This is my first book by this author. This was an enjoyable read- hockey and baking are two of my favorites in a setting so combined was fun. I didn’t connect to these characters as much, their story was a bit more surface level for me- my favorite character was actually the main female characters brother! If he has a book, I am totally reading it!
3.5 stars

⭐️: 3/5

Ian, a hockey player with a PR problem, and Delilah, a TV baker with a ratings problem collaborate together on an episode of Delilah’s show in order to help both of them with their problems, but when viewers start to ship them, they find themselves on a fast track to a fake relationship for publicity purposes. The problem is that Ian is Delilah’s brother’s best friend, and she has always had a crush on him, and now that Delilah is all grown up, Ian is noticing her in a whole new way too, and the the lines between real and fake begin to blur.

There were things that I loved and things that I really didn’t love about this book, so let’s start with things that I loved. With brother’s best friend, fake dating, hockey, no third act breakup, etc, the tropes were great in this one too. The spice was also what you’d expect from a Lana Ferguson book, which is to say, pretty good and pretty spicy. I thought the manifestation of Delilah’s crush on Ian was really cute, and I really liked how it didn’t turn into a ~weird~ thing that she was into him before he was into her. I also loved how protective Ian was to the people he cared about, including Dee. Now for the things I didn’t like. The overarching story was too contrived, making a big thing out of something that absolutely would not be a big thing in the real world. Nobody cares if a professional male athlete is cheating, especially not to the degree that this book makes it out to be a plot point. Should they? Sure. But the truth is, they don’t. So the like, why of the whole story didn’t make sense. I was kind of geared up for the big secret not to be so obvious, but it was exactly as obvious as it seems from the start, so it was just kind of flat. It made zero sense why Ian wouldn’t just tell the truth, and the nonsensical logic was distracting from the rest of the story. I think this book also suffered from the plethora of better hockey romance books out there, which is unfortunate. Anyway, still a cute, light, quick book, but not my favorite.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I have read all of Lana’s previous books and when I say her writing is just so easy to read I mean it, this one was no different. I really enjoyed the connection between Lila and Ian, the way they showed up for each other and how their relationship grew. The spice between these two was TOP NOTCH! 🤌🏻😮‍💨

I will say that I had a hunch that Abby was his sister. It seemed obvious to me but it may not be to others. But otherwise, this was an amazing book!

𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐼 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢.

This is both super cute and super spicy! Two words: Shower. Scene. 🔥🔥🔥 If you're looking for a cute, spicy romance this is it. The banter between Lila and Ian had me giggling. I loved how she challenged Ian and how much she trusted him. I also really enjoyed that there are conversations that take place and there is no miscommunication trope. I had a lot of fun with this and I'm hoping we'll get a spin off with Jack and maybe Abby? 🤞💖

✨️ Sports Romance - Hockey
✨️ Brother's Best Friend
✨️ Fake Dating
✨️ Age Gap
✨️ Friends to Lovers
✨️ Childhood Crush
✨️ He Calls Her Brat, She Calls Him Cupcake
✨️ No 3rd Act Break-Up

Hockey, cupcakes, brother’s best friend/friends to lover trope, what more could you ask for in romance?! And The Game Changer delivered on all accounts! Ian Chase is back after years away from home after a very public divorce but his team thinks there’s an easy solution: he fake dates his best friend’s sister Delilah, a local TV baker who is having some rating problems of her own. But this PR stunt ends up stirring up old (and new) feelings and suddenly it suddenly it doesn’t feel like a game anymore. I loved this book. It was sweet and had so much heart, it was steamy and witty. It just has all the things. I was kind of tired of the word “brat” by the end, but Delilah and Ian are adorable. Their banter is spot on. The side characters, especially Delilah’s brother Jack, were great additions, they were so vivid and made the story just feel that much more well-rounded. It was truly precious how Ian falls for her, he is so gentle and kind, taking care of everyone around him. And Delilah is all sunshine and kindness too. These two take care of each other and it’s romantic and sweet, and the characters are easy to root for. Great rom com, highly recommend!

Great quick read that focuses on character development in addition to the romance plot. This story did a fantastic job of showcasing two characters that were magnetically pulled together, while also focusing on their own lives and careers, without pulling away from having fully formed characters.

Once again, Ferguson writes a wildly romantic and steamy romance that is both parts fun and heartfelt.

I loved the idea of a hockey romance with the tropes of pining, the love interest being her brother’s best friend, and a touch of fake dating. It was sweet, lighthearted, and made me smile (especially the nickname Cupcake!). For some reason, this romance didn’t 100% draw me in like The Nanny, but it was still an enjoyable story and a great beach read for the summer.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Delilah has had a crush on Ian forever, so when she gets the chance to pretend date him to help him with a PR problem, and in turn help her own baking show, she shoots her shot. Ian has been MIA for years after he left under highly-publicized and suspicious circumstances, but he's back and he needs Delilah's help, but he's starting to feel something other than the affectionate-older-brother role he'd felt in the past. Can Ian and Delilah convince the world that they're dating? Can Delilah protect her heart or convince Ian that this is the real deal?

This book has it all: childhood crushes, best-friend's little sister, fake dating, a baking show, hockey players, orphans, and more! I had such a great time reading this book - Lana Ferguson's books are always super compelling and hard to put down; I'm pretty sure I read this in under a day. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a hockey romance or just a fun read in general.

This romance had all the best characteristics of a hockey romance! If you are a fan of the following tropes, you will love this book:
- Best Friend's Little Sister
- Childhood Best Friend
- She Fell First but He Fell Harder
- Fake Relationship
- Found Family
- Baking Shows
I'm a sucker for a hockey romance and while I liked Lana Ferguson's first two books, this one is definitely my favorite of hers now!

