William Drake is an artistic genius with a photographic memory and the intensity to master practically any task. Oh, and he owns a chunk of a billion-dollar gaming company. A twenty-six year-old guy with his wealth, talent, and good looks shouldn’t have problems winning over women. Except he does. To be exact—and detail-obsessed William is always exact—he’s got problems with Jenna Kovac, the troubled beauty who has his heart working overtime and his tongue tied in knots.
And she can’t afford to lose.
Jenna Kovac is a survivor. When war ripped her world apart, she lost her family, her homeland, and her one true love. She’s made a new life for herself in the US, but she’s learned that nothing is permanent, and some nights it’s not even safe to dream. When a scumbag sells her future out from under her, suddenly the only man who can get it back is William Drake, geeky—but scorching-hot—social disaster. William must learn to stay cool under pressure for the all-important duel he’s about to fight. Unless she can teach him to loosen up, she’ll lose everything. Again.
But Jenna’s got a few things to learn from this irresistibly enigmatic man. As they spend time together, they’re soon exchanging long, slow kisses—and painful secrets. There’s so much more to William.
Something that might be worth taking one more risk…
★✩★✩★ Signup for Brenna's mailing list for all the exclusives ★✩★✩★: http://brenna.news Smart is Sexy Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories. Her debut novel, At Any Price, is currently free on all platforms. Her books are on over a million e-readers worldwide. They've also been translated into German, French, Italian, Dutch and adapted into an interactive app game!
She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. She currently resides on the west coast of the US with her husband and children (both human and furry).
Reading Order THE POINT OF NO RETURN SERIES available now! High Risk High Reward
I was eagerly anticipating this release because of William. From the past books, I figured he was on the autism spectrum and I'm all for a romance book that has mental health so front and center. William has Aspergers. And I think Brenna did a fantastic job of capturing William's social difficulties and need for routine. William can obviously come across as rude and abrupt, especially when he can't look people in the eye(in case you didn't know, eye contact can be really intense and overwhelming). But he's also really driven, caring and wonderful to the people he loves. All and all William is a great character. Jenna no so much. It's unfortunate that this book is told in alternating POVs because I will admit to having to skip through some of Jenna's inner thoughts. Jenna's supposed to come across as this compassionate wonder type. But I just saw her as a bitch. She starts off using William(which of course he doesn't see because of obvious reasons and also being in love with her). Then as she gets to know him and understand that he has autism she fails to take that into consideration when talking to him. William speaks his mind and doesn't understand metaphors and the like, and so many times Jenna is quick to just tell him he's pissing her off when doesn't get what she's saying. I can understand being frustrated but you have to keep William's emotions in mind. AND my biggest issue was how she was constantly pushing him to have sex. William is wonderful and steadfast in his desire to not have sex with Jenna knowing she's not sticking around. Yet Jenna just keeps pushing him and saying it's just sex. Well to him it isn't. God, she just all around pissed me off. Especially the ending after the "fall out". Just UGH! So well I loved William and wished for someone much better for him, that's not what happened. Jenna and her terrible personality definitely hindered my enjoyment of the book.
This was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is the sixth book in the Gaming the System series, and it is just as good as the rest of the series. Brenna Aubrey just knows how to make you care about characters. For example, I wasn't that thrilled that this book was going to be William's story because I just couldn't relate to him in the previous books, but Aubrey definitely made him outshines the other male characters --Adam and Jordan-- in this series.
William is a type of male character that I don't see a lot in NA fiction, and I'm not saying this because he is autistic. I'm saying that he is different because he is straight forward. He means what he says, and he is very literal. I feel like most guys like to beat around the bush and play games, so it was refreshing for William to be different.
Jenna, the female main character, was also a breath of fresh air. Just like April --main female character in For the Win-- Jenna is comfortable with her sexuality, and she embraces the way she is. She is very free-spirited and wild, but she also has depth. That's another thing I completely love about Brenna Aubrey's writing, she knows how to create characters with depth.
The setting of the story was very medieval, but in a modern setting. It's hard to explain but rest assure that if you like knights, sword fights, and princesses this book will be very appealing to you. I love how every book in this series has some type of nerdy factor to it. This one has some D&D as well as role playing. Aubrey makes sure to explain the process of the games, just in case the reader has no clue how to play said games. I greatly appreciated that because I haven't had the chance to play them.
This is still one of my most adored/loved New Adult Series! I can't wait for the next book in the series because I love all of these characters to no end!
BOOK REVIEW | FOR THE ONE by BRENNA AUBREY: Video Link Coming Soon!
As an author myself I tend to shy away from leaving reviews for other authors unless I absolutely, unequivocally freaking love the book. Well, Aubrey has yet to disappoint me with one of her books, but THIS one (For the One) just absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. I spent two days immersed in this crazy medieval role playing culture with a man with Aspergers and a Bosnian war refugee with commitment issues. I had no idea that I would be sucked into this world and completely fall for these characters like I did. Truly, that's the sign of a great author. My heart pounded and skipped a beat as William, who has no guile whatsoever, turns to Jenna and says "Yes. You are beautiful. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." And Jenna: He's said it with quiet intensity in a matter-of-fact tone as if stating that the sky is undeniably blue. So Aubrey's prose is equally, undeniably and simply intense. "I turn and gaze into those beautiful blue eyes, no longer afraid of invading her soul." Well, For the One invaded my soul, that's for sure. A simply true, heart-pounding, deliciously romantic story!
