This was my first book by Lorelei Parker and I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this rom-com as Sierra is not the typical main character on many rom-com novels. She is a gamer and a little awkward which was refreshing difference to other rom-coms. Even though I enjoyed this book I didn’t love the characters or plot. This is solely my personal opinion and is reflective of the author’s writing.

Thank you NetGalley and Lorelei Parker for the advanced copy of “Crushing It” in return for my honest review.

The cover attracted me. I swear, I'm such a sucker for chicklit books with attractive covers. Plus, it featured a gamer!

Anyway...

So this book didn't manage to excite me at any point of time because it was just...meh.

Sierra is a game developer who is trying to find love in this big, bad world. She is naive to the point of being irritating and doesn't learn from her mistakes. She also has this huge fear of speaking on a public platform in front of an audience because of something awful that happened with her while in school. She cannot talk before an audience without something shameful happening, like a fart setting itself loose or her stomach rumbling loudly.

Her best friend, Aida, decides to make her speak before their school alum in a bar (haha) which is run by another alum. All this, because Sierra has to talk before bloggers and gamers at a Gamescon in Germany. With this end in mind, Aida enrolls her in the competition. The participants have to talk about embarassed things about themselves and the one who raises the maximum laughs wins.

Here she meets the alum-cum-bar-owner, Alfred AKA Alfie. For most part, Sierra thinks of him as a dog - wants to miss his hair, rib his neck, probably massage his tummy as well.

She also meets Tristan, on whom she has had a major crush ever since school days. He is now a major asshole who mispronounces Sierra's name even after getting her card, but Sierra cannot seem to see his asshole-ery because she is concentrating only on his Greek God good looks. Also, Tristan is the reason Sierra lost confidence in public speaking in the first place, but it's okay apparently because he looks good.

Alfie is the typical good guy. Hardworking, truthful, loyal - basically everything Tristan is not. The author makes sure to drill this fact into our heads.

I couldn't get Sierra's attitude at all. One day, she's crushing on Tristan and going on a date with him, the next day, she's flirting with Alfie and fantasizing about having sex with him. And when Tristan asks her, she's miffed at him?! Wth?
Another grouse I had with her is that she acts like such a feminist sometimes but doesn't hold back from pulling others down when it suits her. Comparing Tristan's Vespa to Alfie's Mustang unfavourably shows just how shallow she is.

The plot is really promising - a person trying to regain their confidence on public speaking by overcoming their demons. But the execution is botched. I couldn't simply get over Sierra's pigheadedness and naivety. There's only so much you can take. The other characters are not well-etched either. Aida had so much potential, but she ends up as just a nagging friend. Alfie is too good, Tristan is too bad. Reynold is too cynical, Marco is too henpecked. Nobody has any redeeming features and I couldn't relate to any character.

The writing was good, though. This is my first book of Lorelei Parker and I'll look forward to reading more of her books, because her writing is beautiful. I'm sorry this book didn't work out for me, after all.

One last thing, Sierra is described as a woman who wears trendy clothes related to the games she loves and has multi-coloured hair. I'll say it again, the book cover let me down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC copy for a honest review.

In life, as in gaming, there’s a way around every obstacle . . .⠀ ⠀
To pitch her new role-playing game at a European conference, developer Sierra Reid needs to overcome her terror of public speaking. What better practice than competing in a local bar’s diary slam, regaling an audience with old journal entries about her completely humiliating college crush on gorgeous Tristan Spencer?⠀ ⠀
Until the moderator says, “Next up, Tristan Spencer . . .”⠀ ⠀
Sierra is mortified, but Tristan is flattered. Caught up in memories of her decade-old obsession as they reconnect, Sierra tries to dismiss her growing qualms about him. But it’s not so easy to ignore her deepening friendship with Alfie, the cute, supportive bar owner. She and Alfie were college classmates too, and little by little, Sierra is starting to wonder if she’s been focusing her moves on the wrong target all along, misreading every player’s motivations.⠀ ⠀
Maybe the only winning strategy is to start playing by her heart . . .”⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀

*Thanks to Netgalley for an arc copy

Geek girl Sierra has to get more confident so she signs up for a journal reading contest. Of course humiliation from school never ends, so she recites an entry about Tristan Spencer, the hot hunk in her class. But there's some other stuff that happened that makes her question his judgement. OOH what's gonna happen.

All in all, these twists threw me for a loop. I also find it hard to believe that she only likes SAO for the video game stuff because um...SAO SUCKS. Just saying, I have seen better animes.

But, I did enjoy the characters and the things that happened.

Title: Crushing It
Author: Lorelei Parker
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-1-4967-2570-7

Crushing It follows Sierra, who is a video game developer and wants an opportunity to pitch her next game at the Gamescon. Standing between this opportunity and Sierra is her crippling stage fear. To overcome it, she takes up the Chagrin challenge, where participants have to share their most embarrassing anecdotes, diary entries, poetry, etc. Sierra decides to narrate about her humiliating crush on Tristan Spencer.

