Ian is ready to retire from his career in the NHL. After a public breakup leaves him with a lot of bad publicity, all he wants is one last year on his home ice before retiring.
Delilah has a baking show with dwindling numbers. She needs something big to keep her show.
Delilah is Ian's teammate, and best friends younger sister. Totally off limits.
But when an opportunity presents itself that'll be mutually beneficial for Delilah and Ian, they can't pass it up. The idea? Fake date. It'll improve Ian's reputation with the team, and Delilah's viewers will love seeing the huge hockey player in a pink apron making cupcakes.
Now all they have to do is not fall in love. Shouldn't be a problem.

I've been a bit trepidatious of Lana Ferguson. I enjoyed The Nanny and then I wasn't a fan of The Fake Mate. But the idea of this sounded good. Best friends little sister? Fake dating?? Sign me up.
This ended up being a win for me. It's given me more faith in Lana Ferguson and now I want to pick up more.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I've enjoyed Lana Ferguson's romances up until this point despite them often being a little over the top and silly. But I was nervous going into this one knowing that she used real athletes stretching for "sexy" advertising for this romance. But I was willing to go in with an open mind.

Unfortunately I liked pretty much nothing about this romance...

I will say, Lana Ferguson, can write a great steamy, tension filled scene. It's definitely one of her strong suits as an author. Her characters have great chemistry.

But everything else left so much to be desired. The plot was silly and contrived, the characters (and their relationship) was entirely one dimensional, and the exposition was obnoxiously repetitive.

There was no reason for their "forbidden" romance. The heroine talked about her teenage crush on the hero so often it was annoying. There was no depth to why they liked each other. But the biggest factor was the hero's "dark past". I don't think I could come up with a more contrived, ridiculous reason for him to have a "bad reputation".

It made absolutely no sense.

While I've enjoyed 2 of this author's books in the past, I think this is where we part ways. I don't feel like there is enough development or depth tp any of her characters or their romances to keep me coming back to her books.

Lana has become one of my favourite romance authors for the way the sweet and spicy balances. Her first foray into the hockey romance genre was a riveting success, and I absolutely loved this. Both MCs are lovable and the tropes didn't feel convoluted, they worked with the plot and development rather than against them by overshadowing.

The premise of this book is so cute. Some other readers have said its not unique. However, what could be more unique than a woman dating her brother’s best friend, who happens to be her first love, to save her baking show? Yes, fake dating and hockey players has been done, but never like this.

I loved the cuteness and spice! Also, there was no 3rd act breakup which I know is something everyone wonders about when it comes to romance books. I rate it 4 stars overall and 3 jalapeños for spice.

I really liked this one I just wish the two MCs had more chemistry and less lust. I found that they were just enamored with each other but it was mostly that they just wanted each other instead of really getting to know each other as adults

I had heard whispers that Lana was worried about this release because it was her first hockey rom, and I’m here to say she didn’t need to be! This one was so cute! After years of secretly pining for Ian, Delilah finally gains his attention. Enter a banter and brat trope (which I love!) and you have a delightfully entertaining rom com vibe. I’ve loved all of Lana’s previous releases and was so happy to finally get my hands on this one!

Hockey romance AND brother’s best friend… count me IN

Hockey superstar Ian Chase is finally coming back home to Boston after a couple years in Canada following a blowout with his family and a scandalous divorce. Little does he know his best friends little sister, who has had a crush on Ian her whole life, has grown up and is asking him to be a guest on her local TV cooking show. The two begin fake dating in order to clean up Ian’s image and save Delilah’s show from being canceled. Sparks fly as they navigate the world of pretend romance, but will their act turn into something real?

The romance was KILLER, the family drama was UNMATCHED. I loooove Lana’s writing and her MMCs are always to die for. I can’t wait to finally pick up the Nanny and im anxiously awaiting Under Loch and Key <3

“𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 … 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵.”

my first lana ferguson book and it was so cute! i missed reading simple romcoms like this one.

i am a hockey romance girly through and through so I quite enjoyed that aspect of this book, even if there wasn’t much of it. this book centered more around the brother’s best friend / faking dating trope and we all know i eat those up easily! i loved reading about ian & lila’s chemistry.

the banter between all the characters was so fun and the ending was super meaningful. i loved lana’s writing and i hope to pick up another one of her books soon!!

