Fraternize by Rachel Van Dyken is the first stand-alone installment in her all new Players Game Series.
This is Emerson and Grant/ Miller's book.
Emerson just snapped her dreamjob. Pro cheerleader. Her rules are:
No carbs, no chocolate and no fraternize with the players. Ha as if that would ever work.
On her first day she meets her first- first love, first sex, first boyfriend, the man she dreams of- Miller Quinton. He believes she left him and despises her.
But there is another ploayer ion the game. Grant Sanchez, a real good guy, he wants her, like WANTS her as his girlfriend, but Miller wants her too. What to do ? Decisions, decisions...
Fraternize is not the typical sports romance, the book is witty and I greatly enjoyed reading Fraternize. I love the story, the writing is great and the characters are swoonworthy.
I recommend Fraternize and give 5 stars.
Thank you so much Rachel Van Dyken !

Huge fan of Rachel Van Dyken, and i have been eagerly anticipating this books release. The reason being the female lead,a woman with curves for days and a sass that is off the scale. Emerson - that is our female lead - is so cool, she has passion and drive for her dream job of becoming a cheerleader, but she also has lots of sass when it comes to the two smoking hot men in her life. We have old flame Miller who our Emerson will always have a flame burning for him from our Emerson and the hot new man in her life Grant, someone new and exciting in all the right ways. I cannot tell you much more, but know this the book is very sexy and fun and it is a sports romance with a difference. I learned a lot about American football being a UK lass reading this book it was like my own unique insiders guide to the life of a footballer and a cheerleader, and let me tell you some of those cheerleaders can be brutal.A story that was very engaging and very sexy with Emerson being in the middle of two hot sports men who she both wants and who both want her. Eagerly awaiting the second book in the series and i know Emerson is a female lead in a book who will stay with me for a long time.

review on goodreads under the name kimothy

I’m just giddy with all kinds of wonderfulness after reading this awesome book! I normally shy away from love triangles because, hello, love triangle. I like to have a clear definition of who my characters are going to end up with and it’s just all kinds of angsty when I don’t know. I NEVER go to the end of the book to see how it ends. However, it didn’t take me long to start texting my friend about the deep desperate drive I was fighting to do just that. She’s already read it and I needed to know it was okay to go ahead and have a peek. She refused to give me permission! (She used to be such a great friend.)

I somehow managed to not skip ahead and oh man, I was so glad I didn’t cheat. I absolutely loved the way this story formed and took shape. I found myself so entrenched in these characters I honestly didn’t know who I wanted Emerson to end up with. Both Miller and Grant were perfectly imperfect in their own unique ways. That’s when I started to really sweat though. Because if I loved them both, that meant one of them was going to lose the girl. Someone was going to get hurt and I didn’t want that to happen. See, love triangle dang it!

Much to my amazement, this author managed to work these characters into a position that Emerson’s decision was the only one that made any sense at all. And the man that didn’t get the woman? He ended up in a place where he was okay with it and I believed it. That my friends is pure talent.

Overall, this was an exceptional read filled with lots of great banter, humor that didn’t quite cross over into immaturity, a fabulous cast of characters of which I can’t wait to read more about, and some of the deepest feels I’ve experienced in quite some time. There is nothing like reading a book and laughing out loud only to find yourself choking back tears a few pages later. That is what this story did to me. I loved every minute of it.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review

*Multi POV
*Safe – Let me just say that Emerson does not play these two against each other. Nor is she physical with them one after the other. I felt this book was completely safe.
*Possible trigger

4 star

I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, and heartbreak.

This is Emerson’s story. Emerson was always cubby but being a cheerleader was her dream. She was picked on in school and formed a bond with a football player Miller that by the end of school had turned to love. But when Miller left town they lost contact. Now years later she is finally living her dream. She is a cheerleader who comes face to face with Miller. The feelings are still there but there is a no fraternizing on the team. Grant plays a big role in what happens with Emerson. Will she be able to decide what she wants to do? She finally has her dream but if she gets with one of the guys she could lost everything. Is it worth it? What happens when some truths come to the surface will she lose everything anyway?

I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read. The author mentioned the weight issue a lot in the book and it felt almost too much.

I recommend this book.

This book really surprised me, I loved the characters like I always do on Rachel's stories but I found myself rooting for the loosing guy. I guess the author thought it was time for a change from the usual romance novel plot... ( I will not spoil!!!).

Emerson was a likeable character, with an amazing personality and enough confidence to make it wherever she wanted, the sky was the limit.

And finally she had reached her heaven, she had the dream job; and that needed to be enough to let slide the lack of love life and the bad situation at home.

