The Name of the Game

The author has a way of writing characters that complement each other even though at first glance they don't have anything in common.. I loved the funny banter. This is a a fun flirty read that I loved!

Review to be posted on Nick's Book Blog on October 9th 2015.

Can every romance novel feature nerdy uptight male characters, please? 2015 seems to be the year for these nerdy, but very very sexy male characters and I seriously can't get enough of them. I was introduced to Jennifer Dawson and her amazing stories when I first read The Winner Takes It All. The book was funny, had a chemistry-laden antagonistic romance and had characters that I loved. I have to say though that I was really really looking forward to reading The Name of the Game because I loved the glimpses that I saw of James and Gracie in the previous book. This book was everything that I expected and so much more!

For a romance novel to work its charms on me, I need the book to have characters that I can relate to and enjoy. Jennifer Dawson is good at doing that. The protagonist, Gracie, was someone I had grown to love in the previous book. I loved how supportive she was of her friends and she could be very funny too. In The Name of the Game, we get to see more of how she is on the inside and I think I liked her even more than I thought I would. She was a self-less woman who did everything for the good of others. She was the kind of person who got along with everyone because she was so nice, except with Jame of course. I loved how friendly she was and she certainly was capable of bringing an air of happiness to the pages. Besides her amicable personality, Gracie was also a character who was passionate about her dream job - baker. The scenes of her baking shed so much light on her love for the job and were also successful in making me hungry. She was one feisty and determined girl and I loved that she was willing to sweat and overcome any obstacle to achieve her dreams.

While Gracie was more outgoing and social, James was the opposite with his uptight and more quiet personality with him being a professor of anthropology. He was a hoot though and I loved watching Gracie push his buttons. Even though he was uptight with Gracie, it was clear that behind his demeanor lay a sexy and passionate man who knew how to woo a woman. Also, dirty talker alert! I was surprised by how alpha James was in the bedroom, but it was fun to see the contrast in his personality. James had also suffered from body image issues when he was younger and I thought it was interesting to see a male insight on body insecurities in a romance novel. It's usually the other way around, but I was glad to see Jennifer Dawson tackle it in The Name of the Game.

The romance between Gracie and James was, as expected, red-hot! I don't know about you guys but antagonistic romances are always so fun for me. The Name of the Game is probably one of my favorite antagonistic romances. I loved their bickering and bantering and I loved watching their relationship morph into intense attraction for each other and then eventually, into a sweet and playful romance that had the romantic in me squealing out of joy. Their relationship was also drama-free for the most part and while I thought the minor setback to their relationship could have been avoided with some communication, it didn't bother me as much as it didn't take up a good chunk of the book.

Romance readers, this fun, sexy and romantic companion series is one that I highly recommend. I think these are the perfect books to read in between heavier reads. They will make you smile, laugh and most importantly, swoon.

The Name of the Game by Jennifer Dawson
(Something New #3)

A wolf in professor’s clothing versus a blonde Betty Boop baker should not strike sparks off one another – but – they do.

Since this is the first book in this series that I read I have to admit that I nearly put it down after reading the first scene in which James and Gracie argued over seemingly nonsensical issues. I couldn’t imagine why two adults could be caught up in such a juvenile argument over such a trivial issue. Why would such dialogue make them both so hot under the collar? I am glad I persevered with the book, though, because both James and Gracie were more than I thought they would be upon first meeting them.

James may like control, seem methodical and science driven but there are reasons for the way he is just as there are reasons why Gracie fears she will never find someone to commit to forever. The telling of their romance includes some of their back stories, a bit about their professions and quite a bit of steamy sexual encounters. Neither one is entirely what the other believes them to be nor are they as thoroughly incompatible as they once had supposed.

There are two other couples that appear in this book that have had their stories told earlier in the “something new” series and there are at least three more characters I would like to know more about, Sam (Gracie’s brother), Evan (James’s brother) and Harmony (new in town and working for Gracie).

A thoroughly enjoyable read that I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp for sending me the ARC to read and review.

Four Stars

Caution: Sexy, quiet professor with Dom tendencies ahead.

I loved this book. I really enjoyed the heroine, Gracie, and the sexual tension and then fulfillment she shared with the hero, James. Okay, all my cards on the table... sexy geeks are my weakness, and Dr. James Donovan is my newest heart throb.

James is a forensic anthropologist, college professor and former chubby kid who's very conscious about his health. It's not like he doesn't love Reese's, he just gets that they don't love him. Gracie is this amazing baker who put her dreams of culinary school in Paris on hold when her mother was diagnosed with cancer and then again when she was all her younger brother had. James and Gracie both think the other dislikes them, but that couldn't be further from the truth. When they finally give in, the story is so HOT and unyielding, I had to reread a few different passages just to wrap my head around them.

If you like your romance with a healthy dose of hot sex between two people who share a genuine and growing love for each other you will love this book.

I recommend it!

I received an ARC of this book, via Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.

Still waters run deep! Holy hotness, James! Has to be my favourite in this series, and probably so far this year. What an amazing character. Deep and thoughtful but still sizzling hot and alpha. Something about a smart man..... mmmm mmm. I loved these two. A little over the top with Gracies brattishness at the start, but definitely worth it to see the sparks fly later on.
Back to James. Probably the most unique leading man I've read. Bravo to Miss Dawson!!

hot, sex and romantic! a great read!

Love the Donovans and the Something New series. Not necessary to read them in order, but you'll want to read them all.

First time trying this author and I was not disappointed. If you pick this up, you'll definitely enjoy it.