Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for supplying me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Ian Chase endured a very public breakup that forced him to leave his home and his friends behind for 6 years. Finally back where he feels he's meant to be, he's surprised to find his childhood friend and local baking show sensation, Delilah Baker, all grown up and not at all the "kid" she once was. Delilah has been in love with Ian since she was a teen, but he'd never seen her that way. Now they have to work together to try and help Ian's reputation and increase her ratings by pretending to be romantically involved. But there's nothing pretend about their attraction or how they truly want each other without the other knowing. But Ian is keeping secrets about his past. Will their true romance gown down the drain when Lila learns of Ian's "sordid" past?
I have really enjoyed Ferguson's other books so I was excited to see her branch into a sports romance. It turns out it really doesn't matter what Ferguson writes, it's all fun and romance and sexy, spicy times that have a good plot to go along with it!
As with her other books, the pacing on this one is spot on. I would reluctantly put this one down only because, you know, a girl does need her beauty sleep. But I didn't want to because each chapter had me itching to see what happened next.
I love dual point of view for romance books. I feel it gives such a deeper connection to the characters. Makes them more real and believable. This is no exception. I'm glad to see we got to enter both Ian and Delilah's head spaces and learn what made them tick.
I was happy to see there was more to this plot than just sexy times. While I kind of figured out the twist that was Ian's secret, I still enjoyed watching it unfold. And what I loved most about this book was SPOILER no third act break up. This helped me love the characters that much more as they were able to communicate with one another and support one another through their hard times. While I know the third act trope is used in most romance books, it's always refreshing to have things be more realistic when it comes to character understanding one another.
Delilah was a delight. I really connected with her personality and I loved that she wasn't a willowy beauty but was more realistic in stature and body type. And her passion for baking was really fun as I love to bake. I also love to watch cooking shows, so that drew me right in. Ian, on the other hand, seemed a pretty standard type for a hockey player, though he's a ginger and I haven't seen that done a lot in the romance books I've read. He's fiercely protective of those he loves, which endeared me to him right away. His relationship with his father was taught with angst and power playing. I despised his father, as well anyone should with how he treated Ian. The side characters, Abby, Jack, Ava, and Ian's other teammates were loveable.
I will say I really liked the banter between Ian and Delilah. It helped to solidify their attraction. And the brother's best friend trope is always one that's interesting to see unfold. Plus fake dating never really works out to just be that, right? There's a bit of an age gap between Ian and Lilah, as well, but it's not huge, so I'm not sure the age gap trope truly applies here.
While most romance books sell themselves on excessive drama, I don't find that with Ferguson's books. Which makes me love her stories even more. I mean, there's some drama, how could there not be to make the plot somewhat interesting, but it's not this I want to throw the book across the room why did you rip my heart out drama I see in many other books of this genre.
My only issue with this book was the true connection between the FMC and MMC. They are childhood friends, so the past is there. But we don't really get the sense of how close they were. Sure, the characters allude to their past, but flashbacks would have been a great addition to understanding why they might go from friends to lovers. Plus I found the whole teenage obsession with Ian rolling over into her adulthood a little unrealistic. They haven't seen each other in years (seems like since she was a teen though the timeline was a bit confusing on that). And she's dated other guys. But why would she still be obsessed with Ian? I needed a better foundation for it.
Overall, I adored the book and will definitely continue to read anything Ferguson decides to write. I'm looking forward to Loch and Key for sure!

I loved the Nanny, but this one didn’t quite land for me. I ultimately stopped caring about the characters and put it down at about 70%. I do love a brothers best friend trope. Guilt is a great internal conflict motivation IMO. But overall, I just didn’t stay hooked on this one.

This was my first read by Lana Ferguson and I am definitely a fan! Delilah is such a force and also so relatable. Ian is the absolute sweetest MMC!!! Seeing their friendship and relationship change and evolve was so lovely. It was a very cozy and nostalgic read. Reading about Delilah’s childhood crush and how “teenage Delilah would be screaming into her pillow” was so cute!!! I loved this book so much! I would NOT be opposed to more books in this world! The side characters were great!! (Jack anyone?!)

The more I read by this author the more I fall in love with her writing style! I ate this one up in one sitting! I didn’t want it to end! Brother’s best friend is one of my favorite tropes and add in fake dating and hockey? Yes please! And even better…no third act break up!

