Title: Playing Hard to Get
Series: Playing With Hearts
Author: Ellie Isaacson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Ex-Military, Fashion Designer, Friends to Lovers
Release Date: June 10, 2021
I've wanted Mitch since the day we met.But the broody ex-Marine was the one man I could never have.
I'm not a girl who believes in fairytales. I'm no princess, and there's never going to be a handsome prince coming to my rescue.
I don't deserve it—not after all the hurt I caused.
So I tried to stay away, ran whenever he got too close. It wasn't enough.
Mitch wouldn't take no for an answer. He chased me until I gave in. Made me let go, break all my rules, and drop my defenses. He made me feel things I’d never felt before.
Our love was all consuming.
Our lives forever changed.
Are we finally ready to give up our hearts? Or will the wounds from our pasts continue to tear us apart?
Oh this book. So, like the first book, I struggled a bit with the leading lady but then I realized something. Isaacson has given us something so few authors do. Giving us a leading lady who isn’t the one working on the man, isn’t the one fighting for the relationship but fighting against it because she knows she has issues. Then I realized something even more… The reason I struggled is because I WAS THE SAME WAY! There were times I really wanted to smack Vivian but I could really understand why she was protecting herself and those she loves. Then you have Mitch who has his own demons but sees something Vivian and just could not walk away. There are some insane twists in this story that will make your heart race and your heart ache as well. I loved seeing both Mitch and Vivian grow in this story and their sizzling connection was off the charts. Now I am DYING to get my hands on Vinny’s story because I have so many questions!
Goodreads Review - “Playing Hard To Get is really good. Love the push/pull between Vivian and Mitch, the exciting suspense, and the emotional drama these two have.”
Paperbeautiful - “The book was emotional with both main character's trying to overcome issues in the past and had a bit of suspense to it as well.”
Goodreads Review - “This story is a great read and I would thoroughly recommend it.”
My eyes were on the floor in front of me, watching the twinkling lights along the baseboards as they guided my way. I was nearly in front of him before my mind picked up what my body already knew.
“You come to find me, darlin’?”
I stopped dead in the center of the hall. Mitch was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, foot tucked up behind him. Relaxed. Like he didn’t have a care in the world. I chanced a glance behind me, saw that I was out of the line of sight of everyone at the party, then gauged my ability to run in my four-inch heels. But no. My body dragged me forward as my mind screamed to go the other way.
“Mitch.” I stopped in front of him and flinched when his fingers glided across my cheek. “Where are your new girlfriends?” I asked, summoning some of that rage with the thought of Kimber’s hands on him.
He grinned. Wicked. God, he was gorgeous. “You jealous?”
I shrugged. A lie. “You can do whatever you want.”
“Yeah?” His hands were on my hips before the word was out of his mouth. “Whatever I want?”
“Mitch.” I grabbed his hands, making a feeble effort to rid my body of his touch. But I couldn’t. The pull was too strong. My hands rode the storm up his arms to his shoulders.
“What if I want you?”
“I can’t.” A whimper escaped my throat when his lips touched my jaw. It urged him on. “Please, don’t. I can’t control this.”
He stilled but didn’t pull away. His breath flitted across my neck, like waves lapping at the shore. “Let go, darlin’. Let me take control. Let me give you what you need.”
I forced myself away, leaned my back against the wall, putting distance between us. “I can’t do that to Frankie.”
“Stop worrying about Frankie,” he said, close to my ear. “Worry about Vivian. Worry about me, and how I make you feel. I want to make you come.”
A bitter laugh broke free. “In your dreams.” Definitely in mine.
“Give me a chance, Viv.” Mitch pulled back, pacing the four feet to the bathroom door and back. He leaned in close and his breath whispered across my face. “Give me one chance. If I don’t make you come, I’ll leave you alone.”
No. I didn’t want this. Didn’t want to be with him. Didn’t want to be without him.
The door to the bathroom opened. Mitch stepped back before the woman’s face cleared the door. I didn’t know her, but it was obvious Mitch had made her acquaintance. He nodded and gave her a smoldering smile. The blush across her cheeks was evident, even in the dim light in the hall, and my eyes followed her as she walked away, back to the party. Mitch’s finger hooked my hand, tugging my attention to him.
“One chance, darlin’.”
One chance. One last time with him before he left me alone. God, I wanted it and I didn’t. He took a step backward, toward the bathroom.
One chance.
Right here.
My body wouldn’t say no.
“You come to find me, darlin’?”
I stopped dead in the center of the hall. Mitch was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, foot tucked up behind him. Relaxed. Like he didn’t have a care in the world. I chanced a glance behind me, saw that I was out of the line of sight of everyone at the party, then gauged my ability to run in my four-inch heels. But no. My body dragged me forward as my mind screamed to go the other way.
“Mitch.” I stopped in front of him and flinched when his fingers glided across my cheek. “Where are your new girlfriends?” I asked, summoning some of that rage with the thought of Kimber’s hands on him.
He grinned. Wicked. God, he was gorgeous. “You jealous?”
I shrugged. A lie. “You can do whatever you want.”
“Yeah?” His hands were on my hips before the word was out of his mouth. “Whatever I want?”
“Mitch.” I grabbed his hands, making a feeble effort to rid my body of his touch. But I couldn’t. The pull was too strong. My hands rode the storm up his arms to his shoulders.
“What if I want you?”
“I can’t.” A whimper escaped my throat when his lips touched my jaw. It urged him on. “Please, don’t. I can’t control this.”
He stilled but didn’t pull away. His breath flitted across my neck, like waves lapping at the shore. “Let go, darlin’. Let me take control. Let me give you what you need.”
I forced myself away, leaned my back against the wall, putting distance between us. “I can’t do that to Frankie.”
“Stop worrying about Frankie,” he said, close to my ear. “Worry about Vivian. Worry about me, and how I make you feel. I want to make you come.”
A bitter laugh broke free. “In your dreams.” Definitely in mine.
“Give me a chance, Viv.” Mitch pulled back, pacing the four feet to the bathroom door and back. He leaned in close and his breath whispered across my face. “Give me one chance. If I don’t make you come, I’ll leave you alone.”
No. I didn’t want this. Didn’t want to be with him. Didn’t want to be without him.
The door to the bathroom opened. Mitch stepped back before the woman’s face cleared the door. I didn’t know her, but it was obvious Mitch had made her acquaintance. He nodded and gave her a smoldering smile. The blush across her cheeks was evident, even in the dim light in the hall, and my eyes followed her as she walked away, back to the party. Mitch’s finger hooked my hand, tugging my attention to him.
“One chance, darlin’.”
One chance. One last time with him before he left me alone. God, I wanted it and I didn’t. He took a step backward, toward the bathroom.
One chance.
Right here.
My body wouldn’t say no.
Ellie Isaacson has been an avid reader her whole life, but a couple years ago she had a dream that she just couldn't forget. She cultivated that dream and began writing, which became a dream of a different sort. Ellie is thrilled to be able to share her passion with her readers. As an accountant and an author, she slings numbers by day and words by night. She's also a wife and a mother of two amazing boys.
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