Another great book by Rachel Van Dyken. It had all the feels I've come to expect from her books.

copy received through Netgalley for honest review
It' Miller's turn for happiness. In book one we watched Miller's first love fall in love. Miller was still trying to come to terms with the secrets revealed and the way things ended with Emerson. While he muddles through those feeling, her doesn't see Kinsey coming. She is Jax's sister. He is extremely overprotective and almost psychotic when it comes to her dating. When a old boyfriend comes back into the picture, Jax thinks it is a good idea for them to fake date. He is unaware of the history between the two. The two lovers must maneuver between friendship, attraction and keeping Jax in the dark. At the same time we get some to see Jax get his HEA. The story is fun and at times emotional. I love the characters and was invested in their stories.

I saw so many positive reviews about this book; how much people loved it and how it caused a book hangover. I was so excited to read it, I thought it was going to be a cute sports romance...unfortunately I didn't like this book at all. My review is going to be a little spoiler-y so beware.

For me the book started out on a bad note. The main character Kinsey hooks up with her brother's best friend (who she's been super attracted to), but can't say anything about it because her brother makes sure his whole football team knows she's off limits.

"This guy was either psychotic or just really took his sister's sex life way too seriously - or both."

Not only was who Kinsey could/couldn't date controlled by her brother Jax, but basically everything she did. [spoiler]Her dad has cancer, and when Jax finds out he makes Kinsey go to Europe for the summer so she doesn't have to see her dad go through chemo. BUT HE DOESN'T TELL HER THAT HE HAS CANCER (he also somehow convinces their parents not to tell her that their dad has cancer???) [/spoiler]Also, the book starts with Kinsey and Miller (the guy she hooked up with) starting to fake date because Jax told them too, but there wasn't a good reason for them to fake date!

"And even though it physically hurt to let anyone control me, it was different when it was done out of love - and not fear."

I felt that the book was very patriarchal. Jax is the oldest child, their dad has cancer, so he's in charge of the family now, and gets to make every decision. [spoiler]He does't let Kinsey see her dad go through chemo because he doesn't want to put her through that emotionally...but she doesn't get to make that decision for herself.[/spoiler]

I didn't enjoy the writing, it felt very clunky and a lot of the transitions were awkward and confusing. Their banter wasn't cute, I felt confused reading about them joking around with each other because most of the jokes didn't make sense and came out of nowhere. There were also many phrases that were repeated throughout the book. I should have started counting, because by the end I was rolling my eyes every time I read them. Jax and Miller were constantly "tossing Kinsey" over their shoulder. When Miller and Kinsey would kiss, the author always used the word sucking to describe it; "his lips were sucking the life out out mine", his lips were "sucking out [her] sadness". That's such a cringey way to describe kissing!!

The reason Miller and Kinsey have to fake date is because Kinsey's abusive ex-boyfriend is now on the guy's football team. Jax would feel better and not worry about his sister so much if he knew she was fake dating his friend (makes no sense to me either). What I want to know is why go through with such a ridiculous plan to protect her when they could have just gotten a restraining order? The stuff they described about the abusive relationship was pretty bad, so why wouldn't they do anything that would insure that he would stay away from Kinsey?

There was a big secret that was hinted at throughout the book, and when I found out what the "secret" was I was pissed. It turns out that Kinsey has a chronic illness that wasn't mentioned until ~80% into the book, and IT'S USED AS A PLOT TWIST!!!! WTF seriously not cool. There were little mentions throughout the book about Kinsey taking medicine or feeling dizzy, and then all of a sudden Jax is all "you're going to break up with her because of her Lupus!" But that was the first time (and only time) it was mentioned in the book.

The romance also dragged on waaaaay too long. They were together, then the weren't, then they were, then they weren't, etc. Just pick if you want to be together or not and STICK WITH IT.

As you can tell, I really did not enjoy this book at all. I really wish I did because I read so many reviews from people I follow about how much they enjoyed it.