All seems fine, until the moderator says, "Next up, Tristan Spencer..."
Sierra is mortified, while Tristan is flattered. As they reconnect, Sierra grapples with her decade-long obsession with Tristan. But, she can't seem to ignore the pull towards Alfie, the supportive bar-owner, who befriends her and helps her pull through the contest. It appears that perhaps she has been noticing the wrong person, all along.

The book cover design and color combinations are gorgeous and catchy! I requested for the ARC on Netgalley, purely due to the amazing book cover design. The book also has some great moments in it. I would call it the "Eureka" moments. The moments I could relate to. There is a quote that I liked, "Suddenly the phrase tragedy plus time equals comedy made perfect sense." It is so true. How many times have we been worried, anxious, hysterical about certain situations? And as time passes, these same situations have become funny.

Sierra constantly keeps mentioning about the 3 kinds of love (According to the Greeks): Eros- love of the body; Philia or Phileo- love of the mind; and Agape- love of the soul. She then finds out about the other 4: Self-love, Flirtation, devotion, and effortless love. As the book follows Sierra and her relationship with Tristan and Alfie, we observe her experiencing all of these phases.

Sierra and Aida's friendship is heart-warming, and reading about their struggles to fit into the all-man world of video games is awe-inspiring. They hold their ground in several instances, and bond together to become strong allies. Parker's writing style is engrossing, breezy, and well-paced. I had fun reading the book, and it contained twists I couldn't have predicted.

I would give it 4/5 stars. It is a great summer and weekend read. It serves as the perfect book to chill with a glass of red wine.

I received this copy from Netgalley and Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review.

As a gamer, I wanted to like it. But it bored me from the beginning and I finally gave up. Sierra was too freaking gullible and Tristan was an Ass. The author's writing was fine, I just couldn't get behind the characters.

Crushing It
by Lorelei Parker

Talk about crushing it! Well this book certainly did - the writing was fresh, fun and the characters were quite enjoyable to read about. This book stood out from other romcoms for me for the story line that had amazing characters that are totally relatable and addressed important issues in a wonderful way. I would recommend this book for a wonderful summer read. This is thoroughly enjoyable and should not be missed. I recommend this book.

This is a new and refreshing take on a rom-com. I love that Sierra is not your typical lead in a rom-com novel. She's a little awkward, nerdy, and a gamer. It is refreshing that she offers something a little different and she's not the usual strong and confident lead. This story has a lot of elements of humor with some drama thrown in. I really enjoyed this read.

Wasn't sure what to think about this book because it is about gaming but it was cute. It was really fun to have a women in a STEM career- we need a lot more of that! I loved the different friendships that were portrayed in the book. Thank you also for the steam... i always enjoy that!

This book was such a welcomed change of pace from my normal thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed this cute little story, and I can't wait to read more by Parker!

Such a great book! Sierra Reid is the main character, she is a video game developer and I was a bit concerned about that aspect of the book since I know nothing of coding or video games, but I was easily able to keep up. She has the worst fear of public speaking and has to overcome that to excel in her job, and to do so enters a contest in a bar, where she reads and old diary about her college crush and then runs right into him! Alfie is the bar owner and also went to college with Tristan and Sierra, he is all kinds of supportive and just really nice. There is a lot of miscommunication between these 3 and also self discovery, it's funny and sweet and definitely a worthwhile read!

This was a cute quick adult contemporary romance, filled with fun things like video game references as well confronting fears. I will admit that there were so many awkward, uncomfortable encounters/talks in the story that made me want to cringe for the characters- but that was basically the point of the story. The main character enters a competition to embarrass herself in public, where the most outrageous stories are voted as the winners. I liked that this was the tool for the main character to overcome her fear of public speaking, I mean really, how can a practiced work presentation ever compare to spilling embarrassing secrets in front of an audience?

I found it kind of interesting that the main character was not your typical female romance character. She was bold (except for her one hang up on public speaking), she was smart and driven, she loved video games (they were basically her whole life and she referenced all kinds of video game terms for regular life events which I loved) and she sought out sex without fear of repercussions (she knew she liked it and had no qualms with her self esteem or desires). I enjoyed watching her interact with a certain cute boy who stole her (and my heart) from their first interaction, and the fact that she had something new for her to experience and grow from. This was very much a story about facing fears and personal growth- as well as keeping an eye out for love.

This is the perfect read for anyone who needs a HEA in their life, likes video games and doesn't mind experiencing second hand embarrassment for the characters they root for!

