4.5 Stars

When former childhood friends Delilah Baker and Ian Chase both need a PR boost - Lila to help her local cable show’s ratings, and Ian to help quiet a past scandal as he returns to his hometown hockey team - they agree to a little fake dating to help each other’s careers. So what if Lila has had a crush on Ian since she was a teenager? And so what if Ian can’t help but notice that Lila isn’t the same little girl she used to be, and is now a full grown, tempting woman? With attraction at all all time high and two careers on the line, Ian and Delilah will have to decide if they’re going for the power play, or if they have to let the cookies crumble.

After loving The Nanny and The Fake Mate, and now The Game Changer, Lana Ferguson has solidified herself on my auto-buy list. It’s clear that no matter what kind of romance she’s writing, Fergson will hit it out of the park with lovable characters, undeniable chemistry, and fan-worthy spice.

Even though paranormal romance will always be my go-to subgenre, Ferguson’s hockey romance is definitely an all star story. I loved that Delilah was messy, both in her personal life and while baking in front of the cameras. She was a lovable girl next door and was the best friend’s little sister trope personified. I thought Ferguson did a great job at transitioning Ian between seeing Lila as a little kid and seeing her for the woman she became. It was a natural progression without ever seeming wrong or dirty, both within the plot and from the reader’s perspective.

And once Ian and Lila got together? Ferguson kept the steam coming. If you’ve read any of Ferguson’s previous books, you already know the kind of steam levels she writes into her books, and The Game Changer was no different. Ferguson keeps her characters feral for each other, and I loved that we didn’t get any dreaded third-act breakup in this romance. Lila and Ian were steamy, while still managing to keep their careers, family, and friends in the forefront of their plans. We got a decent amount of both Ian and Lila’s careers, but if baking or hockey really isn’t your thing, rest assured that the main focal point of this story remained on their personal lives.

The Game Changer was another hit from Lana Ferguson. Striking the perfect balance between their love lives, personal lives, and careers, it’s hard to not cheer for Ian and Delilah as they navigate the line between childhood friends and fake dating to reacquainted friends who become so much more to each other.

This was So so good. This book is perfect for you if you love the following tropes: brothers best friend, fake dating, hockey

I ate up all of the spicy scenes (hello locker room shower scene)

I think the word brat was used too often.

Right off the bat, I felt like I read this book before. It felt like a memory scratching at the back of my mind trying to get through. Don't Get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I just couldn't help feeling like I had been there before. Too many things felt like I've read before, I don't know of that means I have a definite boom type I like, or of this book just felt a little too cliche. This book is a great book if you want to just cuddle up with something familiar that ames you smile.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley but all opinions and reviews are my own.

Read if you like:
😘 Insta-Love
👧🏼 Childhood Crush to More
🧍‍♂️ Brother’s Best Friend
💋 Fake Dating
😂 Nicknames
🥵 Chemistry & Spice
🏒 Hockey Romance

When Ian comes back to town Dee is gonna lose it as Ian was her childhood crush, and she has never quite gotten over it.

When she needs good PR for her baking show and Ian does too for his sullied reputation, their PR teams pair them up for some baking cuteness and fake dating to kill two birds with one stone, and since it’s her brothers best friend, there is no way either will say no, right?

There is definitely sexual tension between them instantly when they reconnect after years apart… but they can’t, right?! Or… maybe they can????

The most of the drama in the story comes from the issues around Ian’s reputation which led to bumpy pacing in the middle without the romantic tension, but all in all, I really enjoyed this new story from Lana!

Thanks so much to Berkley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

THIS IS THE HOTTEST BOOK OF THE SUMMER!!!

5⭐️ 4🌶️

Holy mother of everything that is good I just had the time of my life reading this book! I would like to personally thank the genes that gave Zachary Webber the delicious voice he has because HOLY HELL THE GUY CAN NARRATE LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS!! Also to PRH Audio for the ALC and Lana for picking the best narrators ever to bring her amazing characters to life!

This was everything I wanted it to be and then some. I have not had such a good time reading a book in SO LONG. There was no third act breakup, the book’s pacing was amazing. I loved the storyline between the main characters but I am such a sucker for friends to lovers. It was so cute, I really loved how they came together (yes, pun also intended) because they had such amazing chemistry that led to some delicious tension.

The spice……….. LANA FED MY BREEDING KINK SO FCKING WELL 🙏🏻 THANK YOU MOMMY, I DON’T DESERVE YOU. Every single spicy scene in this book will have your pants moist and your toes curled. I was listening to the audiobook and almost had a stroke when this man went full on animalistic with the breeding kink (thank you again Mommy) and I completely lost it. It also did not help it was his poverties so Zachary narrating this was just an orgasmic experience all-together.

