Change My Game - Kelsey Clayton

Ruminations of an Insomniac.. 

Change My Game was a LOT. I really can't put it any other way. I loved the character growth and the story tugged at my heart. But there was just so much to unpack in the process. History. Pushback. Resentment. Trauma responses all over. Loss. And at the center of it all are 3 lifetime best friends, treading water.

Jace is a disaster. Like epically so. But the synopsis could tell you that much. His character development was the one that I loved the most. He hurts a lot of people through the course of his growth, but love is a fickle thing. It's all too common for someone to lash out at those who love them most when they get backed into a corner. And Jace is no exception. Most of all he hurts his cradle to grave best friend, Carter. And the one and only Paige. She also has a lot going on. I found myself questioning her a lot, but also deeply understanding some bits of her fiber. She was infuriatingly frustrating at times, but I also broke and cried with her at others.

"Trust me, baby. I don't want anything to do with me either." - Jace London

All in all, I had to finish this book. I absolutely needed to see these characters through. I got so wrapped up in them that unpacking ALL that was Change My Game felt worth it. Like I said, it was a lot. The pages were filled with hard hitting things, so I will leave my fair warning. Kelsey Clayton made so much of it feel real. Would I respond to anything in this story how the characters did? I don't believe so. But I also remember how it felt, especially emotionally, to be 20-21 and that recollection is what made this prose work for me.  

Rating:

Book Boyfriend: 8/10

Flow: 7/10

Plot: 8/10 

Overall: 8/10

Please note that there are several potential trigger subjects in Jace and Paige's story. 

Currently available on Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited).

Synopsis:

My name is Jace London,

And I may have screwed up.

I’ve always been the guy who had it all.

Privilege, entitlement, and a life of luxury.

But after one college night gone tragically wrong,

Nothing has ever been the same.

Everyone thinks I should be happy.

With a trust fund like mine, who could be sad?

But no one knows what’s going on with me,

Or the nightmares that keep me awake at night.

I finally found salvation in a parent’s worst nightmare.

The only thing to ease the pain just enough to breathe.

My friends are worried I’m going to ruin myself.

What they don’t realize, is I’m already dead inside.

Now they’re ready to pull out all the stops,

Including a therapist that gets paid an ungodly price.

No amount of money can bring back the guy I was,

But the girl that got away might be enough to try.

Gorgeous, strong, and confident to a fault.

If anyone can save me from myself, it’s her.

Change My Game is a standalone and part of the North Haven University series. It deals with sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers.

Damien, Forever - Tempest Phan

Ramblings of a Bookworm...

I don't even know where to begin... Damien James Mortensen stole my heart from page 1. Halfway through chapter 1, I knew I wouldn't make it out of this novel tear-free, and boy was I right... I have a soft spot for the damaged bad boys, and the more ink and piercings, the better - both of which he had in spades.

Tempest Phan sent me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Just when things start looking up, everything comes crashing down again to start at square one.

There is so much more to my boy of whispers, all of it carefully layered and hidden from the world. - Mirabella Davenport

Soft spoken, dark, and brooding, Damien is every girl's secret fantasy and every dad's worst nightmare. With demons that I could never even begin to fathom coupled with a heart of gold, paired with Bella's kind soul and the patience of a saint, they are a force to be reckoned with.

She deserved so much better than a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. She deserved caviar and champagne and luxurious getaways. Not a run-down shack and nights filled with nightmares and demons. - Damien Mortensen

This slow burn friends to lovers masterpiece put me through the wringer, and easily soared to my top 5 of 2020 - a book I will happily read again and again.

Rating:

Book Boyfriend: 10/10

Plot: 10/10

Flow: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

*Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited*

Synopsis 

An angsty, friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance with a dash of new adult and a twist of rockstar.

Damien

She's everyone's favorite princess. Gorgeous girl next door. Homecoming queen. But to me, she'll always be so much more. The light in my dark, my best friend, my everything. But there's one thing she can't ever be. And that's mine. Because I'll make damn sure to keep my filthy hands off her. Even if it kills me.

Bella

He's the boy of broken whispers. The one dripping ink. The one sowing fear. But to me, he'll always be so much more. The music in my soul, my best friend, my everything. And pretty soon, he'll be between my sheets, too. Because what baby girl wants, she gets. Just watch.