Fraternize by Rachel Van Dyken

I have such mixed feelings right now. I am so freaken confused so I'm just going to babble my thoughts and hope that some sense can be made.

Emerson and Miller were best friends from childhood: they grew up together, had a deep friendship and a strong love for each other. Due to circumstance, Miller has to move away with his father and the friendship, love, connection is severed rather cruelly if you ask me. When he returns a few years later, it's to realize his childhood dream of playing for the Bucks and it's also where he sees Emerson again realizing her own dream of being a cheerleader. Only problem is that within moments of laying eyes on her, Millers teammate, Grant Sanchez has already laid claim to her.

This is where my feelings of confusion come in and it's difficult to pinpoint because I love Van Dyken's writing, her stories, her characters. Fraternize is really no exception to that: the writing is spot on as always, the characters were well-developed, fun and flirty but..... And it's the but that confuses me: I didn't really feel a connection between Em and Sanchez whereas I wholly believed it of Em and Miller. That might be because they'd been friends for so many years and nothing could take that away. I don't know. I really don't. So overall, I really enjoyed it. I can't say I loved it and therefore I can't give it 5 stars. It was a great book and I'm hoping there'll be more than one more story to follow in this series.

*arc received from Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

This book is seriously everyone of my favorite tropes all in one amazing story and so much more. Friends to lovers, second chances, love triangles, what more could you ask for? Oh and did I mention it's a sports romance? FOOTBALL people! It's also written by Rachel Van Dyken who has become one of my favorite authors of all time. She can write anything, any genre and I find myself salivating to read it.

I fell in love with these characters hardcore and I was along this emotional journey right there with Emerson. I was so torn. I loved Miller and Grant so much and eventually I definitely made a choice for Emerson and I decided to keep the other one for me. Just kidding, but seriously, these guys are incredibly swoonworthy and so charming and you will definitely find yourself falling also.

I am dying to read the next book in the series to see how things work out for other characters in the story and I can't wait to see what Rachel has in store.

I'm a fan of this author, but the last book of hers that I read I wasn't thrilled with, so I wasn't sure about this one. I'm so glad I gave it a chance, because it was great. This was a really fun romance, with wonderful characters. They grew as people, which led to unexpected but serendipitous outcomes. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.

While this isn't what Rachel is best know for (Mafia!), she can suck you in with her amazing writing! This book was so well done that you really didn't know who she would choose. Rachel has such a way with words that you get lost in the story. This was so well done and such a new topic for Rachel that it was really enjoyable. Can't wait for more!

En bref, je savais en me lançant dans cette aventure que ce triangle allait être intense. Et je ne me suis pas trompée, j'ai aimé aussi bien les personnages que le milieu dans lequel ils évoluent. Ils sont tous craquants, on vit les hauts et les bas de leurs relations avec beaucoup d'attention et de nervosité parfois et on ne peut qu'être touchés par tout ce qu'ils ont traversé et doivent traverser. Une belle aventure humaine, amour, amitié et frissons sont au rendez-vous !

Lighthearted and with an angst brought forth by a mild love triangle, Fraternize was unexpectedly fun and unique in the direction it took. Without relying on the usual tools for a love triangle situation, RVD paved her own way in telling the story of a curvy cheerleader, her just-returned first love, and the new footballer. The relationships in the story were unlike anything that was expected, and happily surprised me with the lack of contention and hatred that is always abundant when two men want the same woman.

Fraternize employed two very different men who each played to a different part of Emerson, pulling on the strings of the reader and making it incredibly difficult to choose between them. The pull to each of them was strong, but unique, and yet Emerson never fell through the cracks, instead retaining the center focus of the story--her past, her career, the struggles involved with it, and her future. It became about who could enhance her going forward, and I fully enjoyed watching her find that answer. Can't say that I was correct on guessing who she ultimately chose, and I admittedly had a moment of not being okay with it, but in seeing where he's going to go, I'm looking forward to the next story in the series. Anyone who enjoys light and fun contemporary romances with some heat will love this story.