I absolutely LOVED Fraternize, the first book in this series, and I totally needed this book to happen because Miller and Kinsey were my ship all through book one! I refused to stop reading until I finished it, because I love everything about Rachel Van Dyken’s writing style; it’s just so fun and witty. So I read this in one sitting and it was SO worth it! I felt so bad for Miller in the first book because his poor heart got smashed to pieces and I seriously needed him to be happy Miller again. It’s such an interesting dynamic between Miller and Kinsey because there’s Jax, Kinsey’s overprotective older brother, who is also best friends with Miller as well as his teammate. I love a good off-limits my best friend’s sister romance! I can’t rave about them enough because all throughout the first book I was basically screaming for them to get together.

Essentially, Miller and Kinsey end up sleeping together. Months later, her brother all but forces them to fake date in order to keep her ex-boyfriend away from her. Little does Jax know, Miller has already broken his one rule: Do not touch his sister. There is just so much going on in this book between the “fake” relationship Miller and Kinsey have, to her dad’s illness, to Jax keeping secrets, to Kinsey’s jackass ex showing up, and to Miller’s emotional obstacles. Oh, and there’s the fact that Miller fears for his manhood and his life every time he steps out of line with Kinsey.

While it made me laugh, there were also a few times it brought me to tears. There was so much emotional depth to this story and it definitely got to me. But the part that made me laugh so hard were their pet names for each other! No shortage of innuendo there! Or in the entire book.

Also, Sanchez was his classic goofy self (if you haven’t read Fraternize, go check out his and Em’s story), and he was the sweet comic relief that brought everything together. This book definitely had a more serious tone than the first, but I still found so many parts that made me laugh!

If you love contemporary romance, and more specifically sports romance, then you are in for a fun ride! Rachel Van Dyken presents a fun, sexy, hilarious story of two people breaking all the rules to be with each other. But that’s love, right?

Infraction was quite an emotional story with hits and misses. While the romantic relationship felt a little weak, I was a huge fan of the portrayal of friendship and family.

I have been looking forward to Kinsey and Miller's story ever since they took a little tumble between the sheets at the end of Fraternize. They looked like a fun match but it turns out they're also a stubborn and frustrating pair. Their attitude towards each other ranged from super sarcastic to seriously emo to overly sappy. It was difficult for the two to be upfront about their feelings but they were both really decent people.

It was heartbreaking to find out Kinsey had such a traumatic past and Miller had such painful memories of the past. They both put up tough exteriors but each was able to soften the other up. They may not have been right for each other but they were good for each other. The two of them had chemistry but a lot of times I felt their words turned things too cheesy. I'm not saying I didn't like them together but I thought less die-hard declarations and more down to earth sweetness would've been better.

What I loved most about this series was the good-natured snark and banter between all the characters. My favourite being the tight bond between Sanchez, Miller and Jax (and the team). Even though they laugh, tease and mess around a lot, they're also able to rely on each other during the tough times. Whether it was the romance or the friendships, Ms. Van Dyken brought out the best.

I was very surprised to have also gotten Jax's POV but I wasn't very surprised with the direction things went with him. I saw the signs early on though I'm still more than curious to see if Jax and Harley's story will be expanded on. With the bombshell that was dropped their part definitely felt more like an introduction than a full story.

Both Fraternize and Infraction have been entertaining and mature reads. They were emotional roller coasters but I wouldn't mind getting more stories about these characters ;)

***3.5 stars*** Spoiler alert at the bottom***.

I really liked Miller in the first book of this series. In fact, I was hoping he and Emerson ended up together. They didn’t and I lived.. So I was excited to see how he and Kinsey would be together. I enjoyed the book for the most part, however I never really felt a connection between the two. Her brother, Jax, was way over protective. It was pretty weird. Even when I found out his reasoning. I also had a hard time believing all these big football players were that scared of him. I understood the part about not wanting to mess up his focus, but not the physical part. Jax’s Story was told in this book too. I had a hard time accepting that.


****SPOILER****



<spoiler> Jax has unprotected sex with Harley. The next time he pulls out a condom and she says she’s on the pill. Then all of the sudden she’s pregnant and no one mentions that she said she was on the pill. I thought it was odd and unbelievable. </spoiler>

The book was well written and I think my issues are probably just that. MY issues. I think most people will enjoy this book if they liked the first one.

This is a must read. The story is original and the characters are strong! I give this book 5 well deserved stars!

