The Cad and the Co-Ed (Rugby Book 3)

I’m so glad I️ found this author. Well rounded characters, intelligent dialogue, just the right amount of romance, and creative happy endings abound in Penny Reid’s books. I️ can’t wait for the next one!

Have you ever read a book, finished it, you quite enjoyed it, but there wasn't really anything that stood out about this book? That's how I felt about this 3rd book in the series. It's decent, it's steady, but it's ...... boring too actually.

There's just one thing I wanted to point out: the descriptions of the fictional Rugby organization in this book, especially about the people working there, just reeked nepotism. Everyone was connected to someone (cousin, nephew, whatever), and that's why they were hired for their respective job. Not because of their experience, or skills, or any other merit. I think there was even a line in the book that explained this hiring practice as 'better'. Um, no!

I loved the first two books, however, for me this one fell short. I've read the authors other books (Cosway's Hearts series and her standalone novels - loved them!) (Reid's Winston brothers & Neanderthal series - meh). Cad/Co-ed just read like Reid was behind the wheel on this one.

Bryan's chapters were more tolerable than Eilish's. He made amends to her and the story progressed. She was just so exhausting with her constant self guilt, rigid rememberance of the alcoholic Bryan, and the neurotic scene in the hardware store scaring that poor child half to death.

I'll say I'm tired of all the monster mothers in this series, but I'm glad Eilish stuck up to hers the way she did.

The proverbial straw for me though was the final conversation between Eilish and Josey. Supposedly they'd been friends their whole lives. When Josey didn't understand why they couldn't do the things they used to do, Eilish cut Josey out without making any attempts to bridge the gap between her friend and her home life.

All this rambling aside, I do hope William has his own book soon. <3

I loved the first two books, however, for me this one fell short. I've read the authors other books (Cosway's Hearts series and her standalone novels - loved them!) (Reid's Winston brothers & Neanderthal series - meh). Cad/Co-ed just read like Reid was behind the wheel on this one.

Bryan's chapters were more tolerable than Eilish's. He made amends to her and the story progressed. She was just so exhausting with her constant self guilt, rigid rememberance of the alcoholic Bryan, and the neurotic scene in the hardware store scaring that poor child half to death.

I'll say I'm tired of all the monster mothers in this series, but I'm glad Eilish stuck up to hers the way she did.

The proverbial straw for me though was the final conversation between Eilish and Josey. Supposedly they'd been friends their whole lives. When Josey didn't understand why they couldn't do the things they used to do, Eilish cut Josey out without making any attempts to bridge the gap between her friend and her home life.

All this rambling aside, I do hope William has his own book soon. <3

Meh. I like both authors. But there's something too perfect about all the characters. I guess I'd like to see some everyday, non sports stars in their books. More everyday. It was very well written, but a little too perfect.

-Third Rugby romance book. Ms. Cosway and Ms. Reid have built up a fun sports romance series featuring this group of rugby players and they’ve decided to turn their focus onto what is admittedly, my least favorite trope, and handle it well. I may have had other issues, but the secret baby wasn’t one of them.

-The setup. The book begins with Bryan and Eilish meeting one fateful evening and hooking up. Eilish had stars in her eyes and Bryan had...well alot of booze in his system. Magic happens, but the day after is less than fantastical. That’s when the real story kicks in, but rest assured eventually, romance does happen.

-The secret is handled well. Now, I’ve made my disclosure that secret babies aren’t my thing, but I figured if anyone could convert me it would be Ms. Reid and Ms. Cosway. I do believe that the secret is handled in a believable manner and that the circumstances made me sympathize with Eilish and her decision to hide. Additionally, Bryan made it exceedingly easy to do it without tipping into the despicable jerk territory. Every beat is played out and written to answer all the usual nagging questions I’m left with when it comes to secret baby plots, so kudos for that.

-Loved seeing characters from earlier books. Sean Cassidy is my favorite hero of this series, so I was delighted at his role in this book and his relationship with Eilish. I think I would have loved to see the rugby factor more into the story, since it felt more like an afterthought than an integral part of the story. It almost felt as if there wasn’t any room for anything other than the secret baby. Speaking of...

-Trouble connecting with the actual romance. So, I get to the part where I struggled. I didn’t quite believe in the romance itself. Rationally, I understood that they were attracted, that was clear as day, but as for love? I felt it was more like than love. Neither quite trusted the other and by the end, I wasn’t convinced that had entirely changed. Even when it came to that final misunderstanding, I wasn’t feeling the HEA of it all, more of a “these are two characters that are in the right moment in time to be together.” This is so subjective and I acknowledge that it’s probably nothing more than a case of “it’s not you book, it’s me.” I just wasn’t feeling the spark, the magic that takes a romance to that next level. I found it a little too easy to put down. I wanted to love it, but I ended up just liking it.

