Blog Tour Stop : The Name of the Game by Jennifer Dawson

Summary (from Goodreads)  

Title : The Name of the Game (Something New #3)
Author : Jennifer Dawson
Publication Date : September 29th 2015
Publisher : Zebra
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Some people follow the rules. . .

A professor of forensic anthropology, James Donovan is the reasonable sibling among the passionate, impulsive Donovans. But there's nothing reasonable about his reaction to baker Gracie Roberts. She's all wild curls and mouth-watering curves, as deliciously tempting as the sugary treats she's famous for--and twice as irritating. But before long, James decides that getting a taste of her is one indulgence he can't pass up. . .

Some people play to win. . .

Independent, smart, and sexy, Gracie's year-long dry spell has her itching for a man. Responsible, health-obsessed James? Not in a million years! She needs a guy who knows how to let loose! But when James sets out to show her just how satisfying a disciplined man can be when pleasure is at stake, she learns just how sweet--and spicy--he really is.

Have James and Gracie found the recipe for love?

Personal Thoughts

Can every romance novel feature nerdy uptight male characters, please? 2015 seems to be the year for these nerdy, but very very sexy male characters and I seriously can't get enough of them. I was introduced to Jennifer Dawson and her amazing stories when I first read The Winner Takes It All. The book was funny, had a chemistry-laden antagonistic romance and had characters that I loved. I have to say though that I was really really looking forward to reading The Name of the Game because I loved the glimpses that I saw of James and Gracie in the previous book. This book was everything that I expected and so much more!

For a romance novel to work its charms on me, I need the book to have characters that I can relate to and enjoy. Jennifer Dawson is good at doing that. The protagonist, Gracie, was someone I had grown to love in the previous book. I loved how supportive she was of her friends and she could be very funny too. In The Name of the Game, we get to see more of how she is on the inside and I think I liked her even more than I thought I would. She was a self-less woman who did everything for the good of others. She was the kind of person who got along with everyone because she was so nice, except with Jame of course. I loved how friendly she was and she certainly was capable of bringing an air of happiness to the pages. Besides her amicable personality, Gracie was also a character who was passionate about her dream job - baker. The scenes of her baking shed so much light on her love for the job and were also successful in making me hungry. She was one feisty and determined girl and I loved that she was willing to sweat and overcome any obstacle to achieve her dreams.

While Gracie was more outgoing and social, James was the opposite with his uptight and more quiet personality with him being a professor of anthropology. He was a hoot though and I loved watching Gracie push his buttons. Even though he was uptight with Gracie, it was clear that behind his demeanor lay a sexy and passionate man who knew how to woo a woman. Also, dirty talker alert! I was surprised by how alpha James was in the bedroom, but it was fun to see the contrast in his personality. James had also suffered from body image issues when he was younger and I thought it was interesting to see a male insight on body insecurities in a romance novel. It's usually the other way around, but I was glad to see Jennifer Dawson tackle it in The Name of the Game.

The romance between Gracie and James was, as expected, red-hot! I don't know about you guys but antagonistic romances are always so fun for me. The Name of the Game is probably one of my favorite antagonistic romances. I loved their bickering and bantering and I loved watching their relationship morph into intense attraction for each other and then eventually, into a sweet and playful romance that had the romantic in me squealing out of joy. Their relationship was also drama-free for the most part and while I thought the minor setback to their relationship could have been avoided with some communication, it didn't bother me as much as it didn't take up a good chunk of the book.

Romance readers, this fun, sexy and romantic companion series is one that I highly recommend. I think these are the perfect books to read in between heavier reads. They will make you smile, laugh and most importantly, swoon.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Author Biography

Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later, they’re married and living in a suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog.

Despite going through a light FM, poem writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more practical aspirations of being an international super spy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is history.

These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer, writing her next novel, chasing after her kids, keeping an ever watchful eye on her ever growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her husband.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Website: http://jennifer-dawson.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Dawson/504365856291806
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenDawsonAuthor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278601.Jennifer_Dawson

Giveaway

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Thank you to Tasty Book Tours for letting me be part of this tour.