Review: Return to Endurance Island
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 12, 2014
BODY GAMES is the fifth instalment in Jessica Clare’s contemporary adult GAMES romance series focusing on the games and people of reality TV. This is Annabelle Tucker, first introduced in book one Wicked Games and Jendan Abercrombie from book four Bedroom Games.  The premise of the series follows many of today’s popular reality television programs including Survivor, Big Brother and The Amazing Race.  Although this is the fifth in the series it can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty.  Any pertinent information from previous storylines is reintroduced to the reader where necessary.Told from first person POV (Annabelle) the focus of the storyline follows Annabelle as she is invited back to Endurance Island –a sort of all star reality show with former winners and losers from other reality TV shows. Reluctant to accept because of the humiliation she endured following her last trip to Endurance Island, Annabelle must decide whether betrayal and heartbreak are worth a million dollars and revenge-but there is always a catch-and Annabelle is blindsided two times before the show has started filming. Annabelle made a promise to herself not to get involved with any of the men but promises are made to be broken and Annabelle finds herself falling in love-all over again. There is a twist to this season’s Endurance Island-one that opens up a whole different view for the participants and viewers.The relationship between Jendan and Annabelle is slow to build as  the storyline follows two separate pairings, and our leading couple are not together in the initial stages of the book. As Annabelle plots revenge against the man who destroyed her heart and her soul on the previous Endurance Island, she will soon find herself playing the game to win-no matter who must go home in the process.We are introduced to some of the previous storyline characters who have returned for a second shot at a million dollars. As the days and weeks go by, we watch as survivor after survivor is eliminated until the final two standing must confront the people that were evicted before.Jessica Clare pulls the reader into a world that most of us watch from the comfort of our living room-the drama, the trauma and the alliances that are formed all in the name of winning. There is conflict between players and teams but in the end, only one person will be left standing and taking home the one million dollars. BODY GAMES is a story where betrayal is all a part of the game but betrayal of the heart is another matter all together. Jessica brings the unreality of reality TV onto the pages of the books we love to read.