Hooked on the Game (The Sterling Shore Series #1) by CM Owens

Everyone has secrets that define them, a past that has shaped them, and a game they play – whether they know it or not.

Despite the fact they live next door to each other, Kade and Raya have never made an effort to speak, until a wild party, four frat boys, and… a bulldozer.

Sterling Shore was supposed to be a new start for eighteen-year-old Raya Capperton. Everything was working out perfectly until her two roommates were expelled for a prank, leaving Raya with the house she couldn’t afford on her own. Fate intervenes before she has the chance to find a new home, but she struggles to decide if it’s divine luck or the devil’s cruel sense of humor.

Twenty-one-year-old Kade Colton has his life planned out, and everything he does is an elaborate game to aid him with his future endeavors. Coming from money has made Kade’s life easy, but he wants to build his own name – his own future. The thing he doesn’t realize… when you only put forth superficial effort, you only acquire superficial friends.

Raya is torn between being amused or disturbed by Kade and his philosophy, but the drive behind his determination isn’t what Raya expected. Little by little, her hatred fades and is replaced by emotions she never would have believed she could have for the rich jerk she desperately doesn’t want to care about. Too bad you can’t force yourself not to care.

The problem is… Kade’s shiny name can’t be tarnished, and Raya has a jaded tie she can’t cut loose. Nothing about them can work, nothing about them makes sense, but nothing can seem to stop them from trying.

*Not suitable for anyone under the age of eighteen

** No cliffhanger
**New Adult Contemporary Romance
**Descriptive sex
**Language

Title: Hooked on the Game
Author: CM Owens
Publication Date: May 14th, 2014
Shelves: Contemporary; Romance;
Format: Kindle (204 pages)
Rating: 10/10

It is official: I have re-read this series so many times now, that I can say without a doubt that I am more than hooked on the game! I love it so much, that I cannot get it out of my system!

Raya and Kade, oh my God, what a pair!! They start as neighbors, but Kade throws loud parties, with loud collage idiots, who eventually end up tearing Raya’s house down. As a punishment for his unwilling actions, Kade’s father moves Raya in with him. Let’s just say neighbors / sudden roomies / enemies to lovers is all you’ll get in this lovely first book of the Sterling Shore series.

Hooked on the Game is told from Raya Capperton’s POV, but luckily for us, we get a book all told from Kade Colton’s POV.

Kade is all about business and making connections for his future in his granddads business, while Raya is the daughter of a well-known con man. She is one of the most bad-ass female characters on this series, since she’ll win everything she plays, because she was still the daughter of a con man who thought his daughter all he knew.

I love that between telling their story we see a glimpse of the Sterling world, meeting Tag, Billy’s ghost friend Ash, who will star in the second book. At the end we also meet Rye Clanton, who will have his own book, which is TOP on my favorite romance novels ever! Well, among all the books from this series!

This series is close to my heart, and forever will lift me up whenever I need some good vibe in my life.

Don’t forget to check out Cm Owens’ website