3 March 2015

At Any Price (Gaming the System, #1) by Brenna Aubrey

(Click image to take you to Goodreads)

Format: Kindle
Publishers: Silver Griffon Associates 
Published: 9th December 2013
Pages: 298
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, 
Main Characters: Mia, Adam,   
Date Read: 24th February - 28th February 2015


Rating Given:
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Synopsis:
Achievement Unlocked: Geek Virgin
When Mia Strong, proud geek-girl and popular gaming blogger, auctions off her virginity online, she knows she'll make waves. But what she will not be making is a love connection. Her rules are set in stone: One night. No further contact.
It's a desperate step, but it's the only way she can go to medical school and pay her mother's mounting hospital bills.
Difficulty Level: Millionaire CEO 
Adam Drake, the enigmatic auction winner, is a software prodigy who made his first million at seventeen. Now, in his mid-twenties, he's sexy, driven and--as CEO of his own gaming company--he's used to making the rules. Before Mia knows what's happening, he's found the loophole in the rules of her auction. Every stipulation she's made to protect her heart gets tossed by the wayside.
She can't tell if he's playing her...or if he's playing for keeps.
This New Adult book is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content and adult situations.

I found this kindle for free on the Amazon website which I still think is free on both the UK and USA website.

I kind of like this cover as it looks sweet and romantic however, I don't feel as though this is fitting for this particular story as I don't feel as though it was a completely romantic story.

This book was like a tale of two halves in which I didn't like the first half but then by the end I enjoyed it although I still wouldn't say I loved it. At the started I did want to stop reading this book yet when I would put it down I would think about it so I thought that maybe I should keep at it which happened to me through out the first half of this book. I think what made me not want to read it was the fact she did act like a prostitute in the way she was selling herself to the higher bidder but when people told her that that was what she was doing she disagreed, I just didn't find this book that believable. The second half came a little bit of chemistry between the two main characters which did have some sweet moments. I felt like we got a better understanding of the two main characters during the second half but I do wish this was done in alternating pov's so I could see where Adam was coming from. I did feel as though the second half was more able to keep my attention and I was able to enjoy it. The ending did disappoint me a bit as I felt as though it ended a bit too abruptly for my liking even though I know that there is other books and expecting a bit of a cliff hanger I just didn't expect it to end the way in which it did.

I wasn't a fan of the two main characters but I did like some of the secondary characters including Mia's best friends and her Mum. I have to admit for the first half of this book Mia was definitely my least favourite female character ever as she just wasn't likable and I especially hated how much of a walking contradiction she was. She did start to redeem herself towards the end but I'm still not too sure about her. Like this book I have a love/hate relationship with Adam as there was moments when he would do something sweet especially towards the end but then there was time when I couldn't stand the things he would do especially when he kept on getting her things as it made me see her as more of a prostitute than the initial feeling of her.

Overall the second half far outshone the beginning so if you are going to read it stick with it as it did end up enjoyable but I'm not sure it will be enough for me to continue on with this series unless they where free.