All for the Game Book 1: The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

All for the Game Book 1

Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He's short, he's fast, he's got a ton of potential—and he's the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The Butcher.

Signing a contract with the PSU Foxes is the last thing a guy like Neil should do. The team is high profile and he doesn't need sports crews broadcasting pictures of his face around the nation. His lies will hold up only so long under this kind of scrutiny and the truth will get him killed.

But Neil's not the only one with secrets on the team. One of Neil's new teammates is a friend from his old life, and Neil can't walk away from him a second time. Neil has survived the last eight years by running. Maybe he's finally found someone and something worth fighting for.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17259690-the-foxhole-court

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My Review: 4/5

Neil has been running for a very long time. His mom and him ran from Neil's father and when his mother died, Neil was left on his own to keep running. His past is one that he never wishes to revisit. His father is a murderous crime lord and if he ever finds Neil, he's dead. So Neil has kept his head down, changed his name and appearance many times. But things change when he takes his first risk. He decides to play the famous sport Exy at the school he had currently landed in. His obsession with the sport and love of the game was a risk he was willing to take. Especially at such a small school. What he never expected was for someone to be watching him. And not just anyone. Someone from his past. Kevin Day is a famous Exy player who was injured several months earlier. He became the assistant coach at PSU Foxes and brings Neil to the head coach's attention. Lucky for Neil he realizes that Kevin doesn't remember Neil from when they were kids. But Neil can't say the same. Not when Kevin's family is just as bad as his father. They recruit Neil to play, though it is more like a threat. But Neil's love of the game makes him take a risk. He knows he isn't good enough to play D1, but the chance to play with Kevin and just in general is enough to make him go. But the Foxes have a rep. And it's not a great one. Everyone on the team has issues for the most part and not the best kind. Neil will have to keep his secrets and navigate his way through this odd team. Especially through Kevin's group, who has Andrew as their guard dog. Andrew who is a little psychotic with and without his meds, who is definitely more bite than bark but once he claims you, that's it. And not only will Neil have to survive the team, but his past connection with Kevin could put him in the spotlight to his past. Is the risk to play and want to stay worth his life? I was super intrigued by this story. There was something about it that caught my attention and kept me reading when I would have probably passed. The characters are interesting and dark and violent at times. And despite some of these things, I just wanted to know what would happen. What would happen to Neil and Andrew and Kevin and just the team in general. I'm going to have to pick up the next one to find out!