The characters were so well developed and while I saw the plot twist coming, it was still amazing to read about it and really how good of a guy Ian is. His father on the other hand?? Lord please give me the ability to jump into a book and smack a bitch because this guy UGH the freaking worst kind of men. It was so infuriating to deal with towards the end of the book but Ian did not disappoint.

Lana Ferguson is an auto buy author for me. There is nothing she can write that I won’t absolutely devour with a passion. Her books are so light and fun and filed with feet-kicking cuteness that keeps me giggling and feeling butterflies the whole time. I can’t recommend this and her other books before. If you want some more Lana coded breeding kink please I beg you read The Fake Mate because lord that was soooo good!!

3.5 Stars

Ian’s most recent break-up has left his public image in pieces. It’s trickled down on the team, so their PR has stepped in with a perfect solution. Delilah needs help boosting her ratings on her popular baking show, and when she is paired with Ian to bring on the viewership, she is excited that the sports team could help her out. Just that neither of them anticipates their own feelings spilling out in front of the camera for the world to see.

Ian is holding back a few secrets that could threaten to destroy their relationship. The two are shaky at first because they don’t want to admit that their “play” moments are real. Everything on the camera is real, and the two can’t deny wanting the same thing.

The connection between Ian and Delilah could have been tweaked better. I understand that Delilah has always had a crush on Ian. He is enamored with her, but nothing shows why they have this connection. Maybe a flashback or revisit of a situation to show that sparks were there from the start would have been helpful.

The heat between Ian and Delilah is off the charts. While at times I did worry about the two candidates’ connection, I have to say they didn’t disappoint in the bed. Ian and Delilah exploded whenever they had private moments.

This is a very light sports romance that focuses more on the romantic elements than the sports. Once Ian and Delilah connect, there is not much angst and drama. They handle all their issues very quickly and move on in their relationship.

This is not my first book by Ms. Ferguson, and I can say that I really enjoy the storylines. Fans of contemporary sports romance will enjoy this one.

~ Samantha

Lana Ferguson writes a hockey romance? Uhm yes sign me right up!!! I truly never know what to expect with a Lana book because they're all so different but what I do know is I can ALWAYS expect spice and banter! Ian and Lila are the sweetest and their relationship just feels so healthy -- from just friendship to more. And Jack is the best brother/best friend ever so I hope he gets his own book too(:

I love the references to their childhood and Lila's teenage crush brain; it's so obvious why she loved Ian from the start and how he reacts to her as an adult after years apart is so satisfying. It all just made my heart swell! Lila, Ian, Jack and even their friends are all super lovable characters and the banter in this book is topnotch. The writing is fantastic, the pace works perfectly, and honestly just everything about it makes me happy -- 5 stars hands down.

💗childhood friends to lovers
🏒brother's best friend
💗first crush/love
🏒hockey romance
💗celebrity romance
🏒brat x cupcake
💗fake dating
🏒the locker room shower scene👀
🌶️🌶️🌶️spicy spice🌶️🌶️🌶️

If you're a romance lover & a hockey fan, you'll definitely want to add this one to your TBR! Even if you're not, it's a fantastic, fun, funny, spicy, amazing book that you should add to your TBR anyway!! I highly recommend to everyone & can't wait for Lana's next book!💗

Thank you so much to Berkley for the digital ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Game Changer is officially out in the world to consume however you'd like so go check it out(:

The Game Changer is a real banger.

Kayleigh has been raving about how much she loved The Nanny by Lana Ferguson, so when I saw that Lana had a new book coming out and that the MCs were a hockey player and baker, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. I loved everything about this book. It's fun, spicy, and has just the right amount of angst and pining.

Let's talk about the story first; the pacing of this book is great, it's fast, and there is a lot going on to keep readers entertained. Lana also brings two fabulous worlds together: baking and hockey. The food talk was delicious, and I loved the banter among the hockey players. It was a lot of fun switching between these two worlds and also seeing how Lana brings these worlds together in a fun and interesting way. There is also this bit of mystery or unknown element woven throughout the first bit of the book. From the start, there is more to the story of what happened during this drama-filled event that eventually caused Ian to leave for six years. We know the press thinks Ian cheated on his now ex-wife, but as a reader, I knew that wasn't the case. It didn't take me long to figure out what was really going on, but I still appreciated the added drama this situation added to the story. For those who hate a third-act breakup, you'll be happy to know that this book doesn't have one. The final conflict in this story isn't between Delilah and Ian, but something that happens outside their relationship, and these two stand by each other and support one another during those troubled times.

