading.

I really wanted to give this book five stars. Really. The story was great. It left me intrigued when I would put it down, waiting til the time that I was able to pick it back up again. There were moments of sadness, laughter, anger... all of the emotions you love to feel in a story. Lachlan, the hero, was troubled and sexy, brooding and loveable. I couldn't get enough of him. My heart broke for what he'd been through and swelled when he tried so hard to be the man that his woman needed. Kayla, the heroin, was sassy and funny. I like that she owned her sexuality and wasn't afraid to put all her attitude out there for the world to see, love it o hate it. What bothered me about her was that she came off as a little childish and whiney at times. It's a great thing to be strong and capable and ready to take life by the horns. But she complained a lot to herself about "what if love's not enough?" and "how am I supposed to deal with this?" and "I just don't know...." That started to bother me a bit. But that's not really why I felt I had to give this book four stars. What did it for me was that for the first 80% of the book, everything was really well written. Then it seemed as if the editing just kind of slacked off. There were wrong words, wrong word usage, missing words... not in every paragraph, but enough that it was noticeable. Plus most of the book there was talk about Kayla's four brothers. But in one spot, just one, it talked about her *5* brothers. That shouldn't have been overlooked. So for those complaints, I gave the book 4 stars. Did I like the story? Yes Would I recommend it? Yes Will I read it again? Maybe... if I can prepare and make myself overlook those few problems. Because they really get under my skin.

“Tell me what you want, love,” I tell her, my voice rough with lust. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give you what I have.” Stunning. Captivating. Breathtakingly Beautiful. Emotionally Consuming. These are a few words that comes to mind after reading THE PLAY by Karina Halle. There aren't enough words to describe how much I LOVE this book. Seriously, I loved loved loved L.O.V.E.D this book!!!! Hands down this book will make my list of favorite reads of 2015. I have read almost every book written from this author and I will continue to support her because Karina Halle has always been an author, who never fails to deliver the best literary creation. And she definitely did just that with THE PLAY. Karina delivered a story full of passion, heart, emotions, and raw characters. As a reader, you are immediately spellbound and consumed with her gorgeous prose. You can get easily lost with her words and storyline as she paints a vivid beautiful literary creation that can capture your heart and touch your soul. “He's probably the most stunning man I've ever laid eyes on, and I immediately want to rub myself all over his face. If that's not love, I don't know what is.” Just reading the prologue alone, I was already consumed with emotions and I knew immediately this book will hold me hostage. Yes, THE PLAY is considered a romance story but I think what made it stand out was how the characters were written. Lachlan McGregor and Kayla Moore were much more than two strangers falling in love. It was like two kindred spirits finally finding the person to complete the missing piece in their hearts, soul, and mind. I love getting lost in a book and being able to connect and feel for the characters. There is something the way, Ms. Halle held me hostage as I felt every fiber of mixed emotions, hurt, loneliness, pain, lost, and love coursing through Lachlan and Kayla. “Kayla…you’re my girl. You’re my beautiful world. And I’m whatever you want me to be, just as long as you know that I have never, ever felt this way about someone in my entire life.” He lowers his face, eyes focused intently on my lips. “I’m losing myself in you. Every day. And it’s the most wonderful, terrifying feeling in the world.” I honestly don't want to say much to spoil the storyline but I will just say this: Karina Halle DELIVERED. If you want a book brimming with passion, heat, sexiness, steam, and dirty talks, then this book has that and so much more. And if you want a story that is filled with raw emotions, tangible and palpable connections that can tug those heartstrings and hold you hostage then this is the book for you. The writing is flawless. The storyline is phenomenal. And lastly, this book is everything what I craved in a romance book. Thank you Karina Halle for once again gifting your fans and readers with another McGregor boy to love. ~Michelle of Four Chicks Flipping Pages

I have to start off by saying that I read many books by Karina Halle including The Pact, The Offer and now The Play and I have to say she has done it once again.....she has written an amazing, beautiful story between Lachlan (Linden and Bram's cousin from The Pact and The Offer) and Kayla (Stephanie and Nicola's friend from The Pact and The Play as well). This story had me in tears from the Prologue and I knew I couldn't put this book down. It made us understand how Lachlan's troubled and difficult life came to be and the struggles he faced every day until he meets the beautiful Kayla which only intensifies this remarkable story. This is a story of two people trying to find their way in life sometimes together and sometimes apart. Lachlan....just his name spills out sexiness and Kayla have this off the charts chemistry from day one. They are so good together, fun together, hot sexed for each other....which was sizzling by the way, so passionate for each other....everywhere (lol), so loving, so understanding until their pasts and demons catch up to them. Could their love withstand this, could they get through this.....together...apart??? This is what is worth the read how this beautiful, inspirational story evolves. Without giving too much away and reiterating the story, this amazing story has so many life lessons in it....how to love, how to like, how to let go, how to be compassionate and understanding, how to compromise, how to be there for one another, how to know when you need help for yourself and for the ones you love, how to pick up the pieces from the past and paste them together for a better future for yourself, for Lachlan, for Kayla and for both of them together. I really like stories where I could relate my own life to and this certainly has so many emotions and feels of a "real life" story. Everyone should experience this five star read and everyone has to experience the wonderful and beautiful writing of Karina Halle. This was not my first read by Karina Halle as I mentioned and it will never be by last. She is someone to watch out for and I will always be on the look out for her next beautiful read. Her stories will stay with you forever as I have discovered and the story of Lachlan and Kayla is one that will stay with you and one that will always be close to your heart.

