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War Games

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The toughest battle you’ll ever have to fight is the one inside yourself.

Nessa
I hate Joe. A stickler for rules, he made an enemy of me the moment we met. But I see something tragically familiar in him. I shouldn’t get involved. He wants to be left alone, but the guilt I carry over my brother’s death has given me a false sense of duty. I thought we’d be friends, I never expected to fall in love with him. And I never expected I’d need him as much as I do when my dysfunctional family finally falls apart.

Joe
I know all too well that war changes you. Routine is the only thing that keeps my mind on the straight and narrow. But you can only hold your demons at bay for so long before they start to wreak havoc. I never thought I’d find an ally in Nessa. I’ve watched her from afar for the last three years, and fallen for her from even further away. She’s strong and caring and everything I need. But I’m falling apart, and I fear I’m going drag her down into the depths of my despair.

War Games is an enemies to friends to lovers story that deals with the psychological aftermath of war.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2020

12 people want to read

About the author

C.L. Stewart

15 books118 followers

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5 stars
14 (58%)
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9 (37%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Katja.
479 reviews
October 3, 2020
This was my first book from C.L. Stewart but it won't be the last. Nessa and Joe didn't have that good first meeting and that is why they weren't friends at first. But then it changed because Nessa saw something what Joe tried to hide. They had so different backgrounds but they were so perfect for each other. They just had to see it first. I liked how they became friends and how their feelings for each other grew. I'm glad that Joe had his sister to help him and of course Max. I liked how Nessa got second and better family from where she worked.

*Copy for honest review*
Profile Image for Zainab M..
188 reviews24 followers
October 2, 2020
Hold your breath for the ride of your lifr

War Games Details:
War Games is a second standalone book in Game Series by C.L. Stewart. We follow the journey of a tortured and brooding war hero cured by a sassy and upfront nanny. While The Intimidation Game focused on office romance and abuse as its main theme, War Games focuses on all those who have been haunted by war; the effects on their lives and relationships after returning back

Plot - Characters - Dialogues:
✦ Claire takes us on a whirlwind romance between Joe and Nessa. This nanny is unlike anyone else. She's bold, beautiful, crass, sexy, heartbroken, and has way too many problems on her plate already. I loved the relation between her and Olivia, Dan's wee thing. She portrayed strong emotions that tugged at my heart in a way I can't put into words. They were fun and sweet. The overprotectiveness was clearly highlighted. Nessa was a mother hen, perfect to parent her own children in a strong way. Her interactions with Joe and his dog, Max, made my day. I couldn't stop turning the pages to read more. I kept looking forward to how the author would pen out certain situations and dialogues, but if you have read Stewart before, you know how angsty she can be.

✦ The pacing had been perfect, hence it's a slow burn, angsty, enemies-to-lovers romance. The plot was so carefully curated that each character got their time and turn. I didn't feel anyone being left out. If there was a fight, then it went on for a good amount of time with perfect arguments. If there was a love scene, it was brief and sizzling. Their emotions were rampant through out.

✦ Since it deals with 'war' as a social topic, I enjoyed how the author had her homework done on the paper before putting it into words. There had been thorough discussions on war and its effects on everyone in general. Indeed commendable.

✦ Last but not the least, Joe - as a man who returned from war with his own memories - was worth every single page read. He charmed my panties off, literally. He was broody in a sexy way. He was soft and gentle in a loving way. He was supportive in a friendly manner. Basically, the author gave us a package of sweet, gentle, jerk, and a sizzling stubborn Scottish hero.

✦ Nessa and Joe goes on a healing journey together. They pass all doubts of clarity and slowly progress their relationship. There was no pressure. No inclination. What started out as a misunderstanding turned into panty melting romance. They were there for each other, at every step. She cried, he comforted. He got crazed, she was there to bear it all.

✦ I thoroughly enjoyed the side characters, including Joe's sister and Nessa's caretaker. *Ahem* I might know something you don't, so better watch out for book 3!

