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Player's Game

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And when I turned around, I expected to see my annoying little sisters but was instead greeted by a familiar face. In the threshold stood Parker Brady with a devious smirk on his face and the looks of a god. Samantha Valentine’s life turns upside down when she finds out her family is returning to her old town, Scottsdale. It took her a while to make the city her home, and now all of that is for naught, as she has to learn to settle in a quiet town again. Parker Brady is perfectly happy to make a mess of his life after his best friend, Samantha, left him. He felt betrayed by his most trusted friend, and now he doesn’t care about anyone anymore. The only thing that matters to him is getting girls. The two are not so thrilled when they meet after years of being away. Old grudges resurface from the past. Will Samantha and and Parker restore their broken friendship? Or will something else rise from its ruins? Player’s Game is a funny and heartwarming story about young adults learning to come into terms with their past. If you’re up for a light read that will leave you smiling, grab your copy now!

184 pages, Paperback

Published December 26, 2017

44 people are currently reading
147 people want to read

About the author

Desirae Clark

8 books286 followers
Wattpad writer from Slovenia. I wrote my first three books at the age of 15, one of which received Watty 2015 Award for Collector's Dream (most added stories of 2015) and was Amazon's double best-seller.

I also run a Bookstagram, a blog and a YouTube channel dedicated to books.

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5 stars
34 (25%)
4 stars
30 (22%)
3 stars
39 (29%)
2 stars
21 (16%)
1 star
7 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Profile Image for Megan Gattone.
72 reviews87 followers
January 25, 2018
This book was given to me via NetGalley. It was sent to my kindle in exchange for an honest review. #PlayersGame #NetGalley

Characters in Book
* Samantha - older sister
* Dana - younger half sister(Alyssa’s twin)
* Alyssa - younger half sister(Dana’s twin)
* Trevor - Samantha’s boyfriend(pre move)
* Parker - Samantha’s previous best friend


Review:
After reading the prologue is seems like this should be where chapter one began for the book. In my experience, the prologue gives back information on the main characters, line in this case I believe it should have spoken more about the main character living in Scottsdale. This part of the book also did not give the names of any character until the second page. In the prologue, the mothers sits the children down to tell them some news, which is that she has gotten a promotion and that they would be moving back to Scottsdale. Next thing the reader knows, the kinds are all packed up and ready to go, with no mom in sight. I guess the book will have a background of the first time they lived in Scottsdale.

Samantha’s mom got a big promotion at work, which requires their family to move back to Scottsdale. Oddly, the family is moving back into their old family home. Samatha remembers some of it, but the House has been updated and most of it is unrecognizable, that has to be so strange to her.

Book was pretty fast past, I enjoyed the book and would enjoy to read a second one in the series! The book was short and a quick read, a good book to pick up on a beach day or day off with nothing to do!

Merged review:

This book was given to me via NetGalley. It was sent to my kindle in exchange for an honest review.

#PlayersGame#NetGalley<\b>

Characters in Book
* Samantha - older sister
* Dana - younger half sister(Alyssa’s twin)
* Alyssa - younger half sister(Dana’s twin)
* Trevor - Samantha’s boyfriend(pre move)
* Parker - Samantha’s previous best friend


Review:

After reading the prologue is seems like this should be where chapter one began for the book. In my experience, the prologue gives back information on the main characters, line in this case I believe it should have spoken more about the main character living in Scottsdale. This part of the book also did not give the names of any character until the second page. In the prologue, the mothers sits the children down to tell them some news, which is that she has gotten a promotion and that they would be moving back to Scottsdale. Next thing the reader knows, the kinds are all packed up and ready to go, with no mom in sight. I guess the book will have a background of the first time they lived in Scottsdale.

Samantha’s mom got a big promotion at work, which requires their family to move back to Scottsdale. Oddly, the family is moving back into their old family home. Samatha remembers some of it, but the House has been updated and most of it is unrecognizable, that has to be so strange to her.

Book was pretty fast past, I enjoyed the book and would enjoy to read a second one in the series! The book was short and a quick read, a good book to pick up on a beach day or day off with nothing to do!

Happy reading 😃😄😀
Profile Image for Veronica ⭐️.
1,309 reviews286 followers
July 2, 2020
2.5 stars
I found it very hard to connect with the main character Samantha. The story is narrated in the first person and Samantha kept implying what a bad-ass she was. If the story is going to keep making these claims you need to give your reader something concrete to prove it. There was no alcohol, drugs or sex. Yes, they were mentioned but no-one actually partook on any of them.
Samantha was whingey, whinny and wanted all the attention and sulked if she didn’t get it. She was eighteen and in her last year at school but came across as much younger.
The plot and writing was simplistic and I think if the main character was younger it might have felt more realistic.
Profile Image for ••Camila Roy••.
160 reviews49 followers
March 5, 2018
RATING: 3/5

I enjoyed it and if you like reading about friendships, you will too. As someone who has travelled a lot in their childhood and teen years I can relate to Samantha. It’s not easy leaving people and places you love behind. If it had been a bit longer and I had gotten to know the side characters better, I would’ve given it 4 stars. Sadly, it was too short :(
Profile Image for Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.).
406 reviews445 followers
January 26, 2018

I want to thank NetGalley and BLVNP Incorporated for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review

Well, somehow it was the reading that I needed, it was light and I enjoyed the simple writing style , it has made me feel relaxed.

3/5 Stars

The book follows Sam, she lives with her 2 sisters and her mother in Manhattan and her life there is almost perfect, she has a group of friends that she loves and a great boyfriend, but one day her mother gets a better job proposal and they have to move to their old town Scottsdale, this bothers Sam a lot because she will not only have to give up her life and all who she cares about , but she will have to face her ex-best friend Parker again who for some reason has decided to cut off all contact with her since she left.

