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Love Game
Can a player on the court be a keeper at home?
Elle's love language is food. But finding the right kind of work in her industry is difficult. After multiple different stints and temporary work, she lands her dream role: a personal chef to huge tennis star, Nicky Salco. It's just a bonus that he's handsome and athletic...but totally off limits.
The pressure is on, and not just in the kitchen. As Nicky trains for hours on the court for Wimbledon, Elle treads carefully around his brutally judgemental fiancée, while also trying to ignore her own boyfriend's cheating habits.
But the temperature rises when Nicky's training leads him to get hungry late at night and Elle is the one tasked with keeping his belly full. Despite being worlds apart, their late night rendezvous seem to lead to more than they intended.
Should they risk the lives they have already built, for the lives they truly want?
Elle's love language is food. But finding the right kind of work in her industry is difficult. After multiple different stints and temporary work, she lands her dream role: a personal chef to huge tennis star, Nicky Salco. It's just a bonus that he's handsome and athletic...but totally off limits.
The pressure is on, and not just in the kitchen. As Nicky trains for hours on the court for Wimbledon, Elle treads carefully around his brutally judgemental fiancée, while also trying to ignore her own boyfriend's cheating habits.
But the temperature rises when Nicky's training leads him to get hungry late at night and Elle is the one tasked with keeping his belly full. Despite being worlds apart, their late night rendezvous seem to lead to more than they intended.
Should they risk the lives they have already built, for the lives they truly want?
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Published May 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
April 29, 2024
3 Passionfruit Cheesecake Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
Okay. This book is the epitome of sometimes you don't get what you are expecting. I am not going to lie and say based on the blurb I was hoping for a cute little awkward love story of a chef and pro tennis player put into a forced proximity situation. Nowhere did I expect such a focus to be on cheating and feeling tied to a relationship because of a personal debt to that relationship and how these characters navigate out of that situation.
So this book follows Elle who has recently become the personal chef to Nikki Salvo, a professional tennis player with a slight temper problem. He also has a weird condition where he has to wake up in the middle of the night and eat food. So Elle is hired to be his personal chef and make sure that he is fed at 2 a.m. and while she tries to keep it strictly professional, he just can't keep his hands off of her even though he has a fiance.
Now, Elle is sweet and timid and in a rut. She has just left her cheating boyfriend who never took his time to actually give her a proper orgasm, and is alone, as her only family (her sister) lives in Spain. She is incredibly hard on herself and doesn't value or see her worth because of what has happened. She is vulnerable and forms a bond with Nikki, and soon her little crush develops into feelings and she acts on them knowing that he is attached to somebody else even if his fiance (McKenzie) is the literal spawn of satan, an awful spoilt bitch who totally views Nikki as an accessory and label that gives her clout, over an actual man with feelings.
Overall I don't really care that this book contains the cheating trope (However if you don't like this trope you won't like this book so don't pick it up and then bash it because of it) Sometimes there are stories where it happens. You don't necessarily have to approve of it in real life to enjoy the book. But the thing was, it was not the cheating that made this fall flat for me, it was that I think Elle deserves more from a man and Nicky was too unlikable for most of the book to persuade me otherwise.
It is these types of books that I actually despise being a first-person because the portrayal of Nikki and his side of the story was severely lacking and because you aren't in his mind, seeing him process - he just seems like an awful character. While he does redeem himself in the end, most of the book he is a horny selfish boy who doesn't respect Elle's boundaries or feelings and he is too scared to lose what has been handed to him. It's only on the threat of this loss that he changes his actions. He was just childish and unlikable and I didn't like that he didn't know how to stand up for himself. Overall he was a coward towards standing up for himself with regards to his sport and standing up against McKenzie, and finally - a coward for not fighting for Elle sooner! Overall I just didn't like him.
I did however absolutely adore Elle. I really loved her growth and how she was able to set boundaries for herself, set boundaries for Nikki, and really intrinsically think of what she needed in life to make her happy and what was good for her.
One problem that I had with this was that the pacing felt off. There's a lot of time passing where I wish we could see a little bit more of the development of the two characters and how Nikki fell in love with her. I saw more of how side characters fell in love with each other than the progression of Nikki and Elle. This is because there are a lot scenes thrown in, passages that explain time passing and references to things that had happened, but we weren't shown those aspects happening overall. You are told and have to believe and not shown.
Trope Summary:
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Sports Romance
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Secrets and Lies
▶ Secret Pining
▶ Chef X Tennis Star
▶ Cheating
In the end, I love that Elle had a chance to grow and find happiness, I appreciate that Nikki was able to get his head out of his ass and realize what a selfish child he was being and shape up for Elle and prove to her what she means to him.
Thank you NetGalley, Emma Rae and Hera Books for the gifted ARC Copy
All thoughts and opinions are my own
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
Okay. This book is the epitome of sometimes you don't get what you are expecting. I am not going to lie and say based on the blurb I was hoping for a cute little awkward love story of a chef and pro tennis player put into a forced proximity situation. Nowhere did I expect such a focus to be on cheating and feeling tied to a relationship because of a personal debt to that relationship and how these characters navigate out of that situation.
