I really really REALLY loved this book of quirky characters in a weird town with a millionaire calling the shots from beyond the grave. It was both funny and heart breaking, and I made myself read it slowly to savor the plot as it unfolded. I feel very fortunate to hate received an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.25/5 stars! This contemporary romance by author Lacie Waldon was such a fun and quirky adventure. I enjoyed every minute of it. Jess leads a simple life, with her job and helping care for her father. Carter is a free spirit that got roped into this small town in Georgia by his grandfather. This unlikely duo is out to win it in this high-stakes game; if they don't drive each other crazy first. I thought this was a fun read, and I enjoyed the banter between the main characters. What I wasn't fond of, was the varying POVs. It got a little complicated and overwhelming.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I liked this book. I liked the concept, I liked the competition, and I liked the little romance that was actually there. But I expected way more romance. It is cute and sweet. I saw another review that mentioned Gilmore Girls and it does have a similar vibe.

DNF at 31% when I had such high hope. I was expecting a fun adventurous romance book about two people unexpectedly pushed together... this is not what I got. The romance definitely took a backseat two two girls dealing with unresolved beef from years ago. I didn't really like the small town vibe, it felt like there were too many people to keep track of. I just felt confused and the book just isn't for me.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this arc

There is a lot to like about The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon. Small town with loveable characters. Whacky competition organized by dead benefactor. Cozy family vibes and enemies that become friends. It’s a sweet book.

This was more about Jess loving her hometown than the relationship between Jess and Carter. It’s a light hearted, cozy story I’m sure many readers will enjoy. 3.5/5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. #TheOnlyGameinTown #NetGalley

The Only Game in Town was a cute feel-good story set in an adorable small town. All of the residents have their own quirks, there are some long-standing rivalries and grudges, but deep down - everyone cares and is willing to help out their neighbors. Carter and Jess have a cute romance in the book - definitely nice banter. The friendship with Nikki and Ross (and also Nikki and Jess) provides some comic relief and fun moments. The novel doesn't fit into a typical romance style but having chapters in the perspective of other town residents was refreshing. Overall the book was quirky, fun, and enjoyable. Thank you to Penguin Group / G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was such a fun, fun book. The Only Game in Town has a ridiculous premise - but in the BEST way. After eccentric millionaire Jasper Wilhelm dies, he doesn’t just leave his money to his family in a will like normal. Instead, he sets the entire town of Redford into a game to win his ten million dollars. Heroine Jess wants to win it so she can work to edit more of the books she loves and help her dad. Hero Carter wants to use the proceeds to keep acting as Redford’s anonymous benefactor.

This book was a lot of fun to read. The characters were just so flushed out and the antics of the game itself were super clever. While there was a romance in the book, it explored all the different types of love instead of just romantic. I’ve read Lacie Waldon’s other books and enjoyed them, but she really outdid herself with this one!

Felt less like a romance than a feel good story and I wish I’d known that going in. Suspend reality in this quirky, cute tale!

Thank you for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Think of this small town as Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, lots of little fueds and distinct personalitize, a town that feels like a family. This a romance between Jess and Carter but also a love story to small towns. Jess has lived in Redford, GA, her whole life, her Dad was 16 when she was born and he raised her on his own. Carter is from Atlanta and works in finance. He is astranged from all of his family except his grandfather. Jasper, his grandfather, recently passed and Carter has come to Redford for the funeral, but Jasper has one more plan up his sleeve. Jasper organized a town wide competiton to win his $10 million inheritance. He picked the teams, and no one is happy about them, and puts the town through some ridiculous challenges forcing everyone to have fun, come together, and fall in love with their small town.

If you love small town romances you are going to love this book. Every character has a distinct personality, silly actions/quirks that stand out. I loved that we not only got Jess and Carters POV but also Jess's Dad, Ross, and Jess's team partner/enemy, Nikki. It added to the small town charm but also gave more history to Jess. I wish we had another POV to support Carter's character more but thats ok. Carter and Jess clearly have chemisty and their banter is off the charts. I was laughing out loud and felt the characters pain. It was very well written and now I want to go visit Redford myself. I knocked off a star because I thought the end of the competition was a bit anticlimatic. That was the one scene I didn't feel like the characters reacted in the way I thought they would and felt a bit rushed. I would have liked a little more to it. But other than that this was a very fun read.