I wouldn't say that this is a super deep book or anything, and although it touches familiar, romance and friendship themes, it does everything in a rather superficial way. You know, there are many things that happen in a very predictable and convenient way. It worked for me since I needed this kind of reading and in fact, I found myself with a very simple and entertaining writing style, I would recommend it a lot for those who, like me, English is not your first language, because it's perfect to practice and has no difficulty, personally I have enjoyed that aspect


As for the plot I didn't find anything special about it, it's entertaining but quite cliche. Even so I recommend it for a quick and light reading where maybe you even have fun at times. Personally I would have completely removed the love topic and I would have left her with the family and friendship theme, I think the author has talent and if she would have focused more on those issues I would have enjoyed it even more.
Profile Image for Kayla Silverss.
Author 1 book127 followers
February 19, 2018
I was sent this book for an honest review. All my opinions are my own and thank you so much to the publishers for sending me this!

This book was such a cute and feel good contemporary that I was really in the mood for. We follow our main protagonist as she moves back to her old town and has to face her old best friend/Crush.
This books characters were so likeable and funny although they weren't really unique or diverse they were still really fun to read about.

The romance was very sweet and you couldn't help fall in love with their love. I would like to say it was a slow-burn romance but it wasn't. I did happen pretty fast but that was okay because it felt right.
There is also a very good friendship aspect of this book which i really really enjoyed. I would have loved to dive deeper into Samantha's family more.

Overall this was a really good book although I don't think the characters will stick with me forever. It felt like a book that I read and enjoyed but my mind won't come back to it.
Profile Image for Elaine - Splashes Into Books.
3,877 reviews134 followers
January 31, 2018
Teenager Samantha Valentine lives with her Mum and twin half-sisters, Dana and Alyssa. The family originally lived in Scottsdale but moved to Manhattan where Sam attended a private school. Now they’re moving back to their old home, which had be rented out during their absence. It had taken a lot of time for Sam to settle in their new home, particularly because her previous best friend, Parker, never responded to her messages or did anything to keep in touch. Now they’re going home again and one of the first people she meets again is Parker Brady! Both have changed significantly during their separation. Will their friendship resume or has the trauma of parting broken their relationship for ever?

This is written for a teen/ya audience which could explain why I kept questioning things and being somewhat disconcerted through a lot of it. Sam’s Mum works and leaves caring for the twins to Sam. Sam’s the one who makes the meals, helps them with their homework and all the daily life tasks, including grocery shopping. When Mum has to travel as part of her job she arranges for the twins to stay with other parents but leaves Sam home alone, not just for a few days but possibly for three months!

At home Sam is obviously a caring and trusted big sister but at school she seems to suffer a severe personality change, being somewhat aggressive, strident and often angry. Her relationship with many of her peers leaves much to be desired! I did like how her relationship with Parker developed and the explanations they shared. I was disappointed in Sam not keeping in better touch with her friends from her previous school, especially as she’d been so hurt by Parker not keeping in touch with her.

This story has great potential and is the start of a new series. I hope there will be more character and plot development in future stories but it is still an enjoyable light, easy read and at no stage did I consider not finishing it so I suggest giving it a go and see what you think, especially if you are a teen or young adult! I’d certainly be interested in future stories in the series to see how the author and story develops.

I requested and received a copy of this novel. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Profile Image for Alison.
3,663 reviews145 followers
January 17, 2018
Two and a half stars.

Wow, I'm a real Debbie downer so far this year - bad reviews left, right and centre.

Samantha Valentine, her mother and twin sisters moved from their home in Scottsdale to Manhattan six years ago. Although she was devastated when they left, Samantha has built a new life in Manhattan she has friends, a cute boyfriend and enjoys the city. So when her mom gets a promotion back to Scottsdale she is not happy, especially because it would mean returning to face her ex-BFF Parker Brady, she never got to say goodbye and he never responded to her calls, texts and emails.

Despite her fears, Samantha makes a group of new friends in Scottsdale, including, surprisingly, Parker. Apparently Parker has turned into a player while she has been gone: he smokes, he sleeps with random girls and gets into trouble. Although Samantha thinks he is playing her, she accepts his lifts to school and hangs around with him.

This is kind of a book about absolutely nothing. Samantha's ex turns out to be a douche, but there's no reason given, a girl at school is mean to Samantha, and nothing happens, there's a school exchange visit, and nothing happens. In fact, the biggest thing that happens in this book from my POV is that Samantha's mother should be reported to child services. Samantha apparently takes responsibility for feeding her twin sisters and helping them with their homework while the mother seemingly does nothing, in fact Samantha is happy that her mother can take the time to write a shopping list for Samantha! Then, partway through this short novel, Samantha's mother has to go to Europe on business. It might be for a couple of days or three months!! But it's okay because she met a couple recently who are happy to look after the twins. WTF?

Samantha was a stroppy, unpleasant girl, she occasionally made a big gesture to stand up against bullying while acting like a bully most of the time herself. She was aggressive and her idea of 'pranks' were way worse than silly pranks. But then she got angry because someone told the school about the large number of detentions and pranks she had pulled at her last school? I have no idea why Parker liked her. I had the feeling that maybe Samantha's immaturity and the unbelievable behaviour of her mother might mean that Desirae Clark was a young author and (I checked) I was right, I think it shows in the writing, although maybe a younger reader would find it more enjoyable.

It seemed as though ideas and people were brought into the novel and then discarded without resolving any plot - in the epilogue Samantha talks about her friends and I honestly couldn't tell you who was who, apart from Veronica who seemed to have an even worse issue with unnecessary violence. Overall, it was a book where there was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing.

Disappointing.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
82 reviews
January 22, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. I enjoy a light read every now and then. I went into this with eyes wide open but the number of inconsistencies and unrealistic situations made it next to impossible.

