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Skin Game
Seven days, seven challenges. Twelve strangers. Eight thousand cameras. Only one winner.Welcome to The Ant Farm, a social study in the wilds of interior Alaska, documenting the dynamics between a dozen competitors as they take part in a series of physical and psychological face-offs. With five hundred grand up for grabs at the end of the battle royal, the stakes are high and the tension blazing.Could the seemingly mild-mannered nice guy win it all? The cutthroat alpha female? The strongest or the smartest, the idealist or the cynic? It’s anyone’s guess as teams are undercut by alliances, loyalties tendered and tested, and passions enflamed by both affection and animosity.In this contest where even knives and guns are fair game, sex may prove the most dangerous weapon of all.Reader This book features the recreational use of illicit substances, and non-explicit references to childhood abuse and trauma. It also features an unlikely mix of romance, lust and hate-sex, plus a ton of way crazier crap that the author delights in not preparing you for.
Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2011
11 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Cara McKenna
41 books2,238 followersSince she began writing in 2008, Cara McKenna has published nearly forty romances and erotic novels with a variety of publishers, sometimes under the pen names Meg Maguire and C.M. McKenna. Her stories have been acclaimed for their smart, modern voice and defiance of convention. She was a 2015 RITA Award finalist, a 2014 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award winner, a 2012 and 2011 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee, and a 2010 Golden Heart Award finalist. She lives with her husband and baby son in the Pacific Northwest, though she’ll always be a Boston girl at heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
October 16, 2011
Reminded me too much of the TV show “Survivor.” It’s an average story with a handful of sex scenes. It’s unusually long.
STORY BRIEF:
Twelve contestants arrive in Alaska to participate in a series of challenges. One winner will take home $500,000. It’s similar to the “Survivor” TV show. The contestants are put into teams which change with each challenge. At least one person is eliminated after each challenge. Sometimes the contestants vote on whom to eliminate. The first challenge is a fifteen-mile hike. Another challenge is who can last the longest in subzero temperatures. Another challenge is which team can find the other team’s flag first. There are 8,000 hidden cameras in the area. The contestants wear microphones. A handful of social psychologists observe.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The main story is introducing different types of characters and watching them interact with each other. Any relationship development is short term, nothing with depth. Two different couples start to fall in love, and we believe they will continue their relationships after and outside of the contest. There are a handful of sex scenes which are mostly hooking up for fun, for unclear reasons, and in one case, a bet someone made. Don’t expect romantic relationships with sensual sex. This is primarily survivor-show fiction with some sex and a little romance thrown in. Some parts were good. Some parts dragged. The ending is “happy for now.”
Mystery about Ian:
During most of the book most of the characters talked about Ian as if he were a low-life, evil, conniving, sociopath (my words). He was the most disliked person. I felt the author was at fault because she had the other characters “tell” us Ian was bad, but the author never “showed” Ian doing anything to earn that bad label. Then toward the end of the book, I really liked Ian. I loved what he did with a certain woman. I loved how he felt about her and how he described her. I was intrigued with his occupation, and I was sympathetic about his past. The only underhanded thing I saw Ian doing was not bringing Leah her backpack of supplies. I can’t remember if he was at fault or Leah’s boyfriend. Other than that the only
other thing Ian did was lie a couple of times during competitions to help his team win, and it worked. So I don’t fault him for that. Then I saw that “other book reviewers” liked Ian. So now I’m intrigued. I thought the author didn’t want us to like him but she did a bad job of “showing” it. It’s possible the author changed her mind toward the end of the book and started doing things with Ian that we liked. I don’t know. But I will say if this were a romance, and we readers liked Ian, then he should have ended up with his love interest, but it didn’t happen. But it could be a set up for a sequel. If so, I’d rather read about Ian with his own story and not in another Survivor contest.
I wanted to know more about how the contestants were selected and how Ian got pulled in so quickly as a substitute. The sponsors had in depth knowledge about everyone’s background. If I remember this right, another guy was driving to Alaska, on his way to the contest. He met Ian at a gas station and told Ian he wanted to pull out. Ian offered to go in his place. When Ian arrived he was well packed with supplies. And the sponsors apparently had time to fully investigate Ian. That seemed contrived. I would imagine the sponsors had a long list of applicants. If one pulled out, they would go to the next one on the list – not take someone that someone met on the road the day before.
Although not critical, I wanted to know what the observers got out of this and why they paid so much to do this.
The characters were all very different which was interesting. Examples of characters I disliked were Daisey the jerk, Chloe the barracuda, and Marissa the whiner (my words).
DATA:
Ebook story length: about 7 hrs and 48 mins. Kindle count story length: 8098 (624 KB). Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 8. Setting: current day mostly Alaska and a little in New Mexico. Copyright: 2011. Genre: adventure fiction with partial romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Twelve contestants arrive in Alaska to participate in a series of challenges. One winner will take home $500,000. It’s similar to the “Survivor” TV show. The contestants are put into teams which change with each challenge. At least one person is eliminated after each challenge. Sometimes the contestants vote on whom to eliminate. The first challenge is a fifteen-mile hike. Another challenge is who can last the longest in subzero temperatures. Another challenge is which team can find the other team’s flag first. There are 8,000 hidden cameras in the area. The contestants wear microphones. A handful of social psychologists observe.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The main story is introducing different types of characters and watching them interact with each other. Any relationship development is short term, nothing with depth. Two different couples start to fall in love, and we believe they will continue their relationships after and outside of the contest. There are a handful of sex scenes which are mostly hooking up for fun, for unclear reasons, and in one case, a bet someone made. Don’t expect romantic relationships with sensual sex. This is primarily survivor-show fiction with some sex and a little romance thrown in. Some parts were good. Some parts dragged. The ending is “happy for now.”
