RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - The Summer Games: Out of Bounds by R.S. Grey

Title: The Summer Games: Out of Bounds

Author: R.S. Grey

Release Date: Aug 1, 2016

I despise Erik Winter.

He’s arrogant and cruel—a man I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy—and by some twisted turn of fate, he’s my new Olympic gymnastics coach.

I’ve had to contend with gruff coaches in the past, but Erik is far worse. His stern demeanor complements a body built for intimidation, and his reprimands come from a mouth so cunning, I know it could strip me of my defenses—if I let it.

Though each of us would love to be rid of the other forever, we are bound to each other by need and necessity. I’m his rising star, his best shot at proving himself to his critics. And without a coach, I have zero chance of winning gold in Rio.

The easiest way forward would be to wave a white flag and make peace with the man I’ll be sharing close quarters with for the foreseeable future, but he is intent on war.

Fine. By. Me.

If he pushes me, I’ll push back harder. If he wants to test me, to play with my head, I’ll show him just how many boundaries I’m willing to cross. Because I know it’s not a choice between winning or warring—not if you can have them both. At the end of it all, I plan on leaving Rio with gold around my neck and his icy heart in the palm of my hand.

Love love love this book! If you read The Summer Games: Settling the Score, be prepared to realize that this book is NOTHING like TSG:StS. Having read every R.S. Grey book, I can say that this book has a different feel than her previous stories, but I like that we are getting to see how Ms. Grey is evolving as an author by the experiences she writes for her characters and how those characters handle those experiences, both positively and negatively.

I'll do my best to review this without giving away spoilers, but this story is more angsty than what we've come to know from Ms. Grey. But that's because both Erik and Brie already have their own issues to deal with, and they just compound once Brie has relocated to Seattle for training. There's a lot of back and forth between them, like seeing how far they can push the other, but there's never a definitive end to their games. It seems almost compulsory, like an addiction because neither one wants to the be one who loses. We readers can see how it will play out, but for Brie and Erik, they can't seem to stop, even knowing the risks of what could happen.

I loved that we get Erik's insight with this story, and why he acts so hot and cold when it comes Brie; not that I excuse it, but at least we get to see the rationale, so to speak, behind his actions. Another point in favor of this story is that we get to see the buildup of their relationship before they even leave for Rio, so this isn't a "we met during a highly stressful time, yet managed to fall in love in 14 minutes" romance. Rather, a behind the scenes look at the unusual start of a relationship that either benefit both Erik and Brie, or be the downfall of them, both personally and professionally.

Kudos to Ms. Grey for another outstanding book!!!!

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

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I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

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