So this book follows Elle who has recently become the personal chef to Nikki Salvo, a professional tennis player with a slight temper problem. He also has a weird condition where he has to wake up in the middle of the night and eat food. So Elle is hired to be his personal chef and make sure that he is fed at 2 a.m. and while she tries to keep it strictly professional, he just can't keep his hands off of her even though he has a fiance.
Now, Elle is sweet and timid and in a rut. She has just left her cheating boyfriend who never took his time to actually give her a proper orgasm, and is alone, as her only family (her sister) lives in Spain. She is incredibly hard on herself and doesn't value or see her worth because of what has happened. She is vulnerable and forms a bond with Nikki, and soon her little crush develops into feelings and she acts on them knowing that he is attached to somebody else even if his fiance (McKenzie) is the literal spawn of satan, an awful spoilt bitch who totally views Nikki as an accessory and label that gives her clout, over an actual man with feelings.
Overall I don't really care that this book contains the cheating trope (However if you don't like this trope you won't like this book so don't pick it up and then bash it because of it) Sometimes there are stories where it happens. You don't necessarily have to approve of it in real life to enjoy the book. But the thing was, it was not the cheating that made this fall flat for me, it was that I think Elle deserves more from a man and Nicky was too unlikable for most of the book to persuade me otherwise.
It is these types of books that I actually despise being a first-person because the portrayal of Nikki and his side of the story was severely lacking and because you aren't in his mind, seeing him process - he just seems like an awful character. While he does redeem himself in the end, most of the book he is a horny selfish boy who doesn't respect Elle's boundaries or feelings and he is too scared to lose what has been handed to him. It's only on the threat of this loss that he changes his actions. He was just childish and unlikable and I didn't like that he didn't know how to stand up for himself. Overall he was a coward towards standing up for himself with regards to his sport and standing up against McKenzie, and finally - a coward for not fighting for Elle sooner! Overall I just didn't like him.
I did however absolutely adore Elle. I really loved her growth and how she was able to set boundaries for herself, set boundaries for Nikki, and really intrinsically think of what she needed in life to make her happy and what was good for her.
One problem that I had with this was that the pacing felt off. There's a lot of time passing where I wish we could see a little bit more of the development of the two characters and how Nikki fell in love with her. I saw more of how side characters fell in love with each other than the progression of Nikki and Elle. This is because there are a lot scenes thrown in, passages that explain time passing and references to things that had happened, but we weren't shown those aspects happening overall. You are told and have to believe and not shown.
Trope Summary:
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Sports Romance
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Secrets and Lies
▶ Secret Pining
▶ Chef X Tennis Star
▶ Cheating
In the end, I love that Elle had a chance to grow and find happiness, I appreciate that Nikki was able to get his head out of his ass and realize what a selfish child he was being and shape up for Elle and prove to her what she means to him.
Thank you NetGalley, Emma Rae and Hera Books for the gifted ARC Copy
All thoughts and opinions are my own
June 20, 2024
This was so bad and I regret not dnfing it. But we're here and I say don't read the book. Especially if you don't like cheating and just bad people as main characters.
The romance was not love but lust and the attempt to make their affair okay by implying that his fiancé was a bitch is just a cheap call, it doesn't make your actions any better. ]
I don't want to read about a fmc who doesn't even respect herself and I sure as hell don't swoon over a man child who is too dumb to make himself a sandwich after midnight, cheats, has anger issues and no balls to break of his engagement...
The romance was not love but lust and the attempt to make their affair okay by implying that his fiancé was a bitch is just a cheap call, it doesn't make your actions any better. ]
I don't want to read about a fmc who doesn't even respect herself and I sure as hell don't swoon over a man child who is too dumb to make himself a sandwich after midnight, cheats, has anger issues and no balls to break of his engagement...
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May 10, 2024First off, thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
To be frank, I didn’t enjoy this at all. Why were there like 3 cheating tropes…It just felt so wrong…I was so stressed out for them and just questioning everything…I liked the idea of the story at the start but I got so thrown off by the cheating. Definitely did not sit right with me.
I was really hoping I would like this book but I just couldn’t…Disappointed.
Note: This review has temporarily been posted on Goodreads without a rating, as I am aware that certain publishers/authors do not want any ratings under 4 stars to be posted before the book is released.
To be frank, I didn’t enjoy this at all. Why were there like 3 cheating tropes…It just felt so wrong…I was so stressed out for them and just questioning everything…I liked the idea of the story at the start but I got so thrown off by the cheating. Definitely did not sit right with me.
I was really hoping I would like this book but I just couldn’t…Disappointed.
Note: This review has temporarily been posted on Goodreads without a rating, as I am aware that certain publishers/authors do not want any ratings under 4 stars to be posted before the book is released.
July 21, 2024
I came across ‘Love Game’ in a rather dubious manner: it was portrayed as a hot!new!summer!read! by my local library in rural Buckinghamshire, and I was desperate enough for any type of romantic pallet cleanser between a few fantasy novels.
I am by no means a romance hater, and this book’s whole blurb was about how it’s a rival for Ali Hazelwood’s books.
Alas, to say that it was a disappointment was to put it mildly. And furthermore as far as I can see, this book usually retails for 10£, and that in itself is daylight robbery.
