What is The Italian Game?
Simple, almost banal: it is a story about second chances, self-confidence and love. And, above all, it is a story about chess.
Kayden, the victim of an infamous and unfounded accusation, returns to play a chess tournament after a long absence. His life has changed a lot since the last time: his wife has left him, he has become aware of his limitations and, perhaps, has allowed himself to be influenced too much by them. This tournament is, in all likelihood, his last chance. To find himself again, and above all to remind himself what love means, in whatever form you want to conjugate it.
As Dallas and Drayton navigate life in the spotlight, Spencer is navigating intense feelings for Nathan - her best friend's brother.
*****
Dallas and Drayton are planning their wedding, talking babies and learning how to navigate life in LA now that Drayton is a hotshot football player in the big leagues. Meanwhile, Spencer and Nathan are back at home in Colorado, coming to terms with their feelings for one another and learning how to co-parent with Grayson, the father of Spencer's daughter. Will the realities of adult life strengthen them - or will their relationships break?
[Sequel to The QB Bad Boy and Me]
[[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]