Delilah’s baking show isn’t doing as well as the producers want it to. So they decide to bring in famous hockey star Ian (who is also Lila’s brother’s best friend!) When reviews come in and their social media loving them together they decide to fake date to help both of their careers. The sparks that fly from these two were exciting and led to some steamy times! I was rooting for these two early on and I soaked in every second of their interactions. I loved the side characters and I hope we get Jack’s story!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Delilah’s baking show is suffering declining ratings when she decides to invite a local hockey player on—and the team sends Ian Chase, her brother’s best friend and childhood crush.

I love a childhood friends to lovers story and I love a brother’s best friend story and I love a fake dating story, so this was a super enjoyable and fun read! Lila and Ian were so cute together, and their relationship was so sweet and wholesome and supportive. One of the major highlights I saw around before reading was that this one doesn’t have a third act breakup, which is the holy grail for me…it was so refreshing to see a couple in a romance novel handle their feelings in a mature and healthy way, especially in a plot that could have lended itself to some dramatic miscommunication.

I also really liked the universe Lana created here, and I’d love to see more of it…Jack’s story in the future, perhaps????? Mostly I just want to know more about Lila and Ian and how they’re doing now and if they’re happy and how her baking show is going and did he retire and and and and

Highly recommend this one for a fun, lighthearted, wholesome-but-also-very-spicy, romance read!

CW: Infidelity; emotional abuse by a parent

After seeing the lower ratings for her television baking show, Delilah Baker suggests a one-time collaboration with one of her professional hockey player brother’s teammates to help boost viewership. In order to combat some recent bad publicity, Ian Chase, Delilah’s brother’s best friend and Delilah’s childhood crush who has recently been traded back to the team, is volunteered for the collaborative episode on Delilah’s show. When Ian’s episode goes viral and the internet starts shipping Ian and Delilah, their agents suggest a fake dating PR stunt to in the hopes of continuing to improve Delilah’s show’s ratings as well as Ian’s tarnished image. As they spend more time together for their PR stunt, Delilah finds it challenging to ignore her old lingering feelings for Ian and Ian starts to see his best friend’s kid sister (who is definitely not a kid anymore) in a whole new light.

The Game Changer is a fake dating, friends to lovers, hockey romance perfect for fans of books like Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison, The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy, Unravel Me by Becka Mack, The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams, The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer, and Matching All the Way by Veronica Eden. The Game Changer deals with themes and topics like family, orphanhood, marriage and divorce, infidelity, appearance versus reality, secrets and lies, reputation and legacy, fame and status, mental health, and self worth.

I have read a lot of hockey romances recently, so much so that some of the plots and characters are starting to blur together in my mind, so the addition of Delilah’s baking show in The Game Changer was appreciated as I felt like this really helped it to be more memorable and stand apart from other hockey romances. Spoiler, but there was no third act break-up as well as lots of spice and swoon-worthy moments in The Game Changer, which will be definite pluses for fellow romance readers!

On the downside, it was harder to get into The Game Changer compared to other Lana Ferguson books that I’ve read, perhaps because friends to lovers isn’t my favourite trope, and thought that the plot was a tad predictable.

Overall, The Game Changer was an enjoyable and easy read that would be a great addition to steamy romance readers’ summer TBR lists!

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

I am such a sucker for a fake dating trope, and this one does it so well. The chemistry between Delilah and Ian is so palpable. Ian is also Delilah’s brother’s best friend which adds this extra layer in their fake-turned-real romance. Both of them are easy to root for and they come off as characters who have an intense ability to be compassionate and understanding. I love that Delilah harbored this crush on Ian for such a long time and how she doesn't hide that from Ian. It isn't something used to be weird or surprising, and Ian finds that so endearing. Their relationships is so refreshing. They have vulnerable conversations and it's clear that they are so loyal to each other.

Ian deals with a lot of turmoil involving his father and it’s clear how difficult it is for him. He only wants to protect his mother and the team, so he thinks he’s doing the right thing. Delilah becomes his confidant and other half, and their relationship feels so genuine and sweet. I also loved the lack of a third-act breakup and how they navigate the downfall of Ian's father together. There isn't a manufactured conflict, and instead the weather the overarching conflict as a team, which I thought was portrayed really well.