Mystery about Ian:
During most of the book most of the characters talked about Ian as if he were a low-life, evil, conniving, sociopath (my words). He was the most disliked person. I felt the author was at fault because she had the other characters “tell” us Ian was bad, but the author never “showed” Ian doing anything to earn that bad label. Then toward the end of the book, I really liked Ian. I loved what he did with a certain woman. I loved how he felt about her and how he described her. I was intrigued with his occupation, and I was sympathetic about his past. The only underhanded thing I saw Ian doing was not bringing Leah her backpack of supplies. I can’t remember if he was at fault or Leah’s boyfriend. Other than that the only
other thing Ian did was lie a couple of times during competitions to help his team win, and it worked. So I don’t fault him for that. Then I saw that “other book reviewers” liked Ian. So now I’m intrigued. I thought the author didn’t want us to like him but she did a bad job of “showing” it. It’s possible the author changed her mind toward the end of the book and started doing things with Ian that we liked. I don’t know. But I will say if this were a romance, and we readers liked Ian, then he should have ended up with his love interest, but it didn’t happen. But it could be a set up for a sequel. If so, I’d rather read about Ian with his own story and not in another Survivor contest.
I wanted to know more about how the contestants were selected and how Ian got pulled in so quickly as a substitute. The sponsors had in depth knowledge about everyone’s background. If I remember this right, another guy was driving to Alaska, on his way to the contest. He met Ian at a gas station and told Ian he wanted to pull out. Ian offered to go in his place. When Ian arrived he was well packed with supplies. And the sponsors apparently had time to fully investigate Ian. That seemed contrived. I would imagine the sponsors had a long list of applicants. If one pulled out, they would go to the next one on the list – not take someone that someone met on the road the day before.
Although not critical, I wanted to know what the observers got out of this and why they paid so much to do this.
The characters were all very different which was interesting. Examples of characters I disliked were Daisey the jerk, Chloe the barracuda, and Marissa the whiner (my words).
DATA:
Ebook story length: about 7 hrs and 48 mins. Kindle count story length: 8098 (624 KB). Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 8. Setting: current day mostly Alaska and a little in New Mexico. Copyright: 2011. Genre: adventure fiction with partial romance.
May 19, 2011
I first read Cara McKenna last year when I picked up Willing Victim. I really loved that book (hello Flynn!) and then read a quick novella by her, Dirty Thirty. It was very different from Willing Victim. Recently I read The Reluctant Nude under her pen name Meg Maguire and again thought how original each of her stories are. Well guess what I thought after I finished Skin Game? Yep – totally original.
Twelve people meet in Alaska to participate in The Ant Farm, which is “a social experiment in reality-show format.” But this won’t be televised, the only audience the participants have are social psychologists. They sign their life away to compete against each other to win $500,000. There are about 8,000 cameras set up throughout the wilderness where they are competing and they are microphoned constantly throughout the day. They all have no idea what to expect, only being told to prepare for outdoor activity and to bring as much as they could carry with them. So these twelve people arrive and are told they will have seven competitions to carry out, each time one or more people will be eliminated, usually through a vote. Think Survivor, but although many of these tasks are physical, a strong psychological vibe occurs throughout each challenge.
Cara McKenna does a great job allowing us to explore each character, or at least who turn out to be the main characters as we go on this odd journey with them. The competitions start easy – like a race for example. But they start to get harder or maybe just more competitive as the contestants get to know each other. For example, at one point they have to build a bridge, and immediately one of them thinks how to chop a tree down so it falls on one of the competitors. Or at least ruins their progress. Another task is capture the flag, but it turns into a very complicated challenge with hidden bunkers and a complicated strategy. It’s this huge game of endurance and emotional stamina.
The entire book has this eerie tone set over it and I think I loved that part the most. You don’t know what is going to happen. I didn’t even know what to expect in the last few pages. Who will be eliminated. Who is running the entire event. You don’t get all the answers either. I wouldn’t classify this book as a romance, more of a psychological adventure with romantic elements. There is some romance, there is some sex, but the meat of the book is how these people interact with each other.The sex is intense and not always mushy romantic. A few of the scenes really surprised me. How their lust, jealousy, and baggage they bring with them affect how they proceed with each challenge. It is not wrapped up at the end with a little bow either. Don’t expect closure, although the end does hint at some happiness.
I don’t want to go too deep into the characters, first because there are so many, but also because I had no idea who was going to make it through the competition or who was going to hook up with who, so I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else. I will say, the characters are so real and vibrant in this story. There is “Daisey” (They don’t have to use their real names) a huge man that has a “tattoo read Mother, but his attitude suggests perhaps the artist ran out of ink before he could add fucker.” Mac, who runs an outdoor adventure company back in Mew Mexico. She is pretty equipped for this challenge but the way she interacts with the men, is very interesting. And my favorite of the book, Ian, who was always dressed up for an evening out, rather than a romp through the woods and I think I could read an entire book just about him.
A few moments made me gasp. A few moments made me scream “NO!” I felt like I was a part of this odd, intense adventure and the book will stick with me for a long time.
Rating: B+
Twelve people meet in Alaska to participate in The Ant Farm, which is “a social experiment in reality-show format.” But this won’t be televised, the only audience the participants have are social psychologists. They sign their life away to compete against each other to win $500,000. There are about 8,000 cameras set up throughout the wilderness where they are competing and they are microphoned constantly throughout the day. They all have no idea what to expect, only being told to prepare for outdoor activity and to bring as much as they could carry with them. So these twelve people arrive and are told they will have seven competitions to carry out, each time one or more people will be eliminated, usually through a vote. Think Survivor, but although many of these tasks are physical, a strong psychological vibe occurs throughout each challenge.
