No surprise but I absolutely LOVED this dual POV, older brother's best friend, fake dating (turned real, REAL FAST), super STEAMY romance between a reality tv show baker and a pro hockey player in need of PR help. HOT and full of heart, this book delivered on both the steam and feels and I was 100% here for it all! It was also really great on audio narrated by Zachary Webber and Samantha Brentmoor. Highly recommended for fans of Tessa Bailey! Many thanks to NetGalley and @prhaudio for the early digital and complimentary ALC copies!

My God this book was hot! I really loved it. I liked the relationship between Lila and Ian and that it started in childhood. This is my first hockey romance and I'll definitely be reading more. I loved the banter between Lila and Ian. The baker show with both of them was cute too. It felt like that was all background to Lila and Ian's hot sex scenes though. Good times. Highly recommend this way open door romance.

Rating: 3.5/5
Steam: 3.5/5

Thank you to Berkley Romance and PRH for access to these advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quick Thoughts: Ian is the swoony perfect book boyfriend, and Delilah is fun and sweet. This book was cute, with their friendship being the chef's kiss of the overall story. The steam was well done, although I wasn't completely blown away by the overall plot.

I enjoyed a good amount of this best friend's brother hockey romance, particularly how Delilah and Ian's relationship was built on a solid foundation of friendship. The scenes from the cooking show were especially sweet. While the first half of the book was strong, my enjoyment waned by the end. The nicknames, Delilah's childhood crush moments that went a bit too far, and some added family drama detracted from the couple's story. The family drama felt like unnecessary filler that didn't contribute to the couple's development.

Overall, it felt like the author was writing to current trends. The book wasn't bad, but it wasn't a standout novel either. I wanted to see more reasons why the main couple wanted to be together in the present day. They talked a lot about their past connection, but given that they hadn't been in touch for so long, I needed to know what they loved about each other now.

We'll see what Ferguson writes next, but I'm genuinely confused about the back-and-forth between contemporary and fantasy romance. I would love it if the author picked a lane for a bit.

This was a really entertaining brother's best friend romance. Every time I pick up a Lana Ferguson book, I know I'm in for some scorching hot times and The Game Changer definitely delivered!

Things to look forward to:
- brother's best friend
- sports and foodie romance
- fake dating
- slow burn
- forced proximity
- friends to lovers
- it's always been you
- all the pining
- off the charts melt your earbuds/kindle sexual chemistry
- sexy times outside the bedroom (*cough* locker room *cough*)
- found family
- hilarious and sweet bromance
- no third act breakup

I really appreciated that most of the drama in this one was external to our main couple. There were lots of clues leading up to the reveal, so it wasn't a big surprise, but I liked how it was ultimately handled by Ian and Delilah. I did think that they should have spoken to Jack a lot earlier about their relationship, but I can understand why they hesitated. The epilogue was very sweet and seeing these characters come full circle was very satisfying.

I loved the narration by Zachary Webber and Samantha Summers. Both were perfectly cast and I loved how "enthusiastic" their performances were, especially during those spicy scenes. I definitely recommend experiencing this one on audio if you have the chance.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW: death of parents (past), grief, panic attack, parental infidelity, emotionally abusive parent, strained relationship with parent

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

3.5⭐️

A good hockey player x baker romance. This book has two of my favorite tropes brothers best friend and fake dating. The romance between the main characters was nice but I feel like they needed a little bit more chemistry. Overall a great read with no third act breakup.




Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!!

This should be a shock to no one, since I have loved all of her books, but I LOVED this book (and I've already reread it)! I love a sports romance and I love the brothers best friend trope - so naturally I was hyped for this one, and it really delivered! 
 
As always with Lana's books, I ate this bad boy UP!! Something about her writing voice really works for me - I get so invested in her stories so quickly and forget to move for hours. Her writing a sports romance with fake dating and the brother's best friend trope? Game over.  
 
Ian and Delilah were such fun and interesting leading characters. I adored their banter - they had me kicking my feet and giggling (and genuinely laughing out loud a few times). Their shift from friends to something more was filled with delicious tension and steam - getting this journey in dual POV was really fun and helped build that chemistry and tension. Also, I love a couple who grows together - and these two did just that.  
 
If you like your sports romances spicy, you should definitely pick up The Game Changer when it comes out next week. It's got Lana's signature spice, some lovely swoony moments, incredible banter, and the heart to match the heat.

I was excited to see Lana Ferguson delve into the sports romance genre. Delilah is a Baker at a local TV station with a dip in the ratings. Ian is a hockey player with a not-so-sparkly past. Together they devise a plan to boost each other's reputation. This PR stunt will either be a total game-changer—or leave them both totally pucked.

Like every other book I've read from Lana, this book is SPICY! You won't regret picking it up if you're looking for a little Smut. While this book is light and spicy, I felt like both characters had a substantial background that kept you rooting for them. Ian's father, who happens to own the team he plays on, runs a tight ship and not in a good way. Delilah and her brother who is also on the hockey team with Ian, grew up with their aunt after their parents passed. Ian's family particularly brought the drama with the side plot with the unraveling of Ian's family. It was dramatic and resolved so well.

The one thing I didn't love about this book is that Ian kept calling Delilah a brat. Especially like during foreplay. It was extremely overused and the term is a bit childish.

Read if you like a brother's best friend, fake dating, friends to lovers, sports romance. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 7/9

- fake dating
- brother's best friend
- hockey romance
- slow burn

This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. Don’t let this cute cartoon cover fool you, as I certainly did not expect the mouth on Ian ya’ll. I found the characters to be super lovable, I enjoyed their banter and their chemistry.
If you’re looking for a sweet, yet spicy faking dating, brother’s best friend I recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Pub for the eARC

Ian Chase's public divorce jeopardizes his hockey career, but teaming up with Delilah Baker, his best friend's little sister and baking show host, offers a solution. As their fake relationship helps both their careers, the lines between what’s for the show and real feelings starts to blur.

Lana Ferguson has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors! Her ability to craft compelling stories across various romance tropes never ceases to amaze me and I was thrilled to dive into a hockey and baker romance with The Game Changer. The chemistry between Delilah and Ian was both sweet and spicy, making their connection irresistibly engaging. Their banter was on fire, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to their blossoming romance. What stood out to me was Ian's character development throughout the story, which added depth and authenticity to the narrative. The dual perspectives from Delilah and Ian kept me thoroughly engaged, allowing me to connect with both characters on a deeper level. The quirky side characters, especially Delilah's older brother and Ian's best friend, Jack, brought additional charm to the story. Jack's dynamic presence has me hoping for his own love story in a future book. The Game Changer is now my all-time favorite book from Lana Ferguson to date. Highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. With the release date approaching it was time for a review. I absolutely adored this book. You can’t go wrong with a hockey romance involving a Baker and her brother’s hot best friend. It was such a fun read that tugged at my heartstrings towards the end! While I was able to predict the “scandal” surrounding Ian, the way it all came about was a shock. Lana Ferguson knows how to make a romance novel gripping from the first few pages. I’m giving this one a solid 4.5 stars. The spice though? 5 stars!!

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.