Reviewer: Holly & Rowena The Wrong Game by Kandi Steiner
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 18, 2018
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 393
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2019 GoodReads Challenge, Rowena's 2019 A-Z Reading Challenge, Rowena's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
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Two season tickets. One genius idea. Zero interest in a relationship.
The plan is simple: a brand new, hot, preferably funny, definitely single male will fill one of those seats for every Bears game at Soldier Field. And I’ll fill the other.
I can’t think of a better way to use the season passes I’d bought for my ex-husband. I am a woman of plans, and this one’s foolproof.
Until Zach Bowen offers to be my practice round.
He’s infuriating. Presumptuous and overbearing. And absolutely, undeniably gorgeous. Any woman with a heartbeat would be attracted to him, and mine picks up speed every time he speaks.
But as I said, I’m a woman of plans — and I’m not backing down on this one.
One night. One game. And then, his time’s up.
He can try to change the rules, but here’s the truth: he can’t win if he’s playing the wrong game.
The Wrong Game is a stand-alone, angsty, enemies-to-lovers sports romance.
Gemma Mancini is a woman on a mission. After a rough year of infidelity, cancer, and death, Gemma is single but not ready to mingle. She has two season passes for the Chicago Bears home games and a plan to take a different date to each of those games. No repeats, no chance of falling in love again because she never wants to fall in love again but when she meets Zach Bowen, she doesn’t stand a chance against his charm…no matter how adamant she plans on fighting that attraction.
Rowena: Alright, this was a pretty quick read for me but at the same time, the story dragged for me. I’m kind of torn on what I think. There were parts that I liked, some of the characters, I liked but for the most part, I just…didn’t care about what was going on.
What did you think?
Holly: I agree this was a pretty quick read, though it did drag on in places. I have to say, based on the cover and blurb I expected a pretty lighthearted read, but this actually dealt with some pretty heavy themes. My heart really broke for Gemma in the prologue. I don’t want to spoil it, but damn. She really got knocked out with a solid one-two punch, didn’t she?
I really liked Zach. He was super sweet and adorable. Every time he was on the page I got all melty. It was really refreshing to have a hero who wanted a wife and a family. We don’t see that enough, IMHO.
Gemma…I really felt for her. My heart actually hurt in the beginning. But I didn’t understand all the games she played. She acted like a 19-year-old half the time, not a woman of almost 30.
You know what my biggest “OMFG THIS IS BULLSHIT” moment was? The Chicago Bears (THE BEARS) beat Green Bay twice in one season. That hasn’t happened in like 12 years. Talk about fiction…
Rowena: Hahahahaha, I so thought of you when I read that about the Bears beating Green Bay TWICE. I was low key waiting for you to bring it up. I couldn’t tell you much about football and the NFL to be honest but I know that the Bears aren’t beating Green Bay like that in a season. Haha.
The prologue really hurt my heart because Gemma didn’t deserve that. What a shitty position for her to be in but then the rest of the story started happening and what I felt for Gemma in the prologue started turning into something not so good. I kept thinking, “Just because shitty things happened to you doesn’t mean you get to play shitty games to others” I wasn’t a fan of all of the back and forth and the immature mind games she played with Zach.
I really liked Zach as well. I thought he was sweet and I loved that he didn’t give up on Gemma. When he made his deal with the couple with the season tickets next to Gemma’s, I smiled like a lunatic because how freaking cute is that?
Overall, I liked parts of the book but the second half seemed to drag for me and that, along with Gemma’s jealousy games from the first half of the book messed with my enjoyment so as much as I loved Zach, this book is getting 2.5 stars out of 5 from me…what about you?
Holly: Yeah, I wasn’t impressed. Bears fans, man. Always living in lala land. haha
I didn’t get all the back and forth mind games she played, either. I really liked the first part of the book, but the longer it went on the more frustrated I got with Gemma. The second half slowed down enough that I felt like I was really forcing myself to finish it.
While I liked parts of it, like you I wasn’t impressed overall. I’m giving it 2.75 out of 5. I would try another book by the author.
Final Grades
Rowena: 2.5 out of 5
Oh boy, this is pretty disappointing. Womp womp. I’m pretty new to Steiner and have only read the What He Didn’t Know duet a few months ago. I definitely want to read more from her but it sounds like this one shouldn’t be at the top of the list.
I’ve been hearing others liking this one but it wasn’t for me. Sorry, Tanya!