This is the fifth book in the series, for the most part I have enjoyed books. There have been some aspects of the characters that were frustrating, especially the women. The women come off as only being concerned only with themselves and their own issues. Mia was in complete denial; you auctioned off your virginity, you are prostituting yourself. Then lying to everyone about what is wrong with her and getting mad when Adam draws the wrong conclusions based on the information he has because she won’t talk to him. April was better but she was so spineless and used that as an excuse to allow bullying and potentially dangerous scenarios to continue. Jenna is the worst, her character made this book so difficult to read. Which is seriously disappointed because I looked forward to hearing William’s story and hoped he would have someone that was patient and understanding.
Aubrey tells this story of William a virgin in his mid twenties, with abandonment issues, waiting to have sex with the single right woman. Then there is Jenna, who is afraid of commitment, because of past trauma, but she needs William’s help. Jenna learns not only that William has abandonment issues but is also a virgin, and on the autism spectrum. She needs his help, she starts spending more and more time with him under the pretense of helping him with his crowd issues. Jenna is attracted to William, wants to have sex with but no commitment. William tells her blatantly that he will not have sex with her without commitment. Instead of respecting his wishes, Jenna takes it as a challenge to “pop his cherry.” Each time Jenna spends time with William she pushes the boundaries further.
Aubrey even has Jenna thinking that William is a man and could only hold out on sex for so long and she would wear him down until he has sex with her, even though she has no intention of sticking around. Jenna is manipulative and crossing the line to abusive. She pushes for sex every chance she can. She listens to him speak about his mother and how she abandoned him making him feel worthless. Jenna continues to tell him how amazing he is but still pushes for sex with the intention of ditching him. Jenna has no consideration for what William desires for his body.
This series has attempted to highlight some of the gender and sex double standards. But what the author fails to note is that there are double standards on both sides. Aubrey points out that a woman’s virginity has a high value in patriarchal societies. She notes that men are expected to lose their virginity at the first chance and should be congratulated. But Aubrey fails address the ridicule a man who chooses to hold onto his virginity faces. What I find truly wrong with this book is that because Jenna is a woman and is the one pushing for sex, it’s ok. Jenna is empowered and taking charge of her sexuality. However, if the Jenna and William were in each other position, the story would be taken entirely different. A woman wanting to hold on to her virginity for the right person and a man manipulating and pushing her to have sex until she gives because it feels good. I don’t think this book would have such a high rating then. This book really disgusted me. It is not ok for a man or woman to push for sex with total disregard to their partner’s wishes. William might have consented but it was under coercion.
I'm not sure why I pushed myself to finish this one. It was torture. The pace was too slow and I did not expect nor like the renaissance fair stuff. As for the characters, Jenna overreacted quite a bit and I couldn't really pinpoint her intentions. Her "realization" felt very sudden and insincere. As for William, part of the pacing problems were due to communication breakdowns. You would think people who knew him would already know how to talk to him in a way he would understand? Every time there was dialogue a character would say something that William took too literally, and then they'd have to explain themselves as to what they actually meant. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. I can understand slip-ups, but this was ridiculous. It's like they had never interacted with him before.
The LONG AWAITED book is here! And I've read it! And it was FABULOUS! Brenna has truly outdone herself yet again with her fifth book in the Gaming the System series, For the One. There is such an incredible complexity to both the hero and the heroine that required a lot of insight and understanding. I must say, this is not the first time I have said this. In previous installments there was so much realism and depth to what her characters had gone through in their unique situations that it blew me away! It was a very raw experience. This is exactly why this series sticks with me right to my bones. The first time I read the Gaming the System series was over a year ago and my mind continues to wander to these amazing characters as if they were old friends. I love it when that happens! It makes me crave more and more from the series and Brenna does not disappoint with each book that she releases. We get equal parts heartfelt, angst, determination, heartbreak and delicious steam!
William Drake is incredibly intelligent and equally intense. He has a photographic memory that gives him incredible focus to detail and the ability to master many artistic talents. He is in his mid-twenties, part owner of a billion-dollar gaming company and absolutely gorgeous! He should be winning over women and living it up in the prime of his life, but he is not. He is pretty inexperienced with women and socially awkward, to say the least. He is a member of high regard in a Renaissance and Medieval community where women make advances that are completely lost on him. When he falls for a woman at work, Jenna Kovac (also is a member of the medieval community), he wants desperately to talk to her, know her, and have her as his own. He just doesn't know how to get there.
Jenna Kovac has had a rough start in life. She is always in survival mode, protecting her heart and constantly moving froward and not looking back. She has lost a lot in her young life and avoiding close relationships and permanence is her way of protecting herself from loss and heartache. When someone takes away something incredibly precious to her, William makes it his mission to get it back for her, and he has a lot to lose in this feat. Will he succeed? Will he lose Jenna as well as his circle of friends in the Renaissance and Medieval Reenactment Alliance in the process?
