I really liked this. It was short and just what I needed/wanted. The only thing that I could've done without was the agent stuff. I know it's the theme of the series, but I could've done with just a geek romance. In any case, will probably read other stuff from the same writer. ( )

Any time I am asked (or when I do the asking) to review a book, I somehow feel that I need to spend more time on my write-up than I do when I review a book for fun. That is the case with my latest review. I finished reading Seleste deLaney’s GAMING FOR KEEPS a couple of days ago, and instead of jumping into the review with the enthusiasm fresh from reading the book, I decided to sleep on it.

The next day, my enthusiasm hadn’t changed. I figured maybe I still needed more perspective, and gave it another day. Still no change. What that tells me is that this book really is that much fun.

So, the basic premise is that a couple of people who have played an MMORPG together but have never met in person go to a convention hoping to meet each other, and end up hitting it off in person as well as they do online. The conflict? He is a real-life spy, and there’s a psycho planning to kill a bunch of people at this convention. He has to figure out how to stop the bad guy, save the girl, and still keep his secret. Unfortunately, she has bad experiences with online dating, and is very leery of secrets.

I went into this hoping it would be as fun as it actually was. I was expecting a lot of geeky references, and I got them. (I’m sure there were several that I didn’t catch, too, since I haven’t played an MMORPG before. I do play RPGs on the computer, but I play solo instead of online.)

The one thing I was expecting that I didn’t get was more of a fantasy/paranormal element. Both the good guys and the bad guys are 100% human. No vampires, no demons, no elves – except of the role-playing kind. Normally, I prefer paranormal fiction. Straight fiction without that fantasy element doesn’t interest me as much. However, between the RPG and the spy stuff, this was pretty close to fantasy without actually adding anything paranormal.

The lack of fantasy creatures didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book at all – if anything, it made me enjoy it more, because it was all fresh. There were no hidden magic powers waiting to save the day. No evil spells or curses the bad guy wielded which made you wonder how the normal-seeming good guy had any chance at all. It all made sense in the world we already know, so I wasn’t pulled out of the story to decipher the mechanics of a plot device.

This is already a pretty long review, so I’m going to add a few bullet points of things I particularly enjoyed:
• The sex-in-the-shower scene. Without going into details, I can just say that I’ve had experiences very similar to this one. It made me laugh, and it made me believe. Nicely done.
• I loved the description of the costumes. There weren’t many of them, as the costumes weren’t part of the story apart from when they were on the main characters, but they were fun to read.
• In-game descriptions. Awesome stuff. You can tell Seleste has played before. Even though I don’t play MMOs, there are enough offline RPG similarities that it resonated with my experiences.
• Geek references. I’m only just getting into Firefly (I know, bad geek girl) because I lacked TV service when it aired, but I loved the quotes they threw around. Same with LOTR.

(For full disclosure, I received a review copy of this ebook from the publisher. But I only begged to be sent a review copy because the book was not yet available for purchase.) ( )

Penelope started playing this game with her ex-boyfriend, who'd team (guild) she is still part of. But Aaron doesn't help her in-game. A man with the screen name Lohonas does. He's always got her back, even if he is from another guild. Lohonas has get in-game morals and team support. If Pen could meet one person from online, Lohonas would be him. But people aren't as they seem online. Aaron had proved that. ConDamned, a gamer, book, and comic convention, is coming up and Lohonas asks Pen if she's going to maybe meet? Nervous, Pen says yes. Cal is looking to relax at ConDamned, but his boss at TRAIT needs him on the job at the Con. Cal also is ready to work in the field again, or he thinks. All he has to do is find the code and break it, letting the others on his team know so they can stop the bad guy. And not lead on he's a secret agent. When Cal meets Pen, all he wants is to spend time with her and keep her safe.

The novella is from both Penelope's and Calvin's POV. It's neat how in the story the gamer persona did show through and match with their actions and real personality. Seeing their chat, I like Lohonas's personality. And he's not forcing her to meet him. If they happen across each other, they do. If not, it wasn't meant to happen. Hahaha! Pen is great. She's got spunk. I loved her strength and at the bar with the drink she chugs. She's quick with her retorts, and pending who her bather is with she's a hoot.

The story is quick. But conventions are only a weekend, so there isn't much time to waste. I liked that they had a semi-relationship prior to meeting, makes the relationship feel a bit stronger for me. The relationship grows with seeing the thoughts of both Pen and Cal. The danger of a threat to all at the Con comes to life toward the end of the story. And sparks an even deeper connection with Pen and Cal.

So enjoyed this sexy read. This is one that is a one sitting read. You want to keep reading Cal and Pen. Not to leave them be until the story ends. Even then, I wanted the weekend to keep going.

Cal is every girls, geek or not, dream come to life. But if you are a geek girl, yea you'll appreciate and love him deeply. Oh, I enjoyed this one. I think even if it was a full length novel, I'd want more of this couple. I was left happy, pleased, and not wanting the weekend to end. I'm always wishing for more from this author, Seleste. ( )

As I'm not that much of a gamer myself I felt a bit lost at times with all the inside jokes and gamer speak. But definitely a very cute and enjoyable book. ( )

Only after inviting a girl that he met in an online MMORPG to meet him at a gaming convention does Cal Burrows learn there is danger afoot at the convention. As a spy, he has been enlisted to get hold of a code that a terrorist is sending through at the convention so they can find out what he’s up to. He can only hope that her hesitation in accepting his invitation will convince her to stay home.
Penelope Holloway is drawn to the online persona of the man who invited her to the game convention. Her first relationship begun online and ended badly, and while she is hesitant, Pen not only is curious about her online friend but she has enjoyed going to the convention in the past. After a case of mistaken identity, she decides her friend is a jerk as well before accidentally meeting up with him in the bar and finding out later who he is. Except she never suspected he was a spy or that her life was going to be in danger at the convention.
Gaming For Keeps was a pure delight to read. The characters were likable (I always find the geek characters are people I would enjoy hanging out with). The pace was face, the sex was hot and the action kept me on the edge of my seat. If you’re worried that the novella length won’t give you a full story, leave that worry at the door. This is the perfect length.

ARC provided by publisher for honest review.
Posted by Cindy at 2:06 PM No comments: ( )