Not a Game by Cardeno C #RGRGiveaway #LGBT #Review #MM #Romance #Contemporary #HEA

We are excited to host Cardeno C on Rainbow Gold Reviews today, for a review of Not a Game that releases on July 15, 2016. One of you will have the chance to win an e-book copy of the book “Not a Game” if you leave a comment on this post. Giveaway details below. Good Luck!

BLURB:

An accidental meeting and a misunderstanding lead to a life-altering connection.

A new job, a new city, and hopefully a new life. When chubby gamer Oliver Barnaby receives a job offer from the best boutique game developer in the country, he leaves his family and his less than spectacular existence in Oklahoma without a second’s hesitation. Determined to change more than his career and his geography, Oliver implements a plan to finally land a boyfriend. Step one is improving his skills in the bedroom.

A life that looks perfect on paper, but feels empty in reality. Attractive, successful, charismatic Jaime Snow has a life other people envy. His already booming business is growing. He isn’t lacking in friends. And he has no trouble finding a date. But there’s an emptiness in Jaime’s heart and a hole in his life that only the right man can fill.

An accidental meeting, a misunderstanding, and falling in love. When Oliver and Jaime end up at the same bar at the same time, they each see something they want in the other. Going to bed together that first night is easy. Building the lifetime relationship they both desperately crave will require trust, time, and a little misunderstanding.

 

Wendy reviews Not a Game by Cardeno C. Published July 15,2016 word count 56,000.
Why Wendy read this story:
I was so excited to have the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. I love all of Cardeno C’s books and sometimes when you read a book you connect or identify strongly with a character in it. This is that book for me. I think this one is my new favorite Cardeno C story.

Note: A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

 
Oliver is a 28-year-old computer geek, a game designer and an anxious stressed out wreck. He is the character that I spoke of, I can’t claim to be technically savvy at… well, anything, but watching Oliver suffer through bouts of anxiety and stress, I wanted to hug him and protect him. I connected with him from the very beginning of the story. He is so well written that I could actually feel my skin itch when his did during a scene. I felt his disbelief that anyone could love him for who and how he is. I was so sad that he had been told he was no good and that he questions his lovability. He has moved to a new state and wants a new start. He is ready to put himself out there as much as he’s able in order to learn how to make some friends have a social life and maybe even learn how to be a guy that another guy might like to have around. He does this despite and maybe because of his crippling disorder. He meets Jaime, and there is a misunderstanding that thankfully Jaime is quick to take advantage of.

I loved watching Oliver find a way to be part of Jaime’s life in any small way that he could and by means that were unscrupulous but business like so he could justify to himself why a gorgeous man like Jaime would bother to be with him. I loved watching Oliver slowly begin to come out of his shell and through his arrangement with Jaime become comfortable enough to share secrets and be himself.

Jaime played along with Oliver’s misconception in order to get closer to the man who is obviously uncomfortable in the presence of others but ticks off all of Jaime’s boxes. He’s exactly the kind of man that Jaime wants to be in his life. Once he discovers that Oliver is not only his type physically but also that they mesh together intellectually and emotionally then Jaime wants more. He struggles with a way to reveal that he’s not what Oliver thinks he is and then he discovers that Oliver works for the company he owns with his ex. All these extra complications make for some careful planning and strategic maneuvers. Watching these two men together, both learning and growing was a delight. Oliver, once he’s comfortable is a surprisingly quick witted snarky man who had me giggle-snorting more than once reading him and Jaime banter back and forth.

These characters have great chemistry together and their journey towards the HEA that you can always count on Cardeno C to provide was believable, sweet and full of emotion.

I even loved the secondary characters and that was a surprise. I hadn’t expected to feel any connection to them, yet they just wove themselves right into my heart along with the MC’s.

When I was learning the Pot of Gold ratings, I was told that a 10 out of 10 Pots of Gold meant it was the best book ever. This book, for me, is definitely that.

 Buy links:  

ARe

amazon

amazonCA

amazonUK

smashwords

ibooks

kobo

barns&noble

 Comment on this post for the chance to win a prize by Cardeno C.:

One lucky person will win an e-book copy of “Not a Game”

You need to be 18 years or older to participate. Void where prohibited. Etc.

This giveaway will end on July 24, 2016 at 11:59 PM CDT.

*****

Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.