The two come together to work on getting back her item that was taken from her and eventually fall hard for each other. They eventually both help each other deal with their painful pasts that they have both kept secret. Soon they realize that they are not so different. They both have pasts that directly effect their anxieties today. They may just be perfect for each other.
Except..... Jenna is terrified of staying in one place and allowing herself to settle into any relationship for fear of loss. When her greatest fear becomes a reality, she does exactly what her instincts scream for her to do ...run!
I absolutely adored William! He is incredibly masculine and sexy and has no clue. His vulnerability and innocence are both adorable and tantalizing! He is not without knowledge about how to get things done... not William. He aims to be educated in all things and with detail! The intimate scenes with William and Jenna are so well written they are amongst my favorite from any book.... and I got books! lol
I loved the theme and flow of this book. It's different from anything I have read so far. The Renaissance and Medieval community, the different cultures, the personalities and unique pasts... I could go on. I experienced so many emotions with these characters. There's nothing flat about this book. It was just an amazing experience that I have nothing to compare to! I can't wait to read it again as a buddy-read!
I come away feeling like I have met two more people that I hope to see again in the future. They are so very real to me and I have Brenna to thank for that! If you have not read this series you need to get on it!
* I received copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest and impartial review *
For the One, the next installment of the Gaming the System series follows the story of Adam's cousin, William and Mia's friend, Jenna. Instead of geeky gamers, the story revolves around a couple of Ren Festers. William has challenged Jenna's soon-to-be-ex to a duel.
A duel William loses on a technicality. Jenna's ex, Doug, has bought back a family heirloom from a pawn shop and is holding it hostage. William, who has feelings for Jenna, re-challenges Doug to another duel at an upcoming festival. If William wins, he gets the tiara back for Jenna; if he loses, he must separate himself from his Renaissance Faire friends.
William, has Aspberger's; he takes everything literally. His mother deserted him when he was young and he never forgave her for it. He feels unworthy of love and has trouble forgiving others who hurt her.
Jenna has her own set of problems. She can never stick around for long. Her relationships are short-lived. Her soulmate died when she was a teenager and her dad when she was little. She believes she is cursed and everyone she gets close to will die. William has trouble with crowds and Jenna has post-traumatic stress from growing up in war-torn Bosnia. She helps him with relaxation techniques and he tries to convince her to stay and build a life with him.
Ms. Aubrey has a knack for creating female characters I simultaneously love and want to strangle at the same time. Jenna is scared and I can definitely see why she always wants to take off, but IMO, William is the more vulnerable one and has so much more to lose. Although he is not completely like Forrest, she is as self-destructive as Jenny so I saw a lot of similarities in their story to this couple:
As usual Ms. Aubrey creates a great story that kept me turning pages and anxiously awaiting the next book.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
So good. So SOOOOO good. Best book I've read in a long time. Thanks to author Natasha Boyd for turning me on to it on her FB page.
I loved how the unique setting made what could have been a run of the mill romance more interesting. But more importantly, I was intrigued that the main character (William) has Asperger's Syndrome. Being the mom of an adolescent boy with Asperger's, and therefore a self-proclaimed expert on the subject, I always like to read about it. And with it being explored in my favorite genre, I had to read it. And I was blown away by how thoroughly and accurately William's condition was woven into his character. It was relentless, as it should be, because autism isn't something that takes a break here and there, as if there are "moments of lucidity" that give us glimpses into a person's true character. The autism IS the character. I hope that makes sense. Brenna Aubrey's characterization of William was SPOT ON. I have never highlighted so many lines in a book before, but they resonated deeply with me. Here are some examples...
Sometimes I wonder if everyone has the ability to read thoughts except for me. It feels like I’m deaf in some ways, missing half of what’s going on around me. I can’t tell what people’s faces and gestures are trying to say, what words they’re using that aren’t coming out of their mouth. It seems like another language, one I’m not familiar with.
“I’m sorry about the duel, man. I was really pulling for you.” “I didn’t need any pulling,” I reply, forcing away the mental image of him grabbing my arm and pulling it.
Then she says it. That phrase I hate more than anything else. “Look me in the eyes, Wil.” My stomach drops and I feel nauseous. I hate it when people tell me that. I hate it more than when they call me retard or Rain Man or whatever else I’ve been called. Because the people who say this to me are not my enemies. They are people I care about— my friends, even my family.
If I expect something, I don’t handle the disappointment well when it doesn’t happen.
I blinked, my eyes stinging as I felt that pain and confusion of a child trying to sort things out, overwhelmed by all the sensory input being forced on him.
I instinctively step back, not because I dislike hugs, but I don’t take surprise hugs very well. It’s startling when people reach out to grab me without advance notice.
His gaze shifts to the ceiling again. I wonder if there’s something up there— a bug or a spider. “Dude, throw me a bone here,” he says. Images zip through my mind— a pirate flag with skull and crossbones, a dog carrying a bone in his mouth, a pile of dinosaur bones. “What?”
No guile, no pretense. No pretty, honeyed words to try and get what he wanted. I could trust William because he’d always tell me exactly what was on his mind.
