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Playing with Boys (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,581 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the author of The Dirty Girls Social Club comes another fast, funny, soulful, and sexy novel about friendship and love amid Latinas. It's a jungle out there -- in Los Angeles, that is, where the tangle of freeways and ingrained insincerity can make a girl feel very alone, no matter how fabulous the weather or how cute the clothes at the South Coast Plaza mall. With very different styles and attitudes, Marcella, Olivia, and Alexis are trying to crack the code in L.A, trying to snare love and success. But first they have to come together—to make their marks and plan the fun they're going to have along the way. Marcella is a hot, sharp young television actress who's barely able to enjoy the life she's bought for herself and certainly isn't enjoying her body, which is never quite perfect enough. Olivia, whose life revolves around her toddler son, Jack, is tethered to her suburban mommy track so tightly she can almost forget the horrible thing that happened to her family when she was a child herself. Alexis is a musicians' manager with a smart mouth, an ample body, and loads of style but barely enough self-esteem to fill a Prada card case. And the boys in their lives? Marcella's had about enough of them throwing themselves at her; Olivia's boy is her son; and Alexis is still searching, not for a boy this time, but for a man. Playing with Boys is a savvy novel with charm, style, and heart to spare.
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"Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, this book was probably her steamiest yet. Only four main charachters, but its juicy and fun. Valdes-Rodriguez's book titles sound a bit raunchy but they aren't as wild as the titles are, but come quite close. I liked this book a lot, I read it in a small month and with all of Valdes-Rodriguez's books, couldn't bare to put it down when i'd get into it."
— Sarah (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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[Valdes-Rodriguez] speaks in the accent and personality of each character and is completely convincing. [She] is not only someone to watch, but someone to hear.
— Memphis Commercial Appeal -
The personalities are sparkling fresh...Valdes-Rodriguez offers a spirited reading...highly recommended.
— Kliatt -
If you're looking for a great beach listen, The Dirty Girls Social Club is just what the audio doctor ordered.
— Bookpage -
The three amigas--a television actress, a single mother, and a manager of musicians--each has her own distinct lifestyle, quirks, and notions of romance, yet each manages to help her friends find balance, along with loads of good times.
— Sacramento Bee -
As Marcella, Alexis, and Olivia grapple with men and their careers, they really don't seem all that different from Bridget Jones herself.
— Miami Herald -
A beach read that . . . might make you giggle and blush.
— Chicago Sun-Times -
Playing with Boys is a testament to the powers of women wrapped up in a pretty Cinderella story times three.
— Albuquerque Journal -
“Three very different Latina women vow to bring Los Angeles to its collective knees in this funny, guilty pleasure of a novel . . . [A] heartfelt piece of escapism.
— Publishers Weekly
Playing with Boys Listener Reviews
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" Usually I love her books, but this one was very slow to get into...whether it was me, or the book, not sure. About half way through it picked up and I enjoyed it. Less stars for sure, though, than Dirty Girls Social Club (my fav). "
— Kristen, 2/20/2014 -
" The style of writing was cute and humorous but the plot was just so slow. It took me weeks to read this book because I wasn't that excited to read it. "
— Jeepster, 2/13/2014 -
" so i'm almost done with this book and i'm a really big fan. she has another book the dirty social club that i may need to read bc i liked this book so much. very fun. "
— Jamie, 2/5/2014 -
" I took this book to Cancun with me, and it was the perfect vacation read. "
— Olga, 2/5/2014 -
" Fun, easy read, some laughs, very girly. "
— Harriett, 2/3/2014 -
" I am dumber for having read this book... I encourage everyone to stay the hell away from it and to ignore the reviews on the back touting it as some kind of awesome beach read. This book is stupid... and I generally enjoy chick lit. I hated the characters, hated their choices, hated the men in their lives, hated them hating themselves, hated their clothes and cars, hated their vocabulary, hated their jobs and hated their animals. I hated the beginning, middle and end. If you read this book, even after I have begged you not to, I am not going to feel bad for you when you gouge your eyes out and poke at your brain through your empty sockets in an attempt to erase any memory of this book. "
— Stina, 1/21/2014 -
