I loved book one of the Stick Side series so much that I was almost afraid to start reading this one. How could Amy Aislin top what I thought was a perfect story? If The Nature of the Game doesn’t top On the Ice it at least equals it for me.

This is another perfect slow-burn romance. As Amy says in her Author’s Note, it takes place after On the Ice ends (but before the epilogue). What we learn in this story is that Dan and Ash had a relationship six years before the events in On the Ice. Let me clarify – this book absolutely will stand alone just fine but I really think you will enjoy it more if you read On the Ice first (it’s on sale for 99 cents until May 13).

So, this story also takes place in the past (2009), just as book one did. But it also alternates between 2009 and 2003. In the 2003 sections we find out how Dan and Ash met and how they became friends and then lovers and what event ultimately breaks them apart. In their present day (2009) they meet again and their story begins to unfold for us.

The Nature of the Game is a fantastic friends-to-lovers, second chance and sort of an enemies-to-lovers story all wrapped up into one great book. I think the author must have done a good bit of research for this story. A hurricane is an important event in the story and the damages she describes seem pretty accurate to me, as someone who now lives about 75 miles south of Tampa. After living through hurricane Irma in 2017 the damage she describes matches a lot of what I saw in the area where I live.

This book really hit on all of my emotions. It has just the right amount of angst, a bit of humor, and so, so much love between the two main characters. I absolutely love a story that brings me to tears, both happy and sad, and The Nature of the Game did that in all of the best ways.

I don’t know if Amy has any more stories planned for this series but it seems like there was at least one (pretty minor) secondary character who has a story that needs to be told (Kinsey). If Amy writes, I’m going to read it!

Reviews for Amy Aislin

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Rolling over, Ash exhaled into his pillow. His brain wouldn’t shut off, and he was not only wide-awake, but bored to boot. And kind of hungry. He could go for a run, expend some energy, down a bowl of cereal when he got back, then pass out.
Good plan. But he didn’t want to go for a run by himself in the dark. It was creepy.
Throwing on running shorts, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, he went down a flight of stairs barefoot and knocked softly on Dan’s door.
Tap, tap.
Nothing. Not even the sound of bedsprings squeaking as the room’s occupant got up to answer the door.
Ash knocked again, louder.
Tap, tap, tap.
Still nothing. Ash debated going back to his room and trying to sleep, but he’d tried for almost three hours to no avail and was tired of his own thoughts.
He knocked again.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap—
The door flung open. “What?”
Ash grinned at Dan, the kick in the gut at the sight of him still unwanted, but not unexpected. He wore a bright red onesie of all things. It even had footies. Ash swallowed a giggle—Dan already had murder in his eyes.
“It’s two in the fucking morning,” Dan growled, curls a mess, eyes squinting against the hallway light.
“Come for a run with me.”
“No.” By the tone of Dan’s voice, Ash suspected he really meant No, I will not go for a run with you in the middle of the night, you asshole, are you crazy?
“Please?”
Dan flung the door closed.
Ash caught it before it slammed in his face and entered Dan’s darkened room, only to find his potential jogging companion crawling back into bed. His very large, very long, very comfy-looking bed.
“Dude, you got a California king.” Ash shut the door behind him, plunging the room further into darkness. The only light came from the bathroom, the door of which was halfway closed. “Mine’s just a double, and my feet hang over the end.”
“Swell,” Dan said, already under the covers.
Ash lay down on the other side of the bed.
“What are you doing?” Dan asked.
“I’m bored.”
“How is that my problem?”
“You’re here, I’m here…”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” Dan rolled onto his side, facing Ash, eyes closed and blankets up to his chin. “Unless you’re here for a booty call, in which case I could be persuaded.”
Surely he was half asleep and hadn’t meant to say it, but either way, Dan’s words sent heat through Ash’s veins. The space between them went taught, crackling with life and energy.
Where would they be right now if they’d stayed together?
A dangerous thought, that.
He poked Dan in the nose.
One eye slitted open.
“I’m hungry,” Ash declared.
The other eye opened. “I could eat.”

Stick Side Series

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