Tropes: Fall vibes; author; boat; competiton; Found Family; rivals; small town; unexpected inheritance; slow burn; clean romance

Quotes: "If he'd learned anything from being a single father, it was that you could never underestimate the amount of ice cream that might be needed."

"How can the smallest town I've ever been to give me the largest glimpse of the world I've ever seen?"

I really enjoyed this book! It is a lighthearted, quick story about a small town's competition to win 10 million dollars. The highlight of this book is the characterizations! You get to see personality and growth from even the side characters. The book is multi-POV, which really helped further develop the characters and their relationships.

With all of the challenges and wanting to find out who will win, the book flies by because you just can't stop turning the pages.

For romance lovers, this book is not filled with smut (closed door scenes only). Personally, I found that to be refreshing after some of the other "romances" I've read recently.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Lacie Waldon for this eARC!

I loved this story. The characters were wonderfully developed and the premise of an all-town game with contestants paired with unexpected (and in many cases unwanted) partners and huge prize money created a great plot. The romance between the small town girl and big city boy was well done and believable. This was a quick, entertaining, can't put down story for me. I highly recommend it. Thanks to Net Galley for letting me read this terrific story for my honest opinion.

*****Publishing March 21, 2023*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fun light read with a great story line! This book will have you turning the pages to find out who ultimately wins!

Such a clever premise, Jasper Wilhelm, a local millionaire, died unexpectedly. In his will, he has set up a high stake game for his community to compete, in order to win part of his fortune in the small town of Redford, Georgia. The only catch is that he has already matched up the teams. Most have been matched with their arch nemesis, so will they stay in the game or will they choose to forfeit? 10 million is at stake and only 1 team will win. It was rumored that the competition has been rigged, so will Carter, his grandson, ultimately win? Can a small town come together to compete with someone they normally wouldn’t choose to be with? Can they put their differences aside to figure out how to win? What will they all ultimately learn in the end?

What makes this book comical and entertaining is not only the storyline, but the characters, some of them are likable, while others are less desirable. Even though this book is fun, there are some serious topics interwoven, which makes for a heartfelt, but satisfying story. A perfect book to take on vacation!

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam , I was provided an ARC of The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet, fun, adventurous read!! Packed with an unusual combination of familiar tropes- eccentric dies and stages a competition to win some of his wealth; enemies to lovers- closed door scenes. A quick and entertaining read that was memorable

An eccentric, wealthy businessman (Jasper) organizes a game to be played after his death, in the town he called home. He arranges for 2 person teams to compete in challenges to win a prize of $5 million. One of the teams is Jess, our heroine, teamed up with her arch nemesis and resident Mean Girl, Nikki. Also playing, Carter (love interest) Jasper’s grandson, teamed up with the town bartender Bryce. The game is super fun and interesting, and the budding romance is sweet and tender. Closed door scenes, no smut.

The Only Game In Town

4.25 ⭐️

This is my third Lacie Waldon book and I just love how much adventure gets packed into these romcoms!

Set in a small town, the story follows a game where players are competing for the inheritance one of their neighbors left them. Normally, romcoms are told at most from dual perspectives but this one had a few more. I only think that added to the close knit community.

Check this one out when it comes out this March! Thanks to @netgalley for this advanced copy.