The Bottom Line 3 stars
I liked it. It’s not my favorite of the series, but I did believe that the secret baby trope was handled well, even if it’s still not my cuppa tea. If you’re a big fan of secret babies and the fallout from that, I’d encourage you to give it a shot and see if you loved it more than I did.

**ARC provided by author for review**

Favorite Quotes:

It had been wonderful. Maybe Bryan had a magic penis. And how lucky was I? Finding a bloke with an enchanted penis for my first time. Maybe he had a purse around here someplace with endless money, or a goose that sh* golden eggs. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

Eilish, you are not your mother. For one thing, you’re a lot hotter… she is unkind, controlling, and frosty as that snowman, except she’s got the corn-cob pipe stuffed up her ar$e.

Well, there it was, my worst fears confirmed. Eilish was a million times too good for this loser. I mean, how did he even manage to score her? The bloke looked like he could fall into a barrel of tit and come out sucking his thumb.

That, my friend, is not just a man. That is an orgasm guarantee. Every. Single. Time… I’ve never met anyone like that, let alone been with someone like that. You know how horny I am. I’ve always been this way. It’s why I stopped waxing…

I have to leave… I can’t handle that level of perfection… You’re so beautiful and tall and graceful. And smart. But you don’t know what it’s like for us mortals… Next time warn me okay? So I can take a Xanax?

‘I’m not adorable. I’m brooding and sexy and masculine,’ I said, effecting a manly expression. It was all in the brow.

My Review:

The Cad and The Co-Ed is another witty, crisp, and highly amusing read by the illustrious word-moguling duo of Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway. I don’t know how they work their collaboration out, but the result is a seamless package of pure delight. I adore this series, despite knowing absolutely nothing about rugby and very little about Ireland. My ignorance of such things was of no consequence, but my intense pleasure and thrill in reading their clever combinations of words were paramount. Written from a dual POV, the storyline was witty, engaging, and inordinately entertaining. I am hopelessly addicted, thoroughly enchanted, and jonesing for more.

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I really enjoyed this book! I didn't much enjoy the first book in the series but loved the second book, so I wasn't sure how into this one I'd be, but I have always been a sucker for single parent stories!

We met Bryan in the the other two books, in which he was a huge jackass because he was always drunk. We also met Eilish in the previous book, being the cousin of it's hero. This book is set 5 years later when Bryan is now sober and Eilish is a mother. I was really worried that I'd continue to dislike Bryan as I did when he was a drunk, but sober Bryan is amazing! He is exactly the kind of man I want.

Eilish has a lot of fears and has an extremely difficult time trusting people who aren't her cousin Sean. She's also extremely independent and stubborn, which could be kind of annoying at times, but her background validates her behaviors. And she isn't so stubborn to the point that she's never letting Bryan get close to her. There's an equal amount of push and pull. And everything she does, she does for the well being of her son, so I can't fault her actions.

All the sex scenes (three in total) were explicitly detailed and fogging up my kindle screen! There's also quite a bit of explicit language in this book as well. I wish there had of been less, but it wasn't so excessive that I would have put the book down.

I can't wait to start the last book, but once again, I'm worried I might have an issue because of Josey's behavior in this book. Since I already love the hero, who has a fairly big role in this book, I'm hoping it's another good one!

***5 ‘Captivated’ Stars***

Secret baby romance + Rugby and being written by Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway equals me waiting very impatiently for this baby to be released. Even without the teaser at the end of The Player & The Pixie and the promise of more time with Sean Cassidy wasn’t guaranteed, I’d be chomping at the bit for this book and I wasn’t disappointed! The Cad & The Co-Ed is a well crafted and thought out journey of forgiveness, redemption and realizing that Fate can give you a second chance at something amazing that’s filled with heart, humor and characters you can’t get enough of.

The Cad: Bryan definitely lived up to this title and reveled in it. Partying, womanizing and drinking until he couldn’t remember his own name, but one swift kick in the arse got him to wake up and realize that everything he’d worked for would be taken away if he didn’t clean up his act. I didn’t know how I’d feel about Bryan going in, but in the end I absolutely adored him. He was all sexy alpha male with charm in spades but also kind of cuddly. Learning about his past and why he partied as hard as he did was an eye opener, but his regret and remorse over not being able to remember certain things was the kicker and how he vowed to never go back to that place again.

