The Game

by Vi Keeland, Sebastian York (Narrator), Andi Arndt (Narrator)

A new, sexy standalone from number one New York Times best seller, Vi Keeland.

It started out like any other Tuesday.

I spent 12 hours writing algorithms for one of the largest companies in the world and then came home to work on a pet project of mine—feeding facts about the men I knew into a formula to find my perfect match before my twenties came barreling to a close.

But then a man knocked on my door and handed me some papers that turned my life upside down.

Apparently, a father I never knew existed had left me something in his will. That something turned out to be part ownership in a professional football team.

Next thing I knew, I was learning a sport I knew nothing about by spending time with the team’s quarterback who was out with an injury, a man who my formula would definitely determine was all wrong for me.

Christian Knox was too handsome and confident for his own good and could have any woman he wanted. Only lately the only woman he seemed to want was me.

But there was no way I was getting involved when I was now his boss, even if he was insanely gorgeous and had the dirtiest mouth I’d ever come across.

It would be wrong, wouldn’t it?

Probably. But you know what they say about things that are wrong...sometimes they feel so right.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, Football, Audiobook, Contemporary

9 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 16, 2023

About the author

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over one hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-six languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Stop by and meet Vi in her private reader group on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ViKee...

Reviews

[Vi Keeland]

THE GAME IS LIVE EARLY ON AMAZON!

Amazon US ➜ https://bit.ly/3QEeHYx
Amazon UK ➜ https://amzn.to/3QNWzeY
Amazon CA➜ https://bit.ly/3H2KrCr
Amazon AU ➜ https://bit.ly/3XerL9k

Pre-orders available now:
Audio ➜ https://adbl.co/3C5XkKe
Apple Books ➜ https://apple.co/3WLHxsK
Kobo ➜ https://bit.ly/TheGame-Kobo
B&N ➜ https://bit.ly/TheGameBN
Google Play ➜ https://bit.ly/TheGameGP
Paperback ➜ https://amzn.to/3VkCs8I







THE GAME IS LIVE EARLY ON AMAZON!

Amazon US ➜ https://bit.ly/3QEeHYx
Amazon UK ➜ https://amzn.to/3QNWzeY
Amazon CA➜ https://bit.ly/3H2KrCr
Amazon AU ➜ https://bit.ly/3XerL9k

Pre-orders available now:
Audio ➜ https://adbl.co/3C5XkKe
Apple Books ➜ https://apple.co/3WLHxsK
Kobo ➜ https://bit.ly/TheGame-Kobo
B&N ➜ https://bit.ly/TheGameBN
Google Play ➜ https://bit.ly/TheGameGP
Paperback ➜ https://amzn.to/3VkCs8I

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

ღ 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 ღ Is a full length standalone romance book by Vi Keeland. Spoken in dual perspectives. In this you'll meet Bella Keating & Christian Knox the super hot quarterback.

I always come away after reading one of this authors books with a smile on my face and this book was no different. The beginning had me hooked and that stayed the whole way through, these two were utterly perfection.

He knew as soon as he laid eyes on her that somehow he'd make her his and he didn't give up. She had to be convinced more than once that no matter what they were going to happen.

Throw in the feels and I was in my happy place.

Imagine never meeting or knowing the man that hands over part ownership in a professional NFL team, a game Bella knew anything about. She was a numbers kind of gal not a people person, so to say she was out of her element was an understatement.

After an unforgettable, funny embarrassing first meeting with heart throb Christian these two become an unforgettable duo. I haven't giggled or swooned so much as I did with this book. The perfect start to 2023!!

                  

[Arini · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

this is like The Inheritance Games but with a sports backdrop. i said so because the h of this book inherits a professional FOOTBALL TEAM from her father she doesnt know existed, and there are circumstances as to why she is the inheritor instead of his two legitimate daughters (her bitchy, evil stepsisters).

upgraded to four stars because the H is persistent, the main pursuer in the relationship, and falls for the h first. theres a bit of an emotionally intense family drama, but i didnt find anything wrong/problematic in this book, and i didnt think the third act conflict was OTT. overall, a nice, easy & quick, no nonsense read.

(read as an audiobook)

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute palette cleanser with humor, spice, cute moments, not too much drama, the he-falls-first trope and *gasps in shock* a guy with a shirt on the cover.

