Customer Reviews

Game for Anything

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Julie Spencer was an image consultant at the top of her game. She thought nothing could shake her until she found herself face to face with the boy who had broken her heart in high school, and taken her virginity. Ty Calhoun was one of the world's greatest quarterbacks in fact he just recently scored the winning touchdown in the super bowl. While he was a great athlete, his public reputation was abysmal. He was a bad boy, and the new owner of his football team didn't want any public relations nightmares like Ty, so he was forced to meet with the new image consultant they hired. Ty couldn't have been more surprised or pleased that his meeting was with none other than Julie. He had regretted his treatment of her his whole adult life, and dreamed of being with her again.

Julie's first instinct was to turn down this particular client, but when Ty threw a veiled challenge in her direction, she couldn't turn away. He had to be close to her. Now that he knew where she was, and had the opportunity, he was not going to let it pass him by. Ty was supposed to be acting like a choirboy, but if his plans worked as expected, he would be getting a lot closer to Julie. When the team owner saw the new photos of Ty in the morning paper, he was spitting mad, and summoned them to his office. After a comeuppance, Ty found himself with a new temporary home - Julie's home! He had to stay with her for the next couple of weeks where she was responsible for his every action. She was supposed to keep him out of trouble.

Ty wanted Julie. He wanted her in his bed most definitely, but more than that he wanted her in his life, and he also wanted her forgiveness for being a stupid kid so many years ago. He didn't want to scare her away, so he decided that going slow was the ticket. After spending only a few days together when they could stand it no longer, they gave into the passion sparking between them. Things were looking up, and Ty just hoped they could overcome all their obstacles to be together in the "real" world.

Ty and Julie are a very appealing couple. Their history adds a rich element to the story. Both are only coasting through life until they cross each other's path again. When they come together this becomes apparent to them both. He leads a shallow existence living his life as others expect him to while trying to forget his humble beginnings, and alcoholic father. She was raised in the lap of luxury, but is trying to live her life without relying on her family's wealth. Her family embarrasses her as her mother is an alcoholic, and her father is a womanizer. Can these two broken people heal each other, and find common ground to build a life on? They both learn a hard lesson that appearances are deceiving.

NFL superstar San Francisco Outlaws quarterback Ty Calhoun won the Super Bowl on the last play with an incredible run. While the accolades pour in especially for his amazing final play, public relations specialist Julie Spencer watched the game and its final play on TV and expected Ty to score the winning points. She never forgot his scoring with her when he took her virginity and heart without a look back ten years ago.

Behind his impish demeanor, Ty hides the fact he never forgot that high school graduation night that shook him to the core and made him flee like a coward. Now he would give away every trophy and his throwing arm for one more night of uninhibited sex with Julie; even the thought makes him hard.

The new owner of the San Francisco Outlaws believes professional athletes are role models and wants them to behave accordingly in public. For his star quarterback that means a PR remake starting with nuking his current image. Julie, known for her spin skills, is hired to the delight of Ty. Whereas she tries to avoid his efforts to sack her, she knows even mentally thinking about his touch leaves her feeling tackled; he has a game plan to win back her heart starting with her trust as he has a chance to make up the one errant pass of his life by blitzkrieging her heart.

Even no football fans will appreciate this fun second chance at love sports romance as the two stars are likable characters. Ty knows he must gain his beloved's trust which is off the board for taking bets as he has to overcome his desertion and ignoring her afterward. Fans will appreciate this fun lighthearted romp with the only quibble being a team named the Outlaws probably belongs in Oakland (at least at one time that is).

Ty Calhoun is on top of the world. As the star quarterback for the Outlaws, he already has women swarming all over him. Now he has won the Super Bowl... but he can't seem to forget that one girl from high school, the only one to not be impressed by his athletic ability. Meanwhile, his team has a new owner, one who wants Ty reformed and is willing to do anything it takes. Anything, including hiring an image consultant! Ty is horrified until he learns the image consultant is Julie Spencer, the girl he hasn't been able to forget. Can Ty convince Julie that he's the man for her?

