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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This was a cute, but predictable, story. I enjoyed it for the most part but again, predictable.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a good job.
An Emotional Story With Games (Football & Life), Hurting Past, Moving forward, Love and Grand Gestures!
#My 1st by Kandi, Won't be my last.
Gemma, Smart+Hot, is A sucker for Rules & Control. I understood her pain & fears..But there were times when I wanted to Smack her head.
Zack, Cute+Sweet, is a total softie & Romantic. I loved him From the start. His family is Great!
Both have been Majorly Painful pasts, but different ways to overcome from it.
It's been 8 months since Gemma's (Cheating) Husband-Carlo died of Cancer. It wrecked a havoc in her life.
Belle, her Fun bestie+Boss, gives G the idea to use her season Football game passes to go on dates, To have Fun & Help G move on.
The two met Zack in The bar, where he worked. Zack was totally Smitten with Gemma!
G was nervous about The Date plan, so Zack became her ‘Practice’ Round.
They'd Fun (She also had an orgasm)...& Zack Wanted More. She did too but wouldn't admit.
Gemma: “You do realize this is never going to work out in your favor, right? You're playing the wrong game.”
Zack: “That's fine”....“As Long as I'm the right winner.”
She stuck with her plan: New game, New date. While Zack tried hard to win her over *swoon*.
Her last Antics *almost* drove him away, But it was Belle's Masterplan-Make Gemma Jealous, that drove some sense into Gem. Made G realise how special her & Zack's bond is.
Cue Z+G's Relationship!
It was Beautiful, they're great together❤.
Dates, Facing Fears, Meeting Family, Together through Vulnerable times..
But Then She Found Carlo's Letter..
Which was a Punch to the gut, reminder of all her Pain.
Emotional, she made a mistake: Broke up with Zack. *Drama*
Both were miserable, it's good that He has a great family❤.
It was Belle who advised Gemma..Made her realize what she'd done.
If Gem doesn't Fight For Zack, she'll forever lost him.
So G planned, Fought.
They've their HEA where it'd all started: At the Football game!
Cue Zack's *cute* Grand gesture: Hot Dog Guy got his girl!
The epilogue was Gorgeous, loved to see whole family together
#My 1st by Kandi, Won't be my last.
Gemma, Smart+Hot, is A sucker for Rules & Control. I understood her pain & fears..But there were times when I wanted to Smack her head.
Zack, Cute+Sweet, is a total softie & Romantic. I loved him From the start. His family is Great!
Both have been Majorly Painful pasts, but different ways to overcome from it.
It's been 8 months since Gemma's (Cheating) Husband-Carlo died of Cancer. It wrecked a havoc in her life.
Belle, her Fun bestie+Boss, gives G the idea to use her season Football game passes to go on dates, To have Fun & Help G move on.
The two met Zack in The bar, where he worked. Zack was totally Smitten with Gemma!
G was nervous about The Date plan, so Zack became her ‘Practice’ Round.
They'd Fun (She also had an orgasm)...& Zack Wanted More. She did too but wouldn't admit.
Gemma: “You do realize this is never going to work out in your favor, right? You're playing the wrong game.”
Zack: “That's fine”....“As Long as I'm the right winner.”
She stuck with her plan: New game, New date. While Zack tried hard to win her over *swoon*.
Her last Antics *almost* drove him away, But it was Belle's Masterplan-Make Gemma Jealous, that drove some sense into Gem. Made G realise how special her & Zack's bond is.
Cue Z+G's Relationship!
It was Beautiful, they're great together❤.
Dates, Facing Fears, Meeting Family, Together through Vulnerable times..
But Then She Found Carlo's Letter..
Which was a Punch to the gut, reminder of all her Pain.
Emotional, she made a mistake: Broke up with Zack. *Drama*
Both were miserable, it's good that He has a great family❤.
It was Belle who advised Gemma..Made her realize what she'd done.
If Gem doesn't Fight For Zack, she'll forever lost him.
So G planned, Fought.
They've their HEA where it'd all started: At the Football game!
Cue Zack's *cute* Grand gesture: Hot Dog Guy got his girl!