But destiny had other plans and she had one more obstacle to confront, in the for of two hot football players. Her past and her present, she needed to face her past in order to move on or in order to fix what was once broken.

Miller has lived for his career since she disappeared and he is still holding a grudge against her. Nothing has ever hurt as much as her betrayal and he hasn't let anyone get close enough to do it ever since.

But now that he has her right in front of him he is not sure that things happened as he remembers them; and there might be a way of fixing them.

Sanchez is a player, a joker and apparently totally taken by the new cheerleader.
I thought he was full of it until I started noticing him changing. Emerson did that, she made him trust again and in exchange he was there for her, without restrictions. He wasn't going anywhere.

The choice will be hers, she needs to decide weather Miller deserves another chance to prove he made a mistake or give Sanchez a fighting chance, even though he is a well known womanizer.

And in the end let the best man win.

Fraternize by Rachel Van Dyken had all the feels and was so unexpected. I loved every word! A love triangle that will pull you in and have you guessing until the very end. I am a big fan of Rachel. She continues to give us stories that consume us.

Emerson Rodner was an amazing heroine. I loved her. She was determined and feisty. After years of trying out to be a cheerleader for the Bellevue Bucks, she finally wins a spot on the squad. She is excited, but she is not your average woman. She is curvy, but also okay with herself. But like every woman, insecurities sneak in. Her life has not been easy. She lost her best friend and the boy she gave her heart and body too her senior year of high school. Then her father falls ill and her life changes again.

Grant Sanchez is the team’s playboy who is arrogant and a player. He takes one look at Em and decides he wants her. Slowly his charming ways begin to bring down her walls. But what Em did not expect was to see the boy who broke her heart is now a man and part of the team as well. Miller is stunned when he sees Em again. Both Miller and Em hold resentment over how things ended between them.

Em is beyond excited to finally be a part of the Bellevue Bucks cheerleading squad. The biggest rule she has to follow? No fraternizing with the players. But what is a girl to do when two of the players are vying for her attention? One new and exciting and the other brings out old feelings and desires.

I loved both Miller and Grant. Both were really good guys. I laughed and felt so much while reading this book. Em was torn between past and present and it was easy to see why, but only one could win her heart. Fraternize was such a good read, funny, emotional and a bit angsty. Just enough to pull you right in!

I stake claim to SANCHEZ. I adored him. He warmed my heart and had me in tears with laughter. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. I assumed cheating would be involved with the cover photo, boy was I wrong.

I loved reading about a curvy girl that men found attractive. Girls can have curls and be sexy. Shocking, right? We never read about women that are bigger than a size 2. I found it VERY refreshing.

Let us discuss Sanchez. Where do I even start? He will steal your heart and have you wanting him for yourself. Now keep in mind, sometimes things may start out a certain way, but love has a way of taking on a life of itself.

What happens when Emerson’s past collides with the present? Will it determine how the future will play out? Will Em’s past stop her from moving on? Emerson always had a dream, and at some point, her best friend Miller was a part of those dreams. Miller left her, deserted her, broke her, shattered her heart into a million pieces. When Miller walks back into Emerson’s life, will she give him a second chance? Will she put the breaks on her feelings for someone else, because he was once her safe zone? Or will Emerson through caution to the wind, run the Hail Mary, and pray that she picks the right guy, the guy that wiggled his way into her heart, unsuspectingly.

This was a 5 star read for me. I loved every word on every page. I laughed out loud, and I got the ending that I wanted.... Have I mentioned that I want Sanchez for myself. (lol)

This book is one of my favorite reads this year! OMG the feels! I swear my heart was in my throat most of the book. What an epic, emotional ride, one I know I’ll take again as this is definitely going on my read again list. I fell in love with the story from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. I started this on break at work, and you guessed it, no more work was done the rest of the day. All I could do was keep flipping the pages, anxious to see what was going to happen. I was completely torn on what I wanted to happen, who I wanted to be the ultimate victor in the battle for love. I’ll admit in the beginning I wanted things to only turn out one way, there was only one possibility for this to end. Then, through the brilliant writing, the outstanding character development and storyline, did my thoughts begin to shift and had me just as confused as Emerson. How could you possibly choose between a past and the dreams you so desperately wanted and a future that held just as much love and possibility? There is so much more I want to say, but I don’t want to say anything that will give the story away. I have the date marked, put it on my Goodreads TBR, I am dying for the next book. I want him to have it all, to find that undying, unyielding, forever love that makes everything worth it!

Thank you Rachel Van Dyken for taking me on such an emotional journey! I can guarantee this story will stay with me for a long time.

