I have to admit that I haven't read the first book in The Game Changers series by Ilsa Madden-Mills yet, but after reading Not My Match, I need to rectify that. This is the story of Giselle and Devon. Giselle is a 24-year old, highly intelligent but innocent virgin who finds herself roomies with a famous, sexy NFL wide receiver who also happens to be her new brother-in-law's best friend. Devon has been warned by his best friend to keep the football guys away from Giselle, but can he keep himself away from her when she's all that he can think about?

Giselle has goals and dreams and Devon has a past that he can't seem to escape. They don't seem like they would be a match, but neither of them can deny their chemistry. Can they agree to be "just friends" or will they give in to the possibility of something more?

I absolutely loved both Giselle and Devon. Giselle is so smart and quirky, and Devon is the perfect alpha with a vulnerable heart. The chemistry and banter between these two is amazing and I found myself smiling or laughing at their antics so many times throughout this book. I was enjoying their story so much, thinking that it was a solid 4-star read, but when I got to the last 25 minutes or so of this book, that all changed. Then came the emotions, and that's when this story became a 5-star romance for me. I found myself in tears, my heart breaking and then being put back together right along with Devon and Giselle's, and it was EVERYTHING.

If you're looking for a romance with ALL. THE. FEELS., then you definitely need to read Not My Match. Highly recommended to make you laugh, cry and leave you with a smile.

Second Book in the Game Changers series but can be read as a standalone. A Sports Romance and Friends to lovers, which is a sweet, sexy and very amusing read. Told in Dual POV by Giselle Riley and Devon Walsh who were both in Not My Romeo. In this book we get a very different Giselle and see another side to player Devon. They have become friends since her sister, Elena, started dating his best friend Jack. Giselle is recovering from a broken engagement and trying to get back on the dating scene. After various failed attempts Devon agrees to play matchmaker as worried when he finds out she is using online dating apps. Even though Jack has made her off-limits to the team, she ends up becoming his roommate when an incident makes her homeless.

“We’re like characters in a book - me the damsel in distress, you the dashing hero.”

Giselle is smart, funny, a little weird and insecure. A genius grad student studying for her physics doctorate with dreams of going to Switzerland for research work on black holes. She wears glasses and pearls which gives her a prim and proper appearance. She wishes she was cool and could find the right guy. She knows she has made wrong decisions in her life and feels a failure so is trying to get her life back on track, working on forgiving herself and losing the guilt that is plaguing her, especially with Elena.
Devon is a rich and famous NFL player. He is gorgeous with movie star looks and a stunning smile. He a cocky, tattooed, funny, broody alpha male, but also a player with the women.
He portrays a hard exterior but inside is a man with a deep devotion for those he cares about. He has been hurt by too many people leaving him so he locks his emotions away to help protect himself and deal with his abandonment issues. He thinks he is never good enough.

“You’re such a good person, Devon, a true light, and every time I look at you, I see it glow with all the parts inside you.

When not teaching or studying, Gisele is writing a sci fi alien romance story. It turns out Devon is her inspiration for her hero Vureck and she the heroine Kate. She cleverly includes her love of physics with her fantasises about him into her writing. She lives in her head so much and dreams of alternative universes which are very amusing. She very quirky but some of her thoughts very naughty and surprising for her lack of sexual experience, she definitely has a hidden personality.

Good banter that gets very sexy when she ends up moving in with him. They are complete
opposites but somehow complement each other. Their relationship is a slow burn but their chemistry is obvious in their flirty behaviour. They are physically attracted to each other and her thoughts when checking him out are hilarious. I liked they really get to know each other first, which was refreshing and no insta love. He can’t say the right thing when she around and she makes him feel out of control and uneasy. It is fun seeing him trying to fight his feelings but the author makes you feel such empathy for him and his struggles. He confused as does want Giselle but doesn’t want to want her. She sure she can’t fall in love with a man who only wants to be friends. Both of them know they have a beautiful connection and friendship that they can't risk losing but they make each other so happy.

