At Any Price (Gaming The System) Paperback – December 6, 2013

** 3.5 Review as posted on KindleObsessed blog **Fun fact about Me: I graduated high-school a year early. In short…I was completely incapable of coping (either with the drama or stupidity…it’s a toss-up.) But flying the coop early didn’t squash the overwhelming need I had to walk with my graduating class. So, after almost a year of working, living and pretty much tuning out the perpetual stream of teenage drama, I returned to my old stomping ground. For the most part, it was the same. The same mean girls ruled with their lipstick fists. The same jocks got preferential treatment. The same teachers pretended that they didn’t hide bottles of scotch in their bottom drawers. There was however one very significant difference.There were a TON of belly heavy girls walking around.That’s right, out of the 200+ girls I saw while lining up to except my long overdue diploma, I would guestimate that at least 40 of them were pregnant. (Astounding…I know.) Even more astounding…the fact that it made me giddy. See, I was THAT girl. The one that got along with everyone and no one all at the same time. I (as some would say) marched to the beat of my own drum. If you didn’t like it. Then screw you. I was me and I was going to stay that way. Like me for who I am, or get the hell off of my lawn. Because of this (me being able to think for myself, not me being a raging B) I was a virgin until 2 years after I graduated. (Not for the lack of several incredibly horny boys trying.) The fact of the matter was, I wanted to be a person, not my lady bits. And keeping a mental chastity belt on helped.But, not giving it up did come with a lot of questions. Most revolved around personal trauma. What was I so afraid of? Did something happen in the past to instigate my virginal lock-down? For me…it was nothing more than a choice. For others however (like the lead character in Brenna Aubrey’s “At Any Price”) it’s about something much more complicated. And complicated? Well…it makes for a pretty compelling story.“Achievement Unlocked: Geek VirginWhen 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 CEOAdam 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.”About a month and a half ago (when I was at book event) I was approached by one of my readers and asked a very simple question: Why don’t you review more NA on KindleObsessed? So, this being a NA novel, I’ve decided to kill two birds with one stone. (Answer the question and explain why this novel is an exception to the rule.)For those of you that have hopped on the NA train, let me ask you a question:Read any original stories lately?I don’t like being overly critical of a genre as a whole, but when it comes down to brass tacks, NA has a reputation, and that reputation is backed by repetitiveness. Alpha male. Shy girl. One or both with some pretty significant issues. Insert sex.I am not discrediting the formula. It works. But, it also shoves talented authors into boxes. (Of the same shape, size and color.) Simple fact, I have to take breaks in-between novels in this particular genre that I don’t necessarily have to with other genres. Why? Because they all start to sound the same after a while. I’m not insinuated they ARE the same (they do – of course – have their differences) but from a review standpoint, it’s hard to separated them. Giving them room to breathe helps. There is a quote by Max de Pree that says it best:“We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.”This is how I feel about NA. They need to be individual, therefore I have to let them go to gain perspective.So why does “At Any Price” buck they system? Because it actually FELT original when reading it. Yes, there were the predictable moments (and even the predictable personality traits) but the situations…the way the characters came together (auctioning off her V-card) and then lost each other (letting pride get in the way) did something to renew my faith in original thought.Here’s the long and the short of it. Mia is a über computer nerd who reviews video games to make moola. She is also the daughter of a mother suffering from cancer who needs treatment. Treatments cost money. They only thing Mia has that anyone would ever want to pay some hard-earned cash for is her virginity. (Which she has managed to hang on to for over 20 years.) So what does she do? Uses her blog as a platform to eBay her flower to the highest bidder. The winner? Adam Drake, a gaming CEO who won her V-card but doesn’t seem to want to cash it in. The questions that catapult the plot forward? Why and Who? (Not necessarily in that order.)I will admit that the plot twist isn’t all that difficult to figure out. (I had it after a few key sentence in the beginning of the book.) BUT knowing actually made the book that much more interesting. (For me at least.) Why? Because there was always that secret…looming over their heads and I didn’t know when it was going to rear its ugly head. (Which in turn made my mind run wild, and kept me up until 4am finishing a book I started at bedtime.)Plot aside (because we all KNOW how it’s gonna end anyways) it was the characters that I enjoyed more than anything. The snarky gay BFF (those are always fun) the overprotective mother, the cougar, the trifecta of nerd-a-geddon. Together they made the perfect cast. Funny. Sincere. Pissy. Just what every dysfunctional situation needs.So where does this leave me overall? Well…when it comes down to reviewing more NA…I’ll try. (Though I make no promises.) As for THIS NA? Two thumbs up. Fine holiday fun. (Not that this book had anything to do with the holidays. I just really like that saying.)Lovers of NA and Romance rejoice, this one is worth some dough.Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: “There is absolutely no inevitability as long as there is the willingness to think.” – Chuck Jones

