End Game is a fun, sexy college romance between college football star Nico and down-on-her-luck Everleigh, who ends up sharing a house with Nico and some of his teammates after her off-campus housing falls through.

Nico is your typical college jock: he doesn't do commitments, kind of has a big ego, and is a big playboy. But he can't shake the feelings he's developing for Everleigh, and that scares the crap out of him. On the other side, Everleigh sees herself as a Plain Jane, and can't fathom why the popular football star would ever want to be with her.

End Game is a super slow burn. There is definitely a lot of back-and-forth between Nico and Everleigh, and they have some heavy makeout sessions along the way, but the real getting together for this couple doesn't happen until about 85% into the book. And it was kind of refreshing that there is no miscommunication between the two of them and no Third Act Breakup. Their biggest obstacles are how they both can't seem to get out of their own ways, and are both incredibly insecure and scared when it comes to telling the other how they feel.


I really enjoyed getting to know the other roommates/friends in this book and look forward to seeing them find love. Especially Gavin and Sienna!!!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

End Game (Kings Of Campus, #1) by Monica Murphy

Entertaining, fun, full of great friendships, attraction, sizzling chemistry, college romance, and love. This story had me from the beginning till the end. I loved watching the push and pull, the yearning, and the angst, as these two fight their feelings for each other. I laughed, I sighed, I swooned, and I fell hard and fast for them with every turn of the page.

This is Everleigh and Nico’s journey and I loved every moment to their HEA!

Everleigh Olmstead is about to start her first semester at UC Santa Mira, she’s eager to make new friends, have new experiences, and just be . . . free for once. Only to be devastated on the day she arrives, when she finds out that the housing she had set up fell through and now she is homeless. Desperate to find a place, she overhears some guys talking about needing another roommate and follows them. After telling them her circumstances and that she wants to rent the room, they finally agree, after she agrees to to cook for them, but she has no idea who they really are except that they are football players.

Nico Valente is a senior and in his last year with the UC Santa Mira Dolphins hoping to be drafted into the NFL at the end of this season. With so much on the line he doesn’t need a distractions. And that is why he is against her being in the house. Nico is also a “player” and someone that all the girls want. “No” is a word he isn’t used to hearing, and a word that just draws him in more.

I loved Nico and Everleigh! I loved their sizzling chemistry, their stolen glances, their private moments, their jealous moments, and their secret obsession with each other. And the falling was everything and more that I crave in a romance.

I also loved all the fantastic secondary characters in this story and I can’t wait for the next books in this delicious new sports romance series!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

I'm wasn't too much in love with Ever's self-esteem. All the yes, but then running... "Make up your mind!" I felt like she had a lot to offer but was down on herself. Thank God she had roommates that valued her. What I did like is the life lessons. That was key to mold Nico into a better man. And a character worth liking. This is a slow burn book, but still entertaining. It feels at the end like this is just the beginning. Plus, it will leave you charmed by the rest of the roommates, wanting what comes next for them.

End Game is a fantastic read. I loved this one so much. The chemistry between Nico and Everleigh is chefs kiss. You feel for Everleigh at the beginning as one thing after another happens. Everleigh is a sweetheart and focused. Nico is a bit selfish but he has a big heart. I love how he is with the rest of the team. There is this lovely bond formed with Everleigh and the rest of her football team roommates that I adore. The fight of attraction between Everleigh and Nico is fantastic. I love this roommate/ sport romance so much. I could not put this down. You are just going to love Nico and Everleigh so much. You need to meet them today. Go one click this now.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one sitting. Nico is my new favorite book boyfriend. I LOVED him and reading his point of view in the first person was amazing. He was so sweet. The chemistry between Nico and Everleigh was off the charts from the first moment. 5 stars.
I received an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley and Valentine PR in exchange for an honest voluntary review.

