Lana Ferguson has entered the fray of hockey romance with a *cough* bang. This is a "fake dating my brother's best friend who she's been in love with since childhood trope" which is done to perfection. Plus, you know, it's Lana so it's going to be hot.

Do you like sports romances (specifically hockey)? Do you like fake-dating? Do you like mega-watt steam? Do you like cupcakes?

You're welcome.

As a fan of Ferguson’s work, I was excited to dive into this new book, and I wasn’t disappointed. Ferguson’s writing style is signature to her previous works, including “The Fake Mate”, which I also enjoyed. She has a knack for crafting ridiculous plot lines that are both humorous and engaging. In “The Game Changer”, the drama is a little heightened, but that’s par for the course in the romantic comedy genre.

One thing that frustrated me slightly was the way the characters handled some of the media-related problems they faced. However, I understand that family dynamics can be unpredictable, and we’re all guilty of making irrational decisions when it comes to our loved ones.

On the other hand, there are two things that I absolutely adored about this book:

1) It is FILTHY.
2) There is ✨ no third act breakup ✨

The couple’s relationship is rock-solid from the start, with no unnecessary drama or breakups. It’s a breath of fresh air to see a romance that doesn’t rely on angst or drama to drive the plot.

Overall, I highly recommend “The Game Changer” to anyone looking for a fun, lighthearted romance with a healthy dose of humor and passion.

If tropes are your thing, here are some selling points:
🧁 Brother’s best friend
🧁 Forced proximity
🧁 Anxiety rep (MMC)
🧁 Friends to lovers

This book is the equivalent of the incestuous Folgers commercial! I enjoyed The Fake Mate but this book really missed the mark for me. I didn’t like Jack’s weird incest jokes and the plot was weak. Where was Delilah’s nonwork friends. Why did Ian decide he liked her? It was just meh.

Read this if you like:
•hockey romances
•childhood friends to lovers
•baking shows

Ian is SWOONY. Lilah is so fun and sweet. This book was such a delight. The friendship was chefs kiss. The steam was chefs kiss. I can’t wait for this to be out in the world. Thank you Berkley romance for the eARC!

Ian has just returned to his hometown to end his hockey career alongside his childhood best friend. He’s spent the past ten years of his life labeled as a cheater and womanizer by the media after his marriage ended and he was seen with a mysterious woman he has insisted on keeping a secret. At the same time, his best friend’s sister Delilah (who has pined over him her whole life) is struggling to maintain viewers on her local baking show and sees an opportunity: bring him on as a guest to help both their public appeal. The result is sparking chemistry. Everyone notices their spark right away, and they both immediately are intrigued by how the other has grown up in the years they’ve been apart. What could follow? A fake dating scheme arranged by their PR teams, of course. As they get closer for the public cameras, they begin to let their walls down too and realize that maybe their secrets will only bring them closer.

Delilah stars in a popular cable show and is needing more views, and Ian is a hockey player needing good press. These two team up together and things start to get steamy. Ian wants to keep her in the friend zone because he’s always seen her as a little sister. That is until feelings develop and both can’t hold back anymore. They fake date for positive PR, but the chemistry between them has both questioning if they can make things work out for real.

Overall this was cute, but it wasn’t my fav by Lana Ferguson. I’m a sucker for hockey romances, but something just didn’t do it for me in this one. The smut is hotttt, and I love when both just give in. I was laughing at times. One thing I couldn’t get in line with was the nicknames. That was a little cringe and he calls her “brat” like 73 times in this. Sadly I had mixed feelings about this book, but I will continue to read Lana’s books because they are pretty fun!

I loved this book. I loved Delilah and Ian so much, individually and together. I love that I know that Lana didn’t always love this book, that she had to work hard to write it and love it - because it turned out SO GOOD. I love a hockey romance so really I was always going to like it!! And brother’s best friend?? And the fact that he was her childhood crush and now they’re fake dating so they both can get some good PR?? It was SO GOOD.

