5 stars !!!!!

imagine meeting the love of your life at a bar in nashville. that’s how hudson and ella met ! right place and right time but it was about to happen either way because he’s the quaterback at whitland’s team and she’s the new cheerleader who just moved from oxford !

so what happens when they have a one night stand even though there’s a no fraternization rule between football players and the cheer squad? will they play it safe or let the cards fall? read game on this summer and find out !!

ella “darling” davies and hudson “wild card” fox had every single reason to not want to be in a relationship especially because of their parents and past relationships but they committed to each other and made it work !!!

she made sure to show that his ocd wasn’t a burden just by realizing how uneasy he gets around fire and doing something so simple as doing his night routine, an effort that no one has ever done before for him which shows how well the ocd representations was portrayed :,)

ellahudson have their moments and the letter moment wasn’t their best lol but the love confession???? i think about it daily !!!! okay can we also add “that’s my girl” and “darlin” to the equation? i’m obsessed !

and i need to get something out of my chest… i hated claire at the beginning, i get that she wanted to get her spot secured but she was so mean to ella. i gasped when i realized that things were changing but i’m glad they did because she’s such a misunderstood character, i’d love to see her redemption arc !!!

since we’re talking about claire, can i talk about her and levi? WHAT’S GOING ON?????? WHAT HAPPENED?????

please i need a sequel, i’ll beg on my knees. i need to understand what levi has with sammy and what went down between him and claire ! PLEASE. gotta see more of sourdough with his parents as well so please we want a sequel !

thank you netgalley, st martin and ki stephens for the arc in exchange for an honest review !

Thank you so much to st.martins press and NetGalley for this arc!

If you’ve been in a sports romance mood or you’ve read one too many thrillers and need something lighthearted like myself, this will do the trick. Ella and Hudson are adorable and I love the mention of mental health.

Loved this book. It is a very light read and great for relaxation. I thought the characters were well developed and each had their own distinct personality. I would highly recommend.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book! It was really cute and the last 30% were really good!

As someone that doesn’t really love the friends with benefits trope I unfortunately didn’t love this. I wish that we had less of them in this sort of relationship and more or them figuring out what they want for themselves, and for their friendship and relationship.

The characters were really nice and I really liked them! I loved how they had their goals and were going after them with everything they got. As someone who is also in college and trying to reach my goals, sometimes with a lot of struggle, it was really nice to see them going through the same.

Lastly, their chemistry was really good, even though I don’t love the firsts with benefits relationship I am still able to appreciate their chemistry. Ki Stephens was able to successfully show how much those Ella and Hudson yearned for each other!

I really enjoyed Game On. Ella and Hudson were both well developed in their own passions and goals. This wasn't just a story about them getting together; it was about them growing, coping with their pasts, and truly learning to let someone else in, even for a moment.

Hudson experiences some obsessive compulsive tendencies and I feel this representation was done well. The author has shared that she has personal experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and she wanted to show someone who experience OCD but is not defined by it, which I think really came through. Often when we represent Mental Health Disorders, it becomes the main point of that character's story. This isn't the case for Hudson. He is coping with his disorder and continues to achieve excellence.

I also really enjoyed the way the spicy scenes in this book were done. They were definitely there and spicy, but were also very focused on the connection and emotions between the characters. They also weren’t overly plentiful. There were fade to black moments and it didn't feel like we had to view every one of their sexual encounters on page. I also really enjoyed how consent was done; it was on page, active, but not awkward. Consent is sexy and I love to see it included explicitly and frequently.

I do wish we got to see more development for our side characters and got to know them a bit more. There was certainly a cast of them and while some had story elements about them, many felt like window dressing.

I went into Game On with high expectations after hearing so many great things about Ki Stephens, and wow, this book did NOT disappoint! I was hooked from the very first page and completely swept up in the world of competitive cheerleading. I loved that this story wasn’t just another football romance but instead shined a well deserved spotlight on cheer, reminding me so much of the Netflix show Cheer! It was intense, emotional, and so incredibly well written.

Ki Stephens has such a talent for making her characters feel real. Hudson and Ella’s connection was everything; so raw, so vulnerable, and so beautifully developed. I loved how they truly saw each other, supported each other without pressure, and gave each other space to grow. Their love story felt effortless in the best way, with a natural progression that made every moment between them feel meaningful. And the OCD representation? So well done! It added another layer of depth to the story and made it even more relatable.

Beyond the romance, the side characters also stole my heart, and the way Ki weaves real life struggles into her stories makes everything feel even more genuine. The writing had the perfect balance of fun, spice, and sweet moments, and I never wanted it to end.

If you love sports romance but want something fresh and different, Game On is perfect. It’s emotional, exhilarating, and full of heart. Everyone needs to grab this book as soon as it releases. Ki Stephens has outdone herself, and I’ll definitely be diving into more of her books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ki Stephens, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book.

Liked it, didn’t love it. In theory, it had everything I could have asked for: sports romance, forced proximity, forbidden love. I just didn’t quite connect with it.

