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At Any Moment (Gaming the System #3) by Brenna Aubrey

10/25/2014

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*A big thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

*Guia has entered the world of Yondareth*

From the very beginning of Adam and Mia’s journey, this series has been a book after my own geeky heart. AT ANY MOMENT brings the story to a conclusion in ways that you would not have expected it. It’s definitely not how envisioned how the series would play out but it does not make the story any less addicting.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Draco the dragon stars (see what I did there? *wink wink*)
It’s Dangerous to Go Alone!

Mia Strong never expected to be deciding the rest of her life at age twenty-two. Is she willing to become a human lab rat? Does she need to write a will? Does she ever want a family--and if so, with whom? She can't dodge the tough questions--not if she plans to live to see twenty-three. With her life hanging in the balance, Mia wants nothing more than to rely on Adam Drake, but he’s hurt her before.

You Must Gather Your Party Before Venturing Forth…

Adam Drake knows that he's made mistakes, but when he discovers what Mia's facing, he realizes how much those mistakes could cost him. Now he has to choose between being the man who can save Mia's life or the man she can love. No matter how much it tears him apart, Adam knows he has to put Mia first...even if it means he's out of the picture entirely.

Will their love survive this epic battle or is it game over?

This novel is the third and final book in Adam and Mia's trilogy, but they will be featured in future Gaming the System novels.
I’m not lying when I said that AAM was a bit of a far cry from the first book. When I first got hooked on this series, I was immediately pulled in by the quirky characters, the funny as hell scenes, the witty writing, and the whole premise of two gamers falling in love in the most unusual circumstances. I was content to have the same type of feel-good story play out for the rest of the book but imagine my surprise (the good kind) when AT ANY TURN became one massive turning point for the whole story.

AT ANY MOMENT starts right where AAT ends. Adam and Mia thought they have everything figured out. They’ve moved in together, they’re working together… but being together is more than just the physical aspect. When all that shit hit the fan, all the secrets and the lies imploded in their faces leading up to the events at the end of AAT. In AAM, we witness as Adam and Mia deals with the aftermath of the disaster that is their relationship. And the stakes just became higher as Mia’s health threatens to take them away from each other… for good.

They’re determined to make it work between them but Adam wants to go one way and Mia wants to another way. They’re both headstrong characters and it becomes messy as they go head to head against each other. But something’s gotta give and when it does, it creates a whole new shitfest of problems that Mia and Adam need to face. This adds an unbelievable strain to their already strained relationship and you just know that this arrangement they’re calling a relationship is a fragile house of cards that’s about to come crashing down sooner or later.

AT ANY MOMENT drives Adam and Mia’s story headlong into the sharp curve the story took in AAT and it was one hell of a ride. It’s just like playing Mario Kart but imagine all your opponents having unlimited ammo. Adam and Mia are hit with choices and decisions left and right, and sometimes a decision that may be right for one of them is the one thing that would break the other one down.

The thing that I absolutely LOVED about it is that Brenna Aubrey shows readers what happens when it’s game over for two people who have tried desperately to make it work at each and every turn. It’s daring, to say the least. It’s not everyday when you read a book and just know that there’s a very real chance that it may not work out for Mia and Adam. I know Brenna Aubrey said on GR that Adam and Mia will get their happily ever after but with every page, I can’t help but doubt how their happily ever after would play out. There was always this niggling though at the back of my mind that their HEA won’t be with each other. And that was one of the things that kept me up late into the night, enduring each heartbreaking page as I raced through the book to see what the author had in store for these two characters that I’ve grown to love.

Brenna Aubrey was not afraid to show her readers how ugly love can get. After everything that these characters already went through, it’s kind of painful to even consider the possibility that this might be the end for them, after all. AAM shows love in it’s darkest light as doubt and mistrust drives a wedge between two characters that were just meant to be together! I’ve been OTP-ing Adam and Mia from the very beginning and I was afraid that it wasn’t meant to be after all. And it sucked because, just as Heath so eloquently put it, 
“I’m pissed. If you two don’t make it then there’s no hope for the rest of us.”
In AAM, readers are faced with the fact that love isn’t always hearts and flowers and butterflies. But despite of the secrets and the lies that threaten to tear them apart, we see all these tender moment between them to remind us that even in the most difficult times, love shines through. 
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That sounds sooooo hopeless romantic of me but it’s the one thing that gave me hope for Adam and Mia. I especially adored the Paris part and it took me back to the first book when they’ve just begun to fall for each other. They’ve both been through so much in such a short time and I guess that whole part kind of rounds the story in a way. It’s like they were getting to know each other again after everything that has happened. And that was the moment I knew that everything is going to be fine for these two.

Adam and Mia needed a lot of soul-searching in order to sort through their own messed up selves before they can begin to get to know one another again. But it’s through their journey towards self-discovery, acceptance, and resolution that they find themselves on the same path, after all.

Just when you thought the game was over, you get a respawn. That’s what happens to Adam and Mia in AT ANY MOMENT and it was such a privilege to witness the happy ending they deserved. They’ve battled more than their share of trolls, it’s about time they claim their victory.

There are still some loose ends I would have loved to see tied up more nicely but I guess those are things I would just look forward to in the next books (yes, NEXT BOOKS, I knooooow! *high-pitched fangirl squealing*).

All in all, Brenna Aubrey brings Adam and Mia’s trilogy into an amazing conclusion. Adam and Mia’s journey is not always rainbows and butterflies (thanks, Maroon 5!) but it’s one heck of an adventure all the same. If you haven’t read Brenna Aubrey’s Gaming the System books, then you’re definitely missing out! Go pick up a copy from your nearest bookstore. You won’t regret it. It’s a story that members of the nerd herd would truly appreciate. I know I did.

P.S.
This may be a bit unrelated but, man, aside from the absolute joy of reading, Brenna Aubrey made me wish for those long nights spent playing computer games with my brother and cousins on my rig. Even though AAM was centered on Adam and Mia as they tried to navigate their relationship, a Gaming the System novel won’t be complete without the nerd herd stuff threaded throughout it. I was in geek heaven! Can I just say that I want a real life DE game. Oh, and throw in a real-life Adam Drake for good measure.


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