“Do what makes your heart fly. Every breath you inhale must be meaningful.”

The secondary characters are delightful and readers will thoroughly enjoy the Daisy Lady Gang matchmaking efforts. I found Aunt Clara and Myrtle hilarious. One who stood out was Aiden, he is adorable and hopefully we will get his story as I think he will give Jack a run for his money.

It was very emotional at times as they both had previous relationships that had affected and damaged them but was lovely seeing them work through their vulnerabilities and support each other in the areas needed. Enjoyed seeing Devon become so protective and possessive over Giselle and her finally managing to stand up for herself. He was truly a gentleman at the end when he wants her to stay true to herself and her dreams. Felt the ending was slightly rushed after such a good build up, but it was sweet and appropriate for them. All the fun facts and physics information were interesting and a nice distraction from the angst of the love story. Can this pair take a chance on each other? Will they go for what they want and makes them happy? Find their own universe? Can Devon ever come out of his black hole of emotions and have a permanent relationship? One things for sure - they certainly have the Zing!!

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed Not My Match by Ilsa Madden-Mills, it's one of those books you don't want to put down.

The writing is well done, the storyline entertaining from start to end. I found both Devon and Giselle likable characters that had amazing chemistry and I was happy they were able to get their much deserved happily ever after.

Overall, Not My Match is a great addition to the The Game Changers series and I highly recommend them it.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

This book was so good!!! I couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting, I can't wait to see who gets the next book!

"Make me imagine every morning with you. Make me fall so deeply and irrevocably in love that my soul belongs to him, every beat of my heart in sync with his."

This was a sweet story about a nerdy girl and a football player. After a fire at her apartment, Giselle ends up crashing with her brother in law's best friend, Devon. Giselle is struggling on the dating scene being a twenty-four-year-old virgin and all. Devon has been warned to stay away from her by his best friend but finds himself drawn to Giselle. He ends up becoming her wingman in hopes of finding her a goodman to lose her virginity to. He gives her dating tips, finds her men but as they become more than roommates, more than friends, they find themselves craving for each other.

Giselle is a science geek and a secret romance writer. You may know her as Elena's sister previously from Not My Romeo. I know that many readers may be wary about her being the love interest but it didn't bother me one bit. She's a sweet girl who can't help but be naive and a hopeless romantic when it comes to love. She's a little weird in my opinion but she's quirky, smart, and caring. She's ready to find that one true steady love after getting her heartbroken.

Devon is the sexiest and highly acclaimed wide receiver in the league. He's gorgeous, and a little emo with those blue streaks in his hair and those piercings. He has a tough back story, a fear of being abandoned that keeps him guarded but Giselle is able to shine through and love him.

Giselle and Devon are super cute. They're kind of slow-burn. I really liked these characters but felt that the pacing of the story was a bit slow for me. Overall this is a great read, I loved all the characters and wouldn't be opposed to more of the gang getting a book of their own! I need Aiden's, he's my baby <3

5 STARS- READ THIS ASAP!

I laughed so hard, I sighed so hard, and my heart was SOOO FULL reading this book. Oh my goodness, I adored the first book in the series, and as much as I loved that story and characters, Giselle and Devon are absolutely EVERYTHING! They are so completely different but also so alike in certain aspects that their connection is just amazing.

All in all, you need to read this book right now. It was quirky, sweet, nerdy, and more emotional than I was expecting, but in all of the right ways. Needless to say, I highly recommend you reading this.... Now!

Also, I totally need the next book ASAP and fingers crossed it will be Aiden's! His relationship with Dev in this book made me like him SO MUCH MORE than in the first one!

PS: Thank you to Ilsa Madden-Mills and Social Butterfly PR for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly!

