This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, cute and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

I was really excited by the premise of this book. Uptight grump falls for someone when she challenges him to a board game? Sign me up. And I felt like Farren and Sebastian had so much potential, but the book just didn't follow through on it.

For me, there was too much focus on the job that made Sebastian miserable without any concrete descriptions of it. And we really only got the vaguest of explanations of the betrayal that made him run away from his home state. I think readers deserved more since it was such a huge part of his personality.

As for Farren, I loved her dream of wanting to be a game creator, but I felt like the actual games sort of got the short end of the stick in this narrative. The first scene of her and Sebastian playing a game against each other was probably my favorite part of the book - it was strong and distinct and sucked me in. And we never got another scene like that! Or got to see anyone play Farren's game on page!

Don't get me wrong, the book was still cute and a quick read. I think I just saw the potential for so much more, and I would have loved to see the characters get that depth.

"Playing for Keeps" is a really cute and fun romance, but it's far from perfect.

It was really enjoyable to read and it had a few really fun moments as well as an adoring dynamic between our two main characters. It only fell flat for me when it came to the pacing of it all. I know this book is rather short and probably not intended to take its time telling a love story, but our couple bordered a bit too close on the "instant love" trope for me.

Crone has a really nice writing style and there was some great prose in here. However, it wasn't able to overshadow all the other issues I had with this book.
It sadly contained a few tropes that I am really not a fan of, especially a whole lot of miscommunication (regarding family) and the third act breakup which I absolutely despise.

It was still enjoyable enough for me to give it a generous three stars, but without the aforementioned tropes, I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake County Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Two people, with a lot of family trauma and baggage, fall in love with barely any time together and without a connection that felt sincere.

This felt like a trauma dump without any growth. Stuff was brought up but not worked through. Or mention again in a productive way. Trauma bonding was the plot, if you count that. The story dragged for me.

Spicy scene at ~67%. Felt really suddenly compared to the slooow build. Scene felt rushed. Not very satisfying. Another “spicy” scene at the end. I just didn’t enjoy this. I should have DNF-ed it.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Lake Country Press & Review for this digital ARC.

The theme of this book being focused around games and game play intrigued me. I love a good game night and while I'm not a huge fan of video games I still enjoy them from time to time. Farren, the main character of the story was interesting as she wasn't what you expect your typical heroine to look like. While I enjoyed the uniqueness of her character I felt the story was a slow one. I thought it was nice to see how two insecure people can let their insecurities get in their way and how they overcome them. That being said this book is only ⭐⭐⭐ for me as I wasn't as eager to keep picking this book up to read it. I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked until the last couple chapters. Overall it was a cute story.

This was pretty disappointing.

The premise was adorable. The meet cute was as cute as you’d expect. But everything else was just so irritating.

90% of this book is third person exposition and internal dialog. There is barely any conversation between characters. It’s the epitome of describing an event beat by beat instead of writing a novel for people to engage with. So much time was dedicated to explaining the thought processes of the main characters instead of writing scenes to SHOW it them to us.

The characters and conflicts were so flat. Relatable, but lacking any bite or real resolution.

If it hadn’t been so short I wouldn’t have finished it.

Playing for keeps was everything I wanted it to be. Grumpy hero, sunshine heroine. She’s so smart, and he was so head over heels for her, whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not.

I loved the resolution of the conflict, and how they came back together. And also????