[Seda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Şu İsmail YK tipi korkunç kapağa baktıkça kusasım geliyor🤢🥴😵‍💫

Neyse ki kitap yine tatlıydı. Christian başından sonuna daha da tatlıydı🥹😍

Karakterlerin özelliklerini, ikilinin ilişkisini, aşırı drama kaçmamasını, futbol takımı sahibi kadın patron ve takım kaptanı olayını falan sevdim.

Sadece biraz fazla düz, fazla heyecansız geldi bu kez. Sakin, dingin, yormayan bir şey istediğim; çok da heyecan aramadığım için puan kırmadım. Kafamın çok dolu olduğu, yorulduğu bir dönemde Vi ilaç gibiydi yine benim için. Bu kadın ne yazsa ben razıyım valla🤌🏻🤌🏻

[cha · Rating 2 out of 5]

reading this book requires no thinking and i do not mean that in a positive way

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Game is a standalone romance by author Vi Keeland. It is a contemporary romance, told from both POV with a HEA.


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✔️ billionairess
✔️ forced proximity due to workplace
✔️ hero falls first
✔️ sports

Bella Keating has just inherited an NFL team from a man she never met. Christian Knox, the team’s star quarterback, is determined to win her over while she’s intent on ignoring their attraction & his efforts at seducing her. Besides, she has a quasi-boyfriend and she needs to focus on learning how to manage her new team.

I was hooked right from the very start. Bella and Christian’s banter was quick, witty and effertorless right from the get go.

Both characters were wonderful. Bella is super smart and sassy, but I think Christian stole the show for me. I absolutely adored him. I loved how his cockiness was tempered by his kind heart. I loved that he seemed selfish and egocentric wanting to conquer Bella’s heart, but he always put her first. He was simply perfect.

The chemistry and back and forth between them was incredible. And if that weren't enough, the plot twist was mind-blowing. A truly addictive story.

★ I received an ARC of this title from the author via Give Me Books PR. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title.
★See all my book edits on Instagram

[Auntee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to confess, the little mystery in the book did not turn out the way I thought it would. If it did, that would've added another 50 pages to the book I'm sure! But no matter, I still enjoyed the story...A nice feel good read with a lot of heart and some steamy interludes.
4 1/2 stars

[☆ Susana ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresco, dinámico, divertido, romántico, con el toque de erótica justo sin resultar pesado y con un misterio de fondo intrigante y que al menos a mí me ha sorprendido bastante. Me ha gustado mucho y ha hecho que vuelva a reconciliarme con la Vi Keeland que me gusta. Así sí.

[Consuelo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Muy cuqui, muy ainsss ellos, pero me aburro , sin chispa en los diálogos, no me engancha, planisimo, lo siento.
Mira que esta autora tiene joyas, pero al 40% abandono.

[Pikolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Prota masculino bastante guay.

[Dilek VT · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is unfortunately a snooze fest. I really tortured myself to be able to finish it.



The plot is boring; it's very simple, ordinary and dull.

The book doesn't have any humor or fun banter. Although Christian and Bella are sweet and likeable characters, I never felt invested in them. They felt like cartoon characters, never coming alive.

They quickly get attached to one another but they definitely lack chemistry. I didn't feel their love or passion or whatsoever. It all felt flat. I felt nothing during their first kiss or during their more intimate moments. On the contrary, I read them fast to be able to move ahead and finish the book.

Not recommended at all.

*********************************************

Safety:

-No dead exes.

-No other woman drama.

-He is not a man-whore. She is not a virgin.

-The heroine, Bella is dating a guy when she meets Christian. She has 2 dates with this guy (one before she meets Christian and another after she meets Christian) and then, she decides that it won't go anywhere and she is in fact attracted to Christian more than she is interested in her date.

-Very short separation and they are definitely celibate during their separation.

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell so, so, so in love with Christian Knox. I can’t even tell you…

The fact that Vi Keeland wrote a football romance. GAHHH. You guys, I can’t overstate how much I adore football. And how a good football romance is such a rare treasure that every time I stumble upon one I lose any and all ability to chill. I have none. It was all sucked out of the room by Christian Freaking Knox.