Sometimes he was so innocent that it pierced me to the core.
I briefly muse that it would be great if everyone wore helmets and visors in real life so that eye contact wouldn’t be as important to neurotypicals as it is now.
Aubrey, Brenna. For The One (Gaming The System Book 5) (Kindle Location 4332). Silver Griffon Associates. Kindle Edition.
Even if this book didn't have the medieval festival setting (they do this festival stuff on the weekends) and a duel that was meant to be more than a re-enactment, even if it wasn't about an autistic character, it was still a moving story about a woman filled with grief and self-doubt who was born in the middle of a war in Bosnia, in love with a man from Southern California who is flawed - and by that I don't mean flawed by having autism, either. The writing was superb and I cried, therefore it must go on my all time favorites shelf. Must read the rest of the series very soon.
I love reading romance novels featuring autistic characters (when they're done correctly, of course. I hate when authors put mentally/physically ill characters in their books and completely misrepresent them), I especially loved William, he was such an amazing character to read, he obviously had some communication issues because of his Aspergers, but overall he was definitely a 5 star character. Unfortunately, my review is 3 start because of the heroine, Jenna (who'sa 0.5 star character).
I understood that she had been through a lot throughout the past few years but I don't feel that grants her a pass to treat William the way she did. She was so difficult to connect to and I honestly started to hate her more and more as I read further into the book. The fact that she was using him to get her tiara back, pressuring him to have sex with her knowing that he wanted a long term relationship, as well as yelling and getting annoyed at him for things he couldn't control (even though he explained to her that he often takes things literally but of course she doesn't care because all of this is short term and she doesn't bother to get to know him well) made her unbearable. I honestly don't know how William thought she was beautiful inside and the most caring person he'd ever met. To me she was beyond selfish and one of the most uncaring person I've read about - none of her "kind" acts could make up for it, especially when William needed her most and she was too caught up in her pity party of the potential of getting hurt again, that she left him hanging and started to pack everything up to leave (AFTER she told him she LOVED him and would subdue her flighty nature and stay with him). Does this sound like a woman who is in love? Or a woman who's SO caring and kind that she's an angel? No. I'm sorry, this is a pathetic woman who needs to grow up and get out of her own head and realize that there are people who have it worse. But seeing how she treats friends and the man she claims to love, I doubt she'll care about getting some perspective.
Yes, I know this is a fictional character, but the fact that she doesn't even have character growth by the end of the book makes her a weak fictional character, and I'm not fond of reading about those types of characters.
She remained stuck in her own mind and refused to leave. She did not deserve William, and that didn't change even after the ending.
I also couldn't get over the fact that the other characters knew about William's Aspergers yet they continued to use metaphors and figurative language knowing William would take them literally. I just don't believe that they were at all close as a family, in fact I have a hard time believing they care enough to adjust to William's thinking. It was annoying to read.
Regardless of the heroine and secondary characters nuances, I did enjoy the setting of this book and thought it very unique. Unfortunately though, because of those characters I had to give this book a 2.5-3 stars when it easily had the potential of being a 5 star book.
**I was given an ARC of ‘For The One’ by the author in exchange for an honest review** A 4.5 star review...
Having read the rest of the Gaming the System series I was looking forward to William's story, even though I was a bit apprehensive... We met William throughout the series and I knew he was portrayed to be on the Aspergers Spectrum, I wasn't sure on how an adult themed relationship would come across, being classed as a mental disorder it's a very sensitive topic and I'm sure everyone has their own associations and experiences with it, as do I... but I was pleasantly surprised by how Brenna tackled it...
This installment was another hot and steamy notch on Brenna's bedpost... taking a sweet, honorable, innocent and sometimes frustratingly naive guy and turning him into a desirable hunk of a man… William is straight forward, says what he means and perceives everything very literally which means no games and a sensible attitude, sounds boring right?... nope, his honest proclamations left me swooning!
I had mixed feelings for Jenna which is mostly the reason it didn't get full marks... she was such a contradictory character and her flaws weren't just minor, they majorly affected her and ultimately William... there were parts of the story where I totally felt where she was coming from, I was filled with empathy, but on the other hand I also felt William needed protecting... she might have had a good heart when it came to helping out others, but she was relentlessly selfish when it came to him…
From the start of this story I was glued to the page, in my opinion Brenna’s writing is on par with the likes of Colleen Hoover, Jamie McGuire and Abbi Glines… Adult Contemporary Romance doesn’t get much better than this, eliciting overwhelming emotions that made my heart rate beat triple time, smiles, laughs and tears … I also love the themes in this series… something nerdy for us fan-girls to squee about… this one was knights, princesses, duels and medieval garb with some D&D thrown in there… it brought me back to my youth haha!
Can’t wait for the next one, Mia and Adam’s wedding… so excited
4 stelle e mezzo Io adoro questa serie, vi consiglio di leggere tutti i libri! Will è un protagonista maschile insolito, ma è riuscito a conquistarmi lo stesso. Gli ingredienti di questo romanzo: una bella storia, personaggi con un certo vissuto, dolcezza, romanticismo, sensualità, commozione! Con l'aggiunta di qualche passione da nerd e un torneo medievale, ma del resto tutti i personaggi di questa serie sono dei nerd a modo loro!
