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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this quite a bit. The story is pretty bland and does get a little boring. It felt like there was no major plot then to get the main characters together. Not a bad read though. It sure as hell got steamy and the characters were likable, specially Shep.
Couldn’t get over the slut shaming, the derogatory attitude towards women, the obscene language and Shep’s overall abusive and kind of rapey manner. Wished I would have dnf’d it, because the ending wasn’t worth it either.
I'm surprised by how much I actually really like this.
It was a decent guilty read. Nothing exceptional but nothing terrible, just average. If you’re looking for a quick read that feels like a brainless tv show then you’re gonna like that.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is one of those books in which the premise drew my interest. It sounded like it would be an entertaining read. Fair Game has two protagonists, Jade Frost and Shepard “Shep” Prescott. The story is written in first-person POV, alternating between their perspectives. Jade and Shepard meet under unusual circumstances. Jade is with her boyfriend, Joel. He’s playing blackjack against Shepard at the latter’s clandestine gambling house. When it seems like Joel may have a winning hand, Shepard makes a bet. If Joel wins, he’ll get fifty thousand dollars. But if Shepard wins, he’ll get Jade.
That surprising bet made me intrigued to find out what happens after. Why would Shepard want a girl he doesn’t even know? He’s been watching Jade all night using a mirror meant to catch cheaters. Something about her intrigued Shepard. You can guess how the bet turns out: Shepard wins Jade. She’s irritated about it and storms off. Jade is fully aware of Shepard’s playboy reputation. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy. Not to mention Jade dislikes his pretentious-sounding trust-fund-baby name. I kind of agree with her. Names hardly get any more preppy than Shepard Prescott.
Shepard doesn’t give up on Jade easily. They both attend the same college, so crossing paths isn’t difficult. At first, Shepard only cares about Jade honoring the bet he made. He claims to have won her fair and square. Jade won’t have any of it, though Shepard still intrigues her. She’s attracted to him, which she’s not prepared to admit. Shepard gets through Jade’s defenses little by little. This surprises even him, as he’s never pursued a girl that way before.
Although Jade and Shepard’s romance has prominence, it doesn’t eclipse most of the supporting characters. Jade has a roommate and best friend, Kelli. She has a boyfriend, Dane. He happens to be best friends with Joel, Jade’s ex-boyfriend. Dane is barely more than a cardboard cutout, though. Kelli’s role, in contrast, is big enough for the reader to get a sense of what she’s about. As for Shepard, he has a best friend, Gabriel Walker, and a cousin, Tristan. They’re pretty much the same: love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guys. Their main concern is to have fun, because after graduation they’ll have to be serious adults. Gabriel and Tristan also help Shepard run his gambling house.
Fair Game was a good, interesting romance novel. I think I liked it more the second time I read it. Jade Frost is a likable romantic interest. She’s a responsible student but not overly so. And though Jade keeps having mixed feelings about Shepard, it doesn’t mean she’s dumb or doesn’t care about her image. Jade also has…insecurity issues when it comes to romance. Shepard, bad boy though he may be, helps her be more confident in herself. Yes, this means the sexual content in Fair Game is more than moderate. The scenes are tasteful, though. This was good for me, otherwise it’d be much harder to admit I read this book. I don’t read overly raunchy stuff, and gladly, Fair Game is not it despite what the second-edition cover art may suggest*.
*UPDATE 2021: I'm really not happy the cover art was changed. The previous one was good enough! Now the updated cover is yet another shirtless dude. I do not read novels with such covers. Bummer that I like Fair Game a lot. It's one of my favorite romance novels. I'll get the paperback version while there are still copies; they still have the old cover art.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
Had to DNF this one at the 15% mark. I'm not a sheltered prude. Really I'm not! I know the realities of "college" and young adults trying new things but that doesn't mean I'm on the "let's do coke because peer pressure and drink with random strangers on the street because why not" crazy train.
I really wanted to like Fair Game but I have a very low tolerance for stupid. It could have only been that one scene, or it could have happened again throughout the book but I will not sit up and watch a self proclaimed "boring good girl" do stupid things just because. I can see drinking at a party with your friends (not shit faced drunk but drunk). I can see hitting a blunt in your dorm room with your roommate. What I can not see is Jade meeting two random girls on the street (whom she instantly did not like) and drinking an entire bottle of vodka then doing a line of coke with said girls because "what the hell". Nope. Sorry. Not gonna happen.
I'm actually really annoyed I spent .99 cent on it now -_-
I really wanted to like Fair Game but I have a very low tolerance for stupid. It could have only been that one scene, or it could have happened again throughout the book but I will not sit up and watch a self proclaimed "boring good girl" do stupid things just because. I can see drinking at a party with your friends (not shit faced drunk but drunk). I can see hitting a blunt in your dorm room with your roommate. What I can not see is Jade meeting two random girls on the street (whom she instantly did not like) and drinking an entire bottle of vodka then doing a line of coke with said girls because "what the hell". Nope. Sorry. Not gonna happen.
I'm actually really annoyed I spent .99 cent on it now -_-
I just didn't like this book which is sad because I love her other series, One Week Girlfriend.
I skimmed most of this because it was all sex! I know new adult romances have sex in it but holy hell this book was all about the sex for this couple. I didn't get how they connected otherwise. I didn't understand how they fell in love. Sure you have great chemistry but being in a relationship and falling in love is more than that. Jade hates him but yet found him sizzling hot. Oh boy that sounds just amazing... Not.
This just wasn't for me.
I skimmed most of this because it was all sex! I know new adult romances have sex in it but holy hell this book was all about the sex for this couple. I didn't get how they connected otherwise. I didn't understand how they fell in love. Sure you have great chemistry but being in a relationship and falling in love is more than that. Jade hates him but yet found him sizzling hot. Oh boy that sounds just amazing... Not.
This just wasn't for me.
2.5 stars. I somewhat struggled with this book. I guess the main reason is because it was was just so easy to put down. 90% of the book was boring/mediocre. There were glimpses of interesting parts to the book, but it wasn't enough to warrant 3 stars. I was hoping the heroine would dislike the hero for longer than 3 days before she found him irresistible, but that was the case. The heroine's roommate was not my favorite supporting character either. But hey! I finished the book!