The best part of the book to me was the FMC’s quiet acceptance of the MMC’s OCD. Attention wasn’t constantly on the fact that the MMC was struggling, but FMC found ways to make him feel safe and comfortable without drawing attention. As someone with OCD, I loved this take.

Game On by Ki Stephens was such a fun read for spring. I found myself smiling at lines from certain chapters and the dynamics between the football team and Hunter were so good. The banter was on point. I like how the female main character had an English accent, it made her stand out a little more than other books with the same idea. Hunter and Ella were so cute together. The way they transitioned from friends to enemies to friends again was so fun to read about. If you want a fun read for spring Game On by Ki Stephens is for you.

ARC review - 4.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advance copy.

First, I ran to get this ARC because Ki Stephens is a must read author for me. Her writing is so comforting and she handles mental health issues with such care and Game On is no exception.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting with this story, just from the cover I thought we were gonna get a football focused book but was pleasantly surprised to find it focused more on the cheerleading. Specifically, competitive cheerleading.

I know nothing about cheering so at times I did find it hard to visualize what moves they were doing, but that didn't really take away from my feelings or enjoyment of the book. So don't let a lack of knowledge about cheering discourage you from reading because you will be missing out.

I thought this book was perfectly paced until the ending where I felt Ella's anger towards Hudson was sort of out of the blue. I felt maybe I was missing something, because I could understand in theory why she would be upset but it just felt like there a scene or two that could have been added to connect the dots so it didn't seem so out of place.

Overall this was a fun, cute read with emotional depth and I hope we get to see more of this world, especially Levi, Sammy and Claire.

When Ki Stephens posted on insta that this book was on NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley for the ARC), I jumped on it. I will read anything she writes.

I loved this book!
It was a quick, cute, fun and sweet read.
I loved Ella and Hudson and felt their chemistry immediately, two lost souls finding each other. Ella unplugging everything when he came over for the first time was such a small thing for her to do to make him comfortable. It was such a small moment and not acknowledged again, but probably one of my fav parts.

I really adored all the side characters (hope this is a series, need to know Claire and Levi’s history) and found family is always a favorite of mine.
One thing I truly enjoy about Ki’s book is there is always a focus on mental health, and it’s always handled with such thoughtfulness and grace.

If you love the Cheer and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader shows on Netflix, then you MUST READ this book! Game On is such a fun and unique story of an Oxford cheerleader who spends the year studying abroad in the U.S. I went in thinking I would be getting a football sports romance and while the MMC is a football player, the real focus of the book was the cheerleading! The sport of cheerleading and the competition were described well and really had me on the edge of my seat just like any sports romance.

Ella, a British cheerleader, starts her year abroad with a breakup and a steamy night with Hudson, the star quarterback. Their chemistry is off the charts, and I loved how their relationship grew from casual to something deeper. Ella’s strength and independence were so refreshing, and Hudson really owned up to his mistakes.

The side characters—Levi, Sammy, and Claire—also had me hooked, and I’m hoping we get more of them in future books. I just have to know more about what all went down with them!

Definitely pick this one up for a fresh take on a college romance!

First and foremost Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the arc! I am truly grateful and it is oh so appreciated.

OH MY LANTA! Ki has truly outdone herself with Game On. I honestly had such a blast reading this and it was such a ride from start to finish and I was sad when I finished it. I don't know how Ki is able to do it, but every book she writes, she has me falling in love her characters, side characters and all. She has a way of connecting and making real life struggles/problems into her stories that makes everything seem so relatable and just more loveable.

The connection and vulnerability between Hudson and Ella is oh so wonderful and they are literally perfection. The way they didn't pressure each other, always had each other's backs in figuring out themselves and what they wanted as individuals as well as a couple. It was all so genuine and REAL and seeing them show up for each other without being asked to was simply amazing. The pace of their relationship was just everything, it all flowed so well and I could have read another 500 pgs and it wouldn't have been enough.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I'll read anything and everything by Ki. It could be her grocery list and it would get 5 stars. Her writing and her stories are out of this world and just so amazing and Game On just solidifies this. I don't know what else to say other than this book was fun, sweet, spicy, swoony, all of the emotions and written so well. Everyone needs to read this when it releases and I swear y'all won't be disappointed.

Sports romances have quickly become my new obsession and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This story was fun, sexy and had our main characters trying to focus on the now despite some past and future roadblocks.

Ella and Hudson were a joy to experience. Despite being goal oriented, they provide meaningful support and fun distractions for each other. They fell into an unexpected deeper attraction.

I very much enjoyed them and their group. I would not mind more. I am officially a Ki Stephens fan.

Thank you to Ki Stephens, the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

this was so cute !! I’ve been meaning to read Stephen’s work for the longest time so I decided to start here, I will be immediately going through her back list. These characters felt real and solid without being too cliche which is always good. Romance genre is hard to find books that don’t seem extremely formulaic and this one wasn’t! Refreshing, simple, and cute read

An interesting take on a sports romance, I was wondering if there would be interesting cultural differences in this year abroad story but at the end of the day it just read like a generic college sports romance.