The Co-Ed: Having been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Eilish never wanted for anything, even though she bucked at the restraints of that life, but one night with who she thought was the man of her dreams changed it all. I loved Eilish from the start. Her wit and sass and how she may have towed the line, but still kept her soul. But what had me adoring her was what she went through upon finding out she was pregnant and the woman she became because of it. It wasn’t easy and she may have been a bit stubborn when it came to proving herself, but the love she had for that little boy made it all worthwhile. She still has some issues, but her strength of will and determination make her a force to be reckoned with.

I loved how the whole secret baby issue was handled, especially the big reveal with Bryan, because all of those in the know, well most of them, were acting like the adults they were and while there were freak outs, nothing was overdone. As for Bryan and Eilish’s journey to their HEA, it was sweet and holy hell was it smexy! But I loved how Bryan earned Eilish’s trust, both before the reveal and after. He showed her his true colors by his actions, some of them unexpected, and proved that the Cad was no longer around ~ well except for when he went all sexy beast on her. There were a few bumps in the road, some they brought about on their own and some by those who decided to butt their noses in, but I thought they all worked out in the way they were supposed to and how they finally end up together was perfect!

In all honesty if I could give more than five stars to this book I would because it was such a fun read. As this is the third book in the series, it’s no question that these two authors write seamlessly together, but more importantly you can feel how much fun they have while writing together. The characters, even the ones you want to smack upside the head with a 4x4, are so well written that I swear they jump off the page at you and make you wish they were real. And speaking of characters, if I didn’t already adore Sean Cassidy this book would have done it (I had to put a leash on myself and only mention him in the beginning). He is seriously practically perfect! But for the newbies, I really hope Will gets a book, he was just awesome and I’d love to get to know him better. If you haven’t already devoured and loved the first two books in the series, I highly suggest that you do before diving into this one because it will give you the much needed background on the characters and simply make the experience even more enjoyable!

~ Copy provided by Social Butterfly PR ~

A reformed bad boy? YES, PUHLEAZ! Throw in a self-sufficient, strong heroine, and you had me at Once Upon A Time!

One night. One night was all it took for Bryan Leech, alcoholic, self-absorbed, inconsiderate a$$ to turn Eilish Cassidy’s life upside down. What could have been the start of something incredible, turned out to be a painful, forgettable night.

❝He smelled like my dreams. And he felt too good to be true. He is too good to be true. And you’re forgettable.❞

Eilish was a strong woman, a single mom to her bright, adorable son, Patrick. She was smart, she worked hard, and with the help of her cousin, Sean, she survived. She went to school, got a degree and is the new physiotherapist for her cousin’s rugby team. The same team for which Bryan Leech plays.

It’s been a few years since Bryan has had a drink. He has changed. Once a party animal, now a homebody, he prefers tea to beer and reading about birds to parties. He has settled down. Bryan was learning to adjust to his new life and I appreciated his struggle. He was incredibly compassionate and devoted.

At a party for a teammate, he sees Eilish for what he thinks is the first time, and though he can’t make sense of it, he feels an instant connection with her. He is the last person she wants to see. He broke her heart once, she will not let it happen again. And how will she tell him about her son? What will his reaction be?

I was happy to read about some of the cast from the previous books. The way they gave Bryan trouble, lent to the hilarious moments in the book. And while the relationship between Sean and his cousin Eilish was endearing, the way Sean was with Patrick, melted my heart.

The Cad and the Co-Ed is my favorite in the Rugby series, by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid. It was heart-warming, it was funny and it was sexy. If you love to laugh, if you love witty banter and sexy goodness, then pick up this gem. It can be read as a stand-alone, even though it is the 3rd book in the series.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review and did not influence my opinion of the book.

Eilish has just returned to Ireland after finishing college in the States. Her college years were a little more challenging than most co-eds have to endure; namely a child she had at the age of nineteen, a product of a one night stand with an incredibly drunk Bryan, a teammate of her cousin, Sean. The next morning, Eilish sees Sean for what he is, a player, interested in only himself.

Now that Eilish has finished college, she is looking for employment, and she becomes a physical therapist for the team. Her reunion with Sean is challenging; she still has feelings for him, and now that he’s cleaned up and has been sober for two years, she’s ready to tell him the truth…he’s a father. Unlike the first time, Sean is interested in her, but he’s not ready to jump into a relationship just yet, but he can’t fight the attraction he has to Eilish. She’s afraid of what Bryan’s reaction will be, having hidden the truth for nearly five years. Are either of them ready for a relationship? They’re both committed to doing the right thing for their son, but is it the right thing for them?

