Blog Tour, Book Review and Giveaway: Game.Set.Match by Jennifer Iacopelli

Title: Game.Set.Match
Author: Jennifer Iacopelli
Series: Book One in the Outerbanks Tennis Academy Series
Published: May 1, 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary

Book Description:

Nestled along the North Carolina coast, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the world's most elite training facility. In this pressure-cooker environment, futures are forged in blood and sweat, and dreams are shattered in an instant.

Penny Harrison, a rising female star, is determined to win the French Open and beat her archrival, Zina Lutrova. But when her coach imports British bad boy Alex Russell as her new training partner, will Penny be able to keep her laser-like focus?

Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. The daughter of two Grand Slam champions, she's hell-bent on extending her family’s legacy and writing her own happily-ever-after...until her chosen Prince Charming gives her the just-friends speech right before the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic.

With a powerful serve and killer forehand, newcomer Indiana Gaffney is turning heads. She’s thrilled by all of the attention, especially from Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and hot older brother, except he keeps backing off every time things start heating up.

With so much at stake, dreams—and hearts—are bound to break. Welcome to OBX: Where LOVE is a four-letter word, on and off the court.

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About the Author:

Jennifer Iacopelli was born in New York and has no plans to leave...ever. Growing up, she read everything she could get her hands on, but her favorite authors were Laura Ingalls Wilder, L.M. Montgomery and Frances Hodgson Burnett all of whom wrote about kick-ass girls before it was cool for girls to be kick-ass. She got a Bachelor's degree in Adolescence Education and English Literature quickly followed up by a Master's in Library Science, which lets her frolic all day with her books and computers, leaving plenty of time in the evenings to write and yell at the Yankees, Giants and her favorite tennis players through the TV. 

Author website: http://www.jenniferiacopelli.com/

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My Thoughts and Review:

I don't know a whole lot about tennis, nor am I a big fan of the game, mostly because I don't know what the heck is going on with it. I mean, I'm not an idiot, I get the basics but honestly, that is about it. I don't even understand the whole “love” bit. But that was okay. I really didn't need to love the game or completely understand it to enjoy this read..thankfully, and don't get me wrong, I was a little nervous starting this knowing that I didn't have a love for the game or a deep understanding of it.

Really this story is about three girls, Indy, Jasmine, and Penny and I must say, it was hard to pick a favorite but, from the very beginning I loved Indy. She just seemed innocent and kind and I knew with the heartbreak of her mom dying and putting her tennis career on hold, there was a great story there to be told and I wanted to discover it. 

I also couldn't wait to get more of Penny's story after reading the prologue. I had a feeling that I would really like her as well. I, unfortunately, can't say I ever really loved Jasmine. From the very beginning I had a feeling she was going to be a bit stuck up, rude, and not someone I would ever associate with. I knew there had to be a reason for the attitude, I just wasn't sure if I really wanted to spend the time to find out why. I know that sounds harsh but, there you have it. 

At any rate, I am glad I didn't give up on her and that I did read her story because you know what? By the end of the book, I actually liked her..a little bit. Okay, more than a little bit but I still don't love her, not yet, but I can imagine myself loving her by the end of the series. 

The great thing about this book isn't just Indy, Jasmine, and Penny, it is also the awesome guys that are a part of their lives too. Jack, Teddy and Alex are equally just as great and I really loved their differing personalities and role in the girls' lives. It really added something to the storyline that I think would have been severely missing if they weren't in it. I do wish once in a awhile we would have gotten their POV as well but I can understand why the author didn't go there. It would be a lot to write that many POVs and still be able to make the story a smooth one for the reader. 

Overall I really enjoyed this read and will definitely be continuing with the series. I need to find out what happens!!

I give this one 4 Stars!

Giveaway:

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