THE GAME YOU PLAY (Rixon Raiders #2) by L.A. COTTON

‘Jason Ford was a beautiful disaster waiting to happen. And I was right in the eye of the storm.’

The Game you Play is the second book in the Rixon Raiders series by L.A. Cotton and we were eager to find out if the ultimate high school arsehole, Jason Ford would redeem himself after we developed a serious dislike of him in book one; The Trouble With You.

‘He refused to give me the one thing that I really wanted. His heart.’

This Author writes the ultimate angst and enemies to lover’s romance. Readers who love high school bully romance and YA/NA sports romance will LOVE this series. It certainly invoked a lot of emotions in us and we were in a love-hate relationship with a lot of the characters along the way. We now cannot wait for the third book in this series. Whilst they are marketed as standalones we would personally say read this series in order so that -as a reader- you get the most out of the characters and a continuing storyline which simmers in the background to the individual friendships and love stories.

“Sometimes it feels like I can’t breathe without the whole town watching.”

Felicity Giles and Jason Ford have a hate-hate relationship with an intense physical attraction thrown in. Complete opposites, with only one thing in common –Hailee- who is Felicity’s best friends and Jason’s step sister. Felicity is unique and quirky; busy making her lists and following a strict path set by her parents. She’s a loyal and sweet friend who sees the good in people. Jason only has one dream, football. His path is clear, and heaven help anything or anyone who comes between him and his football. The words that come to mind when thinking of Jason are: cruel, cold-hearted and let’s be honest, a bit of a male slapper! School rivalry and personal vendettas rule the school halls – love is the last thing anyone is looking for. It will only complicate things, right?!

‘I wanted that. I wanted to take risks and throw caution to the wind. I wanted to go after what I wanted.’

We really enjoyed the high school dramatics, the soul searching and the sentiments, but we have to say we thrived on the intense angst that was so well written in this story. L.A. Cotton did a brilliant job with redemption and showing that what made the characters act in certain ways did not ultimately define them nor determine who they’d eventually become. Everyone deserves love and happiness because underneath a hard front, a human soft centre resides. ‘

‘And although I’d never do it, for the first time in my life, I wanted to chase the girl.’