New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken proves that everyone scores to win. But off the field, a fumble can change the entire game.Pro footballer Miller Quinton would do anything for his best friend and teammate—including “fake dating” his friend’s sister. What no one knows is that seven months ago in Vegas, Miller and Kinsey did a whole lot more than just kiss. Miller knows that this … Miller knows that this cheerleader is off-limits to him and any guy on the team. Still, he can’t stop himself.
Kinsey’s whole world is on the verge of crumbling. Her dad has cancer. Her overprotective brother is falling apart. Dating Miller may be a fake-out, but he’s the one guy who can make her forget about everything—including all the reasons she stayed away from football players. With each heated moment, Miller feels more like a safe place…even though he’s not safe at all.
Now temptation is testing every rule in the game of love. But how long can they go on playing when winning is a harder goal than either of them imagined?
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I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Stories like this are a guilty-pleasure of mine. Every now and then, it’s nice to read one; they’re fluffy and cleanse the palate for other, more immersive and intense works. But this one missed a lot of the marks.
First, I was drawn to it because I love football and thought there would be a good amount of it in the story. Nope. Hardly any at all. The characters are all involved in football (as players or cheerleaders) but there was very little of the sport present beyond that.
Second, the writing style was strange and off-putting. There were a lot of “sentences” that were actually 2, 3, or even 4 distinct sentences all mashed together and separated by commas. And those were followed up by sentence fragments. I think the fragments bothered me more because the run-on sentences could’ve been see as stream-of-consciousness storytelling, albeit poorly done stream-of-consciousness.
Third, I didn’t really care about the characters. They were all incredibly self-involved and annoying at times. I kept reading because there was some superficial drama that I wanted to see play out but mostly I finished it because it was short and I knew it wouldn’t take very long.
Finally, there were some parts at the very end that just threw me out of the story entirely. It was during the final 10% of the book and I read it as quickly as I could, cringing the whole time. I get that this is a personal thing and wouldn’t necessarily bother everyone but it came out of left field for me. I was very happy when I finished it and could move on.
I can’t say I’d recommend this one, even as a light beach read.
Love Rachel’s books and enjoyed the 2nd in the Players Game series. wish more of her books were in KU and I’d read all of them as I like her writing. Definitely a must read.
Short review. If you are looking for a light or even a medium love story this isn’t too heavy this isn’t it, the story is rough and emotional love story that will have you reaching for the tissue. I enjoyed reading how Miller and Kinsey relationship grew and didn’t feel at an time that Miller was still hung up on Emerson, while I understand Jax overly over-protectiveness I did feel like it was bit over the top, and that he was preventing her from having not just a life of her own but any life at all. The book is really about how Miller, Kinsey and Jax overcome their individual demons to fully embrace their lives that they each were only half living and find love/happiness.
4.5 Stars for book 2 in the Players Game Series and what a great follow up to Fraternize. This is a great series that has the perfect mix of love and humour and lets be honest Rachel Van Dyken certainly knows how to give us stories and characters to fall in love with. A love story with many hurdles to cross, over protective brothers, teammates plus a few secrets from their pasts, will Miller and Kensey be strong enough, will their love be strong enough to get past it all, will true love win in the end, guess you need to read the book to find that out. Once again another book from RVD that captivated me and had me up half the night reading because I wasn’t going to put this baby down without knowing the ending, looking forward to more in The Players Game Series.
I received a copy of this book from the author.
Oh my gosh! This book is hilarious. I love these characters. So Fraternize is the first book in the Players Game. Infraction is the second. Both are stand alone novels however. While I struggled with Fraternize I had no such issue with Infraction.
The same characters show up in Infraction and they’re all more like a family now instead of a group of strangers. In this edition we have Kinsey and Miller. These two are a complete match! I mean Kinsey’s brother is the team QB and knows more about football than most females. Why wouldn’t she be the perfect player girlfriend?
There are issues of course. Kinsey has several secrets but one thing she has is a psychotic ex-boyfriend who happened to join Miller’s team for the season. Miller is determined to help keep the buy guy out of the picture and win Kinsey’s love and trust.
