New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken kicks off a brand-new series in which romance is a game and love is a touchdown.Emerson just made her dream come true as a professional cheerleader for her favorite pro football team. But even though the plus-size athlete is breaking down boundaries, she still has to contend with the massive rulebook. Carbs? Nope. Chocolate? Definitely not. … Chocolate? Definitely not. Still, Emerson loves her curves, and she’ll rock the hell out of this job even if it kills her. Except for one mandate that is easier read than done…
No fraternizing with the players.
Problem one is Miller Quinton: Emerson’s first love, first sex, and the guy who still ignites her daydreams and R-rated fantasies. Thrown back together, Miller and Emerson feel the undeniable pull of passion again, even if the conflict that tore them apart seems insurmountable. Then there’s way-too-sexy Grant Sanchez. He has a serious reputation with the ladies, and when it comes to winning someone he wants, he doesn’t let anyone stand in his way.
Now Emerson is breaking every rule in the manual. But what she doesn’t know is that she’s part of a wicked little game—one that could steal both her dream and her heart.
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Love this football-themed love triangle where two high school sweethearts meet again. But can they overcome the pain from the past? And there’s a bad boy wide receiver in the mix who is more like a knight in shining armor. And Van Dyken is a master at internal character conflict. Loved it!
Watching football yesterday had me thinking about this book by Rachel Van Dyken again. I loved seeing how the past affected & tied into the present. Great characters, there were some twists that I didn’t expect, & the book left me with a smile & had me one-clicking the other book in the series.
Keep your hands inside the ride at all times…
I’m having trouble putting into word what this book did to me. First off, I love this author. Everything she puts out I devour and when I’m done reading, I’m always wishing there was more of the book to read. I hate that it has to end.
Ms. Van Dyken wields a sword of words and slices me open exposing all the feels. This book was no different. I cried…God, I cried so much. This was not your typical love triangle. The characters were layered and had so much heart.
I was littered with feelings throughout this wonderful love story. The thoughts of the heroine were some of the same thoughts that I’ve had pinging around in my head regarding body image. I loved that the hero(s) loved her body just the way it was.
There was a twist I didn’t see it coming. The wild ride this book took me on was stunning and I not only didn’t want to put it down, I never wanted it to end.
If you are looking for a book that gives you the feels and also makes you think, this is the book to read.
Fraternize is the first book in the Players Game by the ever-talented Rachel Van Dyken! I went into this book totally blind which is something I quite enjoy. I read the synopsis before I started writing this and it rocks so I am going to try my best to make this short and sweet.
Two broken hearts. One dream. Six years in between. Emerson made the cut. She was now a Buck’s cheerleader. Miller was a Buck’s player. It was their dream to do this together. Then one call unanswered changed everything. Two best friends turned lovers were now nothing. Nothing but sweet memories and heartache. Until, their dream did come true. Too bad they couldn’t stand being in the same stadium together. Especially when another player enters the game.
Miller hated him. Grant Sanchez was a cocky asshole on the field and off. He didn’t want him even looking at Emerson but what could he do, she wasn’t his. And if he wanted a championship, he was going to have to ignore it. Ignore the passion he still felt for Em. He had to forget about Em. But he still wanted her. But, did she still want him? I mean, could they even be friends again after what happened all those years ago.
Emerson didn’t know who she wanted but she knew she didn’t want to let her dream go. And there was no fraternizing with the players. She didn’t think she would have an issue since she didn’t date. Now there was Miller, her ex-best friend that she still had butterflies for but wanted to hate. And Grant Sanchez, the hottest player in the league that wanted to be her friend. She didn’t know what that was all about. It wasn’t like she was his type and she was most definitely not a one-night stand kinda gal. What was his deal?
Two players. Three hearts. Who was going to be the second string player in her game? And will he even want to be in the game after he she decides the starting line-up?
I loved this story! Emerson is different. She isn’t a size 2 cheerleader. She isn’t even a size 10 one but she works hard and knows her talent and worth. Miller is flirty, hot, and funny. Grant is blunt, sexy, and unexpected. Both men are equally supportive. I went back and forth with these men. I was cheering for both sides until one moment. I can’t say anything else! And I suggest if you don’t want to know who she chooses in the end, do not read the synopsis for the next book!