Bella Andre writes a fun, sensual book about finding both lost love and one's own self. Neither Ty nor Julie has forgotten each other but misunderstandings have kept them apart. Their story is both bittersweet and steamy, as neither can resist the other.

Bella Andre puts a fascinating spin on image and just how deceiving appearances can be! It's hard not to fall in love with Ty and Julie as they both struggle so hard with the misperceptions they both have about each other's lives. On the surface, Julie is extremely straight laced while Ty is a pure playboy. But does the outside image really tell the full story?

GAME FOR ANYTHING is the first book I've ever read by Bella Andre but I certainly hope it will not be the last featuring the Outlaws. Several secondary characters simply screamed for their own story, particularly Dominic. And who can't help but love little Jack and want to see how things turn out for him? Bella Andre has written the sort of story that draws you in and makes you want to see more of the characters. GAME FOR ANYTHING is a hit!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

The characters in GAME FOR ANYTHING are so very likable, and while the premise is nothing new - high school jock takes virginity of beautiful brainiac, crushes her fragile heart, the two are later reacquainted and she vows revenge - I'm pretty sure it hasn't been done this well. These characters each have issues and emotional baggage, the extent of which the other is unaware of. I highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy romance with sports figures. There isn't an overwhelming amount of football or locker room talk - just enough to bring the story to life - so don't be put off by the football subject if football isn't your thing.

This was a wonderfully touching, feel-good romance. The boy from the wrong side of the tracks with the less than ideal family situation (in this case a father who is an alcoholic who pushes his son to succeed in football) meets the girl from the right side of the tracks with a less than ideal family situation (in this case a mother who is an alcoholic and a father who has serial affairs with young women).

They get together for one wonderful night at high school graduation but misunderstandings separate them the next morning. They never forget the other but circumstances and wildly different lifestyles keep them apart. He is a star quarterback who won the Super Bowl but has an unfortunate public image. She is the head of her own image consulting business having built it up without resorting to her trust fund. She is very reluctant to have anything to do with him but has just moved into a new building and needs the money.

Ty is very eager to get close to Julie again. The chemistry between them is as hot as ever. He knows he wants her to be part of his life though, initially, he thinks an affair will be enough. Julie is reluctant to get involved with him both because it would be bad for business and because she wants to protect her heart.

Gradually, as they spend time together, they learn more about each other and learn that their perceptions of each other were wrong.

This was a great escape read. It was easy to be swept up by the romance. I recommend it to lovers of romance. I also look forward to adding the next two companion books to my TBR stack. Game for Seduction and Game for Love will soon be taking a place on that stack. I expect them to be equally satisfying.

Just a thought - what do you think of the current trend in romance covers? Do you like seeing great bodies but not heads? I'm not sure what I think. I do know that the cover did encourage me to get the book. And I like being able to picture my own hot guy. In fact, I don't recall that Ty was ever physically described beyond being gorgeous in the book. But in my race to get to the romance I might have just missed it.

Ty Calhoun appears to have it all. He scored the winning touchdown in the last Super Bowl, has money, a fancy house and apparently all the women he wants. Well that is all but the one that has stuck in his head since high school graduation night that is. Now suddenly the teams' new owner is playing games and wants Ty to suddenly clean up his "act" and is going to hire an Image Consultant to help him do that. He is against it, completely, until he finds out it is Julie Spencer, the woman from his past.

Julie Spencer has hated "jocks" since she lost her heart and virginity to Ty on graduation night. He is still the man she thinks about when she is alone but will have nothing to do with him or any sports figures. She knows she isn't likely to ever be over him or forget the morning after graduation night. But, she also needs the financial package that Ty's team owners are proposing, for her to rework his image. So she sets out to take on Ty and play with the upper hand. But, has someone forgotten to tell her libido and heart what the rules of the game are?

