I was not able to get into this book. I had a hard time with the female main character and finding a way to connect with her.

My first Max Monroe book. If I knew this is the second book of a series, I would’ve read the first book first. But that’s okay. I’ll read it soon. And I’m looking forward to the third book. Anyways, “Playing Games” is a decent sports romance. The fmc, Lexi, is a few years older than the mmc, Blake. I didn’t see that coming. Although their age played a part in their decision of being together, I thought it was done well. I liked Blake and Lexi, also their group of friends. I’d definitely read the other characters’ books.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a very interesting FMC that actually was not like any other character I have read about. She was unique and the way she thinks is so fascinating to me. The male character is an athlete and is pretty normal for that role in a book but he care and patience for her is something to be admired. For the rating I think what didn’t do it for me was I just didn’t feel like the story was smooth like it just flowed from one spot to the next. That’s all. Everything else was good, I feel like what it seems to not flow I struggle to connect and feel as drawn in. So for me it was good but due to flow I probably wouldn’t score it more than what I put here. 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of this book!

I love this series and that each character is unique in their personality, background, and socioeconomic status.
This is an opposites attract, NA, and slow burn.
Blake is your good looking, easy going, panty dropping star quarterback. Lexi is a neurodivergent genius. In any other universe, these two would likely never cross paths. A secret society brings them together, much to Lexi's disdain.
Blake immediately gets gooey eyed over Lexi and will stop short of stalking her to get her attention. He's made up his mind and every eye roll and glare sent his way only makes him want her more.
Lexi is so perfectly analytical and self aware. She offsets Blake perfectly and watching her step out of her robotic existence to peel back her layers was so fun to read. This character did give me a bit of whiplash over her indecision and tug of war with her feelings.

Blake has to be one of the most persistent, patient MMC's to ever exist. I was ready for him to give up on Lexi, but he would never. Max Monroe knows how to write a male character with the perfect pairing of cocky and endearing.

This is a duo team of authors and you will never be able to tell where one begins and the other one ends. They are seamless in their writing style and know the characters so well, its as if there is only one voice.

Blake Boden ladies and gentleman is here and prepare yourself for the swoon! He is all in for Lexi since the first book in the series and if it's possible he's fallen even harder. I adore how caring, kind and supportive he is of her and loves her just as she is. Given her very high intellectual abilities and neurodivergent she doesn't always pick up on social cues and when it comes to love she really struggles. Even when she pushes him away he stands firm from afar and continues to love her enough for the both of them. I loved watching Lexi grow and learn more about her emotions and learning to love.

POV: 1st, dual
Spice: 3/5
Angst: Low

Book two in the Dickson University series exceeded all my expectations. Ten fold! I loved Lexie and Blake together!!! Her quirky traits due to her Neurodivergence and Blakes complete acceptance of her was heartwarming. Finding her person, who will ultimately be her safe space comes with many funny ups and downs to Lexie understanding relationship concepts that don’t come naturally to her. The secondary family and friends from the first book are all present and even funnier in this one. We get an update on Scottie and Finn and teasers for Ace and Julia’s book which I am dying to read when it’s out.

NegGalley allowed me to read this in exchange for my review.

4 stars 🌟 Huge thank you to Max Monroe LLC and NetGalley for the e-arc! 🫶

So, this is my third book by Max Monroe, and let me tell you, they’ve become a total instant read author for me! All three ARCs have been so much fun. I haven’t read the Parents/First Gen series yet, but it’s on my list! My one little wish? A family tree! There are so many cameos from other books that I had to keep track of who’s related to whom. If we had a family tree, I’d have it all sorted out and this would be perfection!

Now, onto Playing Games! It’s a college romance with that classic opposites attract vibe, and, was it good! Blake Boden is your golden boy quarterback, with all the charm and a heart full of determination (aka golden retriever boyfriend energy). Lexi, the brainy, neurodivergent, dissertation-focused genius, does not have time for distractions. But then enters Blake, who’s out to prove that emotions are worth the risk. Their chemistry? 🔥 Off the charts! Add in some witty banter, a bit of a secret relationship, and lots of laughs, and you’ve got a recipe for a swoon-worthy read!

