Review by Wendy ♥ Playboy (Manwhore #5) by Katy Evans

A Review by Wendy

 4.5 Knowing When to Go All In Stars
* * * * 1/2  

Spoiler Free 

I truly have to hand it to Katy Evans; she certainly understands foreplay. She gets it is the ramp up... the anticipation and it is the wooing that makes all of the other stuff happen and make our hearts sing. She knows how important the way lovers touch you...the physical touching but also the way they touch you mentally.

In Playboy, the fifth entry to the Manwhore series, we are give two people who have these abilities... they feel evenly matched and when the games begin...We are given a seat at the table to all of it.

Wynn Watson has believed in the Happily Ever After since she was a little kid. She was one of the lucky ones; her parents were That Couple. You know the ones... the parents who were the nicest and would let you stay for impromptu sleep overs. They showed their daughter true love could continue through child-rearing, working a small business, empty nesting and everything else that followed. She knew early on, she wanted the same type of life and relationship her parents had.

Unfortunately, for some reason, all of her experiences turned out to be duds... and her latest relationship of four years has just ended. Wynn worked hard on this last one... did everything her ex chef seemed to want... but he never could fully commit. They finally broke up and it seems Wynn is the one who bears the lasting scars.

But Wynn is a strong capable woman. She loves life and art. She has made it her career and owns an art gallery in Chicago. She has made a serious name for herself and with this break-up, she has re-dedicated her focus to just care about business, swear off men- not sex- and let all the HEA stuff go.

She is lucky in having her girl circle support and shares her resolve. They have all been worried for Wynn and have encouraged her to finally get out of the house and have a date.

We actually meet Wynn during this date. She is about to enter a warehouse which is the location for an underground poker game. The guy she is with is turning into someone she is sorry she said yes to... but the alternative was sitting alone in her apartment feeling sorry and heartbroken. So here she is walking into this place, with this guy who is rambling on and on about some big poker dude who might be there...

Wynn enters the warehouse and immediately she sees this vision, a man with piercing gray eyes ...something so intense, looking at her...it is a feeling she has never had before. The joke is this date thinks this man, the huge gambler is looking at him. The game starts, the date is a lousy player and ends up losing everything...And then things get interesting because the date bets Wynn!

Oh, she just is to stay and it turns out she is the gambler's good luck...but a little more seems to have been exchanged...Interest and attraction.

Now it is one of Wynn's crew's wedding. It turns out Cullen Carmichael is her best friend’s soon-to-be brother in law...he is the notorious Gambler, Famous Playboy, Silver-eyed Player who she became his Good Luck....and that is not all she became...

Cullen has been on his own for awhile. His parents divorced, he took care of his mom and through a series of life changing events...he became this talented gambler who has loved the thrill of winning.
Yet at some moment, there was something more he wanted and when the opportunity finally presented itself to him, he was all in...

The take off point for this final encounter between Wynn and Cullen is this wedding... there is banter, charged interest, attraction through the roof for both of them and then the laying a bet down about their careers and which is more meaningful. It is the thrill and throwing caution to the wind for Wynn which causes her to say what she would be willing to bet...and no matter who wins..either way...it will be a Win Win for both of them.

Cullen whisks Wynn off to Vegas so she can experience his life and then he is to see how hers is after. It is this whole time in Vegas which is the most entrancing...Cullen is a master...

I mentioned in my review of Manwhore, "While I was reading it, it brought to mind the phrase I have always said...Kissing is an art form. Saint was an artist."

Well, Cullen, your ability to just make me weak while READING about the ways you are kissing Wynn makes you right up there. I also loved who you were and what you had went through...and your insight and understanding about Wynn.

Wynn, you were one savvy, cool and smart woman. I appreciated all of your feelings about this crazy attraction to Wynn and concerns, too...Me, I would have made the leap sooner...But then again, Cullen had me at his kissing.

So as I said before, Katy Evan is a foreplay artist... oh, she knows how to weave a tale and have us swooning during her sexy times, no doubt...but in this story...the ramping up made it all the sweeter. 

 A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Katy Evans

Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then 10 of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world.