First of all - it’s both boring and spectacularly bad, almost like a natural disaster that you can’t look away from. I had to check if the author was actually English - as she fails to present anything that would remotely suggest she knows anything about life in England. To start off - she brutally takes me out of the story at the very start, when our heroine gets a DBS check WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE, QUICKLY AND ONLY WITH HER PASSPORT run via an employment agency that paces her with a famous person. That, my friends, is fully illegal. And something that you could have checked with a simple google search. Still, these little inaccuracies are the absolute least of the problems.
The whole storyline is about cheating, cheating and breaking up a relationship because you just want him more, because you love him better, because the other woman does not like you, and because the other woman’s partner is not preforming well in his chosen sport, so that is naturally her fault. Our hero, other than being a cheater and a horrible human, has anger issues, bad manners, a temper, is prone to jealousy and fits and goes around breaking furniture. He is one scary dude and should be no woman’s dream. Still, as our heroine starts this book as someone who is silently SA-ed-by-proxy in full detail by her cheating boyfriend - and we get to spend time in her head as she dissociates from the sexual exploitation that she endures in order to not be homeless. This is by no means addressed or called SA, it’s just a usual Tuesday- a girl must keep silent and preform for her misogynist live in partner if he is paying for the rent. That’s the world of women, eh? And of course, then, once you become a private chef - be sure to spend the whole book pining and shmexing your engaged employer who is the holder of your work visa. At one point in the book, he directly says he thinks he should FIRE HER (as in, break a bloody contract) because he can’t stay away. If the hero was not athletic!hot!sexy! this book would just be a grim non fiction about sexual slavery and exploitation.
Of course, the heroine is in no way free of blame - being cheated on herself, nothing stops her from being on a high horse about the other woman. And other than being pushy and territorial with someone who is trying to take her partner of some 15+ years, the OW is a rich, educated entrepreneur who hires and promotes other women (specifically women of color, as one plays a rather prominent role in the book and is the hero’s personal assistant) and generally has no problem with women being around or working with her man. She just has a very real problem with our heroine.
Our heroine is ‘not like other girs’ - humble roots to humble looks, that’s her. And since she’s real like that, it gives her the free pass to wreck relationships. If you wish upon a star enough - you’ll find the justification.
The author tries to clean this up by calling the OW spoiled - for having nice clothes or wanting to go to dinners or spend Sundays with her partner (?) - and even goes so far as to give her an affair of her own, which made zero sense given that the other man is also successful and she herself is a celebrity designer and Miami IT girl. The whole book has the hero horribly failing at being a good tennis payer (the way he is consistently beaten at opening games, there is no way he is in the pro 50 of any sort), so I am not too sure why it would even be prestigious to marry a failing sportsman who’s whole career is being funded by your family’s empire. The OW made a clean break, and she deserved it.
The same can be said of the heroine and her future: she is in for a grand time now that she has ‘gotten her man’ and she fully deserves it - if that man child can give someone anything but a painful divorce when he gets into a life crisis, that would indeed be a fantasy novel in itself.
I will acknowledge that at times it felt like the author was making fun of her own storyline- as side characters are super vocal about how this is NOT love or anything good, ethical or in lieu of a happy ending. But the heroine is one for advice or reason, so all the criticism never manages to move itself out of the start zone.
And to add the cherry on top - the only POC starts most of her ‘enthusiastic’ sentences with ‘Giiiiiirrrrllllllll’. It’s twilight zone material all the way.
I am by no means a romance hater, and this book’s whole blurb was about how it’s a rival for Ali Hazelwood’s books.
Alas, to say that it was a disappointment was to put it mildly. And furthermore as far as I can see, this book usually retails for 10£, and that in itself is daylight robbery.
First of all - it’s both boring and spectacularly bad, almost like a natural disaster that you can’t look away from. I had to check if the author was actually English - as she fails to present anything that would remotely suggest she knows anything about life in England. To start off - she brutally takes me out of the story at the very start, when our heroine gets a DBS check WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE, QUICKLY AND ONLY WITH HER PASSPORT run via an employment agency that paces her with a famous person. That, my friends, is fully illegal. And something that you could have checked with a simple google search. Still, these little inaccuracies are the absolute least of the problems.
The whole storyline is about cheating, cheating and breaking up a relationship because you just want him more, because you love him better, because the other woman does not like you, and because the other woman’s partner is not preforming well in his chosen sport, so that is naturally her fault. Our hero, other than being a cheater and a horrible human, has anger issues, bad manners, a temper, is prone to jealousy and fits and goes around breaking furniture. He is one scary dude and should be no woman’s dream. Still, as our heroine starts this book as someone who is silently SA-ed-by-proxy in full detail by her cheating boyfriend - and we get to spend time in her head as she dissociates from the sexual exploitation that she endures in order to not be homeless. This is by no means addressed or called SA, it’s just a usual Tuesday- a girl must keep silent and preform for her misogynist live in partner if he is paying for the rent. That’s the world of women, eh? And of course, then, once you become a private chef - be sure to spend the whole book pining and shmexing your engaged employer who is the holder of your work visa. At one point in the book, he directly says he thinks he should FIRE HER (as in, break a bloody contract) because he can’t stay away. If the hero was not athletic!hot!sexy! this book would just be a grim non fiction about sexual slavery and exploitation.
