Gamer girls unite! Video game developer Sierra wants to present her company's latest game at an upcoming expo, but her phobia of public speaking is getting in her way. Sierra's best friend Aida signs her up for a comedic competition at a local bar where contestants share embarrassing anecdotes. Sierra agrees to read from her college journal with her eye on getting past her crippling fear.

The romance comes in when Sierra has the opportunity to strike things up with her co-competitor, Tristan. The bad news is that he's her college crush and features heavily in her journal. There's also Alfie, the bar proprietor who calms Sierra down before each cringey speech. He's also the guy she's been regularly battling online at Mario Kart at 2 am, unbeknownst to them both.

The story was funny, and it was good to see Sierra confront her fears in more ways than one. My favorite character was Aida, who is a general badass and speaker of truths, so I'll sign off with some of her epic wisdom.

"You can't call a game Zelda and then make the entire game about a boy named Link who runs around saving Zelda from the destruction of the world. It's the very definition of patriarchy."

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Lorelei Parker for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I wanted something lighter, but with substance, and this hit the spot. Once I started it, I only put it down once in the span of a few hours.

It's the kind of story where you form a community with the characters, immersed in their world and rooting for their success. Lorelei Parker gives us a badass heroine, while also providing an interesting insight into video game development and gamer culture. It's delightfully nerdy, and a perfect place to escape for the afternoon.

I Loved this book. It was more than the every day romance novel. Not only in the plot which was very original but also in the depth of the characters. I really felt I got to know Alfie and Sierra and felt their emotions. It was also a fun read but also tackled serious issues. Self confidence is what both Alfie and Sierra had lacked in college but 10 years later and they are still facing some of the issues they struggled with in college. If you would like to read a romance novel with believable characters with a believable plot with believable dramas then do yourself a favor and read this book. I will be looking for other books by this author.

This was a fun change from the usual chic lit tropes. The main character is a video game loving designer, with comiccon worthy style. It was an easy read, but I didn't feel connected to any of the characters and wasn't thinking about the characters/story when I wasn't activily reading. While the main character was different the story line, even with it's twists, was predictable.

Welcome to the gamers’ world: with well-developed, unique, sweet, extraordinarily quirky, dorky, geek characters! This is so different but fresh, completely smart and entertaining, humorous story!

Firstly I read a couple of romcoms about game developers but because of unlikable characterization and aimless story telling disappointed me. But not this one: This book is so much better than I expected.

Even though at some parts it was hard to connect with Sierra who has differentiated weirdest antics and suffering from insecurities, you get used to her abrupt comments, inappropriate manners and worst taste of men. But I had hard times to understand her: why the hell she was obsessed with her high school crush/ nemesis Tristan who treated her like shit and still cannot say her full name. ( If this book would be adapted into the movie: I may easily visualize Tristan as Nicholas Hoult after watching his performance at Hulu’s “Great”: you may understand what I meant when you read this book and see some similarities with his performance as Peter. Okay, huzzah !)

The story starts Sierra’s hyperventilation and some kind gas leakage after her unsuccessful game pitching in front of her superiors which pour down more humiliation on her insecurities. She wants to present her newest game she’s developed at a European conference but when she’s having panic attacks as soon as she opens her mouth, how could she convince her bosses she may be the best candidate to do this opportunity!

Thankfully her bestie pushes her to join a bar game to practice how to leave her comfort zone and how to connect with the public without fainting in front of them. She has to overcome her fear to achieve her dreams. But at the bar game she bumps into her nemesis/crush from high school ( yes: Nicholas Hoult’s evil twin) and other sweet, charming friend who is also bar owner, supporting her to perform at the stage from the beginning: Alfie: our favorite kind of hero with so much better qualities.

But Sierra realizes that taking her place at the stage and talking about the things about the pace will push her face the events hold her back to move on and have a happy life. She also realizes she fell for the wrong guy from the beginning. ( Yes, finally! Atta girl!)

Even though she was one of the quirkiest characters I’ve ever read, I learned to love Sierra. Especially talking in front of people and finding the exact right words could be so challenging experience I also need to deal with in my personal life.

I enjoyed writing, competitive women gamer idea and smart characterization and I’m so happy to read different rom-com without so much predictable clichés.

So much thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books to share this ARC and help me to have a unique reading experience in exchange my honest review.

I loved this book! It made me laugh out loud, cringe, and fall in love with these characters. I love how it brought every day feelings and insecurities to show how everyone feels them regardless if we talk about them or not.

3 1/2 stars. Fun and lighthearted. A really cute premise. I would hate to read something aloud to an audience about a former crush, Tristan, only to find out he was in said audience. Oops! When she is pretty mortified, who is there to step in and console but the bartender, Alfie, a long time friend who pines for Sierra the way she did for Tristan. What follows is a fun and funny read chocked full of game references. As a fan of video games, i liked that she worked as a developer and loved all the tie ins. My first by this author and I found it entertaining!

