REVIEW - Hate the Game (Love Games #1) by Winter Renshaw

The Book
Release Date: 25 September 2019
Goodreads Link

Talon Gold is a lot of things: good at football, bad at love. Obsessed with scoring, refuses to play by the rules. Cruel. Relentless. Brilliant. Intoxicatingly attractive.

Despite his demanding reputation and propensity for being the most arrogant a-hole ever to strut Pacific Valley University’s picturesque campus, everyone wants a piece of him: coaches, scouts, and pretty little campus fangirls with pouty lips and perfect top knots.

But Talon … he only wants a piece of me.

And four straight years of infuriating rejection means I’m almost positive he’d take a night with me over a national championship trophy.

But I’m no fool—he only wants me because he can’t have me. And with graduation approaching, time is running out. He’s more desperate than ever, pulling out all the stops and doing everything in his power to get in my good graces.

They say, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

But to that I say, “Why not both?”

I have my reasons ...

Sorry, BMOC. This victory? Not going to happen. 

My Review  4 STARS
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This is almost like a coming of age book where both characters have had hardships in their life, they just mask it to the world.

Irie has been hurt in her past by an ex-boyfriend who was on the football team, therefore when Talan showed an interest in her her Sophomore year she new that she would never reciprocate.  Fast forward to four months until the end of college and although Talan has always tried to make advances she has always turned him down.

Talan has always had an eye for Irie and when he finds that he has a class with her he manages to be her partner and keeps pressing for more until she gives in.

Talan shows Irie what it is to be loved, he protects her and is there for her even when she wobbles.  Both characters are strong, but together make each other stronger.

The ending is wonderfully optimistic and shows what can be done if you give in to trust the right person.