Play by Kylie Scott 4/5 stars

I am the kind of person that enjoys organization to a fault which would explain why I find the categorical arrangement of romance novels so appealing. In the mood for something super- hot? Try erotica. You like your men buff and badass? Go with an MC story. Stressing over your unpaid bills and need a Cinderella fix? Billionaire romance is your ticket. Lately, I’ve been on the road with a few bikers but my smartphone alerted me that a very special book I have been looking forward to was available for download: Play by Kylie Scott. This is the story of Malcolm Ericson, the drummer for Stage Dive. I have been looking forward to this release for a few months now after reading Lick.

The appropriately named Play introduces us to Anne Rollins, a down on her luck bookstore cashier that lives in Portland, who is inextricably linked to the Stage Dive band through six degrees of separation (actually it is more like two but whatever). Anne meets Mal when she is in need of money and he is in need of a fake girlfriend. In Lick, we discover that Mal is playful, too playful to a fault. His antics can diffuse or incite any drama that ensues between his bandmates. In Play, Mal’s whimsy is endearing and frustrating. On the one hand, what woman wouldn’t want a very sexy and amusing man intruding on her life and taking away all of her financial problems in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend? Sounds enticing but of course there are issues that plague these two. Although it is never directly stated, Mal is obviously suffering from manic depression which is a problem that Anne has faced with her mother. Mal is dealing with his own demons in a destructive manner and Anne is insistent on helping him (this is what Mal refers to as her being a doormat, which ironically is how he easily invades her life by moving in with her, unannounced).

Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. I am certain that I enjoyed Mal and Anne’s story more than David and Evelyn’s romance. I find Mal to be more appealing, he is imaginative and impulsive where David is too brooding and moody. Mal has the sexiest and funniest dialogue, at one point telling Anne “Whatever you’re imagining, it’s bigger.” This is a definitive quote of Mal’s personality; he is much bigger and better. Although at times he is childish, he is worth the read. Mal’s antics make me look forward to reading the next story in the series: Lead.