Ugh, what a story! I NEED A SCOTTISH MAN ASAP. SEND HELP!! Finally, concluding this review with 5 Awww Stars! Thank you, Claire, for giving me this opportunity! BRING ON THE NEXT BOOK OVER..MOI IS PREPARED
Profile Image for Floraljoy.
1,147 reviews
October 2, 2020
Superb:
This was a great book, full of all the right feels! I particularly enjoyed the Scottish setting and the soft brogue with which the characters spoke.
Joe and Nessa were like oil and water, initially butting heads and it was wonderful seeing them find healing, happiness and love. Joe suffered from PTSD and was reserved and hurting whilst Nessa had her own pain and challenges to deal with. I enjoyed their journey and how they ultimately fought for their HEA.
I thought the author did a good job of highlighting the tremendous affect war has on those who have served and the lasting effects of PTSD. My only quibble was that it was rather unrealistic how little work this nanny actually did! This was book 2 in the series but it can definitely be read as a standalone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
9,376 reviews140 followers
October 2, 2020
This is a beautifully written story with Joe suffering from PTSD and Nessa wanting to help him after seeing what her brother went through. The author does a wonderful job dealing with the issues and bringing the two together. Her characters are strong and well developed and the story moves fluidly with her descriptive and detailed writing. It's an emotional slow burn romance with the couple coming together and working at helping each other and falling in love along the way. Well done!!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
Profile Image for QueenOfBooks88.
260 reviews11 followers
October 7, 2020
Fantastic story by C.L Stewart.
This was so well written the in depth information on the tough battles someone with PTSD faces was heartbreaking and a shocking truth of what really goes on in the world. Nessa - the strong courageous young woman who faced many her own hard truths was determined not to turn her back on someone else who was struggling but little did she know she'd fall for the arrogant Joe.

Joe - Faced many difficulties with his past and thought he'd managed to deal with them the way he was supposed to, only a trigger sets them off again however this time Nessa is there to witness his struggles but he never wanted anyone to get close enough to care. Can they find the support they both desperately need?
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
3,411 reviews1 follower
October 3, 2020
Love This Book 💖
I felt that the author had the ability to convey some depth to the personalities of the characters bringing life and likability to every person.
The writing draws you in and keeps you interested until the end.

I was very impressed with how simply and effortlessly this author told this addicting, multi-layered story with well-developed world building and great characters.

This review has been voluntarily submitted for your consideration.
977 reviews2 followers
September 30, 2020
An emotional story that focuses on dealing with PTSD and child hood issues and the loses in their lives.
Joe suffers from PTSD, Nessa recognizes it from her brothers symptoms.
Nessa wants to help as she feels there is not enough being done for returning soliders.
These amazing characters are not without flaws but are strong, caring, talented individuals.
Great read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for evieo17 .
5,088 reviews51 followers
October 2, 2020
This is my first read from this author and I really enjoyed it. I had all the feels in this book and it was hard to not sniffle here and there for what both Joe and Nessa were dealing with. I would definitely recommend this book and would be checking out more books from this author.
4,330 reviews27 followers
October 4, 2020
I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. War Games was a great addition to the Game series. Nessa and Joe started off rocky. When she realizes a few things, she understands what he is dealing with. She wants to help him with his PTSD. I thought these characters were well written. The storyline is emotional but a romance none the less. I look forward to reading more in this series

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4,678 reviews9 followers
October 11, 2020
This very well written book 2 in Game Series has really good characters. A well-paced and standalone book that has amazing well-developed characters. It will keep you on your toes from beginning to end because it has action, adventure, drama, suspense, grief, surprises, romance, and love. This emotional roller coaster of a book will have you hanging on by the seat of your pants and not letting go until you have read the whole story

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Astrid V.J..
Author 36 books350 followers
October 11, 2020
C.L. Stewart has done it again. What a beautiful story! War Games is a deeply moving book about seeking redemption. I’ve always admired Stewart’s books because each one deals with important psychological themes and this one doesn’t disappoint. I’d like to thank the author for raising awareness about PTS syndrome. It is a condition that isn’t taken into account enough and that is poorly understood by the general public. This book is well-researched and beautifully written. I totally loved it.
10.9k reviews126 followers
October 4, 2020
This is the 2nd book I've read written by C.L. Stewart; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Deb.
7,591 reviews37 followers
October 12, 2020
A wonderful story that had so much emotion, it was hard to not be pulled into the story. The writing was fluid. The characters were engaging and the storyline had drama, heartbreak and love.
Profile Image for L.M. Reid.
Author 20 books240 followers
September 25, 2020
I enjoyed this book by new to me author CL Stewart.
War Games is the second book in the Game Series. However, I did not read the first book in the series, but rather read this as a stand-alone and was easily able to do so.
War Games is Nessa and Joe’s enemies-to-lovers story.
Both working at the same estate, Joe and Nessa avoided each other for three years. Their initial encounter was less that pleasant when Joe was downright rude to Nessa on her first day.
After Joe apologizes and explains his behavior, things begin to change for the two. They begin to form a friendship that quickly turns into more. Though to get to the other side they will have to go through many ups and downs and learn how to love and trust again.
The story was well written and the characters deeply developed. Overall, it was a good read.
Profile Image for Navss (read.yourbooks).
630 reviews24 followers
October 6, 2020
𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅, 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐. 𝑴𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑.

The story revolves around Vaneessa & Joe.
Vanessa, mostly called as Nessa has had an inattentive childhood with shitty parents and no love. Her brother came from the army a broken man and she couldn't save him.
Joe is an ex-armyman. It's been 4 years and now he's living with his dog Max, still working on how to avoid seeing the horrors at night and suffering from PTSD.