I was so excited to read this one as it has some of my top tier tropes.
Sports romance, forced proximity, roommates, college romance.
But this fell so flat.
Everleigh was boring, but somehow perfect at everything and had everyone falling over their feet for her. Nico was annoying and just an asshole. And no matter how many times you tell me he is this womanizer, does not make me believe it. This was the definition of telling and not showing.
The pacing was wildly off. Moments we should have been expanding on, we rushed. Moments we shouldn’t be worried about, we wasted pages on.
If you are looking for a sports romance to just fill some time, this one is fine enough. But I can recommend numerous others that are worth your time over this.

Monica Murphy does it again!!! I have ended up falling in love with yet another character from one of her books, and was simultaneously smitten and annoyed by him that i could have screamed in his face and then told him thank you,

This was such an easy read and an absolute delight. There is nothing too overwhelming or crazy to understand before jumping into this because ultimately it is just a college sport romance. It delivered on every level that i thought it possibly could have, and again, was just such an easy going fun time.

This book is full of all of the usual things you would expect from a sports romance set in college. There's the frat bros and rest of the team mates who act in the way that only sport dudes can, jealous ex girlfriends who haven't taken a hint and also can't take no for an answer. Not to mention the sizzling chemistry between the main characters who become reluctant roommates and then something MORE!!!

I'll admit that i thought this book might get boring at points when i realised that the main characters didn't like each other in the beginning but i was so wrong! Yes, they don't really like each other but that's only because he is a bit of a control freak who thinks that she is going to move into his house (that he shares with some other team mates) and start changing everything and ruin the 'vibe'. And she doesn't like him because of how controlling and arrogant and mean he comes off as at the start. BUT, all of those walls start to slowly crumble away until they can't deny that they like each other!!! *Que manic squealing*
They end up spending a lot of time together one on one which is where all of the magic happens and they start to really see the other person in a new light. UNTIL, the obvious miscommunication starts to happen.
They both agree that they should only remain as friends because they are living together, have college to focus on, and don't want to ruin the dynamic in the house if it all goes sideways. I think that was really smart and grown up and was the perfect set up for all of the yearning and pining that happens after!!! Obviously, he can't stay away from her though because he is the DEFINITION of falling first and hard, but he is also super annoyed by these feelings and her constantly referring to him as a friend, and he obviously takes it out on her verbally. Not cool my guy. He has to go through this whole mental ordeal and talking to his family and friends to realise that he is being the problem not her, he is the reason they aren't together, and that he absolutely has to change his attitude if he wants to get the girl.
This is all because she was saying RIGHT FROM THE START that she wasn't a one night kinda girl, she needed to be in a relationship for that kinda thing to happen, but she wasn't ready/willing to jump into one with an almost total stranger.

Honestly, i HATE the miscommunication trope with my whole being most of the time. but i was pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed this!!! I think it was just the right amount/length of miscommunication, and without anything too intense or mean or damaging being said that it was completely fezable for them to work it out and end up together!!!

Again, while i really really really enjoyed this book, devoured it and had the most fun, i felt SO FREAKING BAD for Frank (dollar). He had me feeling so many emotions and he was only a side character. I really hope that he gets his own book, because he needs a happily ever after!!! He was literally doing anything and everything he could think of to get a girlfriend, someone to love and love him back, because HE JUST WANTED TO BE IN LOVE AND LOOK AFTER SOMEONE!!!! He is a total hopeless romantic, the poor guy!!!

A huge thank you to Monica Murphy for giving me the chance to read yet another one of her books as an arc reader, it was a delight! <3

End Game is my first introduction to author Monica Murphy, and it's also the first in a new sports romance series. Which I'm a bit of a sucker for! So I had high hopes for this and one and it didn't disappoint.

As lead character Everleigh transfers to UC Santa Mira to escape a shitty home life and everything she's known to get the full college experience. Only that experience doesn't get off to a great start when she arrives in town to find her accommodation has fallen through and as the new college year is just days away. Accommodation is thin on the ground and way out of Everleigh's price range.

