What is “Heartless Player” by R.C. Stephens about?

Rebel

Notorious heartbreaker and handsome-as-sin hockey captain, Wolfe Judd is the golden boy on campus. He could have any girl he wants… and he wants me.

He sees beyond my surface. The way his stormy blue eyes watch me… I feel beautiful for the first time since my accident. Little by little, he tears down my walls, exposing a passion that leaves me breathless and a vulnerability that could leave me shattered.

But all my scars aren’t on the outside, and the ones inside whisper that a guy like him will never fall for a damaged girl like me. Turns out Wolfe is just as broken as I am. He might be a heartless player, but that won’t stop me from playing his game.

Wolfe

Rebel thinks she’s invisible, but I see her… even when she doesn’t want me to. Even when I wish I could get her out of my mind, because falling for her is a complication I can’t afford.

My reputation proceeds me, but Rebel is a game changer. And if I get too close, I’m afraid she’ll see right through me. Behind the person who my family and teammates expect me to be, to the person who’s been keeping secrets.

With every scorching touch, every unapologetic kiss, the rules change, and the truth unravels around us. If only we could go on living this lie, then I wouldn’t risk losing the only girl I’ve ever loved.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

This was the first book I ever read by R.C. Stephens, and I’m excited to read the rest of this series! I’m a sucker for new adult/college romances, especially anything that involves sports, so when I saw the opportunity to request an ARC of this one, I was all for it! (Special thanks to Grey’s Promotions for the early copy!) I think this is the first hockey romance I’ve read, but I’m sure that fans of Maya Hughes’ Kings of Rittenhouse series would enjoy this one. (It’s on my list to read — the audiobook is waiting for me!)

First of all, the names of our two main characters are totally unique and awesome. That’s not ridiculously important to the story, but something that I thought was really cool! The book is told in dual POV, from both Rebel’s and Wolfe’s perspectives.

Both Rebel and Wolfe have pretty close (but also complicated) relationships with their sisters — Wolfe has a younger sister, and Rebel has an older one. Their family dynamics play a big role in how they interact with the world around them, even when they aren’t around their family, and we get to see those relationships change (for the better) throughout the book.

We also get to meet Rebel and Wolfe’s best friends, who I think are the stars of the next book in the series — I’m excited for them to (hopefully) get their own story soon!

Rebel is going to school to become a professional sports physical therapist, which I thought was really cool. I really like her character, and how strong and independent she is. She definitely doesn’t let her limb loss slow her down, and I’d love to see interactions between her and Wolfe’s sister in a future book!

Overall, this was a good read, and I recommend it to anyone who likes new adult college sports romance! As with all new adult books, I recommend it to 17 or 18+ due to the sexual content.

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