A charming fake dating romance between a hockey player and a cupcake baker. (Much like historical romance is littered with dukes, contemporary rom-coms seem to be filled with more pro athletes and cupcake bakers than the economy could possibly support, but it's still cute to read about them.) Delilah has pined for her older brother's best friend Ian for years. Now they're thrown together in a local access cable show, and their real chemistry has fans rabid for more.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this book started off strong for me - but then the FMC's insistent comments about living her teenage dream and the fact that Ian just all of a sudden noticed her because she was now ... hot.... gave me the ick. I get that it's childhood friends to lovers, but it just was done in a not so fun way.

I also felt like nothing really happened. The conflict was super predictable. I'm disappointed as I usually really enjoy Lana's books.

Lana Fergusons books always stand to be a spicy fun time and I eat it up every single time! So many moments in this truly had me laughing out loud , kicking my feet and having truly the best time! Was down so bad for Delilah and Ian with all their flirty fun times while fake dating. Fake darting is a trope that is an absolute favourite of mine and Lana did it justice.

While I absolutely love Lana's writing, wit and just everything about her books, this one fell a little flat compared to the others. Maybe this is a personal problem but Baking/Tv/Social media star and hockey player just felt really blah. Like not a new concept or an exciting one at that.

I thought Delilah was a little annoying at times. Her relationship with her brother was a little weird to me, again, maybe that's just me since I am not close with my family. But it made me a bit uncomfortable.

Ian was super complicated. He was certainly dreamy but overall this book just whelmed me. I wasn't in love, I didn't hate it.

Just a middle of the road romance for me.

Now the Nessy romance coming out next...........SIGN ME UP.

This was cute and lovely and wonderful!

Oddly enough, a friend (hi Ivy) just asked me about The Nanny when we were book shopping and apparently I made an "eh" face. This book is a great example of author growth. Most things that I thought were week in The Nanny (too long, characters not fleshed out, etc.) were so much better here! The characters were funny, the side characters were well-developed, and there was just enough angst to keep things entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this arc!

Felt a little too insta lust in the beginning but overall I really enjoyed this one. Good chemistry and quite spicy. I’d definitely read another installment for Jack and Abigail!

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson, is a childhood friend, first love, and brother's best friend romance that was filled with chemistry fun banter, and sizzling hot. There were times when the story felt a like a second book in a series with some back story missing.

Delilah Baker's baking show wasn't getting the viewership her producers wanted so she came up with a plan to feature a member of Boston's beloved hockey team to bring in viewers. What she didn't expect was that player to be Ian Chase; her brother's best friend and her first love. Ian was just traded back to Boston’s hockey team and in need of some positive public relations as the gossip about him was already flying. After a record breaking episode and viewers loving their on-screen chemistry, Lila and Ian decide to pretend to dating in hopes that they would get some good press; benefiting both of them. The more time they spend together the more sparks, sizzle, and spice fly between them. Soon there was nothing fake about them pretending to date and a forever love was looming on the horizon.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Berkley

I really enjoyed this one!!! I’ve always enjoyed Lana Ferguson’s writing, so it comes as no surprise that I loved this take on a hockey romance as well!

Lila & Ian’s relationship was so lovely. It was full of banter, communication, care, love, and an overwhelming sense of acceptance & comfortability between the two. I loved getting to see Lila finally get the guy she’s always wanted & getting to see them fall in blissful love!!!

I really enjoyed the plot of this one! The added tensions of everything going on behind the scenes of Ian’s past/his family kept me even more interested throughout the book, alongside the development of the fake dating between him & Lila. Not only did Ian’s relationship with his father break my heart and make me root even harder for him, but it was also done so well. Lila’s depth was something that I do wish we got to see a little more of, outside of the brief mentions of what happened to her & Jack as children, but nonetheless I fully enjoyed her character!!!

Thank you @BerkleyPub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner for the free book and @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Is dating for convenience a trope? In The Game Changer, Delilah and Ian start fake dating as a PR stunt. But their relationship goes much deeper. He is her brother's best friend, and she had a childhood crush on him. They haven't seen each other for years but both still prioritize the other's best interests in pursuing a PR relationship.

I had such fun with this book. It's exactly what I would expect from Lana Ferguson: delightful, steamy, and funny. It's low angst and a great escape. And I loved all of the baked treats and hockey.

Zachary Webber and Samantha Summers carried me away with their narration. They are such a power team of narrators.

I recommend this as a light escape for when that's the vibe you need. It hit my mood perfectly.

4.5 stars rounded up

A hockey romance will do it for me every single time. Then mix in fake dating and brother’s best friend and it was the perfect concoction. Delilah carried a torch for Chase basically her whole life and he didn’t see her as anything other than a kid sister. Whenever he’s back in the same city as her and years have gone by, he sees her “all grown up” and can’t stop thinking about her. Enter a PR nightmare for superstar hockey player Chase, and they come up with a plan to boost ratings on Delilah’s baking show while cleaning up Chase’s image. Cute moments, sweet conversations, and lots of angst push Delilah and Chase together to turn their fake relationship into a real one. With family drama and an overprotective brother looming, Chase and Delilah go through a lot of ups and downs to get to their happy ending.

Loved this hockey romance from Lana Ferguson! Things to know: Brother’s bestfriend, childhood crush, tv host x NFL star

I read this book with a big goofy smile on my face. Lana’s writing is so FUN - I would read her grocery list.

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.