There were parts of this book that I loved- the quirky small-town setting, a wide range of fun characters, the town-wide game to win Jasper’s inheritance…but for some reason I had a hard time getting through it. It was a cute premise I just didn’t quite connect with the storyline this time.

ARC REVIEW
The Only Game in Town
By Lacie Waldon

Publishing date: 3/21/2023

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Redford is a small, quaint town In Georgia where nothing changes Jess is content remaining in her hometown, for this reason-she has a great relationship with her father (who was a teen dad) and has no desire to leave.

Carter who lives in Atlanta, travels to Redford after his grandfather Jasper passes away. Jasper was the wealthy, town benefactor, who also loved Redford and the people in it.

At Jaspers funeral, it is revealed that prior to his death, he arranged a series of games for the towns people to complete in.  The winners would receive Jaspers fortune of 10 million dollars. Sounds easy enough....until the Redford residents learn Jasper has already paired them, with the LAST person they would want compete with!

Jess learns some devastating news that changes her motivation for winning..... and Carter wants to win the prize money AND Jess' heart. BUT he has to go back to Atlanta so how close can they get?

REVIEW TIME: This was sweet. In typical rom com fashion, we get the feel good ending, but it wasn't enough to be a full 4 stars for me!

I unfortunately found my mind wandering a couple times in the first half, but once the games got going, it improved for me!

I didn't feel a TON of chemistry between Jess and Carter but it was cute. I did LOVE the friend relationships the blossomed as the story  progressed. I REALLY like that it wasnt just about a romantic relationship. 👍

If you want to turn your brain off and escape, this will do it!

I thought the premise of the book was super unique and fun and Im happy with my choice of requesting it! Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for the arc!

This was an ARC from Netgalley. This novel by Lacie Waldon. This is a novel that encompasses the small town feel and respect for small towns. This was a fun cozy read. I definitely felt like I connected with the characters as well. So cute!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Lacie Waldon’s first two novels (The Layover and From the Jump), so I was excited to jump right into her newest - The Only Game in Town.

The Only Game is a fantastic read for anyone looking for a small town romance. Then throw in a contest to win 10 million dollars where the teams are made up of arch enemies…. Well that is the perfect recipe for comedy, laughter, tears, and love too!

So look out for Jess and Carter’s story - it’s one to warm your heart, make you root for enemies, all while leaving you with a HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for this ARC - all opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I would like to thank the fine residents of Redford for a rollicking good time. I loved this premise – locals competing for Jasper Wilhelm’s millions. From the very beginning, it was easy to see that Jasper had an agenda. His first order of business was to reunite those who had fallen out with each other by pairing them together in the competition. Love when someone can work that sort of magic from beyond the grave.

Jess was paired with former high school queen bee, Nikki, who had been known to make Jess’ life miserable. I enjoyed this part of the story more than I originally anticipated. Nikki was very domineering, but she also had layers which were slowly revealed. Under all that bluster was someone who had been let down and hurt by those who should have shown her unconditional love. It was her armor, and I was happy that Jess was able to put a few dents in it to uncover who Nikki really was. The dynamic between them was one that had me laughing often, but also had me experiencing some aww-shucks moments.

The romance was one I was fully onboard with. I thought the match of Jess and Carter was a good one. Though they were opposites in most ways, both were dealing with abandonment issues and could therefore understand each other pain. Carter also seemed to genuinely adore all Jess’ quirks, of which she had many. But her quirks were part of her charm for me too. I found her delightful, and she really brought out a different side of Carter.

The star of this story was the competition. It was so much fun! It started off pretty normal, but the challenges became more elaborate, and one quite outlandish and memorable race had me rolling on the floor. The bonding and hijinks were a highlight and never failed to make me smile.

I am so glad I had an opportunity to visit this lovely little town. I had a great time reading about all the crazy challenges while also getting to see this great cast of characters fall in love, experience personal growth, mend friendships, and form some found families. All this fun was topped off with a precious ending that brought on the happy tears and left me feeling warm and happy.

As someone who grew up in a small town (no stoplights, small), the description of this book drew me in. And this book did not disappoint!

After Jasper, the Redford town millionaire passes away, the town finds out they are to compete in a high-stakes game to win his inheritance. Enter Jess (a fellow Redfordian) and Carter (Jasper's grandson) - both paired with other people to compete but find themselves spending more and more time together during the competition.

Both Carter and Jess as main characters + love interests were enjoyable. Their relationship felt believable and they were people you "wanted" to be around. I love that the book focused not only on their relationship but multiple relationships. Jess's relationship with her father is a key relationship in this book. There is also a lot of focus on relationships within individuals that grew up in Redford. The competition adds a fun twist and I found myself loving this book almost immediately.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

**closed door romance**

This book is billed as a cross between The Westing Game and Sweet Home Alabama and as someone who loved The Westing Game as a child, I was super jazzed to read this book. I definitely saw song resemblances - a wealthy man leaves his fortune to the winner of a game, set in a small town with a cast of characters that vaguely resembles a town like Stars Hallow in Gilmore Girls.

This book is listed as a romance but personally, I would classify it as fiction. While there is a romance subplot, most of the storyline is based on other things, like the competition, Jess’s relationship with her father, and the relationships between the townspeople.

This book was a cute and fun read that focuses on small town life and one dead man’s quest to pair estranged people together and see what comes of it. While there were a couple of plot points that were a little odd (Nikki’s obsession with Ross) or plot points that just kind of…disappeared (the whole peanut thing), overall it was an enjoyable read.