Crushing It by Lorelei Parker is a fun romance, and my first book by this author. Sierra Reid is a role-playing game developer, who has a fear of public speaking. Sierra needs to over come that fear so she can attend a conference, and promote her new game. To get over her fear she participates in the local bar's diary slam, and talks about her college crush Tristan Spencer. After she finishes, she hears the speaker announce Tristan Spencer is up next. If you enjoy fun romantic comedy's than this book if for you. Perfect escape from everything going on in your life. I recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ahh! This book was so adorable! I love how you start falling for one love interest just to switch to another. It started out as an enemies to lovers and then totally takes a 180 and she realizes that her enemy wasn't her enemy 10 years ago but definitely is now.

I liked getting to see the world of gaming behind the scenes and thought that her idea of overcoming her fear of public speaking included reading diary entries in front of strangers. The competition between her and Tristen showed what "playing dirty" means.

I loved Sierra's friends. They were such a fun bunch and really encouraged her to take part in the competition. Without their support she wouldn't have participated, even when it caused her great embarrassment, and she wouldn't have found love.

I'd definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a great adult romance!

The blurb got me hooked and seeing it around my feed made me read it in one sitting.
I liked the characters and how reliable they are , especially in nowadays times.
I can’t say I got close enough to any of the then though but I’m looking forward to other books by the author for sure.

Cute enough debut novel about Sierra, a video game designer in her late 20s trying to overcome a debilitating fear of public speaking by participating in a “share your humiliation” contest at a local bar. One of the other contestants turns out to be the “perfect” guy Sierra had a crush on in college, while the bar owner is another classmate who had his own crush on her. Hijinks ensue as Sierra gains self-confidence and gets to know both men. I initially liked the setup, but I didn’t really connect with the characters and the plot pacing was very slow, as Sierra took WAY too long to notice all the red flags one of the guys was waving around.

Whew! I got secondhand embarrassment just from reading this novel 😳. The main character is so funny and relatable. She shares several of her college mishaps throughout the story, and made me (a current college student) feel a little better about my mistakes. Overall this was a feel-good novel about love lost and second chances that contained life lessons that really hit home for me. I am not a gamer by any stretch so I was only able to understand some of the video game references made throughout the book. I will say that even though gamer culture is not something I am a part of it was nice to read a book where the heroine was so passionate about something and was able to connect with others who shared similar interests. I really enjoyed this book!

Such a cute story! Alfie is so freaking adorable. The only reason I knocked off a star is because the storyline with Tristan became quite juvenile. That just didn't sit right with a bunch of young thirty year olds.

Since a disastrous presentation in college, Sierra is afraid of speaking in public. But as a video-game developer, she has to (and really wants to) go to a convention to present her latest creation. To overcome nerves and practice, she enters a monologue competition in a bar on who shares their most embarrasing moment, sharing a journal entry from ten years before about her crush at the moment... only to discover said crush is also in the bar.

I really liked Sierra's personality, and how she wants to overcome her fears and fight for what she wants. Apart from her fear of speaking in public, I felt she is strong and has things very clear in her head. I also loved some of the stories of the contest and laughed with them.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion **

Even though I listed this book on Goodreads just yesterday, I've been reading it for weeks. But now, I'm done reading, I wished I updated my reading progress so then you'll know by now, how I didn't enjoy reading it...But I am on hiatus and too lazy to log in here. I requested Crushing it from Netgalley because I was expecting it to be fun, lighthearted, and most of all, relatable. It's NOT, not even one of those three, and it's all because of the main character Sierra.

But first, the good things. First, I love the writing style of the author. Even though I don't like this book at all, I can say with confidence that the author has an amazing writing style, almost poetic, and it shows in the journal entries that characters read in the diary slam. Speaking of the Diary Slam, that's the second thing I like in this book. I love the idea of it as a form of forced therapy for Sierra. Everyone in the slam is expecting humiliation via their past humiliating experiences and so to quote Sierra's best friend, Aida, Sierra's fear becomes her secret weapon. That said, I love Aida. Everyone needs a friend like Aida. The last thing I like is Alfie, the main love interest. He's such a nice guy and just gives out positive energy.

Before everything else, I want to tell a story of my own, which made me think I'll find this book relatable in the first place. I was so wrong. I, too, find it hard to speak in front of people. In my high school graduation, I was a salutatorian and of course, I had to deliver a speech. And during my speech, most of my classmates made fun of me, most of them stood and made some gestures, yells at me, name-called me while I was delivering my speech. It was outright disrespectful for them to do and a horrible thing for me to experience. There were hundreds of people there, including my parents and relatives. Their action rooted in the fact that they didn't want me to be the Salutatorian because for them, someone else deserves it better and I somehow agree because I'm not really studious. My average grade just happened to be the second-highest in my batch. Despite their reasoning, still, it was wrong for them to humiliate me.

