| Title | : | Gaming for Keeps (Agents of TRAIT #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1622661419 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781622661411 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 112 |
| Publication | : | First published June 10, 2013 |
Guys in game are so much less drama. But when her partner from Heroes of Fallen Gods invites her to the convention of the year, she panics. What if he’s another jerk? What if he’s not?
Cal Burrows is living his dream of being a spy.
One of TRAIT’s misfit spies, but still a spy. It’s the perfect job… until an arms dealer with a taste for blood invades his not-so-secret geek haven. All Cal wanted from ConDamned was to meet his on-line girl. Now, with the threat of mass murder looming, he’s forced to choose between keeping his mission a secret and protecting the girl of his dreams.
Despite their attraction, Pen can’t help but suspect Cal’s hiding something. She also can’t shake the feeling he’s not as much of a stranger as he seems.
Gaming for Keeps (Agents of TRAIT #1) Reviews
-
What a disaster. I could enjoy the bananas-in-a-fun-way plot, but why do I want to read about:
(a) a hero who slags female cosplayers that he thinks are trying too hard to be sexy ("women who worry about being 'hot' don't usually have much else going for them")
(b) a heroine who slags women who like fashion and makeup because they couldn't possibly be interested in computers ("She definitely looks like the kind of girl who plays with computers and hacks into the FBI database for fun. Was she looking for fashion tips in there?")
(c) a hero who claims that if a black man is going undercover as a cosplayer, he has to be the John Stewart Green Lantern instead of Wolverine, because, you know, he's black (as if people of color can't cosplay any f-ing character they want???)
Also:
Yes, there ARE coding emergencies on weekends that require specific staff; I would know having lived with a programmer for over 10 years. Programmers support all kinds of systems that run 24/7 and people are often on call for blips.
YMMV, but a cock head bumping your cervix is rarely an orgasm trigger? -
More like 3.5 - the mystery/suspense part was resolved too quick
-
Pen gets an invite to ConDamned from an online gaming friends/flirting partner and agrees to go and meet up with him. Cal plans on going to ConDamned but gets roped into working when an arms dealer is discovered to be there. They bump into one another and sparks fly, they fuck, there's a misunderstanding and then there's an arms dealer trying to ruin a screening.
Yet another great book by my very awesome friend, Seleste. I swear the woman can't write a bad sex scene ..... and I suppose the other parts are OK as well!
I liked Pen as a character, she has problems plus she'd rather be online than deal with real life people (much like me - my friends all live in this little box in front of me). I wasn't enamoured with Cal straight away but I got to like him as the story went on - not sure what it was but he just didn't gel with me at the beginning.
I loved all the geeky references - made all the better by the fact that I know the author actually loves all the stuff she was writing. With some authors I sometimes feel like they're trying to have a character be "cool" by referencing things but I know for a fact that this isn't the case this time.
Of course I'm going to recommend this - I can't say anything bad about my best girl so go out and buy it (when it comes out), pre-order links are up at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes but not Amazon UK at the time of writing this. I think you can also buy it direct from the publisher, Entangled Publishing. -
I have SO much love for this novella! MMORPGs, geeky conventions, full on Firefly discussions and quotes...I'm in nerd heaven right now, and I don't want to leave. On top of that, spies and secret missions? SOLD!
This is a book you DON'T want to miss! -
This was a great story! It was a perfect mesh of geekdom and military heroes, and it came up with a believable scenario as well! I loved Cal as a hero, as he was just perfect as a geeky military blend. Pen was a wonderful heroine, and I loved her strong nature as well as how her gaming persona came through in real life. The romance was believable and sexy without being too focused on the sexual aspect of the romance. The only thing I didn't like was that it felt like I came into the middle of the story with regard to the special ops team. It felt like there were parts missing, that perhaps had come in a prequel book or a previous series that this one had spun out of. I'll be doing more research on that front to find out!