Overall…it’s an addicting story about love, friendship, football, and football. And it was awesome that it was about football players and the book actually talked about football! And cheerleading. I am not a huge fan of either but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate them. Throughout the book I laughed my ass off, cried, and felt the love.
Quotes:
“Imagine that. A blonde cheerleader who knows how to download an app. Color me impressed.”
“If I’m not at practice in five minutes, I’m going to have to run.”
“Hell no.” He slammed his foot on the accelerator, making it feel like my body was still five miles behind us as we careened toward the stadium. “I’m not letting them take away that ass.”
“Shhh, I’m having a moment with your breasts.”
I loved this book. I’ve read/listened to a few of Rachel Van Dykens books before and they all just flow so well. The audio for Fraternize was told from three pov’s, Emerson, Miller and Sanchez. All three narrators were excellent, expressive and brought the characters to life.
I went into this thinking it would be a light, easy read, a bit of romcom and sports romance. I got all that, the sweet, the sexy and the funny, but I also got so much more. The story drew an unexpected amount of emotion from me, I felt both Emerson and Millers pain from all the past hurt and the insecurities it had given them both. The more we learnt about what happened, the more I cried for them, they had such a bond. Sanchez had so many layers, he was a loveable rogue, sometime a-hole but so caring, loyal and protective. I knew I would be gutted for the man who didn’t get the girl and I was.
“Because no matter how damaged your heart may be, it never loses its ability to choose again, to try again, to want love even after loss.”
The reigniting of a first love from the past, or a fresh start with a new potential love? Both strong connections and two wonderful but different men. Who would Emerson choose? I highly recommend you read it to find out.
This one was so good! At first I thought it was going to go one way and then it twisted and turned and went another and finally they figured it out. You just have to figure out if you are going to be Team Miller or Team Sanchez. Emerson and Miller grew up together and were best friends until he had to move away during his senior year but before he left he took her virginity. Fast forward to present day and she just made the Bucks cheerleaders squad and Miller has been traded to the Bucks, and not happy to be back in town. To say they are not happy to see each other would be correct. Enter Grant Sanchez, who stakes a claim as soon as he sees Emerson and her curves. For him it is love…or lust…at first sight. He is such a hoot. Watching these three figure out how to co-exist and befriend each other was such fun. Highly recommend this one. I listened to the audio version and loved it!
Emerson meets her match in Grant Sanchez, the wide receiver for the football team that she is a professional cheerleader for. Lots of barbs back and forth make the humor shine in this story of love lost and new love found.
At the time of this review you can read & listen via KU. The book is $4.99 & you can add the audio for $1.99 ~ so still less than a credit. I originally listened via KU, but enjoyed it so much I opted to buy it and it’s a book I’ve listened to several times. The narration is superb.
RVD does what she does best and gives us a story where we laugh, cry, love the MC’s, get frustrated with the MC’s, and then when it’s all done ~ we want more!
Possibly spoiler but I almost didn’t listen to this because I thought it was a love-triangle. But it’s really not. Emerson has a past with Miller that she needs to come to terms with before she can fully be with Grant. And watching it all unfold is a thing of beauty. Anyone can see that Miller gets his own book next, so it’s not that big a spoiler.
Love triangles always make me so nervous! I think they are the ultimate angst. I am always afraid that I will get attached to the wrong guy! But the way that this one played out I wasn’t mad at all. For a minute there I thought that the Emerson was picking the wrong guy, but by the end I was all for who she chose. She had a past with Miller…. and then comes Sanchez, player extraordinaire. You never know what you are going to get with a player. So there is the one man that broke her heart to a million pieces (albeit was due to a misunderstanding), and then there is the player. Who should she choose? I won’t say who she chose but I will say that I was nervous, but I was quite content in the end. Now I look forward to moving on to Infraction!!! 5 stars all the way
I absolutely loved this audiobook! The three way POV was perfect, and I honestly kept changing my mind throughout the book as to who I wanted Em to pick, Sanchez or Miller, and to be honest a couple of times I thought Miller and Sanchez should give it a go.
I was literally laughing out loud throughout, the humor was absolutely spot on, but so was the drama. You knew there was a lot of history, you were fairly sure you could figure out everything that had happened between Em and Miller in the past, but it still hit hard when everything unfolded.