Will they be able to work together and change Ty's image or will their chemistry make for more tabloid fodder? With Julie'fs company and Ty's career in the balance they need to play smart though.

Game for Anything is a spicy romance with a little sports on the side. I love how Ms. Andre is able to pull the reader into the story and then just let little pieces of the past further develop the characters and how they interact with everyone. I enjoyed this football based "be careful what you wish for" romance. If you are a fan of Ms. Andre's writing or even of sport based contemporary romances (who can resist the buff guys) then you will want to pick up Game for Anything.

Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It was my first introduction to the author. It was by some standards a simple story. But its very home turf kind of feel perhaps made it all the more enjoyable. If your looking for big action or deep profound moments this isn't for you. But it was fun, touching, and sexy!

Julie Spencer was an image consultant at the top of her game. She thought nothing could shake her until she found herself face to face with the boy who had broken her heart in high school, and taken her virginity. Ty Calhoun was one of the world's greatest quarterbacks in fact he just recently scored the winning touchdown in the super bowl. While he was a great athlete, his public reputation was abysmal. He was a bad boy, and the new owner of his football team didn't want any public relations nightmares like Ty, so he was forced to meet with the new image consultant they hired. Ty couldn't have been more surprised or pleased that his meeting was with none other than Julie. He had regretted his treatment of her his whole adult life, and dreamed of being with her again.

Julie's first instinct was to turn down this particular client, but when Ty threw a veiled challenge in her direction, she couldn't turn away. He had to be close to her. Now that he knew where she was, and had the opportunity, he was not going to let it pass him by. Ty was supposed to be acting like a choirboy, but if his plans worked as expected, he would be getting a lot closer to Julie. When the team owner saw the new photos of Ty in the morning paper, he was spitting mad, and summoned them to his office. After a comeuppance, Ty found himself with a new temporary home - Julie's home! He had to stay with her for the next couple of weeks where she was responsible for his every action. She was supposed to keep him out of trouble.

Ty wanted Julie. He wanted her in his bed most definitely, but more than that he wanted her in his life, and he also wanted her forgiveness for being a stupid kid so many years ago. He didn't want to scare her away, so he decided that going slow was the ticket. After spending only a few days together when they could stand it no longer, they gave into the passion sparking between them. Things were looking up, and Ty just hoped they could overcome all their obstacles to be together in the "real" world.

Ty and Julie are a very appealing couple. Their history adds a rich element to the story. Both are only coasting through life until they cross each other's path again. When they come together this becomes apparent to them both. He leads a shallow existence living his life as others expect him to while trying to forget his humble beginnings, and alcoholic father. She was raised in the lap of luxury, but is trying to live her life without relying on her family's wealth. Her family embarrasses her as her mother is an alcoholic, and her father is a womanizer. Can these two broken people heal each other, and find common ground to build a life on? They both learn a hard lesson that appearances are deceiving.

This is my second book that I've read from this author. I was surprised by how many sex scenes were in this book! That is not a bad thing!! Ty and Julie have a connection that has lasted years and is still strong. Ty is determined to get Julie back and with all that sex who could resist! Enjoyed the book read it one night!!

I'm not a big fan of pure romance novels and usually get burned when I try one. This one was recommended. So I was hopeful.

There was no plot here, not even much of any emotional depth from the main characters Ty and Julie. The characters never expressed the details of their past or the how and why of their childhood hurts to each other to explain their behavior in the story that kept them apart. Basically just numerous detailed sex scenes. The sex scenes simply repeated themselves each time, same wording, and same details. With no attachment to the characters at all, the sex scenes were just boring and not in the least bit steamy or sexy. I was hopeful at one point that possibly this book could redeem itself with a little warmth or depth when Ty attempted to connect with a young boy at a football camp for kids but that lasted maybe a page or two. The last 20% of the book (on kindle) actually became almost a real story with some emotion. Certainly not enough to warrant a purchase of this book.