I totally enjoyed this audio the narrations was outstanding along with a wonderful plot and a few twist that keep you guessing. Some you work out for yourself but others well you think this is how it is but you forget about it until the author brings you back and you think I knew it. There are a few twist you do not see coming along with some sadness which will break your heart. This is a story about putting your past behind you, overcoming it and learning to trust, love and become one. At one point I yelled at the characters come on get on with it already but the author had other plans and kept me hanging on. My heart broke for both Mia and Adam along with her mother with all they had to deal with and go through. It was really a story that reach in and took over my heart.Mia is a sweet lady who just wants to get their med school along with helping her mother gets through the trying times of cancer. She needs money and decides the one thing she has that is worth anything (as men have proven throughout time) is her virginity. It is high time she has lost it and makes plans to do so. One night with one man, who must play by her rules, she will be in control. She puts it up to the highest bidder with her friend’s help she picks the best man only to find she doesn’t care for him so much. She changes her mind and sticks to her plan only to find things aren’t as easy as she thought they would be. She finds that she might not be on control and that scares her as Adam shows her a thing or two.Adam bids and is the highest bidder he might be a geek but what a man he is. At first he comes across as a powerful man with an attitude. He changes right before your eyes you have a hard time getting a handle on who he really is. You are left wondering what his game is and if he might be playing for keeps. He is driving Mia crazy with his hot and cold reaction. He leaves us all guessing until his story comes out. This is when you start understanding Adam and who he is, it will break your heart that this wonderful man has so much pain in his past. Adam must overcome that past before he can truly find love. Mia just might not be around when he finally finds what he truly needs as she twist his life and leaves him standing on his head.Kirsten Leigh is one of the best narrators I have listened to. She brings so much to this audio. There are no background noise as well as no breaks in it. Just a wonderful clear audio that leaves no doubt what each characters is feeling. If there are tears she has tears in her voice, if there is laughter she laughs as she talks. I found this audio to be truer than most when it comes to how people really react and feel in real life. You could see it playing in your head as you hear her sniff or laugh. He male voices were as pleasant as her female. It was easy to tell who was talking and how they felt. Her tones were right on the money as she gives you a strong visual of the scene she is playing out for you. This is the first time I have listen to her and it was truly a pleasure. One I will look forward to hearing again.I really liked how the author played this off with a women being in charge of herself and how things use to be along with women having no say over who got their virginity back years ago. The author put a lot of time and thought into writing this. Just how and when things would take place along with how things weren’t going to happen and the why. There is a reason Mia is still a virgin and why she doesn’t let anyone get close to her. She has a painful past and good reason not to trust any man. The one thing she has forgotten is all men are not the same this is a lesson she will have to learn and it looks like Adam might be the man to teacher that is if she doesn’t teach him a few lessons first.I truly enjoyed this audio and the story. I thought it was well written with maybe a little too long at getting to the deflowering. It makes it an interesting listen as the author takes you through many conflicts these two characters go through. The supporting characters were just as interesting as the main ones. The author keeps her cards close to her chest as she plays on each scene making you guess what is Adams deal or his issues. I look forward to listening to more of her books.

This book had a slow start but once I got farther into it I could not put it down. This my opinion I am glad Mia had good friends to tell her that what she was doing is not right. I am also glad that Adam had a good solid head and did not follow through even if leading her on or distracting her was how he did it. They both were broken and pretty much needed the other to make themselves complete it seem to be the inside story.