Cara McKenna does a great job allowing us to explore each character, or at least who turn out to be the main characters as we go on this odd journey with them. The competitions start easy – like a race for example. But they start to get harder or maybe just more competitive as the contestants get to know each other. For example, at one point they have to build a bridge, and immediately one of them thinks how to chop a tree down so it falls on one of the competitors. Or at least ruins their progress. Another task is capture the flag, but it turns into a very complicated challenge with hidden bunkers and a complicated strategy. It’s this huge game of endurance and emotional stamina.
The entire book has this eerie tone set over it and I think I loved that part the most. You don’t know what is going to happen. I didn’t even know what to expect in the last few pages. Who will be eliminated. Who is running the entire event. You don’t get all the answers either. I wouldn’t classify this book as a romance, more of a psychological adventure with romantic elements. There is some romance, there is some sex, but the meat of the book is how these people interact with each other.The sex is intense and not always mushy romantic. A few of the scenes really surprised me. How their lust, jealousy, and baggage they bring with them affect how they proceed with each challenge. It is not wrapped up at the end with a little bow either. Don’t expect closure, although the end does hint at some happiness.
I don’t want to go too deep into the characters, first because there are so many, but also because I had no idea who was going to make it through the competition or who was going to hook up with who, so I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else. I will say, the characters are so real and vibrant in this story. There is “Daisey” (They don’t have to use their real names) a huge man that has a “tattoo read Mother, but his attitude suggests perhaps the artist ran out of ink before he could add fucker.” Mac, who runs an outdoor adventure company back in Mew Mexico. She is pretty equipped for this challenge but the way she interacts with the men, is very interesting. And my favorite of the book, Ian, who was always dressed up for an evening out, rather than a romp through the woods and I think I could read an entire book just about him.
A few moments made me gasp. A few moments made me scream “NO!” I felt like I was a part of this odd, intense adventure and the book will stick with me for a long time.
Rating: B+
no-thank-you
June 24, 2019No, because of this content: https://twitter.com/Cheeseburglerrr/s...
November 22, 2016
I couldn’t buy Skin Game for ages so when Cara McKenna re-released (with a much cooler cover) I was like ‘hell yeah one click, I will read the ABSOLUTE FUCK out of that book.’
And I did. And it was awesome. Then I got my best friend to read it. Then we had a hour and a half long phone call about the characters and the competition and who we liked and didn’t like. World building man. This book has it down to a fine art.
Cara McKenna writes kickarse romance but honestly Skin Game is so much richer for being more than just boy A meets girl B. There's a plethora of interesting (and buttholish) people gearing up to rip each others throats out for $500,000 and while sex and love is a factor the competitors struggles, their highs and lows and true personalities glimmering through as they duke it out... God it's delicious.
Though speaking of sex and love, I noticed that every review on this site was basically just a gushing tribute to Ian and Ian’s amazingness and Ian's mouth and also did I mention Ian? I didn’t want my review to be like that buuuuuuuut…
Ian. Oh Ian.
I mean first of all he’s Scottish which, come on, you're NOT going to find a Scottish guy with black hair and piercing blue eyes sexy? Plus Ms. McKenna’s choice to write his dialogue phonetically adds SO MUCH to his character (and your moistness).
But Ian and all his evil sneaky Ian-ness isn't the only thing to enjoy here. There's the sweet romance between Rory and Leah, the mind-screwiness of the challenges, Pike being a miserable, glorious bastard (also hello Asian-American hero, I don't believe we've met. I'm Eve and I'm v. happy to see you), Chloe not giving a single fuck about sleeping around or being nice and shagging Ian in the dirt.
Sigh. It was all just perfect.
Also the way Mac pursued Daisey with dogged ‘you WILL bone me’ attention was hilarious and SO REALISTIC. It’s something I’ve seen and done myself but never read before. Mac’s a woman and she assumes because Daisey's a man, he’ll screw her. The way she proceeds to just lay it out there as thick as she can is excellent and Daisey's half-flattered half-taken aback response is too (Also tough guys' real name is BRIAN lolololol).
Look I'm going to stop now because I could talk about Skin Game all day (Or at least for one and a half hours) but I love this book, it's awesome, I wish their was a sequel (with Ian banging a girl of the exact same height and proportions as me in the dirt) and that is all.
And I did. And it was awesome. Then I got my best friend to read it. Then we had a hour and a half long phone call about the characters and the competition and who we liked and didn’t like. World building man. This book has it down to a fine art.
Cara McKenna writes kickarse romance but honestly Skin Game is so much richer for being more than just boy A meets girl B. There's a plethora of interesting (and buttholish) people gearing up to rip each others throats out for $500,000 and while sex and love is a factor the competitors struggles, their highs and lows and true personalities glimmering through as they duke it out... God it's delicious.
Though speaking of sex and love, I noticed that every review on this site was basically just a gushing tribute to Ian and Ian’s amazingness and Ian's mouth and also did I mention Ian? I didn’t want my review to be like that buuuuuuuut…
Ian. Oh Ian.
I mean first of all he’s Scottish which, come on, you're NOT going to find a Scottish guy with black hair and piercing blue eyes sexy? Plus Ms. McKenna’s choice to write his dialogue phonetically adds SO MUCH to his character (and your moistness).
But Ian and all his evil sneaky Ian-ness isn't the only thing to enjoy here. There's the sweet romance between Rory and Leah, the mind-screwiness of the challenges, Pike being a miserable, glorious bastard (also hello Asian-American hero, I don't believe we've met. I'm Eve and I'm v. happy to see you), Chloe not giving a single fuck about sleeping around or being nice and shagging Ian in the dirt.
Sigh. It was all just perfect.
Also the way Mac pursued Daisey with dogged ‘you WILL bone me’ attention was hilarious and SO REALISTIC. It’s something I’ve seen and done myself but never read before. Mac’s a woman and she assumes because Daisey's a man, he’ll screw her. The way she proceeds to just lay it out there as thick as she can is excellent and Daisey's half-flattered half-taken aback response is too (Also tough guys' real name is BRIAN lolololol).
Look I'm going to stop now because I could talk about Skin Game all day (Or at least for one and a half hours) but I love this book, it's awesome, I wish their was a sequel (with Ian banging a girl of the exact same height and proportions as me in the dirt) and that is all.
July 7, 2011
This is a very hard book to shelve. It's from Ellora's Cave, which publishes erotic romance--but it's definitely not romance, and I certainly wouldn't call it erotica, either. I don't remember where I saw the review, but the premise was intriguing: Twelve strangers are participating in a competition/ science experiment. There are challenges a la reality TV, and the winner gets a bunch of money. We get inside the heads of several of the characters and the challenges are fascinating. There's some explicit sex (thus the publisher) and a couple of developing relationships, but the best part of the novel is the characterization and the game itself.
I think that's the source of my slight dissatisfaction. I expected some sort of resolution at the end about the game (who are the scientists? what exactly did they learn/ expect to learn? is there something else going on? are they mad that they got outwitted? did they get outwitted?), and instead I got resolution about a few of the characters (although not all, and not the one I found most intriguing).
Since I just read OSC's Characters and Viewpoint, what I think is going on is this: I thought I was reading an idea story, and what I got was a character story. And to be fair, McKenna was definitely also writing a character story. Just not quite the character story I thought it would be.
In spite of what I've written so far, I really do recommend the book, particularly if you like books about survival games. There is sex in the book, and it's explicit, but it's always used to reveal character or further the plot--instead of the plot being there as an excuse for people to have lots of sex. McKenna can really write, and I'll be looking for more books by her.
I think that's the source of my slight dissatisfaction. I expected some sort of resolution at the end about the game (who are the scientists? what exactly did they learn/ expect to learn? is there something else going on? are they mad that they got outwitted? did they get outwitted?), and instead I got resolution about a few of the characters (although not all, and not the one I found most intriguing).
Since I just read OSC's Characters and Viewpoint, what I think is going on is this: I thought I was reading an idea story, and what I got was a character story. And to be fair, McKenna was definitely also writing a character story. Just not quite the character story I thought it would be.
In spite of what I've written so far, I really do recommend the book, particularly if you like books about survival games. There is sex in the book, and it's explicit, but it's always used to reveal character or further the plot--instead of the plot being there as an excuse for people to have lots of sex. McKenna can really write, and I'll be looking for more books by her.
January 12, 2012
3.5 stars.
18 plus review. Normally I'd review this book over on my adult account, but this one read less like erotica and more like mainstream fiction. The title and cover are actually sort of misleading, although I didn't mind it this time. This book was like SURVIVOR meets BIG BROTHER, with a bit of a HUNGER GAMES-esque twist at the end.
If you've read any of McKenna's other work, you'll find this book to be tame by comparison. There were a couple of hot sex scenes, but I'd say this book was mostly plot, less porn.
I'd like to read more books with a game-show or survival-show plot to them. The idea is a fun one. This book wasn't anything special, but it was decent enough to pass the time and I had fun with it.
18 plus review. Normally I'd review this book over on my adult account, but this one read less like erotica and more like mainstream fiction. The title and cover are actually sort of misleading, although I didn't mind it this time. This book was like SURVIVOR meets BIG BROTHER, with a bit of a HUNGER GAMES-esque twist at the end.
If you've read any of McKenna's other work, you'll find this book to be tame by comparison. There were a couple of hot sex scenes, but I'd say this book was mostly plot, less porn.
I'd like to read more books with a game-show or survival-show plot to them. The idea is a fun one. This book wasn't anything special, but it was decent enough to pass the time and I had fun with it.
December 30, 2016
Well, there's several hours of my life I won't get back. This book felt like watching a bad episode of survivor, where I didn't connect or like any of the characters except for a couple anti-hero types. Unfortunately the author goes the conventional route and gets rid of the interesting ones leaving two very bland individuals. I skipped the last bit of the book about these two to read the last page and nope, wasn't any better. The physical feats promised by the blurb were very simple tasks and the psychological part was laughable as the characters were stereotypes and very predictable. Do yourself a favour and skip this one.
October 15, 2011
this book isn't erotica, and it isn't NOT erotica.
i wish there were more books like this - a great storyline, interesting characters, lots of twists and turns and accented by periodic and descriptive sex.
we're first met with over 12 characters, which made me a wee bit nervous at first. but that number quickly dwindles to a number that's easy to follow and easy to understand.
if you're looking for a smart story, that isn't afraid to get all hot n'bothered - this is the book for you.
i wish there were more books like this - a great storyline, interesting characters, lots of twists and turns and accented by periodic and descriptive sex.
we're first met with over 12 characters, which made me a wee bit nervous at first. but that number quickly dwindles to a number that's easy to follow and easy to understand.
if you're looking for a smart story, that isn't afraid to get all hot n'bothered - this is the book for you.