I really enjoyed this book. Can’t wait to see what the author has in store next.

I've enjoyed a lot of Rachel Van Dyken books, but there is a lot about this one that just doesn't work for me. I thought the pacing was odd, the way the characters related to each other was odd, and didn't really feel compelled about the romance. There is a lot going on here, and it felt overwhelming. For one, the pacing is super weird. The way the characters relate to each other in regular conversations is weird. The writing is pretty weird.

The relationship between Kinsey and her brother was so strange to me. He's so protective and obsessed about her love life and who's touching her, and I had a hard time looking past it. It didn't feel like a good or healthy relationship to me at all.

But there are plenty of positive reviews around this novel, so this one may really just be a "it's not you, it's me" situation.

Infraction could technically be read as a standalone, but the backstory of the previous novel, Fraternize, would provide a lot of details to make Infraction more enjoyable. And Fraternize is a kickass story, so go get it if you haven’t yet.

***FRATERNIZE SPOILERS AHOY! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!***

We left off in the previous novel where there was a love triangle standoff where NFL cheerleader Emerson was torn between two NLF players on the team she cheers for: her childhood best friend/first lover Miller Quinton and hunky/mischievous/smooth talker Grant Sanchez. And she chose Sanchez and Miller Quinton took the hit and is in the process of walking it off.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to fellow teammate Jax and his cheerleader sister Kinsey. Jax is overprotective af and we get the hint that there’s a secret going on with this family.

All caught up? Good! Let’s proceed.

Jax as spend his entire life protecting his little sister, Kinsey. She has a painful past and he has appointed himself as her knight in shining armor. Jax is effective, if not a little too overbearing. They are dismayed when they hear that Kinsey’s jackass ex is joining the Bucks team. Jax decides he’s going to enlist the help of his friend and teammate, Miller Quinton, by having him fake date Kinsey to show the nasty ex that she’s off limits.
But what Jax doesn’t know is that Kinsey and Miller had a whoopsie one night. And Miller encourages Jax to send her away on a trip to Europe to avoid bodily harm if Jax finds out about their mistake.

Miller is on board with this charade, but Kinsey? She’s got a grudge that is hard to let go.

This story was so wonderful. Knowing RvD, I know there would be TONS of romance and steaminess, but there is more depth in the story and have some sobering moments and times where you want to strangle the characters.

There is a lot of family dynamics and secret’s with Jax and Kinsey’s family. Getting to know them, their parents and discovering their history was simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking.

And Miller. His pride and heart took a beating in the last book, and watching him heal and form a new and repaired relationship with Emerson and Sanchez. And they way he steps up for Kinsey left me with stars in my eyes.

Infraction by Rachel Van Dyken is the second book in her Players Game series and it’s Miller Quinton’s book. We first met Miller in the first book, Fraternize. I loved Quinton and agreed with how book one ended, now, hopefully he will get his happily ever after! I could not wait to get my hands on this book! At the end of the first book, we know Quinton and Kinsey are feeling some sparks. What does it mean for them? Well now we get their story!

Quinton is settling in nicely with his new team and making friends and will do anything for his teammates. So, when one asks him to “fake-date” his sister, he agrees to help. But what no one knows is he has done a lot more with Kinsey in the past. Though he knows she should be off limits, he wants more with her and finds he cannot deny himself any longer. I loved Quinton. He is a good guy with a huge heart.

Kinsey is finding herself falling. She has been away for months and is now back and needs help. Jax, her brother, recruits Quinton to help, but it is all supposed to be fake. She is tired of her brother’s interference in her life and his over-protectiveness, but he means well. But can she forgive Quinton for turning his back on her in the past? I loved Kinsey. She was feisty and strong, even as others tried to protect her.

I loved this story! We get Quinton trying to avoid his growing feelings for Kinsey, because of her brother and his friend, but the more time they spend together, the less he can stay away. Kinsey has so much going on. An ex she needs to stay away from and her father’s cancer, the last thing she needs is a man in her life. Much less a football player, but Quinton has a pull on her she cannot deny.

I loved catching up with old friends as well. We get to see more of Sanchez and Emerson, as well as other teammates we love! We get to see more of Jax and his future as well. I am definitely loving this series! I love the characters so much and well, you can never go wrong with football players. Another great read from Rachel Van Dyken!

