3.5 stars.
I enjoyed the story alot, espesially the relationship between Nathan and Holly, but some parts went a bit too fast. Espesially since it was her ex and Marc in the picture.

I absolutely adored Holly. She was charming from start to finish. And despite the age gap (which I usually don't root for) and family obstacles, I adored Nathan, as well. The novel was a fun little book that I'm glad I read. I would recommend this if you want an enjoyable, light rom-com read.

DNF
At this time, I'm no longer interested in this title. Thank you for the opportunity to read the book and I apologize for the inconvenience.

This book walks a very thin line between cute and creepy (mostly on the cute side). And that line is that the hero is the heroine's best friend's father. Holly has always thought Gwen's dad Nathan was cute. And Nathan was only 16 when Gwen was born, so it's not *that* big an age gap. When Holly needs a new living situation after she discovers her fiance has been cheating on her, Gwen suggests she move in with her dad temporarily.

Nathan and Holly have a lot in common: they're both board-game nerds, love watching The Office, and have similar senses of humor. The age difference didn't even bother me that much. It's just that Holly is almost exactly the same age as Nathan's own daughter, which is a little...squidgy. But the other characters in the book react appropriately (i.e., freak out), which allows Heffernan to deal with the ick factor directly. And it's hard to deny that Holly and Nathan are a good match.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

I loved this book. The atmosphere was everything I wanted it to be. I loved the plot and storyline in the book. I loved the characters in this story. It gave me all the feels I was looking for when I started reading this. I highly recommend this author. I loved the writing. I will be looking for other works in the future from this author.

I definitely recommend this one!

It’s part of a series though, so make sure you read the first one before you pick this one up.

It’s definitely a quick read!

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and sadly I did not care for this book

2 Stars

It's been a while since I started reading this book and I got about 32% of the way through, before that I thought the book was enjoyable/cute. The main character goes through a series of bad blind dates and is staying with her friends dad because she is struggling after a bad breakup. The game sessions were fun but confusing in regards to the details. Everything is leading to a destination wedding that everyone is attending, which roughly was where I stopped reading and the book is in Mexico (or wherever the wedding is?). Basically I stopped when the couple got together because there was no spark plus very fade to black sex scene.

Nothing about Holly’s life is simple right now. She is the main witness in the case against her money stealing ex, she is unable to work in the field she has a degree in until the case is over, she had to move out of her beautiful home and is in love with her best friend’s Dad.

She has been refusing to date however, with her friends encouragement Holly realises that to get over her ex and her awkward crush on Nathan she must bite the bullet and start saying yes. Because sometimes you just have to take a chance.


I hadn’t read the first in this series. But I didn’t think that took anything away from the story at all. I will certainly read more by this author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

What a cute cover and story!
This is the second book in the series, and unfortunately, I haven't read the first.
The series is about female gamers.

Overall, a solid read. I'd prefer to have read the first book in teh series first though.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

So, this book has already been published. I believe it hit the shelves some time in October, but I'm too lazy to go back and look to be sure. I am super behind on my reviews, as per usual, but I'm workin' on it!
Also want to point out, because the description from NetGalley didn't, this is the second book in a series. It wasn't super confusing not having read the first one, but there were references made to the couple that the first book was about that of course I didn't understand. Didn't take away from the over all quality of the book.

Alright, so here we go. Our main character, Holly, has sworn off men after her ex not only cheated on her, he embezzled all of their money and tried to implicate her in his crimes. Can't really say I blame her at that point, but her best friend, Gwen, is encouraging her to get back into the dating scene. What Gwen doesn't know though, is that Holly has a crush on someone already-- Gwen's dad.

The premise was a bit odd to me, mainly because I didn't have friends with hot dads, so that wasn't ever a thought in my head, but I liked the inclusion of board game play and I actually really enjoyed the relationship between Holly and Nathan. There was a bit of a love triangle, but it was super obvious where the whole thing was going.

All in all, this was a CUTE, easy read. Little bit of sex, not enough to make my grandma blush, but enough to maybe not let your preteen read the book. We don't have this series in our library but I would be interested in reading both the first and the third books in this series.

3.5 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

Another story about the female gamers we met in "She's Got Game." Holly is the best friend that was super sassy and fun but had a horrible boyfriend. Now that she has gotten rid of that piece of crap, Holly is debating on how to handle her crush. Nathan is Gwen's very young dad and the crush that Holly has been harboring. This book is even more substantial with the board game lingo and plays that it was overwhelming. In some ways, it took away from what should have been a fun and sweet age-gap story between Holly and Nathan. I also didn't like the possibility of a love triangle. I was entertained as the story progressed, but I did want a few things changed.

Video review available in Week 52 Dec 22 – 28 weekly book reviews.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk

I loved this book! Even better than the first in the series! I really enjoyed meeting Holly, Nathan & all the gamers.