-
Any time I am asked (or when I do the asking) to review a book, I somehow feel that I need to spend more time on my write-up than I do when I review a book for fun. That is the case with my latest review. I finished reading Seleste deLaney’s GAMING FOR KEEPS a couple of days ago, and instead of jumping into the review with the enthusiasm fresh from reading the book, I decided to sleep on it.
The next day, my enthusiasm hadn’t changed. I figured maybe I still needed more perspective, and gave it another day. Still no change. What that tells me is that this book really is that much fun.
So, the basic premise is that a couple of people who have played an MMORPG together but have never met in person go to a convention hoping to meet each other, and end up hitting it off in person as well as they do online. The conflict? He is a real-life spy, and there’s a psycho planning to kill a bunch of people at this convention. He has to figure out how to stop the bad guy, save the girl, and still keep his secret. Unfortunately, she has bad experiences with online dating, and is very leery of secrets.
I went into this hoping it would be as fun as it actually was. I was expecting a lot of geeky references, and I got them. (I’m sure there were several that I didn’t catch, too, since I haven’t played an MMORPG before. I do play RPGs on the computer, but I play solo instead of online.)
The one thing I was expecting that I didn’t get was more of a fantasy/paranormal element. Both the good guys and the bad guys are 100% human. No vampires, no demons, no elves – except of the role-playing kind. Normally, I prefer paranormal fiction. Straight fiction without that fantasy element doesn’t interest me as much. However, between the RPG and the spy stuff, this was pretty close to fantasy without actually adding anything paranormal.
The lack of fantasy creatures didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book at all – if anything, it made me enjoy it more, because it was all fresh. There were no hidden magic powers waiting to save the day. No evil spells or curses the bad guy wielded which made you wonder how the normal-seeming good guy had any chance at all. It all made sense in the world we already know, so I wasn’t pulled out of the story to decipher the mechanics of a plot device.
This is already a pretty long review, so I’m going to add a few bullet points of things I particularly enjoyed:• The sex-in-the-shower scene. Without going into details, I can just say that I’ve had experiences very similar to this one. It made me laugh, and it made me believe. Nicely done.
• I loved the description of the costumes. There weren’t many of them, as the costumes weren’t part of the story apart from when they were on the main characters, but they were fun to read.
• In-game descriptions. Awesome stuff. You can tell Seleste has played before. Even though I don’t play MMOs, there are enough offline RPG similarities that it resonated with my experiences.
• Geek references. I’m only just getting into Firefly (I know, bad geek girl) because I lacked TV service when it aired, but I loved the quotes they threw around. Same with LOTR.
(For full disclosure, I received a review copy of this ebook from the publisher. But I only begged to be sent a review copy because the book was not yet available for purchase.) -
Originally published at
Reading Reality
For a gamer and sci-fi geek, reading Gaming for Keeps was sort of like reading crack. I loved the in-jokes and con jokes. The whole idea of a science fiction convention romance was a trip down memory lane, and then to add on the whole spy game gone bad on top of the romance was just sheer bliss.
Games are the black holes into which weekends fall. It’s true for a lot of real-life gamers, and it’s also true for Pen (short for Penelope) Holloway. She’s been spending too much of her non-work life playing the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) Heroes of Fallen Gods. It used to be fun, but since she broke up with her ex-boyfriend--but still fellow guild-player--Aaron, gaming isn’t what is used to be.
Enter Lohonas, well, sort of. They’ve never met in real-life, only in-game. In-game he’s a sweetheart, always saving her when Aaron (nearly) lets her die. Pen (known in-game as Megara, from, you guessed it, Disney’s Hercules) has spent hours online talking with Lohonas, but has no idea who he might be in real-space.
He might be ugly. He might still live at home with his mother. He might be another girl, although that wouldn’t be so bad, at least she’d have made a friend.
Then he invites her to meet up with him at ConDamned, the con of the year. They could become more than friends. Or it could be a complete disappointment, and she’d lose her gamer-buddy.
