I can’t get enough of Lana Ferguson’s romances! She had solidified herself as one of my autobuy authors and The Game Changer is just another example of how she continues to excel in the genre.

A disastrous public breakup and a cooking show’s low ratings force hockey star Ian Chase and celebrity chef Delilah Baker into a fake dating relationship in attempts to boost both of their careers. Ian and Delilah are childhood friends (Delilah’s brother Jack also plays with Ian for Boston’s hockey team) but haven’t seen each other in ten years. Ian was always the leading man in Delilah’s teenage fantasy’s but now that the two of them are milking a fake relationship, those feelings start to return tenfold. But what happens when their fake feelings start to turn into something more?

I adored the tropes in this book! There’s brothers best friend, hockey romance, and fake dating to name a few. The tension between Ian and Delilah was delicious and I loved seeing Ian finally come to his senses after years of Delilah pining for him in secret. I thought this was very well paced and enjoyed the lack of third act breakup. The spicy scenes in this book are just as appetizing as Delilah’s signature pastry’s and I have come to expect this level of steam with Ferguson’s writing.

I highly recommend The Game Changer for fans of sports / celebrity romance. It has the depth, heat, and heart that I’m always craving!

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Game Changer is a fresh take on the older brother’s best friend/best friend’s little sister trope and also implements fake dating in a unique way that didn’t leave me wanting to bang my head against the wall. (Because, let’s be honest, fake dating has become oversaturated in this market.)

There were many ways that this story could have unfolded, and I applaud the author’s choices to create the story that she did. It’s sweet without being saccharine, refreshingly devoid of the internalized misogyny that is sometimes present with the brother’s best friend trope, and has a great cast of characters.

This is my first Lana Ferguson book, but it won’t be my last.

Another winner from steam queen, Lana Ferguson. Who doesn't love a hockey romance, especially when it's a best friend's little sister?!? Delilah and Ian were such great characters and this slow burn, fake dating romance is one you are definitely going to want to pick up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Honestly, it is becoming more and more apparent, but I just KNOW when I pick up a book by Lana, I’m going to love it! Honestly, we all need that kind of stability in our lives! 😂

Right from the start, the chemistry between Ian and Lila was off the charts. In a romance, honestly, this is what I like to see! 👏🏼 Throw in a mutually beneficial fake relationship with allllllll the tension and you’ll have us readers eating out of the palm of your hand! I mean, just picture a ginger Thor with rolled-up sleeves in an apron being called Cupcake on a baking show on live tv! I am dead! 💀😂 Lana had me kicking my feet and squealing throughout this entire story, it was just so good! I could not get enough of these two lovebirds! This was for every girl who had a crush and wondered if it would ever come to be! 🤭🥰

Not only were our MCs absolute perfection, but the Druids players stole my heart! The banter between these boys was top-notch! I cannot help but wish and pray that we get to see more of them in the future… 👀

Thank you to Berkley Romance (@berkleyromance #berkleypartner) for the free book!

Ian, a hockey star, and Delilah, a TV baking sensation, are thrown together in a publicity stunt that quickly becomes more than just a professional arrangement. The chemistry between Ian and Delilah is palpable, and their journey from awkward collaboration to genuine connection is a delightful rollercoaster. The story is enriched by well-drawn supporting characters and the behind-the-scenes look at the worlds of professional sports and television. This novel is a sweet, satisfying treat for fans of contemporary romance, proving that sometimes the best recipes come from unexpected ingredients.

The first half of this book was absolutely amazing and captivating, but unfortunately it wasn’t like that throughout the entire book. I found myself getting a little bored but it was still a cute read!

The Game Changer is a lighthearted romcom following Delilah, a sunshiny baker, and Ian, a pro hockey player returning to his home team. With Delilah's baking show struggling and Ian's constant negative press, the two childhood friends team up to put on a show for the public and lean into their supposed romance. However, as they start to spend more time together, the lines begin to blur and they quickly find themselves unable to pretend and keep their feelings at bay.

This romance was so fun and flirty! Every page and interaction was so sweet and kept me engaged to the very end. Ian and Delilah were absolutely adorable together, I loved that they didn't hold back from each other and yet took the time to find their footing before putting a label on their relationship. The plot was super playful and I ate up every morsel of family drama, I loved that there was something more substantial to offset the unserious nature of the romance. I completely recommend this sweet and steamy romcom, full of chemistry, quirky banter, and so much charm.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

This is probably the first Lana Ferguson book that I didn't wholeheartedly enjoy.

It mostly had to do with the whiplash I felt between Delilah and Ian in the initial stages of their flirtation. It felt like I didn't get enough lead up into Ian wrapping his mind around being with Dee before they were together. As a result it felt like some of the conversations leading up to that culmination came out of nowhere.

Once they had gotten over that hurdle, the book was mostly okay and it was everything that I cexpect from a Lana Ferguson novel. But the first half was a rough Mish mash of a lot of different thoughts and feelings that never felt clean.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Lana Ferguson + hockey/baker romance + family trauma/drama = dream reading. Enjoy!

Being reunited with your childhood crush who just happens to be your brother's best friend in a fake dating arrangement for PR purposes is definitely one way to start a relationship. She's a baker who's show needs something to boost the ratings and he's the star hockey player who has come back to his home team and needs a way to cover up all the old news of his marriage... and his own father's secret that would destroy everything if it gets out. Delilah Baker is the "darling of baking" and has a tv show, but ratings are dwindling and she needs something to get the shows ratings up... so when her brother talks about his best friend coming back to join his hockey team again Delilah knows she has an in. It also helps that said best friend is also the guy Delilah has been head over heels for ever since she was young. Delilah has always had a crush on Ian Chase, her brother's best friend and an amazing hockey player. She put her crush on hold when Ian got married... but now he is back after his divorce and he is moving in with her brother. When the show says that Delilah and Ian should work together on the cooking show and promote a fake relationship to help boost her ratings and help cover up the media's obsession with Ian's divorce ( he is happily separated, he's best friends with his ex-wife and her new partner, and the photo of him with a mysterious woman who isn't his wife that circulated freshly after his divorce announcement has been all the media can latch on to). Ian just needs the media to back off him and the fact that the woman he's "supposedly with" in the photos is actually his father's secret child and Ian's half sister that he's had to keep a secret because his father is threatening him and his mother. Ian expected that working with his best friend's younger sister should be easy, he remembers her as the sweet kid he hung out with... except when he meets Delilah again she is something else completely and now he can't stop obsessing over her. Delilah and Ian are faking their relationship but real sparks begin to fly... but with Ian's family secrets and the fact that he might be years late in returning Delilah's feelings... can this relationship really work or is it just too late? Oh this was such a cute and sweet read. I am a sucker for childhood friends to lovers and this one was perfection. Delilah is such a sweetie and Ian was down so bad for her, I loved that their relationship was really sweet and that they talked to each other and really communicated with one another. I am a huge fan of Lana's writing and books and this one was another fun read!

Release Date: July 9,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

As someone who hasn’t read a Lana Ferguson book but is a hockey romance fanatic, i was nervous going into this. Lana exceeded my expectations and i LOVED getting to know ian and delilah. Truly one of my favorite hockey romances I have read!

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson 💕
Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Sports Romance
ARC Review
400 pages
🗓️ July 9

🏒 hockey romance
💕 best friend’s sister
🏒 friends to lovers
💕 childhood crush
🏒 age gap (less than 10 years)
💕 no 3rd act breakup
🏒 dual POV

📌“Maybe we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be, because all I know is that while I may not have wanted you as long as you’ve wanted me, I can say with absolute certainty that I have wanted you as hard as a person can want another person.”

📌“It always felt like you were mine first.”

📌“Maybe love can only truly be held by two people, because it’s too big for just one.”

I loved it.
I loved it with all my heart.

Sometimes I sign up for books I never heard of and authors I’ve never read before on NetGalley. I just see something that catches my eye, stop, read the blurb and request. Now, not always they’re winners. Most are okay, though. But once in a blue I get a book that blows my mind and captures my entire attention from page one. The Game Changer was one of those.

The banter. Holly baby llamas. The banter between these two was off the charts 👏🏼 Delilah and Ian were incredible together. The chemistry, the humor, the familiarity that only blooms from years of shared friendship.

But Delilah and Ian were also amazing as individuals. I honestly loved them as themselves and as a couple. As friends and as lovers.

I can’t also fail to mention my deep adoration for Jack. That man is a full storm and I’m here to watch the wreckage he might cause. Because I need a book on him. PLEASE. Maybe with a certain lady who happens to be very good at bossing him around 😜 PLEEEEAAAASSSEEE

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson
Rating: 3.5 stars
Steam: 3 chilis
Pub date: 7/9

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for my gifted e-copy!

Ian Chase is a hockey player in the midst of a PR crisis following a public breakup, and Delilah Baker is a popular baker with a dwindling audience on her local cable show. They were friends growing up, and it seems like a no-brainer to help each other out with a very public, fake dating scheme to improve both of their circumstances. But this leads to a series of staged romantic encounters that blur the line between fiction and reality.

This was a quick, fun, spicy read, and Ferguson's skill in crafting lovable characters shines through here. Ian, with his rugged exterior and teddy bear heart, and Delilah, the sweet and witty baking darling, create an authentic and believable connection. The brother’s best friend trope is one of my favorites, and I loved Jack, Delilah’s overprotective older brother.

