Dickson University #2

“Love is about finding someone who sees your quirks and calls them magic.”

I loved this book so much!
There are no two people more different than Lexi and Blake. She’s the autistic nerd, he’s the jock, but he is determined to win her over. And for some reason, Blake knows exactly how to approach Lexi and interacts with her in exactly the right way.

“To me, Lexi Winslow is different in the best kind of way.”

Isn’t it incredible if there’s someone who loves you for who you are, no matter what other people think about you? And also, shouldn’t it be normal and accepted if you’re a little different from the majority.

“I don’t know when it happened, but somehow, someway, Blake went from thorn in my side to my newest hyperfixation.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, but also made me cry (just a little).
And it was so nice to see all their friends and family from book #1 again.

An ARC copy of this book was provided by Max Monroe LLC (thank you!) through NetGalley.

While I have read and enjoyed other Max Monroe books before, this was the first I had read from this series.
The premise and outline held promise, though the pacing was off and the characters felt very surface level. Additionally there were a LOT of mentioned characters and interconnected relationships that didn’t seem to add a much to this story, and made it feel like there is a much bigger world I was missing than necessary.
Will certainly still be trying their next book.
⭐️2.5/5

3.5⭐

Playing Games was a sweet, fun romp that'll appeal to STEM and sports romance fans alike, even if it hit a few snags. It followed the secret summer romance of Lexi, a tech-savvy genius with Asperger’s finishing up her 2nd PhD at Dickson University, and Blake, the school's quarterback golden boy who was head-over-heels for her. The banter shone, and the character voices were spot-on, but some missed chances in the romance department kept it from being a touchdown.

I went into Playing Games without having read any of Max Monroe’s other books, and while it's true it can stand alone, it was immediately crystal clear where the gaps in my knowledge were. Certain characters were introduced in a way that made it glaringly obvious they had their own stories, and I’m sure longtime fans got a kick out of all the little cameos of the previous generation (the one Lexi's parents' age). But for a newbie like me, the sheer number of side characters—uncles, aunts, cousins, half-relatives, parents’ friends, football players, and all of their spouses—was a bit too much. It brought about a strange combination of overwhelmed and FOMO, which I can't say I loved.

Now, about Lexi and Blake—their banter was a highlight. Blake was 110% a simp and all the more adorable for it. He was so patient, totally getting how Lexi’s brain worked differently, and only gave her the tiniest nudge to step out of her comfort zone here or there. Sometimes he felt a smidge too doormat-y, but his heart-eyes vibe when it came to his dream girl was cute. Their dual POV was well-executed, too, with distinct voices that felt true to the characters—Lexi’s narration was technical, precise, and data-driven, while Blake’s was more laid-back and emotion-focused, which fit their personalities perfectly.

The pacing worked well overall, building tension without dragging… except for the last conflict, which overstayed its welcome a bit.

Which ties into my biggest hang-up: Lexi’s character. As someone not on the spectrum myself (and whose knowledge and impressions of Asperger's are informed by and based on the different portrayals I've seen in the media over the last ten years or so), her hyperfixation, well-above-average intelligence, struggle with social and non-verbal cues, difficulty in straying from established patterns, effort to understand emotions, and reliance on logic and reasoning felt authentic to me.

But at times, it seemed like she used her neurodivergence as a shield to avoid accountability, as an excuse to push Blake away when she got spooked by her feelings. That, while relatable—love’s scary for everyone—also felt like an easy out. I think it would have worked better if Lexi had had more of a learning curve when it came to the emotional side of her relationship with Blake. For a person who thrived on data and evidence, I feel it would have made more sense for her to believe she was incapable of having any type of future with him if she'd actually unwittingly hurt him once or twice before and only realized when someone other pointed it out to her.

I would have liked her difficulty understanding and responding to others' emotions to have explicitly negatively impacted their relationship at some point, so her decision to pull back was more strongly rooted in the intricacies of her character and not just an average response. That way, her fear of commitment would’ve felt inherent to her specific struggles rather than just typical cold feet. It would also have given her the chance to reciprocate all the care and consideration Blake had given her and make his love for her feel more earned and balanced. Their chemistry was solid, and the spicy scenes were top-notch, but I needed more emotional growth to really buy their love story.

All in all, Playing Games was a heartwarming, cute read with a lovable couple and great banter that'd probably be a great fit for fans of Elle Kennedy and Ali Hazelwood. Max Monroe is a writing duo I'll be keeping an eye out for in the future. I may not be ready for the commitment of going back and reading all the interconnected books in this particular universe, but something totally disconnected, I'd be down for.