The epilogue was Gorgeous, loved to see whole family together
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Supposedly, this book should’ve been read before [b:The Right Player|53499215|The Right Player|Kandi Steiner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598894234l/53499215._SY75_.jpg|80068090] but Goodreads didn’t put the two books in the same series category so I thought The Right Player was a standalone and not a linked novel as it actually is.
ANYWAY.
The story begins with Gemma, eight months later, after the death of her cheating dead ex-husband. So, in order to get herself out there, Gemma decided to use the season tickets that she bought before she fought out about her ex-husband’s affair and offer her extra tickets to a new boy every game. The plan had no flaws: give the tickets to a man, maybe get some action and then move onto the next boy. Due to her past, Gemma has sworn off relationships for good.
That is, until Zach appears. After meeting at the bar Zach is a bartender in, he offers Gemma to be her practice round. That works well until Gemma and Zach experience an extreme attraction to each other, both physical and emotionally. However, Gemma needs to be in control at all times and Zach’s presence gives away all the control she was used to have.
The writing is really good, just like the other book. However, just like the other one, I do feel like the writing could be a little bit less. We’re inside the characters’ minds a lot and Gemma’s constant need to re-explain why she sworn off relationships, why she feels afraid and why she is trying to push men away is a little bit overwhelming at times. Repetition might be our friend sometimes but not constantly.
Gemma is extremely guarded after finding out that her ex-husband was cheating on her. However, before she could do anything about it, her ex-husband drops some devastating news and Gemma forced herself to stand by his side until the end. It that a toll on Gemma. I seriously congratulate her for having the strength for standing by the man who cheated on her constantly in his worst days when he didn’t give a shit about her. Adding that to her OCD to have everything under her control, it does make every single reaction and action that she had throughout the story a legitimate action.
Zach is an obsessed romantic that doesn’t know how to take no. Not in a bad way; he does know what he wants and he goes after it. In the beginning, he does sense that Gemma is too guarded, reserved and that she has been through a lot - although he doesn’t know exactly what -, so he does tread carefully but he can come off as a little bit intense. I know that because I did relate to Gemma’s character a lot (probably even more than Belle’s) and I did feel like some of Zach’s actions would’ve made me almost bolt on the spot.
Their relationship is insta-attraction. Pure and simple. However, Zach is a romantic lover and he has his parents’ relationship as a role model so he does feel like Gemma is someone he wants to spend a lot of time getting to know. Their relationships evolves quite normally whenever Gemma allows herself to let go of the tight control she keeps herself always under. When she does that, their relationship flows at a steady rhythm. The climax (aka the part where there is more angst) is completely legit; it is the explosion of the build-up that Gemma’s character has been facing throughout the book. However, unlike the first book, it is Gemma the one who takes the first step to make amends since she was the one who fucked it up in the first place.
Overall, it is an amazing book, extremely well written and with a beautiful relationship development with real feelings and real-life situations. Like I previously mentioned, I did relate to Gemma’s character a lot as she and I have a lot of the same quirks and habits.
Just like the first book, the sex scenes are incredible and you can ✨ feel ✨ it. But I feel like [a:Kandi Steiner|7319216|Kandi Steiner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1635279217p2/7319216.jpg]'s books have an incredible amount of well written, well felt smut.
ANYWAY.
The story begins with Gemma, eight months later, after the death of her cheating dead ex-husband. So, in order to get herself out there, Gemma decided to use the season tickets that she bought before she fought out about her ex-husband’s affair and offer her extra tickets to a new boy every game. The plan had no flaws: give the tickets to a man, maybe get some action and then move onto the next boy. Due to her past, Gemma has sworn off relationships for good.
That is, until Zach appears. After meeting at the bar Zach is a bartender in, he offers Gemma to be her practice round. That works well until Gemma and Zach experience an extreme attraction to each other, both physical and emotionally. However, Gemma needs to be in control at all times and Zach’s presence gives away all the control she was used to have.
The writing is really good, just like the other book. However, just like the other one, I do feel like the writing could be a little bit less. We’re inside the characters’ minds a lot and Gemma’s constant need to re-explain why she sworn off relationships, why she feels afraid and why she is trying to push men away is a little bit overwhelming at times. Repetition might be our friend sometimes but not constantly.