Lana really knows how to write a likeable character. I have to talk about a few of the secondary characters first. We all need Jack (Delilah's brother), Mei (Ian's ex-wife), and Bella (Mei's wife) in our lives. These three characters were off-the-charts hilarious. The banter was so much fun. You never knew what kind of things would come out of their mouths. I was smiling and laughing every time they were on the page. But besides for all their crazy antics, these three characters also were steadfast friends and truly cared about the MCs. Delilah is a sweet, cheerful firecracker. I loved her character instantly. I think anyone who has had a major crush on someone will connect with how she fell head over heels in love with Ian when she was a teenager and pined over the guy for years. She falls fast and hard for Ian. There was definitely some cheering on my part when Ian finally realized Delilah's feelings and that he felt the same. Ian was this slightly broody, gruff hockey guy who seemed to be missing his zest for life. These, shall we say, darker, more guarded emotions come from what happened six years ago. The press accused Ian of cheating on his wife and the negative media attention got so bad he accepted a trade to play on the Calgary hockey team. At the beginning of the book, he returns to Boston with the hopes of playing the remaining years of his hockey career for his hometown team. However, the media can be ruthless, and negative attention quickly returns. My heart really went out to Ian. He is a good guy at heart, and without giving away any spoilers the pickle that he found/finds himself in is not his fault. I loved watching as Delilah's love and unwavering trust in Ian brought him back to life in a sense.

If you are new to Lana's books, you should know that she writes very SPICEY romances. That's why I said this book is a real banger, because there is lots of banging going on in lots of different places. The spice is hot, and the dirty talk is bound to get your heart racing. For those who like forced proximity, falling for a brother's best friend, slight workplace, childhood friends, secret relationships, and fake relationship trope-y romances, then this book is going to be right up your alley. Yes, there is lots of sex, but there is also lots of quieter moments between these two where they talk and get to know each other on a deeper emotional level. They both have also had this steadfast presence in each other's lives (with the exception of the six years Ian was in Calgary). The chemistry between these two was off the charts, and I devoured every scene that they were together. I swooned at the nicknames they had for each other.

The Game Changer has sensuality, banter, wit, and romance in spades, and I promise you will not be able to put it down once you start reading it.

“And maybe that’s why love is better shared, I think idly. Maybe love can only truly be held by two people, because it’s too big for just one.” 🫶

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the early copy to review; all thoughts are my own.

I feel like Gracie Abrams wrote “Close to You” for this book. Delilah Baker, who is actually a baker 🧁, wants to be close to hockey player and brothers BFF, Ian Chase. She is just his friend’s little sister until she isn’t 🫢

What to expect:
🏒Hockey romance
👯Brothers’ best friend/ best friends’ little sister
🌆Boston setting
🤭Fake dating for PR
🧁Nicknames- cupcake/ brat
💕It’s always been you

This is my 2nd book from Lana Ferguson and I liked this one better than The Nanny. Unrequited long term pining from the FMC is a very tricky trope (in my opinion), but with the circumstances surrounding Ian’s move to Canada and the age gap, I think it was handled well. I rated Lana’s debut, The Nanny, at 3 stars and I think I would rate this one at 3.5🌟stars. It just felt like something was missing for me. I think it could have benefited from a slower burn, but we get spice pretty early on. On the plus side, since they get together early, we get more chapters of them being happy.

Depending on what you are looking for, I think it is a solid pick for a steamy, low angst, sports romance.

Overall rating is 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4 here and on GR/ amazon.

Delilah Baker is a beloved baker, with a cable tv show. She has been pining after her brother’s best friend and fellow professional hockey player, Ian Chase, since they were kids, but he never saw her as more than his best friend’s little sister. He’s been playing for another team up in Canada for years but has just been traded back. A PR nightmare paired with decreasing viewer numbers has Delilah and Ian fake dating to save the show and his image.

This book was so enjoyable! It has everything I have come to expect from a Lana Ferguson novel: an interesting plot with great depth, delightful characters, incredible banter and chemistry, and the perfect amount of spice. It’s paced well, intriguing and beautifully written.

💭 MY THOUGHTS: I love love love me a Lana Ferguson book! I really enjoy that while her books are all fun romances with steamy chemistry, she’s not afraid to write different types of books. I love how she wrote this Sports Romance. The hockey aspect added to the plot but wasn’t overly done.

The characters were lovable on their own and together. Ian was swoon worthy and Delilah was sweet and endearing. Her brother Jake was a great comic side kick - I’d love to see his love story next!

