Love Game is a captivating novel about a personal chef who falls for her famous tennis player client.

Although I was tempted to give it a higher rating, the cheating plot was a major turn-off for me. Every time I was engrossed in the story's spice and witty exchanges, the fact that Nicky was cheating on his fiancée would distract me. While Mackenzie's character is portrayed as a shallow and self-obsessed princess who is also cheating on Nicky, it doesn't justify Nicky's actions. He should have ended his relationship with Mackenzie before pursuing Elle.

We do get Elle's point of view of things and how she's struggling to still pursue the relationship, but it still feels icky. Love is messy and complicted, but cheating makes things more complicated than they need to be.

If you can get past the cheating plot, the writing is wonderful, the spice exquiste, and the characters are well rounded. I'm interested to see what work Emma Rae has in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera, and Emma Rae for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I'm going to start off by saying I liked this book; I liked that it was a sports romance that wasn't just another ice-hockey player and tennis is something fun and new!

Elle Caraway is a personal chef for hot-headed tennis star Nick Stalco who requires round the clock feeding (literally, I'm talking 2am a full meal) due to his unusually high metabolism. Due to their close proximity, disinterest soon grows into tolerance into something more; the only problem is that Elle already has a partner (who is sleeping with other women but whom she is financially dependant on) and Nicky a haughty fiancee who takes an instant dislike to Elle. Despite being worlds apart they start to drift into each others orbit - but is the life they could have, worth sacrificing everything?

I mostly HATE the cheating trope but I actually didn't mind it here, the cheating isn't between the two MCs and Nicky's fiancee Mackenzie is written in such a way it's hard to feel sorry for her. However, I personally didn't love the style of writing, I found the story a little confusing in parts as to how feelings had developed so fast, but this is a romance book so I took this with a pinch of salt. I liked that we had a window into Elle's thoughts regarding the 'cheating' as this was more complex and her inner turmoil over her morals and want of Nicky was evident. I liked her development, how she tried to create boundaries that Nicky initially bulldozed through, but that she grew in confidence and flourished towards the end of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the premise, liked the FMC especially (and Sydney!! hopefully we get her's and Tag's book next) and liked the setting of tennis - I just personally found the writing style to be a little rushed and there were a few spelling/grammatical mistakes. Definitely pick this up though if you want a fun, light-hearted, flirty summer read!

I really enjoyed this book, it was the right amount of spice and nice, however I struggled with the way in which the main characters got together as it is not one of my favourite tropes, I felt that they could have gone about it in a better way but overall their love and chemistry was undeniable!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this!

The premise of the book is cute and I do love a tennis story with the main characters overcoming challenges. This was a quick and engaging read.

However, right from the start, we find out that the main character is in an extremely toxic relationship. The theme of cheating continues throughout the book and it’s just so unhealthy. There is resolution, but I didn’t connect with the characters nor was I able to empathize with their situation. I think it would have been helpful to dig into Elle & Nicky's baggage a little so there could be more endearment to both characters.

Words that Americans said in dialogue that are so Un-American (e.g. parasol, sat-nav, whilst). I understand British characters saying them but don’t get having Americans use this language.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC for my honest review.

This book has stayed in my mind for quite some time after reading it, very much the mark of an outstanding book.

I’ve found myself in kind of a reading slump and this book broke through that and I read it in little more than a day. It’s certainly what it’s described as, flirty, filled with longing and a broody mmc. At its core, we follow Elle, a personal chef to the major tennis player Nicky as they navigate their attraction even though he is technically not available. I liked lots about this book, I had a great time. The side characters were also all great and I’m a tennis fan so the setting was super fun. I will say though that this book involves various layers of cheating. There is no cheating between the mmc and fmc which for me is an absolute no go, but they cheat on other people and if that is something that bothers you, this book might not be for you. I have to admit, I didn’t feel great about the cheating aspect of all of it, I don’t think their behaviour is simply okay since they later find out the other person was cheating too or because they’re meant to be together. Even in a complex layered relationship that isn’t particularly loving, communication with a partner is about respect. Even though Mac is an unlikable character, I find it more difficult to like Nicky when he is so dishonest with her for so long. It’s also unfair towards Elle but the treatment of Mac bothered me especially. It definitely took away from my overall enjoyment, but I think this is just where the book may have been written for a slightly different audience. I would definitely recommend it if none of this sounds like something you prefer to avoid. The book is great fun and full of tennis

In "Love Game" we meet Elle (a passionate cook) and Nicky Salco (a huge tennis star).Elle is hired to become Nicky's personal chef and even though Nicky is off-limit due to his engagement, Elle finds herself drawn to him. Every night Elle and Nicky meet eachother in the kitchen, since Elle needs to cook for him in the night. Those cooking sessions develop into bounding sessions and quickly deepens their connection. They both need to decide what (and who) they want in life.

Usually I would keep my book closed when there is any cheating involved, but I think in this book it is actually well writen. We get a look at Elle and her thoughts, and you really read about all the doubts she has on what they are doing. Another thing that made the trope better is the way that Nicky's fiancee is writen. I absolutely hated her and her attitude, so I couldn't care less about her.

Overal I enjoyed the book, it's writen in a way that reads fast and easy. If I had the time, I think I would have actualy read it in one sitting. The only thing I would change is in last part of the book, at some point I felt as if everyone just kept saying and blurting out they later on regreted. I understand why it is that way, but it kinda bothered me at some point.