It’s just too bad that Cal Burrowes, AKA Lohonas, can’t tell Megara, the girl of his dreams, that he suddenly has to work that weekend, and get her to stay away from the con. Because Cal is a real-life, not in-game, spy. And the forces of evil are planning to commit mass mayhem and murder in the middle of thousands of unsuspecting (and unarmed) science fiction fans.
And he’s just lured the woman he wants to fall in love with into the middle of the destruction.
Escape Rating B: I’m not sure how much of this story would work if you didn’t understand either the in-jokes or anything about either gaming or cons. And it’s too short to get the backstory on Cal’s (Lohonas’) government agency or why he’s got problems working in the field. There’s obviously something not quite right on both those fronts, but I didn’t get enough to figure it all out.
That being said, for someone who is into everything, the story is a blast! It read a lot like a superhero story, with Lohonas being Cal’s alterego or secret identity. And I wouldn’t mind finding out more about TRAIT, his agency, or seeing more stories about the other agents. Gaming for Keeps ended up being super geek fun! -
Genre: novella length, romantic suspense, with a dash of rom-com? Not exactly sure
Standalone/series: stand alone but apparently there will be companion books about other characters
Cliffhanger?:
Cursing?: Yes
Descriptive Sex?:
Descriptive Sex Between H/h With OW/OM?:
Contains Cheating?:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
Overall Chemistry: High
Overall Couple's Rootablity: Very high
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
1st/2nd/3rd Person: 3rd
Character(s)POV Spoken: 2, both main characters
Any Triggers/Warnings: No
Overall Rating: Good
Do You Recommend This Book: For people looking for a very quick steamy read, with a little suspense and a little humor. Not for people who want everything to be realistic
Would You Read More Books By This Author: Yes, if the price were right
Safety Gang approved? Yes
This was different and I like different but I know not everyone does. It's the story of two gamers who meet in an online game. They are both going to a convention and Cal wants to meet Pen but she's been recently burned by an ex and isn't sure about meeting in real life. Fate takes over once they are there. They meet but don't realize that they are both the ones from the games.
As with a lot of romantic suspense books there is a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. I can do that in this genre even though it might bother other people. You see, the hero is not only a gamer geek but also a spy. With that set up you know things will get a little over the top and they do. I just rolled with it.
I enjoyed the aspects of the characters connecting over their shared geekiness. I liked the way they had this in common even if I was only familiar with some of the things they loved. For a novella we needed to see this to show us the fast connection since at this point they haven't realized they know other each other through the virtual world. Their feelings progress quickly, not quite insta love but some intense connections and feelings pretty fast. Some people don't like that but it didn't bother me since I was already taking the story with a grain of salt. They fall into bed very quickly, which surprised me with how fast it happened but I guess the novella length dictated that things happen more quickly.
While I think it could have been expanded a little I was looking for a quick light read and this filled the bill. -
Pen Holloway is tired of dating, as her last boyfriend turned out to be a big jerk. She is a huge gamer, obsessed with playing the online computer video game, Heroes of Fallen Gods. It was there she met her previous boyfriend, so when another fellow player who goes by the online name, Lohonas, invites her to a gaming convention, Pen is unsure. She kind of feels like her and Lohonas have a nice flirtation going on, and she isn’t sure she is ready to meet him in person. But as this convention excites her, she decides what the hell.
Cal (aka Lohonas) definitely has a crush on Pen, and can’t wait to see if they hit it off in real life. Cal has some secrets though – yes he spends much of his time gaming, but the other time is spent as part of TRAIT, a group of spies. Rumor has it that a big illegal arms deal is about to go down at ConDamned and Cal is sent to infiltrate a movie premiere at the con where they think the baddie leader will be making his move. Cal has no idea what Pen looks like, so when they both arrive at the Con, they fall for each other, not knowing it is actually each other in real life.