Gaming the System reviews: At Any Price ❤❤❤❤ here At Any Turn ❤❤ here At Any Moment ❤❤❤ here For the win ❤❤❤❤ here For the One ❤❤❤❤ See below! Worth Any Cost ❤❤ here
Bonus books: At Any Price Bonus (bonus chapter) ❤❤❤ here
Welcome to Gaming the System
Yet again the story has a nerdy feel of it. This time it’s all about re-enactment and Dungeons & Dragons role play. But Brenna’s amazing creativity does keep it modern and she’s really great at explaining the process behind each game, so it shouldn’t be hard to keep up if you don’t have any experience with either.
I was actually a bit gutted that Brenna was going to write a story for William. I know he’s popped up here and there, through the first five books. But somehow, I hadn’t managed to connect with him. So, I can’t say that I was looking forward to this one and I dreaded that it might be one of those instalments that I’d suffer through in order to get to the next one.
Brenna is absolutely acing the character creation and development in this book! William, Adam’s cousin, and Jenna, one of Mia’s BFF’s, has been in the same friend circle since Adam and Mia hooked up and William has been attracted to Jenna for just about the same amount of time. However, due to some bad advice (or bad execution of said advise), William has had to suffer through seeing his love interest dating another guy.
William is exactly the kind of character that I wish there was more books about. He’s interesting, kind and caring character with a no-nonsense attitude. He’s autism doesn’t make everyday life easier for him, but William isn’t the kind of character who wants the easy way out. He doesn’t mind working for the things he wants. Now that’s a good guy with some oomph!
A lot of the time the characters we meet in these kinds of books are mind and heart players, so it’s refreshing to have a male lead like William, who is honest about what he wants and doesn’t try to hide his feelings or make himself feel better at the cost of others’.
Jenna is not exactly your typical lead neither. I love how she, just like April (female lead in book #5 For the Win is comfortable with her own sexuality. Jenna is like one of those wild and independent girls. She’s a free spirit, she embraces life and tries to live it to the fullest.
I’m happy to say that this book took me by surprise and made me fall in love with the swoon-worthy William! So, I’m happy I didn’t skip it all together and it’s definitely one of those books I’ll be re-reading over and over again.
I skip abut 40% of the book was able to understand around the fight and skip the end it was 2.3 star book I like the author but I didn't like this book I think it should have been more 4.5 over a full book i could have skipped this one and read the cliff notes on it.. -_-
Salve lettrici. Finalmente è uscito il quinto volume della serie “Manipolare il Sistema” di Brenna Audrey, ”Vittoria o sconfitta”, una serie che io ho adorato alla follia. Ho amato Adam e non vedo l’ora che esca il sesto volume, che parla ancora di lui, ma questa volta l’attenzione è tutta su suo cugino, William Drake. Will è un genio, un artista, ed è un ragazzo autistico. Come ogni autistico non ama la confusione e gli spazi chiusi, non ama socializzare e non ama essere toccato o guardato. Ma Will, più di tutto, è ossessionato dai dettagli e dalla bellezza, in particolare da quella di Jenna. Così, per amore di quella ragazza, Will decide di affrontare tutte le sue paure e partecipa a un duello medievale. Inutile dirvi che da cosa nasce cosa e che da un bacio ne deriva un altro. Jenna ha bisogno che Will vinca quel duello e così decide di aiutarlo a vincere le sue paure, così da essere preparato non solo fisicamente ma anche psicologicamente. Tra i due quindi nascerà un bellissimo rapporto che sembra destinato ad andare oltre, ma Jenna, care lettrici, è una nomade, mentre Will è un uomo d’onore. Will ha deciso che Jenna sarà sua solamente quando anche il suo cuore gli apparterrà e non sembrerà cambiare idea. Lui vuole che lei resti, che sia sua, ma Jenna deve ancora trovare se stessa prima di far quel passo.
Quindi lettrici, penso assolutamente che questa serie sia sottovalutata e se non l’avete letta non sapete cosa vi state perdendo. Will è un personaggio così complesso, ma allo stesso tempo l’ho trovato davvero perfetto. È un uomo con la sindrome di Asperger e l’autrice è stata davvero brava nel descrivere la sua patologia e le sue paure che più volte mi sono emozionata. Jenna invece è una donna forte, combattiva, ma è anche una donna che vive nel terrore. L’amore che nasce tra i due è davvero intenso ed è stato un piacere leggere la loro storia. L’ho trovata emozionante, intensa e ben descritta. Mi è sembrata essenziale. Se avete letto i romanzi precedenti dovete assolutamente leggere anche questo, non solo per Will e Jenna, ma anche per il contorno perfetto che l’autrice crea ogni volta intorno al suo romanzo. Dunque, adesso a me, e a tutte quelle che hanno letto questa storia, non resta che aspettare l’uscita del sesto volume, che spero arrivi presto. Mentre voi, tutte voi che non state seguendo la serie, andate immediatamente in libreria ed acquistate il primo volume. Adam non vi deluderà e Will non sarà da meno.