Emerson and Miller used to be best friends. But when Miller moved away at the beginning of their senior year, the two stopped talking to each other. They both think the other one is responsible for their loss of contact and so they don’t see each other until their ways coincidentally cross again six years later. Now Emerson is a cheerleader for the Bellevue Bucks, a successful football team, and Miller joins the team as a player. Their childhood dream has come true but the circumstances are a little different than they thought they’d be. Will the two end up as lovers, friends or enemies?

‘Fraternize’ is a very quick read and I finished it within less than a day. The book immediately captivated me and I really enjoyed it. I loved Rachel van Dyken’s writing style and you can clearly see that this isn’t the first book she published. It was so well written that I think I’ll check out some of her other works now because she seems to be a very talented author. I also immediately fell in love with the characters she created and I’m so glad I found a book about the relationship of a cheerleader and a player that wasn’t about the usual stick thin, bitchy cheerleader you normally find in similar books.

All in all, this is a very quick and enjoyable read and I’d definitely recommend it to everyone who’s looking for a good new adult romance novel. I decided to give it 4 out of 5 stars and I’m definitely interested in reading the second part of this series which will be published in January.

When you're so tired because of your newborn yet you find yourself sacrificing your sleep just to read a book, you know its a splendid read. At times I would read until I literally couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I don't know how she does it but she wrote another amazing book and I can't wait to read more in this series. I DEFINITELY recommend this book.

Emerson has been working hard to achieve her dream of being a professional cheerleader, but her body type has always held her back. Refusing to change herself, but never backing down from the try outs is about to pay off...  

With a strict no fraternization policy on the team, she of course would find herself with not only the attention of one player, but two. Grant Sanchez has playboy written all over him, but won't take no for an answer. Then there's Miller Quinton... who she has a seriously complicated past with... 

Grant and Miller may be interested in the same woman... but as teammates they decide come to an understanding about the whole thing... so... may the best man win...

I adored this book! While I'm not a typical fan of 'love triangles'... this story was done so well, and I liked all of the characters involved for such different reasons. Emerson is a strong woman, who has been through a lot since she last saw Miller. Miller himself has worked hard to be where he is, and has always wanted more with Emerson... even after they parted ways. Grant is an adorable, genuinely nice guy, who makes the whole dilemma easy on everyone involved in his own unique way.

With the hilarious, classic Rachel Van Dyken characters, who form some amazing friendships where you least expect it... and a storyline you think is going to go one way, but turns out to be something so much more than what you expected. This book is a fantastic start to the series... and a fun and sexy must read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I though this was going to be pretty straight forward and stereotypical... color me surprised and delighted. Great plot twist!

I must say I love the fact that Emerson is not a size 0. I also love that Miller is biracial. It's very nice to see so much diversity in a book nowadays so I applaud the author tremendously. So on to my feelings about the book itself. I enjoyed the book and the trope that was set up. Sadly, the guy that I wanted didn't get picked and I was upset. I felt that Emerson had way more chemistry with this guy and I felt their connection. You could feel the tension between them and I loved every minute of it! With the other guy he had a good heart but I just wasn't feeling their connection. Overall, I did enjoy the story, I do love a good sports romance. The introduction to the secondary characters was well done and I'm looking forward to reading about them next.

Emerson and Miller were best friends, until they weren't...he was never supposed to make her cry, but he did...she was never supposed to abandon him, but she did. Years later and Emerson finally earns her cheerleading spot for the Bellevue Bucks while Miller has just been traded to the same NFL team. Emerson isn't the usual body type for a cheerleader and I loved that aspect! This story set up had me so eager to keep reading and find out how they'd react when they saw each other, what happened to their friendship in high school, would they forgive each other, would they be friends again, would they hate each other, was there a misunderstanding? Then there's Miller's teammate, Grant Sanchez, who calls dibs on Emerson. Add in the "no fraternization" between players and cheerleaders rule and you have one very interesting storyline that was impossible to put down!

Storyline: 5
Angst: 3
Tissue: 1
Value: 5
Panty Scorching: 5
Over All Rating: 5+ Stars
Kindle eArc provided by Author

Finally, Emerson is cheering for a pro football team but now she has to deal with all these rules. She can only what? Mandatory weigh ins? No fraternizing with the players? But Miller Quinton, her first love who she never got over is now joining the team as well. And then we have Grant Sanchez who has decided he has “dibs”. How is Emerson going to keep her career and have a little fun without breaking all of the rules?

“He threw his head back and laughed. ‘See? We’re already best friends, and it’s been two days.’