This book has two really cute characters. I really enjoyed both Pen and Cal. They both have a lot in common with their gaming and they both have good chemistry together, even when they don’t realize who the other is. I like a romance book centered around gaming and cons too. It’s different and gives us a little more nerdy-ish, brainy characters. And even though Cal’s spy job took me a bit by surprise, I kind of liked how crazy it is. He is a nerdy spy..that is cool.
My biggest disappointment with this book is that it is too short. It’s too short for the romance between Cal and Pen to actually develop. A lot of the book, they don’t even realize who the other is, and I wanted them to have more time to fully explore their feelings for each other. And, Cal is part of what I assume is a really cool group of spies – but we barely touch on that. There is this big baddie at the conference and when it all builds to the climax, it’s over with a snap of your fingers. I wanted much more time spent with Cal’s TRAIT team and with bringing down the villain.
I really liked the author’s voice in this book but we needed many more pages for it to all come together.
Rating: C+ -
Enjoyable romance for The Guild crowd--somewhat light on the world building (why yes that's a tad ironic), but it was enjoyable and a very fast read.
+++
I have to admit, the idea that one of the people I game with would turn out to not only be the best gaming partner, but also that charming and attractive in real life? Total fantasy of mine. Mind you I don't do MMORPG's (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games for those who don't know), but a lot of games are now MMO's without being RPGs as well. Halo for instance or as of late I've been playing Assassin's Creed IV. And I know that attractive guys play games - heck I'm friends with a whole slew of them. But just because he's an attractive gamer dude doesn't mean he's immune to the foibles of all humans.
So yeah attractive and charming? Yes please.
I liked that both characters weren't rushing into anything. Pen was uncertain about Lohonas (Cal's in game character) being the legit deal because of her ex, also a gamer and part of why she got into the game to begin with, was a jerk. Cal, well he pretty much assumed Pen was perfect for him and was willing to take it from there, but his job with the spy group TRAIT also made him think twice. Especially when his work and his pleasure mixed to almost disastrous results.
GAMING FOR KEEPS was a quirky, amusing romance that focused less on the spy part and more on the funny things in life that seem to happen. Pen and Cal were adorable together, geeking out about things and I thought that Delaney did a good job about keeping Pen level-headed. Its very easy at conventions to be like 'omg you are my one' because you have so much in common and spend a lot of time together in a relatively small space.
I was a little vexed when a relatively common misunderstanding trope appeared, but thankfully it was short lived and they talked about it instead of stewing about it.
Definitely recommend this and I'm looking forward to the next book CONNING FOR KEEPS. -
There is a lot to love about this fast romp. If you love nerd heros and heroines, this is the book for you. The leads meet on line in a video game and then plan to meet at a fantasy/gaming convention in person. The hero has a career he can't reveal and the heroine is coming off a bad break up with a fellow member of her game guild.
These parts of their characters were well developed. The hero suffers from what I call beauty burden. He is very good looking and he tends to attract much more conventional women than the type he likes which are smart, feisty, cute, nerdy women. He liked to let his nerd flag fly and loves to dress up in costume for cos (costume) play which is a common nerd fun at conventions. This makes him a wonderful and interesting hero.
The writing here is good although jumpy in points of view and focus in places. The scope of the book is very narrow. We get very little secondary characters though I would like Trevor (a co worker of the hero) to get his own story. We also know very little about the characters backstories and families.
This was a fun witty book and with real sexy times and I look forward to more books by this writer.
This book was given to me for my honest review. -
I need to start this review out by saying this: I am a total nerd. Completely. This book immediately drew my attention because of that. I actually met my husband off an MMO, so the idea of this story completely drew me in. The author did a GREAT job keeping in line with the MMO aspect as well as all the other nerdy quips. Firefly, Dr Who, and Lord of the Rings all referenced in a book? Yeah, that's a book for me.
My only regret is that the book is so short! I wanted it to go on a little more, but that's mostly because I enjoyed it so much. I couldn't put this book down and I completed it in little over an hour. It's a quick read, but it's jammed full of delicious nerdiness.
