Review: Perfect for gamer geeks who love romance!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2013
I am an unabashed gamer geek. I love video games of all sorts, from Facebook puzzle games to epic space adventure trilogies. I really shouldn't reveal how many hours Steam says I've invested into Mass Effect 2, for example. It's a little embarrassing. Okay, more than a little.So when I saw a tweet about this book, and followed the link to read about how the author had played the first massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) I had started with -- EverQuest -- I decided I had to check it out. It sounded fun and very pro-geek, and it is. Oh, it is.Pen Holloway's not keen on ever meeting anyone she knows online ever again. Her ex, a fellow gamer, cheated on her, so she's definitely not getting involved with anyone online again -- though she might make an exception for Lohonas, a knight-in-shining-armor paladin who's been nothing but kind and fun. When he invites her to come to a nearby geek convention, ConDamned, she wars with herself for a bit, but ends up deciding to go when he tells her they don't have to meet. They can let fate decide.Cal Burrows is really looking forward to the vacation ConDamned offers. But a super-secret-agency codebreaker's job is never done, and it turns out he's needed on the job at the con. Which sucks, because he's really hoping that fate would have let him meet up with the person behind Megara.Of course, this being a romance novel, fate intervenes in a lot of fun ways.One of the things I've loved about the short Entangled books I've read so far is that they never feel short. Of course I'd love to spend more time with the characters, but I'm never left unsatisfied. I get to know the characters enough to care about them, and care what happens to them, and Gaming for Keeps is no exception.Pen is really enjoyable to read, the perfect blend of sassy and shy. She feels like a real person, because no one, no matter how confident you are, is confident 100% of the time. Throughout the book, she has doubts, but she never lets them defeat her. She's a strong female lead without being s superhero of any sort, which is fantastic.Cal is just adorable. I love how he embraces his geekiness and never apologizes for it. He even cosplays (wears a costume at the con and roleplays as that character), complete with blue bodypaint. Add onto that his innate goodness and he is completely my kind of guy.This could have been a good story without the terrorist subplot, but that just bumped it up a notch for me. It increased the stakes and the climatic scene (without spoilers!) was perfect.Gaming for Keeps was a short read, taking me less than two hours to finish, but it was a fun, fast, and adventurous ride. I would definitely recommend it for any gamer geek who loves romance.Oh, and I think "Worf" is the best name ever for a Newfoundland dog.