Dienstag, 9. Januar 2018

Infraction (Players Game #02) - Rachel van Dyken

Title: Infraction (Players Game #02)
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Rating: 3.5 - 4 / 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Skyscape for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Pro footballer Miller Quinton would do anything for his best friend and teammate—including “fake dating” his friend’s sister. What no one knows is that seven months ago in Vegas, Miller and Kinsey did a whole lot more than just kiss. Miller knows that this cheerleader is off-limits to him and any guy on the team. Still, he can’t stop himself.

Kinsey’s whole world is on the verge of crumbling. Her dad has cancer. Her overprotective brother is falling apart. Dating Miller may be a fake-out, but he’s the one guy who can make her forget about everything—including all the reasons she stayed away from football players. With each heated moment, Miller feels more like a safe place…even though he’s not safe at all.

Now temptation is testing every rule in the game of love. But how long can they go on playing when winning is a harder goal than either of them imagined?

Never in a million years would I have thought, I could actually like the second novel in the series. The first one didn't end the way I wanted it and I was really mad. I didn't want to read about what happens next... As long as Emerson didn't end up with the person I wanted her to, I didn't want anything to do with the Players Game world. And then I saw Infraction up for request on NetGalley. And against my better judgement, I was like: "Hey, it's a Rachel van Dyken book. Come on, give it a try." And hell yeah! I liked this one better than Fraternize, the first book in the series.

Compared to Fraternize there are much more serious topics in this book. Not so much for Miller, but for Kinsey. Sometimes, I wasn't sure whether it was too much, but on the other hand, her past situations made her become the strong character she was during the book. And I think that was okay. I even liked her, though I couldn't really place her in the first book. I wasn't sure what to think of her. Her being the love interest? No way. But it worked out. Of course, it did. We're talking about Rachel van Dyken here. She's fabulous at everything - even creating a story about a character I never would have thought to be a main one.

As for Miller... He's just as awesome as in the first book. He might be one of my favorite Rachel van Dyken characters ever. His friends, such as Sanchez, all remind me so much of the characters from van Dyken's Consequences series. They're all so alike. Which, while reading the book, I wasn't so fond of, to be honest. But looking back, I think it's kind of nice to recognize the author's style. So I'm not complaining.

The plot itself could be told in less than a hundred pages. It's the details that made me like the story so much - as well as Jax' point of view (Kinsey's brother), because let's face it - he's just as awesome as Miller. I wouldn't have minded a 400 pages book about him, either. Because sometimes, his point of view, Kinsey's and Miller's were a bit too much. There was so much going on, so many thoughts the reader had to deal with. But in the end, I think it's what made the story so great to me. It was more mature than Fraternize, more family drama, more health drama, more heartbreak drama (though Fraternize really did a number, too). I liked to read about how the different characters thought about their friendship. Of all the novels I've read, I can safely say that Rachel van Dyken knows how to create a team. There's no other word for the characters' bond - they are a team. (And since this series is about football players, I guess that seals it.)

If you like these types of sports romances and a writing style that makes you laugh and then cry in the next second, you should totally read this one. And you'll need plenty of tissues. Don't say I didn't warn you, because Kinsey and Jax... Damn, these two are so strong. I found myself crying for them several times. I'm glad the author decided to tell their stories.

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