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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
tehteh25's review
5.0
The conclusion to be drawn from this series has to be that the Reynolds sisters love older men and inapropriate relationships. If Jackie couldn't run from her chemistry with her boss, Blair can't avoid the tension between her and the best-looking professor at her law school.
Gray isn't exactly a ray of sunshine. He's a ruthless, moody and somewhat arrogant professor who is traching only for a year in a bid to get his life back on track. Unfortunately, he seems hell-bent on making poor Blair, who enrolled after a series of scandals, including a wedding that never was, miserable by testing her costantly in class, to her despair. The tension is palpable, and when professor and student have to work together, something's gotta give.
Chanel Cleeton has this funny way of writing her her trilogies in crescendoes. In this case, I was seriously biting my nails to get my hands on this as soon as I finished the previous book, and it definitely did not disappint.
Blair and Gray have life esperiences and pasts that I don't think Will and Jackie had, and which gave this book more intense and emotional, even when there wasn't much character interaction. I also loved the fact that these characters were more complex, with more 'layers' to peel and a longer journey to take. I also appreciated the fact that, even with all the sexual tension, this story didn't feel like it was as much about sex.
I really doubt anything can beat the intensity of this one, but I'm already waiting for the last story in the trilogy!
Gray isn't exactly a ray of sunshine. He's a ruthless, moody and somewhat arrogant professor who is traching only for a year in a bid to get his life back on track. Unfortunately, he seems hell-bent on making poor Blair, who enrolled after a series of scandals, including a wedding that never was, miserable by testing her costantly in class, to her despair. The tension is palpable, and when professor and student have to work together, something's gotta give.
Chanel Cleeton has this funny way of writing her her trilogies in crescendoes. In this case, I was seriously biting my nails to get my hands on this as soon as I finished the previous book, and it definitely did not disappint.
Blair and Gray have life esperiences and pasts that I don't think Will and Jackie had, and which gave this book more intense and emotional, even when there wasn't much character interaction. I also loved the fact that these characters were more complex, with more 'layers' to peel and a longer journey to take. I also appreciated the fact that, even with all the sexual tension, this story didn't feel like it was as much about sex.
I really doubt anything can beat the intensity of this one, but I'm already waiting for the last story in the trilogy!
sharonsm_28's review
4.0
March 2021 4 Star Review:
This was an enjoyable read. This was my second time reading this book and I actually really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were great. I do still wish I got more development about their pasts. However, I thought Gray was a complex character. He is not the cold person that he perceived to be and it is interesting to see how Blair and his love for her changes who he is. I saw a vulnerable side to him and I am happy about that. Blair was my favourite. I love how she fought for her love for Gray and how resilient she was. She goes after what she wants and I am happy that she did not give up on him. Their romance was great. I thought they were meant to be, and the ending was so cute. Overall, a great read.
October 2015 3 Star Review:
This was a decent read. The student-teacher relationship in this book was good. However, I wish I knew more about the characters and their backgrounds.
Gray is the Torts Law professor at Hannover. He is starting over, so that he can make up for the mistakes he made when he was living in Chicago as a lawyer. He is charming, smart, and funny.
Blair is his student. She is the daughter of Senator Reynolds. She was engaged and dumped at the altar. I felt bad for her. However, as the book went on, she was becoming an interesting character. She is smart, pretty, and sassy.
I felt the book did drag in some places. It made me put the book down as well. I am happy that they got their HEA. Overall, an okay read.
This was an enjoyable read. This was my second time reading this book and I actually really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were great. I do still wish I got more development about their pasts. However, I thought Gray was a complex character. He is not the cold person that he perceived to be and it is interesting to see how Blair and his love for her changes who he is. I saw a vulnerable side to him and I am happy about that. Blair was my favourite. I love how she fought for her love for Gray and how resilient she was. She goes after what she wants and I am happy that she did not give up on him. Their romance was great. I thought they were meant to be, and the ending was so cute. Overall, a great read.
October 2015 3 Star Review:
This was a decent read. The student-teacher relationship in this book was good. However, I wish I knew more about the characters and their backgrounds.
Gray is the Torts Law professor at Hannover. He is starting over, so that he can make up for the mistakes he made when he was living in Chicago as a lawyer. He is charming, smart, and funny.
Blair is his student. She is the daughter of Senator Reynolds. She was engaged and dumped at the altar. I felt bad for her. However, as the book went on, she was becoming an interesting character. She is smart, pretty, and sassy.
