Can the gamer win the girl in LEVEL ME UP by Lauren Helms? Dex Roberts falls hard and fast for Morgan Lawson, but the last thing Morgan is looking for while attending Comic-Con, is love. Fans of R.S. Grey and Gaming the System series by Brenna Aubrey will love this nerdy and flirty story about what happens when a sweet and sexy pro gamer meets the girl-next-door. Now available on audiobook!
I received this book via the author, Lauren Helms. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Level Me Up by Lauren Helms Series: Gamer Boy #1
Published by Self Publish on 2018-02-12
Reviewing Audiobook Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2018 Audiobook Challenge
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The last thing Morgan Lawson is looking for when attending Comic-Con is love. But even prior to exchanging first words, Morgan is drawn to Dex, a drop-dead sexy gamer boy who lives and breathes video games. Before she realizes it, Morgan finds herself caught up in all things Dex.
Dex Roberts knows from the moment he first sees Morgan, he wants more. He falls hard and fast but isn’t surprised when his job as a professional video gamer takes a toll on their relationship.
Once Morgan decides what truly makes her happy, there’s no time to waste. But without warning, life threatens to destroy what both Morgan and Dex want most... each other.
ComicCon, gamers, and nerdy all caught my attention when I first heard about Lauren Helms‘s debut novel Level Me Up. I was a gamer growing up, and it is my dream to one day attend ComicCon because I am that kind of nerd 😀 However I didn’t love this book the way I thought I would. The beginning really sucked me in, but it quickly fell flat. It was just an okay read for me made better by a fantastic narrator.
Morgan is a mess of a character. She’s a broken, distrustful young woman who doesn’t love easily. Having been hurt one too many times, Morgan keeps men at an arm’s length and rarely has a steady relationship. Because of her mother dying as a teen and her father basically checking out after that, she feels unlovable and her self-confidence is lacking.
Dex is just the opposite. He’s confident, a little on the shy side, and not at all the nerd I expected. He is a professional gamer and gets paid to do what he loves for a living. He lives with the guys on his team and is the consummate bachelor until he meets Morgan at ComicCon. Dex is your typical guy, and I found him endearing.
What I Liked:
- Dex and Morgan together make a good couple. They compliment each other really well.
- I liked the gamer aspects, however few and far between they were.
- The friends, who I assume will be getting their own novels. I’m intrigued by the pairing off of these couples.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The constant back and forth. One chapter Morgan was talking about needy girls and how she hated them, yet she becomes them. I lost count on the number of times she pushed Dex away.
- Info-dumping. There is a lot of this that happens at random points of the story. Like Morgan thinking about her relationship with her dad during a scene with Dex.
- Unnecessary drama. I get it that drama is a part of contemporary romance as it builds the characters and the tension for the sexy scenes, BUT there is a line between just enough and too much. It’s crossed here.
- The ending felt rushed, really the entire book, but the ending specifically. I won’t give details because spoilers, but if you’ve read it, what did you think?
Overall Level Me Up was just an okay read for me. The narrator really helped to engage me in the story. Otherwise I think I would have had a hard time completing the book. While this story didn’t work for me, I am curious to read more of the series as I liked the friends, especially Gia and Simon. I want to know the history there 😀 I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a short contemporary romance.
About Lauren Helms
Author Lauren Helms has been an avid reader from a young age. After starting a book review site, that launched her fully into the book world, she decided to take the plunge and write her first novel. Since she was working for a video game strategy guide publisher at the time, she decided to mix what she knew best, video games and romance. Jumping all in, she joined NaNoWrimo and a month later had a 50K word first draft. Lauren lives in Indianapolis, IN with her video game playing husband, two little girl book nerds, and a little boy who will hopefully be a gamer boy too some day!
I can see the drawl to the story, my house is filled with gamers. I think Morgan would probably frustrate me a little too, but Dex sounds amazing. Hopefully the next book in the seires will be a better read for you.
Thanks for sharing but it doesn’t sound like one for me. 🙂
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