Both of them live on the same estate but a wrong first meeting leads them trying to annoy each other at every given chance. When Nessa sees a personal moment of Joe which she shouldn't have seen, her perception changes. With their growing moments together, Joe's initial attraction to Nessa grows. The two of them are from different lives, but the distress connects them.

The author wonderfully shows us how the two of them have issues but are helping, supporting and loving each other.

I was immersed in the story during the beginning, but gradually found the story a bit dry with moments of repetition which didn't give the impact they should have had. I liked the storyline, but found the plot moving too fast. I would have loved if there were some more information on how Joe deals with his PTSD and how it affects his relationship with Nessa.

I would give this 3 stars, but other people have loved & enjoyed it more. Read and review it yourself :)

••••••••••••••••••••••••
I've recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for S.A. Ichigo.
Author 1 book3 followers
September 23, 2020
🖤📖BOOK REVIEW📖🖤
WAR GAMES by @clstewart_author is the second book in the Game Series, and I highly advise to read The Intimidation Game prior to this book.
Nessa and Joe’s story is captivating from the very first page. It is one of my favourite tropes; #enemiestolovers 🖤
This adorable couple has spent three years avoiding each other after their first encounter on Nessa’s first day at work. She hated him for mistreating her, he felt bad about the whole situation but never gathered the courage to apologise. But love is a tricky and certainly the most surprising thing.
Both characters battle their own demons, and somewhat are broken their own way. Nessa’s never known love, growing up unwanted and miserable, the only person who truly cared about her was her older brother - until he was gone.
Joe in an ex-military who runs the estate they both work in. War has changed him, the cruelty he’s witnessed strongly affected him, creating demons that haunt him to this day.
Their love is full of ups and downs, uncertainty, and heartbreak. They heal each other, learning to love and trust again.
4,5/5⭐️ Amazing, emotional story. Must read for every enemies-to-lovers fan. 🖤
#thegameseries #wargames #comingsoon #arcreview #arcreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #contemporaryromance #mustread #romancenovels
Profile Image for Lina.
213 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2022
Nessa has had a difficult life. Her parents never loved her or her brother and she had to figure out life for herself. She’s doing pretty well, though, considering she managed to get a job working as Dan King’s nanny (don’t tell anyone, though, she had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to work there). It’s pretty great, she got her own cottage on his huge property, a new car, and she makes pretty good money. The only bad part is Joe. He’s the groundskeeper, and he’s such a jerk. A year after Nessa’s brother commits suicide after suffering from war-related PTSD, though, she starts noticing Joe showing some of the same symptoms her brother did. Can Nessa overcome her hatred for Joe to help him so he doesn’t suffer the same fate as her brother?

This book was wonderful. I love psychology, and it was so interesting getting inside the minds of two people who have suffered so much is such different ways. The love story seemed a bit rushed and overly predictable, but this was still a really fun read. The characters were believable, and I enjoyed that the two main characters from the last book appeared in this one, even if they weren’t major characters.
Profile Image for The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V..
1,124 reviews28 followers
August 7, 2022
This is a stand-alone within a series of interconnected stories, and even though I love all of C.L. Stewart's other books, she's really outdone herself with this one. What a beautiful story!

This hate-to-love trope romance took things to a whole new level on the psychological side. I've always adored how much attention to detail Stewart gives when it comes to psychological processes and how our minds work. This book is no different, only she takes on a really difficult topic and masters it, brilliantly. I’ve always admired Stewart’s writing because each one deals with important psychological themes and this one doesn’t disappoint. This book is well-researched and beautifully written.

War Games is also a deeply moving book about seeking redemption. Nessa and Joe are both torn by guilt for their failings in the past and together they might just be able to put the pieces back together again, but that doesn't seem possible when they're constantly at each others' throats because they really do hate each other.
7,813 reviews65 followers
June 20, 2021
I loved Nessa and Joe’s characters both are slightly Brocken and when they first meet instant dislike. Than they get to know each better and chemistry develops. The characters are engaging and well developed with a storyline that flows easily throughout the pages.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Ainslie.
5 reviews3 followers
June 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this story. It’s amazing how much you can relate to Nessa. Joe is definitely who she needs and she is just who he needs. The way they get together was sweet and there’s so much love
Profile Image for Liz (LoverOfBooks80).
925 reviews15 followers
September 26, 2020
What a brilliantly amazing, page turning phenomenal read.

I absolutely loved War Games, I got sucked into their life and it felt like I was there with Nessa and Joe. The strength they both have after their past is inspiring.

Their first impressions of each other weren’t great, and I found it funny how they then tried to annoy each other purposely 🤣

Their attraction to each other was always there, but eventually a friendship developed. And it turned to more ❤️
I loved seeing them fall, the support, strength and understanding they gave each other.

Such a heartwarming story that is a must read x
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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