Steamy, fun, and full of heart, The Game Plan is another win in this swoony series! Dex is the ultimate quiet, brooding hero with a soft side that completely melted me, and his chemistry with Fi is off the charts. Their story brings the heat while still packing an emotional punch. I love how this series balances sports, spice, and sweetness so perfectly, definitely a favorite!

Ahhhhhhh. I read a lot of hockey romance so football is kinda new- not that there’s much difference since they’re both sports. Ethan. I didn’t expect Ethan either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this early bonus copy of The Game Plan by Kristen Callihan. I’m a big fan of some of her early work, especially Make it Sweet and Dear Enemy.

The romance in this novel did not feel natural. Fiona had met Ethan several times previously but has instalust over his beard at a bar one night while visiting her sister. It felt contrived and forced.

The story centering around Ethan’s virginity was unbelievable for a sexy NFL star. Especially when he turned out to be so talented in bed.

I found myself skimming through the sex scenes after a while.

While this type of book may interest some, its lack of connection and story felt flat for me.

I enjoyed this 3rd book in a series. Again I enjoyed that there was an issue in their relationship that was difficult and they had to overcome it to get to being together. The characters were realistic to me. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #TheGamePlan #NetGalley

Quiet, sensitive football player, Ethan Dexter, has been interested in Fiona Mackenzie since he first met her two years ago. No other woman would do for him.
Now, they are both in the same city for one week and able to connect. Of course, his beard dare helps!

Dex is a virgin and wants Fiona to be his first. Plus, he wants to try a relationship with her, but she is wary. She lives in New York and he lives in Louisiana. Plus, he plays football and is gone a lot.

There are a lot of issues working against them to make their relationship work, though, including the paparazzi and “fans” out to make some money. It’s definitely interesting to see how they get through it.

thank you net galley for the arc !!!

i normally love kristen callihan books (the vip series u are sooo famous to me)

but i think something about this book felt short and immature. and i do hate giving negative reviews, but seeing as this book was previously published and is being republished with bonus scenes, i guess that justifies it mildly?

anyway i think the pacing of this book was very off, the couple got together way too fast. that i didn’t feel any buildup, i didn’t feel like i got to know these characters as individuals, so the fact that they got together way too fast made it hard to want to root for them together.

again maybe im just tired of books relying on smut to replace human connection, but i think this book put me in a slump.

given since love island and tsitp ive been in a romance book slump, i don’t blame it entirely on this book.

but i did skim a lot of it.

while there were a lot of issues of them staying together, i felt like the sexualization and preying on characters being virgins felt uncomfortable to read about. especially towards the end when all of that happened. idk man idk where this review is going.

the book unfortunately did not stick out to me, and it worsened my slump.

⭐️ 4.5
🌶️ 4

Wow… just wow! I devoured this football romance. The book starts strong with spice out the gate and never lets off the gas. I loved the actual plot of forbidden romance, self discovery and setting personal boundaries. I fell in love with the strong, silent and thoughtful MMC Ethan/Dex. I connected with the flighty 21year old FMC Fiona. I loved how these two came together after some pining, forced proximity and some flirting. I read this after reading book 1 in the series and it was nice seeing some familiar characters. You could read this as a standalone. The bonus content was lovely and helped provide more context and support to Ethan and Fiona’s past (don’t skip it!)

Thank you Netgally, Harper Collins Publishers, and author Kristen Callihan for the ARC opportunity.

I probably should have DNF’d this book because I don’t think I’m the target audience. The Game Plan is high stakes drama on a national level.

Even though I've already read this book, I was thrilled to get some new bonus content and cover!

The Game Plan is a swoony, steamy, slow-burn romance with a heart of gold all anchored by the irresistible Ethan Dexter. Kristen Callihan delivers a tender and sexy friends-to-lovers story packed with emotional depth, quiet intensity, and crackling chemistry. Fi and Dex’s love story is the perfect mix of charm, vulnerability, and heat. This one is a huge rec for romance fans.

Loved this book! I didn't realized this was part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. Once I finished I had to go back and read the previous books.