First of all, Samantha lives with her mom and 2 stepsisters in Manhattan going to a private school. It seems like she has some good friends. Then her mom announces that they have to move due to her work situation. The place they have to move to is Scottsdale, AZ. Ummm...really? OK, hard to believe but I went with it.

Samantha and her family used to live in Scottsdale before so she should have friends there. They move into their old house...ok, seems odd but again I went with it. For some reason, she and Parker, her best friend from when she lived there previously don't get along. The reason why we find out later and it's not really that crushing.

Here's where the inconsistencies start. One of the kids calls her Sammy at one point. Then later in the book, Parker calls her Sammy and she mentions that he is the only one she lets get away with that. At one point, it seemed like we were always learning everyone's class schedule. They are in high school and it really shouldn't change enough for that to be a big topic of discussion every day. You usually know your friends' schedules so it just seemed odd.

Later in the book, she seems to suddenly realize that three months have passed. To be honest, I was shocked, too. There seems to be a lot of description of conversations and no conversations. There is always this talk of Samantha being this legendary "bad girl" but no one remembers her. I found that odd as well.

Her mom at one point goes away on a business trip. Who knows how long she'll be gone, her sisters are shipped off to the neighbors and Samantha gets the house all to herself. Really? Not sure I know many moms who would go away indefinitely leaving their teenager to fend for themselves. I would also love to find the neighbors who will just watch your kids no matter how long you'll be gone.

I never got a clear picture of Samantha or of Parker. I couldn't imagine them in my head. Despite all the descriptions of conversations, there weren't a lot of descriptions of the characters. I would hope that if the author decides to make this a series that she really pays attention to character development. Also, I realize this is written for younger audiences but kids aren't stupid. It just seemed so unrealistic as far as many of the situations went.
Profile Image for Mariah Bowman.
390 reviews7 followers
February 22, 2018
Player's Game was a fantastic book full of life's sweet moments, as well as some sour ones. The story follows high-school student Samantha, who has to move back to her childhood home and try to figure things out with the people she left behind. Personally, I like more detail about the setting, but for Player's Game, there wasn't that much need for setting because the book was centered around Samantha and her childhood friend Parker. The characters were easy to relate to, and the tone of the book and the relationship between characters left me smiling and happy. The ending was unconventional, but I loved that about it. It allowed a little insight into the future while also promising more, which I can't wait to read! I would most definitely recommend this book to others.

Merged review:

Player's Game was a fantastic book full of life's sweet moments, as well as some sour ones. The story follows high-school student Samantha, who has to move back to her childhood home and try to figure things out with the people she left behind. Personally, I like more detail about the setting, but for Player's Game, there wasn't that much need for setting because the book was centered around Samantha and her childhood friend Parker. The characters were easy to relate to, and the tone of the book and the relationship between characters left me smiling and happy. The ending was unconventional, but I loved that about it. It allowed a little insight into the future while also promising more, which I can't wait to read! I would most definitely recommend this book to others.
Profile Image for Kristine.
739 reviews15 followers
February 4, 2018
Original review can be found at https://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/...

** I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

Whenever I discuss a book I like to mention all the positives first. I am a pretty easy person to please and I tend to be quite generous with my ratings. Unfortunately I can't be with this book. It was just garbage and there is no kind way to say it. It was filled with so many inconsistencies and had such poor sentence structure that I was tempted to quit reading part way through.

Let me just mention some of the ridiculous inconsistencies and plot points that led me to my distaste.

1. Samantha's twin sisters were fourteen and the way they were discussed in the book you would think they were four. I was literally cringing.

2. While on the subject of age, it was said that Samantha was four years older than the twins. That would make her eighteen. At first I thought it's possible to be eighteen and still in high school, she must be in her final year. No! At the end it talked about how she would be entering her senior year. What??

3. This brings us to school. No principal in the history of any school ever would allow students to stay separately from the rest of the students on a school sponsored field trip. Yet it easily happened in this story.

4. Three months into her new school, Samantha still did not know her schedule or her friends and I had to read about it over and over.

5. Can you say absentee mom? They are living in town for 3 months and the mom has to leave on business for a few days to a few months and leaves the twins with their friends family. Can you also say neglect and call the authorities?

6. Samantha has a big "bullies are bad" moment with a cheerleader when she was one the biggest bully of all for most of the story.

7. A convenient school exchange where her old and new friends end up in the same school in which she is mean and mad at her old friends. Why? Because they grew apart? Lost contact? The only person I understood her anger towards was her ex.

8. The whole story with Sam and Parker made no sense. The reasons they were so angry at each other were so juvenile and insignificant.

I'll stop here. You get the picture and I could easily come up with a few pages more.

Basically this book felt like it was being penned by someone very young who has not experienced any real life lessons or struggles. It was way too unrealistic and the happenings were so boring and insignificant that I struggle to even tell you what it was meant to be about. There was a real lack of maturity with the plot and very little character development. I wasn't able to connect or care about any of the characters and I hated Samantha.

This book was definitely not for me. I feel bad for being so harsh but I agree to be honest when I am given books to read and I'm just being honest.
Profile Image for Crystal♛.
134 reviews27 followers
January 22, 2018
*Thank you so much DigiWriting via Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was not expecting to fall in love with this! I couldn't put it down. This was the cutest thing I've read in a long time.

Clark done wonderfully building this story. I loved it. Teenagers that have been best friends all their life but wanting more. My heart was full. I was expecting something bad to happen throughout the book. Just waiting to break my heart. But it didn't. Yay for that!

Parker was my favorite character. I love his attitude. He was funny and loveable. I liked Samantha too. She didn't let anyone budge her. They both had to learn to trust each other again. To let that friendship kindle back to life. It defiantly came together in the perfect way. The rest of the characters were amazing. Well except for Erica and Trevor. Your typical high school bullies.