FMC: Jenna -dealing with PTSD . MMC: William- on the Autism spectrum, has some abandonment issues.
Jenna was dating a douche named Brock. She was breaking up with him and found out that he had possession of a tiara that holds sentimental value to her. He won't give it back. William comes in to save the day, Brock challenges William to a duel (did I mention that they are all part of a renaissance fair that does medieval times authentically? they are all part of the same "clan"). William isn't good with crowds so we have Jenna helping William overcome his fear of crowds so she can get back her tiara.
What we know is that William likes Jenna.... but all I could think was "why" does he like her? Jenna is attractive and likes to help people. I felt the whole time like I was missing a big piece to their backstory what I gathered was that they have the same friend group, he invited Jenna to join the clan in hopes to woo her, but she started dating Brock instead, but that doesn't tell me why he liked her. I never really understood. Why did Jenna like William... because she got to spend time with him? okay, sure.
Jenna was so frustrating at times. I loved how their similarities brought them close together, Jenna got the best in William. Having read 5books of the series I have to say Jordan and April were the best for me. Not even Mia and Adam's story can come close to theirs.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Every time this author puts out a new book, I say that’s it. THIS one is my favorite. With every book, her writing goes far beyond my expectations. Deeper. She has this innate ability to just get better and better. But THIS book? It has permanently solidified my love for Brenna Aubrey.
“You deserve permanence, and I want to be the man who gives it to you.”
William Drake is no ordinary twenty-six-year-old man. He’s artistically genius, intense, and unlike any hero you've ever met. If you’ve read this series, you’ll know what I am talking about. If not, then I think this is the perfect introduction to this series. And will make you want to go back the the very beginning. Jenna Kovac has been through and seen things that most of us will never see or endure in our life time. Her past casts a dark shadow over her life in the present. But despite it all, she is a survivor. And William has been drawn to her ever since. For someone that never really displays emotions or need. Jenna is making him feel everything he never thought was even possible.
“She is art.”
Jenna doesn’t believe in love. Well at least not for her. She is known to run. As soon as she finds herself attached to a place or people, her first reaction is to flee. Her defense does not sit well with William. Without going into too many details, when a situation arises, William comes to her defense. Jenna learns so much about William. She finds it easy to fall for him. But in doing this, she must let him in and her secrets threaten to unravel. Is he worth that risk? I will not discuss the plot much further as this is the type of the story that allows you as a reader to get lost in.
“Who’d have thought that something you can’t see, hear or touch, much less even define could rule your life so completely.”
The love between Jenna and William is truly transcending. Their story is unlike anything you've ever read. It pushes every boundary and every misconstrued opinion on whether someone like William can ever truly love someone. And he does. Fiercely. Deeply. Loudly. His love for Jenna is overwhelming. Moving. William loves without regard. Nothing held back. He gives his all. Because of his love for Jenna, many times he was outside of his comfort zone. There was nothing that his love for her would stop him from accomplishing. Their love story will bewitch you as you are completely enthralled in the lives of two people who never truly understood love until each other.
“You’re like a ray of sunlight cutting into darkness.”
The writing is mesmerizing. Addicting. The author’s words are magnetic in the way she crafts this compelling story. William is not like any other hero you will probably ever meet. But his heart? It's so BIG. His soul? So pure. You want nothing more than to watch him fall irrevocably in love with Jenna. The author’s alluring prose is what keeps the reader engaged in the story. The writing is quirky at times, fun, and in it’s own league. No one writes characters like she can. The author gives a voice to so many people like William. She gives hope to those like Jenna. That despite your circumstance, you are worthy to be loved. That being loved is the greatest honor. Falling for someone is giving that person the power to hurt you, but expecting them not to. This is the risk Jenna took with William, but she finds that the risk with him is worth it. Always.
“But for the one who’s become the air you breathe and the home you crave, you’ll forgive any flaw, brave any challenge and even plan a new future.”
For The One is a fun, sexy, yet thought provoking read. William and Jenna’s story was a captivating and consuming. To be loved, desired and worthy. What a privilege. Despite the push back from Jenna, William just pushed back harder. He loved harder. Until she could do nothing but surrender herself to his love. He made it know known just how much he wanted Jenna. Not for now. But for always. Forever. And Jenna? She forever changes this man. She teaches him that sometimes the best things in life are unplanned. I love that this author never follows a formula for her stories. She simply sets herself apart with not only her writing, but her characters and gripping storylines. So Mrs. Brenna Aubrey, I am ready for more.
This book was worth the wait. William was introduced to us in book one of the series as Adam Drake's cousin. The more I read this book and got to know William, one thing kept coming to mind...William is on the autism spectrum. Right away I had to shoot Brenna a message because, well, I'm a mom of a boy on the spectrum. I was anxious to get to William's story. The wait is officially over!!!
OH MY GODDESS!
The book gets 10 plus stars, two thumbs up and freaking double snap!
William challenging Jenna's man to a duel was something that had my attention. Who does that? Who challenges another to a duel? William does, that's who. I wanted to see my geeky and and handsome Liam go to battle and I was not disappointed. The way he is described in his armor and his weapons is something I will not soon forget, loved it. The events that take place after the duel set the story line in motion. This is the beginning to an unforgettable story.
