If you are looking for a lighthearted romance read, then Playing for Keeps is the book for you. It's a light read that you won't get overly emotional. It does have some depth between the love interests, so you won't be bored.

ai gente que desquerida,

aqui deixarei minha opinião sincera sobre esse livro: achei bem chatinho, li todo pq queria saber que jogo ela teria criado, mas a autora não desenvolveeeu essa parte o que tá ok, mas me deixou curiosa

enfim, não consegui ter empatia por ninguem nesse livro! a prota é filha do meio e se acha a abandonada da familia, o proto é filho unico de um casal de idade avançado e acha que nunca foi bem vindo

enfim, dois personagens que ao inves de se follar eu indicaria um terapeuta... fora que o cara ta quase bunoutando e ela, ela é um chata

ai gente, nao recomendo... queria ter amado, mas vitmismo não é comigo!

Unfortunately, after multiple attempts I have been unable to get into this book. It felt very slow for me and the characters were not likable which made it hard to root for them and enjoy the story. Due to that I have decided to soft DNF the book and potentially pick it up at a later date.

This was an adorable, opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine romance. Farren is a free spirit, one of many children in a Catholic household, who moves to D.C. and works as a substitute teacher while secretly harboring the desire to create a board game. Farren is a game enthusiast who meets with her game club weekly at a cafe. In this cafe, she meets Sebastian, a serious workaholic only child who doesn't connect much with people. When Sebastian and Farren argue over the last croissant, it sets them on a path to romance that they never expected.

this book was amazing and I love the rep and everything on it the male main characters s so amazing and I wish he was real because god, man are terrible and I wish this book was something that I read when I was younger somehow just because of how I felt so much with the female mc

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
I loved this plus size romance.

This was a book where I could appreciate the craft but it wasn’t landing with me at the point in time I read it - the characters are well drawn but there was just a lot of emotional baggage. The third act breakup was … fine. Meh.

It was fun and sweet but it just lacked something, maybe the spark? I don't know, either way, I liked how both of them interacted, it was fun, but I'm just TI-RED of the grumpy/sunshine trope, okay? It's always the same dynamic and it gets boring guys! I liked the characters but it had this feeling of deja-vu.

I loved the concept of this book, but the execution fell flat for me! I do love a book centered around board games. There was also a third act breakup which is generally not my cup of tea. This wasn't terrible, but it wasn't an amazing read that I'll remember forever.

I really liked the concept of a board game theme within a romance, however I think the games part could have been a teeny bit more present, especially in the middle there.
I like Farren as a character, as well as Sebastian but I don’t think their chemistry was written convincingly. It was missing something.
It was cute and enjoyable and I love the “nerdier” direction a lot of romances are heading towards.

Playing for Keeps is a book I wanted to love and honestly had all of the ingredients to make me love it: a plus-sized MC, board games, and a grumpy/sunshine romance. This book started off great. I really enjoyed Farren and Sebastian and was hoping for an amazing romance. About halfway through it started falling flat for me. There was a lot of telling and not showing, the pacing felt off, and certain things got repetitive. The romance stayed a bit on the surface and I didn't feel connected enough with them to fall in love with their story. I also didn't completely understand the third act breakup. I'm sorry, but if a guy spoke to me the way Sebastian did to Farren, I wouldn't have forgiven him so easily. Playing for Keeps had some aspects I loved, but sadly it just didn't work for me.

I loved that the FMC was plus sized! I feel like most books describe a "curvy" FMC and she's still skinny. Fannen is literally m! Especially in the beginning talking about how her pants and the waistband lol. I don't really like third act breaks, it's usually a turn off for me. So it took me awhile to even finish the story. I wasn't really vibing with Sebastian. He was just way too grumpy for me and boy did my girl try with him. I thought it was an cute story, but that 3rd act break up is what kinda messed it up for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I rated this 3.75 stars

This was a pretty good contemporary romance! There was real emotion from the characters and they felt very realistic. I enjoyed the romance, though it did feel a bit insta-lovey to me, which I didn't love (but that's just a personal preference).

This was a great book! I really enjoyed everything the author was trying to do, but I didn’t enjoy some of the things like “liberal but not loud about it” and laughing because the male main character was wearing a skirt. It didn’t strike me as particularly tasteful.

However, the story in and of itself was cute and I liked the relationship between Farren and Sebastian. The sex scene was so good, but why did she have to say I love you in the middle of it? To me it wasn’t romantic, but that’s just my boundary!!

All in all great story!! Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Country Press for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was a super fun and surprisingly emotional contemporary romance, perfect for those who like their steam with a side of geekery. I loved the board game aspect of the story, and wish we had more romances that centred nerdy FMCs.

I had so much fun going on this journey with these characters, and seeing them learn to trust each other and themselves.

If you've loved the recent rise in STEMinist romcoms, this one is for you.

Farrah is currently a substitute teacher in Washington D.C. She likes to keep things fun and light, and never gets too serious with anyone or anything. The highlight of her week is the Friday night board game night she has with her friends at a local cafe. Sebastian is extremely driven. Nothing will stand in the way of his goals as a computer programmer. He's serious and keeps to himself. When Farrah orders the last pastry on Friday night, Sebastian offers to pay her for it. She in turn offers to play him for it. They develop a relationship of opposites, but a very sweet one. But when things turn serious, they have to decide to either go all in or check out. I loved this book. Farrah's hang ups and anxieties make sense once you discover what is driving them, and Sebastian's ice slowly chips away so you can see his real personality. I really enjoyed reading this on a plane ride, and want to read more about them. Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I find it challenging to provide a star rating for this book as I ultimately did not finish it. It's essential to note that my decision to discontinue reading was influenced by the circumstances surrounding my initial attempt and a lack of connection with both the story and characters.

Admittedly, I embarked on this literary journey during a less than optimal time, and unfortunately, the timing may have colored my overall experience. The intricate dance between reader and narrative is often a delicate one, and external factors can significantly impact our ability to fully immerse ourselves in a book.
I am sad because I really wanted to read this book, but I dont want to force it as I feel it wil be a negative experience.

I love my romances and this hit me in the feels. It gave me exactly what I needed and I am so glad I found this author!