AN AMAZON TOP 80 BESTSELLERTwo season tickets.One genius idea.Zero interest in a relationship.The plan is simple: a brand new, hot, preferably funny, definitely single male will fill one of those seats for every Bears game at Soldier Field. And I’ll fill the other.I can’t think of a better way to use the season passes I’d bought for my ex-husband. I am a woman of plans, and this one’s foolproof.… for my ex-husband. I am a woman of plans, and this one’s foolproof.
Until Zach Bowen offers to be my practice round.
He’s infuriating. Presumptuous and overbearing. And absolutely, undeniably gorgeous. Any woman with a heartbeat would be attracted to him, and mine picks up speed every time he speaks.
But as I said, I’m a woman of plans — and I’m not backing down on this one.
One night. One game. And then, his time’s up.
He can try to change the rules, but here’s the truth: he can’t win if he’s playing the wrong game.
The Wrong Game is a stand-alone, angsty, enemies-to-lovers sports romance.
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“I love when you do that,” he whispered. “Do what?” “Exist.”
The Wrong Game is a low angst, sweet read that you will breeze through in record time. It had some of Ms. Steiner’s trademarks but it was missing some of her usual gut wrenching angst.
Gemma and Zach really are a couple destined to be together regardless of how hard she pulls away and how much her hurtful past has shaped who she has become. Thank God for tough love from her BFF who gives it to her like it is and sets her straight.
For me the standout in this one was definitely Zach. That boy was raised right and knew how to treat a woman. I did find Gemma a tad bit annoying but not enough to take away from the reading enjoyment of The Wrong Game.
Gemma bought two Bears football season tickets for her ex-husband. Her plan now is for a brand new, hot, preferably funny, single male to fill one of the seats for every game. She will fill the other She thinks the plan is genius until Zach Bowen offers o be her practice round. He is infuriating, presumptuous, overbearing, and gorgeous. Any woman with a heartbeat would be attracted to him, and her heart picks up speed every time he speaks. She does not plan to back down from her plan – one night, one game, and his time is up. – Gemma was terribly hurt and in the process of healing. She had a problem trusting anyone. One of her greatest blessings was a wonderful friend, Belle. Gemma had a second chance with Zach, who is fun, honest and family oriented. Zach and his family were good characters. This is a good read with many emotions.
The Wrong Game by Kandi Steiner is an emotional, contemporary, sports romance told in first person, dual POV.
After standing beside her cheating husband as he died of cancer while keeping her knowledge of his infidelity a secret, Gemma has vowed to never love again. In an attempt to get her out of a rut, her best friend proposes that Gemma take a series of dates to use up her spare season tickets to the Bears games – a different man for each game. When the bartender, Zach, overhears their conversation, he offers to be the first as a practice round. But what happens when Zach decides he wants more than just one date? Can he convince Gemma to change her plan? Read the book to find out.
I loved Gemma and Zach’s story. As characters they were likeable, well-developed, and realistically flawed. They had great chemistry together, and I loved their banter. Both had endured difficult and painful circumstances in the past that shaped their behaviors. My heart went out to them as invested in their story. I ended up reading this is one sitting – I couldn’t put it down. The story was angsty, heartbreaking, sexy, romantic, humorous, and endearing. I highly recommend it.
Believe it or not, this is my first read by Kandi Steiner and it definitely won’t be my last. The Wrong Game was such a sweet read with a bit of angst to just keep you hanging on. I wouldn’t say that this is a sports romance per se since neither character plays the sport, but they share the love of the game. And that’s a big part of their story.
Kandi DOES NOT hold back with that prologue, she really set the story up with the ultimate betrayal. And I was soooo nervous as I was getting through the prologue because I didn’t want that part to carry further into the story. Instead we see the aftermath of what she is dealing with emotionally. Her walls are up and finding love again isn’t high on her list.
Well expect the unexpected when it Zach Bowen barrels into her life. And my gosh, I loved him instantly. One of the sweetest book heroes I ever did read and he had to work hard to win Gemma over. But seriously, he was the swooniest of the swooniest and I was here for all of it.