Also, if you're not a nerd, the nerd talk isn't so overwhelming that a person would feel lost in the references. This book is well written for nerds and non-nerds alike. Definitely pick up this book. I only wish that when I met my husband from an MMO that he was a super spy. :P
Note: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. -
Refreshing read!
I'm a gamer and when I found out this is set in the online game, I was quite ecstatic!
Gaming for Keeps is a short story so I'm not emotionally invested in it but don't get me wrong ,the writing is flawless with great pace. It's fun steamy read that is worth your time.
The romance between the two was great, and even though this was a short read I felt their chemistry during the game and when they met in person. The sex scenes was hot, everyone is talking about the "shower scene" and had to agree. :D
Overall, this is a good book and recommend this to anyone who is not just a geek or gamer. This is my first read from this author and will definitely check her other books! -
WOW!
I am blown away. This story may be quite short, but it had the things that I am looking for in a book. It has:
♥Gaming references
♥A real hero in and out of the game
♥A quite kickass heroine in and out of the game too
♥Mystery
♥Action
♥A match made in umm.. an online game WHICH EVOLVED INTO A REAL LIFE LOVE
I am soooooo happy that I saw one of my friends here in goodreads add this. Thisnmade my day. Cal and Pen's love story is vey cute and also somewhat hot. This is the epitome of fiction. No real people are this perfect... and I still enjoyed it. ;p
If you are somewhat a gamer and you like romances, this one's definitely for you. :) -
I was lucky enough to beta read this book, so I can't wait to read the finished version!! I absolutely loved it! I love the characters, the relationships, and I especially love the geeky aspect of it.
Seleste has a great voice, and I love to read when her characters banter with each other. There is no exception here. Great chemistry too!
I can't wait for the next T. R. A. I. T. book!! :o) -
Wow! What a good book! Loved the story and would so love to see more! Lohonas! Love, love, love the name!
-
CRS novella FREE until 12-Apr-2015
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo -
This was a fun, quick read! I enjoyed it, and I'm not a gamer.
-
3.5 - I admit that I am a sucker for a book that has references to gaming or takes place at a convention. My only real complaint is that I wish these books were longer.
-
Proceed With Caution:
This book contains a sexual assault and mentions of terrorists.
The Basics:
Gaming for Keeps is the first novella in this series about secret agents! This one is narrated by Cal, a codebreaker for the FBI, and Pen, a normal girl. Both of them play the MMORPG called Heroes of Fallen Gods, which is kind of how they meet.
My Thoughts:
Gaming For Keeps is a geeky, but exciting, Romantic Suspense set at a gamer convention! Pen and Cal both play Heroes of Fallen Gods in supporting guilds. The two flirt in game, but have never met in real life. Of course, both of them are going to the upcoming ConDamned. Cal has an assignment there to hack his way into a terrorist plot, which is his first priority, but he’d also love to finally meet “Megara.”
What I liked most about Gaming For Keeps is that it’s fast paced without skipping over the good stuff. There’s the overarching terrorist plot that’s to take place at the convention, which Cal has to help stop. There’s the romance between Cal and Pen, obviously, complete with mistaken identities! And there’s the game and the convention, which get a decent amount of page time to make them feel like real parts of the world rather than just plot devices. It’s all very well balanced and enjoyable.
My only complaint was that during the inevitable misunderstanding scene, Pen basically says that coding is only for ugly chicks. She sees Cal with a beautiful woman when he says that he’s working and jumps to the conclusion that they’re seeing each other because no woman who looks like that can work in coding. Right. I know there had to be something to come between them briefly, but that was just rude.
In the end, I really enjoyed Gaming For Keeps. It was geeky, steamy, and fun!
Find more at
Pinkadot Pages. -
Esperaba mas de esta historia, no se ni como iniciar este comentario.
Fue frustrante la forma en que representaron a una persona Gamer, enserio los esperaba más friki de lo que fueron y la historia fue muy corta, cuando al fin me había atrapado la trama llegó su final y yo quede de WTF!! Ya!?