Not My Match is the new definition and benchmark for what it means to be a slow burn. From the start there is instant chemistry between Giselle and Devon but they take their sweet time doing anything about it! I was flipping those pages faster and faster as the tension built, chapter after chapter I could not wait for these two to do something about their relationship. Because the heat was there! They just needed to act on it. Now… that being said. I loved the slow burn aspect of the story. It gave the two a chance to find their friendship first. Giselle and Devon had a solid base for the relationship because they had such similarities between them, they just clicked. I really enjoyed their installment in the series, and I am looking forward to what comes next! I’m hoping for Aiden!
-Mackenzie Bibliophile

Hooooooollly Angst.

"You are the best person in all of my universes."
Devon. Sigh. He is my kryptonite for book boyfriends. The guy who has been abandoned and just needs someone to stay and love him. He can appreciate a girl who is smart and beats to her own drum. That's Giselle. And quirky girls are my favs. The combination of these two was perfection. Crazy friends and family. Laughs. And some very hot sexy times. I never wanted this book to end.

𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇
••••••••••

𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.5/5

𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙰𝙼: 🔥🔥🔥 3/5

::Devon and Giselle::
“𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮, 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙮. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙛𝙪𝙡.”

Devon and Giselle are everything! I just wanted to hug them. Their story was a perfectly paced slow burn that put a giddy smile on my face one minute and had my heart aching the next. I loved their connection, their friendship and hilarious banter. Devon is the perfect book boyfriend in my eyes. He’s sweet, funny, broody and a sexy hot athlete. He made me swoon on so many levels with his romantic antics and alpha ways with Giselle. I was so invested in their journey and their happily ever after.

Hoping Aiden is next!!

“𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙨.”

OMG this author tricked me. Eek!!! If you read “Not My Romeo” then you have meet these characters before. I truthfully didn’t like our heroine Giselle in that book. After reading this book, that is no longer the case. We not only get more information that puts her in a different light but she also does a fair amount of growing up. She is SOOO NOT who I thought she was.

Devon, yikes even his name is yummy. He had me at hot football player. I love him. He is amazing from the beginning. Yes he has had some blessings in his life but his childhood will break your heart. How he treats our heroine turns me into a puddle of emotions. HOLY COW when these two decide to heat up the page... well it is SEXY. WINK WINK.

These two have an awesome story to tell. This author always excels at taking us into this world and letting us live there until the last page is turned. Heck if you are like me, you will suffer long after. Haha. I definitely recommend this book. It is delicious and swoon worthy. Happy Reading Everyone! XOXO

I have been curious about Giselle since first meeting her during the unfortunate circumstances in book one, Not my Romeo. She’s not exactly the antagonist, but she does make a big mistake that hurts her sister Elena (the main character of book 1). It was really interesting to read Giselle's story and learn more about her. I ended up really loving her as a character. It fascinated me how lost she was, but also how strong and smart she was. She was a bit of a contradiction, that's for sure. Her and Devon’s interactions were entertaining, and I appreciated seeing her deal with how Devon was so on the fence about everything. Devon is a little damaged from not only his childhood, but his last relationship--which means he’s definitely my type of hero! He also handled the difficult situations fairly well, even though I wanted him to figure things out a lot faster. I really did want these two characters to find their happiness together. I’ve also really enjoyed Aiden in both books, he’s a great side character! He seems like he might have a lot more depth than how he's comes off so far. I'm hoping we get his book! Overall, this is another Ilsa Madden-Mills book I loved and just reiterated why she is an auto-buy author for me!

5 Stars!
Giselle Riley is a newly single southern woman from a small town in Tennessee called Daisy. She's a little lost lately trying to get over a broken heart, and in need of a fresh start. She's been looking for love in all the wrong places, so when a famous friend offers her his matchmaking service, she accepts. The only problem is the man giving her dating advice is one of the sexiest men she's ever laid eyes on. Devon Walsh is a professional athlete with the face of a movie star. Tattooed and effortlessly gorgeous she has to keep reminding herself she's been friend zoned. When you add in his beautiful heart, he's downright irresistible.