While there’s a lot to love about this one, the continued use of their pet names became grating after a while, and I think there was too much emphasis throughout the story on Delilah’s crush on Ian when they were kids. It made it seem almost like the feelings were one-sided at times, making some of their interactions awkward.

Overall, this is an easy read that combines the excitement of a sports romance with the sweetness of a baking show. It’s perfect for fans of steamy romance looking for a story with heart and humor.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

The Game Changer was super fun and fast paced. I recommend it for fans of steamy sports romances.

Oh my goodness I absolutely ate this book up!! If you know me you know that I’m not a hater of friends to lovers/brothers best friend/fake dating/childhood crush to lovers, I just typically do not go after them. But this book seriously changed my mind on these tropes.

Delilah and Ian have such a strong foundation going into this book, they grew up together and have a lifelong mutual respect. But when life happens and Ian has to move away for work (he’s an NHL player), they fall out of touch. But when Ian moves back home and is hit with previous bad PR and Delilah’s network baking show has tanking numbers, they come up with a system to help them both.

Let’s be real: we all know that fake dating never winds up being fake. But it was so cute seeing Ian come to all of these realizations about her.

And omg they are seriously so in love it has probably destroyed my standards forever. She is such a comfort for him even in his hardest times, and he views her in such a reverential way. They had 0 miscommunication and there was no threat of a third act breaks up which I cannot even bring to say how much I appreciate.

When the burn finally burns the spice is GOOOOOOOD too. Ian has ~quite~ the mouth on him and I was sat here blushing the whole time. All I’m gonna say is there’s a locker room shower scene that is insane.

If you’re looking for a book with a bit of a cheesy base but will make you happy and you won’t have to think about too much you should definitely read this!!

Thank you so much to Berkeley, PRH, Net Galley, and Lana for the ARC!! I’m so super grateful :)

Delilah has been pining for her brother's best friend for as long as she can remember. When he returns back to Boston to finish out his career in hockey with his family's team, all old feelings become new. Ian wants to fly under the gossip rag radar as much as possible, especially due to previous encounters with the paparazzi. When he guest stars on Delilah's baking show, the comments are through the roof. Will a little fake dating get them both the ratings and good press they deserve? Or will this spark set fire to something that can't be denied?

This was a lovely, fairly fluffy contemporary romance with big heart. Delilah and Ian are friends first, then something more. Filling in the romance with brother's best friend, some fake dating, and she falls first but he falls harder, it was really fun to read. Some of the beats of the plot felt a little predictable, but in a weirdly reassuring way.

This was a great, fun beach read. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters and found them to be relatable and enjoyable.

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson is a brother's best friend slash teammate's little sister spicy romance that is simply irresistible!

Ian Chase has been away from Boston for far too long. Now, he's back to play for his beloved team, The Druids. He doesn't expect to fall for Delilah Baker, his best friend's little sister, and the girl he's always seen as a kid.

Delilah is known as the "the darling of baking." However, the ratings for her local cable show are dwindling, which results in a new idea forming: Have one of the hockey players from her brother's team come onto the show.

After a PR nightmare, Ian's team finds the perfect solution to help restore his image: Join forces with Delilah as a guest on her show. It's when they see each other that Delilah realizes her crush on Ian has never truly gone away, and Ian starts to notice that Delilah isn't so little anymore!

These two packed a strong punch on the tension and flirtation. Not only does the ratings for Delilah's show skyrocket with Ian involved, but rumors start to circulate that Ian and her are dating! *Cue the fake dating*

This book had me in all the feels! Delilah was perfect for Ian. She was always there to support him through everything! I loved the secondary characters as well and hope Jack gets his own book. I'm officially a Lana fan and can't wait to read her other books!

I think fans of short and quick hockey romances will be a fan of this book. For me I just never really connected to it unfortunately as the pacing was a little weird and I never really clicked with the characters.

I will say I never once expected to see a book with Twilight fanfic references and Daniel Radcliffe’s delicious….iykyk

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"I hate him," I grumble.
Ian chuckles softly. "No, you don't."
"No," I sigh. "I don't." I can't help but peck another kiss against his mouth. "Now, go on. You have a game to win."
"Sweetheart," he says, smiling against my mouth. "I already won."

This was a solid sports romance. I've really been enjoying Lana's books lately and this is another one I can add to my library 🩷

Both characters were great and I loved seeing both POVs, though I'm cooling a little bit on insta lust storylines, which this basically was. Not to mention there were several mentions to Lila's "obsession" with Ian as a kid, which was a little awkward imo.

There were parts of one of the main storylines that I didn't enjoy, and I really didn't enjoy how it all came to a head at the end, but this didn't have a a third act break-up which was AMAZING. Just another great example of a third act complication where the MC's stick together and communicate. Love to see it.

Would absolutely recommend for romance readers 💕