3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for providing the e-ARC.

Tropes: Immigrant-parents, multi-cultural, anxiety, second-chance, family-ties, best friend's-brother, young-adult

The author writes well. The book had the makings of an interesting story line. Immigrant parents. Boy falls first and hard. Multi-cultural. From the blurb, it seemed like a good fit for me, but the fact that the main leads are in college meant that that's an age group that I do not relate to at this stage of my life. It reads more like a Young-Adult novel so if that's your jam, you'll really like it.

The miscommunication did not make me a happy camper. It created unnecessary conflict and confusion. Unwarranted angst. I wish it had been handled more gently and with nuance.

Overall a nice and quick read.

Game Changer was such a cute and fast read, but it was also really impactful and emotional. Ethan and Maya have been friends forever, with his sister being her best friend, but after a disastrous hookup ending in ghosting, they haven’t spoken in months. When they attend the same college (and their dorms are right next to each other), they strike up a friendship again, but neither can stop themselves from catching feelings — or maybe they never went away in the first place.

My favorite part of this book was the representation. Ethan struggles with anxiety and body image, and Maya is the daughter of immigrants who struggles to pave her own way due to expectations and dreams her parents have set for her. She’s such a strong character, and I kept rooting for her to break her chains and live her life the way she wants to.
Ethan — no matter what he would have to say about that — is the perfect book boyfriend. He doesn’t fit the standard of the 6+ foot, ripped bad boy, and he doesn’t need to. He’s sweet, attentive and loving and supportive. He has every quality you could possibly want in a guy, yet he doesn’t see it that way. He’s insecure about his body (relatable) and doesn’t like being the center of attention due to his anxiety. I thought mental health was portrayed and represented so well through his character, and I love that it was so realistic and important.

The romance was sweet and swoony, but it also got really hot during spicy scenes — the perfect combination. I was a little annoyed with Maya and it was frustrating that she hid really important information from Ethan instead of confiding in him and letting him take some of the burden. The miscommunication part went on for most of the book, and it made it a little frustrating to read. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story and writing, and am excited to read the next book in the series! It was already set up in this one, and I can’t wait to return to this group!

I LOVED this novel! In the first book we learn about Cameron and Maddie’s love story. In this novel we learn about how their best friends fell in love. This has forbidden love, brothers best friend and opposites attract. Each young adult tries to find their way in life and this novel is something everyone can relate to. In life we must find ourselves and we often gather a few special people along the way.

I can say that i like how realistic this feels. I love the representation of mental health that is woven into the story, it sheds a light into it and it was shown so well. Other personal matters makes the characters relatable. The chemistry and connection of the characters was heart melting. The story itself was enjoyed.

4 stars.
I loved Playmaker by Deanna Faison, so I knew I would enjoy this book!
I will admit that I liked Playmaker a bit more, but I still liked this one.
Ethan and Maya are such a sweet couple.
Both characters come to college with baggage of their own, but manage to make it work and love/support one another.
They are also funny, and I enjoyed their banter.
The mental health themes in this book were so beautifully executed and represented. Deanna Faison has a way to write about difficult subjects most respectfully and healthily.
Trigger warnings: this book deals with anxiety, body image issues, and lack of self-worth. So, please make sure to consider that before reading to protect your mental health.
The chemistry was sexy and sweet, and the plot does a great job of balancing the spice with the plot.
The structure of the plot is great. I did feel the pace was a bit disjointed intermittently, but it quickly recovered.
I was all in my feels, which I love.
While this book is interconnected with Playmaker, it is wonderful as a standalone. I think it just adds to the experience if you have read Playmaker, but you also are not missing out if you didn't read it.
Overall, I recommend picking this up.
Add it to your TBR this summer/fall!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Deanna Faison for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Happy Reading!

Game Changer was a truly enjoyable read with a lot of heart. After loving The Playmaker, I was excited to jump into the second book—and it definitely lived up to expectations. Maya and Ethan are warm, relatable, and easy to root for, and the supporting characters brought plenty of personality and fun to the story.

One of the things I appreciated most was how the book thoughtfully explored more serious themes like anxiety, body image, and self-worth. Faison handled these topics with care, adding depth and emotional weight that elevated the story beyond a typical romance. That said, the romance itself was still sweet, sexy, and full of genuine chemistry.

While the book wasn’t perfect—I did notice some uneven pacing and occasional bumps in the writing—it still delivered a heartfelt, satisfying story. If you're looking for a romance with substance, charm, and lovable characters, Game Changer is well worth picking up

3 ⭐️

This is the second book following Playmaker. It’s a college, best friend’s brothers, forced proximity. Ethan and Maya have a history. They’re each facing their own personal challenges at they head off to college like figuring out their goals and how to move on past a steamy night. When they find out they’re dorm neighbors, something reignites but will they be able to give into these old feelings? I definitely think that Ethan and Maya both have a lot of things to work through personally in this book. The connection and senses of romance is there between them. I think that this book does a good job of showing the day to day life of a college student and what they’re trying to balance responsibiliy wise and on top of that relationships. Ethan is a sweetheart and is always there for Maya throughout the book. Maya is good for him, although she has a little bit of a wild side to her. What was frustrating for me is the huge miscommunication of the book. Maya was holding onto to this for pretty much the whole book of why she broke things off with Ethan to begin with, I don’t know what she didn’t tell him earlier.

Dude where can I buy an Ethan for myself?? 😭 Aaaah to have a man this obsessed with you :') I loved this story 💙 the romance, the angst in it 😍 the smexy scenes? Woww 👌🏻 idk why I couldn't stand Maya at the beginning of the story 😭 but I'm glad that everyone got their life together and at the end Maya and Ethan got the ending they deserved 🫶🏻 having controlling parents and them standing in your way is so unfair to anyone, but at least Maya's parents got some sense into them 🥲 honestly I'm more happy that Ethan got what he wanted 😂 tho I wished that he'd shown more anger towards Maya for the ghosting thingy, it wasn't fair for him. Overall, I enjoyed this story and it's an easy read! You won't feel like your soul is being sucked out of you, and would definitely recommend to read it!