October 19, 2018
God this took me so long to finish!! Working 2 jobs will do that and no free time. It would stop and go. It took awhile to get into. I kinda wonder what was the point and was Ian really trying to do a mind fuck the whole time?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2014
A strange one this book - it was a compelling read but not one I could easily plot ahead !! Was really spewing on Ian being ousted and Pike becoming the hero so to speak - ah well it is what it is !
January 22, 2016
Omg! this was something else... if you like Survivor and have always wanted to add a bit of steamy, conniving and plain romantic elements then this is the book :)
June 6, 2011
Read Full Review Here
This author has been on my must buy list ever since Fiction Vixen and Dear Author reviewed Willing Victim. So, when I saw this mentioned on Smexybooks May Rec list I immediately pulled up Amazon on my work computer and hit my favorite button ‘But with 1 click’.
Skin Games is about 12 strangers that agree to a psychological experiment to win half a million dollars. Think Survivor but muy creepier.
Chole and Daisy – Cameras 3240,3249
Daisy looks up at her as Pike disappears. “Got anything else you need fillin’, Chole?
She rolls her eyes.” Not by you, redneck.”
“What if you had to bed me to win it?” He asks.
She stops and stares at him, a curious smile curling her wide lips. “I’d drink a handle of gin and f*ck that shit-eating grin right off your face. Then I’d take a decon shower and dance my ass all the way to the bank.”
Wow, I could not put this book down and I mean that literally – in the bathroom, at work sneaking reads on my Kindle app, and my mommy pump breaks. The way McKenna wove in each character point of view with the experiments/games really had me on the edge of my work chair. The main characters out of the twelve are Daisy (southern bad boy, yes he is a dude), Mac (young girl with a huge crush on Daisy), Chole (the tough as nails photographer), Pike (half Korean military doctor), and Ian (Scottish bad boy aka chain smoker/master manipulator). The story reveals, slowly, each person’s point of view so you ‘think’ you have a handle on each character.
If you are hoping for a romance you just aren’t going to get it here. At times I thought I had figured out who would end up with who even until the end, which I was a wee disappointed, but hot damn if Cara Mckenna didn’t keep me on my reading toes.
My fav character was Ian. He was just so conniving but as each game commenced we learned more and more about whom each person was, especially the guess Who Did This Game. I was extremely disappointed on some loose ends about him – I felt like we were left hanging on they why’s of some of his behaviors and I wanted some answers, damn it.
Although there isn’t as much sexy time as I would have expected in an Exotica book from Ellora’s Cave (wink wink), Skin Game even with some of my disappoints is by far one of my favorite reads this year – an intelligent psychological thriller-esk romance.
4 stars
This author has been on my must buy list ever since Fiction Vixen and Dear Author reviewed Willing Victim. So, when I saw this mentioned on Smexybooks May Rec list I immediately pulled up Amazon on my work computer and hit my favorite button ‘But with 1 click’.
Skin Games is about 12 strangers that agree to a psychological experiment to win half a million dollars. Think Survivor but muy creepier.
Chole and Daisy – Cameras 3240,3249
Daisy looks up at her as Pike disappears. “Got anything else you need fillin’, Chole?
She rolls her eyes.” Not by you, redneck.”
“What if you had to bed me to win it?” He asks.
She stops and stares at him, a curious smile curling her wide lips. “I’d drink a handle of gin and f*ck that shit-eating grin right off your face. Then I’d take a decon shower and dance my ass all the way to the bank.”
Wow, I could not put this book down and I mean that literally – in the bathroom, at work sneaking reads on my Kindle app, and my mommy pump breaks. The way McKenna wove in each character point of view with the experiments/games really had me on the edge of my work chair. The main characters out of the twelve are Daisy (southern bad boy, yes he is a dude), Mac (young girl with a huge crush on Daisy), Chole (the tough as nails photographer), Pike (half Korean military doctor), and Ian (Scottish bad boy aka chain smoker/master manipulator). The story reveals, slowly, each person’s point of view so you ‘think’ you have a handle on each character.
If you are hoping for a romance you just aren’t going to get it here. At times I thought I had figured out who would end up with who even until the end, which I was a wee disappointed, but hot damn if Cara Mckenna didn’t keep me on my reading toes.
My fav character was Ian. He was just so conniving but as each game commenced we learned more and more about whom each person was, especially the guess Who Did This Game. I was extremely disappointed on some loose ends about him – I felt like we were left hanging on they why’s of some of his behaviors and I wanted some answers, damn it.
Although there isn’t as much sexy time as I would have expected in an Exotica book from Ellora’s Cave (wink wink), Skin Game even with some of my disappoints is by far one of my favorite reads this year – an intelligent psychological thriller-esk romance.
4 stars
March 9, 2019
a really fun, well-developed romp by The Boss, cara mckenna (who also writes romantic fiction under the pseudonym meg maguire). this story was Survivor meets summer camp, with a healthy dose of ee-er-ee-er built in for jollies, filled with mckenna's trademark varied, fully realized, wonderfully interesting casts, this time to the power of eleventy, because it's a hella long novel.
the title and cover art are stupid and misleading: it's not a Futuristic Sexcapade, though PG-13 it is neither. rather, it's a very well conceived character study of a diverse cast of fortune hunters thrown together in a cut-throat, game-show setting. it's realistic, well paced, and often hilarious. there is definitely Hawt, but it's by no means the focus of the story: This is a book about how a score of fascinating characters respond to stress, with some tingly passages thrown in for good measure, which always, always elucidate the characters and forward the plot as well as get your knickers in a bunch. the best kind of Hawt!
on the minus side, i would have liked to see mckenna address a few plot holes (***SPOILER: how did ian come into the game so prepared when he ostensibly was a last-second replacement with no foreknowledge of the game? and what of the host? she seemed somehow shady and wicked in the end, yet we get NONE of her back story. and speaking of back story, who put the games together? who financed them? who was watching them? who was studying them? mckenna's EXCELLENT story raises a host of questions, and when they are not acknowledged, let alone answered, it's genuinely frustrating, because you know that if she took the time to answer, she'd KILL. IT. END SPOILERS***)
in the end, i SO have to recommend this book. it's one of mckenna's strongest works, and seeing her flex her muscles in longform is a thrill.