For the full point drop, things kind of dragged for me in the middle and I was just eager to get the story going. But don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed.
Absolutely loved this read and I’m already looking for my next Steiner read!
Kandi Steiner
Title: The Wrong Game
Author: Kandi Steiner
Publisher: Unknown
Edition: Kindle
Amount of Pages: 393
Genre: Sports, Contemporary, Romance
Date Read: 12-08-2019
Favorite Quote: “Our past has a funny way of becoming part of who we are in the future, and I think that’s the way it’s meant to be. Without the scars, without the pain, we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the times when everything is magical — the days when life is absolute bliss.”
Review:
I loved Weightless by Kandi, and the summary sounded really good, so I was really excited to dive into this book. Sadly It didn’t live up to the expectations I had.
What is this book about:
Gemma went through allot. She found out her husband was cheating on her and when she went to confront him and leave him he told her that he was dying from cancers. Being the nice person she is, she stayed with him, caring for him till the day he died. I would have left his sorry ass still and have his mistress take care of him.
After that she had issues getting back out there. Having anxiety and ocd didnt help her much either. So when her best friend made her go on dates, she is determent to stick to just that. That is until she met Zack. She took him on a date to a football game where she has season passes but Zack wants more than just one date. Convincing Gemma to give him a go proves to be harder than he though….
What did I like about this book:
For me Zack was the one that made this book. I really liked him, he’s a good guy and has the patience of a saint. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Gemma’s constant back and forth and games. I get that she was hurting, and that anxiety was riding her like a bitch, but even though I understood that it got really annoying real fast. She found something great and was so stuck on her plan that she would rather have that great man walk away and keep on dating men she didn’t like than give him a chance.
Maybe I disliked her because I saw parts of myself in her as well. She was scared of opening up and letting someone in, and it’s something I avoid as well.
There where some cheesy moments and drama but also sweet and steamy moments.
So while this book didn’t live up to my expectations, it was a decent read. All credit for that goes to Zack and some of the supportive characters.
Rating:
3 it was oke stars
As an avid reader and a football fan I was truly satisfied with this book! Gemma and Zach were magic together! Their story was amazing! With both highs and lows in a realistic way. This is my first Kandi Steiner book and I’ll definitely be looking into more of her works!
I had recently discovered Kandi Steiner and finally started into some of her books and I am such a fan now. If I ever met her in person I’d offer to buy her drink of whiskey and I don’t even drink. Her writing style makes you feel the characters and leaves no questions unanswered. Her characters are witty, swoon worthy, and addicting.
In The Wrong Game, Gemma is a girl who has been hurt and brokenhearted from a previous relationship that ended in a way she never thought it would.
A year later, Gemma has decided to forget finding new love and her happily ever after and just enjoy beer, hotdogs, football, and a different guy every home game. But that plan starts to get shaky when the bartender overhearing her and her friends conversation convinces her to take him to the game opener as a “practice run”. Little did they both know that neither one of them wants it to end there, but Gemma is determined to stick to her plan, and Zach Bowen is determined to make her see that he isn’t her ex and never will be. He wants to make her see that he will only be her future if she will give in to the present.
Zach Bowen is total boyfriend material. Romantic while also being the cocky, flirt to make your panties melt. Gemma is the girl you want to be besties with.
This book will make you laugh, swoon, and get teary eyed over how pasts want to ruin their present.
A fast paced read that will tug on your heart strings. Kandi does it again with a lesson of learning to love again and remembering not to charge someone with somebody else’s sins.
This is my first book by Kandi Steiner and I absolutely loved this book! I love that it was a sports romance and a stand-alone to top it off! I cannot wait to make my way through the rest of Kandi’s books!
Gemma and Zach have undeniable chemistry but since she’s been so devastated by her husbands actions, all she’s ready for is a no strings, one night affair. This doesn’t sit well with Zach. So starts their friendship and Zach’s plan to win her over. From the prologue, I thought this was going to be a high anxiety, high angst story. Though it wasn’t, it had it’s moments. If you’re in the mood for an overall upbeat, funny, feel good book, this will fit the bill.