I felt the book did drag in some places. It made me put the book down as well. I am happy that they got their HEA. Overall, an okay read.
crystal1010's review
5.0
Loving this series, and these two characters are amazing! Blair is so much stronger than she thinks, and Gray is one amazing man! Can't wait for the next one :)
kelinek's review against another edition
5.0
'Playing with Trouble' is only the second book I've read by Chanel Cleeton and already I'm hooked. Much like with the first book I couldn't decide if I wanted to lock myself in a room so I could devour the entire book in one sitting or if I wanted to stretch out the book for days, savoring it little by little.
Everything about this book was perfect. The love/hate relationship Blair and Gray had at the beginning, followed by the blistering sexual tension once they started to get to know one another. Gray was such a great MC, he's a little damaged and rough around the edges but that makes the moments where he lets his guard down all the more swoon worthy. Blair's been used as a pawn for her father's political career her entire life and has finally decided to start taking ownership her future. I love watching her grow a backbone and start standing up for herself but this isn't to say she was a doormat before she was just too polite to ever say anything. I highly recommend this book to any romance lover.
Everything about this book was perfect. The love/hate relationship Blair and Gray had at the beginning, followed by the blistering sexual tension once they started to get to know one another. Gray was such a great MC, he's a little damaged and rough around the edges but that makes the moments where he lets his guard down all the more swoon worthy. Blair's been used as a pawn for her father's political career her entire life and has finally decided to start taking ownership her future. I love watching her grow a backbone and start standing up for herself but this isn't to say she was a doormat before she was just too polite to ever say anything. I highly recommend this book to any romance lover.
kimberlyfaye_reads's review
5.0
Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads.
Chanel Cleeton's Capital Confessions series is definitely near the top of my list of favorite adult contemporaries this year. I absolutely loved Flirting with Scandal when I read it a couple months ago. I've been saying for awhile that I need more books set in Washington, DC – in genres I enjoy reading – and Chanel has delivered BIG TIME with this series.
When Blair first appeared in Flirting with Scandal, I wasn't sure what to think of her. I knew she wasn't competition for Will's affection as far as Jackie was concerned, but I was still lukewarm to her. Of course, it wasn't long before I ended up really liking her character and really enjoying watching her step into her role as big sister for Jackie. I knew I wanted/needed her book. I couldn't wait to see her get a real chance at love after the drama of what was supposed to be her wedding day. The poor lady had been through a lot. I wanted to see her happy.
Oh, Graydon. You started out as such a grumpy, nasty guy. Underneath it all, however? There's a pretty great man. (And one with a seriously dirty mouth. Rawr.) I wasn't sure he could ever be the guy to make her happy – or, more importantly, that he would allow himself to be that person. He had a troubled past and had made his share of mistakes, but that really only endeared him further to me. He'd pulled himself out of that life and had obviously become a better man.
I really liked Blair and Graydon together. They had TONS of chemistry and the sexual tension was such that it could've been cut with a knife. I'm a sucker for a good forbidden romance and I've always enjoyed the student/teacher relationship dynamic. (Um, when it happens between consenting adults, naturally.) I liked how they pushed each other – her to make him realize that his past doesn't define his future and him to make her see she doesn't need to play the part of the "perfect" ... everything ... and that the real Blair is pretty damn amazing. There was maybe just a little more back and forth between them than I would've liked, but I understood why it was that way. Between the forbidden nature of their relationship and the issues from each of their pasts it made sense. I just wanted to see them happy together sooner rather than later. :)
Playing with Trouble was a fantastic addition to the Capital Confessions series. I love the setting and the characters and how everything is building towards what is going to be an incredible conclusion. I've loved watching the characters come together, whether it be romance, friendship or family ties. Each of the first two books have sucked me in and not let me go until long after I finished them. They're sweet and sexy with characters I can't get enough of. And, just to add something a little MORE, there's an underlying bit of mystery and drama with the girls and their relationship to their father – and the things he's involved in. So flipping good.
Fans of this series, beware. There is a teaser for Falling for Danger at the end of the book. It is BRUTAL and amazing and I was damn near in tears from reading just that little bit. I'm sad to see this series come to an end, but OH MY GOD I NEED THAT BOOK. It was already atop the list of my most-anticipated books of fall, but now it's pretty much smack dab in the top position. Something tells me the final book with be full of feels. I can't wait.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Chanel Cleeton's Capital Confessions series is definitely near the top of my list of favorite adult contemporaries this year. I absolutely loved Flirting with Scandal when I read it a couple months ago. I've been saying for awhile that I need more books set in Washington, DC – in genres I enjoy reading – and Chanel has delivered BIG TIME with this series.
