By: Amy Andrews
Recommendation: 👍👍👍👍👍 - (Out of 5 👍)
Synopsis: Ronan Dempsey is a young American playing rugby in Australia for the Sydney Smoke. He's a favorite with the ladies and is an admitted player but lately he has been off his rugby game. The team has a number of must win games coming up so Ronan needs to buckle down and eliminate the distractions. He decides to take a vow of celibacy until the season is over. His teammates do not think he can go without sex so Ronan ups the odds, betting each of them one hundred dollars.
For the past three years, Orla Stewart has lived a clean, healthy lifestyle. This includes her own vow of celibacy, or at least some warped version of it. In her younger years she had had a carefree attitude, living life on the edge, partying as if each day was her last. Tragic losses in her family led her to see how important it is to maintain a healthy body. To elevate her life philosophy, she uses her talent as a tattoo artist to create art over scars and disfigurements, giving back an element of control to those who have encountered tragedy.
When Ronan's building is evacuated due to cracks in the foundation, he is offered the opportunity to stay in a friends pool house, the same pool house attached to the home Orla house sits for. The amount of sexual energy between the couple is off the charts making it difficult for two 'celebrate' people to contain themselves.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
'Playing It Tough' hit me so hard in so many ways. My ability to relate to Orla on multiple levels was overwhelming. What she has gone through in life is not my exact story but having my own surgical scars and disfigurements helped me to understand how she feels about her body image and the distance she places between herself and others. To take things to another level, I lost my own mother to cancer and the fear that cancer could happen to me is real. Ronan's ability to empathize with Orla's situation and except her as she is makes him a most beautiful human being. His level of selfless is unfortunately a rare trait in today's society. Orla taking her tattoo skills and applying them in a way to make others feel beautiful despite their scars is beyond amazing. She makes beautiful art with her beautiful soul. This story moved me. I highly recommend picking up 'Playing It Tough' and getting to learn Orla and Ronan's wonderful story.
You can buy 'Playing It Tough' starting April 17, 2023 or it is available for pre-order.
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