4-4.5 STARS!
OMG I devoured this book in ONE DAY despite me trying to read slow, I just couldn't stop turning the pages. This book was so addicting, just so damn good that I didn't want it to end.
Emerson and Miller were best friends growing up—until the day that Miller moved away and they severed ties never to speak again.
Fast forward years later and they are both living their dreams—Emerson is an NFL cheerleader and Miller has come home to play football for the Bellevue Bucks, his hometown’s team.
When Emerson and Miller come face to face after so much time, I felt so heartbroken for them for all the time lost, the friendship and love that they once shared underneath the surface but both still feeling the pain of their disconnect.
And let's not even talk about the no fraternizing with the players rule or sexy as hell Grant Sanchez who likes Emerson's curves in the best possible way! OMG *fans self*
I loved Emerson's strength and her overall character. I love a woman with curves and was so excited to read a different story about a different character outside of the every day. I loved that despite her insecurities, she loved herself and her body and worked hard to get what she wanted. Emerson's loyalty and friendship is what really made me adore her because it's hard to find true, real people and Emerson was that and more.
Now there are a couple of things in the story that I wished were developed more—namely the secret that she had hidden from Miller. I felt like it was glossed over a bit and wanted more when it came to that.
Overall, I love Rachel's words... she makes me smile and laugh out loud, she makes me shed a tear when it comes to the emotions and feels she wants to evoke in readers and most importantly she makes me care about her characters that long after I close the book, I am still thinking about them and wishing I hadn't read through the story so quickly to have spent more time with them.
I am VERY MUCH looking forward to the next book in the series... and no I won't tell you who it's about but when it comes to love and romance, I know that Rachel will give us another hit that will be hard to forget.
I love LOVE and Fraternize was so much fun and a great start to a new series that I can't wait to read more about!!!

SPOILER ALERT: I really wanted to like this book, and although it had a happy ending, I feel like it was the wrong ending! The book was well written and I will read another of the author's books, but I was a little let down.

Reviewed on behalf of Amo’s Book Corner

4 Stars

This was a great book. Totally not what I expected but still brilliant.

Emerson has only ever had one dream to be a professional cheerleader. It hasn’t always been easy as she has curves for days but she has kept pushing until she finally achieves her dream. The only problem is she isn’t sharing it with her childhood best friend and he left her years ago.

Miller is a professional footballer; he loves his job until he gets told he is being traded back to his hometown team. He has purposely stayed away from home and the girl that abandoned him when he needed her the most.

Emerson and Miller are about to get reacquainted and some truths come out about the past, but there is a third person in the mix, Sanchez and he has made it very clear he wants Emerson.

Can these three figure things out and remain friends? Who will win Emerson’s heart in the end?

Cannot wait for the next book!

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you netgalley and publishers.
This story is about a curvy girl in a love triangle between two football players. I loved that the cheerleader is a thicker girl!!! I also liked that the main character didnt let negative comments about her body get her down. The romances went between playful and sad, The hardships that the characters faced were quickly fixed.  Overall it was a nice and quick little read with some romance and  drama.

Fraternize is book one in a brand new series, Players Game, by Rachel Van Dyken. When I decided to read this book, first, it was because I love this author. So that alone assured that I would enjoy the book. But I wasn’t prepared for how this book made me feel. It is a love triangle so you need to know that right up front. But not your usual love triangle. This is a woman that just achieved her life long dream. But as soon as she got there, she was faced with both someone from her past re-entering her life, and someone new coming into her life. She is faced with choosing between her past and her present. Between an old love or a new love.

Emerson Rodner is not your typical skinny girl. She has curves. Her lifelong dream was to be an NFL Cheerleader. She has tried out before but never made it. But this year was the one. She was accepted into the cheerleading squad of the Bellevue Bucks. Their manual pretty much rules their life. Diet restrictions, surprise weigh ins, and most importantly, no fraternizing with the football players.

It’s her first day of practice and Emerson meets Grant Sanchez, one of the captains of the team. Grant is gorgeous and is known for his playboy ways. Grant has set his sights on Emerson. He slowly wears her down. And to her surprise, he is not the man she thought he was at all. He is sweet, considerate, kind, and boy does this man had the ability to sweet talk. I heard myself sigh out loud while I was reading this. This man made me swoon, made my heart miss a few beats. He was adorable.

But with all these things going on in Emerson’s life, she is forced to face someone from her past at the same time. Miller Quinton was her childhood best friend. And in their last year together, he became her first love. She gave him her virginity. But then his dad moved them away and all connections were broken. She blames Miller but Miller thinks it’s her fault. Neither of them really know the truth, what caused them to lose contact. Miller was the love of her life and the source of her greatest pain. One look at him and she knows she still loves him. But he is her past. Could he be a part of her future? Or was there too much history?

“No matter how damaged your heart may be, it never loses its ability to choose again, to try again, to want love even after loss. How could something so wrong feel so right?”

I think I lived this book right along with Emerson! I was completely emotionally invested. And I completely ended up feeling exactly the opposite as I thought I would. Both of these men loved Emerson. Both wanted nothing but her happiness for her. One of them would have to make the sacrifice. Would have to decide that they weren’t the right man for her. That she would be better off with the other one.

What I also loved about this book was that it showed the closeness of the football players, the brotherhood. How they had each other’s backs. What they would do for each other. Was there a bad seed in the group? Yes. But aside from him, these men couldn’t be any closer. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. And it showed in their games, in their abilities as a team.

