I didn’t love this one but I also didn’t dislike it. Ella and Hudson felt like very realistic characters, both young college students with big dreams yet realistic views. I’m just not a fan of the whole “casual” relationship that turns serious. It’s very clear from the beginning where it’s heading and I just get annoyed with the characters in the interim. I also found a lot of the cheer/football routines and practice scenes to be quite boring, this is probably just a “me” problem as I’m not huge into sports. I will say however that the ending was perfect and wrapped up the story neatly.

This sizzling sports romance delivers the perfect mix of tension, heart, and undeniable chemistry. When Oxford transplant Ella Davies arrives at Whitland University, she’s focused on one goal: proving herself on the elite cheer squad. But fate—and the annoyingly irresistible quarterback, Hudson Fox—have other plans. What starts as a no-strings-attached fling quickly becomes anything but, as their undeniable pull threatens to upend both of their carefully laid ambitions.

Ella is a refreshing and determined heroine, bringing a bold, competitive spirit to the world of collegiate cheerleading. Meanwhile, Hudson embodies the brooding, driven athlete who’s sworn off distractions—until he meets the one person he can’t ignore. Their banter crackles with energy, and the slow burn of their romance makes every stolen moment feel electric.

Beyond the swoon-worthy romance, the novel shines with its deep dive into sports culture, exploring the pressures of collegiate athletics, personal ambition, and the sacrifices that come with chasing dreams. With sharp writing, strong character development, and a storyline that keeps readers rooting for love, this book is a must-read for fans of sports romances, opposites-attract dynamics, and the thrill of falling for someone you were never supposed to.

A cute sports romance. A bit more sports than I expected and there was a fun twist to the usual cheerleader/football star formula. Fun romance, fun characters, cute and spicy story.

I ended up DNF'ing this book around the 52% mark.

I had complex feelings around DNF'ing as there were some things I really LOVED about this book! For one, the character dialogue was so well written. There were so many times when I got lost in the main characters conversations because it felt real. I also think the author did an excellent job of creating an engaging opening. I was sold, ready to follow Ella to America! The fact that he ex was going to be on the same campus added a layer of tension that was exciting!

I ultimately ended up not finishing the book due to how Ella's character fell flat. It felt like more work was put into the character ARC for Hudson so I found myself skimming through Ella's chapters. For a while, I was also struggling with being invested in the main characters entirely. Then I realized I was unsure of the stakes for the characters. In the end, I just wasn't invested enough to continue in Hudson and Ella's story.

This is honestly the book my dreams, just like all of Ki’s books are. I’m feeling so grateful to have gotten to read this already! To have read her trad debut already! I remember knowing how special Ki was when I first arc read Spring Tide!

Ella and Hudson are perfection. A one night stand to no strings attached but also so many strings!! They also became such good FRIENDS! And I love watching them figure it out, and try to fight their feelings for as long as they could! But their instant connection was delicious and there was no getting away from that.

I loved how vulnerable they were able to be with each other. Despite the temporariness of their situation they couldn’t help but feel so comfortable and safe in their relationship. Hudson was able to open up about his mental health and Ella was able to tell to him about her strained family situation.

Also my favorite thing about Hudson, among many things obviously, was that football was not his end goal. It was still very much a sports romance, but the fact that he wasn’t hoping to make it to the NFL felt so refreshing. And I LOVED that they got to bond over cheer! It was SO FUN. And it was so important to both of them, and I loved that they got to share that.

I am a fan of Ki for life, I will always read her books! And I cannot wait for more from this series??!!

Thank you so much to SMP for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

For whatever reason this one just wasn’t able to hold my attention. I love sports romances, especially football and cheer, but it seemed overly technical to me. I get needing to explain how stunts are done and how football practices/games go, but it was so focused on those details that my attention kept waning and I’d have to reread pages several times. There was more focus on those things than progressing the story at times, it seemed.

Game On follows Ella as she moves from Oxford to Nashville for a study abroad year. She encounters lots of culture shocks - the biggest one being Hudson, the school's football star. They agree to a no-strings-attached relationship and who would guess.. they get attached.

This book was a fun time and definitely worth the read for fans of new adult and college romances!