Me encanto el nombre de Megara adoro a Megara y no digamos su canción en la pelicula de Hercules.
Quería más acción, más suspenso y mas drama con respecto al malvado que perseguía. Siento que le falto mucho. Espero leer el siguiente libro lo mas rapido posible. -
3.5 ESTRELLAS
Libro para pasar el rato, la autora pudo extender ciertas partes para hacerlo mas entretenido, de la mitad hacia el final todo pasa demasiado rápido y de lo que pudo ser una novela con mas acción, se queda todo a medias. -
Pen was a bit hard to love I must admit. She rocks the gaming world but was a tad judgemental!
Similarly, Cal had the hallmarks of a great hero but he again had a couple of big chips on his shoulders. But if you switch off your mind and just go with the flow it's a pretty enjoyable story. -
Holy hot hero geek
Where did this author come from and how am I only reading her stuff now?! I loved this story and I can't wait to start the next one. -
I am an unabashed gamer geek. I love video games of all sorts, from Facebook puzzle games to epic space adventure trilogies. I really shouldn't reveal how many hours Steam says I've invested into Mass Effect 2, for example. It's a little embarrassing. Okay, more than a little.
So when I saw a tweet about this book, and followed the link to read about how the author had played the first massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) I had started with — EverQuest — I decided I had to check it out. It sounded fun and very pro-geek, and it is. Oh, it is.
Pen Holloway's not keen on ever meeting anyone she knows online ever again. Her ex, a fellow gamer, cheated on her, so she's definitely not getting involved with anyone online again — though she might make an exception for Lohonas, a knight-in-shining-armor paladin who's been nothing but kind and fun. When he invites her to come to a nearby geek convention, ConDamned, she wars with herself for a bit, but ends up deciding to go when he tells her they don't have to meet. They can let fate decide.
Cal Burrows is really looking forward to the vacation ConDamned offers. But a super-secret-agency codebreaker's job is never done, and it turns out he's needed on the job at the con. Which sucks, because he's really hoping that fate would have let him meet up with the person behind Megara.
Of course, this being a romance novel, fate intervenes in a lot of fun ways.
One of the things I've loved about the short Entangled books I've read so far is that they never feel short. Of course I'd love to spend more time with the characters, but I'm never left unsatisfied. I get to know the characters enough to care about them, and care what happens to them, and Gaming for Keeps is no exception.
Pen is really enjoyable to read, the perfect blend of sassy and shy. She feels like a real person, because no one, no matter how confident you are, is confident 100% of the time. Throughout the book, she has doubts, but she never lets them defeat her. She's a strong female lead without being s superhero of any sort, which is fantastic.
Cal is just adorable. I love how he embraces his geekiness and never apologizes for it. He even cosplays (wears a costume at the con and roleplays as that character), complete with blue bodypaint. Add onto that his innate goodness and he is completely my kind of guy.
This could have been a good story without the terrorist subplot, but that just bumped it up a notch for me. It increased the stakes and the climatic scene (without spoilers!) was perfect.
Gaming for Keeps was a short read, taking me less than two hours to finish, but it was a fun, fast, and adventurous ride. I would definitely recommend it for any gamer geek who loves romance.
Oh, and I think "Worf" is the best name ever for a Newfoundland dog. -
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It was the concept of online meeting and Cal being a spy that intrigued me into requesting this book. I wasn't so keen on the online gaming part, what with having no experience in it, and I was slightly worried I wouldn't understand but I went ahead and took a chance on it and I'm glad I did. Although some terminology was used and real games mentioned I did manage to get the gist of what everything was so I wasn't left confused as the tech-jargon was kept to a minimum. It was however obvious that DeLaney knows her gaming worlds well.