I glanced away. ‘And here I thought you just wanted sex.’

‘Best friends who have sex. That’s what makes the best part…best.’ He pulled out of the parking garage and turned up the music. ‘Now, promise me we can go out this week.’”

Holey Moley was this story ever good! I kinda have a thing for love triangles and this one did not disappoint. Emerson is a cheerleader that has been burnt by her ex-best friend Miller, star football player. She finally achieves her dream of being a cheerleader on an NFL team and suddenly she’s reunited with the guy who destroyed her heart. Meanwhile, Grant Sanchez, the team’s all-star manwhore, suddenly decides Emerson is his new best friend that he wants to sleep with. Well…not “sleep”. I loved how both men started competing for Emerson’s heart but at the same time…these two men are growing closer. They don’t want to like each other, BUT they LIKE each other. While reading this book, I actually really liked both men. BOTH! And Emerson was a kick ass chick as well. All of the friendships they have on this team just really touched me with their shared love of the game and just having each other’s back. This was just fun to read…I was giggling at Sanchez’s cockiness and Miller just acting silly with Kinsey. I honestly did not know who Emerson would end up falling for. All I do know it was a win-win with either guy.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, sexy sports romance and love triangles and friends to lovers. Definitely one of my favorite books this year. I can’t tell you how many friends I have harassed to read this book!

The opening chapters of this book had me drawn in from the very first word. I connected with Miller and Emerson from their first interactions. I felt the loss of their reunion and then I felt the pain of them seeing each other again for the first time. I think from the beginning I had my heart set on these two as a couple.

This might be why I felt very disconnected when Emerson and Sanchez connected with each other. I did warm up to them and honestly I’m team Emerson so I was happy that she was happy. It doesn’t stop my heart yearning for Miller and Emerson so at the end of the day this book highlights that no matter what journey you think life has set for you, you may well find yourself on a different path.

This book has the emotional angst and pain and love that I expected and it did not disappoint in that regard at all. My only concern is that this story seems to go off on a tangent, whilst it becomes increasingly obvious Emerson and Sanchez will be together, in my person opinion the connection with Miller feels unfinished and unfulfilled. I think my heart just really wanted them to get their ending but the ending that they did get was enough to satisfy the romantic in me.

It’s a story that may well divide people but I think that is the beauty of this book. It forces us to see life in a different perspective. It’s a bold book and I am looking forward to reading more from Rachel.

4 stars

Oh man.....I couldn't stop reading this book and I really didn't want it to end!
The engaging characters, the witty banter, the friendships, emotions, the whole story just blew me away!
I felt, I laughed, I almost shed some tears...
Without a doubt, this would be an absolute favourite book that Rachel Van Dyken has written!
Fraternize was incredibly entertaining and was a really great escape from reality! I immersed myself into the characters lives and just absolutely loved it!!
Read it or you are missing out on something really great!!!!

MY RATING: 2/5 

I was provided an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

This is my first Rachel Van Dyken novel and after seeing her works on multiple sources of social media platforms, I was more than excited to have a chance to review her works. First of all, look at how gorgeous this cover is. It screams romantic comedy and exactly what I was looking forward to curling up in bed for. While, this book intended to invoke this sort of emotion within me, I must say, I was pretty disappointed. 

Fraternize follows the troupe of love triangles. Sort of. We have Emerson, a curvy cheerleader, who was hurt by her best friend and lover back in high school when he dropped off the face of the earth after taking her virginity and moving far far away from her. His name is Miller by the way. And for the majority part of the book, he absolutely hated her. He didn't want to speak about her or think about her so obviously, he's not happy when Emerson is the cheerleader for the team he's playing for. Next, we have Sanchez. Sanchez is attracted to Emerson from the first time they meet and trust me when I say that you will never hear the end of it. 

I just want to let everyone be clear that I like love triangles. I don't actively look for them but I'm not going to be mad if it does happen somewhere along the way. However, the thing about love triangles is that you're usually conflicted between whose team you're on. For Fraternize, I wanted Emerson to be single. 

Yup.

I disliked both Miller and Sanchez and I was so conflicted on whether I should even give them a chance to redeem themselves. But can you really blame me when Miller literally hates Emerson's guts over a misunderstanding and miscommunication? Fraternize involves a lot of cliches and overdone reasons to why they were not together in the first place. In fact, I knew the reason why they stopped talking entirely from the get go. So you can imagine how frustrated I was when all I kept reading was this toxic energy directed towards Emerson when she literally did nothing but he was too proud to ask why she did what she did. 

