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A review by _isabel_
Delay of Game by Ari Baran
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I loved Ari Baran's debut, "Game Misconduct" so much; I was soooo looking forward to their second book, and for Nate and Zach's story. I've recently come to love friends-to-lovers, so I was doubly excited for them!
I'm sorry to say, but unfortunately "Delay of Game" did not work for me. I'm not sure what went wrong, maybe it was a timing issue or a me issue, but after the first few chapters I had the sudden urge to start skimming, and that's always a warning sign for me that the book is definitely not for me.
I think I got lost at the beginning because there was such a weirdly placed time jump: Nate and Zach meet, Zach hates him on sight, and then there's a time jump and they're BFFs. I think I would have probably liked this book a whole lot more if their relationship was given time to develop in a less abrupt way.
In terms of characterization, main character arc, and relationship arc, there was something missing. I kept getting their POVs confused too, but maybe that was my brain being glitchy.
So yes, while I did like a few things (Zach's devotion to Nate, for one, the sexual discovery, the first times, Bee and Mike stealing the show, some very interesting side characters in the team), I unfortunately didn't like this enough to warrant a more positive review. I skimmed till the end because I wanted to know how they'd get their HEA nonetheless.
I wasn't feeling the characters, I wasn't feeling their relationship and dynamic, and I felt like I was missing a good chunk of their arc and growth, and the fact that that feeling made an appearance straight away, spoilt my enjoyment of the rest of the book.
Again, I think this was probably a me issue: I know lots of people have enjoyed this much more, so if you're looking for a hockey-packed story, a friends-to-lovers dynamic, a book that deals with a whole lot of mental health hurdles and issues, maybe you can give this novel a go! I hope it works better for any reader that will decide to give "Delay of Game" a chance. It definitely works as a standalone too, but I wholly "Game Misconduct".
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm sorry to say, but unfortunately "Delay of Game" did not work for me. I'm not sure what went wrong, maybe it was a timing issue or a me issue, but after the first few chapters I had the sudden urge to start skimming, and that's always a warning sign for me that the book is definitely not for me.
I think I got lost at the beginning because there was such a weirdly placed time jump: Nate and Zach meet, Zach hates him on sight, and then there's a time jump and they're BFFs. I think I would have probably liked this book a whole lot more if their relationship was given time to develop in a less abrupt way.
In terms of characterization, main character arc, and relationship arc, there was something missing. I kept getting their POVs confused too, but maybe that was my brain being glitchy.
So yes, while I did like a few things (Zach's devotion to Nate, for one, the sexual discovery, the first times, Bee and Mike stealing the show, some very interesting side characters in the team), I unfortunately didn't like this enough to warrant a more positive review. I skimmed till the end because I wanted to know how they'd get their HEA nonetheless.
I wasn't feeling the characters, I wasn't feeling their relationship and dynamic, and I felt like I was missing a good chunk of their arc and growth, and the fact that that feeling made an appearance straight away, spoilt my enjoyment of the rest of the book.
Again, I think this was probably a me issue: I know lots of people have enjoyed this much more, so if you're looking for a hockey-packed story, a friends-to-lovers dynamic, a book that deals with a whole lot of mental health hurdles and issues, maybe you can give this novel a go! I hope it works better for any reader that will decide to give "Delay of Game" a chance. It definitely works as a standalone too, but I wholly "Game Misconduct".
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.