A 4/5 stars sports romance.

The Game Changer has all my favorite sports romance tropes wrapped up into one story! Little sister of the teammate AND a fake relationship to help both of their images? Sign me up. This was a very cute story. I've never read a book by Lana Ferguson before and I really enjoyed her writing style. The book went by quick, wasn't overly corny like many sports romance can be, and had just the right amount of fun and romance. I'd definitely read another one of her books and this really got me in the mood for more sports romances!

It's a yes from me! The Game Changer is my favorite read by Lana Ferguson!

This childhood friends to lovers story is sweet, spicy, and has just the right amount of tension. The main characters, Lila and Ian, have clear chemistry as both friends -and- romantic partners. I loved their independence, how they each had their careers and friends. Their own back stories, with just the right amount of overlap with Ian being Lila's brother's best friend when they were kids. And then when they come together as adults, everything between them expands in joy, humor, and shenanigans. Lila and Ian's tension and connection is palpable and I thoroughly enjoyed their... spicy dynamic. Everything with them felt honest and real.

Jake, Lila's brother, is also a star of the show. That man made my stomach hurt from laughter and I love him dearly.

The overall plot is focused on both the MCs and their families, and I love that there was no third act breakup. The "it's always been you" vibes were perfect and I was so invested in the story, even without major drama in Lila and Ian's relationship. Is there still drama? Oh yes. But readers will never have to doubt how much Lila and Ian care for one another. This was so refreshing, and again: honest and real.

In summary: fun, sweet, hilarious, and full of fantastic tropes done very well.

Read if you like: childhood friends to lovers, hockey romance, it's always been you, brother's best friend/best friend's sister, family drama, celebrity-ish romance, PR stunts, and fake dating-adjacent pr stunts.

**Thank you to Lana Ferguson, Berkley, and NetGalley for an ARC of The Game Changer and the opportunity to leave my honest, voluntary review!!**

I can always count on Lana Ferguson’s novels for a good, lighthearted time!

I enjoyed her take on writing a sports romance with also some baking 🧁 elements. Lilah and Ian are childhood friends turn to lovers and it was done in a very cute way but I would have preferred there be more of a buildup after they reunited. My favorite character was Jack who is Lilah’s brother and also Ian’s best friend. He had one liners in this book that had me laughing so hard out loud. I would love if he had his own book, it would be hilarious!

The only reason that my rating wasn’t higher is because at times, some of the scenes felt really cheesy that it was a bit cringy. Overall, I did really enjoy this book and will definitely read more of Lana Fergusons books!

3.25 ⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

I received an early copy from NetGalley.

🏒Hockey Romance
🧁Fake Dating
🏒 brothers best friend/best friend sister
🧁 Childhood Crush
🏒 Secrets
🧁Spicy
🏒Slow Burn
🧁She takes Control
🏒Friends to Lovers


I was actually very surprised by this book because I never really read books where the woman praises the man and where she is a little bit more dominant than him. Also, the Male main character surprised me in this book as well. He does some things that I was not expecting I was expecting this book to be really fluffy , but it is very spicy. I did like the drum in here because there is a secret that’s being kept throughout the book I kind of had a feeling about what it actually was.
So we have our female main character named Delilah or he calls her Lilah and we have our main character Ian, but she calls him cupcake. Ian is coming back to his hometown to play for the team. Ian has a bad image in the media. A plan of fake dating for PR happens because she needs ratings for her baking show that she has due to her number being down. Things start to become more real as they spend time with each other. There is lots of spice. Particularly there is a shower scene that had me giggling and a cleanup-scene that really sent me. Overall I enjoyed this book. I do not think I have read a book by this author. I’m almost positive I haven’t. I feel like this is my first book by her. I would definitely read more by this author.

Wow oh wow was this a cute and fun read!! Lana has done it again, creating characters and immersive worlds that simultaneously feel like a warm hug and a parade of chaos (in a good way). I really loved both Ian and Lila and how they perfectly balanced each other out--especially in Ian's case! What a sweetheart of a man.

This had all of the sweetness and angst of unrequited childhood love and all of the spiciness and will-they-won't-they vibes of a fake dating situationship. I loved their "meet cute" or rather the reason they get thrown together again as adults and how obvious their chemistry is to everyone with eyes. Overall I really loved this book! Definitely on the sweeter scale for Lana but still a fantastic read!

This book was pretty good! The characters were adorable, but I sometimes felt they lacked depth. All in all, a decent and light read. Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC!

Lana Ferguson, you have done it again! She’s a writer that never disappoints. I mean, come on! We have a fake dating, brother’s best friend hockey romance… How can it get any better?

