Level Up: A Geek Romance Rom Com by Cathy Yardley

Blurb: Geeky introvert Tessa Rodriguez will do whatever it takes to get promoted to video game engineer– including create a fandom-based video game in just three weeks. The only problem is, she can’t do it alone. Now, she needs to strong-arm, cajole, and otherwise socialize with her video game coworkers, especially her roommate, Adam, who’s always been strictly business with her. The more they work together, though, the closer they get…

Adam London has always thought of his roomie Tessa as “one of the guys” until he agreed to help her with this crazy project. Now, he’s thinking of her all the time… and certainly as something more than just a roommate! But his last girlfriend broke up with him to follow her ambitions, and he knows that Tessa is obsessed with getting ahead in the video game world.

Going from friends to something more is one hell of a challenge. Can Tessa and Adam level up their relationship to love?

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EXCERPT: 

Now Harold flushed, anger in his eyes.  “Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m Tessa,” she said.  “I’m a friend of these girls.  And I could ask who the fuck you are, coming over here, trying to be intimidating, and throwing your pitiful masculinity around like it’s something to be either proud of or afraid of, which is a joke.  Since you obviously can’t threaten anybody physically–I’m fairly certain Hailey here could pound you into a crimson stain on the pavement in a hot minute–you’re trying to overcompensate by making veiled sexual and financial threats, acting like homosexuality is somehow an insult, and basically being an asshole.”

Harold was staring at her.  So were the girls. Hell, so was he.

“I could ask who the fuck you are,” she repeated, with a smaile as sharp as a razor, “but I’ve known a million guys just like you, and frankly, I just don’t care.”

“You couldn’t even handle a man like me.” he spat out.

“Please.  the only sizeable thing on you is your inferiority complex,” she shot back.  “So why don’t you use that needle dick of yours as a compass, and find the door?”

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5 Stars!!!!  AND ITS FREE!!!!

I Floved this book! The cover has such relevance to the story and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a cover that had nothing to do with the story so this one is a favorite for me.  This book is diverse and touches on sexist issues.

Tessa is like the ultimate geeky fangirl.  She is a coder, which, we already know is difficult for a woman working in a male dominated field.  She is a bit of an introvert so she has two things working against her in this field.  But she is also fiercely competitive, passionate about her friends, and she isn’t afraid to stand up for herself or others.  She references some of my favorite fandoms too so shes extra cool in my book.  (DW, Sherlock, Firefly to name a few) Honestly, I don’t know if the show they reference in the book (Mystics) is a real series, but if it is I want to see it.  She’s a bit of an outcast because she is the only female in her family that doesn’t want the ‘conventional’ life.  While her sisters are having kids and starting families, she is focusing on her career.  Tessa is a self aware woman.  She knows her worth and what she is capable of and refuses to settle.  In a career made up of mostly guys, she gives as good as she gets. And I admire her greatly for not quitting.

Now to Adam, Oh man! I really thought Adam was gonna be shy and let her take the lead, and he did for the most part.  But he surprised me in the bedroom.  It was like when the sun goes down, a whole ‘nother Adam came out to play.  He was a bit agressive in his pursuit.  It was pretty hot.  He also really respected the fact that she wanted to get the job on her own merits and not have her gender be a factor for or against her.  I really liked that about him cause he didn’t try to swoop in and save her even though he wanted to. And he even asked her a few times if he could help her, so for him to ask without just going ahead and doing it showed me the kind of character he was ya know. He respected her choices and her decisions without trying to persuade her or minimize her contribution.  Which, we all have had happen to us at some point or another.  He just had this really great balance of shyness and masculinity.

I really like this book.  Sidenote: The side charcaters are fricking hilarious.