Book Blitz: Double Review The Love Game & Playing For Keeps (The Game Series) by Emma Hart

Crushed on by Shannon, on July 1, 2013, in Blog Tour, Reviews / 0 Comments

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Book Blitz: Double Review The Love Game & Playing For Keeps (The Game Series) by Emma Hart

Book Crushin is totally excited to be hosting a double review of the hot new contemporary romance, The Game Series by Emma Hart, on the last day of the Book Blast! Be sure to keep reading for an excerpt of Playing For Keeps, Book 2, as well as a link to Emma’s playlist. Plus a sneak peak of the cover & title of Book 3 as well!

 

PLAYING FOR KEEPS COVERPlaying For Keeps (The Game #2) by Emma Hart

Category: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publication: June 24, 2013; Independent
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Itunes, Kobo, Smashwords

[book rating=3.0/5.0]

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Emma Hart, comes the second book in The Game series, and the story everyone wanted after The Love Game…

 

She’s in love with him.

 

He’s trying not to love her.

 

One night changes everything.

 

Aston Banks never meant to get close to Megan Harper – not even for that one night. Haunted by a childhood he refuses to face, he knew she could break through every wall he’d ever built and tear them down without even realising she was doing it.

 

Betraying Braden by starting a relationship with Aston wasn’t on Megan’s to-do list, but the second she sees a glimpse of someone other than the arrogant ass she’s come to know, she can’t walk away.

 

Aston’s childhood is worse than Megan ever guessed, but as he tries and fails to push her away, it’s clear her love is stronger than the demons that cling to him every day. And now, because of it, he finally has to deal with what he’s buried deep down.

 

What he doesn’t want to face. What he’s fought against for so long.

 

And they have to do it all without Braden finding out.

 

Keeping a relationship secret has never been harder.

 

**This book can be read as a standalone novel, but reading The Love Game (The Game, #1) beforehand is advised.**

 

Spoiler-Free Review:

Playing for Keeps, book two in The Game series by Emma Hart picks up right where book one, The Love Game, left off. This time focusing on Brayden Carter’s type A best friend Megan Harper and oversexed frat boy Aston Banks.

 

This book starts off with an, ahem, “bang” and kicks into overdrive. If you read The Love Game then you know that Megan and Aston have been bickering like an old married couple from the very first pages. It’s that love/hate banter that really makes these two one steamy couple.

 

Although it wouldn’t be a New Adult book without someone having some issues and boy does Aston have some. Behind his devil may care attitude hides a boy with some serious emotional scars. Scars that only the love of a strong girl like Megan can truly heal.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the constant references to literary masterpieces and comparing Megan and Aston to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice and even Romeo and Juliet. You see for the better half of the book Aston and Megan are having a relationship in secret and hiding it from all of their friends. Especially, Megan’s best friend Brayden.  If you thought Maddie and Brayden’s relationship was hot in book one than Aston and Megan’s secret relationship in this book really ups the ante. My only gripe was that when the big reveal happened I thought it lacked the emotional punch I was hoping for. I was really hoping for just a little more drama than was delivered.

 

All in all I really like where this series is going. I understand book three will focus on Abbi, Maddie’s best friend mentioned in book 1. I’m extremely intrigued to see what happens. And I am begging Emma Hart to please give us a book on Kay, that hot nimpho bi-sexual is begging for a book of her own.

 

If you haven’t picked up Playing for Keeps or The Love Game, what are you waiting for? They are great, romantic, fun, and perfect summer reads.

 

*Contains mature content, sexual situations, not recommended for younger readers

 

Excerpt:

ASTON:PLAYING FOR KEEPS promo image

“You okay?”
I shake my head. “No. Every time. Every fucking time he brings her up. I thought he wouldn’t in front of you, but he did.”
“He has his own pain,” she says softly. “It doesn’t excuse it, but he does. He feels guilty for what happened to you – that he couldn’t stop it.”
My mind reels for a second and I look down at her. “He told you that?”
She nods, letting her hand drop from my back and standing in front of me. I stop.
“You’ve never let him tell you.” She reaches up and cups my face. “He hurts, too, Aston. You both hurt. It’s not something that will go away, but you can’t let it rule your lives. If you let pain rule you you’ll get lost in it.”
“What if I’m already lost?”
“You’re not lost. You’re hiding, but you’re not lost. I won’t let you get lost.”
I let my hands come up and rest on her back, pulling her into me. “What if there’s no map?”
“Then I’ll get lost with you,” she whispers. “I won’t let you let them win, Aston. I won’t let you get sucked in by those demons. I won’t let that happen. I care too much.”
And she does. I can hear it in her voice.
She wraps her arms around my neck, and I hold her to me tighter, our foreheads resting against each other.
“I’ll try, Megs,” I promise. “I can’t say I won’t, but as long as you’re here, I think I’ll be okay.”
“And you’ll talk to your Gramps? Just once?”
“I’ll think about it. How about we just focus on stopping me from getting lost for a bit?”
“You just need a place to aim for, that’s all. You need a place to go to.”
“Go on then.” I smile. “Give me a place.”
“Okay.” She pauses for a second, closing her eyes and chewing her lip.
“I’m waiting…” I tease her.
Her blue eyes open, shocking me with their vitality. “Aim for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
“I don’t need to aim for the sky. The only star I’ll ever need is standing right in front of me.” I brush my lips over hers. “Maybe the place I need to aim for is nowhere other than where I am right now.”
“Maybe I’d go with you wherever you ended up.”
“Maybe I’d never ask that of you.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t need to ask. Maybe you’ll never need to ask me for anything, because I’ll always be here.”

 

 Playlist:

 

Previous Installment In Series:

tlg new cover

The Love Game (The Game #1) by Emma Hart

Category: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publication: March 29, 2013; Independent
Pages: 321
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase: AmazonAmazon UKBarnes & NobleKoboiTunesSmashwords

[book rating=3.5/5.0]

A New York Times and USA Today bestseller!
 
His challenge? Make her fall in love with him.
Her challenge? Play the player.
Until life changes the rules of the game.
 

Maddie Stevens hated Braden Carter on sight. Arrogant, egotistical, and the playboy of the University of California, Berkeley, he’s everything her brother Pearce has taught her to despise. So why, when the girls challenge her to play the player, doesn’t she say no? She doesn’t know either.
 

Braden wanted fiery little Maddie the second he laid eyes on her – and he’d do anything to have her, hence why he’s agreed to make her fall in love with him. After all, it’s the only way he’ll get what he wants. Sex.
But, as Braden discovers, there’s more to the girl from Brooklyn than he ever imagined – and he can’t help but care about the broken girl behind those pretty green eyes.
 

Maddie finds Braden isn’t just a walking erection – he actually has feelings. He can be sweet, funny and his good looks don’t exactly hurt. That means trouble – but when her brother Pearce turns up in Berkeley begging for her help, she realises Braden and Pearce aren’t so alike anymore.
 

And maybe, just maybe, they’re exactly what each other needs.

 

Spoiler-Free Review:

I have to admit when I first started The Love Game by Emma Hart, I wasn’t sold. Personally, Frat guys just don’t do it for me. However, the more I read this book (and boy did this become a page turner) I became totally enamored with Brayden Carter.

 

Maddie Stevens and her crew of gal pals decide it’s high time that campus lothario Brayden Carter gets played. A notorious womanizer, Brayden likes to love them then leave them that’s why Maddie and crew decide to “hump and dump” so he gets a taste of his own medicine. What the unsuspecting good girl Maddie doesn’t know is that Brayden and his frat brothers have concocted the same scheme. What plays out is a love game of epic proportions that finds feisty but broken Maddie and the arrogant Brayden falling head over heels for each other.

 

I was really taken with Maddie’s back story, while it’s predictable to have a lead character with some sort of tragedy, I could totally relate to Maddie’s issues with her drug addicted brother, in fact it’s what really made me connect with this story. Watching Brayden’s tenderness slowly come out towards Maddie as she slowly opened up to him was truly swoon worthy. This was not insta-love and for that I was thankful, the slow burn is always so much better of a pay off.

 

The supporting cast of characters Megan, Aston, Kay, Lila, Ryan and Kyle add to the fun, flirty vibe of this book. In fact, supporting characters Megan and Aston get their own story in book two (which I am already devouring).  If you are a fan of realistic New Adult with HOT and I mean HOT romance, then you won’t want to miss the newest addition to the genre.

 

*Contains mature content, sexual situations, not recommended for younger readers

 

 

THE RIGHT MOVES reveal pictureSneak Peak at Book 3 in The Game Series:

Book 3 in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling The Game Series by Emma Hart is titled THE RIGHT MOVES and belongs to Abbi, Maddie’s childhood best friend you met in The Love Game. It’s set back in Brooklyn, and the hero, Blake, has just moved from London.

 

There’s no release date as of yet, but keep your eyes open for more info!

 

Author Bio: Emma Hart

Author PhotoBy day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to a terrible two year old and growing bump, due September 2013. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of juice and writes books.

 

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love. She likes to be busy – unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

 

Find Emma online at:

Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

 

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