Romance

Review: The Player by Rachel Thorne

June 18, 2026

Synopsis:

Five days before her wedding, he was the last man she expected to see.

Blair
I had my life perfectly planned — a rising legal career, a safe and sensible fiancé, and absolutely no room for surprises. Then a turbulent flight strands me in a Phoenix hotel bar… sitting three feet from Garrett Lowry. My ex. The only man I ever loved. The one who shattered my heart five years ago.

Garrett
I never got over Blair. Not even close.
So when I find her stranded and three whiskeys deep in my hotel bar, I know the universe is either giving me a second chance or punishing me. Either way, I’ll take it.

Blair
There’s just one problem. Garrett isn’t only my ex — he’s my fiancé’s cousin and a groomsman in my wedding. Now I’m stuck in a week of family feuds, a disputed heirloom ring, and one terrifyingly blunt grandmother who sees right through both of us.
Garrett is still charming. Still funny. Still infuriatingly good at making me feel things my safe, practical life was supposed to protect me from.
But the closer we get to the wedding — and to each other — the harder it is to pretend I’m marrying the right man. And somewhere between the family chaos and the memories I tried to bury, the player I swore I was over starts to feel like the one I was always meant to choose.

The Player is a sweet, closed-door romcom with a second-chance romance, wedding-week chaos, meddling grandmothers, and enough banter to fill a courtroom.

The Player was originally published in a spicy version by Denise Grover Swank in 2015. When Denise created the Rachel Thorne pen name for sweet romances, she edited the orginal book into a sweet version.

Review:

If you thought the first book was already a wild ride, this one takes the cherry on top. What just happened? 🙂

Blair is a few days away from getting married. It becomes clear rather quickly that it isn’t out of deep connection, love, or passion. It’s more out of convenience, which was very sad to see. I hated that guy immediately.
When a weather situation causes a layover for her plane, she runs into her ex, Garrett, at a hotel—and this is when the craziness starts. Both clearly have some unresolved issues lingering, and when they learn that they’ll be working on a job together – and on top of that, that he’s the cousin of her future husband and part of the wedding – things can only get messy. And I was so here for it.

I absolutely devoured the interactions within the families. The constant bickering, throwing shade at each other, and grown men acting like big children – it was something I didn’t know I needed, and what I got was so much more. I bow my head to Nan, who was such an interesting character, and I can only hope to be a little bit like her when I grow up 🙂
Was it a bit over the top at times? Absolutely. But that makes for a very entertaining read, doesn’t it? 🙂

🌙 Recension: The Player (The Wedding Pact #2) by Rachel Thorne
📚 Genre: Romance
📅 Release Date: June 18, 2026
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 Kindle – included in Kindle Unlimited
💸 I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 327
⭐️ 4/5