Yet another super cute story from Lacie Waldon. This is my third book of hers that I’ve read and she is always a solid storyteller. The Only Game in Town is a perfect read if you want a feel good story that takes place in a small town and includes a wild cast of characters. I enjoyed the four person POV that helped perfectly capture some of the relationships in the little town of Redford, GA; our heroine Jess, her father Ross, male interest Carter, and nemesis Nikki.
The death of town benefactor Jasper Wilhelm causes the townspeople to go a little crazy at the chance of winning $10 million dollars; the only catch? They have to play his game and agree to a blind partner match to win the money. The townspeople are what made this book so much fun. Every side character has a story (and probably a feud) that makes them important to the town. There’s so much humor and hijinxs between the characters and the banter between all four character perspectives is spot on. I found myself loving the challenges and the interactions between team members as they competed. Each challenge reveals a little more of our narrators and what makes them tick. A closed door romance, Jess and Carter’s relationship is secondary to the story of the town, but sweet and fulfilling nonetheless. I would love a romance for Ross, his book seems inevitable what with the storyline he’s been given (single, hot, young dad? Yes, please!) Even Nikki could have her own book with as much of a character arc as she’s given. I’m so happy I picked this up and know Lacie Waldon will continue to write creative and enters stories in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Only Game in Town is about a funky millionaire that decided his last will was going to be to leave his money to a couple of people living in his beloved town, though it won’t be easy since they first have to win a series of competitions in a week-long game. As you can imagine, this ensures a bunch of fun situations, especially since everyone seems to be paired with their enemies.

I liked that the book was narrated by a bunch of people instead of just the two main ones. It allowed to create a better setting, and it was easier for me to approach the town that everyone seemed to love.

It took a while for me to really get into this book, but once I did I really did have a wonderful time. Jess, one of the main characters, is a bright young woman with a huge heart, she was so full of optimism that I instantly loved her. And then we have her nemesis, Nikki, who I hated from the start but learned to like by the end. Carter, the grandson of the town’s deceased millionaire, could have been a poor spoiled pitiful crybaby, but he wasn’t. Carter was mature and gentlemanly and awesome.

One of the things I liked best about this book was how the conflict resolved at the end. It was very mature and adult, I loved seeing that.

The only complain I can think of is that sometimes it got to be a little slow, if the story would have been a little shorter I would have appreciated it more, I think. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant way to end my reading year.

3.5 stars rounded up

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldron centers around Redford, a small, close-knit town grieving the loss of Jasper Wilhelm. At his funeral, the town learns that Jasper has set up a series of games to determine a pair that will inherit millions of dollars. The catch? Jasper’s already assigned the teams. Jess Reid, resident and lover of Redford, will have to work with her high school tormentor. Plus, Jasper’s grandson, non-Redfordonian Carter Barclay, is one of the competitors.

The challenges of the game were very fun to read, and I really enjoyed the exploration of Jess and Carter’s characters and relationship. Waldon had an interesting take on the changing perspectives format that left me a little confused, and some of the characters’ relationships seemed to have been magically resolved without fully working out the problems. Honestly, sometimes the community of Redford seemed more toxic than charming. Even still, there were some sweet moments between the main characters and Jasper set up a good game.

*Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam/G. P. Putnam’s Sons, and Lacie Waldon for this ARC!

What I read: The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon

Why I picked it up: I found this on NetGalley and have loved her previous two books, so I requested it. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

How I read it: On e-galley via Kindle over the weekend.

What it’s about: Jess grew up in small town Georgia with her father Ross. Life was great – except for a group of mean girls who have been picking on her for more than a decade. Now the town’s benefactor has died and his inheritance of $10 million is being distributed via a game. Everyone has been paired with their arch-enemy … except Carter, his grandson, has been given a new friend. Jess and Carter find each other, even though they’re on opposite teams.

What I liked: I really loved how Jess understood herself, her emotions, and life quicker than most romance novel protagonists. She’s got a high level of self-awareness, and she felt like someone I would want to be friends with in real life.

What I disliked: The pettiness of Nikki, Lexi, and their ‘gang of mean girls’ felt very high school – but small towns can remain that way when people get a grudge in high school, don’t go away for college, and stay. It can be a true fact of life, but I can still dislike it.

Genre: Small town, closed door romance, finding oneself.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and definitely! I recommend all three of her books!!

This book was fun and even silly at times. I was kind of hoping for more romance vs women’s fiction but it was a quick fun read!

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review