I wish the book was longer. I needed more from Parker and Samantha! Their story ended too quickly for me. Even though I was giddy reading the last few pages. Also it was odd that a teenager got to live without parental supervision for months at a time with her young sisters.

If you're looking for a quick read with young, adorable romance then I highly recommend this.

Rating 4.5/5
281 reviews
January 19, 2018
This is a strange book. I'm not sure who it's for, as the writing structure is very simplistic and short for a younger audience but the swearing and references to sex would target an older audience. A lot of plot problems could be solved by setting this in college instead of high school. For one, the teens have way too much freedom. Samantha should never be given free reign to live alone in her house for 3 months, and have sleepovers with her male friend who likes to womanize. Parents don't do this. Also, her sisters exit the story early on, as they have a sleepover at a friend's that lasts for the 3 months their mom is gone and their parents are ok with basically raising two 14 year old girls for as long as the mom needs to leave? At the same time Samantha has to ask for permission for a pet, and do the research on pet ownership before she can get one like a child, but she can also run a household by herself?
This leads to the other main problem. There is so much wrong with the internal logic of the plot. Samantha has to take a flight from Manhattan to her new home as it is so far away, but the two different schools she attends are bitter rivals? How do they even know each other? The rivalry comes from a baseball game from the past, but how did they even meet to play baseball? If they're so close to be rivals, why did she have to move? If her mom was going to be gone for 3 months anyway, why did she have to move? Why does a private school from Manhattan come to stay at a public school in the middle of nowhere for two weeks? Wouldn't they want to go to another private school, or experience a different country or culture for an exchange program?
Why do Samantha's friends for the last 6 years not tell her they are coming to her new school, and why does she alienate them when they do? How does Parker have so many one night stands without drama in high school, especially one in the middle of nowhere with a limited population of girls (not even subtracting those who are gay, in a relationship, don't find him attractive, or not sexually active)? If they are 18, why is the ending talking about the summer being there, and no mention of college plans, especially since we know they attend college? Why does the school bully who hates their rival school and derides Samantha for even talking to her former classmates start dating Samantha's ex (who still attends the rival school)? How did the principal's daughter get Samantha's student record and why was there no punishment, considering the private, legal nature of the crime and the proof on everyone's phones that it leaked?
I did like the combative nature of the romance, and Parker. There is the potential for a deeper story with a setting change and some logic problems removed. As it is, it's a quick read that is pretty light in subject matter, but is constantly taking you out of the story to question internal logic.

Merged review:

This is a strange book. I'm not sure who it's for, as the writing structure is very simplistic and short for a younger audience but the swearing and references to sex would target an older audience. A lot of plot problems could be solved by setting this in college instead of high school. For one, the teens have way too much freedom. Samantha should never be given free reign to live alone in her house for 3 months, and have sleepovers with her male friend who likes to womanize. Parents don't do this. Also, her sisters exit the story early on, as they have a sleepover at a friend's that lasts for the 3 months their mom is gone and their parents are ok with basically raising two 14 year old girls for as long as the mom needs to leave? At the same time Samantha has to ask for permission for a pet, and do the research on pet ownership before she can get one like a child, but she can also run a household by herself?
This leads to the other main problem. There is so much wrong with the internal logic of the plot. Samantha has to take a flight from Manhattan to her new home as it is so far away, but the two different schools she attends are bitter rivals? How do they even know each other? The rivalry comes from a baseball game from the past, but how did they even meet to play baseball? If they're so close to be rivals, why did she have to move? If her mom was going to be gone for 3 months anyway, why did she have to move? Why does a private school from Manhattan come to stay at a public school in the middle of nowhere for two weeks? Wouldn't they want to go to another private school, or experience a different country or culture for an exchange program?
Why do Samantha's friends for the last 6 years not tell her they are coming to her new school, and why does she alienate them when they do? How does Parker have so many one night stands without drama in high school, especially one in the middle of nowhere with a limited population of girls (not even subtracting those who are gay, in a relationship, don't find him attractive, or not sexually active)? If they are 18, why is the ending talking about the summer being there, and no mention of college plans, especially since we know they attend college? Why does the school bully who hates their rival school and derides Samantha for even talking to her former classmates start dating Samantha's ex (who still attends the rival school)? How did the principal's daughter get Samantha's student record and why was there no punishment, considering the private, legal nature of the crime and the proof on everyone's phones that it leaked?
I did like the combative nature of the romance, and Parker. There is the potential for a deeper story with a setting change and some logic problems removed. As it is, it's a quick read that is pretty light in subject matter, but is constantly taking you out of the story to question internal logic.
Profile Image for Michelle .
346 reviews35 followers
February 26, 2018
"A part of me couldn't believe that three months already passed. I lived here for three months, and it only hit me now. The second part also acknowledged that Parker didn't stop trying to play me-whether his game was to annoy me, flirt with me, or befriend me. Each time, he failed. If anything his attempts became more frequent, yet I brushed them all off."......

Samantha Valentine and Parker Brady were once best friends. Life intervened and she moved away with her family. Now she’s returned, only to find Parker is not the same boy she left behind.

While Samantha was gone, Parker felt betrayed and alone. He took that out on as many girls as he could. Is his life about to change now that Sam is back? Can he get over his resentment at being left behind?

Is there a “happily ever after” for these two? They were childhood friends, but now they’re 18 and everything has changed. Or has it? A little predictable, but nothing too dramatic. Great ending with no cliff hanger.

This is first in the series of the “Valentine Sisters.” Sam has twin 14 year old sisters, so as they grow up, I can see a lot of possible story lines involving all three. This young adult story was a nice weekend read.