Gemma is extremely guarded after finding out that her ex-husband was cheating on her. However, before she could do anything about it, her ex-husband drops some devastating news and Gemma forced herself to stand by his side until the end. It that a toll on Gemma. I seriously congratulate her for having the strength for standing by the man who cheated on her constantly in his worst days when he didn’t give a shit about her. Adding that to her OCD to have everything under her control, it does make every single reaction and action that she had throughout the story a legitimate action.
Zach is an obsessed romantic that doesn’t know how to take no. Not in a bad way; he does know what he wants and he goes after it. In the beginning, he does sense that Gemma is too guarded, reserved and that she has been through a lot - although he doesn’t know exactly what -, so he does tread carefully but he can come off as a little bit intense. I know that because I did relate to Gemma’s character a lot (probably even more than Belle’s) and I did feel like some of Zach’s actions would’ve made me almost bolt on the spot.
Their relationship is insta-attraction. Pure and simple. However, Zach is a romantic lover and he has his parents’ relationship as a role model so he does feel like Gemma is someone he wants to spend a lot of time getting to know. Their relationships evolves quite normally whenever Gemma allows herself to let go of the tight control she keeps herself always under. When she does that, their relationship flows at a steady rhythm. The climax (aka the part where there is more angst) is completely legit; it is the explosion of the build-up that Gemma’s character has been facing throughout the book. However, unlike the first book, it is Gemma the one who takes the first step to make amends since she was the one who fucked it up in the first place.
Overall, it is an amazing book, extremely well written and with a beautiful relationship development with real feelings and real-life situations. Like I previously mentioned, I did relate to Gemma’s character a lot as she and I have a lot of the same quirks and habits.
Just like the first book, the sex scenes are incredible and you can ✨ feel ✨ it. But I feel like [a:Kandi Steiner|7319216|Kandi Steiner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1635279217p2/7319216.jpg]'s books have an incredible amount of well written, well felt smut.
4 1/2 stars
Kandi Steiner writes a book that makes you want to cry and rage all at the same time in just the prologue. Gemma has to start her life all over again and her new motto is don't fall in love ever again. Zach meets the fabulous woman in his bar and ask to be her practice date to get her back in the saddle again. What starts out as a way to help her quickly turns into a throw out all the rules kind of love.
Kandi Steiner writes a book that makes you want to cry and rage all at the same time in just the prologue. Gemma has to start her life all over again and her new motto is don't fall in love ever again. Zach meets the fabulous woman in his bar and ask to be her practice date to get her back in the saddle again. What starts out as a way to help her quickly turns into a throw out all the rules kind of love.
Book recs like this are why I have trust problems.
The prologue was painful and SO PROMISING….. but then the “sHe’s NoT LiKe oThEr GirLs
The prologue was painful and SO PROMISING….. but then the “sHe’s NoT LiKe oThEr GirLs
I totally fall in love with Zach and this book! Zach was so sweet and romantic and I loved that he wasn't afraid to show his feelings. Both Gemma and Zach had heartbreak and sadness in their pasts, Zach was ready to move forward and though Gemma wanted to move forward as well, it was a lot more challenging for her. Will Zach be able to show her she can move on from her past? I loved this book and loved all the characters. It was heartbreaking and frustrating and showed real love and what real love means! Another winner by Kandi!
Gemma is about to confront her cheating husband when he speaks first: he has terminal cancer. Staying with him for his final weeks is difficult; she tells no one but her best friend, and the secret has destroyed her trust for anyone. When football season rolls around, she finds herself with two season tickets to the Chicago Bears games and a best friend who doesn't like football. As a way to get back out there and meet some people, she decides to take a new date each week... starting with her local bartender as a practice run.
Zack falls fast. At first it was more obnoxious than cute that he couldn't take no for an answer, but when it switches to his side, it's swoon-worthy how romantic and smitten he is. Gemma is resistant but their connection is too strong to really let him go. They are super sweet together and the happily ever after was nearly tear-jerky. So cute.
Tropes: Sports Romance (Football)
Zack falls fast. At first it was more obnoxious than cute that he couldn't take no for an answer, but when it switches to his side, it's swoon-worthy how romantic and smitten he is. Gemma is resistant but their connection is too strong to really let him go. They are super sweet together and the happily ever after was nearly tear-jerky. So cute.
Tropes: Sports Romance (Football)