ARC Review: The Summer Games: Settling the Score by R.S. Grey

Book Title: The Summer Games: Settling the Score
Author: R.S. Grey
Series: Standalone
Release Date: May 2nd, 2016
Genres: Sports Romance

As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:

The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs...

The committee passes out condoms like candy...

The games continue long after the medals have been handed out...

As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she's forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent--too bad he's unavailable in a way that "it's complicated" doesn't even begin to explain.

In other words: off limits.

It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there--shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase "international affairs".

*Click on image above to pre-order for 99c now!*

Words cannot even begin to describe my excitement when this book landed on my Kindle because let's face it, this book will be calling out to you for so many reasons alone. 

• THAT gorgeous cover!! See those abs and that hunky man on the cover? Yup that's the hero of the story. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you Freddie Archibald.
• THAT blurb!! If you're fan of sports romance, how could you possible say no to this Olympics-themed read?! And the setting is set in Rio where it's a tropical paradise. 
• It's R.S Grey!! Her books are the some of the best light-hearted, fun yet sexy romance reads you'll ever find around here. If you haven't heard of her, shame on you. Get crackin on her books right now! 
• "It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush." = Seriously ladies, the struggle is real. Lordy where I can find me a Freddie to ogle at?!

After putting this down, I can easily say that this is my favorite RS Grey book to date. Now usually those of you who know me and read my reviews, I hardly give rom-com books anything more than a 4 stars yes I'm a picky beech like that but I'll be damned with this one. This read was much more than just a few giggles and chuckles, it even had me at some tear-shedding moments. In simple words, the book had a good balance of humor, romance,steam and angst. 

Although this book features characters from her previous read Scoring Wilder, it's perfectly okay for readers to read this as a standalone. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I did and my personal enjoyment of this read was not hindered. It has actually cemented the fact that I now do need to go and read Kinsley and Liam's story.

The Summer Games features Andie Foster, 21-year old soccer girl from the States who made her way to the Olympics at Rio. She's got her game face on, her eyes set on taking back the gold for her team but one thing that she didn't account for was colliding paths with one sexy hubba hubba British swimmer. Meet Freddie Archibald - swimmer extraordinaire, part British royalty (a Duke to be precise) and perfectly toned abs that could probably leave you catatonic. The circumstances under which they met was entirely hilarious but that surely did not stop the sparks was flying. 

"I was not in love with Frederick Archibald. People do not fall in love overnight. I was merely excited by the idea of Freddie the same way I got excited by two-for-one ice cream sundaes at McDonald's."

What I really loved about this read is how Freddie's character took me by surprise. I started off the read thinking he's probably a playboy with an ego too big and one too many gold medals already in his sack (um, pun not intended) but here he was with proper manners and a total gentleman to the ladies. Also may I add that the author has gotten all her British terms nailed correctly (for example, pants!) so that was an added bonus for me. The read also had a good amount of angst which I LOVED and it just had me flipping the pages so fast because I needed to calm my poor heart down. 

"I needed her more than I needed my next race. The water was soothing, but Andie lit me on fire."

Characters like Georgie (Freddie's sister) made the book a true gem of a read with her hilarious antics and one-liners! If she ever gets a book on her own, I'd be the first to jump all over it. The read would've been a homerun winner for me if it had less drama from a certain someone but I could understand that it needed to be done to help steer the direction of the read. 

The Summer Games is definitely an addictive, fun and sexy read plus coupled up with RS Grey's talented wit, you don't want to miss this one! Be sure to grab it while the pre-order is only 99 cents before release day!!

An advanced review copy was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

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