Reading how William and Jenna are getting to know one another, learning to communicate, to comprehend each other is nothing short than AMAZING! Jenna is physically attracted to William (but then again who isn't, Hello... he is freaking hot) she wants to get to know him. Her excuse is that she's helping him with some issues having to do with his autism. Its obvious he wants more but she refuses to commit, "if I have you, I want it to be permanent, Forever", with lines like this I would be saying...YES, I am in! Our girl has major issues and once you get to know her and see her layers peel off, you are going to want to hug her. You will see why she can't commit to William.
William has had his eye on her for two years, two long years. He was watched her and longed to talked to her, but didn't know how. His lack of social skills and his awkwardness prevented him from approaching her in the way he wanted to. He did have a light bulb moment and asked for guidance and help from non other than Jordan, that did not go over very well.
But, William and Jenna bonded while she helped him to overcome his issues with crowds. This takes them on outings and the friendship develops into more than just physical attraction. They become a part of each others daily routine. A call, a text, and outing, this is HUGE for William, who has a set schedule for everything in his life. To see him bend the rules and allow change is HUGE. There a scenes in this book that honestly make the reader swoon and claim William as the model book boyfriend, he has set the bar very high. The Disneyland outing was one of my favorite along with a gift that comes from that outing. There is a point in the book where he says that he is not a robot and has feelings, for a person on the spectrum to vocalize that is an accomplishment, feelings and touch are thing many battle with.
Another one of my favorite parts in this book is when William and Jenna are discussing issues with language. People on the spectrum have a difficult time with figures of speech, they need thing to be said plainly. William says that his first language was "Pictures. Images. Other types of sensory input. But not words. Words came later." Later in the book William tells Jenna, "I need someone I can count on, and you aren't that person. I need someone who will back what she says with actions, who won't just say something to get her way." Words to Liam mean nothing without actions. Something Jenna will never forget, his words may have come later but when he delivers them, they are POWERFUL.
Brenna, thank you for giving us William. For bringing his story to life and making his love story so good that he grew in so many ways. For giving him Jenna, the queen of his heart, the woman who makes him a better man. Thank you for not just writing a romance book but in the process bringing awareness to autism. For showing the world that "Autism is not a tragedy."
For the One, is by far my favorite book in the series and my favorite book of 2016 so far. I want more of William and Jenna, oh so much more!!!
I have to admire the awesomeness of this leading couple. It’s not everyday that I find books where the girl is a war refugee and the male MC has Aspergers! It’s unusual and refreshing and more than anything else, it’s relevant and important, so I really loved this aspect of the book and the diversity it brought.
Now onto the writing… this was my first book of Brenna Aubrey, and I’ll for sure check out the rest of the series, because the characters were interesting enough. The writing however was not without its flaws. I found it somewhat repetitive at times, and there was a lack of consistency in the verbal tenses, it would switch from the present to the past too often, and I ended up not understanding which tense it was supposed to be the right one. Apart from these issues, it was easy to read and follow. More importantly, Jenna and William’s voices were completely distinct, which was to be expected, but I really felt that it was super well done.
I really really liked both main characters. Jenna had a lot of baggage and a lot of things gone wrong in her young life, and although I sometimes thought that her view of things was a bit too much, I did understand her coping mechanism. William was such a breath of fresh air, it was so different to read his POV from all the other male POVs I read in NA romances. I really liked their connection and how they both made an effort to learn about the other, with Jenna helping William with his social anxieties, and William helping her deal with some of the aftereffects of the Bosnian War and so on. I really liked how William explained his view of the world to her, and Jenna, for her part, tried to addapt her speech and actions to make him more comfortable.
I really really liked their relationship and how it grew, but their fights were just too real! With William saying everything he thinks, they got tricky and my heart kind of hurt.
My only complaint about this book is the ending. I wish that there was more resolution to the story, instead the conflict was resolved fairly simply, and there wasn’t much a discussion or a moment afterwards that showed how they were working it. Instead we get the last chapter from Mia POV. Who is Mia? Well, if I had read the rest of the series, I would have probably been excited for this POV, given that she’s the MC of the first 3 books, but I haven’t, so I wasn’t. The last chapter brought nothing new or important, and it seemed to me that all the pertinent information could have been delivered with a POV from Jenna or William. I honestly thought it was the wrong move, though I do understand the need to set up the 6th book in the series. But still… I was not a fan of that.
In the end this was a very enjoyable read. I really loved all different elements that were brought to this book, I was a huge fan of the all Medieval reenactment they had going on there, but having an MC who was a war refugee and another who was autistic was definitly different and awesome, so I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is into a good New Adult romance.
"Because there are many things you'll do for the ones you care about - sacrifices you'll endure, risks toils take, obstacles you'll overcome. But for the one, you'll forgive any flaw, brave any challenge and even plan a new future" (Aubrey).