Last but not least. The positive fat rep. I will never not feel so good when I have good fat rep.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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One of the reasons I requested for this book was because I thought one of the MCs was going to play Scrabble. Unfortunately, there was no Scrabble scene, but there were a lot of board games. I didn't even know that there were a lot of board games in existence. This book surely expanded my knowledge of board games
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I didn't like the FMC, Farren, she was not serious with her life, had the emotional development of a 5 year old, and was a bad friend. Her best friend, Corinne, was always there for her, and she didn't do the same for her. She thought her problems were the only ones and didn't pay attention to others. I also hated it when she blamed her insecurities on other characters when she was the one that put the bad front.
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For Sebastian, I liked and empathized with him because of the pressure he felt from work and how alone he was. And I'm excited I saw some development in him by the end of the book.
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Their relationship was okay, they had chemistry, but the spice felt forced(the author's fault). I think it was the first time she wrote a spicy scene.
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It took some time before I finished it, but I kept on reading because I was curious about what was going to happen in the end in respect to their respective careers. I don't like the ambiguous situation of Farren's family. I felt she didn't get the closure she needed
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This book was just okay for me, but it might be more than that for you

I absolutely loved this book! As a fellow nerd, I loved how that played into the relationship. The banter was top-notch. and I really enjoyed how they recognized and admitted to when they weren't doing good mentally. That is such an important part of relationships and couples don't discuss it nearly enough.

Farren is wonderful. She is kind, giving and all sunshine. Farren is disorganised and chaotic in a fun way. She has a tough job as a relief teacher and relishes in her time playing games. Farren is part of a gaming club at the local cafe and every Friday night she gets together with her friends and plays games. She might even be dreaming of developing her own game. One Friday she orders the last pastry and little does she know what chain of events that tiny pastry will set off.

Sebastian is order, process and career driven. Really, he is a grump, but keeping his life in order has been the only way he can stop from drowning in his past. His last job did not yield the success he was looking for and he is going to make sure that this time he achieves his goal of climbing the corporate ladder. When he finally starts to think things are going the way he wants them to, the lady in front of him buys the last pastry. How dare she?! Well, Sebastian will have to get that pastry, no matter what it costs!

This is a wonderful story of two beautiful individuals who remind us the damage parents can unwittingly cause on their children. It is a beautiful story of opposites attract and how a special someone can fill that hole that you might not have even known you had. I really loved the gaming aspect but also the realistic nature of the 3rd act break up and how people can be so stubborn. Sometimes you just need to give love a chance.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Lake Country Press and Tristen Crone.

Both of our main characters have family issues. Farren is the middle child of seven and always felt like she was ignored and got lost in the shuffle. Sebastian is an only child of older parents- who were surprised by the pregnancy- and felt like he couldn’t connect with them. This leads to both of them not talking to or seeing their families often. Other factors also played into their leaving their respective hometowns and ending up in DC.

While there was mention of multiple board games, some that even I have never heard of, I would’ve liked more. It felt like we kind of lost that aspect of the book towards the middle.

Did Sebastian apologize? Yes. Do I think it was enough after what he said? No. Definitely not enough for Farren to immediately take him back after said apology. He was an asshole. He himself admits that he “attacked her character” but to me it was so much more than that. I understand he was under a lot of pressure at work and stressed out, especially after what happened in his past. However, I still don’t think it excuses him essentially belittling her and taking out his frustrations on her.

I liked their relationship a lot more towards the beginning of the book. It seemed like Farren was showing Sebastian that work didn’t have to be his whole life. Then he screwed it all up and honestly, I don’t think the redemption was big enough. Oh well.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

It is a captivating contemporary romance novel that entwines the alternating perspectives of our main characters, Sebastian and Farren. This delightful tale have the grumpy x sunshine trope, presenting readers with a heartwarming meet cute and an immediate, undeniable attraction between the protagonists.

One of the aspect of this novel, which I like is the incorporation of board and card games that I personally love, such as "Here to Slay." The games serve as a fun backdrop for the characters to bond and explore their shared interests, adding an extra layer of enjoyment for board game enthusiasts. I wanna know what was the game they were playing on the Night they met.

The author does an excellent job of infusing the story with a dash of spice, making the romance sizzle while remaining tasteful and heartfelt. Moreover, the representation of a plus-size main female character added depth and authenticity to the narrative, which I appreciated. The author handles this aspect of the story with sensitivity and authenticity, highlighting the protagonist's inner beauty and emphasizing that self-love and confidence come in all shapes and sizes.