I had read the first two books a while ago, but never read this one till now! I really like Kristin Callihan’s writing, Idol and The Friend zone being some of my all time favorite books. It was great to see Ivy and Gray play a part of the story. Fi and Dex’s relationship is very much golden retriever/sunshine and intimidating/grumpy appearing but lovable teddy bear. It was definitely he falls first and hard. Fi sees herself as a flake and quitter while Dex thinks the world of her. It was a great and unique plot and can’t wait to read the next book! I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Game Plan is a rich, emotionally satisfying slow-burn romance that sneaks up on you with its softness and then completely tackles your heart. Kristen Callihan gives us a deeply tender story about falling hard, learning to trust, and finding forever love in the most unexpected way.

Ethan “Dex” Dexter might look like a bearded, tattooed wall of muscle, but he’s all heart—and it shows in every quiet, deliberate moment he shares with Fiona Mackenzie. Dex has been keeping his feelings for Fi on lockdown for years, respectful of her space, her freedom, and her timeline. But once he decides to act, he does it with the kind of conviction that makes you feel chosen, down to your bones.

Fi is a heroine you root for, even when she stumbles. Her fear of commitment, uncertainty about love, and the emotional scars she carries are real and relatable. Watching her push against Dex’s steady love is sometimes frustrating—but beautifully human. And when she finally lets herself fall? The emotional payoff is massive.

What sets this book apart is the vulnerability on both sides. Dex, a professional football player with an introverted soul, is written with stunning care. He isn’t chasing notches on a bedpost—he’s looking for home, and it’s clear from page one that he sees it in Fi. The fact that he’s a virgin? It’s not a gimmick—it’s a part of who he is, and it’s handled with sincerity, respect, and heart-melting charm.

Kristen Callihan knows how to build tension—emotional and physical—with small moments that hit like thunder. A look. A lingering touch. A whispered truth in the dark. Every page feels purposeful. Every beat between Dex and Fi builds toward something tender, sexy, and undeniably real.

If you’re a sucker for cinnamon roll heroes, slow burns that actually burn, and heroines who get to grow and stumble and choose love in the end, this book is your game plan.

This book was enjoyable. It had all the elements for a good romance novel. Good characters. Solid conflict. Character growth. Open door spice. Great writing. Fun dialogue. I wanted to keep reading from start to finish. It dragged somewhat through the middle, and the characters had a bit too much back and forth for me. This is my first book by this author and this would not stop me from reading the rest of the series. In fact, I’m interested in the other characters that were introduced. I love sports romances—especially based around football. Overall, 4 stars. I received this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley! All opinions are my own!

The Game On series focuses on football players who went to college together and now have NFL contracts. In The Game Plan, tattooed, bearded and PIERCED Dex has been biding his time and waiting for Fiona Mackenzie, his agent's daughter. He's been biding his time, just waiting for her to notice him. They live in different states and she doesn't want to date an athlete and oh yeah, Dex is a virgin, like Tebow in the first book in the series. The plot follows a typical pattern of red-hot attraction, reluctance to get together, reluctance to make it formal, all in, a stupid disagreement, and a happily-ever-after reconciliation.

Newly reissued in print, this is a solid sportsball romance--well written and without serious errors, and good enough to warrant seeking out the other books in the Game On series. The books are interconnected, as Fiona is Ivy's sister (of Ivy and Gray from The Friend Zone, Game On Book #2).

I received a free advance reader's review copy of #TheGamePlan via #NetGalley courtesy of #Harlequin in exchange for a fair and honest review; a review will post to HLBB 7/29/2025.

There’s something so special about Kristen Callihan’s books. No other stories make me smile, kick my feet, and giggle like hers do. Game Plan completely captured my heart.

I connected deeply with Fiona’s character. One moment that really stood out was when she tells Dex she feels like a quitter for bouncing between jobs and relationships, and he gently reframes it by telling her she’s not quitting — she’s searching for her joy. That moment felt so real and personal to me.

The romance was beautiful and spicy. Dex is a tall, sexy, bearded NFL player with a man bun, but what made him even more unique was his vulnerability. He’s inexperienced in the bedroom and was saving himself for Fiona, who he’s always loved. Their chemistry was off the charts, and the emotional depth made it even more powerful.