This is a pretty steamy romance with no shortage of moments to make you blush. I will say some of the talking during the intimate scenes feels like a bit much but overall they are s good, Additionally, there are a lot of heartwarming moments and I really loved Delilah's relationship with the kids at the orphanage.

I really enjoyed this one, as I've enjoyed all of Lana Ferguson's books. Even though it's about hockey which isn't going on anymore, this is such a great read for summer.

Delilah is a baker with a show that is in need of more views while Ian is a professional hockey player/ her brother’s best friend and is in need of good press. The two team up and fake date to help each other out.

If there is a hockey book, there is no doubt I’ll read it. An extra bonus if there is spice, zero miscommunication and no third act breakup. I enjoyed so much of this best friend’s brother hockey romance, especially how Lia and Ian’s relationship was built off of a friendship and all of the angst between them when they were fake dating. The scenes from the cooking show were also some of my favorites. While I found first half to be super strong, by the end I lost some of my love for the couple, which I think was a mix between the nicknames, Lila’s childhood crush moments going a bit too far and some of the added family drama taking away from the couple.

Read if you like: Brother’s best friend, Baker x hockey player, Childhood crush, Fake dating, Friends to lovers, Open door romance

Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I’m a simple girl, I see brother’s best friend x hockey romance x fake dating… I’m SOLD!
That being said, the story didn’t really pick up for me until about halfway. I felt like up until then it was quite repetitive in going over Lila’s previous feelings for Ian which took away from my excitement for what was happening in their present moment. However, once I got past that… I was giggling at their interactions! The spice was SPICY (this definitely made me want to read Lana’s other romances!). Jack added the perfect amount of comedic relief and I’d love to see a book about him too.

Thank you to Berkeley romance and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This was my first Lana Ferguson book. A baker and hockey star? Sign me up. this was enjoyable in the fact that it wasn’t so series that I had to take breaks.

This is my first book by this author. This was an enjoyable read- hockey and baking are two of my favorites in a setting so combined was fun. I didn’t connect to these characters as much, their story was a bit more surface level for me- my favorite character was actually the main female characters brother! If he has a book, I am totally reading it!
3.5 stars

⭐️: 3/5

Ian, a hockey player with a PR problem, and Delilah, a TV baker with a ratings problem collaborate together on an episode of Delilah’s show in order to help both of them with their problems, but when viewers start to ship them, they find themselves on a fast track to a fake relationship for publicity purposes. The problem is that Ian is Delilah’s brother’s best friend, and she has always had a crush on him, and now that Delilah is all grown up, Ian is noticing her in a whole new way too, and the the lines between real and fake begin to blur.

There were things that I loved and things that I really didn’t love about this book, so let’s start with things that I loved. With brother’s best friend, fake dating, hockey, no third act breakup, etc, the tropes were great in this one too. The spice was also what you’d expect from a Lana Ferguson book, which is to say, pretty good and pretty spicy. I thought the manifestation of Delilah’s crush on Ian was really cute, and I really liked how it didn’t turn into a ~weird~ thing that she was into him before he was into her. I also loved how protective Ian was to the people he cared about, including Dee. Now for the things I didn’t like. The overarching story was too contrived, making a big thing out of something that absolutely would not be a big thing in the real world. Nobody cares if a professional male athlete is cheating, especially not to the degree that this book makes it out to be a plot point. Should they? Sure. But the truth is, they don’t. So the like, why of the whole story didn’t make sense. I was kind of geared up for the big secret not to be so obvious, but it was exactly as obvious as it seems from the start, so it was just kind of flat. It made zero sense why Ian wouldn’t just tell the truth, and the nonsensical logic was distracting from the rest of the story. I think this book also suffered from the plethora of better hockey romance books out there, which is unfortunate. Anyway, still a cute, light, quick book, but not my favorite.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I have read all of Lana’s previous books and when I say her writing is just so easy to read I mean it, this one was no different. I really enjoyed the connection between Lila and Ian, the way they showed up for each other and how their relationship grew. The spice between these two was TOP NOTCH! 🤌🏻😮‍💨

I will say that I had a hunch that Abby was his sister. It seemed obvious to me but it may not be to others. But otherwise, this was an amazing book!

