Playing for Keeps

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

“This is a laugh-out-loud story and one you won’t want to put down.”

—Fresh Fiction

“I loved all the aspects of this story. It was truly a great romance.”

—The Romance Studio
(5 stars)

“This is a fun, lighthearted frolic. . . . Fans will enjoy.”

—The Best Reviews

“Had me smiling like a loon . . . a delightful read.”

—Book Binge

“LuAnn McLane is a master at creating sensitive love stories . . . sweet, sinful, and utterly satisfying!”

—Romance Novel TV

 

 

“Each tale is low-keyed fun.”

—The Best Reviews

“A pure delight. . . . Ms. McLane is the queen of Southern, romantic comedy.”

—Manic Readers

“A lighthearted, quick read, steeped heavily in Southern-fried language and mannerisms . . . as satisfying as a frozen fruit pop on a hot, lazy summer day.”

—
San Francisco Book Review

“A hysterical, sexy, highly entertaining read!”

—Errant Dreams Reviews

“Funny . . . for a lazy day in the sun or for a great pickme-up.”

—Night Owl Reviews

 

 

“Macy and Luke are fabulous lead protagonists. They make this tale work as a deep yet humorous character study with a strong support cast.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“[McLane] has a knack for rollicking Southern romances and her newest is no exception.”

“[A] fun and flirty contemporary romance about grabbing that second chance.”

—Fresh Fiction

 

 

“[There’s] an infectious quality to the writing, and some great humor.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Sweet . . . a real Southern-fried treat.”

—
Booklist

“[A] quick-paced, action-packed, romantic romp . . . hilarious.”

—Romance Designs

 

 

“Lighthearted comedy and steamy romance combine to make this a delightful tale of a small town that takes Hollywood by storm.”

—Romance Junkies

“A hoot a minute. . . . LuAnn McLane shows her talent for tongue-in-cheek prose and situations . . . a winning tale not to be missed.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“A fun story filled with plenty of laughter, tears, and allout reading enjoyment.”

—Fallen Angel Reviews

“A fabulous story. . . . Get ready for a deliriously funny, passion-filled rumba in this book.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

“A fun small-town drama starring a delightful . . . lead couple and an eccentric but likable support cast.”

—The Best Reviews

“LuAnn McLane makes the pages sizzle. . . .
Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues
is one of the better romances out there this month.”

—Roundtable Reviews

 

 

“An endearing, sexy, romantic romp that sparkles with Southern charm!”

—Julia London

“This kudzu-covered love story is as hot as Texas Pete, and more fun than a county fair.”

—Karin Gillespie, author of
Dollar Daze

“A hoot! The pages fly in this sexy, hilarious romp.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“Charmingly entertaining . . . a truly pleasurable read.”

—
Romantic Times

 

 

“A collection of sensual, touching stories . . .
Wild Ride
is exactly that—a thrilling, exhilarating, sensual ride. I implore you to jump right in and hold on tight!”

—A Romance Review

“Amusing, lighthearted contemporary romances starring likable protagonists.”

—The Best Reviews

“Scintillating romance set against the backdrop of a tropical island paradise takes readers to new heights in this captivating collection of erotic novellas. The three tales are steamy and fast-paced, combining descriptive romance with creative love stories.”

—
Romantic Times
(4 stars)

“A solid collection. . . . For readers, it is a ride worth taking with these three couples.”

—Romance Reviews Today

 

 

“Bright, sexy, and very entertaining.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Lori Foster

“Spicy.”

—A Romance Review

“Superhot summer romance . . . a fun read, especially for fans of baseball and erotica. This one earns four of Cupid’s five arrows.”

—BellaOnline

“Funny, sexy, steamy . . . will keep you glued to the pages.”

—Fallen Angel Reviews

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES

 

EROTIC ROMANCES

“Hot Whisper” in
Wicked Wonderland
anthology
Driven by Desire
Love, Lust, and Pixie Dust
Hot Summer Nights
Wild Ride
Taking Care of Business

eISBN : 978-1-101-47745-8

SIGNET ECLIPSE

Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, March 2011

Copyright © LuAnn McLane, 2011

All rights reserved

 

SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

To Doug

Your unwavering support and encouragement means
the world to me. This is our year!

I would like to give heartfelt thanks to the editorial staff at New American Library. It takes a team to get a great book on the shelf, and I am grateful to each and every one of you. I especially want to extend a very special thanks to Jesse Feldman for keeping me on track and to Laura Cifelli for challenging me to grow and get better with each book. I truly appreciate your dedication and hard work. And, as always, thanks to my dear agent, Jenny Bent. You have believed in me from the beginning, and I can’t thank you enough. Finally, thank you to my readers. Your kind words keep my fingers on the keyboard.

W
ELCOME TO CRICKET CREEK, KENTUCKY, BIRTHPLACE OF NOAH FALCON, Noah read as he drove his red Corvette convertible past the city-limits sign. He had won several awards as a major-league relief pitcher, but this little bit of hometown recognition never failed to bring a smile to his face. Of course, he’d never dreamed he would be returning home to audition for the community theater. His life wasn’t exactly going as planned.

Noah’s smile faded as he turned onto Main Street. The once-thriving little town was all but deserted, even on a Saturday afternoon. Several of the shops had FOR LEASE Signs in the windows, and other storefronts were looking run-down.

He supposed that the sluggish economy had taken its toll on the small river town where the locals earned a living on charter boating and tourism. He guessed that here, like everywhere else, it was difficult for the local stores and restaurants to compete with nearby suburban chains. Some of the antiques shops had survived, and he smiled when he stopped at the red light and spotted Myra’s Diner, where he had consumed many a cherry Coke, double cheeseburger, and giant onion rings with his rowdy teammates after high school baseball games.