BUY IT.
the title and cover art are stupid and misleading: it's not a Futuristic Sexcapade, though PG-13 it is neither. rather, it's a very well conceived character study of a diverse cast of fortune hunters thrown together in a cut-throat, game-show setting. it's realistic, well paced, and often hilarious. there is definitely Hawt, but it's by no means the focus of the story: This is a book about how a score of fascinating characters respond to stress, with some tingly passages thrown in for good measure, which always, always elucidate the characters and forward the plot as well as get your knickers in a bunch. the best kind of Hawt!
on the minus side, i would have liked to see mckenna address a few plot holes (***SPOILER: how did ian come into the game so prepared when he ostensibly was a last-second replacement with no foreknowledge of the game? and what of the host? she seemed somehow shady and wicked in the end, yet we get NONE of her back story. and speaking of back story, who put the games together? who financed them? who was watching them? who was studying them? mckenna's EXCELLENT story raises a host of questions, and when they are not acknowledged, let alone answered, it's genuinely frustrating, because you know that if she took the time to answer, she'd KILL. IT. END SPOILERS***)
in the end, i SO have to recommend this book. it's one of mckenna's strongest works, and seeing her flex her muscles in longform is a thrill.
BUY IT.
April 19, 2012
As you should already know, Cara McKenna is my all-time favourite amongst the erotic genre authors. But if in my previous review for a book of hers I was having trouble in placing it in the right genre, this book totally confounded me. I was ready for a lot of scorching hot scenes. I was expecting the "smart erotica" ot this writer. I was suspecting that this book would turn out to be a nice porn with a reality-show setting. Well, I was definitely not ready this specific kind of book. It's a bit like buying the next Stephen King novel and it turns out to be a chicklit. Yet on the possitive side.
"Skin Game" is everything but your usual "pink shelves" reading. The plot is intense, full with damn well directed action scenes, psychological games, unexpected twists... And as a bonus, there are a few breath taking hot scenes. How could I describe it? Erotic thriller? I think there's too much action for it. Psyco-thriller? Well, the novel is not that nervewracking, although it would leave you biting your nails to the very end. Contemporary adult prose? Yet the violence, the harsh language and the sex scenes would wag the dogs... You could name it whatever you like, but it's definitely not porn.
Be warned - this is not a light book to read in bed with a lot of tissues and then just smoke a cigarette and go to sleep. This novel would leave you breathless and would definitely keep you awake and reading!
The rest of my review in Bulgarian is here
"Skin Game" is everything but your usual "pink shelves" reading. The plot is intense, full with damn well directed action scenes, psychological games, unexpected twists... And as a bonus, there are a few breath taking hot scenes. How could I describe it? Erotic thriller? I think there's too much action for it. Psyco-thriller? Well, the novel is not that nervewracking, although it would leave you biting your nails to the very end. Contemporary adult prose? Yet the violence, the harsh language and the sex scenes would wag the dogs... You could name it whatever you like, but it's definitely not porn.
Be warned - this is not a light book to read in bed with a lot of tissues and then just smoke a cigarette and go to sleep. This novel would leave you breathless and would definitely keep you awake and reading!
The rest of my review in Bulgarian is here
May 31, 2011
This was a great book. It didn't have the scorching hot love scenes that I'm used to in some of her other books (Hello FLYNN?! GABRIEL?!) but it was def. a hot little number. The storyline was intriguing and the characters were great. It was a little confusing keeping up with who's who in the beginning (12 players) but not so confusing you lose track of what's going on in the book.
There were definetely some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting (which I LOVE) between the characters and plot. There are though some things that left me feeling incomplete. One...Ian!!! Ahhh I need to know what that crazy fecker is up to!! He's so dreamy!! *sigh* There's gotta be a girl out there for him...and Cara McKenna needs to write about how they get it on all hot and heavy like!
Also, I would have liked to have seen what the "doctors" came up with after the whole experiment ended. And what the frig Lenora is/was up to. But overall the book was fantastic IMO.
There were definetely some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting (which I LOVE) between the characters and plot. There are though some things that left me feeling incomplete. One...Ian!!! Ahhh I need to know what that crazy fecker is up to!! He's so dreamy!! *sigh* There's gotta be a girl out there for him...and Cara McKenna needs to write about how they get it on all hot and heavy like!
Also, I would have liked to have seen what the "doctors" came up with after the whole experiment ended. And what the frig Lenora is/was up to. But overall the book was fantastic IMO.
January 5, 2015
See My Review At:
http://www.nocturnereads.com/Skin-Gam...
WOW! First off, I would like to point out that this story is more Suspense then Erotica; in my opinion. There are only a few detailed sex scenes (and nothing too kinky); having said that, any more sex scenes would have been in bad taste considering the hygiene issue.
This book will have you on the edge of your seat, laughing out loud, cringing, craving, creeping out, angry, and dropping the occasional jaw. The multiple points of view are what made this story the awesomeness that it is. Finding yourself hating characters, sympathizing, and rooting for the possible winner is what makes a story come to life, and that is what McKenna accomplished.