But Everleigh gets lucky when she overhears three guys in a coffee shop discussing a spare room for rent. So she follows them when they leave in the hope she can nab the room for herself.

Only the room is out of her price range. So she strikes a deal with the guys instead.

Which leaves Everleigh living with three football players Nico, Coop and Dollar. Who are the kings of the campus. Especially Nico. The most sought after guy on campus and a player on and off the field. And the one roommate who didn't want Everleigh moving in.

Oh, and the one guy Everleigh may have a tiny crush on.

But Nico doesn't do relationships and feels having Everleigh around will change everything. And he's right. Just in ways he could never imagine.

And with a great sense of found family, a delightful slow burn romance and really likable characters. This was an extremely enjoyable introduction not only to Monica Murphy but this new series too and I'll definitely be looking out for the next book in the series.

Everleigh was excited to start her junior year, having just transferred to UC Santa Mira. That was until, at the very last minute, her housing accommodations fell through. Now she's left without a place to live. Until she overhears three guys talking about needing to find another roommate. So she did what any desperate person would do, she tells them she's looking for a room. Now she's living with three football players, one who is exceptionally sexy. But they are roommates, and she's not going to get involved with him no matter what.

End Game is the first book of The Kings of Campus series, and it was really fun. I enjoyed the relationship development between Everleigh and Nico. It was a very slow burn as Everleigh was skeptical to get involved with her roommate, and Nico wasn't exactly the relationship type. I thought the side characters were phenomenal and can't wait to read their stories. If I'm being honest, I actually liked some of the side characters more than I did the two MC. But that's just because I couldn't stand all the noncommunucation between Ever and Nico. Otherwise, this was a solid sports romance with your normal egotistical college jock guys.

What a great college football romance! Loved how Everleigh and Nico met and how they tried to fight their feelings but ended up finally giving in. The relationships between the roommates was so much fun and loved the banter! Could not put this book down. Great steamy and swoony moments. Surprisingly emotional at spots too. This was my first Monica Murphy book but it definitely won't be my last. Can't wait to read more of this series!

This book was so cute! It had me laughing and had my heart hurting throughout the book. This is my first book by this author, but I am definitely going to go through and read her backlog! I love this couple together. I really hope one of the books in this series is going to be about Frank, he deserves some love. I am already excited for the rest of the series. I want it now.

This is the first book in the Kings of Campus series. This is the story of Ever and Nico. Ever is the new girl in town. However the house she was moving to fell though and now she has no place to live at all. She has moved to town to attended college and things couldn't have gone any worse for her. However, maybe fate is now being kinder to her when she overhears some guys needing a roommate. Never mind that it is three football players, desperate times call for desperate measures. Nico is a football player and now one of her roommates. Now he is not a guy your going to fall for right off the bat. I think I had a little bit of a hard time connecting with him. To be in college he wasn't the most mature person ever. He also has this thing where he don't communicate like you would think, he just thinks that gestures replace good conversations. However, he kind of grew on me as we went. Ivy is in a tough spot and she has some seriously hot roommates and a big old crush on Nico. I loved the banter and friendship that all the guys shared. I love that this book was not an instalove read. I like when they have to work for what they have. Now I can't wait for the next book in this series.

I think I aged out of this book. It felt way too young for me. I should have been tipped off when words like rizz and simp started appearing. The characters lacked maturity or depth, and stereotypically, maybe that was the goal in writing college-age individuals. But even for their age, the personalities were incredibly shallow. The stereotypes were a little much - the player guys that don’t want a girl to invade their space and change them (since when was lighting a candle a purely female activity?). Then the young female in distress and in need of rescue and she gets housing in exchange for cooking for the boys. Meh. A little too Snow White for me. This will be someone’s cup of tea for sure. I think I’m just not the target audience and that’s ok!

