I wasn't super impressed by this one, but that might have been a case of unmet expectations. Based on the description I was hoping for a high-stakes, fun, steamy regency romance, but that's not what was delivered. I felt a whole lot of nothing for the characters of this book, and am not sure if I would recommend it to my romance-loving friends.

"He was not certain he would not rather face down an infantry of soldiers"
"He wanted the spitfire he had grown up with, not the subdued debutante he witnessed at balls"
"What is life if not a fated adventure?"
If you liked Bridgerton , this is the book for you!
I loved every moment of this story starting from the setting, the gowns and the balls till the games , the intrigues and the passionate love story developing in it. This book was exactly what I was looking for to get out of a reading slump and , in a very strange way, get me ready for the Christmas mood.
There's something incredibly lovely about reading of ballrooms and gentlemen and ladies during their seasons while approaching to winter.
Olivia is an amazing leading female character. She is witty, fast- minded and she enjoys playing game once in a while.
Emerson? Emerson is just a perfect gentleman who's been raised with the belief that the really important thing in life is to be happy and make your loved ones happy in turn ... not assure economical stability not matter what.
I loved reading about the teasing and the continue banters and Arabella's characters was just the perfect adding ingredient to make it all funnier. Maybe we're gonna hear more about her ... I really wish we will.
This story was easy to get into with a fluent writing style that lets you follow the plot and the characters without problem.
Everyone should read it !
"Surely nothing bad could come from playing a harmless child's game"
"She would play one game for him and pray her father was not in attendance"
"He could search the world over and never find another who called to him like she did"

This was a fun and exciting novel to read! I loved the author’s voice in describing the world of Regency England. I could definitely tell she put effort and research into making the story realistic, while also adding romantic flair. General imagery used helped expand the scope of this story for me, as many characters felt fleshed out with their own backstories waiting to be revealed. Emerson’s friends and sister intrigued me the most and were integral to the story, which leads me to believe some may get sequels in the future.

Emerson and Mr. Wilde, Olivia’s father, were foils, which added dimension. Mr. Wilde and Emerson are both untitled, yet each have opposing views on marriage and class which play into an overarching theme of the novel. I loved this dynamic writing-wise, but at times felt it was a detriment to Olivia’s character. She has to choose between following her heart or her father’s wishes. However, her father can be abusive with threats and punishments. Compared to a loveless marriage like her parents’, Olivia would be inclined to fall for someone so different than her father – like Emerson – to escape. This is only worth mentioning because the romance wasn’t as organic as I’d hoped, as Olivia and Emerson don’t really connect in a mental sense as far as I could tell. I would have liked more serious conversations between them, less “inconveniences” because they misunderstand each other but won’t talk it out, etc. Also, Olivia and Emerson will mention how they “used to” act a certain way but have changed because of recent events, ones which happened before the novel started. I feel like their growth could have been shown some more, but I also like the development of both characters rediscovering themselves through love, so this is just a nitpick.

Overall, I enjoyed the messages about grief, love, and merit featured in this novel. The characters were interesting and memorable, the setting was expansive, and the climax was exciting. Both leads are distinct from others within their social rank during the time period (ideologically and in character), but still mostly act within a realistic set of boundaries for said time period. I would recommend this novel for any Regency fan.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are my unbiased opinion.

Games in a Ballroom by Jentry Flint, 272 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2022. $16.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
From Emerson’s perspective, he’s been subtly courting Olivia because he doesn’t have a title -- the one requirement of Olivia’s father for her future husband. From Olivia’s perspective, Emerson has been asking her to dance out of pity for her lack of dance partners during her second season. Emerson suggests that they discreetly play tag at subsequent balls as another excuse to interact with Olivia, but Olivia can’t afford to play any games with her heart.
The story of Emerson and Olivia is a fun one because you never know what is going to happen next. Emerson and his friends entertain themselves, and readers, with their constant antics that push society’s boundaries -- and there are a couple games I would love to play myself! Flint balances the seriousness of domestic violence with the joys of fighting for a happily ever after.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Games in the Ballroom is a clean historical romance. It is the first novel written by Jentry Flint. I am always a little unsure when reading a first book from a new author, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I really enjoyed reading this book.

I loved the story line and the fun idea of the characters to engage in a game of tag played in ballrooms throughout the season. It added a little excitement to the typical ballroom scenes. I also really enjoyed the main characters of Emerson and Olivia. Emerson was a real sweetheart who was always doing his best to look out for his widowed mother and sister and protect Olivia from her father. Olivia was timid and reserved around her controlling family but has a fun loving spunky side when allowed to be herself. I was rooting for their love story to have a happy ending. I also really loved the side characters in this story. I hope they will get to have stories of their own.

I highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

This was a fun book with lovable characters! I absolutely adore this story, at first I was a little nervous but it was so good! Games in a Ballroom is Jentry Flint’s debut novel and it was excellent! The story was really interesting and I fell for the characters at the beginning. I am so glad that I took the chance on it.
Olivia was just trying to humor her father. He was controlling her life, and she was tiptoeing around him. However, when Emerson suggests a game of tag to pass the time during the balls, she can’t help but risk it all for the chance to be herself. Emerson is struggling to find his place after the death of his father, but there is one thing that he knows, he has fallen for Olivia Wilde. As he tries to show her his feelings, he proposes a game of tag. They never expected the fun they would have, but there are devastating consequences if Olivia's father finds out that Emerson fancies her. Will their relationship ever grow past friends?
Olivia was a bit timid when it came to her father, but she was quick and kind. I loved reading about Olivia. Although she may seem shy, she hid a quick wit about her and it was fun to read about her interacting with Emerson and his friends. She was a strong character and she had endured much from her father. I actually really liked her and I so wanted her to find her freedom and happiness after she had been stuck in her father’s cage. It was sweet to read about Olivia coming out of her shell as she played the game with Ermerson, Arabella, Emerson’s sister, and his friends. Olivia had to learn to stand up for what she believed and fight for a better future.
Emerson was the sweetest. I really liked him. He was just trying his best to live up to his father’s shoes. He wanted to help his sister find a good match, care for his mother, and convince Olivia of his love. I really enjoyed reading from his perspective, he had quite a journey. He was trying to find the balance between his old jokersty self and the more serious lord he had become. He really cared for his friends and family, and I loved his interactions with his friends. Emerson will have to figure out what he is willing to risk for love?
Emerson and Olivia were great characters and I loved reading their story. I wanted them to fight for their love and happiness. I did not know how it was going to have a happy ending and there were some surprises. It was a really good book! I also loved the side characters. They were awesome and I hope they get their own books. I adored Bradbury, Northcott, and Arabella. They really helped make the story.
I loved Games in a Ballroom and I would definitely recommend it! I hope that there are more books to come in this series. Games in a Ballroom is a clean historical romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Emerson is beginning to recover from his grief over the death of his father and is now ready to become a man and take a wife. He has the perfect candidate in mind: Olivia, his sister's best friend. Unfortunately, Olivia has a horrible title-grubbing father who will not allow his daughter to marry anyone who is merely a "Mister." In an effort to get Olivia to see him as more than just her friend's brother and as a way to pass the time during the never-ending Season, Emerson devises a plan involving an on-going game of Tag. The trick is, no one else beyond their group can discover their high jinx in the middle of the balls they must attend. Olivia feels her time running out once her father has found an evil Viscount who is in need of money and Emerson knows he still needs to get her to trust him.
My first thought was that this DEFINITELY must have happened for real. Like really, those balls always sound dreadfully boring and a game of tag certainly would have made them far more fun. Emerson was swoony in his love for Olivia. His friends and sister (and her insane knowledge of all things Shakespeare) were great comic relief, and Olivia was a strong woman in an impossible position: follow her father's wishes and be stuck in a miserable, loveless marriage, or marry for love and risk his wrath and the fact that he will definitely take it out on her mother. This was a great story and had a good balance of humor and angst. CW for signs of domestic abuse. Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for the eARC.

A lovely regency romance! Emerson is determined to make Olivia his bride but how can he accomplish this when her father is totally against a union of these two sweethearts. Emerson comes up with a game to convince Olivia he is her soulmate. The hero knows what he wants and it is the heroine, Olivia. You can't help but fall for these two lovebirds. You want to cheer them on throughout the book! Wonderful book to read with a cup of tea. This is the author's debut novel and she is off to a great start.

I thought this was a cute story. I liked how Emerson came up with a way to court Olivia without drawing her terrible father’s attention. I like how there were multiple pranks and games going on in order for Olivia to be herself and to see Emerson in a new light. I liked that everything worked out in the end even though it was a hard road. I thought that Jentry did a great job for a first novel and look forward to seeing what else she writes.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

This was an entertaining read. The idea of a game of tag at the ball was intriguing. I feel like it could have been explained a little more in depth exactly how this would help him in his courtship, though.

I enjoyed the characters and hope that they will eventually be given their own stories.

The ending was a little rushed. It would have been nice to see their romance developed a little more throughout the book. Also an epilogue giving us a glimpse of their future together would have been more satisfying.

It was a little slow in some parts and sometimes repetitious. But for a first book I think Jentry Flint did an amazing job. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.



This was an entertaining read. The idea of a game of tag at the ball was intriguing. I feel like it could have been explained a little more in depth exactly how this would help him in his courtship, though.

I enjoyed the characters and hope that they will eventually be given their own stories.

The ending was a little rushed. It would have been nice to see their romance developed a little more throughout the book. Also an epilogue giving us a glimpse of their future together would have been more satisfying.

It was a little slow in some parts and sometimes repetitious. But for a first book I think Jentry Flint did an amazing job. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Three and a half stars.

I desperately wanted to love this book, because the premise is AWESOME. However, I ended up not even liking it. I couldn’t find anything in the characters that I admired, and it was wordy and awkward in places. I just didn’t like it

Not my favorite. The premise is exciting; a version of Tag is played by four friends throughout the ballrooms of Regency England while they try to avoid the censure of the "adults" in their lives. It is a carefree, wonder-filled idea, made more enticing by the romance between two of the characters. However, the story itself lacked depth. The characters were hard to fall in love with, especially since the plot relied somewhat on the miscommunication trope between the two main characters. The dialogue is actually pretty decent, but the characters were shallow and the internal dialogue was a bit redundant and too "on the nose." I found myself skimming quite a bit and ended up not finishing the story.