I thought I loved Jordan and April from For the Win, but Jenna and William stole the show. I love stories that contain complex and unique characters, and Jenna and Wil fit the bill. She is a refugee that has dealt with tremendous losses in her life that have altered who she is and what she thinks she wants in life, and, while I don't have a lot in common with her, her beliefs in soulmate, especially at the end, was one I connect with. I understood her struggle with the past and sympathized with her through the story. Wil is also struggling in his life due to his past relationships. His struggles endear him to the reader. I found myself wanting to put him in my pocket to protect him, but he was also a strong and confident man. It takes a talented writer to be able to authentically depict the hero of the story as strong and vulnerable, and Brenna Aubrey does it flawlessly.
Along with the characters, the plot and pacing of the story was fantastic. The reader gets to see them grow together before the inevitable conflict, and because we see them grow together, the conflict hits that much harder. Along with the great storyline, I personally love all these characters have an inner-nerd and embrace it. It brings a unique vibe to the whole series.
The reason for the 4.5 stories was the ending. I felt like the story didn't feel finalized for me when it came to Wil and Jenna. I wanted to see more of their reconciliation. I get the need to set up the next story, but I wish there would have been more at the end for Wil and Jenna.
2 1/2 stars Apparently I tend to like Brenna Aubrey's male characters a lot more than the female. It was the same case with Adam and Mia. Wil is an amazing, interesting hero and I loved getting into his head. It was education to see how a man like him thinks and feels. Honestly it annoyed me how basically everyone for some reason didn't understand him and often talked to him as if he is a regular guy and gets their references and metaphors. Adam, for instance, should have been very well aware how to speak with him. So when Jenna sometimes got angry with Wil because he is acting as he is - meaning straight forward and literal - I got pissed at her too. Actually, I didn't like her that much. At one time she would act understanding and patient and at another as if she doesn't know who she is talking with. The whole story is nice, but also a bit slow for me. And not because of Willam. I would read another book with him in a heartbeat. But Jenna... I couldn't connect with her. She was moody and sometimes persistent for the wrong things (sex) and it rubbed me wrong. And her stupid reaction in the end...well, I suppose I can't understand her reasoning, because I haven't gone through a great big trauma. I get it that she panicked, but it was funny how the autistic guy has more emotional maturity than her. Wil was the one pulling the relationship forward, who fought his fears and worked on his issues. Jenna.... for a person that claimed that has dealt with her problems in the beginning of the story was the far more troubled one. And I didn't actually see her fight her fears. Yeah, in the end everything was okay of course, but it felt flat.
A relisten of my favourite guy is always a good idea. William has my heart. He is such a fantastic character and his and Jenna’s story is so beautiful. I love that this book tackles things you don’t always see in romance novels. Autism. PTSD. I’m not usually a fan of virgin heroes but it worked so well for this story that it made perfect sense, and I couldn’t imagine it without it. The struggles William and Jenna face are so unique to them, each of them struggling for their own reasons and then coming together for a goal and building not only their friendship but their relationship. The sexual tension was off the charts. And the grand gesture? Wait? Which one? There is one than one grand gesture in this book and they’re all swoon worthy. Give this story and read and try not to fall in love with my guy.
Kirsten Leigh and Jason Clarke were phenomenal in this book. You’d think, then having done the rest of the books in the series, that this would just be another book, same ol same ol but it was so much more than that. The way they performed some difficult and emotional scenes really took the book to the next level. I loved everything about their performances.
What a rush this book is. I have been waiting patiently for Brenna to finish Will's story and in my opinion this offering is the best in the series to date. Will is Adam's cousin and we have briefly gotten to know him. Will is slightly autistic and simply sees things for exactly what they are. His life is all about structure and he likes it that way.
Jenna is a war survivor. Having lived through a war in her homeland of Bosnia. Jenna has also lost so much finds it hard to stay in one place and love. Will and Jenna share a love for the Renaissance way of life and due to a duel between Jenna's current boyfriend and Will, the embers between these two begin to glow.
Jenna helps Will learn how to let go of some of his challenges. While Will helps Jenna learn to trust in finding love again.
I could just go on and on. I have loved every word of The Gaming System series and I already need more. 5+++
Okay, so I haven't read any of the rest of this series, but I wanted to give this a shot and see if it could work as a standalone because the characters caught my interest. William, a socially-awkward guy who has Aspergers, and Jenna, a Bosnian refugee. Put these two characters against the backdrop of a renaissance faire, and you've got a really intriguing story. William was a great character to read - it was so interesting to learn more about Aspergers and to see things from the point of view of someone who lives with it. Jenna, I didn't like so much. Her history was interesting, but as a person I have to say I didn't really like her. That made reading the book very much a half-and-half experience. Half enjoyable, half frustrating. I love the author for using such non-standard characters and an unusual setting, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
William was special. He didn't think like others. He has is mind set on one thing.. to get the girl. Jenny was special as well. She didn't stay long in one place. She came to the US at an early age. She kept things short and sweet. Until William. He needed help or was the help for her? Love opens the eyes and heart. See William only saw things in picture form. Words were lost to him. He was smart, more than this wise years. Once you wrong him, there was no going back. But her. She was the only thing that made him think different on that. Yes she wrong him, but the wrong he could get over to have her, right? She had to let her self feel the love before she could see that they were right of each other.