I love rugby; really love rugby. Bookshelves are full of football, baseball, MMA and the like, but rugby is woefully underrepresented. That’s the major reason I like this series so much, but I also love the characters and the story itself. I’m a huge fan of Cosway and Reid, so that is just the icing on the cake.

Like the first two books in the series, the ensemble of characters are all a part of the story, and the relationships between them really make the story fun. The story is told in a dual POV between Eilish and Bryan and the authors wove their parts together to create a fun, sexy, read. The Cad and the Co-ed can be read as a standalone, however I highly suggest reading them in order, it makes the series all the more enjoyable, and will really help you fall in love with the characters. I highly recommend this book for sports fans or if you like the secret babies trope. You certainly can’t go wrong with either Cosway or Reid!

I received an advance copy of this book for a review purposes.

Young Eilish wakes up all googly eyed after the best night of her life in which she gave her virginity to rugby player and heart throb Bryan Leech. And the first words that come out of his mouth?

"Do me a favor, love, and close the curtains. I've got a splitting headache."

This is not how she expected to be greeted. When the guy doesn't remember her in the morning she is utterly humiliated. Tail between legs she flees the scene. That night, which admittedly was amazing, has severe consequences and turns her life upside down. It includes an adorable boy who looks exactly like his father, leaving the country and getting an education. Five years later she returns home and lands a job as a physio intern for the rugby team and she is determined to give a particular player a wide berth.

Bryan is a recovering alcoholic. After his coach found him on the floor passed out he issues an ultimatum: Either Bryan gets his sh*t together or he will be kicked out of the team. He has changed since then. He prefers tea to beer, wears PJs, a housecoat and fur-lined slippers. Some may call him boring these days but he needs the routine.
Parties are detrimental for an alcoholic so Bryan doesn't really enjoy them as he used to. On his roommates birthday party he claps eyes on a beautiful redhead and damn but that hair color is his kryptonite. He knows he isn't ready to date yet but she bedazzles him with her intelligence, aloofness and beauty.

What we get with this book is a wildly entertaining story with detailed and developed characters who act in a way you can relate to. Eilish is a strong and independent woman with a backbone to boot. Her deep love and devotion to her son are incredibly sweet to watch. Eilish is stubborn and a little bit stuck in the past. When she meets Bryan again, she is wary of him and still reeling from the fact that he doesn't remember her but she does see the change he has gone through. He is a different man but can she trust him? With her son? Her heart? The truth?

Bryan's change from party animal and alcoholic to a responsible adult is so well done. He deals with the new truths and realities in his life amazingly well and while they sometimes feel a little bit like setbacks they only help him to steel his resolve and move forward.

I loved how he was with Eilish, how he adored her and didn't hide it. When Bryan has made up his mind to make her his (well there wasn't a choice really) he does so with purpose. And can I say how swoonworthy he is? The way he is with his son is so freaking adorable, all that came out of my mouth were different chants of "aaawwwww".

I think this is a book that everyone would enjoy. It isn't dark, it has a teeny bit angst which helped to make this an engaging read. It's also surprisingly hot and has a lot of humor and lovely prose. These two authors are a match made in heaven. They click so well that you have no idea who is writing which chapter. I'm definitely going back to read the previous books in this series.

*Copy received in exchange for a review

As I write my review, I put myself thru the exercise of going thru parts of a book to try to remember if there are things that I questioned or didn’t enjoy at the end of it all, and when I can’t think of any, that’s how I know it’s a 5-star read.

Such is the case with this 3rd standalone installment by Penny Reid and LH Cosway. I’ve still yet to read the 1st book (for shame!) but I can see that this series just keeps getting better.

Bryan and Eilish have quite the interesting start. It’s not quite second-chance rom but I suppose it is their version of second-chance. A one-sided one-night stand that went awry really fast, with quite an “evidence” as proof. Five years later, their paths crossed again.

First off, I love the humor and the sentiment. If this were a movie, it would’ve been one of those well-crafted comedy-drama flicks.

I love being both in their heads. They’re both so funny. I love seeing their vulnerabilities and how that translated with their words and actions in a way that I was constantly cheering them on, even in the midst of their misunderstanding. They both have to go thru their respective growth and I love the path it took them.