Cozy in for a lighthearted college love story. Nico is the starting running back, going through his senior year aiming to have fun with no entanglements. He wasn’t bargaining for a new roommate though to occupy his attention. Everleigh is a college transfer student who finds herself homeless and appeals to 3 college football players to let her stay with them when she overhears they have a room to rent. Then the fun begins! The story is a snapshot of college life for a semester and two people who don’t want to fall for each other but can’t stop it. I wish the epilogue had gone out a little further but It’s a cute story for a weekend.

Roommates with chemistry
This is the start of a new college football series and I’m looking forward to reading about the rest of the team.
After a string of bad luck leaves Everleigh homeless just after arriving for college she manages to talk her way into moving into the Football House.
Ever and Nico had great chemistry, thick tension and fun banter.
With engaging characters, humour, drama, emotion, angst, some twists, slow-burn steam and wonderful friendships, this is a great read.

To start, this is my first time reading a book by Monica Murphy. I do own one other book written by them but I have yet to get to it yet (#lifestory) I jumped at reading this because, I mean, sports romance?! Also, the premise of a girl choosing to be roommates with 3 football stars and try not to fall for one of them? HA! Ya right. I remember I read something like this on Wattpad YEARS ago and I was so ready for all the tension, steam, and passion…Ya, that was not it with this 😅
TO start, the characters are supposed to be 23 years old, in university/college. Based on their actions throughout the WHOLE book, I’d think they were like 12 or 13. While this is supposed to be a New Adult book, I felt it read more like a New Young Adult (and honestly, if I took out the maybe 10 pages of “romance” between the main 2 characters, I would willingly give this to high school students to read 🙈)
The main characters were just SO immature. I mean, they literally just yelled at each other. I think they were maybe chill with each other for like, 30 pages total? Besides that they just yelled or were giving the silent treatment to others (real mature for 23 year olds, which is not to say that everyone is SUPER mature at that age, but COMMON). The MMC was supposed to be this huge player but only ever mentions one girl? It was weird. Also, the FMC just instantly deciding the she loves him (after like ripping his head off for months) after dating him for less than a week? I mean, I am all for the insta-love but this was just weird (and also in the literal last 5% of the book 😬)
So, while they were just literally bickering the entire book, I really did love the side characters. They were so fun and I felt closer to them than I did the main ones.
I just want to leave you with this one line, that no where in my 26 years have I ever, EVER, heard a 23 year old guy say nor text this (it may be slightly different since I did have an eARC of this book, but like, 🤷‍♀️)

“I’m whipped, I’m soooo in loooooooooove, I’m a simp, I’m a pussy, I’m all of the above. I laugh along with them and tell them all to go to hell, but I never, ever deny it” (I truly wish I was lying, but this is what was coming from the MMC 🙈)

Will I be trying more from this series? I’m not 100% sure, but I will try and read the other book I own from them and go from there.

Thank you to Valentine PR for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review 💕

This was a fast-paced and entertaining read, particularly for those who love sports romances. The chemistry between the main characters is undeniable and kept me thoroughly engaged from the start. The plot is captivating and kept me eagerly reading. A major highlight is the well-developed side characters, who bring extra dimension to the story. I'm excited to see how they grow in future books in the series.

This is Book 1 in the Kings of Campus Series by this author. It is a captivating opposites attract romance between college roommates, Everleigh and Nico. These incredible characters are easy to fall for. The sparks, chemistry, tension and emotions really zing back and forth between them. The storyline offers an addicting combination of feels, heart, swoon, laughter, drama and twists, with stellar secondary characters. Funny, sweet, insightful and inspiring, you won’t want to miss this charming love story!

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Valentine PR and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

End Game is a rule breaker destined to illicit all the feels. From sensory to emotional, Murphy pushes every button on a fast track to the heart. Over the top and under the radar collide to deliver an experience, you won't soon forget.

I’m excited for this new series. I loved Everleigh’s relationship with her roommates, and of course Nico. This college/football/roommates/slow burn romance was really sweet. Four stars