Thank you Desirae Clark, Netgalley, and BLVNP Incorporated
Profile Image for Pamela.
1,910 reviews15 followers
January 24, 2018
Samantha Valentine is tired up uprooting her life and moving around. Her mother recently took a new job and now they're moving back to the town where she grew up. Samantha hasn't seen her best friend, Parker, in years. After the way he left things, she doesn't care if she sees or talks to him again. Or does she?

The only girl Parker ever loved has come home. He is still angry at her for leaving him behind, but he wants to be her friend again if she'll let him. Now that they're older, Parker had expected the attraction between them to fade but instead it has only gotten stronger. Parker wants Samantha to be his. Is it possible she might feel the same way about him?

I reviewed author Desirae Clark's PLAYER'S GAME via NetGalley for an honest review. PLAYER'S GAME is about two best friends who fall in and out of friendship. They come together at an older, more mature time in their life and begin to develop real feelings of love for one another. PLAYER'S GAME is a sweet young adult romance novel. I wanted to give it a higher rating, but there were just some unbelievable circumstances in this book. I have to give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars! It definitely had potential to be better; the plot was good, just needed more filler and detail. I think author Desirae Clark is still getting a feel for writing and look for her writing skills to improve with time.
Profile Image for Mira.
139 reviews11 followers
March 12, 2018
This review might come off as extremely harsh but I do need to get out all the frustration that has accumulated in me over the course of reading this… book, and a review is the best way to vent so let's get right into it. I'm trying to come up with something positive to say, but honestly it's quite challenging to find anything even neutral to say, let's leave alone nice.

Player's Game is fundamentally broken. The grammar, vocabulary, the choice of words, sentence formation, etc. are absolutely off. Reading this was a struggle in itself, and I just have a hunch that this books has never seen an editor. If it has, than it was not a particularly good one. This was BAD. It's quite evident that the author is not an English native speaker, which would be perfectly okay was it not so painfully obvious. Desirae Clark's writing is utmost awkward and amateur - this book is something that should have stayed on Wattpad as free entertainment for people who are desperate for an easy read, and where the quality doesn’t really matter all that much. It definitely wasn't ready for publishing. The story itself is so basic and repetitive that even thorough editing process wouldn't have made a decent book out of it (in my humble opinion).

There are some instances of the aforementioned "awkward writing" that have stuck with me even after finishing the book. For example - "The kitchen was the place where I took care of my sisters when they were hungry." Well, don't you say! I'm truly aghast! The rest of us do that in the bathroom! I just don't understand how a sentences like this could make it into the final product. One more: "I bit my lip in frustration but settled on a normal chocolate for the girls" - what exactly is a not normal chocolate? I just feel like Clark wanted really bad to use adjectives so her writing would seem more sophisticated. Sorry to break it to you but it didn't work. If awkward narration bugs you, just wait for the dialogues – the communication, mostly between Samantha and her mother, reminds me more of preprogramed robots than actual people speaking. It’s so insanely unnatural when an 18 year old asks for a dog and the mother starts the infamous responsibility speech formulated in the fashion 10-year-olds are spoken to.

The author also likes using generic Tumblr quotes when the main character is in her "deep moments of thoughtfulness." What more, she randomly uses “big” words that felt absolutely alien in comparison to the rest of the text – I, as a non-native speaker myself, know how using translated words one is not quite familiar with looks on paper and this is exactly it. It’s a struggle to get to a good enough level of English to be able to write decently – it takes years of toiling and even then it’s only passable. It’s hard, I know, and I’d say Clark need a few more years of practice before being ready for the publishing world.

Back to the book - there was a whole lot more telling than showing, and I do hate when authors utterly disregard the don’t-show-tell rule. I could get over that, but the inconstancies and conveniences that don’t even try to be subtle! God, those I couldn’t stand. One moment Samantha and her family are poor, the next she’s nostalgic about shopping in the high-end Manhattan stores. One moment she’s fine, the next there’s absolute 360 in her behaviour and she’s ready to cut a bitch for no reason. The characters are beyond flat, their depth is reminiscent of a kiddie pool. There is really no structure to anyone except the main character and the love interest, and even this hint at a personality comes off as forced and generic to the classic Wattpad heroine and male lead. Character development is virtually non-existent.

Then comes the issue of total lack of any kind of diversity and of course the problematic relationship with the main character’s ex. I won’t even be getting into that – this review is already ranty enough. One thing I’ll say – cheaters need to be confronted, not ignored.

So yes – this book is downright bad. But considering the fact that it came from a Wattpad star, I’m not even surprised. There are some absolute gems that keep blowing me away here and there on the website, but mostly it’s just trash people read as “dirty pleasure” reads. And Player's Game is one of the later.
Profile Image for Fizza.
Author 38 books40 followers
February 7, 2018
It is indeed a heartwarming story. I absolutely loved this YA romance. Samantha and Parker are both amazing characters and I loved the chemistry between them It is also very well written, I think writing is the main thing which made this story so interesting.
Samantha is a normal teenager with insecurities, fears, and the need to be accepted by her peers. Years ago when she had to move to Manhattan, with her mother and sisters, she wasn't happy at all. And now years later when she is going to move back to her old town, once again she isn't happy. Her life is going to change. She might loose contact with her current friends forever, what more she might not be able to make any new friends. With all this thoughts in her mind she moved back and was dreading starting school. But Parker made matters worse. He was her best friend before she moved away and now he was her worst tormentor. Some how she keeps finding herself in his company and she has no idea what kind of game he is playing.
Parker never forgave Sammy for moving away and leaving him behind. And now she is back and he cannot get her out of his head. But can they ever be friends again? Or maybe even more than friends?
This novel is packed with high school drama and teenage angst. I quite enjoyed dreading Samantha and Parker's story. I think it's a great read and ever YA romance fan will enjoy this bittersweet story.
P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book.
Profile Image for Patty.
1,555 reviews1 follower
January 31, 2018
Player's Game by Desirae Clark is a delightful young adult romance, that I really enjoyed. Samantha Valentine along with her mother and twin sisters moved to Manhattan from Scottsdale six years ago, leaving her best friend Parker Brady behind. When Samantha's mom gets a promotion, they move back to Scottsdale, and the stress of seeing Parker again. I love this genre, there is something so innocent about young love. I love the quirky people and situations in this book, and watching the characters grow over. I found this book to be a quick read, and recommend it to all readers who enjoy a sweet coming of age romance.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Profile Image for Betwixt the Pages.
575 reviews75 followers
December 18, 2018
And when I turned around, I expected to see my annoying little sisters but was instead greeted by a familiar face. In the threshold stood Parker Brady with a devious smirk on his face and the looks of a god.

