Reviewed by EBookObsessed on
We saw the way Dex was staring at Fiona at the party held by Gray and Ivy in The Friend Zone. It was like he found a missing treasure.
In The Game Plan , Ethan Dexter takes his one week vacation break to go stay with Ivy, Gray and their new baby, Leo, and gets a bonus when Fi is also going to be visiting at the same time. (Very impressive for new, sleep deprived parents to take in two houseguests at the same time. That shows just how much they love these two people.)
Although Dex has spent the last two years wanting Fi, he has held himself back as he always does, first because she had a boyfriend and then after they broke up, just…because. On his first night in San Francisco, he is sent by Gray out to the club where Fi is hanging out (by herself?) to check up on her. It takes Fi a moment to realize why the man staring at her looks so familiar but soon thereafter Dex teases Fi into kissing him when she makes comments about his bushy beard. And the sparks fly!
Dex does a 180 in his “I should stay away from Fi” and starts pursuing her immediately, asking her on a date the next morning. Fi acknowledges that she is feeling very interested in Dex but she rightfully has concerns. Dex is such a solid, quiet man. He’s not a hook-up kind of guy. Both Ivy and Gray point out to her that if she starts something with Dex, she better have real interest and not play with him since Dex will no doubt want a relationship with her, not just sex. Deciding to throw her heart completely into a new relationship is one thing, but Fi lives in New York and Dex plays for a team in New Orleans. They would be starting a new relationship at a great disadvantage since they are so far apart. But sparks are flying and they give it a chance.
Their relationship is amazing but each time they get to see each other, the parting and being apart is harder and harder.
We begin to see a change in Dex because of his relationship with Fi. He is spending more time with his new team mates and becoming a part of the conversation and not just sitting back and observing.
When one of Dex’s rivals starts running off his mouth to the press about the rumors that Dex is a virgin (which he was until Fi), the spotlight turns on Dex with women wanting to help him out, and paparazzi and reporters taking pictures. Fi wants to bring their relationship out to the world, but Dex doesn’t want to drag her into a media circus. Being in the limelight was the one thing Fi didn’t want. When Dex’s phone is stolen and private pictures hits the internet, will the ensuing media circus be the end of Fi’s trust is Dex and the end to any future they were trying to fight for?
THOUGHTS:
How could you not love this odd couple of Dex, the big strong, quiet lumberjack of a man, and tiny, tinkerbell Fiona, who is bubbly, chatty and the life of the party? They are such opposites that they are perfect together. It takes a bit for Fi to realize all the things she has noticed over the years about quiet, unassuming Dex, like how he is always in a corner watching everyone around him. It is Fi that starts to drag him into his life rather than just sitting back and observing everyone living theirs.
Dex gives Fi an anchor to hold onto. He is so solid both in stature and in his feelings for her. Dex also points out that Fi isn’t “flighty” as her parents point out to her. She is just searching to find what makes her happy and doesn’t settle for something that won’t. Because of Dex she can finally let go of her fears of disappointing everyone because she doesn’t like her new job. It gives her to confidence to not worry about what other people think of her and she is only concerned how she and Dex think about her and her choices.
I missed the lighthearted, flirty fun that we had with Ivy and Gray, but we know from the beginning the Dex and Fi are just a different dynamic. Dex is more intense and the story wasn’t a where does our relationship stand like Anna/Drew or Ivy/Gray, it was how can we make this work when we are so far apart physically.
You know that I have to love this series since I am not on the list of review copies and had to buy a copy; it only came out on Sunday and I was finished by Monday night, and yes, I skipped it to the top of my giant book list.
I love this group of characters. I don’t know if there is plans for more stories or if she is leaving this as a trilogy. There is no one who stands out as a next chapter except Rolando, who has been with them all since college and is now on the team with Dex. Rolando is gay so that would take us into a m/m romance. Since that is not always popular, I find that authors only throw those into a series when you have become quite invested in both the male characters and need to see them happy. We’ll just have to see who comes along next.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 2 November, 2015: Finished reading
- 2 November, 2015: Reviewed