This one was a quick hilarious read about a small Georgia town where the residents are paired together for a mutli-part contest to win $10 million from the "town mayor" who has passed away. Only the pairs come with a twist! It's multi=perspective, which while fun, also prevented in-depth and character growth to the two main MCs - Jess and Carter. Overall, I loved nearly all of the characters, the different aspects of the contest are hilarious and I was constantly laughing, and I loved the whole premise of the competition!

I really loved this book! I am such a fan of a small town romance and throw in a competition to win millions of dollar but being forced to pair up with your enemy (small town enemy that is) like that is my perfect book!! I got so many warm fuzzies and honestly the epilogue made me cry a little bit (in a good way). I am so glad I had the chance to read this book and will definitely be recommending it

If you are a fan of small town romances, quirky main characters, and a bit of a sad side story, this book is definitely for you!

Jess lives in a small town in Georgia where everyone is up in everyone else’s business and the entire town is thought of as family. When an important town member dies, his actual grandson Carter comes to town for the reading of the will and is surprised to discover that he will be expected to compete in various challenges and games with the townspeople to inherit the millions his grandfather has left behind. Jess, with her wild clothing and huge heart, is the complete opposite of Carter in so many ways. But sparks begin to fly as these opposites attract while competing for ten million dollars.

The storyline involving the games and challenges was so much fun to read, and I would have loved even more of that! The town is full of fun characters to read about, and the book really shone when multiple characters were involved in a scene. I also really enjoyed watching the connection between Jess and Carter as it grew through wacky experiences and plenty of great conversations. There was a whole side storyline involving Jess’ dad and another character that I didn’t love and thought a bit too much time was spent on, which is why I’m rating this a 4 instead of a 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a really cute, engaging story, and I enjoyed reading it. I have to be honest, though, I don't think it measures up to the Layover or From the Jump, the author's previous book. This story felt very contrived, and the heroine could grate with her perkiness at times. I would still recommend this book, but I feel confident that better material from Lacie Waldon lies ahead.

Thank you to Putnam Books for my advanced copy!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Normally, I can finish romances in a day or 2, sometimes in a sitting, no matter if they're audiobook or physical copies but this was so boring I had to stop after 20 to 30 pages at a time. There was nothing unique about the characters or the plot and I just had such a hard time picking this one up and devouring it.

Cute book that reads like a hallmark movie with its quirky but charming small town. Full of small town drama, fun competition, and some romance and friendships thrown in, it was a fun, light and easy, feel-good read.

DNF. I wanted to love it -- small town romances are my jam -- and Lacie Waldon's books are some of my favorites. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it.

The entire time reading this could not help but picture Jess as Lorileigh Gilmore and the small town of Redford as Stars Hollow. I loved everything about this book from the town enemies being paired together to the solidarity that seems to be there amongst the surface. Yes there’s romance but there is so much more. Full of community as well as more than a dual POV you get into the hearts of the characters and why was mean girl Nikki my absolute favorite!!!

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted advanced copy

I don’t know why but I felt so board with this book. It sounded so good and I wanted to like it. I don’t think I really enjoyed the writing. Like I just felt myself not caring about anything that happened in this story.

Such a fun read! Loved the mix of romance, friendships & family in a small hometown where everyone knows everyone.

Jess was such a fun main character and I fell in love with Carter from the beginning.

Overall it was a slow burn romance so it took me longer to read. But overall the ending was great. Especially with an epilogue included, which is always my favorite addition since I love to see what happens in the future if there won’t be another book to follow.

Thank you NetGalley for a prerelease of The Only Game in Town.

I was really looking forward to this book. It had a slow going start, taking quite some time to build up to the plot line of the story - unlike most romantic comedies. But overall I enjoyed the book.

While this story is marketed as a romance, it is so much more than that. It focuses on small town life, camaraderie, and I would argue the true story is about Jess and Nikki, two bitter enemies and rivals who are forced to work together over the course of the game that is being played.
Side characters like Ross (Jess's dad) have their own pov at various points and some heavy things are mentioned: parental abandonment, infidelity, trauma, abuse, alcoholism and addiction.

This story really encapsulates so much more than just a romance between Jess and Carter and I truly enjoyed this novel.

A huge thank you to Lacie Waldon, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the small town of Redford, Georgia, The Only Game in Town has a distinctive plot. Longtime resident, Jasper Wilhelm, recently passed away. He was well known in town for being fun and was always ready for a party. Jasper also happened to love the town. So as a condition of his will the town residents are paired into pre- selected teams to compete for his 10 million dollars. While this plot is a little far-fetched, the author has created a fun game scenario, which is entertaining. One of our main characters, Jess has been paired with her high school bully, Nikki. Jasper's grandson, Carter, is paired with the town bartender, Bryce. The chapter POV alternates between the four main characters, Jess, Carter, Nikki, and Ross (Jess's Dad).

I liked the light way the competition was treated. Everyone in the town was pleasant which fit the tone of the story and the silly games. Having the narrative told from four different points of view allowed me to become more invested in the characters. I really appreciated understanding all the different point of views. Romance is on the back burner between Jess and Carter which felt authentic to me since they both needed to work on personal issues. The connection was evident though through the entire story.

The ending was satisfying for me and I enjoyed reading The Only Game in Town.

Thank you NetGalley, and Penguin Group Putnam for the arc.