Of course, the heroine is in no way free of blame - being cheated on herself, nothing stops her from being on a high horse about the other woman. And other than being pushy and territorial with someone who is trying to take her partner of some 15+ years, the OW is a rich, educated entrepreneur who hires and promotes other women (specifically women of color, as one plays a rather prominent role in the book and is the hero’s personal assistant) and generally has no problem with women being around or working with her man. She just has a very real problem with our heroine.
Our heroine is ‘not like other girs’ - humble roots to humble looks, that’s her. And since she’s real like that, it gives her the free pass to wreck relationships. If you wish upon a star enough - you’ll find the justification.
The author tries to clean this up by calling the OW spoiled - for having nice clothes or wanting to go to dinners or spend Sundays with her partner (?) - and even goes so far as to give her an affair of her own, which made zero sense given that the other man is also successful and she herself is a celebrity designer and Miami IT girl. The whole book has the hero horribly failing at being a good tennis payer (the way he is consistently beaten at opening games, there is no way he is in the pro 50 of any sort), so I am not too sure why it would even be prestigious to marry a failing sportsman who’s whole career is being funded by your family’s empire. The OW made a clean break, and she deserved it.
The same can be said of the heroine and her future: she is in for a grand time now that she has ‘gotten her man’ and she fully deserves it - if that man child can give someone anything but a painful divorce when he gets into a life crisis, that would indeed be a fantasy novel in itself.
I will acknowledge that at times it felt like the author was making fun of her own storyline- as side characters are super vocal about how this is NOT love or anything good, ethical or in lieu of a happy ending. But the heroine is one for advice or reason, so all the criticism never manages to move itself out of the start zone.
And to add the cherry on top - the only POC starts most of her ‘enthusiastic’ sentences with ‘Giiiiiirrrrllllllll’. It’s twilight zone material all the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2024
3.5🌟
It took me a few chapters to get over the main reason why she gets hired to cook for him. I thought that it was somewhat unrealistic and repetitive but as I kept reading it stopped bothering me and got to focus more on the actual plot.
The book overall was fast paced, entertaining and well written. The banter was also fun even though I would have enjoyed more conversation between the MCs so that I could feel a genuine connection.
In the beginning I really liked both characters but as the story progressed I couldn't ignore some of their actions and ended up loving every character except for the two main ones. I also think that there should be a warning due to SA (chapter five.)
It took me a few chapters to get over the main reason why she gets hired to cook for him. I thought that it was somewhat unrealistic and repetitive but as I kept reading it stopped bothering me and got to focus more on the actual plot.
The book overall was fast paced, entertaining and well written. The banter was also fun even though I would have enjoyed more conversation between the MCs so that I could feel a genuine connection.
In the beginning I really liked both characters but as the story progressed I couldn't ignore some of their actions and ended up loving every character except for the two main ones. I also think that there should be a warning due to SA (chapter five.)
June 14, 2025
I was really enjoying this book, I like this author's writing, I like the idea of the story, and I was very into the story.
But it became really hard to care about these characters and their relationship when it's based on cheating. It isn't like they start liking each other or falling in love with each other while they are in different relationships. They spent a good part of their relationship and their story while the MMC has a fiancée in the same house as them!! It’s very hard for me to like the main characters in a book that is supposed to be a cute romance who don't feel any guilt in doing what they are doing.
I got to 70% when I DNFed this book because I was getting on my nerves with this couple and their relationship.
But it became really hard to care about these characters and their relationship when it's based on cheating. It isn't like they start liking each other or falling in love with each other while they are in different relationships. They spent a good part of their relationship and their story while the MMC has a fiancée in the same house as them!! It’s very hard for me to like the main characters in a book that is supposed to be a cute romance who don't feel any guilt in doing what they are doing.
I got to 70% when I DNFed this book because I was getting on my nerves with this couple and their relationship.
March 23, 2025
Wimbledon (the film with Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst) is one of my favourites so I thought this would be a fun tennis related read. It was not. It was very very odd. The author sees no qualms with the main character sleeping with a man who is engaged to another woman (repeatedly). Like there is no mention of this being a bad thing! And there’s no effort to resolve it just sort of works itself out! I just didn’t get it. How are you meant to enjoy a romance book when the romance is cheating by both parties?! Not my kind of book.
August 13, 2024
i hated both of them and he was also shit at tennis
July 10, 2025
kind of unbearable
October 18, 2024
3.5
I was really enjoying this, the forced proximity, the tension, the banter was spot on but then it hit the third act tension and stayed there for far, far too long. The female main character who until that point had seemed genuine and authentic suddenly morphed into a crazed hermit. Then it finished up with an excruciating PDA. I loathe PDAs and this was the most arse clenching awkward one I’ve ever read. So the fact it’s still a 3.5 stars indicates this was an excellent read right up to that point.
I should add there’s lots of cheating in this but with other characters.
Available on ku.