Playing Games is the second installment in the Dickson University series and centers on Blake and Lexi, whose playful rivalry and flirty banter slowly evolve into something more. This book also gives readers deeper insight into Finn and Scottie’s relationship from Book 1, adding layers to the friend group dynamic. While it wasn’t a standout for me, it was still an enjoyable and easy read.

Looking forward to seeing what’s next for Ace and Julia in Book 3!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've loved some of Max Monroe's other work (highly recommend Meet Me at Midnight), but unfortunately this one didn't hit the mark for me, and it kills me to give it this review but I just cannot lie.

What I liked:
I like that our FMC Lexi is neurodivergent. Think Sheldon Cooper when he started dating Amy in the Big Bang Theory. It's intriguing to see the way she thinks about life, and I love the representation.

I love a good sports romance especially when the characters are in STEM. Blake, though he's a football player, wasn't your typical meat head and could keep up with Lexi's conversational quirks easily. They had amazing banter. 👏🏻

What I didn't like:
Though I loved the representation with Lexi, her POV got quite bland as it was super repetitive.

Blake just allowed himself to be walked all over and was still absolutely in love from the jump. Not very realistic, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I love a golden retriever, and Blake brings that in droves, but he was kind of spineless because he was just so in love with Lexi from the moment he met her and never once waivered, even after being treated like he was nothing. Just not my cup of tea.

And arguably, the main reason for my rating. It's marketed as a Standalone, but the amount of character references from other series, makes it hard to keep up and relate to what's going on. There are DOZENS of side characters mentioned and involved. Lexi has a huge family, and I genuinely don't see how anyone could keep up with the names without also reading Winslow Brothers and Billionaire Bad Boys (which I haven't), and even then it's a bit much.

Example:
"Well, there’s my immediate family— my mom Winnie, stepdad Wes, and my technically half brother Wes Jr. My mom has four brothers— Remy, Flynn, Ty, and Jude—and all four are married with kids. I’m the eldest cousin within the Winslow family; everyone else is closer to my brother’s age. Remy and Maria have Izzy and Carmen. Flynn and Daisy have the twins, Roman and Ryder. Ty and Rachel have Emily. Jude and Sophie have Hawk and Meadow. Aunt Paula is married to Uncle Brad— my grandma Wendy’s brother. And Howard is my grandma’s husband."

"Finally, there’s Finn’s side— my half family because they all share the same bio dad as my mom and uncles. Finn’s crew includes his mom Helen, sister Willow, and brothers Reece, Travis, and Jack. See what I mean? Complicated." - complicated indeed. I couldn't keep up.

"Quinn, Sean, Six, Teeny, Wes, and Winnie have already left for the day, so it’s just me, Lexi, and the kids."

And that's not even all of the family. There's a big friend group too. Just way too many characters.

***Thank you Max Monroe for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***

The way this book pulls at all my sentimental heartstrings. Ugh! It was sweet and cute and all the things.
I loved the Billionaire Bad Boys series, so imagine my surprise when I pick this one up (totally by chance) on NetGalley and find out it’s the cute little neurodivergent, Lexi, from that series all grown up.
I loved the way they wrote this story and the struggle Lexi faces coming to terms with emotions she didn’t think she could experience. Blake knows immediately that Lexi is the one for him and doesn’t shy away from her unique personality, even when she tries to push him.
Lexi and Blake are adorable and even though sport romances aren’t really my thing, I enjoyed this one.
I
Thank you NetGalley and Max Monroe for the chance to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This unfortunately wasn't my favorite, but it was still good! The writing was fast-paced and I really liked the romance, even though Lexi was a bit irritating at times.

I adore Max Monroe and their writing. They have unique voices that love to make me laugh and cry. This was a decent read but not my favorite. It was middle of the road for me. I think because I'm in health care and special needs, it was hard for me to suspend so much reality for this plot line. I have nothing negative to say and it was enjoyable enough. I did love the slow burn of their relationship, and the spice was lovely. I will always read a Max Monroe book! They don't disappoint!

*I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced release copy of this book. Classic Max Monroe!

Playing Games by Max Monroe is a light, fast-paced romance with great banter, lots of heat, and a charming male lead. Blake is without a doubt the highlight of the book—funny, sweet, persistent, and incredibly likeable. His energy pulled me into the story from the very start, and he’s the kind of romantic lead that easily wins readers over.

Lexi, however, didn’t resonate with me as much. While she’s written as strong and independent, I found it difficult to connect with her emotionally. Her inner dialogue and decisions sometimes distanced me from the relationship at the heart of the story.

