ARC Review ~ Played (Hooked #2) by Liz Fichera

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: May 27th 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Description:
This Game Is Getting All Too Real

He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try to save me. 

She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes.

My Opinion

I was honestly surprised by this book. I went into it thinking that it sounded like an OK read and something that may interest me and break up my time. However, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. It was a standard young-adult romance but that's not a bad thing. It was a lighthearted, quick read that you didn't have to think too much about.

One thing that I really liked was that there were more strands than just the romance in the book which kept things interesting. Of course, most of these were minor and the romance was the key focus but the small sub-plots like the issues with the parents, Sam's life, school problems and what happens when Sam and Riley are around each other keep you on you toes and keep you turning pages as you are never sure what they are going to have to face next. There were twists and parts that shocked me as I didn't see them coming which I was surprised by.

As well as this I liked how it started and developed. There was a steady pace of development throughout the whole book actually and it was a nice change from the instant "I love you" after only just meeting. The relationship was a slow burner and although the ending is predictable, that's what you want in these types of books isn't it?

The characters were good together and their emotions felt real. Sam and Riley were also good together. I liked that there was an underlying tension and resistance on Sam's part but I thought that the development was realistic too. There was a good mix of friendship and more than that in their feelings and the alternating POV helped solidify this more.

Overall, Played shocked me. I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did but it came as a pleasant surprise when I couldn't stop reading.