Tori Duarte’s big dreams to be a video game designer…well, they haven’t panned out. And a girl’s got to eat. Enter: the Stadium, a secretive video game gambling ring. As a world ranked eGamer, winning should be cake. Until it’s not. Gambling debts suck her in deep.A chance encounter with the media shy, ridiculously handsome video game CEO Noah Harrison offers her a way out. The deal: 1) Assist … deal: 1) Assist the FBI to catch the underworld eGaming kingpin (doable but dangerous). 2) Keep the FBI connection secret by pretending to date Noah (not optional but keeping it PG is problematic).
What neither expects is an explosive chemistry that’s more than convincing—it’s sizzling. Falling for each other is the most dangerous thing they could do…
more
Zoe Forward, ‘Off her Game’, The Game Lords series, book 1.
As a Hidden Gem ARC reader I received this book for free. And promised an honest review. Here it is.
English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 4,5 stars (of 5).
In general: Nice love and suspenseful crime in the world of gamers.
Main characters:
– Tori Duarte.
She is a computer geek (very talented girl-gamer, in a world dominated by men). Playing for the WorldGaming Championship in Washington DC. She’s in a trio with Alex and Quan: the Dynasty Team. She’s also a game designer.
– Noah Harrison.
Co-owner (‘Game Lord’) of a very succesful media company, designer of famous games as Zoneworld. Tori’s sister Emma is his PA.
Tori and Noah meet in a police station. Both arrested during a police raid in an illegal gambling place of the underworld gaming scene. Tori visited this place to gamble for she needed money to pay her gambling debts. Noah looked at the underworld gambling scene to learn more about this world using some games of his firm.
In the middle of the night Tori and Noah are bailed out by Emma so they can leave the police-station. Without concrete prove for their illegal gambling the charges are dropped.
Tori and Noah meet again when Tori is gaming in a tournament, sponsored by Noah’s firm. Meeting him while playing, distracts her. She messes up the game and wins no money. So she stays financially vulnerable. Noah – with help from the FBI – wants Tori to infiltrate the criminal, illegal gambling organisation, which killed his brother. If Tori agrees she’ll get free of the illegal gaming.
This is the start of a suspenseful investigation. During the adventure Tori and Noah meet regurlarly and step by step they fall in love. The author, Zoe Forward, gives a nice and credible desription of the developments in their relationship. The dialogues are often funny and/or sassy. And a lot of info about the gaming world: the tournaments, the games and it’s designers and players.
A page turner, interesting to read. The story ends with a kind of cliffhanger, so this reader is looking forward to book 2 of the Game Lords series.
R.Huiszoon.
This is not your typical romance book. These two are very hard headed. They have a mission that both are committed to but things start to happen.. Noah is a gaming God. He and his partner own a company that has launched some very popular games recently. Noah is very much a wallflower when it comes to meeting new people and social media. Something changes when he meets Tori. He opens up to her and in turn, she gets him to overcome his past and blossom out. This is truly amazing to see the change in both of them. Tori, is a gamer. She has made a name for herself. She just isn’t good in some of her decisions. She has a debt. Tori gets wrapped up in a dangerous game. Thankfully she is smart with how she does things and doesn’t end up like some of the others. Noah and her have sparks but refuse to admit it. They have a connection but are both to consumed with the plan that they forget about feelings. This book was very consuming. I’m not normally into gaming romances but this one intrigued me and I was glad I read it.
Tori is a gamer. She wanted to make a little bit of money so she enters a underground gaming ring. She gets picked up and meets Noah in jail. She calls her sister to come get her and finds out Noah is her sisters boss plus he one of The Game Lords. They both meet again when she gets asked to help take down the the underground kingpin. But Noah and Tori have to act like they are dating. Noah keeps putting his foot in his mouth. He has no idea how ro take to women. These 2 have chemistry. This was a fun, suspense read that will make you chuckle.
Off Her Game was the first book in The Game Lords series. The plot line of this book was definitely different than most other books that I typically read but it was one that had me hooked from start to finish.
Full of drama, mystery and suspense the author pulled me into the gaming world and didn’t let me go. Tori is a strong, amazing character and her ability to make a name for herself in a typically male dominated area was one of my favorite things about her. She and Noah had amazing chemistry right from the start and even though they were both awkward around each other at times I thought it was perfect.
The mystery surrounding the deaths of the other gamers and who Symphis was had my on the edge of my seat the entire time. While romance is involved, that is just a small part of the overall story and I was constantly trying to figure out what was going to happen next.
I can not wait to get my hands on the next book in this series! – By Alisa
Exciting and intriguing romance set in the world of computer video games had me glued to the page with the mystery and suspense. To me this is a fresh take for a romance. I loved the blend of successful Noah and Jake with their video games combined with the dark side with illegal gaming and the mystery of Symphis. Add in this incredibly strong, smart and confident woman, Tori, who can hold her own in a very male dominated world, and I was hooked. Noah is brilliant but struggles with his social skills and dating women but then he meets Tori and connects with her as a fellow trekkie. He didn’t over think it, just allowed himself to be him. As Noah and Tori end up working together to bring down Symphis, they find a natural connection with their love of gaming. The intrigue to this story is amazing and the way the slow burn happens for Noah and Tori is perfect. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
This was a new one for me. I’m not into gaming but man this had me hook right off the bat and I hated to put it down. Tori was a gamer but she didn’t just play she was a programmer too. She got caught up in the under world of gaming which means someone wanted her to do their dirty work but also she was owned by someone else. Noah was the CEO for a company that made computer games. They met in jail one night and hit it off. Noah is very awkward around women but when it comes to Tori he flirts and funny but still a little awkward but they make it work. Fake dating or real dating feelings come up and so does the hurt. It isn’t a full cliffhanger but it leaves a lot open. Hoping for more. Great book.
While I’m not a gamer, I found Tori and Noah’s story to be fast-paced, interesting, and a little angsty. Noah unwillingly helps to recruit Tori to become a pawn in a dangerous game of underground gamers and criminal enterprise. Noah and Tori feel the spark of attraction and, while they encounter (and even cause) some bumps in their we-shouldn’t relationship, they work together to uncover their mystery and to find their way to each other for real. The only downside is that this story left me wanting the big takedown, and it didn’t come in this book, so I have to wait for the next book in the series to see if my hunches are correct.
This book wasn’t bad and it wasn’t great either. There was just something that was missing from it for me,I haven’t quite put my finger on what it was but something just wasn’t there. I loved the suspense aspect of the book. I am always a fan of books that have a bit of suspense. I also felt that the book ended a bit abruptly, I am not sure if she is writing more in this series but it sure feels like there should be more to this story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Noah Harrison is the CEO of a highly successful gaming company, by all appearances he has it all. looks, fame, and successful. But Noah is socially awkward and has no idea how to deal with woman. Tori is smart, hot and in over her head to an underground gaming ring. AS their paths cross Tori is offered a chance to help the FBI catch and stop the underground gaming leader who is also responsible for Noah’s brothers death. The plan is simple pretend to date, but attraction runs high between Noah and Tori. A fun, suspenseful heat packed read that will leave you smiling. I loved how awkward Noah is with Tori and what a strong female lead she is. A must read.
One way to meet a girl sabotage her from winning. A look into the gaming world. Love wins but what is to come
This was an exciting look into the gaming culture. I haven’t played a video game since Pac Man lol but this was a fun, suspense filled and steamy. We didn’t find the head of the bad guys but got rid of some baddies. I look forward to reading more in this series.