“I was still afraid, afraid that this was a dream, that this feeling - this thing we had between us - wasn’t real. And I needed it so badly to be real. For something this good to stay this good.”

My rating for this book started out as a four. Then it quickly went to a five. I fell in love. I fell for all three of these characters. One in particular will stay with me. Which one? I don’t want to say. I want to see who you chose. Then I’ll tell you. So if you want a book about real people, real emotions, real issues, while still being fun, sexy and sweet, this one is for you. I loved it. I hope you do too.

“You like me because I find your faults?”
“No! I like you because you make me want to fix them.”

Rachel Van Dyken is such an amazing story-teller that writes books that grab you right away. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I was SO hooked from the beginning. I love 2nd chance romances and this one was so sweet and even at times funny.

Emerson is the newest cheerleader for the Bellevue Bucks. Miller is their newest addition as their tight end. The problem, they are each other's first love and have not spoken in 6 years. Grant Sanchez is the star wide receiver for the Bucks and dictates that he and Emerson are going to be best friends.

I can't wait for more books in this series!

Please note: I received a copy of FRATERNIZE from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

Five stars and here’s why:

TOTAL TOUCHDOWN! Rachel Van Dyken nailed this story! It covered some of my favorite tropes: a second chance romance, friends to lovers romance, a love triangle, a bromance, and both the guys and girls played sports! I love strong female characters and the icing on the fast-paced book-cake is that Emerson is real – she has curves, she has dreams, she has real-life responsibilities weighing her down. Readers can truly relate to her and the author didn’t disappoint with well-rounded secondary characters either. And Em’s love interests? Holy hotness! Miller and Sanchez are hella-hot, sexy, and witty with their bromance while in pursuit of Emerson’s heart. LOVED IT. If you like reading stories with sexy guys and smart, sassy girls, this book is for you. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Touchdown!!

Rachel reading scored with this one! Fraternize is one of those books that keeps you on your toes throughout the whole book. Reading it I totally thought I knew where the author was going only to be extremely surprised.
The characters are loveable, funny and sexy. I especially like that the heroine is not a size two. We don't get enough curvy female characters and it really is nice to see. We all have insecurities and I loved that it was part of the story.
Emerson and Miller have been friends forever, eventually turning into something more. When tragic strikes and he has to leave misunderstandings end up keeping them separated. Years later they are put back together only then someone new is standing in the way.
This is a really good read and the author did a fantastic job in writing her story. I highly recommend it and can't wait for more of this series.

<i>I had the collegiate experience. The voice. The skills. But I was lacking one thing. The ability to squeeze my body into a size two, four, six, eight. Who do we appreciate? Food, damn it!</i>

FRATERNIZE is a lot of things. It's a sports romance, a love triangle, a second chance romance, a best-friends-to-lovers romance, a slowburn, and a story featuring diverse characters and a plus sized woman. Like I said, it's a lot of things. It's also my first read by Van Dyken and it definitely won't be my last.

"<i>I'm kind of.. not used to getting rejected.</i>"
"<b>Take an ibuprofen and have a nice glass of wine tonight, Sanchez. Things will look so much better in the morning after a good night's sleep.</b>"

This story, I felt, started off a little rocky with some flashbacks that didn't exactly transition well. But it took off pretty soon after. The writing was witty, some of the situations were hilarious, but there was an undercurrent of seriousness and genuine emotion, not to mention angst, that grounded it, too.

"<i>So, what's it going to be? You going to be my friend and hers? You going to be a good teammate and help us win the championship? Or will we war?</i>"

I think I had my own prediction as to how this romance was going to play out even before the opening pages. We expect tropes and we often get them. That's just the way it works. I won't confirm whether Van Dyken lets those run their course or not but I will say that the end result was hugely satisfying. And while I actually walked away liking all the characters, including the supporting cast, it was the 'new' love interest in Emerson's world who holds a particularly special place in my heart. None of them were perfect but none of them frustrated me beyond reason, either. Or.. even at all, I think?

<i>Maybe that was his superpower; Grant Sanchez was able to weasel his way into any situation and come out on top.</i>

That being said, I did find FRATERNIZE to be a little silly at times, and even a little over the top. And there were some events near the end that kind of felt like a letdown due to added and unnecessary drama after a really solid middle run. I think this would've been a much more overall satisfying read if it was less NA and more.. A. If we'd had characters in their late twenties instead of early. Van Dyken wrote them in a pretty mature fashion for the most part but then would occasionally let them slip into ridiculousness as if to make up for the fact that they were acting too old or something. That being said, I still found myself laughing more often than not. It's hard to explain.

"<i>You like me because I find your faults?</i>"
"<b>Hell no. I like you because you make me want to fix them.</b>"

I really enjoyed how the romance played out, though, and often that isn't something you'll hear me say about a love triangle or messy angsty situation. But this had the perfect balance of elements and I'm really looking forward to the next in the series to see more of these characters <b>and</b> for the next book's couple.

