It’s not long since I caught up on Liz Tomforde’s “Windy City” series, I read Caught Up in May. I just didn’t want to wait any longer and decided to pick up the fourth book, Play Along. I was still in my romance mood anyway. I still needed some relaxing literature. Beforehand, I was a bit reluctant as I wasn’t too fond of Isaiah, he seemed too much of a comedian for me without any seriousness in him in the previous book. Was the author able to redeem him for me?

About the book

Play Along by Liz Tomforde
Series: 4Windy City #4
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on July 6, 2024
Pages: 450
ISBN: 9781399728614
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kennedy

I’m the only woman on staff for the Windy City Warriors, and after years of putting up with a sexist lead doctor, I’m desperate to land my dream job with a new team next year. All I have to do is maintain my professional reputation for my final season in Chicago.
But a Las Vegas run-in with the team’s shortstop threatens it all, leaving me with a fuzzy memory and a ring on my left hand.
Now, not only am I legally bound to the most persistent man I’ve ever met, but thanks to Isaiah’s scheme to save my job, I have to pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake.
Isaiah Rhodes is reckless, impulsive, and frustratingly charming. He’s also my brand-new husband.
They got the saying wrong. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas… sometimes it follows you right back home.

Isaiah

As the shortstop for Chicago’s professional baseball team, I’ve had my fair share of fun. But that all ended the day Kennedy Kay became a single woman. 
I’ve crushed on the team’s athletic trainer for years. I’ve flirted to no avail, so imagine my surprise when I woke up in Sin City with a ring on my finger and my favorite redhead in my bed. 
We agree to stay married for one baseball season, just long enough to keep her job safe, but in my mind, I’m using our time together to prove to her I’m husband material. 
Kennedy might be reluctant to join in on our game, but it’s one I refuse to lose. 
So come on, wife… play along. 

My review

This story is told through a dual POV narration. We alternately follow Kennedy and Isaiah, who we both already met in the previous book. Even though this entire series consists of standalone companion novels, they are connected somehow. Whereas the first two books are closely connected, the third and this fourth instalment are as well. Isaiah is Kai’s younger brother and Kennedy is the only woman on staff for their baseball team. Oh, and Miller’s best friend. Isaiah is already attracted to Kennedy from the moment he laid eyes on her, but there was one little problem. Relationships between players and staff are discouraged. However, at one point off-season, Las Vegas happened. And what happens in Vegas, does not always stay in Vegas… Are Kennedy and Isaiah able to work this all out? And is Kennedy’s dream job in danger because of it?

I have to admit that Isaiah had to grow on me. A lot actually. At the start of this book, he was still the clownesque main character who didn’t seem too serious at all. Once the story progresses, we find out that there’s more to him and he starts to redeem himself. He seems to care a lot about Kennedy and this shows that this is not just a fling. He is in it for the long run, even though they promised to call things off once the season ends and Kennedy lands her dream job. Kennedy on the other hand is not in it for the long run. At least, that’s what she thinks and what she shows off to both Isaiah and the reader. She comes off as very cold and distant, something she acknowledges as well. We learn that this has to do with lots of trauma she has experienced in the past and it’s hard for her to heal from it. Both characters have much more depth to them than I initially thought and Tomfforde wrote them very well. Especially Isaiah is redeemed, but in all honesty, I wasn’t too sure about Kennedy either. We get to know them well and they definitely have chemistry. It only takes a while.

I don’t know what’s happening here, but I end up picking many books with the forced proximity trope or accidental marriage trope, which comes pretty close to the fake dating/fake relationship trope. And this is not my favourite one. I therefore was pretty anxious to read this book when I found out, but it all wasn’t too bad in the end. This has to do with earlier mentioned character growth, but also with the found family surrounding these characters. Both ended up having a very decent support system which they definitely need. The plot is focused on said tropes and despite this book being character driven and these tropes not being my favourite, I was still intrigued. I also like the exploration off the more serious themes, it gives both characters more depth and time to redeem themselves. This book is pretty long, but Tomforde’s easy to follow and straight forward writing made me fly through this book.

Even though I wasn’t so sure whether I would enjoy Play Along by Liz Tomfforde because of its main characters, the book really redeemed itself. The characters have been written well and definitely have more depth to them than I initially thought. Whereas this book is character driven, the plot is intriguing enough and supports the characters in their growth. More serious themes are explored and that’s what I like in my books. Both characters definitely redeemed themselves and I’m really curious for Rio’s story in Rewind It Back.