"I'm trying to figure out how someone so infuriatingly stubborn could also be so goddamn perfect. How when she laughs, I want to join in, and when she cries, I want to do everything in my power to make her smile again. How's she managed to weave her way into every part of my life, making it impossible to remember what it was like before I knew her."

Overall, this was an ok read. I think I personally struggle reading college romance because it's been a bit since I've been in college myself so it can feel..immature?? I did love the aspect of him needing to become a cheerleader to support her; that wasn't something I was expecting when I first started reading. It also reminded me of Cheer on Netflix which was nice (obviously other than all of horrible situations associated with the show), but it was cool to have a visual to compare it to.

Major thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!

This is an ARC review. I want to thank Ki Stephens and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the chance to read this book ahead of release day! This is my first book read by Ki Stephens and honestly the way the book was written the author makes it a very easy read. Love me a dual POV in any book so this was just my type of book I’d want to read. Ella and Hudson’s chemistry was spicy and very captivating. Two tortured souls in different ways trying to not have their past fully affect their present/future. What wasn’t so captivating was Ella’s love for her previous friends but she barely spoke to them (or at least we didn’t hear of it other than the beginning when she spoke to Molly twice).

This book felt like a spicy YA book which is typically a hit or miss with me fully being in tuned with the book. The book felt very predictable which is not good or bad as hello, I am reading romance for a reason. But the whole book I felt we all could have predicted. There were no shifts or “oh no he didn’t” moments. Which for me has me feeling like it typically brings the main characters closer to each other.

I truly did enjoy the book and would read the next book in the series as the main and side characters I at least felt a connection to and want to know more about them. Overall I’d rate the book a 3.5/5 with a round up to 4/5.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Ki Stephens for the ARC of Game On!

This was another book that I had seen on Instagram and Threads, so when it was added as a Read Now book, I had to snag it!

This was my first Ki Stephens book, and I will definitely be picking up more!

Ella is a British cheerleader about to leave for a year abroad studying at an American college, when her boyfriend of five years - who was supposed to go with her - breaks up with her over the phone. On her first day at her new school, she goes out with her new roommates and meets Hudson, the star quarterback, and they spend one steamy night together. Unfortunately, cheerleaders and football players aren't allowed to fraternize, and Hudson's attempt to pretend like they don't know each other doesn't go the way he planned because Ella is unforgettable. Eventually they make a deal; a no-strings-attached fling and they go their separate ways at the end of the year. But we all know how that works...

I really adored Hudson and Ella. I loved the way Ella stood up for herself, both to her ex and to Hudson, and I loved how Hudson owned his screw ups and stepped up to the plate when he needed to. I believed in the chemistry they felt and I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress from start to finish. I appreciated that the conflict in the third act didn't result in a breakup, and I think they handled it well together. I would have liked to see the confrontation with Jamie from Hudson's POV, but I think it was impactful to see it from Ella's and to see her handle it on her own.

I am so curious about whatever is going on between Levi, Sammy and Claire and I hope Ki writes another book in this series! I think there is a lot to explore with the side characters.

Thanks again to St. Martin's Press and Ki Stephens for the ARC!

I don't hesitate when reading one of Ki Stephens' books. I devour it, and this was no different. I love Ella and Hudson, I love everything about them your honor. I like the mental health rep here, and I liked the deviation of the norm when it comes to the almost formulaic- approach to romance novels.


For those who don't enjoy third act break ups, this was good. There was still angst but there wasn't pointless weeks of "get back together already!" I also really enjoyed the dynamics of the people around them, wanting to know more about Clare and Levi, and Gabi!! I loved them all.

Thank you to #NetGally for an ARC of Ki Stephen's novel Game On. Overall this was a cute story with a HEA ending. I really appreciated how the female characters supported each other and the males they chose to be in their lives were non problematic. This book is like a vanilla soft serve on a hot day, you know what you are getting and it can be refreshing in a predictable way.

The story starts with Ella, a British student at Oxford, preparing for her study abroad year at a college in Nashville. A key theme is that she is a cheerleader in the UK and she will be on a more competitive level in the US. Her long time boyfriend breaks up with her just as she plans to leave. I think this is a great premise for the budding love story and growth journey for Ella. She meets Hudson on her first night out with her fellow cheerleaders, only she quickly finds out there is a no fraternization policy between the football players and cheerleaders. This leads so a sizzling and angsty start to Hudson and Ella's relationship. I think the two main characters had depth and are likable. I was rooting for both of them to achieve their dreams and end up together.

One thing I found clunky was Ella's accent and her being from England. A lot of the story followed the basic tropes, i.e forbidden romance, college students/athletes, however at times it felt like the author threw in some very British dialogue for Ella or mentioned Oxford to remind us that Ella is English. In these moments Ella felt more like a trope than a Fmc. I kept thinking about whether or not Ella would be different if she were say from the north transferring to a southern school or something of that nature. I think the story would have been richer if Ella's character incorporated her country of origin in a more consistent way. That being said, this is a cute college sports romance so the character still does what you want her to do in a book like this!