I was privileged to take part in this blog tour for new author, Samantha Gudger. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what she does next.
Read on for my review and the Rafflecopter giveaway hosted by The Indie Bookshelf.
Not being a particularly sporty girl myself, this wasn't really the sort of book that I would have ordinarily picked up. But I'm glad I did!
Emma is a likeable main character with a lot of crap dumped on her in her short life. She did have the tendency to be untrusting and her negativity especially towards other girls did get a little repetitive and annoying but it was understandable with her family, of which dysfunctional would be an understatement.
I adored her best friend Riley and spent much of the read waiting for them to become more. Not being a basketballer I did find some of the game descriptions a little overwhelming and bit hard to follow but they were a big part of the story, so definitely didn't ruin it for me.
Overall I loved how it was an emotional story, but not overly angsty and more matter of fact, as though Emma had accepted her lot in life. I did get emotional in some parts where you could feel her helplessness and I just wanted to give her a hug. All in all, a wonderful debut and I'm looking forward to see what Samantha does next. 4/5
Author Bio:
A former three-sport athlete in high school, Samantha grew up with a ball in one hand and a book in the other. From the moment her first grade teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, Samantha knew she wanted to be an author.
Samantha currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, a ball-obsessed Australian Shepherd, and a cat that can’t get enough cuddle time. Books, writing, sports, music, and marshmallows top her list of favorites.
A Game Worth Watching is her first novel.
Book Excerpt:
Riley grew quiet and still, studying her in the moonlight. When the seconds stretched into an eternity, Emma bowed her head, unable to look at him any longer. She could only imagine what thoughts he entertained in that stubborn head of his.
He leaned in to look at her downturned face. “You deserve this opportunity, Em,” he said softly. “Who knows where it will take you?”
When she lifted her eyes to his, he put on his you-can’t-resist-me puppy dog face. “For me?”
Why did he always have to make things so complicated? Did it really matter if she didn’t go to college or play on some stupid girls’ team?
She growled in frustration and jumped off the log to escape. Wrong move. Riley’s arms shot out, trapping her between his body and the log, forcing her to face him and the conversation.
“Will you at least seriously consider it?” he asked. “Please?”
“The girls’ team is horrible.” It was a fact and everyone knew it.
“Maybe they wouldn’t be so horrible if you played for them,” Riley challenged.
“I’d be playing with girls who have hated me and teased me since elementary school.” Merely picturing their faces made her stomach churn.
“Since when are you afraid of a challenge?”
Emma injected as much pain as she could into her eyes to gain the pity vote. “I’ll be miserable.”
He secured her face between his hands. “I’ll support you every step of the way.”
Link to Samantha's Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/messages/1015377797#!/pages/Samantha-Gudger/558061540875532?fref=ts
Link to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16189945-a-game-worth-watching
Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Game-Worth-Watching-ebook/dp/B00B1M6SMK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360626333&sr=8-1&keywords=A+game+worth+watching
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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