She’s the kind of girl who makes her own rules. That’s the only way to win.With her neon dreads, a few tattoos, and a chip on her shoulder the size of the draft horses she loves so much, Riley insists she’s not trying to get anyone’s approval buit her own. The school of hard knocks taught her that when the going gets rough, cuss a little louder and grab a bigger shovel to remove any crap in her … any crap in her way.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t pay the bills. With the farm she inherited from her parents slowly failing, there’s only one place for her to escape her dismal reality: games. Online, her mistakes aren’t always in her face, and she’s good, almost as good as she is with the horses. When she’s gaming, nothing can stop her. On the internet, she can be anyone she wants.
And the gamers think she’s just one of the guys. She made sure of it.
That’s how she got an invitation to the local PLG tournament. If she can win, the prize money will be hers. It’s enough cash to keep the farm running. The catch? The competition is held in person, and everyone in that room will realize that her gamer persona is run by a woman.
But this is a boy’s club.
Then there’s Void. Smart, talented, and too sexy for his own good, he’s the one she has to defeat to make all of this work. Sleeping with the enemy would be a very bad idea, but this man makes it seem so very tempting. For a woman who’s used to getting her own way, staying hands off isn’t going to be easy. She needs to win the prize, impress the sponsors, and save the farm her parents entrusted her with. That’s it. Love doesn’t fit with her plans.
Besides, guys, games, and horses don’t mix.
At least, they never have before.
And he’s not playing games.
Looks like it’s time to change the rules.
TRIGGER WARNING: subject matter includes harassment, cyberstalking, and bullying.
The Gamer Girls series is based on what could have happened during GamerGate. Each novel features strong women, the men who love them, and the games that let them escape reality. This story contains graphic language and situations that are suitable for a mature audience. This book is a standalone novel but fits within a bigger story.
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Like the first book, I read and re-read this through Kindle Unlimited. Also, like the first book, I had no problems relating to the story or the people, even though I wouldn’t be considered a gamer. Though, where the first book was more technical (coding and making games), this book is about actual gaming.
Seemingly, this book seems like it’s a standalone compared to the first. It’s in the same “universe,” and you hear about characters from the first story, but they aren’t in this story. The ties become much more apparent in the third book in the series, though.
This book is about Riley, and, like the first book, it’s about her being a female in a predominantly male gaming world. Where there is still commentary about men who don’t think women should be in gaming, this book also gives more voice to the men who don’t care who’s behind the screen. They just want to know that the person they are gaming with can hold their own. And of course, there’s her personal relationship with Logan and where he fits into the gaming world, her world, and helping her overcome some of those issues, whether she wants him toor not. While there is one main hero in the book, Riley is also mainly surrounded by guys, and while she doesn’t technically have a harem, there are a whole lot of guys that help her out. To be honest, this book does make me want to get into gaming (again, more, I’m not really sure which it is in my case?), because, for all gaming gets a bad reputation for being violent, etc, this story is a fantastic reminder that gaming is a great leveller. It doesn’t matter who is behind the screen, everyone is on the same playing field until they are willing to put in the work – man, woman, young, old, or any sexual persuasion. People can be whoever they really are, regardless of what real life may mean. It’s a very different book from the first one in the series, but no less brilliant. It’s entertaining and sexy (definitely fast burn), and 100% worth the read.
Loved this book!!
I loved Riley and her love for her farm and animals. Loved how strong she was, and that after being knocked down she came back fighting and better than ever.
Loved Void and how supportive he was of Riley. He didn’t let little things get in the way of her proving herself and paving the way for more female gamers.
So many great secondary characters that I want more of – Kitty, Knock, Cynister, Murder, Flipz, Dreadknot and co. Great second family.
Can’t wait for more in this series!!
This was one of the first books by Auryn Hadley that I had the pleasure of stumbling onto. I’m not a gamer or a horse enthusiast particularly, but I found myself wanting to know more about both while reading this story. The characters didn’t behave as I was expecting based on other stories in the romance genre.
I felt like this book gave me a peek into two unique communities while developing very interesting leads. The supporting characters are fleshed out enough to make me curious for their stories as well. I would definitely recommend picking up this book.