ARC Review ~ The CEO (The Game Changers #1) by Shealy James

ebook received via NetGalley in exchange for the blog tour and an honest review

Release Date: August 18th 2015

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Description:
Eve Bryant finds herself moving across the country with only one goal—to rediscover herself and get her life back on track… 

Leaving a disastrous marriage, she swears off men and relationships, but when she meets sexy, charismatic Grant Mitchell, her new rules fly right out the window. 

Grant is a born and bred businessman, and he always gets what he wants…

The moment he lays eyes on Eve, Grant is determined she will be his. She’s different from other women he knows—too stiff, too prim—but her smile pierces his heart and he longs to see what she’s like when she lets her hair down. They discover a powerful and undeniable connection, leading to a fast moving relationship that leaves Eve whirling in its wake. 

The odds are stacked against them, and trust is hard to come by. 

A woman scorned, a troubled ex-husband, and a mother bent on orchestrating her son’s future to suit her own agenda make for a very rocky road. The new couple may not last, no matter how strong their feelings for each other are. Grant is willing to fight to keep Eve in his life, but after recent events, Eve isn't sure she has any fight left to give. 

Will outside forces drive Eve and Grant apart? Or will they learn there’s no love greater than the one you fight the hardest to keep?

My Opinion

I wasn't meant to get to this book until October. However, I couldn't wait. I've seen it around due to connections with this publisher and I was intrigued from the time I saw the cover. It's safe to say overall it didn't disappoint either.

The CEO was an interesting read. It held my attention well and I found it hard to put down. Although it wasn't perfect, it was entertaining and that's all I can ask of a book.

I thought the characters were well done in The CEO. They were defined and each had their own little quirks. Although Grant was controlling, I couldn't help but find him endearing because it was obvious he cared about Eve. The author balanced his alpha-male tendencies with his softer side well. He was a grounded guy for a CEO and an all round good guy.

Similarly, I found it easy to sympathise with Eve. I understood her reasons for wanting independence and to sort everything out herself, but I also thought her growth was believable as she let Grant in. Even though their relationship is insta-love and a whirlwind in time scale, it didn't feel like it while I was reading. The relationship had its ups and downs, some of which brought a smile to my face.

Like I said though, there were a few issues I had with it. The first was the ending. It felt rushed. Everything with Eve was tied up satisfyingly. However, things with Grant's family weren't. There was no growth in his mum and I would have liked to see what made her change. It was too random for my liking and didn't feel believable.

My next issue, and this is only minor, is that sometimes the writing was repetitive. I wasn't a fan of the life lists in numbers when they exceed 10 points. Similarly, there are a few occasions where I had to re-read sections. A few sentences didn't make sense and it needs to go through a proof read to catch these since they were distracting as I tried to figure out what the author meant. Like I said though, only a minor issues that overall didn't detract.


In general this was a really enjoyable read. I liked the emotional intensity, and the story kept me hooked. If you're looking for CEO romances with a good guy as the lead you may want to check this out.

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