DNF at 30%

I tried so hard to keep reading this book. But the truly ridiculous premise, total lack of chemistry between the leads, and constantly changing POVs just made it impossible to keep reading.

A wealthy benefactor, Jasper Wilhelm, leaves 10 million dollars to a pair of residents in his small town. The catch is that they have to compete for it with a partner that he has already chosen for them. Carter, Jasper’s grandson must also compete. He is the only outsider and the residents of Redford are not sure what his motives are. Jess loves her hometown so much that she moved back and would love to use that money. Carter and Jess find themselves competing and confiding in each other along the way. Sparks fly and choices need to be made.

This was a fun romance. Good chemistry between the love interests. I loved all of the characters in the town and the small town vibe. The premise was pretty unbelievable but it made for a cute story. Not really sure about Nikki’s story, it was kind of all over the place, and the friendship with Jess’ dad was odd. Loved Carter and Jess though ❤️

3 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Only Game in Town is the perfect blend of The Westing Game and the small-town feel of Gilmore Girls.

Growing up The Westing Game was one of my favorite books, I owned a copy that I had completely destroyed from reading it so many times. The moment I read the guidelines for the game devised by Jasper Wilhelm, I was transported back to the feeling of reading the same thing in The Westing Game for the first time. Hello childhood nostalgia.

I adored EVERYTHING about this book. I loved the crazy cast of characters especially Jess and Carter, the bond that Jess has with her dad, and the crazy cast of characters that inhabit Redford. Having multiple POVs for a book like this was just perfect for this book.

Hands down The Only Game in Town is one of my favorite reads of 2023.

I'm always a fan of a small town romance, so I was really excited to read The Only Game in Town!

And overall, I found this to be a cute, charming rom com read. I wasn't overly attached to the characters or their love story, but I was engaged enough to fly through the book. I enjoyed the premise of a town competition, and the dynamics amongst all the town members.

Overall, I think this is a cute rom com and fans of small town, closed door romance will enjoy this one!

Thank you Putnam Books for the gifted copy.

I loved this book! It is the perfect book to get you in the mood for summer and to fall in love with! LaCie Waldron has done it again with the perfect rom-com to fall I love with

This book just wasn’t cutting it for me. I’ve loved the author’s previous works, so this was really disappointing. The small town setting usually endears me to the characters and the location, but it seemed way too over the top in this book and forced. The challenge had an interesting premise, but again I just don’t like how it was executed. I think the author sped up the character development to the point where it was just unbelievable. Additionally, I didn’t love Jess as the main character. She was one dimensional and had like two character traits: she put her dad first and she was ~not like the other girls~ The amount of times the author mentioned she was quirky was insane. The only thing we know about her is that she wears interesting clothes combinations…but is otherwise totally normal?! I just didn’t see it.

Really thought I would like this more than I did. It was fine, just fine. There was a little to much going on. Felt like we didn’t get enough time to dive in and enjoy any of the elements because there was too much going on. With all the side characters and stuff it’s almost like this book needed to be a series instead of just one book.

Quirky, zany, a little crazy, funny, and an ode to small towns that make you feel like you belong.
The middle of the story dragged a little and I wasn’t sure where it was going but I ended up liking the book!

3.5 stars

There were a lot of POVs so it took a bit to get connected to the characters. I didn’t get into the romance as much from the story, it seemed to be more about the game.

This book was nothing what I was expecting but I so enjoyed it! It had an Inheritance Games vibe mixed with quirky small town characters and a romance. I was hooked from the beginning. I loved how the game unfolded and how the teams were determined. Throw in some shenanigans, a heartwarming father/daughter story, and a city slicker slowly seeing how charming small town life can be and you've got a great read to curl up with!

I like this Author’s writing, but this book fell a little flat for me. I found it pretty boring. I did like the multiple POVs and the small town setting. There was a serious issue in the book that wasn’t taken seriously, in my opinion. Overall, I was disappointed in this one.

DNF at 30%. I loved From the Jump, and even though I knew going in that this book was going to be "not a romance" and have different pacing, I still couldn't manage to get into the book or stay focused enough to read it. I was just clicking through the pages on my Kindle.
I think this book may be good for readers who like multiple POV, who like some adventure and mystery with their romance, and love the charm of a small town. I will read other books by Lacie in the future, but this one just did not capture my attention enough to be invested to finish it.
Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced copy.

