I enjoyed the sports side to this story but it definitely needed more editing/work. This book did have lots of spice but just didn't do it for me.

Great premise- needs work.

I really wish this book would have gotten a bit more editing. The American football slip-ups don’t bother me as much, because I assume this book will be a UK release as well as US, and simply don’t matter to the plot. BUT, plot holes are plentiful and ultimately, it felt like the author had an idea that could have been a series, or two separate books, but didn’t seamlessly work together.

Our hero and heroine are college sweethearts. A cheerleader from the UK (whose father was stationed in the states, allowing her to get an education), and a quarterback who is destined for the NFL. Our FMC, Lily is called back home across the pond for a family emergency right after “the big game” and right after she overhears our MMC (Tate)’s dad tell him to dumb her and focus on the game. Then we have a time jump forward.

We now jump not only to ten years later, but also from
Romcom to romantic suspense. This is when things fall apart. Why the hell is an MI6- I think that’s what it said- or similar- agent protecting an AMERICAN football player? Not FBI. Not CIA. Not DoD, etc. A foreign agent…..mmmmkay…..I must have missed an info dump? At the very least, we needed one line saying this was a joint task force and other agents are imbedded in other teams?! Idk- that was a really intriguing plot point that I just needed one reason to legitimize it in my mind. Also, I know this was inspired by the movie Miss Congeniality, in part, but unfortunately, it seems it’s just the secret agent and explosive device aspect and not the fun stuff. No makeover aspect, or really uncomfortable tension. The MCs seem to fall into comfortability- albeit somewhat resistant at times- and I wanted more awkward moments that would make me want to kick my feet and squeal, ya know?!

Positives do include good steam, some decent loathing/exes to lovers banter, overall it’s entertaining- even if at times frustrating and an HEA, if slightly ambiguous.

2.75 BUT, not a bad 2.75, just a “it needs work” 😜

Thank you so much One More Chapter, Harper Collin’s UK and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced work!

I’m going to be honest when I set the book to read on goodreads I had a quick look at other reviews and I was shocked to see so many 1 and 2 star reviews. Going in I didn’t expect much for the story due to that. My mind just couldn’t put the reviews to that book, doesn’t make sense. Is it the most amazing writing you’ll ever read? No, but it’s very rare that highly rated books are these days.

This book had such a great spin on your typical romance. I don’t think I’ve read a book before with a woman in charge, I loved reading it. The bodyguard spin and the drama that follows kept me hooked. I would’ve been happy to avoid all adult responsibilities and just read the book in one sitting.
The tension and spice between Lily & Tate is just *Chef’s Kiss*. I loved seeing them in the Prologue and how they rebuilt their connection and relationship the second time around. Sometimes all you need is a little forced proximity to get the job done. Tate is an American Football player and the sport does get mentioned but there isn’t any playing football until the end, so if you’re not into sports romances I would still definitely give this book a read.

I'm giving this book a 3.75 rating.

Quick Summary: A second-third chance at getting it right romance

My Review: The Big Game by Cassie Connor is a "...sassy, spicy and hilarious sports rom-com." It was released January 16, 2025.

About the Book: "It’s been years since Lily’s heart was shattered by her college sweetheart and star quarterback, Tate Donaghue. Now, he’s a high-profile NFL player, and unfortunately for Lily, her latest security assignment."

In My Own Words: A helicopter dad obsessed with his son's professional life causes a young athlete to lose the love of his life. When his ex returns on the scene, everything that was never said and done becomes a thing. Adding to the drama, there exists an unknown threat that might be the end of what should've been.

My Final Say: I really enjoyed this novel. I thought it was action-packed and entertaining. I was not expecting the bit of action angle that presented itself. While it ended it in a good place, there were a couple of dangling threads that I wanted addressed. It did not take away from the story, though.

Other: Readers who enjoy second chance love stories, sports-themed romances, light action/suspense, and will they/won't they scenarios should like this book.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter), and to NetGalley. Thank you so much for granting access a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review. I appreciate the opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for this e-ARC.

I liked this. This was a great sports romance, which I love. Fun and lighthearted, with some wonderful characters. I normally dislike the plot of forced misunderstanding and refusal to engage in honest communication, but it worked nicely in this story.

Part romcom, part thriller, this honestly made for a strange read. It didn't feel like it ever knew what it wanted to be. I'd agree with other people that the closest comparison is Miss Congeniality, with a threat that felt pretty silly. The sports side was also tenuous at best, even as a non-American a lot of it didn't really make sense. What this did well was balancing tension with spice, especially since these two had been together in the part. I'd read the same author with a different premise.

