I was so intrigued and excited by the premise of this book - I'm a huge board game geek as well as a lover of grumpy/sunshine romances, and the plus sized rep was a fantastic draw too! While I did enjoy this book and found it a great quick, easy read (and had fun seeing how many board game references I recognised!), there were a couple of elements that didn't quite live up to my expectations. I didn't feel like the grump/sunshine element worked that well as Farren, to me, didn't really seem to fit the "sunshine" archetype (understandably, once you learn more of her backstory). This wasn't a huge deal as I still enjoyed the story, but maybe something to bear in mind if this is a trope you are particularly looking for. I also found the narrative leaned quite heavily on "telling" rather than showing at points. Having said that, I did love the plus size rep and thought it was extremely well done, Farren was so sexy and the descriptions of her from Sebastian's point of view were *chef's kiss*.

This book was adorable! I really enjoy Farren, she was honest and so relatable. I loved the gaming and plus size rep here. Plus you can never go wrong with the grumpy sunshine book trope in my eyes!

4/5 ⭐️

This is SO PRECIOUS! I loved this book from beginning to end. The romance is sweet, the fat representation is amazing, and the characters are well developed as is the plot. I will say that the meet cute was fun but could have used a bit more tension. The book was a cute read for those that love romance especially with plus size representation!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
This was a cute, nerdy romcom about Farren and Sebastian; complete opposites that bring out the best in each other. Sebastian is a workaholic who is trying to hide from his past. Farren is easy-going but a bit listless. It all starts with a meet cute in a cafe with board games.

I love a plus sized MC and Farren’s attitude about it is so great. I loved that it’s mentioned at the start of the book but afterwards it’s rarely mentioned. Being fat isn’t a defining feature so I liked that the book didn’t harp on that.
I also appreciated the found family in this book. Both MCs have strained relationships with their families and instead of trying to force relationships that don’t benefit them, they found themselves a family that supports them and makes them happy. I think that’s so important. Blood doesn’t make the family, love does.

The chemistry between Sebastian and Farren was a little flat in my opinion. They were cute together but that tension and fire wasn’t there. I also found myself a bit bored when the book started going into Sebastian’s work life.

Overall I enjoyed the story and the characters. I’m giving it 3.5⭐️

I enjoyed this book so much! It was a cute and breezy read. Farren is adorable and I found her to be lovable and spunky. I'm such a fan of grumpy/sunshine, and I love the plus size rep! I loved all the little details in this story.

This was a super cute debut from Tristen Crone! An easy and sweet read, it was a great way to spend a weekend.

Sebastian and Farren have an adorable meet cute when they both order the last croissant at a coffee shop and she gets it. It kicks off a great evening of board games and conversation and forces Sebastian outside his workaholic bubble. The two could not be more different, but the chemistry between them continues to build.

I liked the sunshine/grump trope here and thought it worked well for these characters. They both had a lot of baggage to work through with family and exes and work, but they got there. I liked the grand gesture at the end particularly because I thought Sebastian’s actions during their conflict were particularly harsh and hurtful toward Farren so the grovel was real.

Content warnings: Sebastian is a total workaholic and has awful boundaries with work; Farren references her experience with hypothyroidism; Sebastian’s mother has a thyroid cancer scare

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was so incredibly sweet. It had the best description of being a plus size woman! I love the cover and the start of the book with the love story between the two. I just found it a little hard to get through since most of it was written in a summary, we were told a lot about what happened but didn’t actually see what was happening by direct quotes. I loved the story but the writing style was frustrating for me since I wanted to see how the characters were feeling instead of being told. Still enjoyed the story but just wanted a little more!!

This was a refreshing romance with plus size representation! I really enjoyed it and I’m dying to play Pitch, Please! 😭 full review on Instagram, booknerdysam

This was a cute little book! I didn’t feel emotionally invested in the characters and there was a lot of miscommunication in my opinion, but it still wasn’t a terrible way to spend the day.
I’m not sure if I’d recommend this to anyone else unless they specifically liked these cute nerdy little rom coms.
I’d still give it 4 stars though because it definitely kept my attention.

** ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Lake Country Press in exchange for an honest review **

She is a fill-in teacher with a passion for board games and he is a workaholic that avoids connecting with people. What happens when they face off for the Holy Grail of croissants?

The truth? I couldn't fully connect with the story and the characters.

On the one hand, I LOVE the cover. I like Farren, the plus size yet –mostly– confident heroine, and the board game theme is an enjoyable novelty.
Also, I highlighted quite a few grabbing quotes about self-esteem, work and dreams.

On the other hand, this felt like an unsuccessful slow burn, meaning it is slow but it doesn't burn. The story drags and there is no real increase in Farren and Ian's chemistry.
Nothing major happens during most of the novel and the actual plot developments seem to happen between the chapters. Unseen.

In my opinion, part of the slowness is due to the book being too descriptive. And the other part is because most of the book feel like "filler scenes" of a wider plot that is not written.

To wrap up, the idea behind the novel was great but it could have been implemented much better.

• Slow-burn
• Rom-com
• Opposites attract
• Grumpy/sunshine
• Plus size FMC
• Board games

This was so good! I loved Sebastian and Farren! Their love story was such a great read. This book is a keeper!
I just reviewed Playing For Keeps by Tristen Crone. #PlayingForKeeps #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I just finished this super cute book, Playing For Keeps! Contemporary romance isn't my preferred sub-genre, but this one sparked my interest for two reasons.

1. A curvy leading lady
2. This lady happens to be a board gamer (which is a hobby of mine as well!)

Farren and Sebastian meet while vying for the same croissant... she invites him to play her for it, and so the love story and the board game fun begins!

Farren and Sebastian are opposites in many ways, but similar when it comes to childhood trauma. Getting to see them grow and learn how to get past that was quite lovely to read (though trust me when I say they had many growing pains along the way).

This book is told in alternating POVs, which really helped the reader get to know the leads and understand their motivations.

Special shout out to the author for including many game mentions along the way!

I voluntarily received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a cute fast read. I really enjoyed it. Farren and Sebastian's backstories were my favorite part of the book because I was able to relate to how they felt and it was nice to see these types of heartache in the book.

Thanks, Netgalley and Lake Country Press & Review for this Arc

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't get into the story and ended up not enjoying it as much as I had hoped.
Beautiful cover!

I really wanted to like this book. The gaming concept was super cute, and I was interested in the characters initially. That said, I felt like the romance was really front-loaded, in the sense that there wasn’t a lot of build up, and then there was just a TON of waiting for something to actually happen. I didn’t feel drawn in to the plot, probably largely because this book was about 80% exposition, 20% dialogue.
Not a win for me, though I’m really grateful to NetGalley for the chance to check it out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Opposites Attract
- Plus Size FMC
- Meet Cutes Involving Croissants

Playing for Keeps is an incredible debut for Tristen Cone and spoke to my board game playing heart!

Farren and Sebastian make the perfect opposites attract couple that will have you swooning the entire book. Farren is such a sunshine with how loveable, board game loving, and sweet she is. Meanwhile Sebastian is a tall, awkward, uptight grump who has built up walls around him that quite literally only Farren can shatter.

Farren and Sebastian get together very early in the book so we get tons of content of their relationship development and just cute couple things 🥰. The attraction between the two was undeniable and had me swooning at them the entire book!

What I love about this story is that there is ton of communication between the couple and are clear with each other what they're looking for from the start. Yay for no miscommunication!

There is a third act break-up which I am usually not a fan of BUT! Sebastian's grand gesture had me smiling from ear to ear. It was such a book boyfriend move and I LOOOOVED it.

Thanks so much to Tristen Crone, Lake Country Press and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own!