When Blair first appeared in Flirting with Scandal, I wasn't sure what to think of her. I knew she wasn't competition for Will's affection as far as Jackie was concerned, but I was still lukewarm to her. Of course, it wasn't long before I ended up really liking her character and really enjoying watching her step into her role as big sister for Jackie. I knew I wanted/needed her book. I couldn't wait to see her get a real chance at love after the drama of what was supposed to be her wedding day. The poor lady had been through a lot. I wanted to see her happy.
Oh, Graydon. You started out as such a grumpy, nasty guy. Underneath it all, however? There's a pretty great man. (And one with a seriously dirty mouth. Rawr.) I wasn't sure he could ever be the guy to make her happy – or, more importantly, that he would allow himself to be that person. He had a troubled past and had made his share of mistakes, but that really only endeared him further to me. He'd pulled himself out of that life and had obviously become a better man.
I really liked Blair and Graydon together. They had TONS of chemistry and the sexual tension was such that it could've been cut with a knife. I'm a sucker for a good forbidden romance and I've always enjoyed the student/teacher relationship dynamic. (Um, when it happens between consenting adults, naturally.) I liked how they pushed each other – her to make him realize that his past doesn't define his future and him to make her see she doesn't need to play the part of the "perfect" ... everything ... and that the real Blair is pretty damn amazing. There was maybe just a little more back and forth between them than I would've liked, but I understood why it was that way. Between the forbidden nature of their relationship and the issues from each of their pasts it made sense. I just wanted to see them happy together sooner rather than later. :)
Playing with Trouble was a fantastic addition to the Capital Confessions series. I love the setting and the characters and how everything is building towards what is going to be an incredible conclusion. I've loved watching the characters come together, whether it be romance, friendship or family ties. Each of the first two books have sucked me in and not let me go until long after I finished them. They're sweet and sexy with characters I can't get enough of. And, just to add something a little MORE, there's an underlying bit of mystery and drama with the girls and their relationship to their father – and the things he's involved in. So flipping good.
Fans of this series, beware. There is a teaser for Falling for Danger at the end of the book. It is BRUTAL and amazing and I was damn near in tears from reading just that little bit. I'm sad to see this series come to an end, but OH MY GOD I NEED THAT BOOK. It was already atop the list of my most-anticipated books of fall, but now it's pretty much smack dab in the top position. Something tells me the final book with be full of feels. I can't wait.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
mlawlit's review
4.0
relentlesseliza's review
4.0
Title: Playing with Trouble
Series: Capital Confessions, #2
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Release date: 21st July, 2015
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Spoiler
Yes
Let it be said Chanel Cleeton is a woman well versed in the art of creating sexual tension. The Capital Confessions Series is one that has so far consistently gotten my vote. The first book in the series was such a surprising delight, it really wasn't a question of "if" I would read the follow up but rather how much stalking I would do in order to get my hands on it as soon as possible.
Playing with Trouble picks up in the aftermath of Blair Reynolds' wedding that never was. Although initially left humiliated she sees it as an opportunity to find herself, but rather ironically, at her parents insistence she enrols in law school. It isn't a subject that comes easily or naturally to her but as the daughter of a U.S. senator, image is everything and failure is not an option. To make matters worse she has a Professor from hell with a face from Heaven.
"It was the cruelest irony that the man I despised, the man who tortured me from the front of the classroom three days a week, was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever seen."
Professor Graydon Canter is a man who by the age of thirty had and lost it all. From his humble South Side beginnings he forged his way and enjoyed success at his own firm in Chicago. In fact he enjoyed his success to the excess. Gray sees his job at the University as a penance rather than a second chance and his only silver lining comes in the form of a girl he calls on far too often.
I called on her way too much. I knew it, and based off of the way her eyes fairly screamed, Go fuck yourself, she knew it, too. But I’d always had remarkably poor impulse control, and like everything that came before her and annihilated my life, she was another thing that tempted me.
Fear, insecurity and perception play contributing roles in what I had initially thought would be a straight forward student/teacher romance. Add to this the salacious presence of The Capital Confessions Blog and what we have is a romance fraught with secrecy but abundant in sexual chemistry.
"You deserve a good guy. Let me try to be that guy for you. I can’t promise you that I’ll ever be the guy who deserves you, but I can promise that I’ll try. And that I’d sooner cut off my arm than hurt you.”
Playing devil's advocate, if I had to pick favourites, I'd say the first book is still my favourite in the series but after reading the intro to Kate's book, I have a feeling that's about to change.
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sharonsm_28's review against another edition
4.0
March 2021 4 Star Review:
This was an enjoyable read. This was my second time reading this book and I actually really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were great. I do still wish I got more development about their pasts. However, I thought Gray was a complex character. He is not the cold person that he perceived to be and it is interesting to see how Blair and his love for her changes who he is. I saw a vulnerable side to him and I am happy about that. Blair was my favourite. I love how she fought for her love for Gray and how resilient she was. She goes after what she wants and I am happy that she did not give up on him. Their romance was great. I thought they were meant to be, and the ending was so cute. Overall, a great read.