What I really liked was that Delilah and Ian were ALWAYS SOLID, there was never a moment where their relationship, or even friendship, or feelings were in question. Yes they took a minute to define things, but once they started their fake relationship, that was it, they were in it together. All of the conflict was based on things outside of their relationship and I loved that they were always solid.

I also loved how supportive Delilah was of Ian. He was coming home feeling very unsure of so many things, he was keeping secrets that weren’t his and he didn’t know how he would fit into his old life. But Delilah was there for him the whole time, no matter what!

And the two of them were PERFECT. Lana knows how to write a sexy book! And they were fun and sweet and sexy and so SOFT FOR EACH OTHER! I loved their chemistry and their banter and their love for each other, even before their deep romantic feelings. They also prioritized their friendship, and Ian’s friendship with Jack which I thought was so sweet. They didn’t want things to change, but they also wanted to figure out the next step and they did it so well!

Here’s hoping Jack gets his own book!! I feel like I saw her saying something about it happening, maybe happening?? Hopefully happening?? But in the mean time I AM excited this one coming out so soon and about Under Loch and Key in December!!

Thank you so much to Berkeley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought the plot was interesting. I just didn’t really fall in love with Ian. I would’ve liked to see why he fell in love with Lilah besides her growing up.

I’ve really come to enjoy Ferguson’s writing, and this book was a lot of fun! There were a lot of cute moments, the characters were just so good! Especially Delilah’s brother!!

Thank you so much for the eARC!!

I’ll be the first to say Sports Romances are not usually my thing but I had to give this one a try for Lana’s sake and I will say it charmed me! I love fake dating and a good shower scene and Lana did not disappoint. Very steamy if that’s what you’re looking for.

Y’all don’t get it…I’m pretty sure I’m meant to be a sweet little baker in a small town who’s adored by everyone like it’s truly my destiny.

I just gotta start this by saying I love the way Lana writes banter,, especially when it comes to side characters like Jack. Humor is something that always keeps me from DNFing a book when I’m in a slump, so that definitely helped. In the same realm of character development though, I do think the book seemed a bit repetitive when it came to plot. It may just be me — since I’m not the biggest fan of sibling’s best friend / friends to lovers trope (there is simply not enough tension for me) — but the book is heavy on “I loved him but couldn’t have him” moments.

I do love the choice of light “forced” proximity by way of the TV show. If you told me I needed to bake with my past crush in order to save my job,, I fear I wouldn’t need much convincing. Something about men who are presented as big and aggressive doing domestic tasks is just <33.

Overall, this was a cute little story that I was able to enjoy and easily put down & pick back up while finishing up my senior year of high school (get me out of here).

2.5/5★

This was a quick read, and somewhat enjoyable. As a fan of sports romances, I was excited to read this one, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The book felt generic and didn’t really have that SPECIAL factor that makes novels stand out among the endless piles of sports romances out there. It almost felt like a Hallmark movie.

I thought the romance developed too quickly. We didn't get to see HIM fall in love. It was like “Oh, so you feel this way about me? Yeah sure, you’re hot, me too”. IDK, it didn't give me butterflies or evoke any strong emotions. The smut was too much, too soon - & kind of a copy-paste from typical romance books (although this happens with most of them TBH).

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, IT GOT ME OUT OF MY READING SLUMP!!! Their love was cute and pure. I found the last chapters far more engaging than the rest of the book. THAT level of tension should have been present throughout the entire novel. The plot had potential, but it lacked the right structure in my opinion.

Nonetheless, I do think this book could be enjoyable - and even a favorite - for a lot of people!!<3

Well, I'm convinced that Lana Ferguson can write any kind of romance novel she wants to. We've got a sports romance with actual hockey content! I finally know what "offsides" means!! I adored "The Game Changer" and could hardly set it down. It's so good and SO hot. The shower scene alone...

