The Dating Playbook
Personal trainer Taylor Powell is great at her job but drowning in bills. Former football player Jamar Dixon, whose NFL career was cut short by a knee injury, hires her to help him make a secret comeback. To keep the training under wraps, they pretend to be dating, and the fake dates only make their chemistry harder to ignore. Kirkus says the book gives each lead a realistic personal dilemma while keeping the romance front and centre.
About This Book
The Dating Playbook is a contemporary romance novel by Farrah Rochon, first published in 2021 by Forever. It runs 384 pages. Readers can expect fake dating.
At a glance
- Genre
- Contemporary
- Trope
- Fake Dating
- Length
- 384 pages
- Format
- Trade Paperback
Where to read or listen
Get The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
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Why You May Love This Book
You may love this if…
- A professional personal trainer and a former NFL star enter a fake-dating arrangement to facilitate his secret comeback, only to find their chemistry becoming impossible to ignore.
- Fans of sports romance
- Readers who enjoy forced proximity tropes
- Lighthearted
- Features Fake Dating
The Romance
Tropes, dynamics, and the chemistry that drives this story.
Tropes
Relationship Dynamics
Details
Type: Contemporary Romance
Pairing: unknown
Power balance: Professional partnership
How It Feels
The emotional landscape you'll move through while reading.
Heat Level
Based on available metadata and editorial review.
Who Is This Book For?
Best for
Reading mood
Recommended audience: Adult
The Story
Spoiler-Free Synopsis
Struggling to make ends meet, personal trainer Taylor Powell accepts a high-stakes job: helping former NFL player Jamar Dixon prepare for a return to the league. Because Jamar needs his comeback kept quiet until he is ready, they strike a deal to fake a romantic relationship. As they spend time together to sell the ruse, the lines between their staged performance and genuine attraction begin to blur.
Central Conflict
Balancing the professional requirements of Jamar's training comeback with the complicating emotional fallout of their fake-dating charade.
Setting
Contemporary
Strengths
- Clear, engaging central conflict
- Well-defined character motivations
Discussion Guide
Questions to deepen your reading experience or spark a book club conversation.
- 1
How does the central conflict shape the relationship between the main characters?
- 2
How does the setting influence the characters' decisions and their relationship?
- 3
How do the relationship dynamics evolve throughout the story?
- 4
Who would you most want to recommend this book to?
- 5
How did the pacing affect your reading experience?
- 6
Which aspect of the story did you find most compelling?
How This Profile Was Created
Eikna uses book metadata and AI-assisted analysis to create structured romance profiles. Public profiles are reviewed and approved by an editor before publication.
- Editor reviewed:
- Yes
- Last reviewed:
- October 4, 2026
- Confidence:
- Moderate confidence
- Profile version:
- eikna-public-book-intelligence-v1
About the Author
What Readers Say
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Publication Details
- Publisher
- Forever
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Length
- 384 pages
- Language
- English
- ISBN-13
- 9781538716670
The Dating Playbook: quick answers
- Who wrote The Dating Playbook?
- The Dating Playbook was written by Farrah Rochon.
- When was The Dating Playbook published?
- The Dating Playbook was first published in 2021 by Forever.
- What genre is The Dating Playbook?
- The Dating Playbook is a contemporary romance novel, with fake dating.
- How many pages is The Dating Playbook?
- The Dating Playbook is 384 pages long (Trade Paperback).
Are you the author? Verify your author profile to manage this book.
This is my book — sign inWhere to read or listen
Get The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
These store links are affiliate links (Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org and Libro.fm). As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
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