Ian Chase is a professional hockey player. He’s played for the Calgary Wolverines for the last six years but is ready to go back to the Boston Druids. He’s under intense media scrutiny and needs to fix his image. Delilah Baker is the star of her very own baking show¬– Whisk-y Business. Unfortunately, the show is suffering low ratings and engagement. She’s at risk of losing it all. A PR move for Ian has him appearing on Delilah’s show. It goes so well that a PR, fake dating plan ensues. They’re helping each other out. Delilah may have had a little (BIG) crush on him when they were younger, but Ian never looked at her that way. They can keep things simple and fake date, right?


I loved everything about this story! Lana Ferguson knows how to write the perfect novel. The moment I picked this book up, I could not put it down. I was addicted! One of my favorite things about this story was all the bantering between the characters. Ian and Lilah have undeniable chemistry. The pages sizzled from the first moment they saw each other again. Everything about their love story was perfection. I’m a sucker for a hockey player so when you put a big, mean hockey player in a pink apron making pastries… COME ON! The visual alone is drool worthy. The Game Changer had me in my feels. I went through every single emotion reading this book. Seeing Lilah bond so fast with all of the important people in Ian’s life and seeing how their relationship developed was so fun to read. You know a writer does a fantastic job when the secondary characters affect you as much as the main characters. Hint: I need Jack’s book! I adore him!

I can’t wait to purchase The Game Changer when it is released. I will be adding it to my bookshelf because this is a book I will reread again and again!

This was a major cringe-fest for me. So much so that I DNF'd at like 75% through! I did not care about the characters or their romance at all, and honestly got the creeps by how much he called her "kid", "little", "best friend's sister", until he saw how big her boobs had gotten. And if I were him, I'd have been creeped out by her and how obsessed she was. It was very much a kind of insta-love on his part, insomuch as within like a week of seeing her again, where before he had only seen her as a "little kid", he was down bad and for life.

Also, got a bit peeved about the way ADHD is presented here. The character with it is presented as immature and reckless and told to "take his meds".

I don't think I'll be trying this author again.

Thanks for the ARC and may this be a better book for others than it was for me!

Neither Ian nor Delilah are in the best place right now.

Ian's returning to Boston after a several years' stint playing professional hockey in Canada, after having to flee Boston (and his team) due to a supposed cheating scandal that he still won't speak about publicly. Delilah is dealing with the very real possibility that her cable baking show, Whisk-y Business, could be cancelled. Until Delilah throws out a wild idea: bring Ian, her brother's best friend (and her lifelong crush), onto the show. Having Ian on Whisk-y Business will drive a new audience to the show, and will hopefully clean up Ian's image. But the chemistry that they have in the episode is verrrry real, so much so that their PR teams suggest a fake dating scheme to boost ratings and public opinion.

What could go wrong?

It's no secret that I'm a major Lana Ferguson fan, and THE GAME CHANGER, her upcoming release, is no exception. She gives us everything we could want in a steamy brother's-best-friend, friends to lovers, cinnamon roll and sunshine tale while also weaving in her signature humor. I found myself cackling often while reading this book.

While not nearly as emotionally heavy, it did give me the some of the same feelings as STARS IN YOUR EYES by Kacen Callender did, particularly in its handling of this very real-world occurrence of the general public assuming that they know, and can say, everything about anyone in the public eye. TMZ can post anything that they want and run with it, even if it's the farthest thing from the truth--just the easiest assumption to make. Unfortunately, the easiest assumption to make isn't always correct--and believing (and voicing) the worst of people, celebrity or not, can have lasting impacts on them, those around them, and can hurt so many more people than a keyboard warrior's "target." 

Delilah's brother, Jack, is the comedic relief we always love to cringe at, even when he's ruining a moment, and he's the big brother everyone wishes they had. Lana has also, once again, killed off the FMC's parents in favor of a quirky old lady role model and while that should honestly make me sad for Delilah, I LIVE for a Lana Ferguson old lady. There's just nothing like her!

I seriously have no notes, I loved every part of this book, and I'm already dying for her next release!

This was quick, fun, and steamy! It’s been awhile since ai’ve read a hockey romance and though it wasn’t one of my favorites, I had a good time. Ian and Lila were cute together, though their feelings came on super fast (at least Ian’s I guess) and I could’ve done with a few less Cupcakes.

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 story is all about Ian Chase, hockey player🏒, and Delilah Baker, the adorable baker🧁. Ian needs good press, and Delilah's baking show needs more views. So, they team up in the kitchen and things get steamy. But when the internet thinks they're a couple, they decide to fake a relationship for positive PR. The twist? Delilah has had a crush on Ian since she was twelve, but he's always seen her as a little sister. Will they be able to keep their feelings in check or will it all come crashing down?