Different type of game, yes? There’s a whole lot happening in this story. Some very serious topics. Yet the characters keep the story from being too heavy with their funny banter.
I really enjoyed this edition of Players Game. I hope you will too!
Kinsey was hurt when after one night with Miller he encourages her to leave the country. During their separation his actions and non-actions only add to the pain he inflicted. Now she’s returned and if it’s not bad enough that her ex is going to be trying out for the team, her brother, Jax, has decided in order to protect her, Miller and her should pretend to be in a relationship.
Miller has never wanted anyone the way he wants Kinsey. However, there is something holding him back, making him afraid to reach for the prize. He can’t do relationships. He can’t fall in love. He isn’t even sure if he has a heart anymore. But he wants her even if she is his best friend’s sister. And everyone knows that Jax will kill any man that so much as looks at Kinsey with lust in their eyes.
I was a bit nervous going into this one because Miller had been in love with Emerson for so long. I have a hard time with stories where the hero has loved another and in this case, I felt like Miller would never be able to truly get beyond what he felt for Em. I was thrilled to see that that was not the case. Yes, Miller had feelings for her but that was not the root of his issues when it came to his relationship with Kinsey.
As all good pretend boyfriend tropes have, there is scorching chemistry between the two. And of course it becomes more than pretend. But this book was so much more than that or the struggle of dating the best friend’s sister. I digs into familial relationships, friendships and fighting for the right to stand strong. I absolutely loved all the layers this author built into this story. My heart caved when we were introduced to Marco and when we meet him again I sobbed. Such a small amount of the book and yet it was huge.
This book will definitely go down as my most favorite to date by Ms. Van Dyken. Definitely the one you want to read if you’re looking for something stronger than your normal sports rom com.
This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and Skyscape.
This is a fantastic second book in the Players Game! I love how Rachel weaves the stories together but also is able to separate them into their own story and voices. This is the story of (Quinton) Miller and Kinsey. We were introduced to them in Fraternize (Book 1 of the Players Game) series and I couldn’t wait for their story. The chemistry between the two was white hot and you can see that they were made for each other! The secondary characters were fabulous and the dialogue between all the characters will make you laugh out loud, it will make you cry and it will make you cheer for more from this talented author!
Infraction is a work of art that beautifully blends the best friends sister/brothers best friend with sports rom- com. This book will have you burst out laughing, panting with anticipation & angst plus being an emotionally wreck! I am a huge Rachel Van Dyken fan and this book just confirms my extreme author crush. I have devoured her historicals, rock stars, mafia (omg she is the Queen of writing mafia), paranormal, billionaires and the absolute best rom-coms ever published!
To say she has a way with words is an understatement. I always feel like I am one of the characters or a voyeur standing there watching the story unfold in front of me. All the details so vivid in my head. All from her words! Guys this is pure talent. No one writes witty, hilarious banter between absolutely real, clever, and unique characters that feel like your best friends from page one. These are books that while reading, I tune out the rest of the world around me and live in from cover to cover! Every time! Without fail…ever! I can always count on a fantastic read from Rachel. If you’re new to her – BUY THIS BOOK! I promise you’ll be so glad you did!
This book picks up where the teaser at the end of Fraternize left off. Miller & Kinsey give in to their attraction and loneliness while in Vegas celebrating. It was the hottest, sweetest intro to a tryst that left me feeling naked, stripped – bereft! Like I was there and this was happening to me.
They both feel a strong attraction and are forced to keep it under wraps. Especially from Kinsey’s extremely overprotective brother, Jax. Jax is over the top and forbids everyone from touching her. Until her controlling douche of an ex gets a spot on the Bucks. So Jax decides the best way to keep him away from his sister is to have his best friend Miller pretend to date her. Little does he know the inferno of angst that has been simmering between Kinsey & Miller already. Now they’ve been thrown together. Can they pretend? Can they keep their hands off each other? Do they even want to?
Their story is tumultuous. A medley of humor that I’ve come to expect from this author. The chemistry and pull between Kinsey & Miller is fantastic in every way. Emotional given Kinsey’s Dad and his health. There are broken promises, secrets and hurt that must be atoned. Hearts are on the line. Relationships at risk. Trust broken. Will they be able to mend?