I loved seeing the dynamic between these two. Lexi’s internal struggle with emotions is real and relatable, and Blake is just... so patient (he falls first! 😍). The pacing was spot-on, and the moments of vulnerability really hit home. This book had just the right balance of spice 🌶️, laughs 😂, and feels 🥹. The perfect college romance with heart!

Tropes I’m living for:
🏈 Sports romance (Yes, please!)
💘 He falls first
💥 Opposites attract
🤫 Secret relationship
🤓 Neurodivergent heroine

Can’t wait for Ace and Julia’s book! The second-gen crew is just getting started, and I’m here for it. Bring on more Max Monroe!

The story follows an unlikely pairing: Lexi and Blake. Lexi is a very intelligent doctoral student who wants to finish her dissertation and her research; however, life has a different plan for her. Blake is the star college quarterback who has his eyes on Lexi who is a few years older than him. He finally gets on her radar and a friendship evolves between them.

What I loved about this book was the cute banter between the two characters and how the story really depicted how opposites attract. This book is written in a dual POV and I love that the author lets the readers into each characters mind that we can really understand how intelligent Lexi thinks and how Blake tries his hardest to get Lexi to like him as much as he likes her. This book is definitely a "he falls first" trope!

While reading this book I had a lot of moments of laughing out loud, the spice was perfect and the drama between the two characters was spot on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Monroe for allowing me to review this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this ARC!

3.5 STARS

I was so excited to read this book! Now that I've finished it, I cannot wait for the next one.
If there's one thing you can count on with these authors, it's that they will tease you so much that in the end you'll be begging for more!
I missed these characters so much! And the payoff was so worth it.
Now, I wish we had had more of the friend group. That definitely was my favorite part of the first book, and I missed them hanging out together. I was dying to know Ace's reaction to Blake and Lexy, and I felt robbed when I didn't get to see that!

I will read the next one, and everything these authors publish.

Review: Playing Games by Max Monroe
⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️

Playing Games is a college sports romance that follows a football star and the coach’s daughter in a forbidden relationship. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone—though the constant crossover references made it feel like I was missing an inside joke.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. The humor didn’t land, and the writing felt forced and very juvenile. And the moment I read, “I’ve had more pu$$y than Garfield,” I officially checked out. If you love college romances, there are definitely stronger options out there.

Thank you to the authors and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First I must say that I loved the accurate representation of a neurodivergent girl in this story. As someone who is also neurodivergent, I felt so seen with Lexi’s character and I completely empathized with her struggling to adapt to new changes in her life that diverge from her norm. Especially when all she is used to is things making scientific sense and not usually being anomalies.

But boy do I have to say that Blake was entirely down bad for Lexi from the beginning and I ate that shit entirely up!!!! Like this boy loved him some Lexi 24/7 like he literally couldn’t get enough of her.

I’m always a fan of the black cat/golden retriever dynamic in relationships and I think this book did a perfect portrayal of it if I’m being honest. Because I’m sure if Lexi told Blake to bark he wouldn’t even hesitate and ask her how loud. That’s how much he loved this girl. And his way with words had me constantly swooning I was highlighting all over my kindle. For example:

“I think you are the sum of greatness in human form, and I find myself increasingly desperate, every fucking day, to convince you to be mine.”

Like girl!!!!! I’m insanely jealous of Lexi because he is literally the perfect guy and I’m mad he’s fictional lol. With that said, I’ll be on the lookout for by future books in this series especially because this author does include previous relationships in the book as background characters.

~

Thank you to Max Monroe LLC via NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great romance! I especially loved how patient and understanding Blake was as he pursued Lexi. 😍 Truly a stand up guy!

It’s also not common to read a story where the FMC is a genius, so it was super intriguing and really drew me in! 😊

I’m so excited to read Ace and Julia’s book!! ❤️

Max Monroe does it again with Playing Games, the second book in the Dickson University series—but it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. However, if you're looking to learn more about Scottie and Finn, I recommend reading Learning Curve before diving into book 2.

In Playing Games, Blake Boden, the star quarterback, experiences love at first sight when he meets Lexi Winslow. The catch? Lexi doesn’t do relationships or emotions, so Blake definitely has his work cut out for him. Their chemistry is undeniable, and there’s plenty of witty banter between them that had me laughing out loud more than once.