I honestly can’t wait to read and/or listen to the next book, this one kept me totally engrossed.
AHH!!! What can I say about Fraternize, other than the fact that I fell head over heels in love with it!!
Rachel Van Dyken is a master with words. Every single one of her novels is written beautifully, with such precision and care to every little detail. This novel is no different. I felt as though Dyken was crafting a masterpiece, interwoven together with a string of poetic phrases.
As to the characters, Emerson and Miller are two characters who will instantly steal your heart. They have a dynamic about them, that is so captivating. They not only have the physical relationship about them, but also a lot of heart and passion, that ultimately makes them so compatible.
I cannot say enough great things about this novel! I highly urge everyone to go and pick it up for themselves today.
5/5 Stars!
Love this start to a new series! This is the love story of Emerson and Sanchez. I love that Emerson is a full figured gal that loves her body and is confident in her abilities as a cheerleader! We need more heroines like this! Sanchez comes across cocky, funny and a bit arrogant but inside he is all about the romance! I feel for Miller to and can’t wait to hear his story! The secondary characters are so much a part of this story too and the dialogue is funny, hot and oh so perfect! Again what a phenomenal start to this new series!
I wasn’t sure about this one because its kinda of a love triangle but not. Its more of an emotional love triangle, but I was completely happy with the outcome.
I have to say that I liked Emerson more than I thought I would. Her situation was a hard one to be in. She is faced with a blast from the past in the form of her childhood best friend and first love when he gets traded to the team she’s cheerleading for while being pursued by a player as well. She had conflicting emotions and made no secret about it. She was always open with Sanchez about her history with Miller. Miller is a little scorned over Emerson and has a hard time facing her at first, but its clear he still cares about her a lot. What he wasn’t expecting was for his new teammate Sanchez to make his intentions with Emerson clear and let him know that it was a clear competition for Emerson’s heart. I mean how you not respect the guy for that.
I’ll admit I really liked Emerson with Sanchez. They were really cute. It was cute seeing Sanchez fall for Emerson. It took him by surprise as well and he was really sweet and caring towards her. Sanchez’s great personality made it hard for Miller to dislike him. I loved that they became friends so easily and great teammates. It was hard for Miller to dislike Sanchez because he was so honest and down-to-earth. They quickly became best friends. I also really liked the fact that Miller and Emerson got past the things in their past and learned how to be friends again. They both cared so much for one another and shared so many great memories. I loved their relationship.
Fraternize was also so funny. I liked all the other characters as well, like Jax and Kenzie. Kenzie is my girl and I loved her so much. She is so ridiculously funny and easy to love. It was very enjoyable seeing her make her brother’s life a living hell with his overprotectiveness. The friendship she formed with Miller was great too as they were drawn together by their love of someone they couldn’t have.
Fraternize was a winner. It is a very fun sports romance. I can’t wait to read the next book.
This was such a great story. I read along with the audio/Whispersync and absolutely LOVED the narrators. Unlike with some of the audiobooks in the past, these narrators helped bring each character to life.
I don’t want to give anything away to this story, but I will say that it is NOT what I expected. The way it was told, the perspectives given and how things played out…I was taken by complete and utter surprise. Fraternize was as much about a romance love as it is about a true love among best friends. That bond that is shared and how it can get stronger and teeter over into the physical aspect of a relationship. How love at a young age can encompass so much and appear to be EVERYTHING versus how love as an adult can sneak up on you and be everything you imagined it to be. I just loved this story so much!!!
To understand where Rachel Van Dyken is coming from in this book you really need to commit to both in this series for it all to make sense. It is worth the read!
The footballers lives were fairly well portrayed. A few basic errors like holding practices on their game field but overall well done. Characters well developed with realistic relationships. You care about these people and feel like they could be real.
Great characters and original take on a traditional trope. Highly recommend
Loved the characters and storyline.
I literally just finished this today, and BookBub asked if I read it. (Little creepy BookBub).
This was an uber angsty but also fun and funny romance, if that is possible. I enjoyed and am going to see if there are more in the series yet…
EDIT:
Ok, I lied. I HAVE this book, but read it out of order. I read (and reviewed) Infraction. Sorry for calling your creepy BookBub
when i got the end i realized there was a lot of wasted opportunity for a little more steam.