I thought this book could also be a movie, very cute premise ans very relatable
Looking forward to reading more by this author

Maya and Ethan’s story was a tale of self-discovery and growth. Both faced internal and external challenges, and I loved how their story unfolds and how strong their connects and support for each became throughout their journey.
I feel like Game Changer did an excellent job of touching on tough subjects like anxiety, body image struggles, and self esteem issues.
Maya and Ethan’s relatable and compassionate nature made them lovable characters. I couldn’t help but wish them nothing but the absolute best.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and while Game Changer can be read as a standalone, but I highly encourage you to read The Playmaker.

Tropes:
Best friend’s brother,
Forced proximity,
College romance
Found family 



Thank you Netgalley for sending me a copy of Game Changer to read and review.

Loved Deanna's first book so I had to come back for more. I cozy sports romance that was so enjoyable to read. I do feel readers would enjoy this one more if they have read the first book, the interconnection elements feel like you might feel like you're missing out if you haven't read the first, but since I had I really loved everything about this one. The characters were so cute and their story was so well written with great representation.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really cute. I went into it without reading the first in the interconnected series, and although I perhaps would have had a stronger connection to the characters if I had, I found myself perfectly invested and clear on backstory without that introduction.

There were many things about this book I found really wonderful. Maya and Ethan were both compelling and likable main characters, and the cast of secondary characters were quite fun as well. It dealt with some heavier issues that I think Faison handled really well, and gave this book more substance than a simple romance. The romance itself was sweet and sexy, and I found myself rooting for both our mcs the entire time.

This was by no means a groundbreaking piece of literature (in fact it struggled a bit with pacing, plot, and writing in my opinion), but if you're looking for a good, sweet, sexy time with a lot of heart, I definitely recommend giving this book a go. I'll most likely be checking out more work from Faison.

I loved this book! Ethan and Maya are such relatable characters. I felt seen while reading their story. And all of the representation in this book was amazing to read and done very well. If you like romance books with lots of heart this one is for you. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Webtoon Book Group for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the representation of anxiety in this book and the fact that our hero wasn’t some super hot out together athlete who had the world at his feet. Ethan was so easy to like and love because he was a hot mess but he didn’t give up. He had a heart of gold and this man LOVES HARD!

Maya and Ethan have a history and it’s one that didn’t have a great ending but day in and day out Ethan pushes forward to be the best version of himself. Maya who wants to control her life does what she can for her parents to make them proud but discovers that maybe she needs to go after her own dreams instead of theirs.

This was a book that shows how hard life can be when its ruled by fear and expectations. Our hero and heroine were so easy to identify with and omg the side characters….LOVE!

Ethan and Maya each face personal challenges as they go off to college - trying to pursue (or even find) their passion, be who they want to be instead of who others expect them to be, and how to move past a night of explosive passion. When they end up next door neighbors, the proximity ignites old feels, but doesn't offer any easy solutions. Will Ethan take a chance on himself, once he knows what he wants? Will Maya put her own happiness ahead of her parents' expectations?

I didn't read the first book in this duology, and I don't think it mattered to my understanding of the story or characters. This seems like an accurate portrayal of people trying to navigate college and balance responsibilities and expectations with their own dreams. Ethan is sweet and a good friend; Maya is a good foil for him with her spicy, adventurous side. People who like tropes of sister's-best-friend, immigrant-stories, parents-expectations, and coming-of-age arcs will like this, I think.

3.5⭐️

This is the second book that I've read by the author; the first being Playmaker. If you enjoy college romance, best friend's brother, forced proximity, and second chance romance tropes this is the book for you. I've honestly been grappling a lot with how to rate this book because I overall enjoyed it. I even love that it touched on heavy topics like living up to expectations of immigrant parents, finding your passion, and anxiety. But if you've read any of my previous reviews, I'm the biggest hater of the miscommunication trope and it was pretty heavy in this one. I can understand why Maya would break it off but to not tell Ethan her reasons for ending it even after they got back together the second time is just frustrating.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“I would kiss the ground you f*cking walk on, Maya.”

tropes: best friend’s brother, forced proximity, college romance

Oh my gosh I loved this book so much!! I devoured it in like a day because I didn’t want to put it down! Maya and Ethan’s story was so complicated but so beautiful. They both had their internal and external struggles and I loved seeing them work through them. They’re both such relatable and kindhearted characters that you just want the absolute best for them. This was such an amazing book and I just loved everything about it!

Thank you netgalley for giving me an early copy!!

More and more authors are choosing their second books to be about secondary characters from their first release. I love that! It's a fun way to get back into their work and writing style. Game Changer does just that! I was entertained and liked the fast-paced storyline. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A new interconnected standalone series with found family? Oh I'm so seated. The bookstore employees are scared and they're telling me we're only two books in but I'm simply too seated

After reading the playmaker I could not wait to read more from Deanna. Even better that’s it’s an interconnected standalone(?) (I recommend in order) So thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Watching everything unfold is truly a journey and such a captivating one.
I enjoyed reading the backstory.
My first thought at the start was down bad and I love that
There was a question and they actually asked and communicated (jheez I have missed that)!!
And reading about something that is usually the FMC was a breath of fresh air
It really felt like they are their own people instead of merging which was also lovely to see
The only thing I didn’t like (a me problem) was a few moments, I cringed a little but genuinely nothing bad :))

This one didn’t give me the 5 star feeling tingles but it’s a pretty good book 😌