Read for:
❌ Brother’s Best Friend
⛅️ Grump Sunshine
🪟 Opposites Attract
⚠️ Fake Dating
🥅 Hockey Romance
#️⃣ Age Gap
🧸 Childhood Crush
⚖️ Dual POV
📍 Boston

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ / 5

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞..
💙 Brother's best friend
💛Slow burn
💙 Hockey romance
💛 Fake dating
💙 Age gap
💛 Forced proximity
💙 Pining
💛 Friends to lovers
💙 Some spice 🥵

I really enjoyed tandem reading this one. The audio was fantastic! The characters were so great and the spice level was perfect to go along with the storyline!

Age gap is one of my favs. Pair that with brother's best friend and it made it such a good story. Delilah has pined after Ian for so long. Seeing this story unfold and everything starting to click between the two was so sweet.

Both have some pretty crazy family stories. The drama and bits we get about them really add to the characters and how you perceive them as a whole. Delilah kept focusing on "I'm older now", with Ian. That kinda threw me after a couple mentions but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed them. Ian is such a great lovable guy. Delilah's brother played the part perfectly without being the obnoxious overbearing brother. It flowed so well.

This fun and flirty book filled with banter needs to be added to your TBR!

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson is a fantastic fake dating PR relationship between a pro hockey player that has been recently traded back to the home team after years away & his best friend’s little sister, who is the town’s TV show host baker. Lana Ferguson can write a dang good romance & I was so excited to see her venture into the sports romance realm. She did an incredible job & I will read any romance she writes!

The Game Changer Is great for fans of…
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 Fake Dating x PR Stunt
🏒 Childhood Friends
🏒 Baker TV Show host
🏒 Older Brother’s Best Friend x Teammate/Best Friend’s Little Sister

This is the delightfullness of a classic fake dating sports romance but I appreciate that it went so much deeper with the storylines for both of the main characters, their histories & the complex dynamics of so much more. It pulled on my heartstrings.

I quite enjoy the unrequited crush for the older brother’s best friend reunited many years later to finally realize that she has grown up into a gorgeous woman & sees her in a whole new light. I was rooting for both of these characters so much. I also appreciated the humor mixed it at just the right moments.

If you enjoy sports romances, Lana Ferguson’s work &/or romances that bring history, heat & all the feels, I highly recommend checking out The Game Changer!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I will be posting to social media this week. I will add a link once I do!

I was so excited when I saw that Ferguson was writing a book filled with my favorite tropes, and I was not disappointed. A hockey romance with fake dating and friends-to-lovers, what more could I want? Apparently, I wanted baking and cupcakes, and a precious origin story for this friendship. I wanted sweet and sexy banter and drama that comes from outside this fabulous couple. I wanted backstories with just enough pain to build character and a fun but solid sibling relationship. And you know what? I found all that in The Game Changer.

One of my favorite parts of this story was the romance. It was pretty much love at first sight when Ian promised to sit next to six-year-old Delilah on the school bus. Her affection for him grew and changed as she got older, and though they spent years apart, Ian owned a piece of Dee's heart all these years. Stuff like this makes my heart pitter-patter, and I really adored the past these two shared.

Fast forward to where Delilah has a cooking show that has been slipping in the ratings. To attract more Boston viewers, the producers pair Dee with a hockey player for a one hour special. Delilah never thought that hockey player would be her long-time crush, Ian. Ian had just returned to Boston, and so did the gossip that drove him away. In an effort to distract from that noise, he agreed to the guest spot on Delilah's show. Little did they know this would be the beginning of a fake relationship where the lines would become blurred.

There are a lot of things that happened throughout this story that captured my heart while also delivering the trifecta of laugh, smile, and swoon. I found it easy to fall into this story and root for Delilah and Ian, and I was also very invested in the family drama. Speaking of that, I thought I felt a little love connection between Delilah's brother and another character. I wonder if Ferguson would consider returning to this world. I know I would read that book.

Overall, this was wonderful, fun, and sweet fake-dating, friends-to-lovers romance that delivered lots of laughs and feels, as well as a fantastic grand gesture that had me smiling my face off.

This was so fun!! In true Lana Ferguson fashion, she created all a total must read for lovers of hockey romance.

This is Lana doing what she does best which is right h*rny characters falling in love. This is pretty low stakes/angst and she did a great job keeping things engaging. There is a special skill in my opinion to write a lower angst book that still flies by. I loved this cinnamon roll MMC and watching him fall for her and I didn't want to put it down.