Happy reading!

*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

Holy moly. This book. I was sooooo keen for it after reading the first one not too long ago, and I sure as hell was not disappointed. I wanted to get to know more about Miller and for him to get his HEA, so I wanted this book to be awesome. I sped through it in one day.

Miller and Kinsey are so similar but it takes them a while to realise it. There’s also a whole lot of secret stuff going on in this book that I was desperate to find out the answers to. I was emotional during this read, a hell of a lot, but I also laughed and swooned too.

I really love both main characters, they’re both so strong yet so afraid of being hurt. They’re also both more open to it than they realise, and they have a friendship to build on. I loved their banter,and they fit so well together.

Jax, Kinsey’s brother, also has a big part in this book, even having a few chapters with his own POV. He’s Kinsey’s hero, her big brother, and we see him being very OTT protective of her. I really want to learn more about him.

There’s emotion in this book, but not its not in an angsty way. I cried, I will admit that, because oh man, there are feels in this book. And over a few things too.

This book is really about accepting who you are, accepting your past and learning that you can’t control everything. Life happens. And you should Rawr like a Lion.

I really can’t wait for more in this series, and I’m hoping the next book is about Jax.

Well done Rachel, can’t wait for book 3!

After Miller was left out of the relationship in Fraternizing I was so heart broken. So, after a Vegas night hookup with Kinsey get ready for an adventure. Miller not get the chance to fake date Kinsey on the request of her over protective brother. Jax is so overly protective it is weird and unnerving in this book. Something just felt a bit off in this book, with the over protective older brother, everyone always needing to take care of Kinsey or that when Miller finally gets time with Kinsey things just feel off.

A fab read full of all the things that makes this authors books so addictive. Couldn't put it down from start to finish.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R23I4SYF9CZO96/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

After reading Fraternize (Players Game #1), I couldn't wait to read the sequel Infraction. I absolutely adored book one and the anticipation was driving me mad. With Fraternize, Rachel Van Dyken managed to write an amazing sports romance that impressed me with its unique plot and execution. Infraction had big shoes to fill.

And luckily for me, it did!!!

With Infraction, RVD delivered a book that was equally funny and sexy, but what I was not expecting was the emotional depth of the story and it’s cast of characters. The author really dug deep and wrote a story from the heart. I'm not ashamed to admit that I had tears in my eyes by the end of the story - a true tearjerker, especially since I didn't expect it. BRAVO!!!

In Infraction, it's not just about finding the love of your life. It's about family, blood related or not, friends and how they stick together through thick and thin. I was blown away by the all consuming love that literally jumped off the pages. This book was about so much more than just one couple falling in love. I fell in love with the entire cast, and the author could not have done a better job. Kudos, Ms. Van Dyken!

After reading Miller, Emerson, and Sanchez's story in book one I couldn't wait to see how Miller's story would continue. He was a main character in Fraternize and his charm and personality made him a huge favorite of mine. I can say with utter conviction, he topped my expectations by leaps and bounds. He was someone I could easily fall in love with.

Miller is such an amazing character.

From the gentlemanly way he treated Kinsley, to the camaraderie that he had with Jax and Sanchez, a bromance for the ages - Miller stood out like a beacon. His steadfast personality, and self-assured demeanor was what Kinsley needed most. Someone to stand by her side, to stay his ground, in a supportive as well as confident manner. He is a great guy; amazing through and through!

Kinsley on the other hand was one tough cookie. Strong-willed, a survivor, but also a younger sister to an overly overprotective older brother, Jax, she managed to elbow her way through tough times and come out stronger on the other side. Her engaging and lovable attitude matched Miller's teasing and charming personality. Whenever they were together, their chemistry was undeniably palpable. It’s no secret they belong together.

Besides the amazing couple that Miller and Kinsley are, the author gifted us with the hilarious and heartwarming story of Jax finding his better half. Infraction, honestly was stuffed full of all things cute, funny and sexy. The deep and genuine friendships between the cast speaks for itself. So much laughing and teasing and all-around love. The sassy and amusing dialogues were just a small example of RVD's signature wit. She has a true and rare talent to bring out the best in her characters. I immediately connected with them and wanted to call them friends.