Such a cute and fun book! It was off to a quick start but I didn’t feel entirely attached to the book until later. It’s a light romantic that is perfect for summer!

I..... hmm.

I started off really liking this. It was cute and creative and overall enjoyable. At the 50% mark.... my enjoyment had a few cringes that turned into QUITE a few more. I'd learned that my desire to shake Sierra was unhealthy but she was infuriating. This became very repetitive and there were few types of love that could help me change my mind.

By the end of it, I just wanted to finish to be done, unfortunately. Sierra was an immature narrator and one that did nothing but bother me. She and Tristan were annoying, Alfie was sweet but like... grow up a little? I feel like this story was trying to say a lot but didn't have enough words to do it.
I'm sorry, I really did want to like this. I thought it sounded cute and loved a lady in the gaming world.... but it really fell short for me and therefore the rating reflects just as much.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just okay for me. The main character Sierra needs to pitch a new video game at a conference in Germany but she has a fear of public speaking. There is a love triangle and there were some cute parts. The dialogue was witty and there were some funny parts that made me laugh. Unfortunately I didn’t really feel a connection to the characters or the plot. Sometimes I felt bored while reading instead if enjoying it.

I liked the concept of this book — female game developer who is trying to improve both her public speaking and anxiety talking to men, so she signs up for a ‘Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids’-type contest — but it unfortunately didn’t work for me. I didn’t really like any of the characters, there was no contest whatsoever between the two potential love interests (why did she even keep him in consideration so long?), the endless microaggressions started to get to me, and the writing style wasn’t for me.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was fantastic. I could barely put it down. Sierra is a game developer but she has massive anxiety issues when it comes to public speaking. Which wouldn't normally seem like a big deal, except she has a chance of a lifetime to present her game at a gamers convention in Germany. Aida, her best friend, roommate, and coworker, decides that the best way for Sierra to get over her problems is by entering a contest at the local bar. Each week she will get up in front of a crowd and relive her most humiliating moments. Week one reveals her crush on a boy in college, who just happens to be at the bar.
I really loved Sierra and she was relatable. While their is a central love story in the book, there is also a great emphasis on discovering your voice and moving on from the past. As someone who has spent countless hours reliving my embarrassing moments, which logically I know others have forgotten, this book hit home. I have barely slept because I wanted to see how the story played out. 4.5 stars.

I received this book from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book "Crushed It"!!! Sierra brings her nerdy gamer life to the world where so many people can relate. Not your traditional romance as it it becomes a love triangle 10 years in the making. Tristan and Alfie went to college with Sierra at Auburn 10 years ago. Through a contest in Alfie's bar they are all reunited and secrets come out from journals written in a comms class 10 years ago.

While Sierra navigates her love life and her work life, she learns she is more confident they what she thought she was and is ready to conquer the world. I won't tell you who she picks in the end Alfie, Tristan, or herself but I will say she makes the right decision.

This book had me laughing, getting angry, and longing for the relationship and person Sierra becomes. I've never been a video game person but I'm intrigued to pick up a controller and see if my match is on the other end.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 30, 2020

Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed the representation of the main character...a female boss in the gaming world! She still has to deal with her share of jerks along the way...and some of them are real jerks.

I had a difficult time believing certain relationships and reactions throughout this novel. The main romantic relationship seems to develop at warp speed, considering all of the other things happening at the time. Unfortunately the more graphic romantic scenes did not seem realistic and the sexual metaphors within them were a bit over the top.

This dropped from 3 stars to 2 for me after there were a few unnecessary and out of place religious references to bible verses. They came out of nowhere and added nothing to the story. The time would have been better spent explaining the Greek words for love more in depth.

Overall this millennial romance was a quick little escapist read.

Sierra wants to go to a gaming conference in Germany and pitch her company's new video game but every time she tries public speaking, she get nervous and blows it. Her best friend and co-worker, Aida hatches a plan. Sierra should enter a live lit contest at their local bar. The idea is that by telling her most embarrassing stories in front of strangers, she'll overcome her fear of public speaking and could also win $1000 to get her to the conference if her boss won't pick her to represent the company. She decides to read something from her college journal about the the huge crush she had on Tristan. She meets the bar owner, Alfie. Turns out she went to school with him but she doesn't remember him. He's really nice and encouraging. She gets up and reads her piece, not knowing that her crush from school was in the audience and also in the competition! It's been 10 years since they've seen each other. Will it be different this time around? Will Sierra finally end up with her crush or someone else?

So, the storyline was pretty interesting with the potential love triangle but there was just something about the dialogue and the way it was written that I hated. Maybe I'm too old to be reading about millennial love. I couldn't relate to or care about any of the characters. And the whole live lit thing didn't make sense. None of the stories seemed that embarrassing? There was some weird mention of Christianity and faith too, which didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the book. It just wasn't for me.