I was really enjoying this, the forced proximity, the tension, the banter was spot on but then it hit the third act tension and stayed there for far, far too long. The female main character who until that point had seemed genuine and authentic suddenly morphed into a crazed hermit. Then it finished up with an excruciating PDA. I loathe PDAs and this was the most arse clenching awkward one I’ve ever read. So the fact it’s still a 3.5 stars indicates this was an excellent read right up to that point.
I should add there’s lots of cheating in this but with other characters.
Available on ku.
September 12, 2024
DNF due to cheating trope. It makes it even worse that the fmc was cheated on herself at the beginning of this book, but obviously it’s okay if you’re the other woman.
November 11, 2024
Review PENDING
July 24, 2024
don’t love the cheating and the typos killed me but very cute !!
December 29, 2024
Progressed way too fast and couldn’t get behind the cheating. Honestly skimmed this one just cuz I wanted to know what happens in the end. Bummer because I was excited for tennis romance lmao
August 13, 2024
Thanks to my friend for my ‘blind date with a book’. It came beautiful wrapped(so you don’t know what book you’re getting) from ‘The secret library’ with bookmark, bracelet and stickers. Easy to read book which I read really quickly. It isn’t a book I’d choose personally but I enjoyed it as a break from my usual picks.
June 25, 2025
This book had a good start and it was still quite an enjoyable read however the main characters were so annoying around the part of the third act breakup and I also despise the cheating/affair trope so bad
April 17, 2024
“No one will ever hold the same power over me that you do, Elle Caraway. I am a slave to your existence.”
-
⭐️⭐️⭐️
•forbidden love
•employer/employee
•forced proximity
•cheating (🥲)
Elle has a passion for cooking, but is having trouble finding the right job for her. She finally stumbles on the perfect temp job- personal chef to a famous tennis star, nikky salco.
Okay, ig I’m entering my romance era bc this book definitely kept me immersed 🙌 I devoured it in less than 24 hours ✋ let’s pretend like the cheating trope didn’t exist for a moment bc other than that, I really enjoyed this book.
I found elle very relatable. She struggles with self-worth and removing herself from a toxic relationship. She finally gets the shove she needs and does what is best for her. We love a queen who learns to stick up for herself 🤌
Okay, nikkyyyyy! He’s so friggin sweet to Elle. Like okay I’m quaking in my boots rn ✋ nikky struggles with balancing his personal and work life which leads to poor performance on the court and poor choices in his personal life. I definitely disliked some of his actions and wish he acted a little more mature at times.
The tension is THERE my friends 😮💨 I loveeee a forbidden love/forced proximity romance and this was givingggg. I was over here blushing 😚
“I tried to stay away,” he breathes against my mouth. “But I can’t stop. I can’t. You’re in my veins.”
Okay, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room… cheating 😭 guys I wanted so bad to rate this higher but I just can’t. Tell me why this girl goes from being cheated on to being the other woman. PLEASE ✋ There are so many parts where they try to justify it too. Like no babes, two wrongs don’t make a right 🥲
But, if you don’t mind the cheating trope, I definitely would give this book a try bc it’s got all the bones for a good book ❤️
-
⭐️⭐️⭐️
•forbidden love
•employer/employee
•forced proximity
•cheating (🥲)
Elle has a passion for cooking, but is having trouble finding the right job for her. She finally stumbles on the perfect temp job- personal chef to a famous tennis star, nikky salco.
Okay, ig I’m entering my romance era bc this book definitely kept me immersed 🙌 I devoured it in less than 24 hours ✋ let’s pretend like the cheating trope didn’t exist for a moment bc other than that, I really enjoyed this book.
I found elle very relatable. She struggles with self-worth and removing herself from a toxic relationship. She finally gets the shove she needs and does what is best for her. We love a queen who learns to stick up for herself 🤌
Okay, nikkyyyyy! He’s so friggin sweet to Elle. Like okay I’m quaking in my boots rn ✋ nikky struggles with balancing his personal and work life which leads to poor performance on the court and poor choices in his personal life. I definitely disliked some of his actions and wish he acted a little more mature at times.
The tension is THERE my friends 😮💨 I loveeee a forbidden love/forced proximity romance and this was givingggg. I was over here blushing 😚
“I tried to stay away,” he breathes against my mouth. “But I can’t stop. I can’t. You’re in my veins.”
Okay, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room… cheating 😭 guys I wanted so bad to rate this higher but I just can’t. Tell me why this girl goes from being cheated on to being the other woman. PLEASE ✋ There are so many parts where they try to justify it too. Like no babes, two wrongs don’t make a right 🥲
But, if you don’t mind the cheating trope, I definitely would give this book a try bc it’s got all the bones for a good book ❤️
April 21, 2024
✨Review✨
I started this book this morning… if that tells you anything..
I have not been able to put this one down. My emotions are all over the place from this read. I was enthralled. I wanted to scream and yell, I wanted to hug Elle, and I wanted to smack Mackenzie and Nicky. But then I wanted squeal because my favorites got their HEA.
This is a workplace romance, a forbidden love, sports romance. There is cheating, there is really just a lot going on, but I was sucked in. @emmarae.author this is gold!! Im so grateful to have read this ARC, and cannot wait for its release day!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
I started this book this morning… if that tells you anything..