The Wrong Game was a very cute romance that I really enjoyed. I loved how much Zach and Gemma loved sports and it is pretty much what brought them together. The whole book is centered around Gemma’s love for the Bears and it was so much fun to read about.
The other thing I loved about this book was slowly getting to know each character. Gemma and Zach have pasts that are filled with pain and sacrifice. It causes them both to be very guarded, but we see them open up to one another bit by bit. Gemma is definitely scared to love again and is so guarded and mistrusting that it causes her to sabotage her happiness with Zach, but he never gives up on her. He fights for her at every turn and it melted my heart.
The Wrong Game was a very cute book that has its serious moments. I loved the two main characters and all the side characters as well. This was definitely a fun read.
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. This was a fantastic story about betrayal, hurt and a second chance at love. It is about learning to let go of the past and taking a chance to open up your heart to love again even if you put yourself at risk of being hurt again.
Zack was an amazing character who grew up with the love of his parents, brother and boss. He was raised in a household whether it was okay to express emotions and talk about feelings. He was the type of man who sacrificed his dreams and goals to make sure those he loved were taken care of. He was loyal, honest and willing to take a risk by fighting and opening up his heart for love.
Gemma on the other hand was a broken soul. While her parents were still married, she didn’t have a close relationship with them. They traveled and left Gemma with her grandpa. Gemma loved her grandpa but her relationship with him was one where she was raised to think logically. Her OCD and anxiety took over her. she lived everyday creating lists and goals as a form of control. She was betrayed in one of the worst ways possible and when she finally made up her mind to confront the situation that caused her betrayal, she was hit by unexpected news which resulted in her shielding a secret pain that froze her heart.
Zack & Gemma met at the bar where he was working after he overheard her conversation with her friend, Belle. Zack offered his assistance to Gemma and although she refused at first, she couldn’t seem to keep away from him.
One of the things I really liked about this story was the way Kandi was able to allow us readers to feel Gemma’s hesitation and fear. At times she frustrated me, but as someone with anxiety who dealt with betrayal, the fear of not having control because ten times worse.
This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased, honest opinion.
First off, HOW CUTE is this cover?!! I wouldn’t mind her shorts being a bit longer (lol) but still, a super cute cover!!! This was such a great read!! I think this is my third book by this author and she just wrote another fantastic book with The Wrong Game. The characters in this one were very likable. It felt like one big happy family. I wanted to jump into the book and just hang out with everyone.
Another HUGE bonus for me in this book was the main character having anxiety. A lot of times we get main characters who are near perfection. They usually have zero flaws and are the most drop dead beautiful person in the room. I like when books have characters who have some struggles. I, myself, have anxiety and could truly relate to Gemma. Sometimes everything is going well and you think it’s just too good to be true. Then you start to spiral about why it’s all going so well and waiting on the shoe to drop. Yes, it’s annoying to have anxiety and yes, it can be hard to be around someone with anxiety but we aren’t loving it either. We struggle with having it and get how it affects those around us. I could feel Gemma going through all these things in her head and trying to rationalize with every possible outcome, etc. It’s rough. I say all that for those who may not sympathize with Gemma and thought maybe she was just fickle. That wasn’t the case in my opinion. It’s hard to just take that flying leap and hope it’ll all works out.
Zach was the love interest in this story. He was the bartender who came out of nowhere and stole all of our hearts. That man was so thoughtful. He also seemed to have the patience of a saint. His character was really nice to read about and to cheer for. You couldn’t help but want Gemma and Zach to have a happily ever after.
Overall, this was a great story full of just about everything. We had some more serious issues in it, as well as happy go lucky moments. It really was a great read that I hope you all enjoy.
4.5 stars
I loved this sweet, angsty, sexy and thought-provoking story. So well written – it was a pleasure to read.
This was my first read by Kandi and I couldn’t wait to dive in. I am a football fan so that was the first thing that hooked me. The premise was unique and I loved the sexy, sensitive hero, Zack. He was totally swoony. While I liked Gemma and appreciated her struggles with regards to men in light of her history, I was frustrated with her indecisiveness…the push and pull with Zack. I wanted to say, good guys are hard to come by, he won’t deal with the back and forth forever. Well developed secondary characters added to read. 3.5 stars.