Playing Games is a reverse grumpy/sunshine romance, where the MMC (main male character) falls first. Plus, there’s a touch of a reversed age gap and a secret relationship to keep things extra interesting.

I really enjoyed the return to Dickson University. Blake and Lexi's story is full of not only romantic love, but also the love of family and friends. So grab your favorite beverage and a comfy chair, because you will not want to put down this book once you start to read it.

Lexi Winslow is the twenty-five year old daughter of Winnie Winslow Lancaster and the stepdaughter of Wes Lancaster, Sr. Lexi also is off the charts smart and neurodivergent. She analyzes everything in her life and breaks it down to points of data. While Lexi was running the secret Double C (Computare Caterva) Society at Dickson University she meets Blake Boden, star quarterback of the school's football team. Blake is instantly smitten and vows to make Lexi his. When Blake realizes that both Lexi and him will be on campus all summer he sees this as his chance to win Lexi over.

After Blake finally wins Lexi over by playing with her analytical side he knows he at least now has a chance. Lexi agrees and decides she can use her app she developed for her doctoral thesis to determine if Blake is someone she could be with. Blake wants all in with Lexi but she would rather keep things secretive. By the end of summer Blake realizes he is in love with Lexi but she cannot handle that emotion and throws a wrench into their lives. It will take a huge coming out of one's comfort zone to bring these two back together, but in the end it will all be worth it.

I just adored this opposites attract, secret relationship love story. Blake was the perfect guy. Everything about him screams....keeper! Lexi had a hard time dealing with emotions and couldn't understand what her relationship with Blake really was. Together these two fit beautifully. I loved the way Blake helped Lexi during times when she really needed it. The fun epilogue at the end gives us a little peek into Ace and Julia's story and it looks like it's going to be a doozy!

Thank you netgalley for this arc. so i read the first book,and thought it was ok. so this one was the about the same, i did like how blake and lexi were just so perfect for each other. i felt like all the characters are well connected.

Whenever I see a Max Monroe book it's an automatic click for me. I have to read it and it's even better if I get to post a review about it!! I just love these ladies, they are wonderful authors!

As for the story it is the second in a series and the first book was terrific so I wanted to definitely read this new one. This book is about an unlikely pairing of a star college quarterback, Blake and a nerdy, Uber smart doctoral student (older than Blake by a few years) Lexi. Lexi has her eyes on finishing her dissertation and her research but Blake has eyes on her. An immediate attraction he pledges he'll marry her to his friend when he meets her for the first time. This story is all about Blake, a typical golden retriever boyfriend, desperately wanting to be on Lexi's radar and finally succeeding. However, with being smart comes some social aspects of love that Lexi is afraid of and it takes a bit for true feelings to win out.

Loved this story! I love a golden retriever BF that just so wants to be seen by the the FMC you are rooting for him the entire time. I was looking forward to this story since I read the last book and it didn't disappoint. Definitely recommend for those like a guy who falls first, sweet romance with a little spice!

Thanks to NetGalley and Max Monroe for allowing me review this ARC!

Overall this was a good book. I liked this book more than the first one in this series. I really wanted to love this book, but college romances just are not for me. Sometimes I feel like these college age characters are too mature and it doesn't feel realistic to me.

Blake is a perfect MMC book boyfriend! Considerate, romantic, sweet and soooo steamy. I loved Lexi too because of her brains but didn't quite grasp how funny she was until this.

5 ⭐ 3 🌶️

This series has my heart. Max and Monroe are hilarious as always, but this series has these really emotional moments that had me in my feels and I loved them so much. In Playing Games we have Lexi who thinks she's incapable of love with her scientific mind and her inner thoughts had me wanting to hug her big... Thankfully Blake was relentless in all the best ways. I loved watching these two fall in love.

Since the release of book one, I went back and read the first gen stories and somehow fell in love with these parents even more. Lexi's relationship with her mom and Wes was so sweet. The bed scene with her and her mom was just perfect.

I love all the little hints and peeks at Julia and Ace's story. We knew it was coming from book one, but there's an aha moment in this story that has me even more giddy for it, especially after the epilogue.