Rated PG
--clean romance
--no violence
--no language
--some parental verbal/emotional abuse (mild)

I received this ebook free from NetGalley. My opinions are voluntarily given.

This book is pure fun and romance. I loved Emerson and Olivia. I also loved all the side characters and am hoping they get their own stories. I loved the games that were played during the courtship. Ballroom tag, lines from books, and hide and seek. So clever. I would highly recommend reading this book.

I love reading historical romance books set in Regency era, so I was curious to read Games in a Ballroom. Well, it was an entertaining story, but that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. The characters were okay, but I didn't love them nor their romantic relationship. They lacked depth. I expected something more from them and the story.

Games in a Ballroom is such a wild twist on the regency romances you've read before.
In an attempt to win Olivia's heart, Emerson Latham creates a game that they can play during the Season's balls. He must find the perfect balance of courting the woman he loves without her overbearing father finding out.

The way that Emerson cares about Olivia and desires to protect her from harm is commendable and sweet.

The relationship between Emerson and his good friend, Bradbury is smile inducing and laugh producing! At one point I found my mouth gaping open and my eyes the size of dinner plates because of the hilarious circumstances they had gotten themselves into.

This clean regency romances has enough elements to keep it engaging and differentiate it from others you might have read!
If regency romance is your thing, Games in a Ballroom is definitely a book you're going to want to have on your list of must read books for 2022!

This was a fun, enjoyable read with lovely banter and elegant prose. The characters were fun and relatable, but I had a very hard time paying attention. There was something missing that just didn't connect with me.

I'm sure it will be a hit when this story finds its reader base, but it just wasn't for me.

Games in a Ballroom was a fun regency read that you can get through in a weekend. The leading man, Emerson, is in love with his childhood friend Olivia Wilde (yes, really), and concocts a game for them and their friends to play during the season. Hijinks ensue. While I don't typically pick up a lot of friends-to-lovers romances, I enjoyed this story and the relationship that the couple already shared before it turned into something more. A few things probably wouldn't actually be acceptable during the regency era, but easily overlooked when you're only reading for the story and not the historical accuracy. All in all a fun, clean read that I'll be recommending to my regency-loving friends!

– Thanks to NetGalley / Shadow Mountain for the ARC for a review –

3.5 STARS

• Regency London, 1815
• Friends to Lovers
• Fun & Games
• Bridgerton vibes
• Slow burn
• Dual POVs

This is a fun debut regency novel that is similar to Bridgerton, but with a game of “Tag you’re It” that plays out throughout the book. Olivia Wilde’s father wants her to marry a “title” and Emerson, her childhood friend, is in love with her and wants to win her heart. He and his friends design a game amidst all the balls to do just that. If you like regency novels you will like this one.

The group of friends is great, especially Emerson’s besties who help him with his plan. and I enjoyed the women characters Olivia & her friend Arabella. Emerson is certainly charming and you root for him the whole way through.

Olivia’s father is a brute and verbally abusive and it’s hard to read, but he is the obsessively ambitious villain of the story. He is not the loving father found in other Regency novels.

My biggest qualm is that I would like a tad more chemistry or banter between the MCs, and an epilogue similar to all the Bridgerton books where they are together. I found the ending came too quickly and I wanted to read one more chapter.

I do love the cover art so much!

Games in a Ballroom releases on May 3, 2022.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me. The story itself was charming, but I didn't get a strong enough sense of the setting and atmosphere to feel really invested.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this novel, but it was a good surprise! The book starts off with the hero, Emerson, already head-over-heels in love with Olivia, a young lady that he's known for years as a friend of the family. Better yet, the hero even admits right off the bat that he's in love with her to his closest friends. In a lot of novels, the hero holds out FOREVER to come to terms with his feelings or the couple has to gradually get to know each other and then they fall in love. This was a unique change to a romance novel set-up one that I think worked out and it breaks up the repetition that you see in a lot of these Regency romances. I also had fun with this tight-knit group of friends. I enjoy seeing heathy male and female friendships.

Now onto the games part. Playing a secret game of tag while at a ball? I started out not too sure, but then the games quickly became my favorite part of the novel. It made the ballroom scenes about 10x more exciting in my opinion. Why aren't we all playing a low-key game of tag with our friends when at a boring social event? Let's make this the norm.

The only thing I could've used a bit more of was some closure at the end of the novel about what happened to Olivia's father and the baron she was being forced to marry. The action at the end was a bit abrupt. I wanted to see these evil men get their comeuppance, but it did end in a way that might leave room for those questions to be answered in a future novel. I'd definitely read more books by this author. Hopefully, she'll continue the story with some of the other characters she introduced. I'm intrigued by the other members in the couple's friend group, especially Northcott. I want to know what he's got going on underneath that somber countenance. I will *try* to wait patiently to learn more about him.

TW: domestic abuse
CW: clean content with only a few kisses

I was provided an e-ARC of the novel from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.