October 2015 3 Star Review:
This was a decent read. The student-teacher relationship in this book was good. However, I wish I knew more about the characters and their backgrounds.
Gray is the Torts Law professor at Hannover. He is starting over, so that he can make up for the mistakes he made when he was living in Chicago as a lawyer. He is charming, smart, and funny.
Blair is his student. She is the daughter of Senator Reynolds. She was engaged and dumped at the altar. I felt bad for her. However, as the book went on, she was becoming an interesting character. She is smart, pretty, and sassy.
I felt the book did drag in some places. It made me put the book down as well. I am happy that they got their HEA. Overall, an okay read.
This was an enjoyable read. This was my second time reading this book and I actually really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were great. I do still wish I got more development about their pasts. However, I thought Gray was a complex character. He is not the cold person that he perceived to be and it is interesting to see how Blair and his love for her changes who he is. I saw a vulnerable side to him and I am happy about that. Blair was my favourite. I love how she fought for her love for Gray and how resilient she was. She goes after what she wants and I am happy that she did not give up on him. Their romance was great. I thought they were meant to be, and the ending was so cute. Overall, a great read.
October 2015 3 Star Review:
This was a decent read. The student-teacher relationship in this book was good. However, I wish I knew more about the characters and their backgrounds.
Gray is the Torts Law professor at Hannover. He is starting over, so that he can make up for the mistakes he made when he was living in Chicago as a lawyer. He is charming, smart, and funny.
Blair is his student. She is the daughter of Senator Reynolds. She was engaged and dumped at the altar. I felt bad for her. However, as the book went on, she was becoming an interesting character. She is smart, pretty, and sassy.
I felt the book did drag in some places. It made me put the book down as well. I am happy that they got their HEA. Overall, an okay read.
javalenciaph's review against another edition
5.0
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ARC was provided by InterMix in exchange for an honest review.
Author Chanel Cleeton has an undeniable talent for coming up with well-developed and multi-layered characters that you can't help but become attached to and have some amount of emotional investment in. There's nothing easy or simple about Blair and Gray's relationship, and they were already leading very complex lives to begin with. Yet, you want them to overcome every bump and road block that they encounter on their way to their happily-ever-after. I love how, just like in the first book, the lead characters are able to surprise me because they're so not cookie-cutter. Blair may seem like the perfectly poised political princess but beneath the polished veneer, she's got a strong backbone when it counts and Gray is broken and imperfect yet he's got a heart filled with kindness and generosity he doesn't show off.
I've read my fair share of teacher-student romances before but there was something so wonderfully refreshing about this one that I found myself sighing in absolute satisfaction by the time I was done. This story was more than about an illicit and taboo relationship. It was about the ties one has to family and how there are times when those ties can become suffocating and one needs to either sever or loosen them. It's also about forgiveness and redemption and the realization that true love isn't always about letting go but about holding on. I absolutely loved Blair and Gray and their love story and that sneak peek of the third book has me giddy with excitement to finally learn Kate Reynolds' tale. Capital Confessions is on my list of 2015 favorite series and I hope you enjoy Playing with Trouble as much as I did. I'm giving this five stars! ♥
Note: This ARC was provided by InterMix in exchange for an honest review.
Author Chanel Cleeton has an undeniable talent for coming up with well-developed and multi-layered characters that you can't help but become attached to and have some amount of emotional investment in. There's nothing easy or simple about Blair and Gray's relationship, and they were already leading very complex lives to begin with. Yet, you want them to overcome every bump and road block that they encounter on their way to their happily-ever-after. I love how, just like in the first book, the lead characters are able to surprise me because they're so not cookie-cutter. Blair may seem like the perfectly poised political princess but beneath the polished veneer, she's got a strong backbone when it counts and Gray is broken and imperfect yet he's got a heart filled with kindness and generosity he doesn't show off.
I've read my fair share of teacher-student romances before but there was something so wonderfully refreshing about this one that I found myself sighing in absolute satisfaction by the time I was done. This story was more than about an illicit and taboo relationship. It was about the ties one has to family and how there are times when those ties can become suffocating and one needs to either sever or loosen them. It's also about forgiveness and redemption and the realization that true love isn't always about letting go but about holding on. I absolutely loved Blair and Gray and their love story and that sneak peek of the third book has me giddy with excitement to finally learn Kate Reynolds' tale. Capital Confessions is on my list of 2015 favorite series and I hope you enjoy Playing with Trouble as much as I did. I'm giving this five stars! ♥