I absolutely adored this book and the growth of both characters. The writing is just so well done and the storyline is fantastic. This one of my favourite reads so far and I cannot wait to own it when it comes out.

Lana, I am foaming at the mouth because of you. I might have gone into a state of being feral because of this book. Wow. Love the author, love the characters, and love the plot. 10/10

I am a huge fan of Lana Ferguson and I was so ecstatic when I saw that I got approved for the arc!!!

The story revolves around our two main characters: Delilah Baker and Ian Chase, who reconnect after years being apart.
Delilah is a baking show host facing cancellation, and Ian, a hockey
player, sees an opportunity for a reunion who needs a positive image makeover.
Right when they reunite, sparks fly! Ian was surprised and delighted to see Delilahs growth as a person, moreso, the way she turned into such a beautiful and witty woman!

Their chemistry is absolutely undeniable, both on-screen and off, leading to a fake dating scenario proposed by Ian's agent to improve his public image. Delilah sees this as a strategic move to save her show's future. Anf from there on, they embark on fake dating eachother!

The Game Changer expertly weaves together beloved tropes like childhood friends-to-lovers and brother's best friend, delivering a narrative rich in snarky banter, undeniable chemistry, and sizzling spice. But as their pretend relationship deepens, secrets from lan's past threaten to unravel everything. Will they take a chance on love amidst the odds stacked against them?

One thing I can always count on the author, is that her masterful skill for storytelling and the way she's so quick at hooking the reader from the first page. Because the moment I started it I couldn't stop reading it until I finished it!

However, it did have the miscommunication trope and third act break up that disappointed me. Either way, I can't lie how much fun I had while reading this book and completely recommend it!

It was a fast-paced, engaging read that provides an escape filled with laughter, swoons, and heartwarming moments that completely captured and warmed my heart and I just couldn't stop giggling at the palpable chemistry we see between the characters! Apart from that, I loved how individually they were such greatly executed characters!

Overall, this sweet, spicy, and heartwarming romance is a must-read, offering a perfect blend of passion, humor, and heartfelt moments. Highly recommended for anyone
looking for a delightful escape into the world of romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love a good hockey romance and this one was wonderful. It has all the elements of a good romance, characters, storyline, and spice. Just the right amount. I will be sharing a full review very soon. I look forward to sharing more by Lana Ferguson in the future.

Such a cute friends to lovers hockey romance! I love Lana Ferguson’s books. I honestly was expecting it to be spicier but oh my god the locker room scene 🔥 you should read the book based on THAT alone

Tropes:
🧁Friends to lovers
🧁Fake dating
🧁Hockey romance
🧁Hockey player x baker
🧁She calls him ’cupcake’
🧁He calls her ’brat’

Overall rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

First book I've ready by Lana Ferguson but definitely not my last!

Hockey meets baking show in this latest book by Ms. Ferguson. A true standalone (a unicorn my friends!), former friends meet amidst betrayal, life changes, and parental issues. The pace of the story moved quickly but truly shined in the interaction between characters. I giggled more than I should have and loved the uniqueness of the story and how the characters interacted with one another.

Super sexy, which was ah-mazing, and a great story filled with angst, laughter, and love.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC. The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson covers the Fake Dating trope- Delilah's show is losing viewers and Ian needs to church up his image. In an attempt to both benefit from the public taking a new interest in their lives, they team up to fake date. I found the book easy to read and a nice piece of fluff to cleanse my palate. The Game Changer, in my opinion, reads like it is a first novel- things were too easy- I would've liked to see more conflict. I feel like she also made sure to put as much representation in the book as possible, which I love representation but it felt thrown in just to have it included but didn't contribute to the story in any way.

Lana Ferguson has been on my radar since her first book The Nanny and I can’t believe I waited this long to read one of her books!
I’m officially a fan! Her writing style flows beautifully. There wasn’t a time in the whole story that I felt bored. Her characters are funny and full of depth, with backstories that make them relatable and so entertaining. I loved Delilah’s character and her whole life long crush on Ian. It took me back to my childhood crushes which made me root for them even more and made her finally getting him so dang satisfying! Ian was a dreamy ginger giant with a heart of gold. I laughed so hard at their back and forth banter, loved the brat remarks and him calling her sweet girl! The spice was sooo good! I mean… that shower scene was all sorts of hot! I loved all the plot twists and supporting characters and really hope we get a Jack love story next cause he was funny af!

lana ferguson’s writing + a hockey romance + friends to lovers/brothers best friend tropes = pure perfection!!! there are so many good parts to this book. words can’t even describe how much i enjoyed reading this story. i just loved all of the banter, spice, heartfelt moments, constant longing, and undeniable chemistry!!!

this is hands down lana’s best book yet. thank you so so much to netgalley and berkley publishing for the arc!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

Lana Ferguson has just written the next top hockey romance! This is the cutest, fun read full of banter and sweet moments, with Lana's classic smutty brain of course. I fell head over heels for both Lilah and Ian, and it probably started the first time she called him "cupcake."