Devon Walsh is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. As a well known superstar for the Nashville Tigers he's also known as a playboy. His world is turned upside down by a quirky, smart, prim and proper good girl. Giselle lives and breathes science, and is working on her PhD in physics. She's intelligent, but has had bad luck with romance. When he agrees to help her find a nice guy he soon realizes he maybe made a mistake. He's suddenly jealous, and wants her for himself, but she's the one girl who can never be his. Too innocent and fragile, he wouldn't chance ruing their friendship. He vows to stay just friends, but she continues to fascinate him. She has his full attention anytime she enters a room, and makes him feel too much. When she's in need of assistance all his protective instincts flare to the surface. Soon their sleeping under the same roof, and he's having to use all his restraint. He's a man conflicted and on the edge of losing control. As opposites attract and things shift between Devon and Giselle everything becomes even more complicated.

Not My Match (The Game Changers #2) by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a sexy, new adult, friends to lovers sports romance about undeniable chemistry, beautiful connections, friendship, temptation, and finding the one person that truly see's you. I LOVED this story so much!!! Devon's book has been my most anticipated read. I've been dying for more of Devon since we met him as Jack's crazy, fun, flirty friend. He was so much more than I hoped for. This man has layer after layer and the most beautiful heart! Swoon, swoon, and swoon some more! I loved everything about Devin Walsh!!!

Opposites attract in this fun and sexy romance. From the first awkward date scene to the final word you will be entertained. A quirky and extremely smart heroine that is just a little bit awkward. She is full of useful and not so useful facts. Her life is a bit of a mess. Her dream of studying in Switzerland has been crushed. She is fresh off a broken engagement and looking to move on. Oh and she is homeless. Devon is a professional football player. Possessive yet easy going with a good guy. He sets out to help her find love.
They both have insecurities that they have to deal with. Their journey is full of humor and heat. Not only do you get great characters with Giselle and Devon, you get her crazy family and his friends. They add to the story without taking over. Devon and Giselle are definitely the stars. The HEA is a win for romance readers.

3.5*

Not My Match is a sweet, slow burn romance between two complete opposites. This story focused heavily on the blossoming relationship between Giselle and Devon. He's the player afraid of getting too close, while she'd give anything to break down his walls. It did take me a little while to warm up to them as a couple, as Devon did his best to keep Giselle at arm's length, thanks to things that happened in his past. But Giselle, for as naive as she was, wasn't having it. For all the back and forth in the beginning, there didn't end up being as much angst, or push and pull, as I expected, although things weren't all smooth sailing between them. While what happened towards the end left me conflicted, I did enjoy how things worked out for these two, and I loved the epilogue!

In Not My Match Ilsa Madden-Mills did a really good job of flipping our preconceived notions of Giselle upside down. If you've read Not My Romeo you'll understand what I mean- she wasn't the most likeable character, considering her actions towards her sister. But I was happy the way Ms. Madden-Mills gave us the chance to get to know her and see what happened through her eyes.

I was given an ARC for an honest review. This follows not my Romeo with Elena’s sister. Gisele and Jack’s athlete friend. It has forbidden love, angst, slow burn, a woman in stem that is smart, a little awkward but badass and he vows to find her the perfect match but of course... that’s not how things happen. It’s cute, steamy, it has the small town feel and it’s got a HEA and you get to see cameos of Elena and Jack if you liked them.

3 stars

This was a cute read, nerdy girl and bad boy footballer. I enjoyed the opposites attract trope and how it was done in this book. In hindsight I should have read Not My Romeo first because after learning what Giselle had done I was put off by her as a character but in the end she won me over a little, she really was just a naive hopeless romantic. Devon was a loveable H, a little broody but still a heart of gold underneath that rough exterior. The story was a little bit of a slow burn and I wish the pacing was picked up a little but it was good read.

