The Billion Dollar Player by Mandy Baxter ~ Crystal's Many Reviewers

In The Billion Dollar Player by Mandy Baxter, Jase Blackwell, starting tight end for the Dallas Cowboys, is a pro when it comes to football—and to women. Never one to shy away from a challenge, "Billion Dollar Blackwell" is finally able to get the cute waitress he’s had his eye on out for a little fun. But when their steamy encounters inspire Jase to play better than he ever has before, he has to wonder if this exciting woman is more than just a good luck charm… Avery Lockhart doesn’t understand why a pro football player would want to go out with her. Incredibly wealthy and undeniably sexy, Jase Blackwell is everything she thinks she’s not. Getting a little closer to this enigmatic billionaire, however, proves too much for Avery to resist. But as their passion heats up, so does Jase’s game play, and soon, the rumors start to fly. Is Avery only being kept around to ease Jace’s pre-game superstitions? Or, like she believes, does their connection run deeper…?

Having enjoyed The Billionaire Cowboy, I couldn’t wait to read this installment in the Billionaire’s Club. I have to say that I actually enjoyed The Billion Dollar Player even more than the first book. We met Jase briefly in book one, where we got a sneak peek into his humor and the struggle he experienced proving that he earned his position with the Dallas Cowboys and that his brother didn’t buy his way onto the team.

With the opening of this book we find that Jase has been having a rough time on the field lately. His teammate and close friend recommends a one-night stand as a stress reliever, but Jase isn’t interested in the football groupies and the typical “talent” that hangs around the team. Fortunately for him, Avery makes a rather smashing entrance into his life and he finds himself quite taken with the petite waitress. But Avery is not a one-night stand kind of girl and refuses Jase’s offer of dinner – three times. After four catered events and a mechanical failure, Jase finally gets the chance to spend a little bit of one-on-one time with Avery as he drives her home. After turning Jase’s advances down four times, Avery decides to throw caution to the wind and proceeds to demonstrate just how flexible a girl can be in the front seat of pickup – YEEHAW! Needless to say, Avery is a bit shocked when she opens the door to a sweaty Jase the next night but finds she can’t resist him and the two embark upon an unacknowledged friends with benefits type relationship.

I must admit that I am impressed that Ms. Baxter created a character in Avery that was insecure without being neurotically so, particularly when it came to her worrying that a waitress wasn’t good enough to date a billionaire. Yes Avery did express that concern, but it didn’t consume her and threaten the developing relationship. I’ve read books where such a concern became the antagonist of the novel and the character obsessed over it to the point that it threatened or ruined the relationship. In this instance, Jase addressed Avery’s concerns and she not only listened to what he had to say, but paid attention to how his actions supported his statements. I enjoyed that their relationship developed as they spent time together talking and wasn’t just based on sex – HOT sex mind you, really hot sex. And when an outside element causes Avery to cut Jase out of her life, he shows just why he gets what he wants – he fights for her. Ms. Baxter has packed a lot of story into The Billion Dollar Player and I loved every minute of it. I look forward to reading Rocked by the Billionaire and finally meeting Jase’s elusive twin, Lucas.