While the trope of high school crush/brother's best friend that never noticed her is a hard one to pull off, I think Lana did a great job of it. While you fault Ian for not noticing her until now, his moment of saying "I see you" brought in the necessary new dynamic, and was ultimately forgivable since they have a bit of an age gap and have been in different cities for the past decade.

I can't wait to get everyone to read this!

This book was an immediate five stars for me. I loved every aspect of it because EVERY book by this author does the romance genre justice—this one especially. I fell head over heels for the characters and I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next!!

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

Oh my gosh! I was not expecting to love this as much as I did!! The Game Changer is a classic brother’s best friend trope — but it was so refreshing.

There is a fun PR storyline with fake dating which worked so well for me. The tension was simmering from the beginning and I was immediately obsessed with these characters (Ian is everything to me). I was giggling throughout this whole book — some of these scenes are my new favorites within the genre.

This felt very emotional and real and there wasn’t a crazy miscommunication scene or unnecessary drama. The love confessions were so gentle and perfect too !!!! Lana’s writing is really great!!

Thank you Berkley & NetGalley for the advanced copy. The Game Changer releases on July 9.

The Game Changer is a delightful hockey romance book by Lana Ferguson, featuring a story of friendship, longing, and chemistry. The story follows Ian Chase, a team captain, who faces a PR nightmare after a public breakup. Delilah Baker, his best friend's sister, proposes a collaboration to boost her local cable show's ratings. However, old feelings resurface, blurring the lines between reality and PR. The story explores whether their relationship is just for show or something more.

Thank you @netgalley @lanaferguson and @Berkleypublishing for this ARC for an honest review. I really enjoyed it.

A cute little rom com. I love the fake dating trope so I knew I would automatically like this book. The romance did feel a bit fast but overall a very cute story and I loved Ian’s character.

I loved everything about this!!!! From the cute backstory, the chemistry between Lila and Ian, the fake dating, THE SPICE, to the side characters. I appreciated that there was no annoying third act break up or miscommunication, but liked that there was still some drama to keep things interesting. I haven’t read The Nanny yet, but I’d say this is my favorite Lana Ferguson novel so far.

This was utter perfection!! I was kicking my feet and swooning so hard. Ferguson is a new to me author and I will for sure be diving into her backlist. I couldn’t recommend this book enough!

This is going to be majorly popular I just know it. I'm talking several months wait at the library popular. It is such a fun, warm, steamy sports romance. My only hang up is I myself am growing weary of fake dating, that is just a personal problem.

Okay I’m in love with Lana’s writing lately! I loved the friends to lovers, This was some spicy goodness on top of that! Also no third act break up, vulnerable moments, and just heart warming as well!

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5 stars)

- childhood friends
- brothers best friend
- fake dating
- hockey romance

So, folks, gather 'round because Lana Ferguson just dropped another gem with "The Game Changer," and let me tell you, I'm about ready to declare her my official dealer of bookish dopamine hits. Seriously, she's become my literary happy place—a one-click wonder!

Now, let's dive into this masterpiece. We've got Delilah, the baking maestro with her own TV show, and Ian, the hockey hottie. I mean, who doesn't love a good dose of hockey romance? If puck action and oven mitts sound like your kind of party, then hold on tight because this one's a wild ride.

Lana rolls out the red carpet of tropes, and I am here for it. Childhood friends turning into something more? Check. Banter that makes you snort-laugh? Double-check. The chemistry between Delilah and Ian is so electric; I swear my e-reader might need a cooldown.

Now, let's talk spice. Lana doesn't hold back, and neither does Ian. That dude's mouth had me sweating—yes, literally. And don't even get me started on the locker room scene. It's the kind of steaminess that makes you reconsider your choice of reading location. I may or may not have blushed hard enough to rival a tomato.

So, if you're on the hunt for a rom-com that's as spicy as your favorite hot wings, grab "The Game Changer." Lana Ferguson delivers a 4.5/5 star experience that's hotter than a jalapeño on a summer day. Trust me; your bookshelf needs this.

I just reviewed The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson. #TheGameChanger #NetGalley

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this title early! This is Lana Ferguson’s third romance book that I have read in the past year and I can now absolutely call myself a super-fan of hers. And not just because this was a hockey romance, (which happens to be a favorite trope of mine) or the fact that there was no dreaded third act breakup, (Again, Thank you, Lana!!!!) but the vibrant characters, a story that keeps you rooting for them, and a sickly sweet romance plot that doesn’t quit made this an absolutely desirable read. I cannot wait to see what Lana cooks up next for us!