Samantha Valentine’s life turns upside down when she finds out her family is returning to her old town, Scottsdale. It took her a while to make the city her home, and now all of that is for naught, as she has to learn to settle in a quiet town again.

Parker Brady is perfectly happy to make a mess of his life after his best friend, Samantha, left him. He felt betrayed by his most trusted friend, and now he doesn’t care about anyone anymore. The only thing that matters to him is getting girls.

The two are not so thrilled when they meet after years of being away. Old grudges resurface from the past.

Will Samantha and Parker restore their broken friendship? Or will something else rise from its ruins?

Player’s Game is a funny and heartwarming story about young adults learning to come into terms with their past. If you’re up for a light read that will leave you smiling, grab your copy now!


Rating: 3/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: from friends to enemies to friends to lovers--YUM!; all the teenage angst; some rather unnecessary girl-on-girl hate; cutesy, though a bit flat overall; serious case of "change the bad boy" happening in this read


HUGE thanks to Desirae Clark, BLVNP Incorporated Publishing, and Netgalley for sending a free egalley my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this title.

As so seems to be my "niche" lately, I have ANOTHER teenage angst-riddled title to bring you all today! (I think I need to step away from the contemporaries a little in the future, don't you all?...wait, who am I kidding?! I LOVE love butterflies!) This time, though.... THIS is more of a "we used to be friends, then became enemies and worked our way back to friends and....well, maybe more than friends." Yummmmmmm! There was also a bit of focus on "saving the bad boy"--or at least, that's how I read into it. I'm not sure if it bothered me, necessarily, though I do always find myself wondering how things turn out AFTER the last page has turned.

"So, we're a couple, huh?" Parker asked and smirked at me. "Do we get a cool ship name as well?"

"Sparker." I laughed.

"Sounds like a stripper name," he blurted, and I laughed.


This did fall a bit flat for me, overall, unfortunately. The characters--as entertaining as they are!--didn't have much dimension. There was also a LOT of unnecessary girl-on-girl hate going on that didn't add much to the story as a whole. At times, I felt like this story was more about the social hierarchy power struggle than about much else--which can be fine, though I think this might have been done better.

I'd recommend this to lovers of contemporary romances with a bit more tension and a lot of sparks lurking just beneath the surface! The characters are vibrant, though the story falls a bit flat in places. Still, this was an entertaining and quick read. Are YOU willing to play the game, Penguins?
Profile Image for Poulami.
370 reviews38 followers
February 5, 2018
Originally posted on Daydreaming Books.

*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Samantha’s mother’s job forced her to move away from Scottsdale but after a few of years, they are moving back in. She regretted losing her best friend the most who didn’t even bother trying to keep in touch. Now they are forced to face each other once again. It’s up to them to decide if they want their friendship to give another chance or let go of each other forever.

I’m going to do the point review thingy, okay guys.

🔘 The plot was cliched, it is based on second chance plus best friend romance trope which I looove very much. This book had a lot of potentials if executed rightly but I personally didn’t feel the element of something new.

🔘 The biggest problem I had with the book was, I felt there was way more telling than showing. I mean there’s a balance but I didn’t find that in the book which made it difficult for me to actually care about the characters.

🔘 Now, onto Samantha and Parker. I somewhat liked Samantha but I hoped she would have stood up for herself when she got to know a very important detail about her personal life despite being famous as the notorious prankster as a kid when she was still in Scottsdale. And when that thing proceeded to become a bigger issue, well she did handle it a mature way but it wouldn’t have come to the point if she had clarified earlier about that certain thing.

🔘 And Parker, I don’t know what to say but one thing is, he was a pretty crappy one. He completely cut off Samantha when she moved away. I was curious to know the reason behind it. He gave a pretty lame ass excuse. I was actually enraged!! I mean how could he have a grudge against a Samantha when he clearly knew it was not her fault. Even after realising that, he still didn’t. I think Samantha was better off than being with a guy who called himself her best friend. He was too immature and stubborn.

🔘 Also, the plot focused on way too much thinking rather than interacting. There were rarely one or two conversations the main leads had before they realised they had feelings for each other. It was weird okay. Just weird. The plot had too many inconsistencies that made no sense at all. Also, I didn’t feel the chemistry and Parker was way too bossy sometimes.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book. I thought I was going to love this one but it turned out the complete opposite. It was a light read but too much telling even spoiled that. The pacing was sometimes too slow and sometimes too face it was hard to keep track. Anyways. I hope my next read does not let me down.

Recommend it?

No.

Profile Image for Brittney.
180 reviews20 followers
March 24, 2018
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. I was really in the mood for a sweet, quick romance book but unfortunately, this book did not blow me away.

I liked the premise of the book and I thought that the characters did show a lot of potential. For example, I think Sam and Parker were super cute together and the beginning portion of the novel did show a lot of promise. There was barely contained dislike for a cute boy who used to be Sam's best friend, there was the boyfriend from Sam's old life, there was the struggle of moving to a new town, and there was a quirky group of friends ready to help Sam acclimate to her new life.

