**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

Fair Game is the first book in a new, new adult contemporary romance series from Monica Murphy. It's called the Rules Series and it is off to a very strong start. I thought one thing from reading the summary of the book, and thought it had potential to be interesting and funny. And it was all of those things, but in a different way than I was expecting. Shep "wins" Jade in a poker game in one of the first scenes of the book, so I thought she was going to be stuck running errands and completing tasks for him, but what actually happened was so much better. Jade is too spunky to let anyone win her, and I loved that! She took the book in a whole new direction, and it was great.

Shep comes from old money. So much old money that no one for generations has to work in his family if they don't want to. That kind of money can be a great thing, or it can really mess someone up. I think for Shep it was a little bit of both, but he seemed to at least have a healthy grasp on what his life of privilege was doing to him as a person. I couldn't get a good read on Shep at the start of the book, but as the story unfolded we saw bits and pieces of who Shep is. And I have to say that even though he initially comes across as an arrogant jerk, I love who he was with Jade. He has moments of such sweetness that I think even took him by surprise. But what was great, was that he didn't shy away from them. Yes he was shocked that Jade was making him act like someone foreign to his college persona, but he didn't try and hide or bury that side of him. He embraced it with her. And that is what made me like him.

Jade is skeptical of this Shep, just as she should be. I wouldn't have liked her nearly as much if she wasn't. She was guarded, sure, but I don't think she came across as cold or uppity. I thought she was just being cautious. I could really relate to Jade. And watching her reluctantly warm up to Shep had me grinning like an idiot. These two were just so...something...together. Cute isn't the right word, but they did work. They challenged each other constantly. It made reading about their interactions so much fun. And their chemistry is undeniable. That is for sure.

The Rules Series is going to follow Shep, his friend Gabe and his cousin Tristan. I can't wait for Gabe's story, but I have to admit that I am hesitant about Tristan's. He seems like the biggest jerk. Monica Murphy is going to have to work her magic on him. Fair Game is a great start to a very promising series. I know it is going to be a big hit with tons of readers of new adult contemporary. This was a great, sexy and fun read.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs