Another fantastic book by Lana Ferguson! I loved The Fake Mate, so I was excited to start The Game Changer. It did not disappoint!! I love the chemistry created between the characters and how well she developed them through what could be a relationship ending situation. I love and respect how even through tough situations, the main characters actually support each other. There is trust in their relationship, and communication. All the things real relationships require to be successful, but tend to get glossed over in most stories. Lila never feeds into the gossip and she makes sure Ian knows she trusts him and truly has his back through thick and thin. I love the relationships Lana Ferguson creates and I can’t wait to read her next book! I can’t recommend any of her books enough. Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy and the awesome opportunity to read this book!

Lana Ferguson's "The Game Changer" is a must-read for romance fans. This novel is a masterful blend of three romance tropes: best friend's sister, fake relationship, and sports romance. Ferguson's writing style is engaging and captivating, and this 5-star book is sure to capture your heart from the first page to the last.

One of the things I loved about this book is the immediate chemistry between the two main characters, Delilah (Lila) and Ian. The story takes us on a journey through their personal and professional lives, and the way their relationship unfolds is both heartwarming and spicy. As a hockey fan, I was thrilled to see Ferguson's fresh take on the sports romance genre. Her characters are well-developed, relatable, and make you root for them every step of the way. Overall, "The Game Changer" is a fantastic book that deserves a top spot on everyone's summer reading list.

I was so excited for this one because I've enjoyed Lana Ferguson in the past, and I ADORE hockey. The set-up for the childhood friends Ian and Delilah reuniting on her baking show is super cute, but as the book went on, there were just too many things that kept taking me out of the romance. The major conflict of the public being SO on Ian's case for the women he was seen out in public with just wasn't believable. And when a huge scene of hockey action was described almost entirely through dialog, I couldn't get past the cringe. This one, unfortunately, just isn't for me.

Ahh i enjoy Lana Ferguson's books so much, they are easy, steamy, and fun to read and this was no different. I liked the characters, and plot in this one and I especially love how versatile the author is in the type of books she writes. In this book, the fmc is a baker who employs the help of her brother's best friend who just moved back into town. She has always had a crush on him and still thinks of her as a kid but as they start to work together and have to spend a lot of time together lots of sparks and spice fly between them. This book is very swoony, it's a slow burn but the tension was a+. I loved that the sports aspect wasn't overpowering and the cute plot. The spicy scenes were well done and I loved the main characters. I'm hoping we get Jack's book next because he was an awesome side character. As always thanks to Berkley for this arc for an honest review.

Read if you like:
- Sports romance
- Brother's best friend
- Steamy scenes
- Friends to lovers
- No third act breakup

Okay I really enjoyed this book! The slow burn was so good and the tension that built up made me DIE! I loved it so much. I also loved getting to know the characters more and I absolutely adored the fmc. I would 100% recommend this to a friend! Thank you for the ARC.

I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read the ARC copy of this book. First of all Lana Ferguson, this is my first book read by you, I have The Nanny on my shelf at home. And I can’t wait to read it. I enjoyed this book. I really liked the writing style on this. There will be a few spoilers. But not ones that will give the whole book away. Those two explicit scenes the one on the ride home and the shower scene. Omg!! Those were the hottest scenes ever! I am not also not one for slow burn romances because I get annoyed and say kiss or be together already but I will say the slow burn romance in this book kept me engaged with the book and kept me wanting more. I really hope you write a sequel for this book because I want to know more about the main characters. I can’t wait to read more books by this author. I give this 5 stars ⭐️ and 5 spicy 🌶️.

I have devoured every Lana book out there, and when I dove into this one, it was no exception. This book was so funny, cute, and overall had a fantastic plot line that I loved from start to finish. Hockey + Bakers? Who wouldn't fall head over heels for these characters and storyline?

Give me brother's best friend, age gap, fake dating, hockey players who are so sweet on the girl they love. Ugh, this book was so utterly perfect! Ian and Delilah had such great banter, a cute budding romance that had me giggling and swinging my feet, and just this fantastic story line (with no third act breakup!!). Overall, the characters were so well written and their romance was just the right pace for this hockey romance! This book was definitely a Lana novel I will have no problem picking up again to enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off, thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I was so excited about this one because I’ve read one of Lana’s books before (The Fake Mate) but I’m not into the werewolf stuff 😭

This was really enjoyable, I feel like the progression wasn’t too slow which was great because I didn’t find myself struggling to get into the book which is a situation I often find myself in.

Not too much plot going on but that honestly works out for me because I don’t necessarily need a crazy plot for romance. I actually kinda enjoy the parts where plot isn’t super important but I will say there was a lot of…stuff. So the book felt extra short but that’s not really a bad thing since I prefer less draggy and quicker storylines!

A quick and fun read.

Note: This review has temporarily been posted on Goodreads without a rating, as I am aware that certain publishers/authors do not want any ratings under 4 stars to be posted before the book is released.

Lana is an auto-buy author for me. She beautifully balances tender moments with spice, AND she's never written a book boyfriend I don't like. I also appreciated how she didn't let Delilah fall into the "sweet girl" stereotype and gave her some edge, although I sometimes struggled with her obsession with Ian. All that said, Alexa, blast Too Sweet by Hozier 🎶🧁

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ian Chase, a star hockey player caught in a messy breakup, needs to repair his public image. Fortunately for him, his teammate's younger sister and baking prodigy, Delilah Baker, is also facing PR trouble. With her TV ratings in decline, Delilah agrees to enter a fake relationship for mutual gain. Sparks fly as Ian and Delilah navigate the world of staged dates and baking challenges, all while battling their undeniable chemistry and a long-held secret crush.

As previously stated, I live for fake dating and I’m a recent Lana Ferguson stan. What more is there to say? I loved Ian and Delilah together. I typically find the little sister trope to be a bit cringe, but I found that this story worked for me because Ian was completely oblivious to her crush and didn’t reciprocate when she was a teenager. In other words, it’s not giving predator which is a thumbs up from me. Finally, Jack was hands down my favorite character and I would do unforgivable things for a sequel.

"The Game Changer" by Lana Ferguson is a delightful romance novel that will leave you with a smile on your face. The story follows Ian Chase, a professional hockey player whose very public breakup threatens not only his career but also his team's image. When his best friend's little sister Delilah Baker proposes a collaboration between her baking show and the team to boost ratings, Ian is surprised to find himself drawn to her.

Delilah has had a crush on Ian for over a decade, and despite their initial awkwardness, the two quickly find themselves growing closer as they work together. As they play up their relationship for the sake of good press, the line between what's real and what's for show begins to blur, and they must decide whether to take a chance on each other or risk losing everything.

Lana Ferguson has created a charming and engaging story with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. The romance between Ian and Delilah is sweet and realistic, and readers will find themselves rooting for them as they navigate the challenges of their relationship. The supporting cast of characters adds depth and humor to the story, making it a joy to read from beginning to end.

Overall, "The Game Changer" is a delightful romance novel that will appeal to fans of sports romance and feel-good stories. Lana Ferguson has crafted a heartwarming and entertaining novel that will leave you wanting more.

3/5 ★
Childhood best friends to lovers, brother's bestfriend/teammate, and fake dating all in one sports romance book?? Yes, please!

I was so excited when I was notified for this book, but it fell a bit flat for me even though I liked it. The seemingly constant nicknames were slightly cringe and felt a bit forced, but their relationship ultimately was solid once they got together. It was refreshing to have characters that trust each other and don't let a silly miscommunication break them up not long after they get together.

This book seemed to be lacking something that kept me drawn in the whole time--I picked it up and put it down several times throughout the read, which is why I'm giving it 3★

(Side note, do I smell a book 2 coming with Jack and Abby?? 👀)

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc!

This was... fine. Just fine. I didn't find the characters memorable at all, and although I could feel their chemistry, the plot just felt forced.

Actual rating is 3.5 stars, but I rounded up as the story telling was exceptional.

Delilah Baker is an adorable local network celebrity baker known as the ‘darling of baking.’ Her older brother, Jack, is a player for the Boston Druids. His friend, and bestie, is Ian Chase, a local boy who accepted a trade up to a Canadian team, but now is back to play for his hometown. Delilah, Jack and Ian all grew up together and Delilah has had a crush on him since forever. Ian has always thought of her as a kid, but coming back and meeting her after all the years apart is changing his mind. Delilah is pulling out a lot of stops to make sure that happens.

Luck would have it the Delilah’s network ratings have dropped, and she is in need of a good PR campaign. Her producer arranges for a player from the Druids to guest star in an effort to up their ratings. Enter Ian, because he needs good PR after the not-so-true scandal that he left in his wake upon moving further north. Coming back after going to his ex’s wedding has somehow stirred up more negative press. Online gossip mill was hard at work when it came to him and his ex, and they just won’t let it go. After some sparks fly on screen and off their PR teams ‘encourage’ them to spend more time together to give the masses something else to speculate and gossip about. Something positive, like a possible relationship….

So, what did I think?

For the most part this book met all my expectations. I absolutely loved their banter. It felt natural and fun. The support characters were awesome AND the ending was a fresh, non-cliché ending that I could fully get behind. Loved it! Jack was my favorite support character and I am secretly hoping the author will give Jack his own story in the future!

It has quite a bit of spice, including a scene in one of the team’s shower stalls. I have to admit, some of the spice wasn’t quite to my personal taste. Spice in a 'public' space is not my thing. Nor spanking, which I grew up with as a form of punishment. But Delilah really enjoyed it all and I am confident the majority of readers will really enjoy the spicy bits too. So long as you like dirty talk, don’t mind some light spanking, and can tolerate one scene basically taking place in a public space with people near by.

While the spice wasn't quite for me, I know a lot of people will absolutely devour it! The romance storyline itself is super duper cute and the ending was absolutely refreshing because it isn't the standard romance cliché of "a misunderstanding driving a wedge." I don't want to ruin it, so you'll just have to read it yourself, but I did love it!

I'm absolutely adoring sports romances and I absolutely LOVE hockey, so this one really SCORED BIG in my book. I thought it was a super cute story and I can see my patrons loving it too!

Wasn't for me. Felt way too insta-lovey, and the whole "my brother will be mad" thing was drawn out for so long. All the side characters felt like caricatures rather than developed parts of the story. Overall disappointing!

This was cute, cute, cute! I really enjoyed reading this story and the main characters as well.I loved Delilah and Ian together! This is for those who love fake dating, friends to lovers and brother's best friend plots.

thank you to netgalley & berkley for an arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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ੈ♡˳ rating: 3/5

ੈ♡˳ thoughts:
having previously read many books by lana, i decided to try her arc and give it a try. give your girl a steamy hockey romance and i am good to go. this book is perfect for someone who loves a story without third-act breakups or the miscommunication trope. however, it fell a little flat for me. the story was interesting enough, brother’s best friend, was super streamy at times when it needed to be. however, i felt like the characters were super boring. they had chemistry, but barely any. the conversations were a little boring between the two of them and the best character was her brother jack who wasn’t even though he wasn’t even a main character. i felt myself flipping through the story towards th end because i wanted to finish it but i wasn’t invested anymore. also, another thing that bothered me was the continuous reference to the fact that he used to see her as a kid but he didn’t anymore. like even two pages before they had sex he was thinking about her when she was younger. not my cup of tea, but i know that the girlies are going to eat this book up.


ੈ♡˳ tropes:
ꕥ best friends to lovers
ꕥ stuck together
ꕥ brother’s best friend


◡̈ ◡̈ ◡̈

Lana Ferguson enters the land of hockey romance with this brother's best friend/fake dating novel. When the media makes Ian Chase out to be the bad guy, the PR team needs a quick fix. Delilah Baker needs more viewers on her baking show and Ian needs media to see him in a positive light, so the two strike a deal to meet both of their needs. Delilah also happens to be the sister of Ian's best friend and teammate. As the two begin to spend time together the lines between fake and real relationships become a little blurry. This was a very enjoyable read with fun characters and a cute storyline. With notable spice this novel is a quick and easy romance read.

dnf at 40%
I really tried but I hated this one even though I liked the nanny. The characters especially the fmc were super annoying and cringy and the plot just felt dumb and cheesy. I tried my best but I don't want to continue if I know I won't like it. The writing also felt very bland and I couldn't get through it.