I have not been able to put this one down. My emotions are all over the place from this read. I was enthralled. I wanted to scream and yell, I wanted to hug Elle, and I wanted to smack Mackenzie and Nicky. But then I wanted squeal because my favorites got their HEA.
This is a workplace romance, a forbidden love, sports romance. There is cheating, there is really just a lot going on, but I was sucked in. @emmarae.author this is gold!! Im so grateful to have read this ARC, and cannot wait for its release day!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
October 30, 2024
This is a hard book for me to review. I loved the concept and the overall storyline, however, I think the final product could use a little additional work. Granted, not a lot, but some last-minute changes might just give it an extra star rating.
Here we have a story of Elle, someone who has been unhappy in her recent relationship (who also happens to be cheating on her) and has recently been laid off from her job. While Elle didn't start off by being passionate about food, she stumbled into the career of being a chef and has become passionate about it. Through this new line of work, she meets Nick Salco, a professional tennis player, when she is hired as his personal chef. Nicky is always surrounded by an entourage of people, from his assistant, coach and training partner as well as his fiancé. However, he is not happy with his current life situation and his tennis game is suffering from it. Elle and Nicky spend a lot of time together and start to fall in love. However, Elle is reluctant to get involved with Nicky as she does not want to be the other woman. This forbidden attraction and late-night encounters are eating at Elle, especially because she was recently cheated on by her previous boyfriend. Nick is not happy with his fiancé but feels trapped in the relationship and his situation and can't leave her, despite wanting to be with Elle. They eventually part ways until Nicky can prove he is worthy of Elle.
The steamy love story was good, but I had some issues with the details. I didn't enjoy the cheating. While Elle did acknowledge her feelings about being the other woman, she still went along with it. And Nicky was aware that she was cheated on and still was ok with making her the other woman. As we get to know Elle, I understand why she didn't, or rather, I see how little self-worth she had for herself and wasn't in a position to demand the right respect from others. However, how can Nicky be so selfish as to flirt with Elle, pursue her and know that he isn't going to break things off with his fiancé?
While there are 31 chapters in the book, some chapters have breaks in them to indicate the change of story. Some of these breaks were just to let the reader know of some information that was deemed important. However, the chapters were just tidbits of information. They could have been rewritten to include that information in other areas of the story without having to add in that particular small section. It just added additional text and information in the story that could have been done differently. It made the story drag on in some parts.
I also wanted to point out that there are a few typos. Nothing that will take away from the story but there are a few that the reader should be aware of.
I did enjoy the secondary characters that are with Nick and Elle, however, Josie was a bit harsh at times and I didn't fully understand Rag and his attitude. Also, poor Oliver. I felt bad for the guy.
I enjoyed the book but I think this is one that I could have enjoyed as an audiobook even more than a reading book. While it was fine, it is not one that I would return to. I wish Elle had a bit more self-respect and confidence but she eventually got there.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an ARC copy and offer my feedback.
Here we have a story of Elle, someone who has been unhappy in her recent relationship (who also happens to be cheating on her) and has recently been laid off from her job. While Elle didn't start off by being passionate about food, she stumbled into the career of being a chef and has become passionate about it. Through this new line of work, she meets Nick Salco, a professional tennis player, when she is hired as his personal chef. Nicky is always surrounded by an entourage of people, from his assistant, coach and training partner as well as his fiancé. However, he is not happy with his current life situation and his tennis game is suffering from it. Elle and Nicky spend a lot of time together and start to fall in love. However, Elle is reluctant to get involved with Nicky as she does not want to be the other woman. This forbidden attraction and late-night encounters are eating at Elle, especially because she was recently cheated on by her previous boyfriend. Nick is not happy with his fiancé but feels trapped in the relationship and his situation and can't leave her, despite wanting to be with Elle. They eventually part ways until Nicky can prove he is worthy of Elle.
The steamy love story was good, but I had some issues with the details. I didn't enjoy the cheating. While Elle did acknowledge her feelings about being the other woman, she still went along with it. And Nicky was aware that she was cheated on and still was ok with making her the other woman. As we get to know Elle, I understand why she didn't, or rather, I see how little self-worth she had for herself and wasn't in a position to demand the right respect from others. However, how can Nicky be so selfish as to flirt with Elle, pursue her and know that he isn't going to break things off with his fiancé?
While there are 31 chapters in the book, some chapters have breaks in them to indicate the change of story. Some of these breaks were just to let the reader know of some information that was deemed important. However, the chapters were just tidbits of information. They could have been rewritten to include that information in other areas of the story without having to add in that particular small section. It just added additional text and information in the story that could have been done differently. It made the story drag on in some parts.
I also wanted to point out that there are a few typos. Nothing that will take away from the story but there are a few that the reader should be aware of.
I did enjoy the secondary characters that are with Nick and Elle, however, Josie was a bit harsh at times and I didn't fully understand Rag and his attitude. Also, poor Oliver. I felt bad for the guy.
I enjoyed the book but I think this is one that I could have enjoyed as an audiobook even more than a reading book. While it was fine, it is not one that I would return to. I wish Elle had a bit more self-respect and confidence but she eventually got there.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an ARC copy and offer my feedback.