I love that Emerson & Grant are supporting characters. Jax…oh Jax…he has carried they weight of the world on his shoulders. His character is so unique. And I am rooting for him to have the next book. We get a lot of insight to the man he has become and why. We get a taste of something great brewing for him romantically. I need his whole story – now! I can’t wait to see what is in store for him!
I love book of sports novels, and this was a good thing. I actually found myself enjoying this book, which unfortunately hasn’t happened with the first.Infraction is a mixture of a book that brings emotional themes, serious, doses of humor and a couple that kept me entertained.A book that served the purpose and entertained me. I don’t know if we’re going to have more books in this series, but I wouldn’t mind winning an entire book of Jax, overprotective brother and Harley.
3.75 stars–INFRACTION is the second instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s contemporary, adult PLAYERS GAME sports, romance series focusing on the men and women of the professional football team and their cheerleaders The Bellevue Bucks. This is the Bucks tight-end Miller Quinton, and head cheerleader Kinsey Romonov’s story line. Miller and Kinsey were first introduced in book one FRATERNIZE wherein Miller was part of a love triangle (of sorts) featuring his life long best friend Emerson Rodner, and fellow player Grant Sanchez. INFRACTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from three first person points of view (Kinsey, Miller, Jax Romonov) INFRACTION follows the friends to lovers, fake romance trope between Bellevue Bucks head cheerleader Kinsey Romonov, and tight end Miller Quinton. Months earlier, following a weekend in Vegas with Miller Quinton, Kinsey found herself forcibly sent to Europe to escape the return of her abusive ex –boyfriend Anderson. Seven months later, Kinsey’s return to America is met with some devastating news that will all but destroy her immediate family. Not only does her father have cancer but her abusive ex-boyfriend is now a member of the Bellevue Bucks. Enter Miller Quinton, Kinsey’s friend, and her brother Jax’s teammate, and the man with whom Kinsey will fall in love. To avoid further conflict with Kinsey’s ex, her brother and ‘America’s quarterback’ Jax Romonov offers up a plan to protect the sister he has always loved-a fake dating scenario between Miller and Kinsey-a hands off relationship that, unbeknownst to Jax, began months before.
The attraction between Kinsey and Miller is immediate but an attraction that must be both played up and played down in order to keep the demons at bay, and Jax from discovering the truth about their past relationship. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top sexually graphic, language and text.
A side relationship is developing between Jax Romonov and Kinsey’s friend, fitness model and yoga instructor Harley. Harley is a fiercely independent and brutally honest woman who has caught the eye of ‘America’s Quarterback’, an over-protective alpha male where it concerns his younger sister. Pulled in too many directions Jax struggles with the emotional fall out of his father’s illness, potential threats to his sister, and the fake relationship that isn’t fake-at all.
INFRACTION is a story of family and friendship; secrets and betrayal; falling in love and letting go of the past. The cancer story line is emotional and heart breaking-a heart break that furthers Jax’s spiral out of control. The premise is emotional and sexy; the romance is passionate and fated; the characters are colorful and charismatic.
When Miller is asked to step in and save his buddies sister from her ex and pretend to be her man he can’t help but think it’s divine intervention, even though he knows taking anything past the “pretend” stage is completely forbidden. Having an excuse to spend time with Kinsey sounds like heaven… but also could lead to a lot of trouble too!
With Kinsey’s life falling apart around her she is in desperate need of a little R&R and something to take her mind off things for a bit… and spending some quality time with Miller sounds like a good place to start. With her ex coming back around and trying to reclaim a place in her world she turns to Miller to help ward him off… and things quickly reignite and get nice and toasty between them!
Infraction is an emotionally rich and steamy little tale that is sure to satisfy every romance readers appetite! This gripping read took a hold of me from the first page and held on nice and tight until the last page was swiped… WOW what a read!! The relationship between these two started off under false pretenses, but quickly started to develop into something a whole lot more… a seriously sexy something more… and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed watching it all play out. Highly recommend this one, it will take you on one hell of a emotional roller coaster… my advice, buckle up and hang on tight, cause your world is about to be rocked!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.