Don’t Hate the Player…Hate the Game

I found the premise for this book to be interesting. It isn’t everyday that I find a book about a guys best friend dying and him falling in love with his best friends love.

My interest was peaked. How in the world did that happen? What were they going to do about it? Was he even going to tell the girl?

How difficult it had to have been on Noah for him to lose the best friend he’s had since kindergarten. For Jake to be taken away like that…so instantaneous. It just doesn’t seem right, but that’s the way with life and death. There are no guarantees. NONE. It’s best not to take a moment for granted.

I love the authors insight and description of Noah and of all of the emotions he was dealing with on a daily basis.

I loved Maddie from the first moment she was introduced. I do love a woman that doesn’t apologize for who she is. Take it or leave it.

I really wanted Noah to step up! I have to say I was horribly disappointed in him toward the end. Wtf?!? What was wrong with him?!? What was he thinking? Was he going to fix it? Could it be fixed?

Great read. Definitely would recommend.

It was a sweet YA romance…it did remind me of The book or movie, A walk to remember. So, at times, it was like…this sounds familiar…just the characters personalities but nevertheless, each chapter kept me on my toes. I like the plot as well, those life lessons along the way. I truly would recommend this to anyone who is in high school!!! I am a lot older and still read these kind of books. That says a lot! Overall, its dramatic yet quite delightful read.

It is never easy to write a book that captures the essence of every single emotion. To talk about love and friendship and everything that takes place in between is never something that can be done without wrenching the way you feel about them. I have always admired authors who can manage to do this because it takes a lot out of them to dig in and generate stories that resonate long after you have finished the book. This is what Katie Ashley does best!

The story begins kinda slow that it lets you see how things got to where they did. But once that is shaken off, the book somersaults into various kinds of emotions and that is where the narrative is the strongest. The story speaks a lot of language…love, loss, forgiveness, grief, friendship, family, fears and taking chances…

What is even more interesting is how Katie manages to stick her story inside all of these and make each and every character stand out. The writing is dynamic, with a lot happening on almost every page that made me spent almost overnight reading…savor every word page by page and moment by moment.

“As I stood there trying desperately to steady myself, a realization washed over me. This time I

didnt bother fighting the bile rising in my throat. Instead, I heaved the entire contents of the
cafeterias shitty lunch onto the emerald grass. Over and over again, I threw up as if I were trying
to purge myself of the dark feelings overtaking me.

Jake is dead.

My best friend is dead.”

“The life of one we love is never lost. Its influence goes on throughout every life it ever touched.”

What would you do if your best friend died suddenly? Would you be sad? Angry? What would you do if you found out that your best friend had lived a double life? Be shocked?

Noah Sullivan’s best friend since he was five years old was Jake Nelson. Even though Jake duct taped Noah to a chair when he was 5, they were still best friends.

“Jake Nelson was the biggest doucebag I’ve ever known…Most of all, he was my best friend.”

Jake was a complete player in every sense of the word. He loved to party and brought that party wherever he went. Suddenly, while on a trip Jake dies in a horrific accident.
Noah was crushed…

“Jake was dead.
My best friend is dead.
I was never going to drink beers with him around the bonfire down by the lake or scope out chicks at the mall. We weren’t going to share a dorm room together at Georgia Tech like we planned or rush the fraternity that his brother and some of my uncles had been in.”

While going through some of Jake’s possessions, Noah and Jake’s father made a discovery. A ring. Not just any ring, an diamond ring. But who would it had been for? Jake was never serious about any girl, much less thinking marriage. He had his normal “fling” girls like Avery and Presley, but they were just that…flings.

Jake’s mom puts Noah on a quest to find out who this girl is. Noah was not to thrilled about doing it, but for her of course he would.
While on his search to find “The One”, all signs kept leading to someone he never saw coming. Maddie Parker, the pastor’s daughter. Noah knew that Maddie had tutored Jake to help him graduate, but he was finding out a lot more about his best friend that he never really knew. He was dumbfounded to hear some of the things Jake was doing and how he was changing. He kept wondering if he really even knew Jake at all??!!

“Sometimes we just have two sides to us. One that we are willing to let the world see and then the other that we hide deep within ourselves.”

The more time Noah spends with Maddie, the more he sees himself changing and the more he sees why Jake fell for her. It’s struggle between these two characters to overcome grief of loosing someone and realizes their feelings towards each other.

I loved this book!! I couldn’t imagine going through a situation like that and having to move on but at the same time having to heal. I love that Noah and Maddie had each other to lean on. Such a great story!

3.5 stars

First of all, please make sure you take time to read the Dedication, it was so moving and sad and I think it sets the right emotion for the book perfectly, because in chapter one, Noah’s best friend of 12 years dies in a horrific accident.

Noah is a 17 year old student who, after his Father not being present in his life for the last 10 years, is very close with his Mother. I loved the relationship he shared with his Mom. She was always there for him and really seemed to ‘get’ him. His Granddaddy, who he was equally close to, died 2 years ago and like most teenage boys, he thought he was expected to be a ‘man’ and not show emotion. So even at the age of 15, he didn’t grieve for his Grandaddys passing and now in the present day he also has the loss of his childhood friend to deal with. I really felt for Noah and suffered through the hard times with him.

Then, when searching through Jake’s room, Noah finds a ring and is left with not only trying to find out who the ring was meant for, but also wondering if he really knew his ‘player’ of a friend at all. When secrets start unfolding about Jake’s life, Noah is left feeling hurt and confused. But through his darkness there is light, in the form of Maddie, the Pastors Daughter.

I loved Maddie. Yes, she was the goody-two-shoes, virginal, Pastors Daughter with the good grades, but she was also strong and not afraid to stand up for herself. She didn’t mind being different to other girls her age though I think a part of her wanted to prove not only to others, but to herself, that if she wanted to, she could in fact be like her peers. She has a strong character and a need to take care of people (in true church girl style), and she herself has had a lot to deal with, with her family so I think she needs someone to take care of her.

Noah and Maddies relationship flows beautifully and you see it getting stronger the more time they spend together but Noah is still hiding from her the fact that Jake bought a ring and he thinks it’s for her. He feels guilty for keeping secrets from her and guilty because he feels like he’s moving in on his best friends girl but he’s scared that when Maddie finds out, she will choose Jake’s love over his own. All the while Noah is trying to learn that it’s ok to let his pain and emotions show through and it doesn’t make him less of a man because he chose music over sport.

I love how the story all comes together at the end, and even though Jake’s feelings are revealed in a heartfelt, heartbreaking letter to Maddie, I feel as though maybe a Prologue in Jake’s POV would have been great to really get to grips with how he was feeling about everything going on in his life and in his mind before he died. All in all, Don’t Hate The Player is a great story of love, loss, heartbreak and acceptance. It was a very emotional read and had me wiping away tears more than once. If your a fan of Katie Ashley ‘s other books I suggest you give this a go too.

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