Series: All for the Game #1
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Links: Amazon • Goodreads
Publication Date: January 15, 2013
Source: Purchased
Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He’s short, he’s fast, he’s got a ton of potential—and he’s the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The Butcher.
Signing a contract with the PSU Foxes is the last thing a guy like Neil should do. The team is high profile and he doesn’t need sports crews broadcasting pictures of his face around the nation. His lies will hold up only so long under this kind of scrutiny and the truth will get him killed.
But Neil’s not the only one with secrets on the team. One of Neil’s new teammates is a friend from his old life, and Neil can’t walk away from him a second time. Neil has survived the last eight years by running. Maybe he’s finally found someone and something worth fighting for.
Do you belong to any Facebook groups for your favorite authors? I do, but only two: Krista & Becca Ritchie’s Fizzle Force and Sally Thorne’s Flamethrowers. Both groups post a ton of book recommendations and it’s generally terrible for my TBR. There was one day, several months ago, when it seemed like the entire group was talking about how much they loved this series. I figured I didn’t have much to lose by one-clicking the first book. Of course, I didn’t pick it up until four months later, but it’s the thought that counts.
I actually wasn’t even planning to read this book this month. I just wasn’t feeling my predetermined #killingthetbr books and I was really sick of all of them turning out to be awful, so I tried to pick one that I thought I’d enjoy. I was wrong. I’m really bad at this book-choosing thing lately. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Also, it’s Pride Month, so I thought it might be fitting. It really wasn’t. I don’t know why this is tagged as an LGBT romance on Goodreads. It’s not. It’s just a bunch of crazy kids beating each other up.
I just… didn’t like this book. Apparently the series gets better as it goes on, but I’m just not feeling it and I have no desire to keep going. I’m not sure why everything’s so violent and I keep hearing all this stuff about how cute Neil and Andrew are but they just keep fighting? (More accurately, Andrew keeps punching people for no good reason.) The book is about a made-up sport (Exy) that doesn’t even make any sense. It’s weird and it’s so boring.
This isn’t how college works.
This isn’t how sports work.
This isn’t how drugs work.
This isn’t how teamwork works.
Literally the only positive thing I can say about this book is that it made me want to adopt Neil. He deserves better than his current life. The only reason I’m giving this two stars instead of one is because it’s marginally better than the last few single-star books I’ve read.
PS: I love this review over on Goodreads.
#killingthetbr: four months on shelf
I’ve seen this book EVERYWHERE but every time I go look at the synopsis I’m so ‘meh’ about it.
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It seems like a lot of people have loved this series, but it just wasn’t for me. Definitely don’t push yourself to read it if you’re already bored by the synopsis.
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I’ve read so many reviews of this book on both sides of the debate… and decided it’s just not for me..
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Probably a good decision!
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Haha definitely 😂😂
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This has been showing non-stop at my newsfeed and every time I am tempted to check it out, I say that it’s just not for me. Now I am more sure than ever. Thanks for saving my tbr
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Haha, you’re welcome! That’s what I’m here for!
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Wonderful review!! I thought I was one of the few people that didn’t love this book. I thought the whole thing just didn’t make sense. This team would never work in the real world!
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Thanks! It really wouldn’t! I was expecting to love it, but it just didn’t work for me.
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Hahaha I feel like this is such a love or hate book! I’ve seen people raving and ranting about it (there’s no middle lol), so I’d be very curious to see which side I’ll be on once I read it. Great review!
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I would love to see your review if you decide to read it! (And I hope you’ll like it more than I did!)
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Aww, thank you! ❤
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