Eilish is a good h. I understood her motivation. But I must say, I’m all about Bryan. I could’ve stayed in his head the entire time and I would’ve been ok. Not that Eilish was a foregone conclusion; it’s just that Bryan had more at stake, so to speak. He had me cracking up and at the same time, I just wanna put him in a bear hug.

And if you’re a fan of the series, you’ll be happy to hear that you’ll see familiar names. Sean, in particular, continues to steal the scenes, as far as I’m concerned. Oh, Sean! These rugby fellas, I tell ya, you gotta love them! I feel one will be getting his turn soon. And if I may just say one last thing, I enjoyed the headings of each chapter. Those Twitter convos alone got me smiling goofily.

So far, I only have 3 fave author collabs, and Penny and LH are definitely one of them... If it’s up to me, they can keep writing this series and I’ll keep reading. I totally heart this series!

The magical pairing of L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid, has yet again produced a wondefully told story of love and redemption, in the form of Ellish and Bryan's love story. I honestly really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and was looking forward to another trip down the road with this great cast of characters.

Bryan Leech, The Rugby "God" we meet in the first pages of this book, has an issue with alcohol, is a complete ass. Fast forward five years after we first meet him and Bryan has been sober for two years. He's finally coming out of the haze of his addiction, focusing on his recovery and is ready to make take baby steps back into his life. A flash of red hair in a ponytale at a Team Birthday party, makes him think he's ready for more than just his books, and his safe routine.

Eilish Cassidy, the aforementioned ponytale, is a loving, caring, single mom. After choosing to keep her son, and refusing to share the identity of her sons father. Her family disowns her, leaving her to fend for herself. After an illness makes it impossible to hold down three jobs and school, she reluctantly accepts help for one year, from her cousin, Sean. Eilish is at a starting over or again point in her life. She has graduated from school, and has taken a job as the assistant physio therapist for the rubgy team, her cousin plays. Seeing her son's father at the Team Birthday party, throws her for a loop. After seeing Bryan for the first time in five years, she has a lot decisions to make......

I loved this book, and I don't love a book very easily. I am a sucker for a well written, well thought out second chance/redemption story. I have said it before, and probably will again, but I think when a character has gone through hard times it gives them more depth. In my case, the more depth of character the better. This is why I loved sober Bryan. Eilish and Bryan have chemistry, and once the truth comes out, it's even hotter. Through the trials, tribulations, miscommunications and some very meddling people in their lives, Eilish and Bryan find their way back to each.

This is by far my favorite book of the series. It would've got a five star rating, but I felt like I was left hanging in the wind a bit. I feel that, Eilish should've had her gotcha moment with her mother. I realize that it probably was easier for Eilish to just let it go, like she has everything else. But, it would've been brilliant to see those fire works. I hope this is not the last of these books in this series. I am hoping that William gets a book, that would be a great piece of fiction

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

From the freaking moment I read the excerpt of this book, I was all about reading it. First, it’s an unplanned pregnancy book and I am all about it these books! Second, the heroine hooks up with her cousin, who is like a brother to her, teammate. So I was ecstatic and super pumped to read it. I remember messaging my bestie telling her this book would be EPIC!

Well, months later I finally got to read it and guess what…it was EPIC! I loved it and felt it was PERFECT!

So our Cad is Bryan and when I read that excerpt a few months ago he had the Cad part down perfectly. He was a legit tool and it was easy to hate him. However, the more you read you see another side to him. In the present Bryan is a new man. He is no longer drinking, he is respectable and determined to be a good man. His life has control and he has matured so much.

Our Co-Ed is Eilish Cassidy, she is Sean’s cousin and they are super close, he actually turns out to be one of the few people she can rely on. Eilish is a fantastic heroine and I instantly fell in love with her. Yes, she makes some mistakes, but she has the best of intentions and I could understand her reasoning. I loved how relatable her character was and how you wanted to be her friend.

Neither Eilish or Bryan are perfect, but together they are fantastic. Their connection had a slow build to it that kept you completely engaged and anxious to see what would happen next. Bryan is instantly attracted to Eilish, but she wants nothing to do with him. However, she is forced into his life when she begins working with the rugby team. It’s a lot harder to avoid Bryan when she realizes he has changed and learns about the kind of man he is now. Once she gives into her feelings I was hooked and just wanted to live in their world indefinitely.

This story moves so quickly and kept me engaged from the very beginning. Every time I had to stop reading for real life I was thinking about this story and was so excited to jump back in. I feel like it’s so rare that a book makes me think about it constantly and this book did just that. I love this story, it’s my favorite in the series and definitely one of my favorites this year. Absolutely fantastic and you should definitely read it!