I love how the top priority for both Delilah and Ian in their relationship-for-the-press is to help the other person. Ian is obsessed with protecting others, even to the detriment of himself. And Delilah is living out her teenage dream! Also, there is so much representation here and it's all written so naturally - queer relationships, characters of color, mental health experiences. It's fantastic.

The whole relationship is built on real adult conversations: they make sure to talk to each other, even when it's hard, and none of the plot relies on miscommunication. Their relationship is so solid that the biggest issues in the book are family drama and success at work. Incredibly refreshing in an adult romance. Ian and Delilah are committed to supporting each other and neither can believe how lucky they are to be together. I love to see it!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

I’m not usually drawn to sports romance, but I am drawn to whatever Lana Ferguson writes. This was sooo cute! Lana had the best plots, and I loved this one so much! Ian and Delilah had my whole heart!

I loved this book. It was funny and hot and I liked the characters. I found the premise of Ian's social media reputation affecting Delilah's ratings and job a little questionable but I enjoyed everything else so much that I was willing to go with it.

You get five stars you get five stars you get five stars. round of a freaking applause. so so great.

Thank you Berkley Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

One of the series I read when I first really got into Romance is the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy. It was pure fun and brain candy, but definitely written from the male gaze. It has such a following though and I think fans of that series will love this book. It’s like grown up off campus. It’s super tropey but just so fun and easy to read. It has a bit more sophisticated writing and adult characters yet keeps the hockey romance deliciousness.

Synopsis:

“When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase's team, he hopes to focus on his game, but that suddenly seem less likely than a hat trick. With his career and the team’s image in jeopardy, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate's little sister…who isn’t so little anymore.Delilah Baker is known as “the darling of baking” on her local cable show, and being in the public eye is her bread and butter. But with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother’s team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah thinks it will be a piece of cake—until the team sends Ian Chase, her brother’s best friend and the object of a decade-long crush that she’s never quite gotten over. Delilah's and Ian’s teams think it’s a true win-win situation—gaining higher numbers for Delilah’s show and casting Ian in a more positive light. And viewers are eating them up like a cupcake, sparking the idea to play up their relationship for the goal of good press. With more than just their careers on thin ice, the line between what’s real and what’s for show begins to blur, but one thing’s for certain: This PR stunt will either be a total game changer—or leave them both totally pucked.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Tropes—Brother’s best friend, fake dating, celebrity/pro athlete! So. Much. Fun. And the tension was so good! I’ve been missing that in my romances lately.

The Pacing—I thought everything was very well paced and happened at an appropriate time! The tension was so so good and I loved how their was no third act break up. It made total sense!!!

How Fun and Entertaining It Is—I just gobbled this book up. It was very spicy, very fun, very swoony, and so much fun to read. It has a lot of depth to it while still remaining utterly entertaining.

What Didn’t Work:

Not much! I really had the best time reading this book.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 3.5/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

emotional abuse, panic attack, death of a parent, toxic relationship with a parent, gaslighting

I was pretty excited about the premise for this one - fake dating, brothers best friend, hockey player and baker? Sounded like an easy recipe for a classic romcom.

The story itself started out pretty well, I was liking the flow, storyline and banter for the first half of the book. After that the book lost some steam for me, while it had cute moments I felt like it lost the compelling pull / will they - won’t they give it started on. It also felt less romcom and more ron-drama for part 2 which didn’t feel as natural in the storyline.

It was a cute read but not a favorite for me. So far I’m finding this author to be one of those hit or miss types for my reading preferences 🤷🏼‍♀️

I read and reviewed a complimentary arc, all thoughts and opinions are my own and freely offered.

This one was cute! There was spice, super cute moments, and tons of banter. I really loved how it started out as a fake relationship, but then turned into a real one. I also loved that Delilah and Ian communicated. There was so many issues they faced, but instead of miscommunication or break ups, there was trust and talking things out.