Review: Fast paced read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 13, 2012
He's the image of perfection, she's a woman playing it safe and cool after a disastrous marriage.  But for Roxanne and Barry, the passion ignites and the intent to keep away keeps getting harder and harder.Roxanne is at a crossroads. There's so much going on in this woman's life, it's like everything is hanging in limbo. But I admire her, she is strong and fights back and keeps her attitude positive. She's focused, and she knows what she does and doesn't want. Until Barry enters the pictures, and her emotions and libido go a little haywire.Barry is perceived as a legend. The expectations that he's supposed to uphold are pretty high, and only get worse as time goes on. He has a love of the game,  and is sticking to playing basketball while everything else in his life takes a backseat. Including family. My emotions are mixed on Barry. He's not the perfect hero, doesn't always try hard enough, but there's just something about him that kept him likable. Sometimes his attitude towards Roxanne bothered me, and I also didn't like the way he handled things in situations.The pace is fast, always something going on. The characters had a strong reaction out of me, whether it was a strong like or dislike. It seemed like every man fell at Roxanne's feet and worshipped her as if she was a goddess or something, and the way Barry talked to her at times so coldly really angered me.  But the two together definitely created sparks, whether they were loving or fighting.All in all, I enjoyed Playing The Game. I feel the title has  a double meaning, but that's just my thought. Stephanie Queen has a really strong voice and I liked it.  The book is contemporary with small mystery elements that kept me reading from page one. If you're a fan of fast paced contemporaries, Playing The Game delivers one heck of a story.