Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was, in a word.... fine. Nothing really stuck out about it, the romance isn't particularly compelling, and the characters are (for the most part) a bit one dimensional. It's not spicy, which is fine, but it's so cloyingly, Hallmark movie sweet that even I was turned off by it.

Also, the main character doesn't have much personality beyond being quirky and different" She's essentially Jess from New Girl, but she's... Jess from Redford. Actually, I'm pretty sure she's just Jess from New Girl.

📖 THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN by Lacie Waldon 

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  

💕I like Lacie Waldon's previous books, and I was really looking forward to reading this one. Romance, puzzles, and adventure? Yes, please! 😁

At first, I had a hard time getting into this book, but somewhere in the middle it finally gripped me. This small-town novel is a fun story with cute, embarrassing moments. My only wish is for it to have more romance. It felt more like lighthearted women’s fiction or maybe just general fiction. I liked all the characters (even Jess’s nemesis Nikki and all the quirky ones), but I think four POVs was a bit too many. 

I'm looking forward to reading more books from Lacie Waldon.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC of The Only Game in Town. The premise of this story is really fun. A town comes together to win a prize left by a beloved community member. Despite there being some good opportunity for drama, the story was pretty even keeled and perceived drama was resolved quickly. I enjoyed the multiple POV and thought that added depth.

I had a hard time getting invested in this book and until about 45% I considered DNF, except I really wanted to know what happened. I stuck with it and the story was sweet. The culmination was a bit anticlimactic but rewarding. The dialogue was strong but there was what felt to me to be a lot of superfluous background and detail.

I recommend this for lovers of closed door, sweet romances with a fun story and low drama.

I was super excited to be able to review this book! This is set in a small town in Georgia which is very close to what my actual real-life town is like. This book had real Sweet Home Alabama vibes with a Georgia twist. In short, a small-town girl starts to fall for the big-city guy who comes to town because of a death in his family. Here is the twist instead of the city guy getting everything in the will he gets nothing. His wealthy grandfather left everything to the small town but the only problem is the people have to compete for the prize. Yes, I said to compete. This was the best quirky novel I have read in a very long time and I loved it. I will be buying a physical copy to be putting on my shelf

i usually really like lacie waldons books but this one was the expection..
first of all i know it’s a fun book but the premise was just ridiculous and unbelievable like it did not make sense and the whole thing felt crazy
the pacing was slow and weird and when it was about the romance, it all happened super quickly which felt like the romance was being forced on us.
otherwise this is a fun read if you really enjoy na adventure

DNF. I got about 65% through and couldn't get through it. I thought I could put the story premise aside but I just couldn't get past the saccharine plot and the one dimensional characters. This read like a Hallmark movie with not a lot of nuance in the characters. Jess and Carter have a lot of insta-love insta-attraction going on which I found really unrealistic, and for all the innuendo I was surprised when this turned out to be a closed door romance.

***

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishing team for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

There was a lot of small town adorableness here to enjoy. I liked the competitions and Jess and Carter's romance. I'm not sure why we had a few chapters by Ross thrown in? I felt like he could have been omitted, but then again, maybe that was to help balance out the few Nikki chapters? I also wanted more of an ending than what we got in the epilogue.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun concept for a book! I love a little competition between characters haha. Very cute characters in a charming small town. Not as much romance, but it was still a great read!

Thank you NetGalley and Lacie Waldon!

I received an e-ARC of this book and I was really excited as the description sounded really cute and the cover of the book seemed fun.

Jess is from the small town Redford where a wealthy man named Jasper Wilhelm has passed. He loved the town of Redford and created a game for the town to win $10million. His grandson, Carter, comes to town for the funeral and joins in on the games.

Jess is teamed up with her used-to-be friend, Nikki. They don’t get along very well, so it will be interesting to see them as a team. Carter is teamed up with a local named Bryce.

There are a series of games to order to determine who the winner will be. Who will win?

I gave this book a 3 star review because I didn’t feel so much emotions with the book. I didn’t really see the romance/chemistry between certain characters. Some of the conversations seemed unnatural, but overall, it was a cute story. I personally liked the interaction between Jess and Nikki.

The Only Game in Town is wildly different from both The Layover and From the Jump, and I love that Lacie Waldon can write such different books and characters while keeping her beautiful writing style.

This doesn’t have the cinematic setting of The Layover, nor the crackling chemistry of From the Jump, but those things don’t detract from the story. What this book does have is a broad cast of small town characters with such depth that I felt as if I knew them all. It felt like i was there competing in the games with them.

I loved this concept and can’t wait to see what comes next from the author!

I give this 4.5 stars rounded up.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This was a quick and cute read! It has small town charm and a engaging story

I read The Only Game in Town in almost one sitting. It's packed with lovable characters, a charming small-town atmosphere and so much chemistry. It was the perfect comfort read for a rainy afternoon.

I’ve loved every book by Lacie Walden so far, so it’s no surprise this one was amazing as well! This takes place in the small town of Redford where everyone knows everything. When a rich community member dies, he creates a town-wide game to win a $10 million prize. We’re following Jess: a book editor who loves her town, Nikki: her sworn high school enemy, Ross: Jess’ loving father, and Carter: the grandson of recently deceased and new to town.

This story is so much more than a typical love story, but instead about friendship, family, and community. Definitely add this one to your bookshelves when it hits stores!

THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN is a perfect read for those who love Hallmark movies set in small towns. It would be an especially fun read for those who like closed-door romances.

For me, however, THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN was disappointing. It wasn't a terrible book. It was quaint and cute. But it fell flat for me compared to Lacie's two other novels.

THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN is geared more towards women's fiction. The romance between Jess and Carter takes a backseat to, well, the game in town.

The story is told from multiple points-of-view and I wished for only two points-of-view: Jess and Carter.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Putnam Group for an e-copy of THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN to read.

I rate THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN three out of five stars.

Great weekend read. Nothing better than a small town and the tales that come from it. Great characters, good growth, and a great time!

This was a cute book! Is it a romance? Probably not, but I love a small town-centric story. I'd definitely read it again, and loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I think i have read everything Lacie Waldon has written. This book was pretty much like the previous ones but i still enjoyed it. I kinda thought i knew how it would end up but it was a cute fun read.

I thought this book was quite good, definitely surprised me! Loved all the different perspectives and getting in the minds of so many characters. Would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun read!

This was a sweet book about a small town and a race for $10 million. I enjoyed this book but honestly I was expecting more. It’s categorized on NetGalley as a romance but it felt as though the romance fell on the back burner for some of the story. I think this would be better categorized as a contemporary fiction with a side of romance. I feel like Jess was a relatable character who gets into some embarrassing moments. There were also 4 different POVs in this story so it was kind of difficult for me to follow. I’ve never read a LaCie Waldron before and I’m not sure if I’ll be picking up another.

What a sweet book about a small town whose residents have to play an intricate game together after the death of a wealthy, longtime resident. To bill this as a romance is a bit off - it’s more so about the town, it’s members, their feuds, and how they get beyond them.