Moving on, let's discuss Sanchez. Oh good lord. I can't. I thought he was a joke when I first started reading it. I never read the synopsis or I took a brief glance so I wasn't sure who was the other man in this love triangle but when Sanchez was introduced I thought he was the funny main character's best friend. Little did I know, he was actually the main character. Sanchez is a pig. The way he speaks, the way he acts, the way he is all entirely just makes me feel so disgusted. He speaks crudely and harshly, making him a big douche bag. I just don't like Sanchez. If he existed in real life, I wouldn't be turned on by him, I would be turned off. 

Enough with Sanchez, let's talk about the relationships, the writing, and plot. On hindsight, now that I think about it, the feelings reflected in the relationships between Emerson and Miller and Emerson and Sanchez were shallow like a puddle in the beginning. It was hard for me to accept the fact that they were in love with each other. However, towards the end, you can kind of sort of see their love developing for each other so I guess it's okay. 

Oh, and I get she's a curvy woman and she's a plus size which is fantastic because I love diversity in books but is it normal for every chapter to describe how difficult it is for her to look stick thin and how she has amazing curves and big breasts? I'm asking for a friend.

MY RECOMMENDATION: 

If you think you can handle a character like Sanchez who is a total flirt and crude, then I think you would enjoy this book a lot.

4.5 Stars

'What was happening?
What was I doing?
This wasn’t how the story was supposed to go.'

I remember several months ago when Rachel Van Dyken was sharing some early chapters in her Facebook reader group as sort of a group beta read, I read those chapters and was instantly hooked. I couldn’t wait to read the complete story and the time has finally come and the book was sure worth the wait! I’ve read, and loved, a lot of RVD’s books and I have to say that this one has easily become one of my favorites from her. I loved the storyline, I loved the characters and I loved how it kept you guessing and so torn as to which direction you hope things turn out! There is a bit of a love triangle here, but it’s actually one of the friendliest love triangles I’ve ever seen and, in a way, I think that made it even harder to choose a side! If you’re afraid of love triangles, don’t be scared of this one, truly, it’s not what you think and there’s surprisingly low angst given the nature of the situation. Keep an open mind and trust in RVD, she won’t steer you wrong, promise!

'Six years ago, I’d kissed a football player and lost my heart.
Five seconds ago, it felt like, maybe, I had been given a part of that heart back, and it felt good, really good.'

Emerson Rodford has the dedication and the talent but she’s always found it hard getting people to see past her physique, which isn’t exactly your standard cheerleader figure. After years of trying, she’s finally achieved her goal of becoming an NFL cheerleader, landing a spot on her hometown team. But sticking to the diet and getting through the mandatory weigh-ins might be the least of her problems when she suddenly finds herself stuck between the hot-shot, persistent Grant Sanchez and her former best friend/first love, Miller Quinton, who is suddenly back in her life after a painful split six years earlier. Despite the strict no fraternization rule, she’s drawn to both men and is having a hard time deciding which man she’d be willing to give her heart to.

“The day,” he finally said, “when you can’t take it anymore.”
“Take what?”
“This.” He slid his hand down my thigh. “The heat between us, the way it feels when we touch. Damn, just being near you drives me insane. And humans are only gifted with so much patience before they snap. I hope to God that I’m around when you do.”

Rachel Van Dyken always writes some of the best characters out there and this crew is no exception! I loved the diversity in this book. A cheerleader with a figure of a normal woman?! Someone who wasn’t a size zero but was still healthy and strong? Yes, please! And our two leading men were also diverse, not just your typical hot white guy. It was a nice change of pace and made things feel even more realistic. Emerson was great, she was strong and confident and I loved that she followed her dream, despite the obvious adversity she faced. Then there was Miller, he started off angry and bitter over what he thought happened when he moved away, but it was good seeing him come back to himself, the version of him that we got glimpses of in the flashbacks. Then there was Grant, I was expecting a player and a jerk but he was such a great guy and he was so funny! Then, as if it wasn’t hard enough, you’ve got this great friendship forming between Grant and Miller! It really is a hard choice! I wanted Emerson with Miller because of their history and the still obvious pull between them, but then there was Grant and he was just so awesome and persistent, I thought that maybe she should choose him and then I’d flip back again! Which guy will win Emerson’s heart? Well, you’re going to have to read to find out! My lips are sealed. I will say, though, I did enjoy how everything played out and I felt very satisfied with how things ended up and I am very much looking forward to what’s next in this new series!

“I’m going to make you mine.”
“I think . . .” She grabbed my sweatpants and tugged. “That I’ve always been yours. I just didn’t realize it.”