A review by upturnedroots
Good Game by Madison Fox

relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

First contemporary romance to hold my attention in a while, I liked the fun over-the-top vibe of the masked identity and the gamer culture references. Pacing was a bit slow and episodic after the halfway point, and the stakes felt overinflated as did the confessions of feelings/love, but I get that the drama is part of this book's vibe. SO, it obviously still kept me reading even if the dialogue and some of the romance and setting aspects (e.g., ultra-rich characters, clubbing, pet names, and texts) were not personally clicking for me. I do like the the hero's backstory and some of the commonalities with the heroine's backstory, and I wish more of that came through in their discussions, but that's probably because I enjoy more angsty versus insta-love stories.

Points for creativity with the steamy scenes for sure. All in all a fun escapist read for someone who reads and writes more historical romance.

I am VERY much looking forward to Parker's book, and I predicted his love interest early on, which has me even more excited. I'm also excited to read about Jackson, and I liked that this book has some BIPOC/LGBTQ+ central characters, including Stevie's best friend.