The Summer Games: Settling the Score (English Edition) Kindle版

Ever since I finished reading Scoring Wilder last summer and found out R.S. Grey was writing a standalone series set around the Summer Olympics, I have been dying to get my hands on this baby. You might know Sports Romance is my jam, but ever since I was little The Olympic Games has been my obsession. I am a HUGE Olympics person. And I honestly have been waiting my whole life to read a book set around the Olympics.

The Summer Games: Settling the Score incorporated so much of the actual Olympics and what it's life for the athletes on and off the TV screen that it made my little athletic, Olympic loving heart so happy. The book followers not one athlete competing in the Olympics, but two. While Freddie this Olympics will be Freddie's third, Andie is an Olympic virgin. She's worked her whole life to get to this point in her life that she's ready to win the gold and start living her life.

Sure, the Olympics is why they are there, but at the Olympic Village is where action really happens. Her first night in Rio Andie goes to a party. At the party she meets Freddie. The talk of the Olympics and the star of fantasies. Oh Freddie. Right away he's intrigued by the girl in front of him. The thing she says and the things she does has hooked Freddie. Freddie who has somewhat lost his sense of fun. After tragedy struck his family, Freddie has had to accept more responsibilities than he ever wanted.

But with Andie, Freddie feels free of all that. As attracted as they are to each other, something that ties back to Freddie's responsibilities keeps them apart. So the pair form a friendship that always threatens to cross over into something more.

Andie. I want to be her best friend. She's funny, full of adventure, and strong-willed. She's a badass soccer goalie that will do anything to win the gold. She didn't expect to find anything more than fun at the Olympics, but when something happens to threaten that dream she stops at nothing to change that.

And then there is Freddie. OH, sweet, sexy, british Freddie. Freddie's a swimmer...have I mentioned that? Because you know, swimmer's body...just saying. He likes his privacy and wants to just swim, win the gold, and not talk about his private life, but reporters aren't just interested in what goes on in the pool with him. Freddie stole my heart almost right away. He's so sweet and adorable when it came to getting Andie's attention and getting her to hang out with him, but when they were together? OH BOY WAS HE A SEXY MAN! I also love how supportive he was of Andie's soccer career. That's what she's always needed. Someone in her life that just gets what her sport means to her. He was also so protective over her, wanting to make sure nothing from his life outside of the Olympics touched her.

I also have to mention the characters from Scoring Wilder and their appearances in this book. Becca and Kinsley were in this book a lot since they took Andie under their wings and there was also Liam, swoony as ever. Becca and Kinsley are still friendship goals, Kinsley is still hilarious. But it was also really cool to see them when they were older and how their lives had developed since the end of Scoring Wilder. Also, Freddie's sister, Georgie, is hands down one of my favorite characters ever. I LOVE HER!

I was hooked from page one in this book. I never wanted to put it down and I never wanted it to end. It had R.S. Grey's signature of funny. I honestly was 2% in and was already laughing so hard. She had so many quotable lines that had me highlighting it all on my kindle. But this book was also steamier. Sexier. Which I totally approve of. Put two athletes together and you get fire. But this book also had so many touching, feel inducing moments that made me experience so many different emotions. Every time one of the characters had highs or lows, I was riding it out with them. Needless to say this book is one of my favorite books of the year and is R.S. Grey's best work to date.

I'm ashamed to admit how many times while reading this book, I laughed and whispered to myself, "The games have begun." That's how it feels, experiencing the back-and-forth of Freddie and Andie's banter like a tennis match or gearing up for the their competitions alongside them or wondering how Kinsley and Becca will help get Andie out of her latest hiccup—game ON.

I'm so not a sports romance reader, so I was totally surprised by how much I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at the Olympic village in all its glory. I was rooting for Andie and her team/Freddie in the pool to get the gold as much as I was rooting for Andie and Freddie to make it work. I mean, Freddie? A bloody SMOKIN' HOT chap, if I do say so myself. Their chemistry was so off the charts, it leapt off page. If all sports romances are like The Summer Games, Grey has converted me.

Juicy, witty, and downright hilarious—The Summer Games: Settling the Score is a summer hit ripe with sexual tension, athletes behaving badly, and Grey's signature laugh-out-loud humor. I dare you not to fall in love with this story and swoon over Freddie Archibald. Undoubtedly my favorite R.S. Grey read to date.