Why am I telling you this story? It's because I want you to understand why my rating of this book is too low - It's because I know what's convincing and what's not in this story. Sierra experienced something similar to my experience and just like me, it made public speaking difficult for her. I even understand her when she said, she's not shy, she's anxious as to what will happen if she speaks in front. That's true to me, as well.

Anyway, as I already hinted, my low rating is because of Sierra herself. I expected to relate to her. She's no like me, and I'm not being proud, it's just a matter-of-factly statement. I wouldn't just call Sierra naive, no, she's downright stupid and it's so frustrating. So the blurb said, she joined this diary slam and the first entry she shared is about her college crush, Tristan, without knowing that the next contestant is Tristan himself. Humiliation ensues.

That itself could've been a great plot element but alas!!! Sierra started showing her stupidity. When Tristan shows interest to her, she grabbed it, of course. He's her ultimate crush from college anyway. There's nothing wrong with that, the problem lies with Tristan being the reason why she doesn't do well in public speaking. Tristan did something that ruins Sierra's confidence in the worst way. He's the reason why her life is miserable and yet, the first time they talked after ten years, after delivering their entry for the diary slam, Sierra was all giddy toward him. Like, what on earth?

That's the first unconvincing element in the plot and an example of how idiotic Sierra can be. Sure, it's been a decade since it happened, Tristan can be a changed person now and what happened was just him being immature ten years ago, it's okay to forgive him now. I, myself, have forgiven my classmates already. My issue about Sierra is she didn't just forgive him easily, even before he apologizes, she also is ready to pounce him because he's just so pretty. Ugh!!! She sounds desperate for a relationship. I can understand her forgiving him, but it's another thing to be interested in someone who is the reason for your miserable life. The impact of what Tristan did to her life was huge, it's just so unrealistic that Sierra is too eager to have a relationship with him.

Another thing is, Tristan is a perfect example of a douchebag and Sierra doesn't even see him that way. She keeps making reasons for his actions even after multiple times that Tristan showed his bad personality. He's just using her and this is not even a spoiler because it's very obvious since their first conversation. I think the author didn't really hide Tristan's real motives because he's not the main love interest. Gosh, seriously, how stupid can she be?

That's another unconvincing element here. When you experienced what Sierra and I experienced and you've been spending your life with it as baggage, it would be hard to reconnect, much more be involved, with those people who are at fault. Forgive, sure, but get involved? Impossible. Very unconvincing. And another thing, you'll have trust issues. Sierra doesn't have trust issues when it comes to Tristan. How come she has trust issues with other guys but not with Tristan? She looks and acts like she's going to give him everything, completely ignoring her friend's advice and Mr. Right who's been there all along.

Speaking of Mr. Right, the development of the romance is also not very convincing. It's so sudden. One minute, Sierra is still kissing Tristan and lusting after him, the next, she's ignoring him and already invested in Alfie. Then, she gets annoyed when Tristan keeps texting her. Girl, it's because just a few days ago, you were kissing him. And Sierra comparing Alfie's mustang to Tristan's Vespa shows how shallow Sierra can be, considering that just few days ago, she was enjoying riding with Tristan in his Vespa, because of course, she could feel his hard body against hers.

Sure, Tristan was bad but still...

And making Tristan the ultimate bad guy is just so cliche. I was really expecting a mature, healthy love triangle/competition between three mature people. Sierra being a nerd game developer, Alfie being the nice guy, a bartender in his own bar, and Tristan as a struggling comic artist - that's the reason why he hasn't a car. He could also be a nice guy, a changed person from who he was in college. It seemed to me that the plot forced Tristan to be bad just so the readers can root for the main character. Not necessary, if you ask me.

There are more elements in the plot that are really unconvincing. Like when Sierra asked Alfie if they were even friends in college. Sure, it's been ten years but if they were really friends, she wouldn't have forgotten him, in the first place. So asking that question is unnecessary. It was a stupid question. And seriously, even I can still remember my classmates from elementary. She should've remembered if they were friends in college, COLLEGE!!! She must have been 20 to 24 years old. That's not the only thing she, or the others, forget from college throughout the story. The whole forgetting things from college is just so unrealistic.

There are also some predictable elements. Like I already said, it's too obvious that Tristan is just using her. There are some things about Alfie's character that is also predictable, like the girl he talks about in his own journal.

I also didn't find any part of the book funny. Not even the humiliating stories. They're not funny at all, in fact, strangely, I felt like I was being laughed at. And some of the jokes are old, they're not funny anymore. I also didn't appreciate Sierra being a nerd. Sure, she plays games once in a while in the story but there's not that feeling of recognizing my own fellow nerd. I'm a nerd myself, not of games, but still, I always feel a sense of closeness to nerd characters. I didn't feel anything toward Sierra except dislike.

So overall, obviously, I didn't enjoy this book. I wanted to DNF it so many times, but I persevered. I still will read the works of this author because like I said, her writing style is amazing. She's a poet, this author.