This was such a great story! It was the perfect blend of banter, heat, and sweet emotion. Christian was a bit of a cinnamon roll (but, y'know, the dirty kind), which I did not expect, but as a lover of cinnamon rolls, I enthusiastically approve. I adored how he charmed his way into Bella’s heart. I loved the way they flirted and communicated like grown-ups, and gave each other a safe space to fall in love with each other. And the conflict, when it inevitably came, didn’t take anything away from the romance. It was…complicated. And so I got it, and I let my heart just flow through all the emotions while trusting there was a happy ending waiting for me.

And there was. It was adorable and so satisfying. The Game is without question a new Vi Keeland favorite. I loved this story so much and absolutely recommend it! ~ Shelly, 5 Stars

[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)

Bella Keating is a math geek who lives in New York. She's a Yale graduate who makes a living writing algorithms. Then her life is completely turned upside down when she learns not only does she have a father she never knew about, but he apparently left her a professional football team in his will. Suddenly she's an overnight billionaire and the owner of an NFL team. She's out of her element learning to run an organization she knows nothing about, and her two new half siblings aren't exactly welcoming. While settling into her new role, she gets some help from her team's quarterback, Christian Knox. He's temporarily out with an injury, and full of knowledge about a sport she knows nothing about. As they spend time together a friendship grows. When he makes it clear he wants more she can't cross that line. No matter how gorgeous he is, she's still his boss. It would be wrong, but will they complicate things and break the rules?

The Game by Vi Keeland is a fun, flirty, friends to lovers, office, sports romance full of explosive chemistry, humor, and all the feels. Just loved this one! I couldn't put it down or quit smiling! <333



***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/3GOMSZb

[Sedef]

ARKADAŞLAR KAPAĞIN KÖTÜLÜĞÜ VE KALİTESİZLİĞİ HALİS Mİ??

[Anne OK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vi Keeland is back in the game with her latest release. I loved this sports-related theme but wasn’t really drawn to the book cover – didn’t come close to what I envisioned Christian Knox to look like – and that’s exactly why I don’t favor full image covers. But that’s just my personal opinion and burden to bear.

An opposites-attracting trope with off-the-charts chemistry, there’s plenty of humor, heat, a colorful array of characters and lots of terrific banter between the entire cast. It also has a bit of sadness and mystery.

Although Bella was somewhat standoffish in the beginning, Christian pursued her gently but insistently. He never stopped loving her or believing that she was the one for him. The push and pull between them adds a campy playfulness to the whole endeavor and the stuff rom-com dreams are made of.

I really enjoyed this book and fell head-over-heels for Christian! He's a big hunk of burning love with a warm and generous heart that made him even more lovable. Bella is smart as a whip, beautiful and feisty but a bit of a challenge. Together they make an outstanding couple with amazing chemistry and fabulous banter.

Fun-to-read cover to cover with all the feels. This one made my heart go pitty-pat!

[Jo - •.★Reading Is My Bliss★.• · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two years ago Bella was astounded to learn that her estranged and unknown late father had left her a huge gift in his will. The Bruins NFL team. After two years of legalities getting sorted, she has arrived to take up her new role as owner. This is a far cry from her algorithm focused career she has had huge success in. She is hoping to be able to apply her skills to the team analytics and stats.

She does have two step-sisters to contend with too, it would be fair to say they are not happy with Bella coming into their lives and making her life easy is not on their radar. This is how she meets Christian for the first time, a bit of mistaken identity leads him into her office and an awkward face plant moment occurs.

Christian Knox is the star quarterback for the Bruins, he is currently on injury leave but very much a part of the team. He is quite taken by Bella and is not afraid for her to know it. She definitely finds him charismatic but she has just started dating a guy who, on paper, could potentially be her perfect match. This news does not deter Christian though.

Christian and Bella end up spending a considerable amount of time together, mainly because of their jobs of course but Christian looks for the opportune moments to see her as much as he can. He quietly worms his way into her life and keeps turning up the charm until she can no longer resist him.

Honestly the slow build up to the eventual coupling of these two was just perfect, it made the moment they did give into it so much more intense not just for them but for me too :) This guy really knows how to turn on the charm and he shows her in so many ways how much she means to him. He feels quite vulnerable around Bella, having never felt this way about anyone.

“But I get butterflies in my stomach when I’m with you. First time it happened, I thought I was hungry or something. But I wasn’t. It was just you” Oh. My. God.