Gaming For Keeps was an incredibly short and fast read and although it kept my interest the whole way through with it's steamy romance, comical moments and action this was where my main problem lay. I wanted more! Because of the novella length everything seemed a bit rushed with little development or explanation. For example details were brushed over such as Cal telling Pen about him being a spy. I for one would have loved to read about her reaction but there was hardly anything written other than a few statements. It was how the whole story went really and although I loved the concept and what was written I just wanted more detail, especially with character development and Cal's job as a spy at the convention.
Like I said, I had no problem with what was written. In fact I really enjoyed the story and finished it within an hour - it did hold my interest. However I feel there is so much more this story could give and had a much bigger potential than a novella. I would have liked to spend a few more hours reading about the characters and watching them grow and develop with each other, finding out their back stories and more detail of the terrorist. I really didn't want to stop reading.
I really liked the transfer from gaming to real life and how the two find each other without realising I thought it was an original concept and liked how the author used online messaging to communicate at the start. As well as this I really liked the romance scenes, they were described vividly and it made you fall in love with Cal. As well as this I liked Pen's attitude. She was strong and funny with her wit but because of being hurt previously by a guy she had a vulnerable side and the lack of trust is mostly where the comedy came in which was nice as I could feel myself smiling while reading. She fitted well with Cal's confidence and matched him well in terms of fight skills.
Overall Gaming for Keeps presents an original concept and a nice romance. I really enjoyed reading it however I just wish there was more as I could see this developing into a great novel or series. I would recommend this to romance and N/A lovers. -
Sexy little read for any and all who enjoy conventions, gamers and bookies alike. A young woman looking for love in someone with interests like her.
So quick of a read, spunky with fun and sexy.
****FULL REVIEW****
Penelope started playing this game with her ex-boyfriend, who'd team (guild) she is still part of. But Aaron doesn't help her in-game. A man with the screen name Lohonas does. He's always got her back, even if he is from another guild. Lohonas has get in-game morals and team support. If Pen could meet one person from online, Lohonas would be him. But people aren't as they seem online. Aaron had proved that. ConDamned, a gamer, book, and comic convention, is coming up and Lohonas asks Pen if she's going to maybe meet? Nervous, Pen says yes. Cal is looking to relax at ConDamned, but his boss at TRAIT needs him on the job at the Con. Cal also is ready to work in the field again, or he thinks. All he has to do is find the code and break it, letting the others on his team know so they can stop the bad guy. And not lead on he's a secret agent. When Cal meets Pen, all he wants is to spend time with her and keep her safe.
The novella is from both Penelope's and Calvin's POV. It's neat how in the story the gamer persona did show through and match with their actions and real personality. Seeing their chat, I like Lohonas's personality. And he's not forcing her to meet him. If they happen across each other, they do. If not, it wasn't meant to happen. Hahaha! Pen is great. She's got spunk. I loved her strength and at the bar with the drink she chugs. She's quick with her retorts, and pending who her bather is with she's a hoot.
The story is quick. But conventions are only a weekend, so there isn't much time to waste. I liked that they had a semi-relationship prior to meeting, makes the relationship feel a bit stronger for me. The relationship grows with seeing the thoughts of both Pen and Cal. The danger of a threat to all at the Con comes to life toward the end of the story. And sparks an even deeper connection with Pen and Cal.
So enjoyed this sexy read. This is one that is a one sitting read. You want to keep reading Cal and Pen. Not to leave them be until the story ends. Even then, I wanted the weekend to keep going.
Cal is every girls, geek or not, dream come to life. But if you are a geek girl, yea you'll appreciate and love him deeply. Oh, I enjoyed this one. I think even if it was a full length novel, I'd want more of this couple. I was left happy, pleased, and not wanting the weekend to end. I'm always wishing for more from this author, Seleste. -
This book made me so jealous, you guys. I wish I was more of a geek girl, that I knew my way around online multiplayer games, that I could wear costumes and go to conventions. Alas, I don’t have the time or mental energy for most of it. I just consume the mainstream movies and tv shows and wish I had more street cred. Penelope — Pen — is the heroine in this story, and she plays the games, she walks the walk, talks the talk. I wish I was her. Her dog’s name is Worf, she references Supernatural and makes t-shirts printed in binary code. I caught all the references she made, but I couldn’t confidently make all the references myself, and that makes me sad about my life. But this is a book review, not an analysis of my lack of awesome, so I’ll move on.
