LEVELING THE FIELDby Megan Erickson
Series: Gamers #4
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: May 2rd 2016
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★
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Reclusive magazine exec Ethan Talley is furious when his business partner hires a photographer—a gorgeous photographer who insists on speaking her mind, damn it—to take pictures for an upcoming article. No matter how badly he wants the woman…under him, over him, against the nearest wall…he has reasons for not wanting to be on camera anymore, and his scars are only one of them.
It takes approximately two seconds for Lissa Kingsman to recognize Ethan as the popular YouTube gamer who fell off the planet years ago. But this Ethan is different than the charming man she used to watch, and the crush she had on him then is nothing compared to the way she’s lusting after the brooding man he is today. If sex is all he can give her, fine. Why not use that bearskin rug in her studio for something other than a prop? But she’s determined to put a chink in his armor, no matter how much he resists.
By now everyone knows how huge a fan of Megan Erickson I am given how shouty I get with my love for her books with every release. I went into Leveling the Field with equal amounts of excitement and sadness. Excitement because I have been waiting for ages for this character's book and sadness because this is the last book in the Gamers series and it hurts my soul that there won't be more of these characters to devour. Nevertheless, Megan Erickson went out with a loud resounding bang with this series and I could not have been happier that I got to experience this wonderfully sexy series as a reader.
I fell a little bit in love with Ethan from his very first introduction. By the second book, his sister's, I was so damn ready for him to get that HEA he deserved. As much as I loved pretty much all the characters in Leveling the Field, it's Ethan who was the shining star. This was HIS story of growth, acceptance and moving on from grief and guilt. And Megan Erickson did one hell of a job with it. With Brazen novels, I'm always worried that there aren't enough pages to fully develop the characters so that they leap off the pages, but I never have to worry about that with Megan's heroes and heroines. At the beginning of Leveling the Field, Ethan was still the grumpy, grouchy and moody (not to forget nerdy as heck!), that we originally met. His sister's death as a result of a car accident he was also involved in had left him shattered and turned him into very much of an introvert who hardly allowed his emotions to surface. Ethan was so stubborn with his self-loathing and you can't help but want to embrace him and make him feel better. Thankfully, the bright and vibrant Lissa charged into his life and slowly helped him become a better, happier and healthier version of himself. By the end, I was just so happy for the transformation he underwent, my heart was full!
I loved Lissa so much too. She was fiesty, fiery and funny. And she was also the sweetest girl ever. I loved her passion for photography and just how dedicated she was. More than anything though, I loved how fearless Lissa was, especially when it came to speaking out her mind and going after what she wanted. This was a girl after my own heart! Hers and Ethan's relationship had so much sizzle, as I expected from any of Megan Erickson's couples. They started of hot and steamy (emphasis on HOTT) and let me tell you, some of these sexy times scenes? Phew! They left me red-faced and in need of a cold shower. Can I just say how much I loved that Lissa was the dirty talker in this relationship? Yet another part of her personality that I thought was fearless. Besides the "fog-up-your-e-reader-screen" scenes, the emotional scenes between Ethan and Lissa were also sweet and passionate and exactly what I wanted for the two of them. They were a couple that made each other stronger and better. I loved that about them. I was also really happy to see some of the characters from the previous books. It was fun getting to see them in their established relationships. :)
Once again, Megan Erickson has a written a romance book that hooked me in line and sinker and made me experience all the feels. The Gamers series might be over, but these are characters who are going to stay with me for a long time.
Are you a fan of Megan Erickson? What are some of your favorite Brazen books?
Let me know in the comments below!