I am a Lana Ferguson stan! A FAN! This book has definitely solidified that I will read anything Lana puts out. The plot was plotting, the characters and dialogue were absolutely hilarious and the spice!?!?! HOT AS HELL! This was one of the easiest and fastest reads I've had in a while and I enjoyed every second it!

okay CUTIE!!! a baker FMC with a struggling cooking show, an older hockey player MMC who is her brother's best friend and of COURSE has been her secret crush for EVER. because her show needs a boost in ratings, and he needs some good PR after a divorce and some sketch headlines, they unknowingly are reunited when he's brought on the show. of COURSE sparks fly, the kitchen literally heats up, and fake dating ensues!!! BUT THEN of course feelings get real (on his end, because they've ALWAYS been there for her) and badda bing, badda BOOM, that's all folks!

the most fun, flirty, sweet, sexy read!

A hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romance. Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, Elena Armas, and B.K. Borison.

This was such a cute grumpy x sunshine between a baker and hockey player! the two characters grew up each other being friends until Ian moves away. He returns to their hometown years later and finally becomes attracted to her. I really thought this was a more unique hockey romance.

I have very much enjoyed all my previously read books by Lana, so I feel like my expectations were high.
Overall, I generally enjoyed the characters, their personalities, and their chemistry. However, I feel like there could have been more of it all. More steaminess, more chemistry, more conversations beyond the superficial. It did get annoying at times how much they referenced their past, but we never got any real evidence or stories from it. It also didn't help that he was so fixated on seeing her as best friend's little sister. I wanted them both to be a little more emotionally mature. I think Lana tried to make them a tad too quirky.
I DID like that there wasn't the typical full-on third act break up or horrible miscommunication. I like that they worked through it quickly and ended up together.
All in all, looking forward to the next one!

Love this hockey romance books so much! I have not read anything by Lana before and this one hits! I loved the chemistry between the two main characters & their banter was so good too! This was such a fun read for me.

Lana Ferguson has quickly become one of my favourite romance authors, so I was so excited to read "The Game Changer" and it did not disappoint! It was fun, flirty, definitely steamy, and (shocker) the mcs actually trusted each other? And communicated? What a revelation.

I am a sucker for the brother’s best friend trope and I love a sports romance, so this book was an absolute hit for me. Ian and Delilah had great chemistry and banter, but they were also absolutely gone for each other and it was so sweet. I do wish there had been a little more of the hockey, and the baking, and the hockey player baking, but I adored the writing and the plot, and there is a little something of everything sprinkled in!

I absolutely loved Ian and Delilah and all their friends, so here’s hoping for more books in this universe….

3.5⭐️!

this book was so so cute!!

delilah is a baker with her own tv show and ian is her brothers best friend that also happens to be an nhl hockey player. due to them both needing a better look in the media & needing better viewer numbers, their pr team makes the convince the media that they are dating. && of course we see where that ends up. did i mention that ian is also delilah’s childhood crush??

the spice every lana furgeson book is always top tier, but the banter in this book was so good!! honestly, as much as i loved the main couple, jack was my favorite character of all time and i would most likely go feral if he ever got his own book…just saying…that should 1000% happen!

anywayyyyy, friends to lovers is hard for me to absolutely fall in love with, but if that’s your thing then you’re going to eat this up! definitely recommend!!

Sadly, Lana Ferguson just is not for me. I wish she was but alas, beggars can't be choosers. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Lana Ferguson has done it again! This book is a lot of fun and is filled with banter, steam, fun, and more.
I love a friends-to-lovers, sibling's-best friend romance and this one definitely delivered.