*ARC in exchange for an honest review*

A great read. A slow burn Friends to lovers, opposites attract read that you will not put down. Gieselle is the good girl, the brainy girl the i have plan kind of girl. Devon is the tattooed sexy, athlete kind of guy. Put these two together and the joy of watching them circle each other before finally falling is awesome.

This was such a great story! I really loved the characters. Both the hero and heroine had this likeability to them that just made you fall in love with them. The author was able to write a wonderful story and create great chemistry and dynamics between the characters. While I did enjoy the story I did find there to be some high points and low points. At the low points I just found myself to get bored. I was just waiting for something to happen. Overall, I did enjoy this story. The author gave us something fun and unique with the story. I am looking forward to the next book the author writes!

Not My Match is a Sports Romance and the second book in The Game Changers Series. Written in Dual POV through our two main characters Giselle Riley and Devon Walsh, this Friends to Lovers Romance had me swooning like crazy and rooting for Giselle and Devon to get there happily ever after.

If you've read Not My Romeo, then you've met Giselle, (Elena's younger sister) and Devon, (Jack's team mate) as secondary characters in Elena and Jack's Story. From the minute Devon Walsh showed up on the page in Not My Romeo I wanted his story, I wanted to know every detail about this heartthrob's life. He had me giggling with his actions in the previous book and his actions in Not My Romeo were just as good, if not even better!

Devon treats all women with the utmost respect, no woman leaves his bed angry or upset, they know exactly what they're getting with each encounter and Devon is rarely alone. It sounds like an exciting life but, for Devon it's become empty and redundant. While his heart is closed off, he still secretly craves contact and love.
His upbringing has been a difficult one but he made his way out and has become one of the most successful football players around.

I have to admit, going into Not My Match I was sure I wouldn't like Giselle. Her actions in Not My Romeo had turned me against her and I wasn’t sure her could be redeemed enough for me to like her. I TAKE BACK EVERY BAD THOUGHT I HAD ABOUT GISELLE! The character development for Giselle was absolutely perfect! Even from the first page we had a completely different Giselle who I completely fell in love with. I ended up reading Not My Match more for Giselle and her quirky personality and her character growth than anything. I didn't even care how the story ended I just wanted more Giselle!

I think its a true testament to an authors talent, when they can turn around how you feel about a character and I commend her for writing Giselle in such a perfect and honest way. She was so relatable and has become one of my favourite Ilsa Madden-Mills Female Characters.

Not my Match was super swoony, super cute and had so many laugh out moments. I absolutely ADORED this story and devoured it in a matter of hours. Not My Match was a very character driven read that worked perfectly with the Plot development. The Character Development for both characters was on point and really made this book a fantastic one for me!

Omg Devon and Giselle’s romance was just everything! Every time I read something by Ilsa Madden Mills she gets me in my feels every time! This story was sweet charming and sexy and also so emotional ugh I cried through a couple chapters because her words I could just feel the emotions these characters were feeling. I loved Devon I knew when I read Not My Romeo that he was something special and oh boy was he ever he’s portrayed as a playboy who just loves em then leaves em type but he’s so much more he’s so afraid of love his heart has been broken in the past and everyone who he lets in or loves seems to leave him so he locks his heart up tight and let’s no one in until Giselle . This girl when I first was introduced to her character in Not My Romeo I’m not gonna lie I didn’t like her because how could a sister mess around with her big sisters fiancé but there’s so much more to the story and there’s so much more to her she is by far my favorite female character I’ve read by this author to date I absolutely fell in love with her she’s quirky charming smart and beautiful and her heart is so big she always seeks out the lost less fortunate people to befriend she truly has a heart of gold and I love how protective she is of Devon . I laughed I swooned I cried this romance hit me in all my feels and the sex is super hot ! The chemistry between Devon and Giselle was intense and the angst in this book omg it’s so angsty this story is a definite must read from this author if you haven’t met the Daisy lady gang from the small town of Charming and all the crazy quirky characters from there are you even living? This author never fails to put a smile on my face and warmth in my heart from her magical words !

* I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book *