Loved the gamer girl heroine! Such a fun read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute and entertaining read. My first title by this author. Thoroughly enjoyed. Will be on lookout for future titles.

AGAINST THE RULES is the second book of the Gamer Girls series by Laura Heffernan. Heffernan writes such a fun story with all kinds of complications about a young woman getting ready to come back to the dating world after a cheating ex and a broken heart. I thoroughly enjoyed this and worked beautifully as a stand alone and not having read the first book in the series, but of course after reading this I am now a fan.

Holly McDonald falls for the last person she should be falling in love with and that is Nathan Williams, her father’s friend. But Nathan is Holly’s best friend Gwen’s father! This relationship was doomed from the start or is it? Can they keep their feeling from each other?

I adored this wonderful story about heartbreak and loss, and finding the strength to open up to trust and love again. I love a great contemporary romance and this one did not disappoint.

This is Holly and Nathan‘s book, Holly works at a game store and is definitely a gamer at heart! She takes her self out of the dating game since she broke up with her cheating thieving ex! Nathan is one of her good friends father and is definitely off-limits! But as her and Nathan play the latest new game together they grow closer! This book wasn’t really my cup of tea it was very into the gaming industry and I really don’t know the first thing about that LOL it seemed a little young for my taste and just wasn’t really for me! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

This is the second book in the #gamergirlseries and was just released this week! I am in love with this Candyland-ish cover! You can read this as a standalone, but you should pick up the first one anyway. The third one in the series comes out in two months! Thanks to @lauraheffernanbooks @aterockbooktours for my review copy! .

Here is the synopsis: Holly has taken herself out of the dating game since breaking up with her cheating, thieving ex. She barely notices Marc, who comes into the game store every week, hoping to get her attention. Her friends insist it’s time to take on a new role, to leave Quiet Holly behind and embrace her inner flirt. And on paper, Marc’s great: cute, funny, and a hardcore gamer just like Holly is. .

Then there’s Nathan. He’s everything twenty-eight-year-old Holly wants…except he’s also her friend’s father. Absolutely off-limits. But as she and Nathan playtest a new legacy game together, they’re growing closer. The game is complex and intriguing, and there’s no way to know how choices will pan out. What seems like a good idea could lead to disaster…or sweet victory. But in gaming, as in love, sometimes you have to roll the dice and take your chance

AGAINST THE RULES - The cover so fun and cute! The perfect intro to this book which is the second in the gamer girl trilogy that can be read as a stand alone. Though I am not a gamer, I found this book interesting how the author weaved the testing of a new game into the forbidden romance story line. The characters are believable and at times funny. I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the third book in the trilogy. Thank you Laura Heffernan, Kensington Publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book and this is my honest review.

the second book in the gamer girls series, against the rules, answers the question, what happens if the guy you fall in love with is the last person you should fall in love with? for holly mcdonald, that guy happens to be nathan williams. and it would be one thing if the lust/like/love were not reciprocated, but things get all kinds of complicated when it is.

holly knows she needs to get back in the dating saddle again, she broke up with her fiancé two years ago, and enough time has passed for her heart to heal. but all the guys flirting with her or creepily messaging her online do absolutely nothing for her. the only guy who piques her interest is gwen's dad, nathan. and not only is he her friend's dad, he's her roommate.

getting involved has far-flung repercussions, not just because it affects holly's relationship with gwen, but also nathan's relationship with his daughter. and when roommates get involved it can make for some challenging intimacy issues.

this is an enjoyable contemporary romance, and the author's clear love of gaming shines through adding another unique layer to some tried-and-true tropiness.

**against the rules will publish on october 15, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/kensington books (lyrical shine) in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Kate Rock Book Tours, Kensington and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Against the Rules
Gamer Girls #2
By: Laura Heffernan

*REVIEW*
Against the Rules is a contemporary fiction romance centered around gaming and is part of a series. I recommend reading the series in order for background information. Although not a gamer myself, I can still appreciate the story. Holly is a gamer who is recovering from a bad breakup that left her emotionally and financially ruined. She has given up on love, and who could blame her at this point? Life has other plans, however, and Holly finds herself attracted to a regular customer in the store where she works. Worse than that, though, is Holly's attraction to Nathan. Why? Holly's best friend is Gwen, and Nathan is Gwen's dad. Yikes! It's an odd love triangle but fun to read. Holly is an interesting character. She's smart but does stupid things. She's a bit naive/oblivious to some obvious things. I wanted to like her more than I actually did because her vibe is positive and warm hearted. Nathan is the hot older, but not too old, guy. He's easy to like because his characterization is spot on, and he's compelling. The secondary characters, i.e. Gwen, etc., are an excellent group whom I would like to hang with sometime. Friendship is on the line. How will Gwen react if Holly dates Nathan? It's a pickle for sure! Overall, I found this story delightful, unique and engaging. I learned some things about gaming. Against the Rules is especially intriguing and appealing if you are actually a gamer!