May 15, 2024
Aside from the fact that the way of writing and describing the feelings and emotions that this writer has I did not particularly like, what ruined the novel for me anyway are all the cheating that fills it, but that's probably me being old fashioned.
A parte il fatto che il modo di scrivere e di descrivere i sentimenti e le emozioni che ha questa scrittrice non mi sono piaciuti particolarmente, quello che per me ha comunque rovinato il romanzo sono tutti i tradimenti che lo riempiono, ma probabilmente sono io che sono vecchio stile.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
A parte il fatto che il modo di scrivere e di descrivere i sentimenti e le emozioni che ha questa scrittrice non mi sono piaciuti particolarmente, quello che per me ha comunque rovinato il romanzo sono tutti i tradimenti che lo riempiono, ma probabilmente sono io che sono vecchio stile.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
May 25, 2024
2.5
This book frustrated me! I feel so conflicted about it, because on the one hand, the chemistry between Elle and Nicky was so so strong, and their passion for one another was undeniable, but on the other hand, I do really feel as though I was misled as to what this book would be about, and the amount of cheating that occurred in this book! It seemed as though everyone was cheating on someone at some point in the book, from Nicky to Mac to Tag - and I had a problem with almost all of it. I know that this as a trope isn't a dealbreaker for everyone, but I feel pretty strongly about it, and I know that many others do too, which is why I can't help but be disappointed that it was such a strong part of the storyling. I also didn't love Nicky or Elle massively as main characters - Nicky's ego and arrogance became rude at points, and Elle pining from home wasn't a strong look.
This book frustrated me! I feel so conflicted about it, because on the one hand, the chemistry between Elle and Nicky was so so strong, and their passion for one another was undeniable, but on the other hand, I do really feel as though I was misled as to what this book would be about, and the amount of cheating that occurred in this book! It seemed as though everyone was cheating on someone at some point in the book, from Nicky to Mac to Tag - and I had a problem with almost all of it. I know that this as a trope isn't a dealbreaker for everyone, but I feel pretty strongly about it, and I know that many others do too, which is why I can't help but be disappointed that it was such a strong part of the storyling. I also didn't love Nicky or Elle massively as main characters - Nicky's ego and arrogance became rude at points, and Elle pining from home wasn't a strong look.
May 18, 2024
'I'm faking another orgasm because I'm late for an interview'. This is the very first line of the book so I had high hopes from the start.
Elle is a chef and has the opportunity to be a personal chef for the very sexy Nicky Salco, a pro tennis player. Naturally they fall for each other but of course there are alot of obstacles in the way such as a fiance and Nicky's focus on winning a grand slam.
Unfortunately this book just frustrated the hell out of me, the getting it on then backing away, getting it on then backing away scenarios were just too annoying. I detested Elle with a passion, she was completely selfish and so immature when it came to sex. The naming of her vagina as her sex was just too much.
Elle is a chef and has the opportunity to be a personal chef for the very sexy Nicky Salco, a pro tennis player. Naturally they fall for each other but of course there are alot of obstacles in the way such as a fiance and Nicky's focus on winning a grand slam.
Unfortunately this book just frustrated the hell out of me, the getting it on then backing away, getting it on then backing away scenarios were just too annoying. I detested Elle with a passion, she was completely selfish and so immature when it came to sex. The naming of her vagina as her sex was just too much.
August 6, 2024
I absolutely loved Love Game! This captivating sports romance is a delightful mix of humor and passion. Elle, a private chef, starts cooking for Nicky Salco, a famous tennis player, and their late-night conversations over midnight snacks spark an irresistible connection.
Nicky Salco is definitely a top book boyfriend. His attention and devotion toward Elle are swoon-worthy, and the chemistry between them is electric.
Despite both being in relationships, their chemistry makes the cheating trope worthwhile. Nicky's heartfelt groveling and journey to redemption are especially satisfying. The close proximity and witty banter make this book a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good romance. ❤️❤️❤️
Nicky Salco is definitely a top book boyfriend. His attention and devotion toward Elle are swoon-worthy, and the chemistry between them is electric.
Despite both being in relationships, their chemistry makes the cheating trope worthwhile. Nicky's heartfelt groveling and journey to redemption are especially satisfying. The close proximity and witty banter make this book a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good romance. ❤️❤️❤️
April 19, 2024
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!
When I see a tennis trope I immediately think of Carrie Soto is back. I loved that book. To death. This was not that book.
The writing was decent and I loved how the story started. I don't care how terrible the MMC's fiancée was made out to be, cheating is never a trope that should be used. I also wish there was more character development so we could see who the characters actually were rather than just surface level. This could have been a great story.
When I see a tennis trope I immediately think of Carrie Soto is back. I loved that book. To death. This was not that book.
The writing was decent and I loved how the story started. I don't care how terrible the MMC's fiancée was made out to be, cheating is never a trope that should be used. I also wish there was more character development so we could see who the characters actually were rather than just surface level. This could have been a great story.
April 26, 2024
Tropes:
Forced proximity
Employee/employer
Sports romance
Cheating 😟
The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars was the fact it had cheating as a trope.
Another great tennis romance I’ve read lately. The FMC was really relatable (apart from her having an affair with an engaged man).