3.5 "go shower. you smell like whiskey and bad choices" stars

*3.25 stars*

A curvy girl torn between two hot football players, while breakdown barriers as a professional cheerleader? Sign me up!

I will say that I loved the idea of a full-figured professional cheerleader. I also liked how much the main character held her head high in the face of any critics or negative reactions she received about her body. However, I do wish the book had focused a bit more on her career and struggles in that department.

The romances bounced between playful and heart twisting, but everything seemed to move too conveniently for me. Any hardships any of the characters faced were easily resolved with a nice little bow. Also, there really was no tug and pull for a book about a love triangle. Everyone stayed nicely in their corners with no mistakes made or lines crossed.

Emerson finally achieves her life long dream of being a professional cheerleader. Not an easy task for this plus size beauty. But shortly after she joins the team she discovers that her ex-best friend and first love, Miller Quinton, has been traded to the football team she is now cheering for. She's devastated to be around him again. She has spent the last 6 years trying to heal her broken heart. To complicate things further, Emerson has caught the eye of one of the other football players on the team.

There is definitely a love triangle in this book. Fair disclosure for those that are against them. However, this one was different. It was more interesting. Unique. Actually the whole concept was interesting and a little different. Sure there were a few common tropes thrown in but they created a different overall picture than every other book out there.

My only complaint was a certain trope that was thrown in towards the end to create unnecessary drama. There was already drama occurring so by ramping it up even more it took it a little over the top. And what was thrown in didn't even make sense. It should have been cut out of the story.

But the rest of the story was easy to read with very likeable characters. I read the book in less than 24 hours. Addicting, it was.

***Advanced copy obtained from Skyscape and Two Lions via Netgalley***

What a brilliant start to a new series, once again Rachel Van Dyken has blown me away with this emotional love story, I was on a emotional roller coaster and at over half way through this book I still wasn't sure how it would end. I'm finding it hard to put words on paper that will do this book justice, I was drawn in and this book took over, I was not putting my Kindle down until I had read the last line.
Miller Quinton was Emerson's first love, first sex and the first guy to break her heart so when they end up at the same football team, him as a star player her as a new cheerleader it doesn't make for a pleasant reunion, can they be friends after everything they had gone through in their past.
Grant Sanchez another star on the football team has his sights set on Emerson but is it just the normal start of season team bet that is drawing him to her .
Emerson is not only the new girl on the cheerleading squad, she is also dealing with a sick father and is also a plus-size athlete so she has a lot to contend with from her peers as well as the players, will she accept Grant and Miller as friends, will Grant and Miller be happy just being friends, who will win in this triangle, will hearts be broken or will true love and friendship win the day.
Love triangles are hard, I always feel sorry for the person who losses out, not so with this beautifully written story, Rachel Van Dyken knows how to write a story that has you falling in love with all the characters because they all have depth and are strong in their own way and yes this book does have a HEA, so what's left to say apart from I loved this book and it's a must read.
Hope we don't have to wait to long for more from the Players Game Series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Skyscape for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, RVD is one of my favorite authors. As with the other series of hers that I have read this one did not disappoint. I’m pretty amazed how she comes up with so many different types of romance books… from comedy to thrilling and dramatic. After reading Fraternize, I am so excited for this new series. This book was so stinking good that I want to do a reread since I still can’t get it out of my head.

Usually in a love triangle I can pick my favorite and I want the girl (as in this case) to pick a certain boy but honestly in this story I wanted her to have them both. I was just as mixed up on whom to choose as Emerson was. I was laughing and crying throughout this roller coaster of a story. My emotions were all over.

I also liked that Emerson, a cheerleader, wasn’t the typical size 0. As a mom of cheerleaders they can sometimes become obsessed with their bodies and weight and I loved that she had “curves”. I also loved that she never quit trying to make her dream of becoming a professional cheerleader for her favorite football team a reality.

Miller was Emerson’s best friend turned enemy when he moved away when they were in high school. He’s traded to the Bucks, the team he dreamed of being on until him and Emerson had a falling out. He comes back hating her but that is short lived and he realizes his feeling for her are still there and she was the only one for him.

Sanchez, the playboy of the team sets his sights on Emerson and at first she is a “bet” or conquest to him but that changes fast when he realizes that he really does like her. Sanchez is the guy that everyone loves even when he’s being arrogant you just can’t help but like him. I’d normally be turned off from the egotistical, cocky type but really he grows on you.

Amazing book! I fell in love with both Miller and Sanchez. I love the interactions between the three of them and you will not be disappointed at picking this book up. If you are a fan of RVD, this just proves why you are. Happy Reading!!