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Tuesday 3 May 2016

The Summer Games: Settling The Score by RS Grey - Review


Blurb:

As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:

The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs...
The committee passes out condoms like candy...
The games continue long after the medals have been handed out...

As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she's forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent—too bad he's unavailable in a way that "it's complicated" doesn't even begin to explain.

In other words: off limits.

It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there—shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase "international affairs".


 
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Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1W312KH
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/21pKAUj
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/21pKNXl
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1NioYGU
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1rcDEgt


 
 
 
Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2016.

"For so long I'd focused all my energy on soccer, but we had one week until our first match and I was ready to see for myself what kind of mischief the village had to offer. Viva Brazil!"


Andie Foster has trained for her Olympic debut for as long as she can remember, no social life in high school or usual teenage years hijinks, no problem because she had her eyes on the prize, and Olympic Gold medal was exactly what she's after. Flying into Rio for the Olympic Games with the US Women's Soccer team is an overwhelming experience for Andie despite having the support of her team seniors Kinsley and Becca (for those who have read Scoring Wilder, yes that Kinsley and Becca...insert squeeeeee here). Everyone's heard the rumors, the Athlete Village is like Cancun on Spring Break, an over abundance of adrenaline and hormones made for one big frisky, extremely good looking and athletically gifted bunch, with constant parties, an incredible location and plenty of people who are single and ready to mingle, finding ways to keep herself entertained shouldn't be too hard.

"She'd tossed her panties at me, a red, lacy pair that felt like heaven in my palm. That's it. I'm moving to America after the game. It's such a beautiful, beautiful country."

From the moment Andie lays eyes on Frederick Archibald she's intrigued, the rumors are true, he is incredibly sexy, he's also a worldclass athlete and a Duke with a bevvy of woman waiting to beat down his door. While the media swarms for any scoop possible, Freddie just wants to focus on his swimming, until he crosses paths with America's Rising Soccer Star Andie.
"I'd stood in line for a smoothie for a solid twenty minutes and then I'd walked away empty handed, too dumbstruck to care. All because of Freddie-freaking-Archibald - who by the way, was still watching me."

Their connection was instantaneous, electric, instalust in that way that is utterly captivating, everything about Andie held me transfixed, from her bubbly personality, to the zippy retorts, her sheer bewilderment and joy at experiencing her first Games, to her dedication and talent. Her relationship with Kinsley and Becca only further cemented my love for her. Andie never felt like one of those unobtainable heroines, she had all those qualities that made her enviable as a leading lady, but what I truly adored about her was that she wasn't quite perfect, she was quirky and funny, and honest and real, she was the kind of young woman you could relate to, in so many ways she was still a young girl after sacrificing so much of her social life in order to reach her Olympic dream, and watching her experiencing all of the soaring highs and devastating lows of crushes, of first loves made me want to simultaneously wrap my arms around her, and jump up and down cheering her on.

"I was tired, so f*cking tired of fighting a losing battle. My body ached, my heart ached, my wrist ached, and no one seemed to believe I had any fight left in me. Maybe they were right."

The Summer Games isn't all fun and games, pardon the pun, sure there's adrenaline pounding games, there's scintillatingly sexy moments, there's moments of pure hilarity, but what makes this story so special is the absolutely gut wrenching tender moments, when Andie and Freddie are just a man and a woman learning each other, sneaking away from the world of high flying sport, of news reporters, and inquisitions about every inch of their lives, when outside forces conspire to keep them apart, it's in those moments that Grey truly shines, making the reader feel every second of lust, desperation, love and anguish, in those quiet moments where everything they wanted was just within reach and yet so far away was when I felt every emotion wash over me, wave after wave knocking me down, feeling every bit of the desolation and hopelessness that Andie and Freddie undoubtedly felt. RS Grey drew me in immediately with her quirky characters, she held my attention with the sights and sounds of Rio, the adrenaline fuelled rush of competition, but she absolutely stole my heart with a story that had the perfect balance of heart, heat and humour, a story that has a grin permanently etched on my face.
 
 
 
 


About RS Grey:


I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

Facebook – http://on.fb.me/1P1szVn
Twitter – http://twitter.com/AuthorRSGrey
Instagram – http://bit.ly/1JqWEJc
Website – http://rsgrey.com/
Goodreads – http://bit.ly/1MK5MAq


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