Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Game Point
SERIES: Dreamspun Desires #45
AUTHOR: M.J. O’Shea
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 194 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2017
BLURB:
Game, set… match made in heaven.
Spoiled socialite Quinn Valenzuela has no interest in sports or his family’s huge sporting goods empire, Sparta Athletics. So when Quinn learns his grandfather has died and he’s in control of the corporation, no one is more surprised than Quinn himself.
Dedicated COO Porter Davis has little time and less patience for brats like Quinn who have never done a day’s work, but circumstances leave him with little choice. Quinn claims he’s ready to leave partying behind and grow up, but it’ll take more than words to earn Porter’s respect. As it turns out, they can work—and play—together after all. A friends with benefits arrangement makes sense for the two busy men, but are they too different for it to ever develop into more? Not if Quinn can convince Porter he has his head in the game.
REVIEW:
I enjoyed this story. M.J. O’Shea is hit or miss for me, but I felt like this one was a hit.
This is very much an “enemies to friends to lovers” story and it was very believable and mostly done well. I did not understand the animosity at first and felt like it was not well explained. I personally never understood if it was jealousy or secret lust or what. It was well presented just never really explained.
But as things moved into the friendship realm, I felt like things were much clearer. I loved how Quinn stood up for himself as he grew. He wanted to be more and he demanded a chance to show that he could achieve greatness. He was not as shallow as the blurb implied and he was very well written. His self esteem issues gave him depth with crossing over into “woe is me.”
Once Porter got over his issues and started to open up to Quinn, the friendship was easy to believe and I really felt things moving into romance territory. It was fun to see these men together and it flowed seamlessly into believing the love. The time jumps were used well so that I didn’t feel like things were rushed. I did wish more was on the page but it never turned into telling not showing and I really loved the amount of time spent developing this relationship outside of the bedroom.
I wish I would have learned more about Porter as a person. I struggled with some of his reactions and think that maybe if more time was dedicated to his past and who he was as a person, I would have better understood and connected with him.
I understood the need for the big angst, but I have to admit I am not sure I understood why it happened as it did. I felt like Quinn was 100% in the know of his feelings so when things happened as they did, it felt forced. But oh man, the emotions were raw and I felt them to my core. The author really did well presenting that emotional connection so that I felt things right along with the characters.
Overall, I felt like this was a good addition to the Dreamspun Desires line. It was an enjoyable read and I recommend it to readers of the Harlequin type romances.
RATING: 
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