Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC.

Well, this romantic comedy definitely had a quirky plot! I throughly enjoyed the excitement and was eager to see how things played out for Jess and Carter. Their chemistry translated well. Flirty, cute, sexy. 😍

Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fresh and funny read.

This is perfect for small town romance/women’s fiction fans that enjoy a cast of quirky characters. In personally was hoping for more of the romance elements.

Even though there is a funeral this book turns out to be funny. The two main characters are put together by the deceased grandfather of the story and now the different teams a set on a course of different events with the winning team getting the prize at the end. Really though this is a fun book dealing with memories and with a grandfather putting two people together.

4/4.5 stars!
I really enjoyed this one! I’ve enjoyed reading author Lacie Waldron’s books and was so excited for this latest release. I’d been looking for my next small town romance, and this delivered.

The multiple POVs were fun, and I always enjoy getting the perspectives from side characters too.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-small town vibes
-a feel good romance
-likeable characters
-multiple POVs

*many thanks to Putnam, Netgalley and PRH Audio for the gifted copy for review

I liked the book. Not as much romance as I would have expected there to be, but overall a great read. The characters were charming and a decent storyline to keep up with.

This was my first Waldon book, and it did not disappoint! I fell in love with the small town of Redford, GA! The Only Game in Town is a funny, light-hearted rom-com that kept me chuckling and engaged all the way through! It could definitely be a Hallmark movie:) I could have used a little more romance; it was definitely a slow burn. As soon as I finished I found more of her books because now I"m a fan!
Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putnam and to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was an adorably sweet small town romance. I loved the main characters but the supporting characters from the small town of Redford, Georgia stole my heart! The relationships felt so genuine and created the perfect dynamic for a small town.

Telling the story through multiple POVs was a very refreshing experience. I enjoyed getting to know the views of not only the main characters of Jess and Carter but also Jess' dad and her arch nemesis. I felt like I was a resident of Redford and completely involved in the friendships, feuds and competitions.

Carter's eccentric grandfather, Jasper, has died and left 10 million dollars to winners of a competition that he organized in his will. The teams are set up by him and involve each of the town's people paired up in ways they would not chose on their own. This creates some tense and hilarious moments. The town's people are in agreement of one thing though and that is that they do not like the outsider Carter, especially since they think the contest is rigged for him to win.

Jess is distracted by Carter but is determined to win the competition. She pushes him away only to be pulled back in by his charms. They are a couple you cannot help but hope they make it in the end. In order for them to get together though they definitely need to start communicating better!

This is an extremely well written book. The multiple points of view flow flawlessly together. The excitement of the completion is well conveyed and the characters determination to win feels very genuine and relatable. The storyline is very well thought out and perfectly executed.

Overall, I loved getting to know all the people of Redford and enjoyed the growing relationship of Jess and Carter. It is a fun book and highly recommend it!

I am very grateful to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

When a beloved townsperson from the town of Redford, Georgia passes away, his grandson, Carter, comes to town for his funeral. Instead of just a funeral, he finds out that his grandfather has planned an elaborate competition to inherit his 10 million dollar estate.

Carter meets Jess, a Redford resident, promptly after he arrives, and they hit it off immediately.

Romance is secondary to our epic competition, but it is still so sweet. We get the POV of several characters, and it gives us a well-rounded view of everything happening at once. The book is quick-paced and draws you in right away. It picks you up, sets you down in Redford and then doesn't let up until the epilogue.

Lacie Waldon is gifted at writing a book with tons of activity and character all of which are captivating!

This book was written for you if:
1) You like the Community episode S3.E20 ∙ Digital Estate Planning
2) You're interested in reading from multiple POVs
3) You want a sweet romance that has plenty of plot to help it stand alone

I found this book to be ok. The romance takes a backseat to the quest, which I was a little disappointed about. At times I was confused with the multiple POV's and third person narrative.

This book was so charming! I loved the premise of a game to determine who gets the money from a will. Both the male and female leads are lovable and multifaceted, and the cast of supporting characters reminded me of the citizens of Stars Hollow. This is a light and fun read that I would highly recommend.

I had high hopes for 'The Only Game in Town,' but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. While the premise was intriguing, the execution left much to be desired. The characters lacked depth, and the plot felt predictable. The writing style also didn't engage me as much as I had hoped. Additionally, the use of multiple points of view in telling the story made it confusing at times, and it disrupted the flow of the narrative. Overall, it was a forgettable read that didn't live up to its potential.

I loved this small town and its zany characters. Brilliantly told.
Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An enjoyable but predictable story about a small town unwittingly dependent on the secret philanthropy of a local bon vivant. The residents of Redford, GA, are thrown into excitement and turmoil when its most prominent citizen dies leaving $10 million for the winners of his bizarre competition. Each team is a pair who have clashed in the past but must set aside their differences in physical and mental challenges, with one exception: the heir apparent from Atlanta is given a spot, causing everyone to wonder if the contest is rigged.

The story rotates through multiple perspectives, with the most interesting coming from the bad girl known for her razor-sharp tongue. Alas, we get more of the local Pollyanna-type’s perspective—cute but not as compelling a character arc.

3.5 stars

I would not call this a romcom. There are pov chapters of several characters in the town, not just the ‘couple.’ It’s cute, but lots going on, between the challenge and the relational dynamics of the town citizens.

Favorite lines
“I traded in my body obsession card to the Female Inadequacy Council for a perpetual dissatisfaction with my nails. So I can eat as much as I want, as long as I get regular manicures.” - lol a good comeback

“If the next challenge is crossing a lake in a boat carved from the wooden equivalent of Swiss cheese, our teams will be leading the pack.” - lol again, and I love Swiss cheese

“You knew where you belonged. You’re lucky. A lot of people don’t.” - I found that in New York (where the MC didn’t in this instance and moved back home), and I so hope others find a home for themselves too

“They’d moved on from arguing about yoga. (Bryce was in favor of any exercise that included napping on a map. Nikki was against it because she claimed flexibility was for people who’d given up on standing their ground.)” - again, pretty hilarious - and I don’t do yoga at all

“Sometimes you just want the wrong thing. And sometimes you’re not really sure you deserve anything better than that.” - Aw poor Nikki

“To belong was all she’d ever wanted. Not even to fit in or be liked, just to be connected to a group of people who were willing to live their lives with her.” - goals

A little too cute/cheesy for me - I tried to like it but it fell flat. I liked her previous novel better.

This was an interesting read. I was entertained throughout, although I thought the romance definitely took second (or even third) place to other elements of the book. It was also a bit cheesy at times, but a quick and easy read!

Thank you to @netgalley for my eARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I love dual point of view books, but the random mix in of more characters is really hard for me to read. That and the story just wasn’t one I could get into. I’ve loved Lacey Walton’s books in the past. Sadly,
This just wasn’t one of them.

The Only Game in Town is the perfect summer romance. I loved reading another Lacie Walden book. This book has a slow-burn romance and I absolutely love a good slow-burn!! This is a romantic comedy with a small town competition perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty but for an older audience.

I have loved all if Waldon’s books, and this is no exception. The small town and the competition made for such a delightful story with a fun and unique premise. I enjoyed every moment!

The plot of this one was unique (and could make a good Hallmark movie): a small town's eccentric benefactor devises a game and the winner inherits his estate; enter his grandson, the big city boy who never thought he'd find himself in a small town; romance ensues. My biggest gripe with this one was that it was too long – over 400 pages for a rom com is a bit too much, and the story dragged in parts because of it. Its wholesomeness, the town's characters, and the desire to find out how the competition ended redeemed it though, and overall it was a cute, cozy, small town romance.