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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wholesome romance. Small town living. No sex scenes, sadly.
Jess Reid lives in Redford, Georgia, a small town where nothing happens. But when Jasper, the town's benefactor who is loaded in every single way dies, things get a little more interesting when his grandson, Carter enters the scene. As the details of Jasper's will are read, everyone is shocked. Because in order for someone to win his money, they must compete in groups of two and play a series of games. But falling in love isn't part of Jasper's will, and yet...
This romance was so cute!! One of my favourite romance settings is small-towns, and I ate this one up! Honestly, small-town romances win. Every single time. And dual POV?? Yes please.
I loved the relationship between Jess and her father and seeing how dedicated was to win the money to help him. Jess' character was really relatable at times, and I enjoyed watching her navigate her friendships with other people along the way.
While the romance in this one is a slow-burn, I think that there's a lot of content in this book to keep people entertained. The challenges were so fun to read about! That being said, the romance is very sweet, and Jess and Carter's chemistry is amazing.
Overall, this was a win from Lacie Waldon, and I can't wait to read more from her!
Thank you to Putnam for providing me with a finished copy in exchange for my honest review.
This romance was so cute!! One of my favourite romance settings is small-towns, and I ate this one up! Honestly, small-town romances win. Every single time. And dual POV?? Yes please.
I loved the relationship between Jess and her father and seeing how dedicated was to win the money to help him. Jess' character was really relatable at times, and I enjoyed watching her navigate her friendships with other people along the way.
While the romance in this one is a slow-burn, I think that there's a lot of content in this book to keep people entertained. The challenges were so fun to read about! That being said, the romance is very sweet, and Jess and Carter's chemistry is amazing.
Overall, this was a win from Lacie Waldon, and I can't wait to read more from her!
Thank you to Putnam for providing me with a finished copy in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 rounded up to 4.
The Only Game in Town is Lacie Waldon's third book. I really enjoyed her debut, The Layover, and had mixed feelings about the follow up book, From the Jump.
When I cracked open (or rather swiped open on my e-reader) The Only Game in Town, I felt a warmth settle in as I immediately connected with our Heroine and Hero, Jessica and Carter respectfully. This is a multi-POV book with Jessica, Carter, Jess's arch-enemy Nikki, and Jess's dad Ross.
This is a book set in the small town of Redford in Georgia. The town's millionaire has died, and has left a $10 million inheritance to two lucky townspeople. The catch is the money goes to the team who wins a very detailed, complicated game which includes Barbie Truck rides, pie eating contests, and more hi-jinx. The catch-the teams have been predetermined by the millionaire.
I won't say any more about this book. It was fun. I loved the small town feel. I do think there was maybe one to many parts of the game. I love that all of the author's books have a distinctly unique feel to them and I look forward to reading what she has coming in the future.
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.
The Only Game in Town is Lacie Waldon's third book. I really enjoyed her debut, The Layover, and had mixed feelings about the follow up book, From the Jump.
When I cracked open (or rather swiped open on my e-reader) The Only Game in Town, I felt a warmth settle in as I immediately connected with our Heroine and Hero, Jessica and Carter respectfully. This is a multi-POV book with Jessica, Carter, Jess's arch-enemy Nikki, and Jess's dad Ross.
This is a book set in the small town of Redford in Georgia. The town's millionaire has died, and has left a $10 million inheritance to two lucky townspeople. The catch is the money goes to the team who wins a very detailed, complicated game which includes Barbie Truck rides, pie eating contests, and more hi-jinx. The catch-the teams have been predetermined by the millionaire.
I won't say any more about this book. It was fun. I loved the small town feel. I do think there was maybe one to many parts of the game. I love that all of the author's books have a distinctly unique feel to them and I look forward to reading what she has coming in the future.
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Aggressively non-diverse cast of characters for something set in rural Georgia. Charming small town story though.
Gilmore Girls, but if it took place in the south. That is the best way I can describe this book! It had such a fantastic interesting cast of characters that you wanted to root for (even the resident 'mean girl,' Nikki) and the whole competition felt like a quirky event that would happen in Stars Hollow.
I love books that center on romances, but I quite enjoyed how the main focus of this book is the competition and the town of Redford over a relationship. You get so wrapped up and invested in everyone's feuds and their own little quirks and backstories and, in my opinion, making the relationship the focal point would take away from all of that. Jess and Carter are really cute together and their banter was fun to read! But the game was a refreshing way to get to know a whole cast of fun characters, with a slow-burn romance thrown in the mix. I think the competition even strengthens their relationship, as well as how we view it as readers. Through the lens of the competition, we get to see their motivations, where their loyalties lie, their vulnerability, what Jess and Carter's limits are, etc.
In the same vein, I loved the multiple perspectives used here. I think it would've gotten boring had we only been in Jess' head, or even Carter's. Utilizing multiple POVs was a smart way to keep up with the competition's momentum and maintain reader interest.
There is just one very small thing that bugged me and hindered my ability to give a 5-star rating. I love when food allergies get represented in books because I have a lot of them and rarely see them pop up in literature. However, I was kind of disappointed in the allergy rep here. When one of the characters goes into anaphylactic shock, there is mention of incorrect EpiPen use: administering in the arm (wrong), rather than the outer thigh (correct). In the grand scheme of things, it isn't a big deal, and it might have even been a joke. But since food allergies aren't talked about a lot, using inaccurate descriptions for administering EpiPens could end up harming someone in real life. I wasn't a fan of that.
Otherwise, though, it was a lot of fun to get to know the whole town of Redford through the eccentric competition games/rounds! I don't know how to explain it, but this book just felt like the transition between summer and autumn, and I am so grateful to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!!
I love books that center on romances, but I quite enjoyed how the main focus of this book is the competition and the town of Redford over a relationship. You get so wrapped up and invested in everyone's feuds and their own little quirks and backstories and, in my opinion, making the relationship the focal point would take away from all of that. Jess and Carter are really cute together and their banter was fun to read! But the game was a refreshing way to get to know a whole cast of fun characters, with a slow-burn romance thrown in the mix. I think the competition even strengthens their relationship, as well as how we view it as readers. Through the lens of the competition, we get to see their motivations, where their loyalties lie, their vulnerability, what Jess and Carter's limits are, etc.
In the same vein, I loved the multiple perspectives used here. I think it would've gotten boring had we only been in Jess' head, or even Carter's. Utilizing multiple POVs was a smart way to keep up with the competition's momentum and maintain reader interest.
There is just one very small thing that bugged me and hindered my ability to give a 5-star rating. I love when food allergies get represented in books because I have a lot of them and rarely see them pop up in literature. However, I was kind of disappointed in the allergy rep here. When one of the characters goes into anaphylactic shock, there is mention of incorrect EpiPen use: administering in the arm (wrong), rather than the outer thigh (correct). In the grand scheme of things, it isn't a big deal, and it might have even been a joke. But since food allergies aren't talked about a lot, using inaccurate descriptions for administering EpiPens could end up harming someone in real life. I wasn't a fan of that.
Otherwise, though, it was a lot of fun to get to know the whole town of Redford through the eccentric competition games/rounds! I don't know how to explain it, but this book just felt like the transition between summer and autumn, and I am so grateful to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!!