This was sooo close to 5 stars for me but like other reviewers found there were way too many references of them as kids or really her as a kid and him.. not. He expresses regret for not realizing she fell first so long ago but like bro don't worry about it at one point she was very much a minor when you were not. There is a flashback to a "meet cute" that she reminisces to him about when she claims she fell in love with him at 12 but he was way too old for this to be cute to me. Nothing nefarious on his account or really hers but still we don't need to romanticize it. I loved this book otherwise so every reference I was like NOoooo please stop, just talk about the present!!

Anyway, what does work is the brother's best friend trope in current time. There's also some workplace forced proximity thrown in and excellent spice. There's also some definite sweetness with some side plot things with a fundraiser event with his hockey team, etc. And I just love seeing a solid friendship within a relationship, they are so good together. Overall if you enjoyed the Nanny you will love this.

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC

Lana Ferguson does hockey romance, and it is perfection!

Delilah’s baking show needs better viewership, and she suggests her brother’s hockey team.

She’s floored when they send Ian, her older brother’s best friend and her childhood crush.

Ian’s the center of a scandal, and this show will help his- and the team’s- PR.

Delilah knows there’s something Ian is hiding. And she knows he’s a good man, regardless of what the media says.

I love Ian— he’s this gentle giant who’s reserved and kind, but so protective. And Lila is steadfast and smart, doing her best not to let her childhood crush impact her adult judgement.

The pet names are adorable here. She calls him Cupcake, he calls her “sweet girl” and I swear I melt like a darned popsicle.

This is a story of homecoming, timing lining up for two people who belong together, setting wrongs to right… and the spice only this author can bring!

But at its core is love— an incredible romance I will be re-reading and family love.

I want more of these characters because I love them so much. Can there be bonus scenes?

If you’re a romance reader, this has to be on your TBR! I highly recommend.

#TheGameChanger:

Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner

“Hiding a part of yourself does nothing but tear you up inside. You can’t really live if you’re only doing it halfway.”

Another hockey romance that I devoured in one day? Put it on my tab. The Game Changer was deliciously fun! You’ve got your grumpy x sunshine, fake date!!, friends to lovers, brother’s bestie, found family, all the good tropes! Plus, you get some fun baking segments which are adorable.

I adored Delilah and Ian. They were adorable. The fall was pretty fast and sudden, but it was too cute to not swoon. Also, this book is saucy y’all. Closed door romance friends, I’m sorry but this one is not for you.

There’s weird family dynamics where you just hate some characters, and it’s totally warranted. Other family members are insanely precious and I had to cheer for them. Also, like, can Jack get a book? I need his story. I love his annoying golden retriever immature self and see that arc of him growing and loving. Please?

There’s no third act breakup!! There’s an HEA at the end!!! The couple and story is perfection.

Absolutely adored. Out today, 7/9!

Predict text: the game changer …

The game changer is the best thing to ever happen to me 😂😂

🧁 Book Review 🧁

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson
🧁
I love Lana’s books, her writing style, the way she writes banter, and her sassy heroines. This book was completely charming. It was super sweet, it had a little bit of pining, it had tons of chemistry, some truly excellent spice, and really loveable characters. Ian is a giant ginger hockey player who is protective and noble and secretly has a dirty mouth. I get why Delilah fell for him as a teenager and never got over him. He was perfection. I adored Lilah, her smart mouth and spunkiness, and that her nickname for Ian is Cupcake. I also need a book where Jack is the main character. In conclusion, this book is adorable, flirty, and wonderful and I read it in less than 24 hours. P.S. I am feral for Under Loch and Key and I need it right now!
🧁
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
🧁
Read if you like:
▫️hockey
▫️brother’s best friend
▫️slow burn
▫️childhood friends to lovers
▫️fake dating
▫️dual POV
🧁
Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Lana Ferguson for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

“I love when you’re a brat, because it means I get to spank it out of you.”

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson is another hit by the author!

When a hockey player is in need of fixing his image and his best friend’s little sister is the darling of baking, their PR teams have them “hang out” with the intention of appearing like they’re dating. For Lila, it’s her dream come true since she’s had a crush on Ian she was a kid. For Ian, he can’t believe the little girl has grown up to be a woman he’s definitely noticing now.

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

This friends-to-lovers romance was so cute! The chemistry and love between them was adorable and hot, especially Ian called Lila “brat”. I’m crossing my fingers for Lila’s brother to get a book, because he stole the show!

- age gap romance (less than 10 years)
- brother’s best friend
- friends to lovers
- hockey romance
- childhood crush
- no 3rd act breakup