This is such a great read! The perfect balance of grumpy x sunshine characters. The story follows Farren (a substitute teacher stuck in a career she’s not committed but is passionate about) and Sebastian (a career focused individual working in a job he’s miserable in). When an awkward meet cute leads to an invite to Farren’s weekly game night, both strike up an unlikely friendship.

I love how the characters compliment each other, both pushing each other towards happiness. I love the references to board games throughout the book, a recurring motif that keeps the story grounded beyond the romance. I also love how confident Farren is, and seeing her passion for board games was so cool - I would have loved to have seen more insight into her own creation

The couple were an excellent duo and I loved the way Sebastian worked hard to make up for his shortcomings after the brief conflict.

I would definitely recommend, it was such a cute and sweet read!

really liked it

Playing for Keeps by Tristen Crone

This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk!

How do you get a hard-working man to loosen up and play? By enticing him with games, of course.

Playing for Keeps, Tristen Crone’s debut is a playful and feel-good romcom with a fresh take on the grumpy / sunshine pairing. Farren is our sassy and chipper heroine whose sweet demeanor hides her insecurities meets Sebastian, a forced workaholic who buried himself in his career so much that he has forgotten what it's like to have a good time.

PFK turns romcom just a little sideways, not revolutionizing the genre (there’s no need. Please give me all the romantic conflict and fix it at the end for my straight-shot of serotonin) but adding little surprising tweaks (like Crone’s smart while fluffy writing style) to keep it fresh and new. Additionally, we get a very (IMO) accurate POV of a female board-gamer. And this is what makes it very special to me. Farrow is feminine and adorable. She’s also a bit of a mess and flawed. And her escape is her games. But not only that, it’s also where she pours her heart into.

And then there’s Sebastian. Who has that special grumpy-work-hard quality that I love in my male LI but he’s not brooding or stand-offish, another fresh twist Crone added. He’s charming and caring right away. It seems like something hard to pull off, to write a LI who is “Daddy” and “Baby” at the same time, but Crone crafted Sebastian so well that I was thirsting for him right away.

Crone’s voice reminds me of shows like Ted Lasso and Schitt’s Creek. Every character is endearing, you’re rooting for everyone to be happy, and every single scene is a little whimsical and funny. And at the end of it all, you leave with a little hitch in your step. Like you want to pass the delight on or something.

I took a few days after finishing the book before I wrote this review and I keep thinking about Farren and her game idea and how she had to find her bravery to make it a reality. Like, don’t we all have something we dream big about? I know I do and her story is giving me that little push.

Thank you Lake Country Press, NetGalley and Tristen Crone for the Advanced Reader Copy. All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I was really excited to receive an early copy of Playing For Keeps.
I will start out by saying that I adored Farren. As a big girl myself, from a largish family where I was in the middle and just learned to go with the flow around my more demanding siblings, she helped me feel seen as a sibling AND a big girl. There isn't a lot that I can say negative about her to be honest, she is a 5/5 for me.
Oh, Sebastian... there were so many positives about him and how he treated and what he did for Farren. However, I struggled with his internal battle and his feelings about Farren and the direction of their relationship. The biggest part that ruined him for me (without spoiling) was at the "angsty" part. What he said and how he handled it in the aftermath of the party left me cold. Couldn't get past it if I'm honest and I really wish I could have. But even his grand gesture upset me.
I also have to add that Corinne felt more frenemy than best friend. I didn't feel that she was looking out for Farren in a best friend way. I am a mother and I am married while most of my friends are childless and single, and I have never once thought my stuff was more important or said such crappy things about my best friend and who they are at their core so negatively. Just yikes.
I still finished the book and I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. I have a feeling there will be a lot of people that will not agree with me, but the H in this one was a big no. Farren, however, was definitely a favorite h of mine from recent memory.
Stars:
Overall 3.5/5
Spice 3.75/5

I LOVED this!! Farren was only of those main characters that i instantly connected with. I felt so seen in her character and loved getting to read her story. Also her meet cute with Sebastian was amazing. This was my first read by this author and I would love to read any other title by them!