PS Georgie is my new favorite human.

Overall Opinion: This was a cute, sexy and easy read. I liked it more than I expected. I didn't realize it was a spin-off or continuation of the Scoring Wilder book, which I actually enjoyed -- so that was a fun surprise to see those characters again! I really liked the side characters, and the whole Olympic scene was fun too. It not too heavy or deep, but it was enjoyable!

**See goodreads.com/NMmomof4 for my full review with spoilers**

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Andie and Freddie's story. They meet at the summer olympics. Andie is the goalie for the US women's soccer team, and Freddie is a swimmer for England's team. There is an instant attraction that neither of them can fight, but after Andie hears that he is actually a Duke and is betrothed to another woman she backs off. He continues to pursue her (because he was forced into the betrothal), and they end up spending some time together and developing stronger feelings. There is some drama with the OW and the media, some sexy times, some funny moments, and some personal issues...but they get a HFN ending.

POV: This alternated between Andie and Freddie's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove: Yes probably, because they developed feelings pretty fast.

H rating: 4 stars. Freddie. I liked him. I appreciated that he wasn't the typical manwhore athlete for a change. He was sweet and sexy.

h rating: 4.5 stars. Andie. I really liked her. Her inner dialogue was pretty funny, and I felt bad for the situation she found herself in.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues required.

Heat level: Moderate. They have some good chemistry and scenes.

Descriptive sex: Yes

Safe sex: Yes, condoms are mentioned. No mention of previous practices.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes a short one

Closure: This had cute epilogue (and epilogue's epilogue), but I still wanted more closure! I would say this was a HFN ending (but -- I'm picky about wanting the big picture HEA, and others might call this a HEA)

How I got it: This was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.

This book was worth the wait!! I loved this world in Scoring Wilder and I still love it now with Andie and Freddie's story and bonus you still get to see the characters you love from the first book!

The story picks up about five years after the Scoring Wilder, where Kinsley is competing to get into the London Olympics, this one takes place in Rio. Andie is the goalkeeper for the USA team and a rookie on the team (fresh out of college) and Freddie is a seasoned Olympian, Rio being his third. From the beginning, the chemistry between the two is off the pages! They meet at a rubric's cube party and Freddie can't get enough of her. While he is rumored to be betrothed, he only has eyes for Andie.

Majority of the book takes place at the games with them trying to avoid scandal and get to know one another but after Caroline, the she devil, shows up (with Georgie, Freddie's sister). The scandals just keep coming out and making Andie's life hell while she is also suffering from a wrist sprain that might keep her from playing. Thankfully, Georgie makes quite the detective and saves both Andie and Freddie from all the scandal.

I love Rachel's work and I'm excited to see what more is to come from the second Summer Games book. From the start I didn't want to put the book down and as the story continued it did nothing but hold my interest (so much so that I lost some sleep) but it was definitely worth it. For me, this was a sweet romance, which I love, and I would highly recommend this book but do read Scoring Wilder first!

P.S. I loved the other fandom references Harry Potter and Middle Earth!

Sports romance and R.S. Grey is win!!! I missed Liam and Kinsley so awesome to have they in this one. Gosh I remember staying up with the Olympics/World Cup the timezones. A Brit athelete one of my kryptonites hero I'm sold.

I loved the Rio setting for this it fit the vibe a magical, playful, flirty place and it makes for a great storyline. I was smitten right away and her fun, quirky characters drew me in. I confess swimming is one sport I watch in Olympics and when I think hot swimmer Frederick fits. They had natural chemistry and I liked Andie and her spunk and full of spirit soccer player (another favorite of mine). It's like Rachel Grey went into my mind and got he athelete part down.

That said my gosh I had about that wolf in sheeps clothing Caroline. Oh the tension was thick and I was rooting for our twosome. It was the kind of conflict that reflected the reality of it all. Good thing for friends like Kinsley and Becca. How can I forget Georgie. She's even way spunkier and just fun times. That girl needs a book too! I love the times in the village those other countries the Viking dudes.

As always Rachel creates a book that shows her awesome characters and fabulous stories. Off the wall not too serious but has semblance of reality of it all, really well balanced book. I'd give it a gold medal. The next book sounds exciting as well. How about out a winter games edition of this series after?