Wholesome, sweet, and a fun story but I was wanting more romance and felt like the storytelling was a little off. Maybe because of all the different povs but all in third person- I didn’t feel like that added much to the story. I think the first half of this book was really strong but it felt flat in the second half to me- I wanted more connection and depth but a lot of the miscommunication and relationships felt petty or lacking. If the romance had kicked in stronger at 40% I think this could have been a lot higher but they seriously didn’t kiss until 75%! I would label this women’s fiction not romance.

Overall, I enjoyed it but I liked The Layover a lot more. It is closed door, very little suggestive content and very little language. I really appreciated that in this day and age. I think a lot of people will enjoy this, just go in expecting more of a women’s small town fiction than a romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I loved this book so much. Lacie has such a great gift on bringing to life a whole town in this story. It felt wholesome and uplifting and the sweet romance parts made it even better.

I liked the cast of characters, some really reliable ones and some unbelievable but so true to the real world. The interactions were hilarious at times and the game was on when I knew who would win the big prize in the end.

A beautiful story about what human beings means when it comes to a big community that is brought together not only for the win but for helping each other and acceptance. The love story is not missing and this book could easily be made into a hallmark movie.

Arc review

What a quick, fun read! This book had me laughing out loud with some super fun challenges in this competition! I loved how Jasper paired up the teams. It was so heartwarming how some of the friendships were mended through this game.

I loved the small town setting…it had a Sweet Home Alabama kind of feel to it. All of the great characters that really made this book special. I absolutely loved Carter and Jess was so much fun with her colorful clothes/outlook on life.

I really enjoy Lacie's writing style. This is the second book that I have read of hers and I can't wait to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam & Lacie Waldon for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

this wasnt really my taste personally. there was so many different povs going on personally it was hard for me to follow.

I enjoyed Lacie Waldon's previous books, so I was excited to see that she has a new book out! "The Only Game in Town" centers around Jess, a quirky and creative freelance author who loves her small hometown and her single dad. When the town's main benefactor passes away and his grandson, Carter, comes to town, things are sent into a tailspin. Everyone is shocked when the $10 million will states that whoever wins the town-wide game will earn the money. Not only that, but enemies must be paired together and learn to get along in order to increase their chance to win the prize. Jess and Carter consider themselves opposites, but are surprised to find that they have good chemistry and sparks begin to fly.

I enjoyed the original story line of this book and thought the romance between Jess and Carter was really cute. I also really liked the side characters and enjoyed the character arcs they had as well.. Overall, this was a really fun and cute romance! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A fantastic new twist on the enemies to lovers trope. Carter and Jess are competing against each other (and a whole town of people for a million dollars, but from the very beginning they can’t help but like each other. And they can’t resist helping each other, which in a competition for that much money is not necessarily a good thing. Their banter is perfect. During their conversations I would get giddy sometimes, anxious to hear what they would say next, and little stomach flips.
⠀
This book has the grumpy sunshine trope, and oh my goodness, it is so satisfying. Jess is a book editor, and she looks at the life she’s living as if it’s a book she’s editing. Which is such a great way to find another perspective and overcome obstacles. And as a reader, this outlook makes it so easy to love her.
⠀
This small town story is so descriptive and has such a close-knit community that every reader will fall in love with Redford, just like the male MC did. Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, as it has the same relatable small town feeling.
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P.s. Jess and I have the same taste in alcoholic drinks. 😂 “The woman won’t touch anything that doesn’t taste like liquefied Jolly Ranchers. She’s got the palate of a toddler.”

Thank you @netgalley, @putnambooks and @bookswithnopictures for the ebook of Lacie Waldon’s latest, The Only Game in Town, which published today. All opinions are my own!

If you like small towns with their many characters, father/ daughter sweetness, and a little romance, this may be the book for you!

I love the cover, the writing, the epilogue, the idea of a city-wide contest, and I think it’s unique that Waldon chose to have four POVs in this book. I assumed a side plot was heading in one direction and was surprised and happy when it went another. The main character, Jess, was a bright and colorful dresser, but I have to say that I wish the rest of the book was as colorful. I absolutely liked this book, but I kept wanting MORE. More from the side characters, more humor, more romance, more contests, etc. I can see many, many people not being so greedy and being happy with it just the way it is.

My absolute favorite Lacie Waldon book is From The Jump and it has kept its #1 spot.

Closed 🚪, mentioned but off-page
3.5/5 ⭐️
Location: Redford, Georgia
#TheOnlyGameInTown

Soooooo cute!!! I absolutely adored this sweet little book that swept me away! I would happily read anything this author writes