This was, by far, the best Lana Ferguson book to date. The sports were sporting, there was a little blushy boy, and I loved the brother (can we have a book for him? please?)

I loved the dynamic between Delilah and Ian. Dee is bold and straightforward with what she wants and thinks, which pairs beautifully with sweet Ian. He blushes at everything and is quiet and nice. He protects the people around him by taking on more than he should and doing so with grace and humility. I love this man. And I loved the way he worked with Dee. Their chemistry was off the charts. I wished so badly that I could see their cooking segment because I know I would have swooned.

I also loved Delilah's brother, Jack. He was so funny and cringey and I fell for this man so fast. His whole arm sling thing was cute and he handled everything with Dee and Ian so well. I want him to have his own book so bad. I'm already in love with him so maybe it's dangerous to give him an HEA but i want it. I want to be given the chance to obsess over him. please and thank you

Overall, I LOVED this book. I will never be over our gorgeous ginger-haired gentle giant and his perfect complement. If you enjoy quick hockey romances with a lot of heart (among other body parts), you'll love this one!

The Game Changer is a fake dating, friends to lovers, hockey romance perfect for fans of books like Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison, The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy, Unravel Me by Becka Mack, The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams, The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer, and Matching All the Way by Veronica Eden. The Game Changer deals with themes and topics like family, orphanhood, marriage and divorce, infidelity, appearance versus reality, secrets and lies, reputation and legacy, fame and status, mental health, and self worth.

I have read a lot of hockey romances in recent history, so much so that some of the plots and characters are starting to blur together in my mind. So, I appreciated the addition of Delilah’s baking show in The Game Changer as I felt like this really helped it to be more memorable and stand apart from other hockey romances. There was no third act break-up as well as lots of spice and swoon-worthy moments in The Game Changer, which will be definite pluses for fellow romance readers!

On the downside, I personally found it harder to get into The Game Changer compared to other Lana Ferguson books that I’ve read, perhaps because friends to lovers isn’t my favourite trope, and thought that the plot was a tad predictable.

Overall, The Game Changer was an enjoyable and easy read that would be a great addition to steamy romance readers’ summer TBR lists!

I really enjoyed this read. It was quite different as a sports romance from Lana’s first book I read, The Fake Mate. I definitely enjoyed it. I think the book had intrigue, mystery, heartbreak, but a good ending.

Secrets, meddling family, expectations, assumptions, and a scandal that could resurface and ruin more than one career.

If you are in the mood for a hockey romance with witty dialogue and plenty of teasing banter you might enjoy this read.

4/5 ⭐️

I honestly don’t know what it is about Lana Ferguson but I inhale her writing! They are always a good time!

Brother’s best friend??? Age gap??? That’s actually all you need to say for me to pick up a book and this one did not disappoint.

I promise you’ll enjoy this one!

Delilah Baker has a dream - a successful baking show on a local Boston TV station and also the dream of Ian Chase, childhood friend turned gorgeous hockey player. When Ian returns to Boston, he's looking to rehab his bad boy image - one he's actually done nothing to earn. Delilah needs a boost to her ratings. So, Ian appears as a guest & the public falls in love with the image of them dating. They agree to fake it until things get really real.

I loved Lana Ferguson's "The Nanny" and this one definitely continues on the spicy scenes path. Parts of it fell flat for me, though.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

DNF @ 30%. A really cute premise, but I've learned I don't like the brother's best friend trope. It's no fault to the author, the only thing turning me away is that. I do think you'll love this if you're a sports romance and/or fan of the brother's best friend trope. I enjoyed the writing and characters, so I'll have to read something else from this author.

Thank you Berkley for this early copy.

I found this alright. It’s literally “Icebreakers” set outside of college and instead of the girl being an ice skater, she’s a baker. I think the premise was cute and I enjoyed the fake-dating aspect! But I think once they started developing feelings for each other, and all the random other issues that came along with that, the book was less compelling.

I’m also sick of brothers in books being protective of their sisters. Like we get it, you’re a man. What do you expect your sister is going to do? Never fall in love?? It’s so boring and annoying.

I am also starting a petition to ban the nickname “brat” in romance novels.

3 stars★
“I don’t know when you went from the girl I adored to the woman I can’t stop thinking about, but you did . You’ve always been in my heart, but now you’re in my head too."

This hockey romance is perfect for those who can't stand miscommunication. Once the main characters finally get together, it's smooth sailing from there on out.

3.5 Stars!

What happens when lines between what's real and what's for show start to blur? Find out in The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson.

The Game Changer is a fun and entertaining read with just the right amount of spice and drama. Fans of sports romances and brother's best friend tropes will thoroughly enjoy this quick and sexy read.

I for one can't wait to see what this author will write next!

This is a really, <i>really</i> basic brother's best friend-to-lovers romance. There is barely any build-up, no tension, and the drama is non-existent (though the author tried really, really hard to make it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was). Even though it's a hockey romance, there's minimal hockey in this (and to be fair, minimal baking, even though she's supposed to be running her own baking show). I was surprised at the spicy scenes though. Maybe a 3 chili pepper rating?

But, this might be people's cup of tea if you want something a little spicier than soothing. This falls squarely in the something low-stakes and cute category, and you aren't kept wondering will-they-won't-they. Some cute teasing, one-dimensional side characters (who sometimes make no sense), and no one creating any kind of deterrent to the two of them getting together. It's all pretty much wrapped up with a bow by page 50.

But, if you are infuriated by someone's whole life being changed because they couldn't have a single conversation that would have resulted in none of the said minimal drama occurring, or issues that literally a single therapy session could solve, then maybe don't think too hard about this book. But I'd read this author again. I won't remember much, but it was fine. 2.5 stars.

</i>I received an ARC of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.<i>