How Many Books Are In The Jaci Burton Play By Play Series?

This is one of those series where you can mostly just dive in anywhere that seems interesting, though I think starting with book one, 'Changing the Game', does give you the best foundation. It establishes the dynamics between the Riley family, who own the sports agency, and the team they're involved with. Knowing those relationships makes later interactions way richer, especially when characters from earlier books pop up at family barbecues or games. That said, the author does a good job making each couple's story standalone. If you're just in the mood for a hockey romance, you can jump straight to 'Taking a Shot' or 'Playing to Win' and not feel lost. The reading order on her website lists them chronologically, which is probably the 'official' way, but I read them totally out of order based on what my library had available and still enjoyed every single one. I'd say pick the sport or trope that grabs you first. The baseball ones have a different vibe than the football or hockey books, honestly. Just be prepared to get hooked and want to go back for the ones you missed later.

Oh yeah, for sure they have audiobooks. I listened to the whole series last year during my commute, and I'm pretty sure all the main 'Play-by-Play' books by Jaci Burton are available in audio. They're all on Audible, at least. I mostly know because I go through audiobooks so fast that I'm always checking for series with a lot of installments. The narrators change a bit throughout the series, which threw me off at first, but you get used to it. I liked the narrator for the early ones—think it was Sophie Eastlake? She had a good rhythm for the sports talk and the steamier scenes. Honestly, hearing the play-by-play sports metaphors is kind of funny in audio. Makes the locker room talk feel more real, maybe a bit too real sometimes. But if you're into audiobook romance, it's a solid pick. My library had a few of them on the Libby app, which is how I found them initially.

The Play-by-Play series by Jaci Burton is one of those long-running romance series that kind of evolves as it goes. I wouldn't say there's a grand, series-finale style 'ending' that ties everything up in a bow, because it's structured more as interconnected standalones within the same sports/entertainment world. The later books do shift focus to a new generation of characters, like the children of the original couples from the early books. So your satisfaction might depend on what you're looking for. If you want every single character's future neatly wrapped up in a final book, you might be a bit disappointed. But if you're content with seeing the world expand and get periodic check-ins with old favorites in new books, it feels very complete in its own way. I liked seeing how the original couples from, say, 'Changing the Game' were doing as established parents and professionals. It ends on a note that feels like the door is still open for more stories, which I appreciate because it mirrors how life keeps going. The final book I read, 'Rules of Contact', gave a nice sense of continuity rather than a hard stop.