To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the blurb I think I expected it to be seedy and full of sex but it was nothing like that.Mia is in a tough spot financially, she needs money and a lot of it so she decides to auction off her virginity with the help of her best friend Heath who will to do the vetting of the prospective candidates.I love Mia she's funny, supportive, determined but she's closed herself off to men because of her father the sperm donor. She's a geek in the truest sense of the word, a gaming fanatic who writes on her blog, she has formed friendships through her online gaming.Adam is the 'winner' of the auction from their first meeting something felt off with him not in a creepy serial killer way but it felt like he knew more than he was saying. He's a hard guy to get to know, he's very analytical and doesn't let anything slip about who he really is underneath the successful businessman facade.The chemistry between the two of them is off the charts and slowly things change for both of them. There are so many questions will she really go through with it, what is Adam hiding, can they ever be more? I can't wait to see where the next book goes.***Reviewed For Sweet Spot Sisterhood Blog***

The story was more interesting than the synopsis describes. The plot has more depth and there are a number of sub plots that run throughout. I just didnt feel the urge to rush to read this at every opportunity I had and I thinking because I didn't totally connect with the couple. I didn't like the prolonged wait we had for the conclusion of the deal and I think this had the opportunity to create more tension.

I loved this story and couldn't get through it fast enough. Mia sells her virginity in an online auction. She says it's to rake back power but ultimately it is for money for Med school and also to help her mother out with the family ranch and to keep her mother in cancer treatment.She has a few friends and enjoys online gaming in DE and is also a blogger. Where she meets and chats to FallenOne. who have a lot in common and get on really well but what she doesn't know is how much in common she actually has with him!!Here we meet the lovely Adam Drake, who wins the auction and he has no actual plans to go through with the auction. But the more time him and Mia spend together the more they like each other. But Adam is keeping a very big secret from Mia. He finally reveals his secret and Mia is really not happy and they end up slinging hurtful words at each other. They spend time apart only to realise that they do in fact love each.This was a fantastic read and if you pick up a copy you will not be disappointed with it. All the little side bits like DE just add to the story and you also want to know what the big secret is with the game and will they ever find the hidden quest!!

At the beginning, I thought I knew where this book was going. I was glad to be proved wrong.Mia and Adam have an unconventional start to their relationship (she auctions her virginity online, he's the winning bidder). How their relationship unfolds is interesting; he seems to be doing all he can to prolong their arrangement, she is frustrated and wants it over with.Adam is a very controlling character; just how controlling becomes apparent as the book progresses. Mia is independent, idealistic and somewhat frustrating. At times I wanted to bash their heads together, but ultimately I was rooting for them to work it out.When I started the book, I didn't realise it was part of a series. You could read the first book and leave it there, but I won't. I'm hooked on their story despite the frustration and angst and I'm in for the long haul.

I picked up this book because at the time it was on sale, and sometimes you just fancy reading a nice, light and predictable romance where you don't get too emotionally involved... surprisingly this wasn't that book...This is not your typical 'girl sells virginity to millionaire, meets guy and they fall head over heels with each other, so it's not really classed as prostitution is it - conscience clear - happily ever after' story... it's emotional, witty and engaging.The writing was very good, I noticed no typos or grammar faux pas. It was easy to read and had me up way past my bedtime wanting more...There are sexual situations throughout the book but it's all done pretty tastefully... I'd say it was suitable for a Young Adult audience, although I probably wouldn't let my daughter read it until she was at least 18 ha!I'm not really into gaming but I have a lot of friends who are, plus I am a self professed nerd, so I liked the whole geek/gaming theme from the start.I worked out who Adam was straight away, there were no surprises when he revealed his secret later on... and he's also a hot geek, definite book boyfriend material for nerdgirls like moi!It tells from Mia's 1st person POV but you get a lot of emotion from Adam too... both of the lead characters are pretty messed up because of their past, and Mia is going through a pretty tough time presently with her mother... hence the auction.I have to say that I did find it quite frustrating at times... Mia changed her mind about a lot of the decisions she had made, and there were a few times where both her and Adam kept secrets that could have been told, whether it be to each other or other characters in the story... and this is why I gave 4 stars instead of 5.This wasn't your typical Contemporary Romance story and it was great to read a new version of something that has been done before, it's a three book series but it ends on a good note and there's no cliffy at the end... I already have the next one to go and I'm hoping that it will continue to be as good as last one... Thank you Brenna Aubrey