Most surprising, Infraction made me cry.

I didn’t cry buckets, but shed tears nonetheless. Throughout the book I ached for Kinsley and Jax on more than one occasion. I was truly affected by the way the author spun this emotionally touching story that will stay with me for a very long time.

Infraction is perfectly balanced. It’s romantic, sexy and funny, and it has the right amount of heart-ache to pull on my heart-strings— for me to feel an emotional connection. At this point I can, with all honesty, say that Infraction was even better than Fraternize. The emotional punch and the never-ending love between the cast made this book soar and touch my heart.

“this review first appeared on USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog”

This is a great read. I couldn't put down it was so good. Infraction had a little of everything, sweet romantic moment, hilarious moments, and some very sad moments. I laughed and cried while reading this story. I enjoyed the two main charahcters, Miller and Kinsey. However enjoyed Jax and Harley, also. I would highly recommend this book.

WOW! I was so excited to get more of Miller! I loved him in the first book and was so happy we were getting his story. Kinsey is a spitfire cheerleader and completely off limits. Her brother Jax is fiercely protective. When a new player is brought onto the team Jax makes a decision that ends up effecting everyone. The chemistry between Miller and Kinsey is undeniable. I thought I knew where this book was headed but it has so many levels and i was thrown in deeper then I could have ever predicted. There was a moment i literally had to stop reading and get myself together. The dialogue is chapter 25 struck a chord with me and was pure perfection.

Of course there are those lines I always expect of a Van Dyken book. I like to call them “Rachelisms” they always make me pause and hit the highlight button. Lines like:

“he was like an emotional terrorist who bombed your heart only to tell you that you’d have to leave the country to find a hospital big enough to fix it”

All the characters in this series are special. I can’t get enough. Each time a new character is introduced I find myself hoping they will get their own book. I laughed, I cried and I changed my mind yet again as to who my favorite player is. I am totally ready and hoping for more Jax now.

On a side note:
Parts of this book touched my heart. It has some raw emotion that only someone in touch and aware of the human spirit would be able to put in written form. It is this type of writing that keeps me coming back for more and has forever made me a RVD fan.

Infraction is book two in the Players Game series. It can be read as a stand-alone but reading Fraternize (book #1) will give you a better view of the characters and their personalities.

At the end of Fraternize, The Bellevue Bucks had won the super bowl and decided to party it up in Vegas. Well, what happens in Vegas ends up with Miller and Kinsey in bed….. This hilarious Epilogue sets the scene for Infraction.

Miller Quinton and Jax Romonov play Pro football for the Bellevue Bucks. They are team mates and best friends. Both men have so many issues, they need a magazine rack to fit them all! Miller fears getting close to anyone after losing his mom at a young age. Jax feels as though he must protect everyone, especially his sister Kinsey. He is extreme and serious in his need to protect those that he loves. There are reasons for this but I won’t tell them and spoil the story for anyone!

The guy was either psychotic or just really took his sister’s sex life way too seriously – or both.

Being the control freak protector, Jax asks Miller to “fake” date his sister because of a situation involving another team mate. He trusts Miller so it’s a no-brainer. Ah, but at the beginning of this review I mentioned that little incident in Vegas….

Kinsey. The one girl that was off-limits- the one girl I couldn’t seem to get enough of.

Miller and Kinsey struggle with many things. They are attracted to each other but feel as though they can’t or aren’t supposed to act on it. Throw in the fact that they have been good friends and it really muddies the water. Kinsey struggles with her own insecurities and she feels like Miller is ‘obligated’ to carry on the fake dating. But things don’t always go as planned….

Miller and Kinsey have great chemistry and funny banter. They have so many layers of emotions and loss. They were once good friends. Expect the unexpected!

There is a lot going on in this story. There are a few side stories. And also many funny scenes. But there are also serious issues that are also addressed. Love, loss, disappointment, coping and abuse are a few.

I am enjoying the series and look forward to Jax’s story next! Can’t wait to see how control freak, protective Jax deals with the changes that are coming in his life! Jax and Harley. Now that is gonna be quite the story!