Pen plays an online game called Heroes of Fallen Gods, and she’s in a guild with her ex-boyfriend. She has a flirtationship with a player in another guild, who invites her to a convention and suggests they meet up in real life. Pen, having been burned by meeting someone offline before, says she’ll be there but doesn’t set a specific meeting time. Once there, a douche trolling for girls pretends to be her gamer friend, so she hangs out with him, but he’s lame and she has to knee him in the crotch. No one is as cool in reality as they are online, am I right?
Meanwhile, Pen’s online buddy Cal is a hot stud / secret agent who just wants to paint himself indigo and wander around as a Dark Elf without being bothered by work. Unfortunately, a Bad Guy is planning Bad Things at the convention, so Cal has to take phone calls and plan things and stress.
Pen and Cal meet in an elevator, but they don’t know that they already know each other! I know, right?! The heat pooling, the sparks flying, the feeling like they’ve known each other a long time, it all happens. Fast. Did I mention this is a short book? On the plus side, Pen and Cal spend a lot of time bantering and kissing before he has to save the world and rescue the girl. On the minus side, I wouldn’t mind if they’d spent even more time together, delving into more obscure sci fi and then rolling around naked.
There’s a clumsy shower scene acknowledging that shower sex is trickier than the books make it out to be. There’s body paint. Fake sword fighting. A discourse on how a person’s knowledge of Firefly tells you everything you need to know to judge their character. Sigh. I’d better stop before I get the sads again. To sum up: fun, cute, hot, awesome. I just wish it had more, went deeper, lasted longer (…that’s what she said).
Rating: A-
This review also posted on
www.redhotbooks.com -
I’m a little nervous here. This is my first ever Entangled blog tour with a review and I hope I don’t screw it up. When I picked Gaming for Keeps to read, it was the spy angle that intrigued me. Gaming, not so much. For me, gaming is throwing a quarter into the old Tempset machine and hoping that I get a high score. Yes, I’m that old to remember going to the video arcade and spending my babysitting money. Our house has a Playstation and a Wii but it’s completely lost on me. Also, the whole online gaming thing…it reminds me of my younger brother and his friends playing Dungeons and Dragons. Now that, I could watch for hours.
When I started the book, I didn’t realize that I was reading a battle scene from an online game. I really felt like I was reading a battle scene out of a fantasy movie. Hooked me from the beginning and it never stopped. As much as I don’t ‘game’, the references, game character names that are used in the book, I knew. Woo Hoo! OMG, Ms. de Laney asked the age-old question about Star Trek vs Star Wars. I love both for completely different reasons. Oh and there is a Firefly reference. *sigh Nathan Fillion* Shiny… ;)
Pen and Cal were perfect for each other. One problem though, when their first meeting in person, they don’t realize who each other is. Just that Pen needed a sorta rebound and Cal just wanted her. Their dialogue was snappy and realistic. The scene at the con when she dares him to read the code on her t-shirt was priceless. ROTFL! Pen and Cal were so intuned with each other intellectual and sexually. Yes, the sex was hawt but also brought them closer than they ever thought.
Again, I’m not a gamer but I never felt like I needed to be when I read the book. Ms. de Laney was able to hook me from the first page and never let me go. The suspense element in the book was good, too. I love a good suspense element and she delivered. Cal’s back story was interesting, too. I hope that she writes more about the other spies that we were introduced too.
When all is said and done, Gaming for Keeps is a cute story about two gamers that what to play for keeps. The story will take hold of you early on and not let go. Ms. de Laney has written a story that even a non-gamer can enjoy and appreciate the geekdom of it all. Makes me want to ask my brother is he wants to play D&D again.
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