An awesome story of football and romance. Zach is a sexy handsome football loving bartender. When we meet Zach he’s serving Gemma a beautiful feisty young women who has two season tickets to the Chicago Bears football games eight games to precise. Bella her friend is creating a dating profile for Gemma the plan 8 games 8 different dates and possible one night stands. Zach convinces Gemma to be her practice date for game one. This is their story of two flawed hearts who learn to date, love, laugh, cry as they navigate the road ahead. This story will tug at your heartstrings as you take the ride of your life. Definitely a five star read.
5 HUGE FUCKING STARS!
Here I go thinking this was a light read, a funny book, not a heavy emotional book. Damn was I wrong. After I read the proloug I got on Instagram and took a picture of this book and told me how this book just made me cry already and I had only read the prologue!
So the author Kandi Steiner is so sweet and writes to me and says don’t worry this will get lighter. phfff…Yeah sure it got lighter and then it fucking crushed me with emotions again! I mean I ended up having a talk with my boyfriend after this book about cheating! This woman writes so well that even though it was Gemma’s ex-husband that had cheated it felt like it was me who got cheated on!
Well on to this amazing book. This book was such a good read and I have no doubt it will be one of my favorite reads of 2019 even if we are only in January. it was just that good. Kandi just knows how to write these emotions so much that I can’t handle it.
Gemma is a sweetheart who is such an amazing woman with such a huge heart and spirit. She has been through so much and is maybe a little broken (yes there is more than a cheating ex-husband to her story don’t worry I didn’t spoil it all). But then she meets Zach who is a funny and openminded man with such a soft heart. He overhears Gemma and her best friend Belle’s plan about Gemma getting a hot date every week for the football game and offer himself as the first guy. After the first date, Zach is hooked but Gemma just want to keep on going with her plan about a new guy every week but Zach is not happy about that he wants Gemma all to himself.
Will Zach succeed in making Gemma only his?
Even though I said this book is filled with emotions, it is also such a fun read that when there isn’t drama is a light read with so much humor and it is so easy just to turn another page and keep reading it.
So my recommendation is that you get up, run to your bookstore/computer and buy this book ASAP! Then you cancel all your plans and get your self set up with drinks and snack. Now sit down in your favorite reading corner and don’t move before you finished this book. Don’t worry you can thank me later.
“I wasn’t supposed to ever fall in love again. I wasn’t ever supposed to let someone inside my damaged, charred, cold and empty heart. But he’d somehow found a way.”
It was never supposed to go past one night. That was the plan. Gemma never wanted to get her heart broken again, but she never expected Zach. Funny, infuriating, and handsome Zach who makes her feel things she’s never felt before.
I tend to avoid angsty stories because I find that they are too often repetitive, so I was hesitant to try The Wrong Game. Oh how wrong I was! It’s sexy, hilarious, witty, and full of fun, with just the right amount of angst to create tension and pull the story forward.
The Wrong Game is a great sports romance! Perfect for football fans and those of us who just like sports romance without understanding all the particulars of the game.
4.5 stars
The prologue pulled me right into this book fast. Gemma has been hurt by her ex and figures out a plan with her best friend’s help she is a huge Chicago Bears fan and with season tickets she plans to keep it loose and fun different date each game. She meets Zach and he throws a wrench in all her plans. Cute, sweet, funny emotional amazing book. Great first read of the year
I have to say this is the first book I have read by this author. I read it in paper back. I love the cover. It is fun flirty and gorgeous. I love Zach. I adore Belle. Micah is funny and I love the way Zach and his family interact in this story. But I could not for the life of me connect with Gemma. I had to put the book down for several days and walk away from it. I thought that might help. But it didn’t. I couldn’t put it down a first. I was in to page 209 when I had to let my mind try to get on her side of things. It didn’t work. I did finish the book and as I said it is great and the other characters are amazing but I am not a fan of Gemma.
THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME I READ THIS AUTHOR!! HER BOOK WORLD IS AWESOME AND INTRIGUING!! ALREADY DOWNLOADED MY NEXT READ FROM HER!