" I found Dirty Girls Social Club to be more fun and entertaining. With this book I felt as though the author kind of missed the boat a bit. Still fun to read but, better as a beach book. "
— Andaye, 1/7/2014 -
" Very fun! I could not put it down!!!!!!! "
— Victoria, 1/3/2014 -
" I Loved, Loved, Loved this book!! It's hillarious and heartwarming at the same time!! She's so descriptive with her words and you end up loving these characters!! I couldn't stop reading it! "
— Raelene, 1/2/2014 -
" Cute story. Kind of predictable, but a good summer chick flip. "
— Lindsay, 12/22/2013 -
" Not as good as Dirty Girls Social Club "
— Maribel, 12/8/2013 -
" Again, Fun & Easy read great for day at the beach! "
— Sherese, 11/27/2013 -
" Light, easy reading. Nothing I'd write home about. I enjoyed the main character's voice and humor. "
— Sandy, 11/24/2013 -
" Good summer/light read. Perfect for a vaca. Light content but still fairly well written. "
— Suzanne, 11/22/2013 -
" Not the "beach book" the cover promises - more complicated and involved. I liked the strong Latina characters and vivid descriptions. Totally unrealistic story, but that's okay. I enjoyed it. "
— Mariah, 11/8/2013 -
" A good beach read. One of the girls is from Texas and talks just like my friend Tasha. :-) "
— Jenna, 10/24/2013 -
" Fun light summer read (if you read Spanish that is). Follows the lives of four very different Latina women who find thier successes in different paths, but always with the help of their friendships. "
— Danielle, 5/12/2013 -
" This one was just okay for me. It did teach me a good lesson: the importance of self-esteem and always staying true to yourself. "
— Kealey_m1, 3/5/2013 -
" Enjoyed it! I love how the stories all connect. "
— Yvettee, 1/5/2013 -
" Always a good read. It's not great literature by any means, but it's well thought out and very real to me, in spite of being labeled as a "beach read". The characters have great personalities. Real, as in their character flaws annoy the heck out of me! You feel like you know them, and I like that. "
— Kari, 10/13/2012 -
" Liked the multiple character angles, but very predictable chick-lit "
— Jennifer, 9/17/2012 -
" Audio book bonus-- the author reads one of the characters. "
— Arica, 8/26/2012 -
" Who knew a book from the dollar store could be good? "
— Dulcie, 3/26/2012 -
" I tried reading this one THREE times and I just can't finish it! I love the other Sucia books but I don't know what is stopping me with this one. "
— Alex, 3/3/2012 -
" I was surprised, I really liked it! I picked it up and thought it looked ok but as I got close to the end I tried not to read so it would last. Just a cute chick flick kind of book. "
— Erin, 11/16/2011 -
" Somewhere around there. Got tired with a lot of them. "
— Barbara, 9/12/2011 -
" In the beginning to was hard for me to get into it but once I kept reading it was a quick read. "
— Miriam, 8/16/2011 -
" Cute, fun, light read. "
— Lynda, 7/17/2011 -
" I thought this was a great and quick read. "
— Paige, 7/6/2011 -
" This is good, solid "chick lit". Although the ending was somewhat predictable, the story did take a few interesting turns along the way. Above all, relatable female characters make this one worth reading. "
— Barbi, 6/30/2011 -
" I thought this was a great and quick read. "
— la_jefa, 5/15/2011 -
" Is been a while since I read this book but I remember being fun .. a girly book for sure..based on the friendship of three latino girlfriends.. is a fast reading. "
— Mirtha, 3/6/2011 -
" I was surprised, I really liked it! I picked it up and thought it looked ok but as I got close to the end I tried not to read so it would last. Just a cute chick flick kind of book. "
— Erin, 1/24/2011 -
" This is the next book after Dirty Girl Social Club. Easy read, light-hearted and fun! "
— Elaina, 9/7/2010 -
" Fun light summer read (if you read Spanish that is). Follows the lives of four very different Latina women who find thier successes in different paths, but always with the help of their friendships. "
— Danielle, 8/18/2010 -
" Good girlfriend book, summer beach read. Funny! "
— Heidi, 7/17/2010 -
" lovelovelove this book and the characters point of veiw. a must read! "
— Brina, 6/28/2010 -
" This book remind me of a Latina version of a Jackie Collins book. I am liking it alot. The excitement of Hollywood and succesful women. "
— Veronica, 6/20/2010 -
" A little slow starting, but a fun read. I found myself skimming through one character's story to get to the next. "
— Melyssa, 6/4/2010 -
" This one was just okay for me. It did teach me a good lesson: the importance of self-esteem and always staying true to yourself. "
— Kealey_m1, 2/1/2010
About Alisa Valdes-Rodríguez
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Dirty Girls Social Club and Playing with Boys, among other novels. She is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist and Pulitzer-nominated former staff writer for both the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe. She has written and sold pilot scripts to Nickelodeon, NBC, and Lifetime Television, as well as a teen crossover feature film based on The Kindred.