I enjoyed this I love a good sports romance and this was it
Light hearted fun with some amazing characters

It's an enjoyable, escapist, spicy romance between a successful American football star and a security expert hired as his close protection in response to a series of treats relating to him. The pair have a romantic history, a college romance that ended badly with misunderstandings. The break-up affected both their lives, and when they meet again, the chemistry is there, as is the emotional commitment, even though they both deny it. The story is a spicy romantic suspense with an emphasis on the romance. Despite the threat, it is a lighthearted read and ends well.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Big Game was a fun, corny romcom.
Definitely a perfect read for football fans.
The spice level is there as well as humorous moments.
The sexual tension between main characters Lily and Tate is intense.
The morale of this story? Communicate with each other is paramount!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I found this book to be a funny lighthearted read. Lily gave me serious miss congeniality vibes. self sufficient, armed and lethal. Tate is a people pleaser, who has spent years placating his dad. I generally dislike the forced misunderstanding and refusal to have a honest conversation plot, but in this book it worked well.
I thank you for the chance to read it and I would recommend

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC.

I love a good sports romance and this one did not disappoint! I enjoyed the chemistry that Lily and Tate had and I really liked their characters. I loved the whole Miss Congeniality vibes! The spice was just enough. This book was a quick fun read that I would recommend to others.

A smutty sports romance, enemies to lovers, touch her, and you die.
This was a good quick read, perfect for all romance fans.

As always, thank you to Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read The Big Game by Cassie Connor in exchange for an honest review.

In the big picture, I liked this book. After reading a couple of heavier books this is definitely one of those "palette cleanser" books that you can pick up and know that you will enjoy just by its fluffy romantic nature. I think that the authors note at the beginning of the book is really important because if I hadn't read that I think my review would be a bit harsher - however I am not a harsh person and went into this book fully understanding that I was reading a romance book and not a super accurate football book.

I think it is evident that there is a bit of a language barrier just in some of the phrases used, however I really do like the idea of this story and think it will appeal to certain audiences.

There was alot of potential here but it fell a little flat for me. There was tension and spice, something you can read without really turning your brain on

This was a very quick and distracting read but it is unfortunate full of issues. The author is British and knows nothing of American sports (which she calls out in the author’s note) but it is impossible to ignore and mixed with the numerous plot holes (mysterious injuries healing in no time amongst others) it really made it hard to engage.

I’d be interested in seeing what this author writes next but this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

I wanted a lot more from this book… as a Brit, it was painfully obvious it was a British author writing Americans. It needed an editor who could correct the Britishisms. There was so much potential but I don’t know, the plot holes were gaping.

It's apparent that the author is not from the states and has limited knowledge of football

But that being said I enjoyed the read with the badass female. Kinda like miss congeniality

I think the characters were more college level then pro ball but whatever

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I really wanted to like this one but it seemed forced and all over the place. And it was presented to me as four chili pepper spicy but it was definitely not that spicy.

The Big Game was a light rom-com read with an easy to follow story line and a second chance / enemies to lovers type romance.

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Second Chance
American Football

This book follows Lydia and Tate as they reconnect as adults after being high school flames. Tate is now a famous football player, and Lydia is recruited to be his close protection agent!
There is a bit of a "who done it" mystery with threats to Tate's life which keep things interesting. But this story is mostly about the second chance romance and characters personal development.
These two characters are both flawed, they have both experienced elements to their childhoods that have shaped the way they see love and how a relationship should work.
We see them push and pull each other during the trails of keeping Tate safe to play in the suprtbowl, we see them both learn and grow.
There are a few hazy details, not much detail on the football side of things (no mention of what position Tate plays?!) And a few "unbelievable" aspects. But all in all, I enjoyed this book, it was a light and easy read.
Thank you NetGalley and OneMoreChapter for allowing me to read this eARC

2/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collin’s UK, One More Chapter, and Cassie Conner for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Second chance romance
Sports romance
Forced proximity
Enemies to lovers
Fake dating

Tate and Lily dated in college, but broke up just when things were getting serious. Now Tate is in danger right before the biggest game of his career and needs protection since someone is out to kill him. Enter his new bodyguard/fake romance…but wait she’s familiar. Decent spice in here!

This book has potential, but it needs to be edited. Not only are there normal word choice errors, but it needs dialect editing very badly. Turns of phrase that are not used in America are constantly being used by the American characters. More than anything, I realize that often times we’re meant to have some level of suspension of belief when reading fiction…but this was just…the things that happened in this book would never happen that way. Like, some of the things just are plot holes and others are plot craters because if you take a second to think about them logically or use an ounce of critical thinking to how real people would assess the situation it’s just unreasonable to even think these events are plausible.