Sierra is a video game developer with a horrible fear of public speaking, which causes issues as she's trying to convince her investor to let her present at Gamescon to promote their new game. Her coworker and roommate Aida convinces her to go to an event being put on by a new bar near their home, a competition to get up in front of everyone and tell humiliating stories for the amusement of others. The catch is that it is for mostly alumni of their college, and the reason Sierra has public speaking fears dates back to college. When the source of her fears is in the bar, also in the competition, Sierra has to face all of her demons if she wants to further her career.

I liked the premise of this book a lot, and I really enjoyed the resulting romance. I liked the growth that the characters went through, and the strides Sierra made in overcoming her fears. I didn't enjoy all of the side characters, for reasons you'll probably understand when you read! I won't say who though, because it would be a bit of a spoiler for you all and I don't want to do that. I respected Sierra's investor for making her prove to him and herself that she can represent the brand and game how they want it to be represented.

This book was a tad predictable though. I could see where it was going, and what the big reveal would be. I still enjoyed it, but some parts were just too obvious and maybe could've been covered up better.

I would like to thank #KensingtonPublishing for sending me an #ARC of #CrushingIt by Lorelei Parker via #NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Crushing It is definitely an all around, feel good, romantic comedy. The story was actually ... kind of original, which is a breath of fresh air in the romance genre. All the video game references were awesome. The story was great. My only two problems plot wise, was that I didn't truly get into it until 40% into the book, which is way too long in my opinion, and it was predictable. Once I did get to a point where I was invested in the story (specifically when our main protagonist started to develop feelings for Alfie), I couldn't put it down. Even though I knew what revelations we would get in the last few chapters, I wanted to know how they resolved it.

The characters in this book are very down to earth, and relatable, in my opinion. Sierra is a successful video game programmer, who has a lot of passion for her field. She is scarred from an embarrassing moment in her life, when a prank is played on her during a presentation, and now she has a crippling fear of public speaking, which gets in the way of her presenting her own game at Gamescon. In order to get over her fear, her best friend enrolls her in a contest at a local bar, that requires you to get on stage and read an embarrassing journal entry from your diary. This is where she meets our two potential love interests: her biggest crush in college, Tristan, and Alfie, who had the biggest crush on her in college. Both men complete opposites of one another. It's quick to see who is the perfect one for her. Alfie is probably on my most adorkable character list. Very easy to fall for.

Crushing It, while predictable and the set up is more drawn out than I like, was a super cute, quick read. It's a book that makes you reflect on change. How people change as they grow up, and how they don't. Makes you think about consequences to particular actions. All the while using fun video game references that will make the geek in your smile.

I adored this story, the main character, Sierra, being a game developer was something that really drew me into the book and I felt it was really well portrayed without being over cliche despite the fact she had a lack of self confidence. I enjoyed the love triangle though this is not typically my preferred trope and I thought it was really well done. The first person POV was wonderfully written, making Sierra feel real and well rounded. You couldn't help but want Sierra to succeed in all aspects of her life. I look forward to future books from this author

** 100% spoiler-free review **
I'm thankful to Netgalley for providing me an ARC of "Crushing it" in exchange to produce my honest thoughts.
During this crazy period, this book was just what I needed. Sierra is an accomplished young woman. She's a game developer who pursues her dream by founding her own company with her BFF. Nevertheless, Sierra still has a weakness. She can't speak in public, which prevents her from presenting her new game at the next convention. She got this fear from back in college when she completely lost it during an oral competition in her communication class.
That's when the male protagonists come in. The gorgeous Tristan, her college crush, and Alfie, a college classmate she barely remembers.
The storytelling is very well balanced, and I couldn't put the book down, always wanting to know how she'll handle the next step. The twists were dropped appropriately to feed the reader's curiosity.
I also enjoyed Sierra's relationship with her best friend, Aida, who is an amazing headstrong woman. I loved that all the characters weren't caricatures. Moreover, despite the angst, Lorelei Parker added humor and a pinch of sweetness all along with the story. For instance, Sierra's yoga class always made me smile.
I'm not into video games, but it didn't steer me away from the book, and that's the best argument to say it's a good one. I think a good writer can make me read anything.

Sierra is terrified of public speaking after a traumatic experience in college, so when she has to prove she’s able to pitch her new game to the investor for an all expense paid trip to gamescon, she is in full panic mode. Her best friend Aida convinces her to go to a chagrin contest at the local bar where she feels the grip of anxiety until the smooth talking bartender calms her nerves. She takes a chance by reading an embarrassing story about her college crush Tristan who just happens to be next up. Yikes! She tries to forget why she ever stopped liking Tristan in the first place but keeps getting reminded of how he sabotaged her and caused her fear of public speaking. Leaning on her new found friend, the bartender slash college acquaintance Alfie, she realizes Tristan is no good for her or her life and all he wants is to use her to get ahead. It’s got romance, laughter and video games. A perfect trifecta.