I was not thrilled with the loose ends that were left unsettled, but there is the possibility of a sequel…which I am keeping my fingers crossed for. Great story that is hard to put down!
http://www.nocturnereads.com/Skin-Gam...
WOW! First off, I would like to point out that this story is more Suspense then Erotica; in my opinion. There are only a few detailed sex scenes (and nothing too kinky); having said that, any more sex scenes would have been in bad taste considering the hygiene issue.
This book will have you on the edge of your seat, laughing out loud, cringing, craving, creeping out, angry, and dropping the occasional jaw. The multiple points of view are what made this story the awesomeness that it is. Finding yourself hating characters, sympathizing, and rooting for the possible winner is what makes a story come to life, and that is what McKenna accomplished.
I was not thrilled with the loose ends that were left unsettled, but there is the possibility of a sequel…which I am keeping my fingers crossed for. Great story that is hard to put down!
October 19, 2012
3.5-4.0 stars
This story was pretty fascinating all the way through, never knowing who might make it to the end, and with no clear lead characters until about 3/4 the way in. I found myself guessing, most times incorrectly, about how the challenges would go and how everyone would react, wondering what I would do in the same situations. It was just plain fun to experience!
Although, my only complaint is I didn’t get enough Ian. How can you create someone as enthralling as this man and then leave me hanging!?! I grew an instant attachment to Ian and needed to know everything I could about him. I was sad we didn’t get to find out what happened to him after the "game" ended.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think this was a pretty darn intriguing set up for something I would totally dig being behind the cameras for!
This story was pretty fascinating all the way through, never knowing who might make it to the end, and with no clear lead characters until about 3/4 the way in. I found myself guessing, most times incorrectly, about how the challenges would go and how everyone would react, wondering what I would do in the same situations. It was just plain fun to experience!
Although, my only complaint is I didn’t get enough Ian. How can you create someone as enthralling as this man and then leave me hanging!?! I grew an instant attachment to Ian and needed to know everything I could about him. I was sad we didn’t get to find out what happened to him after the "game" ended.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think this was a pretty darn intriguing set up for something I would totally dig being behind the cameras for!
September 28, 2011
SKIN GAME is sort of Survivor meets the Stanford Prison Experiment: twelve characters competing for half a million dollars in the wilds of Alaska while being observed by social psychologists with eight thousand hidden cameras. The jacket copy, cover, and title led me to expect something more like orgies in the wilderness (did I just reveal too much about my lowbrow taste?), but actually, there’s none of that, and that’s good, because what there is is much better. In fact, the book reminds me more of really great early Stephen King (e.g.,The Long Walk, one of my favorites), with more dirty parts and a nice romance mixed in. Awesome.
July 5, 2015
It reminded me of Survivor. But it was really interesting. The fact it jumped between the perspectives of the different members was interesting. Even during a competition you could see both sides. I enjoyed it, especially the use of sex as a weapon to win $500,000. The ending was wonderful too, and not what I expected! I wouldn't buy it, I don't see myself reading it again and again, but I would definitely say it is a must read AT LEAST once! There are not a ton of sex scenes, but they are wonderfully placed. The entire story was well written and I couldn't put it down. I finished it in about four days over the weekend.
September 10, 2014
I liked the creepy experimental game show vibe, but was disappointed there wasn't any reveal or explanation at the end. And I REALLY didn't like the character cop out: Ian was clearly the anti-hero, and far more interesting than any of the others. Once he was out of the picture I completely lost interest, especially given that the supposed "hero" was a sullen d-bag who had maybe two seconds of remorse about his temper tantrum that ended up putting someone in the hospital. No thanks.
September 13, 2012
I like the author and the writing was good but the story was not for me. Too many characters to keep track of, no definite hero or heroine to root for. The characters I found most fascinating were eliminated. Lots of head hopping and plotting by other characters to win the game.
Only saving grace is the cover, it's very pretty.
Only saving grace is the cover, it's very pretty.
November 30, 2016
The sexiest, most thrilling version of Survivor. I love the gender dynamics and ever changing attractions. There is at least one declaration of love that I don't buy, but that didn't decrease my enjoyment at all.
March 26, 2019
There were a lot of very interesting characters. The premise was interesting too. But it ended up to be kinda anticlimactic. You expect some twist or turn, and it never comes. Ended up to be a love story after all. Finally, what was the whole point of the contest?
November 29, 2011
Such a surprise coming from Mckenna. A pleasent one!
A good, intruiging story. Great charachters. Smart and witty dialog.
Now if only Ian could have been in the finale...Oh well.
A good, intruiging story. Great charachters. Smart and witty dialog.
Now if only Ian could have been in the finale...Oh well.
March 20, 2015
Good story. Pretty strong plot, got me tossing and turning while reading it. Though did kinda wish Ian got his own novel. Cause he is one heck of a character!
June 14, 2024
Interesting premise with an unsatisfying conclusion. What was the point of the social experiment?! The characters ranged from annoying to abhorrent. Even the so-called “nice” one, Mac, is astonishingly cruel to Ian for reasons I never understood. While Pike’s unaddressed anger issues are mostly kept under wraps, they came out to play when he We never learn Ian’s deal and the laundry list of traumas in everyone’s pasts are barely dealt with. This is the problem with starting out with 12 characters. There's barely any depth, even for the characters who make it the farthest in the competition. The final challenge was nonsensical.