The workplace storyline added a relatable layer. Fiona is overlooked and undervalued, watching a coworker steal her ideas and get promoted despite her boss knowing the truth. It added real-world frustration that made me root for her even more.

While there are emotional and heartbreaking moments, the payoff is so worth it. Dex and Fiona fight for their relationship through long distance, demanding careers, and difficult choices. It’s inspiring and romantic in the best way.

The bonus scenes were a highlight. Getting a glimpse of how their story began and how much Dex cared from the very start added even more heart to this already touching story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this updated edition. I absolutely loved it.

I think I may be the problem, but this was just not for me. I didn’t find the characters or situations believable and the story really started to burn out around the 60 percent mark.

On the whole, I liked Fiona and Ethan as people. I think their general personalities meshed well together and were pleasant separately. Fiona is a wild one, who is entertaining to follow, and her dilemmas were written really well; I felt the angst in her job-life and what ultimately put her in the public eye. I don’t even think she made completely irrational decisions through these situations. I enjoyed her as a character. Ethan on the surface is a fun character cause he is the quite sincere one. This dynamic is something I usually am drawn to in big burly characters. However, there were some other aspects of him that just seemed incongruent? odd? I am unsure. Him being tatted and pierced for the reason he gave seemed extreme. His borderline obsession with Fi from the start also seemed extreme. His response to Fi’s decision at the end of the book also very extreme (honestly, borderline dangerous?) it was all of these pieces that confused my perception of him, and made me not relate/like him as much. I don’t hate him, but I think I would consider some of these personality breaks as red flags.

I would also like to point out that their origin is odd. The beard essentially sparking a whole romance is a little of a stretch to me, but I am not overly put out about it.
The pacing of the book was relatively good. I think this was a quick spark which I don’t totally love, but the progression was pretty decent. The segment of the book that deals with the long distance relationship felt redundant to me, but I also don’t think there was a way to make it not be that way.

Overall, I preferred the other story with Grey and Ivy more, but I still liked this one and will probably continue to read Callihan’s novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an electronic advanced reader copy of this new edition. Thoughts are completely my own.

The Game Plan by Kristen Callihan is book three in the Game On series, but it was my first read by this author—and it totally held up as a standalone!

This one starts off with a bit of forbidden romance energy and quickly melts into a full-on true love story. Ethan “Dex” Dexter is a tattooed NFL player who’s quiet, private, and completely smitten with Fiona “Fi” Mackenzie—his best friend’s sister-in-law. He’s been low-key crushing on her for years, just waiting for her to finally see him.

Fi isn’t looking for anything serious, so she offers a one-night stand. What she doesn’t expect? Dex is a virgin. (Yep. That doesn’t last long 😅). Their chemistry is instant and intense, and the way they fall into this cozy, sweet kind of love made me swoon.

Dex’s backstory is heartbreaking, and I loved how patient and kind Fi was with him. The emotional depth really surprised me in the best way. Now, the leaked photo drama? Honestly, I could’ve done without it—it felt a bit over the top—but it did push their relationship to grow and made them more open with each other.

If you’re into emotional sports romances with good spice and a genuinely sweet hero, this one’s worth picking up. I read it as a standalone, but now I’m super curious about the rest of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kristen Callihan for a copy of this Ebook ARC for my honest review!

Our story follows Dex, a professional football player, and Fiona, the sister-in-law of one of Dex’s teammates. Dex has had a long-time crush on Fiona and Fiona has sworn off of athletes, especially football players. While the two live vastly different lives and live in different cities, there is certainly no way a relationship between them could work, right?

I absolutely loved the way this couple showed up for each other. When one needed the other, they made sure to be there in whatever way they could. I also loved the cute little conversations between them, especially in the second half of the book.

However, I did feel like there was a bit too much of a back-and-forth/will they or won’t they vibe which I personally am not much of a fan of.

Tropes:
🏈Pierced MMC,
✨Virgin MMC
🏈Sports
✨Friends to lovers
🏈He falls first

Overall rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Overall Spice:
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

I love this series from Kristen Callihan. I'm glad to see them reissued and hope that her book find a wider audience. I would highly suggest these books for fans of Elle Kennedy.