In terms of plot, the romance was enjoyable, but I felt that some of the side elements detracted from the central relationship. The additional storylines and cameos—while likely appreciated by returning readers—felt a bit distracting for me as a first-time reader of this universe. I would have preferred a tighter focus on Lexi and Blake’s journey.

That said, the writing flows well, the dialogue is sharp, and the chemistry between the leads is undeniable. Readers looking for a steamy, low-angst romance with humor and a swoony male protagonist will likely enjoy this one. For me, it delivered on charm and spice, but I was left wishing for more emotional layering.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARF.

This one was such a fun read! I've read the entire Billionaire Bad Boys Series. I really loved those books. It's been a hot minute since I read them, though. Playing Games is a classic opposites attract college romance. Blake is the golden boy quarterback. He's charming, loyal, and full of sunshine energy. Lexi is a neurodivergent, super smart, nononsense girl who’s all about logic and has zero time for love.

Their dynamic is crazy. Blake is borderline obsessed with Lexie. He’s just so patient and sweet with Lexi. She’s very focused on how her brain works differently, which was really cool to see, but sometimes it got a little repetitive. There were a few moments where I felt like Blake was putting in most of the effort, and I kinda wished Lexi gave a little more back. But still, their chemistry is great, the banter is funny, and there are tons of heartwarming moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Monroe LLC for the ARC Read. This review was my honest opinion.

dnf!


This book wasn’t for me but saying that I do think other people would really enjoy it. It’s kind of like chai tea, i understand why people like it, I just don’t

I m so sorry for writting this. But this really wasn't my cup of tea. I was not into plot.

3 stars from me.

Lexi Windsor... where do I start? I knew her story was going to be amazing and I wasn't wrong. Watching Lexi fall in love was one of my favorite things. This second generation has been so much fun to learn and get to know.

Thank you so much for allowing me to ARC red this book. This was my first story from Max Monroe and will not be my last. I enjoyed the addition of a neurodivergent character the inclusion was well done. Can not wait to read more of this series and author.

First off, decent Autism rep in this story. Obviously, every human is different, but the way Lexi was portrayed certainly felt like a realistic depiction of a person on the spectrum!

In a world where people can be left behind, romantically, if they don’t quite fit into societal norms, Blake embraced all of Lexi. He didn’t find her quirks anything but endearing. He loved ALL of her, way before she was even willing to accept that love.

He falls first, he falls SO hard, and he just keeps trying, even when she resists. It was interesting to have a little insight as to how a person experiences love when they don’t always “get” feelings-related stuff. She didn’t make it easy, but obviously, there’s a happily ever after.

Lexi’s extend family and friend group is a fun addition to the story as well, what a crazy bunch!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Max Monroe LLC for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Playing Games is out now.

After reading the first book (Learning Curve) in the series, I was excited to see Blake and Lexi’s relationship develop. Unfortunately, I felt it was underdeveloped and somehow they had more chemistry in the first book (in just a few mentions/scenes).

Playing Games felt to me like the story was dragged too much with a somewhat average ending.

While this story was not my cup of tea, I do recommend the author duo. They have great books (such as the first of this series, Learning Curve, and Meet Me at Midnight). I’m always excited to see their next launches.

Playing Games is an absolute page-turner—I couldn’t put it down! Max Monroe delivers yet another addictive read filled with wit, charm, and sizzling chemistry. I was completely hooked by the dynamic between the two main characters; the push and pull, the chase, and the tension made for such a fun and engaging experience.

What I love most about Max Monroe’s writing is that they always manage to surprise me with fresh, exciting plots and unforgettable characters. Playing Games is no exception. It’s smart, sexy, and filled with just the right amount of heart.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Great if you are looking for a hea. And just an overall happy book. Low spice level. Morally tropes. Realized I am not into sports romances.

Blake is Dickson University's star quarterback. He's popular, likeable, well known, and completely in love with Lexi. But..... Lexi doesn't want anything to do with him. Lexi is focused on her dissertation and her last year of college at Dickson. There is simply no time for romance or feelings at all. But, Lexi does love a good experiment and maybe Blake would make the perfect one.

Review:
I really enjoyed the second book in the Dickson University series. Blake is such a sweet character. He is patient, caring, accepting, and knows exactly what he wants. Lexi is head strong, smart, quirky, and thinks differently as a neurodivergent individual. I loved her personality and how confident and strong she was as a person on the spectrum. She was confident in herself and her wants/needs and that was so inspiring. I loved getting updates sprinkled in on Finn and Scottie as well. Overall, this is a great romance read with more depth and emotion plus a little spice.
Thank you to NetGalley, Max Monroe, and Max Monroe LLC for this ARC of Playing Games in exchange for an honest review!