Ian and Delilah are individually interesting characters and I really enjoyed how they engaged with each other, how the attraction built, and how the forced proximity and time together allowed them to act on their mutual attraction. The cast of characters around them were also entertaining and added a lot to the story, from Delilah's brother and co-workers, to Ian's teammates, it helped to build out the story and establish the world in which they reside.

I think fans of Lana will thoroughly enjoy this one!

Lana Ferguson – Coloring Outside the Lines
Lana Ferguson refuses to be put into one particular genre box.

Her first novel was a contemporary romance that touched on a salacious romance between a nanny and her employer. After devouring that debut novel, I eagerly went to add her next announced book to my TBR and what do you know? Her next novel was a paranormal romance with werewolves and knotting. Knotting! From someone I believed to be a contemporary romance writer with beautifully illustrated discreet covers. What is she playing at writing paranormal romance with werewolves? Get out of here.

Welp, having finished (read: devoured) “The Fake Mate”, I thought to myself, ‘self, ok, if Lana Ferguson wants to write Paranormal Romance, I’ll be here for that, too’.”

THEN this delightful creature announces her third book, and we’re BACK to contemporary romance with my absolute favorite things – a baker, a hockey player, and fake dating. WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

Lana, “The Game Changer” was a gift to me, and me alone, but I’m happy to share it with the rest of the world. I encourage it, in fact.

Can’t take the heat? Get out of the Kitchen

Lana Ferguson provides the perfect recipe for Val’s Favorite Romance.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Hockey Romance/Brother’s Best Friend

1 Cup of Baker/Chef

1/2 cup of Friends-to-Lovers

1 Heaping Tablespoon of Fake Dating

2 Lusty POVs

A dash of “We Shouldn’t Do This”

Combine together with an excess of sexual tension. Serve chilled to combat all subsequent blushing.

“I’ve just… Before I knew what it even was to feel something for somebody, I felt things for you. Whether it was just feeling safer when you’re around, or looking for you when I enter a room, or doing whatever I could to make you smile because it made ME smile when you did… it’s always been you, Ian.”
Lila, “The Game Changer”

Photo by Sara Cervera on Unsplash
There’s an inevitability emanating from these two throughout the entire story. Lila has loved Ian since she was young, and Ferguson writes the lean into the fake dating situationship so easily. Ian, on the other hand, is somewhat blindsided by his newfound attraction to Lila, which Ferguson handles beautifully by balancing the past with the present.

Lila and Ian’s history and shared experiences, combined with clear mutual attraction, makes for the perfect set-up for these two adorable fools to fall for one another.

“You won,” I tell him, beaming. “You’re supposed to be celebrating.”

His smile makes my chest hurt, but his words make it feel like it’s too full. “You’re the only person I want to celebrate with.”

“Yeah?”

“Always.”
“The Game Changer” by Lana Ferguson
Final Thoughts
I’m definitely in my Hockey Romance era, and “The Game Changer” was excellent. It’s binge-worthy, spicy, steamy, and also adorable. The moments where Ian and Lila bake together are flirtatious and charming. The undercurrent of sexual tension runs non-stop. These two make you want to keep turning pages until there are none left to turn.

Needless to say, Lana can write whatever she wants and I’m going to read it. She wants to write about sasquatch? Here for it. Aliens? Beam me up, Scotty. Mermaids? I’m ready to hold my breath. Luckily, her next book is already announced. I can’t wait to see how she handles the Loch Ness monster in “Under Loch and Key” which will be out in December!

3.5 stars!

Although the plot was predictable and nothing new, this is a light-hearted and fun read. Ian and Delilah's relationship was really cute. Though it got a little annoying how many times they pointed out the age gap (even though it was only a few years), their banter was natural and fun and they had a lot of chemistry. I also liked the author's writing style. The spice was satisfying and it wasn't awkward. The side characters were so fun, especially Jack, and I liked that they actually added to the story. Overall, the story was really cute but it was just filled with a very common conflict and plot line. The hockey also wasn't as prominent as I would have expected.

On another note, I just want to bring attention to how much I loved the dedication!