I think this book would be a great fit if you like:
• forced-proximity
• sports romance
• steamy / spicy reads
• forbiden love

I adored Love Game by Emma Rae, so much so I devoured the whole novel in one sitting. It was well-written, well-paced and did a great job of showing the uncomfortable sides of love and life. I really loved all the characters, especially Elle and Nicky even when I didn’t want to. Infidelity plays a large role throughout this story so if that is a trigger for you I wouldn’t recommend this book, however I appreciated that the author was not hypocritical in the way it was handled by the characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it! Thanks to Emma Rae and NetGalley for the ARC! #LoveGame #NetGalley

I've been reading a tonne of sports romance book recently, and Love Game is a solid example of why they're so enjoyable. You've got the stakes and drama inherent to elite sport, alongside all the interpersonal back-and-forth of the romance. While a majority of the genre is US-centric, here the heroine (and sole pov character), Elle, is a Brit, which both sets Love Game apart from its peers and is good for heightening the sense of her being a 'fish out of water', somewhat isolated amongst the Americans who dominate the cast. I really enjoyed the Jane Eyre nods - both explicit, as Elle reads and enjoys the book, and event relates some of the themes directly to her own experiences, and the implicit parallels in the plot itself. It's not overdone, though; just enough to be satisfying and add another layer to the story.

While it's possible that some readers may take issue with the cheating that's fairly central to the plot, I actually appreciated how it was handled - the author didn't shy away from the double standards that Elle has to reluctantly accept as she's unexpectedly swept away by her feelings for Nicky. It does help that her rival is pretty horrid - perhaps something of a charicature at times - so there's less sympathy to be had, and it's made clear that Elle isn't taking the moral greyness of the situation lightly. I'd also say that the main theme is a more positive one: that of self-determination. Both Elle and Nicky must find the strength to stand up for themselves in their individuals lives before they're able to achieve their HEA, so it feels earned when they get there. In all, the emotional and moral themes are mature both in nature and in how they're written, which makes for a refreshingly nuanced story.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters, and the story was well-written; I'll definitely be looking out for further titles from Emma Rae, and would recommend the book to fans of New Adult and romance titles as well as those of sports romance more specifically.

I love a forced proximity romance and I normally really dislike anything with cheating but this story and the connection between Nicky and Elle really got me! There were sweet, spicy and even funny moments. I would’ve loved chapters or an epilogue from Nicky’s POV but still a solid 3.5 star romance overall.

Thanks Netgalley and Hera Books for the ARC!

This whole book is seemingly about cheating and for that I give it 2.5 stars but I'm rounding up because I think the writing is good even if I did not love the cheating. I did like the chemistry between Nicky and Elle but I just couldn't really get on board with them as a couple. I will also say as other reviewers have that I wish this book was told via dual POV as I think it would have given a bit more perspective and shown us what Nicky was thinking.

Thank you NetGalley, Hera and Emma Rae for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am usually not a fan of the cheating plot, but this one got me hooked. I finished the book in one sitting. The thing I would have like for Love game was for it to be written in a dual pov. We are really missing Nick’s POV, who for me was the most important one. Why does he cheat on his fiancé? why doesn’t he break up with her if he loves Elle ? How much he’s struggling ? How does Elle affect his game or not ?
But appart from that, the book is well written, not too long, not too short, great amount of drama, etc.

Thanks for the ARC !

My first thoughts after reading this were cute and solid. I loved the chemistry between Nicky and Elle. There isn't a lot of variability in the plot of a forced-proximity romance, which is not a criticism. So I enjoyed the book but I wasn't blown away.

This book was super cute but man, so much shameless cheating. I can forgive it for the most part but I think both characters would have been more likable if the FMC had a little more self respect and didn't give in to the MMC so much, or even if she hadn't just openly let her boyfriend cheat on her forever only to start caring when she finally saw it with her own eyes. I still liked the FMC a lot, I just wanted her to be stronger and love herself more!

Still 4 stars for me because the grovel was pretty good. Justice for Oliver though!

This story follows Nicky, (an oddly hairless man) who is diagnosed ‘insatiably hungry at night’ (basically a nighttime eating disorder) that is a star tennis player. Nicky apparently doesn’t know what ‘leftovers’ are, but I guess if he did, there wouldn’t be much of a story here. Nicky hires Elle, a recently orphaned former teacher with hardly a culinary background, to cook him a ‘second dinner every night at like 2am. (I’m confused too, but we will go with it for the sake of the story).

All in all, I was thoroughly bored, the writing and premise came off as juvenile. In all honesty, I read like a wattpad book and I skimmed a lot.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review ☺️

1/5⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @hera_books for the eARC of Love Game by @emmarae.author in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Elle’s professional and personal life have seen better days. Then she lands the opportunity to be the personal chef to one of tennis’ hottest stars, Nicky Salco. He’s got a fiancé and she’s got a cheating boyfriend and an NDA, but the tension between the two is so thick you could cut it with one of her chef’s knives. Obviously a training athlete needs a lot of food to sustain them and Nicky is keen on middle of the night snacks, which brings about charming one-on-one conversations between the two as feelings begin to go deeper. Love Game is a delicious marriage between food and tennis, an adorable page turner that will leave you smiling and rooting for love (off the tennis courts, of course).

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram well ahead of the publication date!

The only thing I would change about Love Game, is that it was told in duel POV. It would have been great having Nicky's words spoken as well. But regardless of that it was a great story. And if you love tennis and romance this is the book for you. Our main stars are Nicky and Elle but we get some great secondary characters as well. Some we love and some we don't. Elle is hired to be Nicky's personal chef, he is a star tennis player. During many of Nicky's late night eating sessions, he and Elle become close. But Nicky is engaged to be married and for some reason Nicky feels he needs to stay in that relationship. Over time it gets harder for Elle and Nicky to hide their feelings for each other. What happens with Nicky's engagement and his tennis career? Does Elle stay in the states and continue working for Nicky? Read to find out. You won't be disappointed.