⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

I just finished The Game Plan and Ethan (Dex) completely stole my heart. He’s this calm, bearded, tattooed NFL dude who happens to be a virgin—an unexpected detail that adds real depth and emotional weight. His patience and gentle confidence as he pursues Fi is just chef’s kiss. Their chemistry is sizzling but it still feels grounded and believable.

Fi had me feeling protective of her—moving to a new city, dealing with workplace drama, and wrestling with long distance uncertainty. I loved how real her fears and hesitations were and how Dex never gave up on her. That conflict later in the book felt heavy and a bit over‑dramatic, especially when they weren’t communicating clearly, but it didn’t ruin the overall swoony, heartfelt romance.

Give me a pierced and tatted MMC and I am set. Add in the fact that he is a virgin?! Wooooo boy this was a fun story. Of course he is down bad for the anti-relationship girl. I loved how once they started acknowledging their feelings, they were always there for each other.

Slow burn
Introverted football star MMC
Relationship adverse FMC
Pining and longing - he falls first
Tatted and pierced MMC
Friends to lovers

Thank you to Net Galley for the copy of this eBook.

The Game Plan delivers exactly what I love in a sports romance with compelling characters, emotional depth, and a satisfying arc. The chemistry between Dex and Fiona is undeniable, and I appreciated the sensitive handling of themes like vulnerability, trust, and self-acceptance. The pacing felt a little slow at times, but the payoff was worth it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ability to read this story again, and I know it is one fans will enjoy!

I’m always game for a sport romance. Mix in boy falls first and he’s a cinnamon roll, that’s a yes please for me!!
I liked that the conflict in this book was not between the MCs characters, but outside forces causing them to really strengthen their relationship. It gave us a unique look into the real relationship of the MCs and how the navigate things together. This is part of the Game On series, but can be read as a standalone but MCs overlap between stories.

I love sports romances, and The Game Plan totally delivered! Ethan "Dex" Dexter has been the quiet, mysterious guy in the background—until now. Turns out he’s a pierced, broody, virgin NFL player who’s been crushing on Fiona (his best friend’s sister-in-law) for years.

Fiona’s wild, a little messy, and scared of commitment—but their chemistry? Instant. Their connection? So deep. Watching them navigate long distance, fame, and vulnerability was sweet, emotional, and SO hot. Dex is a total surprise—in the best way.

This one’s a bit slower and more mature than the first two books, but just as satisfying. If you love athlete romances, opposites attract, and virgin heroes (yes please), you’ll love this!

Reread July/August 2025

I actually enjoyed Dex and Fiona's story more the second time around. Last time I listened to most of the book via audio and wasn't a fan of one of the narrators. I think this colored my feelings towards the story.

It's always wonderful to be back in this world and the new bonus material in this updated version added more context and depth to Ethan's feelings for Fiona. We get a scene where they meet for the first time during a holiday dinner and also a scene at Ivy and Gray's wedding. Both are told from Ethan's POV.

While I still don't love The Game Plan as much as the previous 2 books, it's still a great addition to the series!

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book*

Thanks t0 Harlequin Trade Publishing and The Hive for the ARC of this one! This was a fun sports romance and I enjoyed it for the most part. The relationship between the two main characters definitely felt like an insta love situation which is not my favorite trope, but in this case it was relatively well done! If you are a fan of sports romance, you will likely enjoy this quick and fun romance. It definitely had some moments that made me smile and was a good escape for my day!

This book is an insta-love book between NFL player Dex and his former teammate's cute little sister in law, Fiona. Though they have met previously (as shown in some bonus chapters in this book), on this meet-up, sparks flew! This leads them into a long distance relationship (this was the most relatable part of the book!) and plenty of spicy content. It was a quick, fun (and did I mention, spicy?) read. Enjoyable. It was very thin on actual plot, though, and not overly memorable. Your mileage may vary, of course!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

All in all, this is a 3 star read for me. The book took of fairly quickly and I was here for it. However, I felt that there was a lot of emphasis on how Dex was a virgin and Fiona is one to fool around a lot. I did enjoy that this book focuses on their struggles with a long-distance relationships I feel that's not always depicted in books. Unfortunately, there were a few things did not work for me, namely the insta-love and the very low angst between the two MCs. All in all, it was a solid read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just chefs kiss to this book🤌🏻 I love reading sport series and learning more about all the friends/family and seeing past characters come back. This book had it all and my heart hurt so much for fi and Dec in the heart of the scandal. The character development, overcoming, trials they had to face were wonderful. And the end with the extra bonus scenes, ahhh in love with this sports series/book! Thank you to netgalley and harpercollins publishing for the chance to read and review for my honest opinion! 5 stars and will be suggesting to all my romcom/sport loving book girlies!!