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

This is both super cute and super spicy! Two words: Shower. Scene. 🔥🔥🔥 If you're looking for a cute, spicy romance this is it. The banter between Lila and Ian had me giggling. I loved how she challenged Ian and how much she trusted him. I also really enjoyed that there are conversations that take place and there is no miscommunication trope. I had a lot of fun with this and I'm hoping we'll get a spin off with Jack and maybe Abby? 🤞💖

✨️ Sports Romance - Hockey
✨️ Brother's Best Friend
✨️ Fake Dating
✨️ Age Gap
✨️ Friends to Lovers
✨️ Childhood Crush
✨️ He Calls Her Brat, She Calls Him Cupcake
✨️ No 3rd Act Break-Up

Hockey, cupcakes, brother’s best friend/friends to lover trope, what more could you ask for in romance?! And The Game Changer delivered on all accounts! Ian Chase is back after years away from home after a very public divorce but his team thinks there’s an easy solution: he fake dates his best friend’s sister Delilah, a local TV baker who is having some rating problems of her own. But this PR stunt ends up stirring up old (and new) feelings and suddenly it suddenly it doesn’t feel like a game anymore. I loved this book. It was sweet and had so much heart, it was steamy and witty. It just has all the things. I was kind of tired of the word “brat” by the end, but Delilah and Ian are adorable. Their banter is spot on. The side characters, especially Delilah’s brother Jack, were great additions, they were so vivid and made the story just feel that much more well-rounded. It was truly precious how Ian falls for her, he is so gentle and kind, taking care of everyone around him. And Delilah is all sunshine and kindness too. These two take care of each other and it’s romantic and sweet, and the characters are easy to root for. Great rom com, highly recommend!

Great quick read that focuses on character development in addition to the romance plot. This story did a fantastic job of showcasing two characters that were magnetically pulled together, while also focusing on their own lives and careers, without pulling away from having fully formed characters.

Once again, Ferguson writes a wildly romantic and steamy romance that is both parts fun and heartfelt.

I loved the idea of a hockey romance with the tropes of pining, the love interest being her brother’s best friend, and a touch of fake dating. It was sweet, lighthearted, and made me smile (especially the nickname Cupcake!). For some reason, this romance didn’t 100% draw me in like The Nanny, but it was still an enjoyable story and a great beach read for the summer.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Delilah has had a crush on Ian forever, so when she gets the chance to pretend date him to help him with a PR problem, and in turn help her own baking show, she shoots her shot. Ian has been MIA for years after he left under highly-publicized and suspicious circumstances, but he's back and he needs Delilah's help, but he's starting to feel something other than the affectionate-older-brother role he'd felt in the past. Can Ian and Delilah convince the world that they're dating? Can Delilah protect her heart or convince Ian that this is the real deal?

This book has it all: childhood crushes, best-friend's little sister, fake dating, a baking show, hockey players, orphans, and more! I had such a great time reading this book - Lana Ferguson's books are always super compelling and hard to put down; I'm pretty sure I read this in under a day. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a hockey romance or just a fun read in general.

This romance had all the best characteristics of a hockey romance! If you are a fan of the following tropes, you will love this book:
- Best Friend's Little Sister
- Childhood Best Friend
- She Fell First but He Fell Harder
- Fake Relationship
- Found Family
- Baking Shows
I'm a sucker for a hockey romance and while I liked Lana Ferguson's first two books, this one is definitely my favorite of hers now!

This was, by far, the best Lana Ferguson book to date. The sports were sporting, there was a little blushy boy, and I loved the brother (can we have a book for him? please?)

I loved the dynamic between Delilah and Ian. Dee is bold and straightforward with what she wants and thinks, which pairs beautifully with sweet Ian. He blushes at everything and is quiet and nice. He protects the people around him by taking on more than he should and doing so with grace and humility. I love this man. And I loved the way he worked with Dee. Their chemistry was off the charts. I wished so badly that I could see their cooking segment because I know I would have swooned.

I also loved Delilah's brother, Jack. He was so funny and cringey and I fell for this man so fast. His whole arm sling thing was cute and he handled everything with Dee and Ian so well. I want him to have his own book so bad. I'm already in love with him so maybe it's dangerous to give him an HEA but i want it. I want to be given the chance to obsess over him. please and thank you

Overall, I LOVED this book. I will never be over our gorgeous ginger-haired gentle giant and his perfect complement. If you enjoy quick hockey romances with a lot of heart (among other body parts), you'll love this one!