Of more concern, this has a multitude of issues, most particularly the baked-in racism and inclusion of the R-word not once but twice. The racial slurs and racism aren’t countered and weren’t necessary to the plot or characterization. Nor is there any justification for the Black Villain trope. McKenna certainly should have known better in 2011 when this was originally written. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of this author’s books in the past but this makes me less interested in delving any further into her backlist. This isn’t the first of her books to give me pause but it’s the most problematic one by far.
Characters: There are 12 contestants, plus Lenora, the Black emcee. Mac is a 25 year old white woman who works at her family’s outdoor adventure company. Pike is a 31 year old mixed race (Korean and white) Army medic. Ian is a white Scottish psych RN and amateur boxer. Daisey is a 39 year old white underwater welder and ex-Marine. Chloe is a white Canadian photojournalist and Domme. Rory is a white Kiwi musician who works at a cafe. Leah is a 23 year old mixed race woman and vegetarian. Greg is a 51 year old Black Zimbabwean. Marissa and Amanda are white women. Brad is a white man. Javier is a Hispanic man. This is set on The Ant Farm in Alaska.
Content notes: past child sexual and physical abuse , sexual harassment, gunshot wound, panic attack, claustrophobia, violent physical assault, drug assault, dubious consent , head injury and broken jaw, puncture wound, lacerations, hypothermia, neck scar from dog bite, needles (stitches, injection), nicotine withdrawal, racism (not countered), racial slurs (not countered) R-word (not countered), misogyny, sexism, toxic masculinity, slut-shaming, fatphobia, ageism, MC’s mom has cancer, MC accidentally killed grandmother (she told her to bring her her “medicine” when she was a kid), past attempted murder of stepfather, past acquittal for involuntary manslaughter (guest fell during climbing trip led by MC), past juvenile detention for arson, past death of parents (including murder), incarcerated parent, past dishonorable discharge from the Marines, past unethical teacher-student relationship (MC had sex with 10th grade teacher), past infidelity, MC is an absentee father (didn’t know about daughter until she was 6 years old but has stayed uninvolved), adopted MC, character told to check condoms for holes (kind of a joke, kind of not but no condoms were tampered with), on page sex, D/s. impact play (not pre-negotiated), outdoor sex, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, cigarettes, Ecstasy, marijuana, casual ableism, homophobic insults, small penis insult, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction and suicide, Harry Potter reference, casual use of colonialist and appropriative Native language, use of “bulimia twins”, use of “cancer-boy” to describe smoker
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle)
Purchased: 2017
Of more concern, this has a multitude of issues, most particularly the baked-in racism and inclusion of the R-word not once but twice. The racial slurs and racism aren’t countered and weren’t necessary to the plot or characterization. Nor is there any justification for the Black Villain trope. McKenna certainly should have known better in 2011 when this was originally written. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of this author’s books in the past but this makes me less interested in delving any further into her backlist. This isn’t the first of her books to give me pause but it’s the most problematic one by far.
Characters: There are 12 contestants, plus Lenora, the Black emcee. Mac is a 25 year old white woman who works at her family’s outdoor adventure company. Pike is a 31 year old mixed race (Korean and white) Army medic. Ian is a white Scottish psych RN and amateur boxer. Daisey is a 39 year old white underwater welder and ex-Marine. Chloe is a white Canadian photojournalist and Domme. Rory is a white Kiwi musician who works at a cafe. Leah is a 23 year old mixed race woman and vegetarian. Greg is a 51 year old Black Zimbabwean. Marissa and Amanda are white women. Brad is a white man. Javier is a Hispanic man. This is set on The Ant Farm in Alaska.
Content notes: past child sexual and physical abuse , sexual harassment, gunshot wound, panic attack, claustrophobia, violent physical assault, drug assault, dubious consent , head injury and broken jaw, puncture wound, lacerations, hypothermia, neck scar from dog bite, needles (stitches, injection), nicotine withdrawal, racism (not countered), racial slurs (not countered) R-word (not countered), misogyny, sexism, toxic masculinity, slut-shaming, fatphobia, ageism, MC’s mom has cancer, MC accidentally killed grandmother (she told her to bring her her “medicine” when she was a kid), past attempted murder of stepfather, past acquittal for involuntary manslaughter (guest fell during climbing trip led by MC), past juvenile detention for arson, past death of parents (including murder), incarcerated parent, past dishonorable discharge from the Marines, past unethical teacher-student relationship (MC had sex with 10th grade teacher), past infidelity, MC is an absentee father (didn’t know about daughter until she was 6 years old but has stayed uninvolved), adopted MC, character told to check condoms for holes (kind of a joke, kind of not but no condoms were tampered with), on page sex, D/s. impact play (not pre-negotiated), outdoor sex, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, cigarettes, Ecstasy, marijuana, casual ableism, homophobic insults, small penis insult, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction and suicide, Harry Potter reference, casual use of colonialist and appropriative Native language, use of “bulimia twins”, use of “cancer-boy” to describe smoker
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle)
Purchased: 2017
September 28, 2019
It was ok in the "hunger game" kind of book. There is things I didn't get : they were all volunters at that game but nobody really enjoy it, well not the MC anyway, what the hell were they doing there then?
My favorite character was Ian, and for some reason, evrybody hated him and traeted him like the divil incarned... without reason really!
Well for that, 3*. Nice read alltogether.
My favorite character was Ian, and for some reason, evrybody hated him and traeted him like the divil incarned... without reason really!
Well for that, 3*. Nice read alltogether.
September 12, 2017
More supense / horror than erotica but interesting. Not going to be a re-read for me, though.
September 25, 2017
Very good. wonderful collection of characters and a twisted and complex plot.
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