While romance plays a significant role, "Playing for Keeps" deviates from traditional romance novels by placing a stronger emphasis on personal growth and character development. The author masterfully explores how traumas from childhood, be it from family or friends, can deeply impact an individual's growth, self-esteem, and confidence. This exploration adds depth and authenticity to the characters, allowing readers to truly connect with their struggles and triumphs.

As the narrative unfolds, Sebastian and Farren's journey toward healing and self-discovery takes center stage. Their personal growth becomes the driving force, and the romance acts as a catalyst for their transformation. This emphasis on personal development rather than solely the romance aspect sets "Playing for Keeps" apart, making it a refreshing and compelling read.

I really really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I just didn’t 😔 The premise is so cute and has such promise but the execution just really fell short for me. A lot of both MCs internal struggles just didn’t seem realistic to me - especially with Farren - with that type of emotional trauma it didn’t feel like the actuality of her history warranted it? And then with Farren’s feelings towards her family we’re SO back and forth, especially the visit home. One minute glad she came back and realizing her feelings had been wrong about them and then all the sudden she’s crying and angry about it again. A lot of their internal thoughts seemed jumbled and out of place.

I also feel like there wasn’t reason enough for them to wait so many months to have sex? Like, the reasons that they had felt very flimsy and really only brought up like one time, it just didn’t make sense to me. (Unless one or both of them was on the ace spectrum, which they weren’t).

Overall the characters just didn’t make sense to me, and the pacing was off, the time just weird and very much telling versus showing.

The board games sold me and I'm not disappointed in the slightest. with the characters or plot or the use of board games. The romance between Farren and Sebastian was soooo good and so cute. Especially their first meeting and the banter. The body positivity was also a huge plus to this book and Farren. Would definitely recommend it to my colleagues and friends in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

There was so much potential in this one - I was very excited for the board gaming context! When Farren and Sebastian first met and battled it out over a croissant I was sure this book would speak to me.

Sadly I think it went flat from there, as the tension and chemistry between the two disappeared and it moved into a gentle story without the zestiness initially teased.

The story was sweet, but lacked the little extra fire to keep me hooked - I needed more clever banter, cheeky game playing. I struggled with the complication because there wasn’t enough “meat” beforehand to make me believe it. I think some of the descriptions and internal monologuing could have been swapped out for more character interaction.

In short: loved any time games were involved, and the meet cute. Struggled with the complication. Will suit romance readers who don’t want any surprises to the formula!

The second I found out the FMC was plus size I was all in. It did not disappoint! I enjoyed Farren and her heart and I understand the way she felt about certain things, and her family. I wasn’t sure about Sebastian at first, and I was worried I wouldn’t like him, but he proved me wrong. The pull and chemistry they had together was so good. They both had things they were dealing with alone, but were safe spaces for one another. No matter how much they try to convince one another they don’t deserve something, the other proved them wrong. A lot of growing together and self reflection & growth, which I really admired too. I loved the whole game aspect of everything and some parts of their story had me laughing out loud.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Country Press for the advanced copy.

A cozy romance perfect for a fast summer read. The chemistry between the main characters was easy and natural. Watching their love grow was very cute.

This book has me at "board games".

Crone has written a very impressive debut romance novel. Farren and Sebastian really pulled it together.

I could see this as a Hallmark movie.

Thank you to Lake Country Press & Review and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I love how board games come into play. It was a unique aspect of the book that I hadn't seen before. I loved the body positivity and how the main character didn't make the fact that she's plus side her entire personality and that she wasn't self conscious about it at all. She just existed as plus side in the book and it made it feel so much more normal. I liked the romance in this. I didn't absolutely love it. Sebastian as a character did annoy me, but he was kind of meant to be annoying. Overall, it was a fun romance to read!

A great read, the story of Farren and Sebastian. They meet in a coffee shop when she is at games night with her friends. The last pastry leads to a bet, so will they have a future together? Looking forward to more books from this.