However, as the book progressed, it seemed as though the reader missed so many important conversations. And the conversations that the reader was privy to almost seemed repetitive and did not really further the story. In fact, when it said that three months went by I was shocked. From there the book continued to skip through time and the author wrote as if the relationships progressed but the reader just was not there to witness the progression.

That made me lose the connection to the characters that I formed in the beginning because they began doing things that I would not have expected based on the plot development that was actually shown in the text. I had to assume that events happened in the three months that the reader just did not see. In addition, the supporting characters often faded too much into the background. So much so that they no longer seemed to be 3-dimensional characters.

Overall, I gave this book three stars because it did start out promising and the premise was very interesting. I did not rate this book higher than 3 stars because I did not really connect with the characters. I think that if the author made this book longer and did not skip past 3 months of plot development in one book then the story would improve.

This book was a quick read that did have elements of romance for anyone who is in the mood for a high school romance.
Profile Image for Haley Adelle.
100 reviews3 followers
March 9, 2018
Check out this review on my blog!
https://beautifullybooks.blog/2018/03...

Honestly, I didn’t care for this book. It was way too short. I tried so hard to be into it, and it just wouldn’t do it for me. I did finish it quickly (only took me about two hours), but I didn’t feel that the plot or characters were developed enough. I didn’t like Samantha at all. She was very whiney and complained about too much, while still putting on a front and trying to act like a badass.

The entire time I was reading, I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I couldn’t connect to Samantha, Trevor, Erica, Hailey, Parker… anyone! I didn’t find the chemistry between any of the couples realistic, and I couldn’t take any of the kissing scenes seriously. Usually, when I read, I am anticipating that kiss all the way up until I read it, and when I do it’s a breath of fresh air. With this book, I almost skimmed past it completely because it was so underwhelming.

I didn’t feel that the plot was realistic at all. She moves back to Scottsdale, and a few months later ALL of her friends are there from Manhattan because of some weird ‘school drama’ states away? Yeah, right. The kids are able to do whatever the hell they want, and none of them have any adult supervision. They all seem to be weirdly rich, as well. There was no real struggle in this book, and at the end I just laughed. Supposedly, the last chapter was two weeks after the events that happened, but it was all wrapped up in a nice little bow that everyone found love within the two weeks. Really? NO.

All in all, I unfortunately wouldn’t recommend this book. I wasn’t interested in it at all, and I felt that there was no real connection between any of the characters, and the plot was way too underdeveloped. I most likely will not be continuing with this series. I really enjoyed the idea of it, I just wish it had been executed a little bit better.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
2,121 reviews81 followers
January 28, 2018
This is a Netgalley book.
Samantha used to live in Scottsdale with her mom and twin sisters, when she was about 8. This is where her best friend in the world is, Parker. Her mom had to move to Manhattan for her job. Sam made friends at her Manhattan private school, a boyfriend, a life there. She had a lot of responsibilities since her dad was nowhere to be seen and the twin's dad was in prison, Sam's mom work long nights and sometimes had to go away for her job, so Samantha had to do it all. Samantha was about 17 when her mom gets a promotion and tells them all that they have to move back to Scottsdale. Move back to where Parker is, away from all her friends, her boyfriend, her life, she understands the why, but that doesn't mean she's happy about it.
Parker sees she's back, is asked to drive her to school, how does he feel about this? The best friend who left him with no goodbye is back.
This book has typical teen angst. It shows things are not always as they seem. It's well written. There was some funny scenes. Samantha is a defensive character who keeps a shield around her to make sure she doesn't get hurt, but she doesn't she does it. It was a beautiful moment when that shield came down. Parker was a user, a womanizer because he didn't feel a girl would stay around. It was nice seeing him change through out the book. I enjoyed the book. I especially liked that the author told us what happened to Samantha and Parker in the future.
This was a beautiful story of 2 near adults bringing there crazy together.
Profile Image for Shona Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom.
550 reviews28 followers
February 9, 2018
This promised to be a fun young adult contemporary romance but for me it fell flat.
Samantha is written in such a way I struggled to feel any kind of connection with her or her story.
One minute she is moaning about her twin sisters calling them brats, and then when we see them interact with each other one is asking for advise and Samantha is being all grown up and mature and encouraging her sister to do whats right for her. There's nothing bratty about the twins. It feels to me like the author is adding these things in to give the story the edge that its lacking.
And the friendship with Parker??? Ok I understand that since I haven't finished the book there may be information I've not yet seen, but at 40% of the way through there should have been some idea as to what happened to make him not return Samantha's calls when she first moved away, and then when her family moved back and they meet for the first time we just skip right over that meeting and end up sat round the dinner table ignoring each other. What happened??? And then despite the fact that they aren't friends, that they barely tolerate each other, he's taking photos and sharing them with the world as though they are best friends.....
There is a lot of telling going on with this book. The characters have conversations and instead of showing us how those conversation made the character feel, we end the conversation and then we find out how it affected Samantha.
Profile Image for Brigitte .
1,611 reviews23 followers
July 8, 2018
This is a sweet romance where two childhood sweethearts become enemies. It's a light and entertaining read with a great overview of school life.

Samantha has settled in her private school in Manhattan. She has made friends and has a long term boyfriend. Her mother is promoted and they have to move back to Scottsdale. She isn't thrilled about being uprooted from the life that she has come to love.

Parker is the popular guy of Scottsdale school. All the girls swarm around him only to have their hearts broken. He doesn't seem to care either!