This was my first Lana Ferguson book. I really expected to love it but I didn't feel anything for the main characters. I wanted to see more reasons why the main couple wanted to be together. They talked a lot about their past connection, but since they hadn't been in touch for so long, I needed to know what they loved about each other now. At first, the pet names might have been okay, but seeing them repeatedly got on my nerves. And it was kinda weird how she kept referring to her teenage obsession and living out her fantasy. I just needed a little more tension and spark to really feel the romance, you know?Her brother was such a pleasant surprise, and I couldn't help but like him. He had this great sense of humor that had me laughing throughout the book..

This hockey romance is perfect for those who can't stand miscommunication or those heart-wrenching breakups. Once the main characters finally get together, it's smooth sailing and the story unfolds at a leisurely pace. This book just wasn’t for me sadly.

The brothers best friend trope delivered yet again. Ferguson is able to craft any book and it be perfect! I highly recommend all her books sine she is able to write her characters really well!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy.

An unlikely duo—a baker and a hockey player—team up to for a PR stunt that helps both of their careers. Delilah needs viewers for her baking show, and Ian needs to work on his public image. The two have known each other since they were kids, but now everything’s changed.

Here’s what I liked about this book:
I thought the premise was interesting, and I liked the Boston setting. And who doesn’t love a hockey romance and the fake dating and brothers-best-friend tropes?

This is what I didn’t care for:
I thought the dialogue in some parts were cheesy and unrealistic. I also got tired that every other sentence had a cuss word; it didn’t add anything to the book and felt cheap. And I personally didn’t connect with the characters very much.

But if you’re looking for a quick, predictable, feel-good romance, then it might be perfect for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lana Ferguson has cemented her place on my must-read list with this new book! I love a well-executed brother’s best friend trope and this one was all that! I appreciated that there were no big miscommunications where other authors might have included them for drama. Solid relationship development and wonderfully spicy.

I loved every second of this 😍

The whole childhood crush on her big brother's best friend had me swooning. Especially considering how genuinely nice Chase is. I loved his friendship/relationship with Delilah so much. His bromance with her brother Ian had me cackling! I really hope we get his story at some point.

Delilah and Chase though.. SWOON. I loved their whole story from beginning to end, even the in-between when they were states away. The end had me kicking my feet like a schoolgirl though. IYKYK 😍

When Delilah Baker's cable broadcast baking show starts to dip in viewership, she suggests an idea - baking with one of her older brother's hockey teammates. The only problem? That hockey teammate happens to be Ian Chase, her brother's best friend, childhood crush and former "bad boy" of hockey who had to leave town years ago due to a PR nightmare. Now he's back and he's ready to put on an apron if it means cleaning up his "reputation" and helping out his new team. Things start out as a piece of cake, but when viewers can't help but notice the chemistry between Delilah and Ian, the two of them start to play in a bit to their flirtatious situation to the public. Soon it becomes real... very real.

Lana Ferguson is an automatic buy for me and I have loved her previous two releases. What I really enjoy about her as an author is just how different all of her books are premise wise? It really shows and plays into her talent of crafting a well thought out story with well flushed out characters. I really had a fun time with The Game Changer and thought that the chemistry between Delilah and Ian was great. I also enjoyed how there wasn't a third act break up that many romance novels tend to squeeze in during the last three or four chapters. The only issue perhaps with this book is the pacing at times - it felt as though maybe Ian and Delilah got together too soon that the final part of the book felt almost a little too drawn out. I could be wrong, but I believe this book might be a tad longer than her others and it just felt like you could really feel the difference in length at points.

The intimate scenes between Delilah and Ian were a big highlight for this book and did not disappoint. The locker room scene was especially a highlight!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Brother's Best Friend- Check
Childhood Friends to Lovers - Check
Fake Dating - Check
No Third Act Breakup - Check

This book checks all the boxes! If you're in your hockey romance era, this book is a must for your TBR! Delilah and Ian may be sweet, but don't worry, they bring the heat as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

This was adorable and as sweet as a cupcake! An easy comfort read with equal parts sweet and spice. And when I say spice, I mean WOAH I was shocked how spicy it got and I’m definitely not complaining (that shower scene 🥵)! I liked the main couple but would have liked a little more from the side characters and to know more about their shared past.

Overall I enjoyed this fun and SPICY rom-com with low drama! If you love spicy hockey romances, childhood friends to lovers, fake dating, zero miscommunication, and no 3rd act breakup, this book is for you. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC!

This was so cute. It was actually my first of hers, and I'm excited to read the others. Ian's anxiety and Lila's patience were such a lovely pairing. Sometimes the third act conflict is just nerves. The backstory peppered in was a delight, and I did laugh many times. Also, very sexy!