ARC Review - The Punk and the Plaything (When Rivals Play, #3) By B.B. Reid

Title: The Punk and the Plaything 

Author: B.B. Reid

Genre: Romance. Highschool/New Adult
Rating: ☕️☕️☕️ 3.7
Release Date: December 9'th, 2020

Page Length: 372

Blurb:

Never trust a nice ass and a smile. That girl is definitely poison.
When I first came to Blackwood Keep, I was just looking for a thrill.
Instead, I found a beautiful fraud—a tomboy my wildest dreams couldn’t conjure.
Bee didn’t just run with boys; she ran the boys. It was only a matter of time before I gave chase.
It took one summer for me to win her over and two to lose her forever.
My summer love turned ice queen. Without heart or thought, she ruined me.

Four years and an ocean between us, I still can’t forget that she chose my cousin…so I won’t.
When the clock strikes twelve, you’re mine, Cinderella.
It’s too late to turn back time.

Jameson and Barbette's story.

Are the When Rivals Play books standalone?

Each novel depicts a unique romance; however, the plots connect. It's recommended that you read them in order for the best experience. 

Review:

This was a really hard one for me to rate and review. I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series. Ever and Four started my love for these books, and Wren and Lou were everything! And through both of these books we get to see a lot of Jamie and Bee. I loved Jamie and was super excited for his book, but sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to. 

I started off really enjoying the beginning of the book. I liked the tension and angst going on. The further I got in however, It just didn't feel like the same characters to me. 

"I had only one heart, Bee, and I gave it to you. It was right there in your palm, and you fucking broke it."

I really liked Jamie from the previous books, and we don't really get to know Bee a whole lot until The Punk and the Plaything, but there were certain scenes where they didn't really feel like the same characters to me. It was mostly in the last half of the book that I stared to feel this about them. 

And the story overall just didn't grip me the way that her writing usually does. 

It just didn't have that gripping element to it, that the other two books had. I did enjoy the first half, but if I'm being honest, I really struggled to finish it. Finishing about the last 15% was really difficult.

Don't get me wrong, I love B.B. Reids writing, and I am still really excited for Vaughns book, but The Punk and the Plaything was just really missing something for me. 

*ARC received from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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- Danielle