Of course with all the highs, there is bound to be a few lows and the low that is coming for them is a whoppa. Christian needs to make the most important play of his career and it really could go either way…

I’ve had a slow start to reading so far this year but once I found my groove with this story I was well on my way. To be fair it wasn’t me it was more like Vi reeled me in like a fish and I was hooked. Loved this!

[Kindle Crack Book Reviews Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I start a new book by Vi Keeland, it feels like I’m unwrapping a holiday gift from my favorite person. Reading this book was one of those occasions. I read The Game in early December, and I’m still thinking about this book a month later. Christian and Bella are everything! This book is filled with delicious chemistry, Vi’s signature witty banter, and the perfect amount of heart and heat.   It is unputdownable. I literally binge-read this book. I didn’t have a choice because I couldn’t put it down! The Game is another winner from Vi. Get your head in The Game when it releases on 1/16. All the stars! 

 

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a little hard for me to get in to. I almost gave up after the first chapter or so and even though I wasn’t super hooked by like 30% I kept reading because Vi Keeland’s writing is pretty good and kept me turning the pages. What really kept me around though is that there were no dead exes 😮‍💨 IYKYK, round of applause to Vi for not going there 👏 that being said there were quite a few dead characters namely both of the heroine’s parents and because it’s Vi Keeland they weren’t just normal dead there was ~mystery~ and ~intrigue~ surrounding them being dead that eventually became a huge part of the plot. I rolled my eyes so hard when it became obvious at 63% there would be a big plot twist related to these dead people 🙄 she really can’t help herself. My theory is that Vi Keeland loves murder mystery, but won’t commit to writing a full on book about that so she just integrates all her plots into big surprises about dead people 🤷🏼‍♀️ for me, personally, I think people have enough issues in their lives unrelated to dead exes, parents, siblings or whoever to make great romance plot climaxes, but 🤷🏼‍♀️ that’s just me. I also think that like half way through I started to like the characters more, got more invested and found them pretty cute so this wasn’t all murder mystery, but it took up a good chunk of the end for sure. Overall this was a quick, easy read about a hot quarterback that turns into a huge simp for the hot nerdy heiress that takes over his football team and won’t let anything get in the way of making her his🫡 nice.

[Wendy ⏃: ✦The Life of A Book Nerd✦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

On top with Sex, Not Love ; The Game by Vi Keeland is a sweet, playful, and swoony romance!! Vi never disappoints when it comes to her books and her writing!

Bella Keating is smart, beautiful, and has a strong head on her shoulders. Through the game of football, she learned about her father, the man she never got to meet.

Christian Knox is cheeky, handsome, and confident!! It's hard not to love him. He won me over from the very first page!!

The banter between these two was thrilling, a back-and-forth that consumed me! I absolutely loved it! Vi, as always, threw in the angst which ultimately strengthened the connection between Bella and Christian, making their relationship stronger.

This was a book I truly enjoyed and couldn't get enough of!!


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

[Wobilba · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I didn’t hate it. I didn’t love it.
Nothing special here. The characters and story were a little bit on the boring side.

[sophia࿐ · Rating 2 out of 5]

WHAT THE HELL?
WHAT THE HELLY!

I honestly don’t know why I am doing this to myself. Still reading Vi’s books. They are always bad in some way. And the smut? 🤢🤮🤮🤮

[Fiebre Lectora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña completa: https://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/20...

Bella, experta en algoritmos, acaba de heredar por sorpresa un equipo profesional de la NFL, del padre al que nunca conoció, lo que supone un difícil reto; sin embargo, lo que realmente le rompe los esquemas es conocer al quarterback del equipo, Christian, guapo, seductor, y quien no para de tirarle los tejos desde el primer momento. Según el algoritmo que Bella creó para encontrar pareja, no son especialmente compatibles pero puede que, en esta ocasión, la ciencia se equivoque.

Luces y sombras: lo cierto es que comenzó fenomenal, y durante prácticamente la mitad de la novela lo estuve disfrutando mucho, pues la herencia inesperada y la incipiente relación entre Bella y Christian pintaban genial. Asimismo, me daba mucha curiosidad todo el tema de la gestión del equipo, y la forma que tenía Bella de enfrentarse a los problemas con sus hermanastras, y la historia con su mejor amiga.

[Tetyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5
Дуже мила історія, але я її читала з думкою, коли вже там кінець.

По перше, мені не сподобалися діалоги, вони були якісь пласкі і неприродні. По друге, не вистачило розкриття головних героїв, особливо Крістіана, якщо про Беллу було достатньо інформації, я розуміла її поведінку, страхи переживання, то Крістіана було мало. Хоча й були розділи від його імені, але вони здавалися такими сухими. Він, як то крім Белли, ні про що не думав, всі думки зводилися до неї і її проблем. А хотілося більше про його сім'ю дізнатися, про дитинство, більше його роздумів, переживань. Також не дуже сподобалося, те, як Крістіан завойовував Беллу, мене така поведінка відлякала б, але дівчина була не проти,тому упустимо це.
Чесно кажучи, мені навіть головні герої не запали в душу, якось не прониклася я до них симпатією. Крістіана зобразили занадто милим і ідеальним, а Белла - просто не моя героїня.

Що сподобалося:
📍Детективна складова, я не очікувала такого повороту сюжету, весь час думала, що все по іншому обернеться, але ні.
Намагаюся згадати, ще щось і не можу😂.
Загалом, книга для мене дуже перехідна, якби я її не прочитала, то нічого не втратила б. Більш ранні роботи авторки мені сподобалися більше. Але хочеться виділити один момент, який зворушив до сліз:

"З підліткового віку я думала, що мій страх зближуватися з людьми був пов'язаний з тим, що я боялася їх втратити. Але я думаю, що, можливо, я більше боялася того, що ніхто не боявся втратити мене."

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has yet to disappoint me. At the end of her books, I always feel warmth and joy. I love sports romance, especially when my favorite sport is involved

Bella’s life drastically turns when she inherits a football team from a man she has never met. Her father. She knows nothing about football, and her step-siblings are less than thrilled to have her around. Christine is the star QB on the injured reserved list; he is instantly smitten by Bella and takes it upon himself to help her with knowledge and people skills.

Christine is swoon-worthy. He knows what he wants and isn't afraid to do the work. He cracked me up. His twin, Jake, is hysterical.

Bella is a survivor of the streets. Highly intelligent. Her step-siblings treat her like crap. Bella holds her head high and is full of Grace. But when those gloves come off, watch it!

I did expect some laughter throughout the book, but this is just too comical and has a fantastic storyline. What I loved about this workplace romance was the heroine was the boss—one of the main reasons I picked up this book.

[kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ✿

He leaned closer. ❛I want to plant roots with you, Bella. It doesn’t matter where, just needs to be a place you’re happy.❜
❛I finally know where that is. The place I can be happy.❜
❛Where?❜
❛Anywhere you are.❜

this was cute... and a tiny bit cringy.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4,5 stars

I loved this one, I really liked the way the main characters met, it was funny cute and sweet.This has a little bit of everything office romance, slow burn which is my favorite and opposite attract.Christian is the best I fall in love with him from the beginning .

Bella is a lovely heroine that I could relate with her .I loved their relatioship they were perfect for each other!They have a great conection , there was tention and sweet moments plus steamy.

You can't go wrong with Vi Keeland, her books are fantastic and this one it's a new addiction!

[Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This was a perfectly fine sports romance, but it's not my favorite from Keeland. I liked the set-up: a new owner to a NFL team and the star quarterback is a great idea, but the story got bogged down in the other stuff - particularly the family drama. It was more emotionally intense than the rest of the story, but not really given the page time to develop it as much as I wanted, so it was just kinda flat for me. And I also thing the actual romance was a little rushed for my taste. I didn't feel much chemistry beyond the first few interactions between Christian and Bella. I did enjoy most of the side characters, they made the world - and story - fuller.

[Lena's Version · Rating 3 out of 5]

Las historias de esta autora son un "sí", siempre. Ha sido bastante cuqui, sano y natural, pero un tanto lineal esta vez. He sentido que le faltaba algún giro o momento más emblemático en el juego entre ellos. Christian es que ha sido amor desde el minuto 1, aiss ❤️

[Ligaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha sido un libro que pensaba que iba a ser chica súper inteligente- deportista....pero que ha sido más. No me esperaba el camino que iba a tomar, pero ha estado entretenido