Hello Ethan Dexter.. whew. Holy hotness, Batman!
Ethan was not only sexy, but this character was also kind, quiet, compassionate, and overall a good man.
Ethan is in the NFL and is the epitome of an athlete. Fun fact: he has wanted Fiona since the moment he laid eyes on her.
Fi has never thought of Ethan as anything other than her brother-in-law's friend. He is nowhere near what she goes for in a man. He is a big burly, bearded athlete - all things that she doesn't want.
However, forced proximity happens, and the two are brought together!
The two are the perfect example of an opposites attract couple. However, both have their issues that they need to overcome to make a relationship work.
Despite all the past traumas the two need to work through, they make the best couple!
I don't want to give away much because I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel like you need to add it to your TBR! I didn't realize this was part of a series! Now I must go read the rest of the books. It was still a great book and reads well as a standalone book. I didn't feel that I was missing anything vital to the plot of this book, having not read the previous.
The plot was well structured and the pace was great.
The characters are well-developed and show so much growth. They also keep you engaged throughout the plot.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Happy Reading!

If you love a fiercely charming MMC, this book is for you. Ethan “Dex” is a tatted & pierced baby whisperer NFL player that falls fast and hard with a girl who’s willing to find out how his beard feels on a dare leading to a spicy and heartfelt relationship. His inexperience in the sheets leads to vulnerable and spicy scenes that will leave you sweating. This opposites attract love will pull at your heartstrings - the MMC is such a big softy and the MFC really leans into his affection and allows herself to be taken care of by him - I loved how they were able to make the relationship work for them.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Publishing for the ARC opportunity!

This book is lacking so much plot and the three bonus scenes do not help fill in any of the needed holes. The story starts off going zero to sixty so fast you aren’t even given a chance to know characters. The additional scenes do not aide in flushing out the characters either. Also the additional scenes only giving context from Dex’s perspective was disappointing. I knew how he felt from the beginning, it was Fi’s feelings that appeared to come from out of thin air. Book is a fine easy read but that’s only because there is nothing of substance.

Things I enjoyed about this book:
-The chemistry between the FMC and MMC
-The SPICE (much spicier than expected)
-It was a football/sports romance
-It was the perfect palate cleanser for me to read between Romantasy books.

Thank you so much to Kristen Callihan and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the eARC of this book! I absolutely loved Kristen’s writing. This was my first time reading any of her books. This story drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. This book did not disappoint at all. The chemistry between the MMC and FMC is so good. It was a quick and easy read for me! Highly recommend.

Let me add, I didn’t realize this was a series. It can be read as a stand alone in my opinion. I do plan to go and read the others now. :)

I'm new to this author and to sports romances. I liked the main characters connection. More drama than I typically enjoy. I am interested in trying the rest of the series.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for this eARC

I’ve recently become obsessed with football romance books, so I was really excited to get the chance to read this ARC. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity!

At first, I was a little nervous that I’d need to read the earlier books in the Game On series, but I was relieved that this works well as a standalone (though having more context about the side characters would’ve been a nice bonus). That said, I immediately adored Ethan aka Dex. His quiet sweetness and sensitive nature were such a refreshing change from the typical portrayal of athletes in romance books. I do wish his backstory had been explored a bit more, though.

As for Fiona, she was okay. Nothing about her really stood out to me, and while she wasn’t bland, she did come off a little immature at times.

This book felt a bit rushed overall and leaned heavily into the spice, which I probably could’ve anticipated if I’d read more about the author’s style. If you’re a fan of Tessa Bailey, you’ll likely enjoy Kristen Callihan’s writing, it has that same mix of heat and humor. In the end, it was a quick read with some fun banter and a lovable hero.

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

My favorite thing about this book was the characters continuously surprised me, and usually in a good way! It was also a lot more 🔥 than I expected and I am so here for it!

There was a point that I wasn’t sure how I felt about Fiona, but she turned it around real quick and from there on I thought she was awesome. Ethan is absolutely perfect for her and I loved how he had been pining for her from afar for so long. He may be quiet and inexperienced, but with her has a side no one else gets so see.

I would say this book is in the middle, emotions wise, as there were a few times the conflicts really made me sad, but these two really put in the work and it was great to see that as well as their HEA!

Thank you so much to Kristen Callihan and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the eARC of this book! I absolutely loveeee Kristens writing and this series. This book did not disappoint at all. The chemistry between the MMC and FMC is so good. It was a quick and easy read for me! Highly recommend.

This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor.
A fun series that I’m so in love with right now.
The chemistry between the characters is immediate and undeniable, and I was hooked from the first chapter!
This book delivered all the feels—every page had me hooked, and I felt everything right along with the characters.

Highly recommend!