Another gem in this fantastic series. Lachlans life & story was so heartbreaking. He partly made up for it by rehousing abandoned dogs. I liked Kayla the man eater from the previous stories & this showed another side to her. So let me say this is all oh so sad for both of them. The buildup & connection between these two is torturous but so well portrayed. I just felt like hugging Lachlan & telling him everything will be alright. He was like one big teddy bear. Kayla was a David taking on Goliath. Her story broke my heart too. This is one very emotional & loving read. I couldn't been more happy for this couple. Brilliant ! What more can I say.

THE PLAY est difficile à noter car d’un côté, nous reconnaissons que Karina Halle a un don pour bien écrire une romance sexy au rythme cohérent avec des personnages réalistes qui ont autant de défauts que de qualités. Le prologue était, par exemple, brillant et touchant. A la lecture de ce magnifique prologue, le lecteur a déjà le cœur brisé et ses attentes ne peuvent aller que crescendo. D’un autre côté, le livre s’avère très (trop?) long – le rythme est plus long et moins homogène – et l’histoire n’est pas aussi puissante que son introduction. En effet, nous démarrons en faisant connaissance avec Kayla, notre héroïne, qui – à l’image de Halle – est très drôle et provocatrice mais presque trop. Au point que nous l’avons trouvé excessive dans sa manière de parler des hommes et des relations. L’auteur cherche à nous offrir une héroïne du 21ème siècle bien dans sa sexualité et en contrôle de sa vie de célibataire mais Kayla, au premier abord, est légèrement vulgaire et en fait trop. La première impression est déjà mauvaise. Ensuite, Lachlan, notre héro. Il a grandi pour devenir un homme fermé et silencieux. Malgré le premier coup d’œil dans le prologue qui nous attendrit, Lachlan adulte n’offre rien de profond dès le début à part un physique avantageux et un air de mystère. Passons le début et la suite consiste à lire une succession de scènes intimes très réussies mais vite monotones. Le lecteur a du mal à accrocher car THE PLAY manque de nuances. Bien que le rythme soit cohérent, la timeline de l’histoire est trop rapide pour être réaliste…ou est-ce notre cynisme qui nous convainc que ce serait impossible dans la vraie vie? Est-ce qu’un roman n’est pas une version romancée de la vie? Nous concéderons ce point à l’auteur. Le fait est que l’histoire décolle à environ 80% du livre où nous assistons à la première scène terrible et dure digne de ce que Halle fait de mieux entre nos deux personnages principaux. Lachlan devient vraiment le personnage multidimensionnel que l’on apprend à aimer et Kayla prend en maturité et finesse. THE PLAY se finit de manière prévisible après cela. L’intention est bonne, le livre divertissant mais pas assez accrocheur pour nous. Note finale : 3/5.

Me ha enamorado de principio a fin, maravillosamente construidos ambos personajes Lachlan y Kayla. Y además Lachlan está basado en mi actor favorito Tom Hardy ¿Qué más se puede pedir?

I haven't read anything by Karina Halle before and pre-ordered it because she donated $1 from every pre-order to a dog shelter. That wasn't the only reason as the blurb intrigued me. And I haven't been disappointed. I don't even know where to begin or what to say about it that would do it justice. This book leaves you thinking about your own life. It makes you think about what ifs and you see yourself in the main characters Kayla and Lachlan one way or another. Either you are at a point in your life where a change might be a good idea. But would you be brave enough to do it? Or do you battle demons from your past that still have you in a tight grip in the present without you even recognising it. Kayla seems to have a good life with great friends working at a newspaper. But things aren't like they seem. Her friends are all in a relationship so she's always the fifth. Her job doesn't satisfy her and she would even more love to write articles. All that is uncovered when Lachlan spends time with his cousins, Kaylas best friends men. Lachlan had a more than terrible childhood and youth. Be warned, the prologue had me in tears. Recovering from an injury the Rugby star tries to help out with a charity. A brooding man having a soft heart for charities? And who is he? Why doesn't he speak? And what is it about his love for stray dogs? The dogs play a viral part in the story and a lot of things leave you shaking your head. You want to cry for these poor babies. I really can't even say enough how much of an impact this book had on me. It's still in my mind and it took me days to even write a review! I can only highly recommend it! With all those deep feelings it brings to life, it also had those laughing and hot moments that left you a little breatheless.