When Samantha returns, she no longer sees Parker as her best friend. They have to spend time together for various reasons and just about put up with each other. When she accidentally discovers that her ex, Trevor is a lying cheating so and so, Parker subtly tries to protect her. Parker's attraction to her is pretty obvious, but she doesn't trust him due to his reputation. They decide to stay friends, until Trevor and her previous friends come to Scottsdale on exchange. Her nemesis Erica takes every opportunity to sully her name and finds an ally in Trevor. Samantha puts up an act with Parker, but is it really an act?

I rather enjoyed this young adult romance where childhood bonds and memories prevail. The relationship between Parker and Samantha is remarkable. I love their trips down memory lane and the conclusion is so ramantic. Great concept.

I received an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.
Profile Image for Christina.
118 reviews46 followers
January 16, 2018
Player’s Game is a book about Samantha, a girl whose life is turned around when she has to move back to her hometown from Manhattan. Years before, she had left her life there without a single word to her best friend. Now she’s back and fits in with a new group of friends, including Parker, her ex-best friend. The story follows her readjusting to her old life, and discovering things she never noticed before.

I thought that this book was okay. There wasn’t too much depth to the novel, nor were there many pages, which I do have to say made it a very quick and easy read.

Pros:
-There are parts of this book that you wouldn’t expect at first, but I enjoyed them.
-It was light, fluffy, and gave me all the feels a cheesy contemporary should.
-There were several broken stereotypes, which I found quite refreshing amidst all the cliches.
-It’s just plain cute.

Cons:
-I felt like the characters were underdeveloped and the plot line fell flat. Things were explained as well as they could have been. The writing overall could have been more descriptive, but a perk is that it was a quick read.
-There were a lot of cliches, which might be a problem for certain readers.

Again, I thought this book was okay. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a light, fluffy contemporary to read, because that’s just what it is! I enjoyed myself and I have to say, this book is too cute.
Profile Image for Sarah Fairbairn.
Author 4 books35 followers
January 27, 2019
Player's Game is a short and sweet read that I devoured in one sitting. It was a story on Wattpad before being published by BLVNP Inc. I think it's pretty cool when books gain enough popularity to get picked up by a publisher. I'm sure it brings hope to all the other Wattpad (and other such sites) users who are actively trying to get published.

Samantha is a spunkie, no holds barred young woman, and she made an easily likable protagonist. This light and fluffy romance follows her as she deals with moving back to a town she left as a child - this means facing her old best friend and all the heartache their friendship ending caused her.

There's all the angst and drama you'd expect from a fluffy YA romance including; a mean girl, school yard drama, ex-boyfriend popping up and a school field trip. Ultimately Samantha doesnt have too much trouble transitioning to a new school, this is in part to Parker, the ex-bestie turn love interest, who's friends take Samantha into their group immediately.

Even though the story was predictable - you knew going into it that they were going to end up together - it was still an enjoyable read and I would happily read more books by Desirae Clark.
Profile Image for Taylor (Books&Beanies).
109 reviews18 followers
February 1, 2018
Samantha has just gotten used to her new life in Manhattan when her mother springs on her that they are moving back to their hometown in Scottsdale. Sam is not too happy about returning to her hometown and having to face her former best friend, Parker Brady. Feeling betrayed when Sam left, Parker doesn’t trust or care about anyone anymore. After years of being apart, Sam and Parker have to face each other and old grudges start to surface.


Although this was a quick and easy read, I enjoyed the story and the writing very much. Player’s Game is a story about mending old friendships and what they can become. The main characters were easily relatable and you could feel the emotions between them. Unlike some short stories, the storyline was spread out perfectly. The only thing that didn’t make sense to me was the prologue. It seemed more like the first chapter rather than a prologue providing background for the story. Despite this minor flaw, I would definitely read more from this author.
4,087 reviews117 followers
February 13, 2018
BLVNP Incorporated and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Player's Game. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

6 years in Manhattan have changed Samantha Valentine, but now she is being forced to move back to Scottsdale because of her mother's job. She is very different than when she left, but so are her old friends. Will Samantha regret leaving behind her friends and boyfriend, or will she find Scottsdale to be a fresh start in an old place? Will she be able to get back in step with Parker, the best friend that she left behind when she was 11?

Player's Game wrapped up too neatly to be realistic, with an epilogue that seemed to be hastily thrown together. The dialogue throughout the book was stiff and forced in places, as if the author was using it to further the plot and not to tell the characters' stories. In a nutshell, I was underwhelmed by the plot and the characters, so I would be hesitant to recommend Player's Game to other readers of YA romance.
Profile Image for Nicole Strand.
251 reviews5 followers
January 21, 2018
Samantha just gets settled in finally and her parents inform her they are moving back to Scottsdale.

Parker made a giant mess with his life after his best friend Samantha left. He stops caring about anything but landing girls.

The two are less than thrilled about a reunion. Can they fix their friendship.

So I knew this was going to be like a lot of other YA romances I've read. But when an author knows how to weave a story I don't mind reading similar stories. I especially love romances that have a bit of comedy in them. It definitely breaks up the monotony of a romance book.

Samantha is a giant brat in the beginning of the book. I can understand being upset about having to move and start over, I've done it a few times myself, but to have your mom begging you to forgive her and her being a giant turd about it made me want to put the book down. But I powered on. This is a really cute lazy day book.
Profile Image for Viv.
875 reviews14 followers
February 12, 2018
Note: I was provided an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok. To simply sum it up. I loved this book. I really. Fricking. Loved. It. It was such a sweet and almost simple book, but most importantly it had heart. Samantha was an interesting protagonist and I really enjoyed her and Parker's playful, banter-filled relationship.

If I did have one little comment, however, it would be that for me, I felt like the plot moved a little too quickly and I felt like Samantha and Parker's relationship moved extremely quickly. Of course I understand that they were best friends for a long time before, but still.

Overall, however, I really, genuinely enjoyed this book and I will be checking out Desirae Clark's other books, particularly ones in this series.
Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley!
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