I liked the MMC and you could tell he struggled a bit mental health wise.
Third act breakup was written well and glad it had a HEA as it wouldn’t be a good romance book without one.
Forced proximity
Employee/employer
Sports romance
Cheating 😟
The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars was the fact it had cheating as a trope.
Another great tennis romance I’ve read lately. The FMC was really relatable (apart from her having an affair with an engaged man).
I liked the MMC and you could tell he struggled a bit mental health wise.
Third act breakup was written well and glad it had a HEA as it wouldn’t be a good romance book without one.
October 12, 2024
Forced proximity, forbidden love, boss x employee, all that good stuff. It was a cute read to help get me out of my reading slump, which worked (yay !)The writing seemed a bit all over the place like the author wasn’t sure where the story was going and i didn’t like how the timeline jumped around with the next chapter suddenly starting weeks in the future but other than that she was cute
March 5, 2025
3,5 ⭐️
April 12, 2024
3.75/5
✨️ Thank you Netgalley, Emma Rae and Hera Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ✨️
I was a bit sceptic going into this book mainly because the main character was being such a pushover in the beginning and I was scared it was going to be like that throughout the entire book but I'm happy to say that wasn't the case. Once the ex-boyfriend situation was (thankfully) taken cared of - even if I did wish it had involved a bit more of female rage and a little less agreeability - I was HOOKED. The female main character was interesting and it was very nice to see her grow (even in the most subtle ways) and her relationship with the male main character was the highlight of it all. They gave me BUTTERFLIES - and I'm not even one to like cheating in any shape or form, so that's saying something. To be honest, the forbidden aspect of it made their relationship even better.
I have to say I was a bit mad at the 3rd act breakup mainly because it didn't make a lot of sense to me (what do you mean you spend the entire book wishing the MMC would leave his fiancée but the moment he does you refuse to be with him because of what it implies?) but luckily that didn't last that long and the FMC soon regretted what he she did. I'm so happy with their happily ever after and this is one of those couples I wouldn't mind reading a fluffy extended epilogue about just to see them being happy together.
✨️ Thank you Netgalley, Emma Rae and Hera Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ✨️
I was a bit sceptic going into this book mainly because the main character was being such a pushover in the beginning and I was scared it was going to be like that throughout the entire book but I'm happy to say that wasn't the case. Once the ex-boyfriend situation was (thankfully) taken cared of - even if I did wish it had involved a bit more of female rage and a little less agreeability - I was HOOKED. The female main character was interesting and it was very nice to see her grow (even in the most subtle ways) and her relationship with the male main character was the highlight of it all. They gave me BUTTERFLIES - and I'm not even one to like cheating in any shape or form, so that's saying something. To be honest, the forbidden aspect of it made their relationship even better.
I have to say I was a bit mad at the 3rd act breakup mainly because it didn't make a lot of sense to me (what do you mean you spend the entire book wishing the MMC would leave his fiancée but the moment he does you refuse to be with him because of what it implies?) but luckily that didn't last that long and the FMC soon regretted what he she did. I'm so happy with their happily ever after and this is one of those couples I wouldn't mind reading a fluffy extended epilogue about just to see them being happy together.
Read
October 29, 2024*I definitely struggled with some aspects of this book. Elle is hired by a tennis pro to be his personal chef. The first thing I felt is off is that she has to prepare a full meal for Nicky in the middle of the night. He wakes up, eats, and goes back to sleep. His coach is never happy with this but they can’t get him to break this routine. I can’t imagine this would be conducive to great training for a professional athlete of Nicky’s calibre so I found this very odd. During Nicky’s middle of the night eating Elle and Nicky connect and he seems to want them to have some sort of romantic relationship. This is problematic because he is engaged and his fiancé is usually travelling with him while he’s on tour. He alludes things aren’t necessarily what they seem but never really comes clean with Elle while leading her on. I found this very off putting. What I did like about the book is the tennis. I follow tennis and really enjoyed the tennis aspects of the book. So while some aspects of the book definitely didn’t work for me I did enjoy other parts.
June 24, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this title.
Elle is in a rut. She has a cheating boyfriend, no job, and no way out. Luckily, a pro tennis player at Wimbledon needs a personal chef. He has some odd requests, but nothing that desperate Elle isn't more than willing to oblige. However, the more time they spend together, the more they start to need each other.
I thought this was crazy cute. This is really more like a 3.25⭐. I really do love the characters (especially Syd from my home-state of Georgia). I love everything about the story except for the cheating aspect. I get it. But cheating is just soooooo icky. If they had done it without the cheating, it would have easily been a 4⭐ book.
Elle is in a rut. She has a cheating boyfriend, no job, and no way out. Luckily, a pro tennis player at Wimbledon needs a personal chef. He has some odd requests, but nothing that desperate Elle isn't more than willing to oblige. However, the more time they spend together, the more they start to need each other.
I thought this was crazy cute. This is really more like a 3.25⭐. I really do love the characters (especially Syd from my home-state of Georgia). I love everything about the story except for the cheating aspect. I get it. But cheating is just soooooo icky. If they had done it without the cheating, it would have easily been a 4⭐ book.
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