If you’re looking for a steamy hockey romance that perfectly pairs childhood friends to lovers and a relationship of convenience, look no further than The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson. Ian and Delilah were simply perfect for each other. Ferguson did an excellent job at weaving Lila and Ian’s personal and professional lives together, all while giving plenty of spice and including meaningful family dynamics. This was yet another steamy, bingeable read from Ferguson, solidifying her place on my auto-buy list.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

What’s cuter than a ginger giant in an apron?

When former childhood friends Delilah Baker and Ian Chase both need a PR boost – Lila to help her local cable show’s ratings, and Ian to help quiet a past scandal as he returns to his hometown hockey team – they agree to a little fake dating to help each other’s careers. So what if Lila has had a crush on Ian since she was a teenager? And so what if Ian can’t help but notice that Lila isn’t the same little girl she used to be, and is now a full grown, tempting woman? With attraction at all all time high and two careers on the line, Ian and Delilah will have to decide if they’re going for the power play, or if they have to let the cookies crumble. 

After loving The Nanny and The Fake Mate, and now The Game Changer, Lana Ferguson has solidified herself on my auto-buy list. It’s clear that no matter what kind of romance she’s writing, Fergson will hit it out of the park with lovable characters, undeniable chemistry, and fan-worthy spice.

Even though paranormal romance will always be my go-to subgenre, Ferguson’s hockey romance is definitely an all star story. I loved that Delilah was messy, both in her personal life and while baking in front of the cameras. She was a lovable girl next door and was the best friend’s little sister trope personified. I thought Ferguson did a great job at transitioning Ian between seeing Lila as a little kid and seeing her for the woman she became. It was a natural progression without ever seeming wrong or dirty, both within the plot and from the reader’s perspective. 

And once Ian and Lila got together? Ferguson kept the steam coming. If you’ve read any of Ferguson’s previous books, you already know the kind of steam levels she writes into her books, and The Game Changer was no different. Ferguson keeps her characters feral for each other, and I loved that we didn’t get any dreaded third-act breakup in this romance. Lila and Ian were steamy, while still managing to keep their careers, family, and friends in the forefront of their plans. We got a decent amount of both Ian and Lila’s careers, but if baking or hockey really isn’t your thing, rest assured that the main focal point of this story remained on their personal lives. 

The Game Changer was another hit from Lana Ferguson. Striking the perfect balance between their love lives, personal lives, and careers, it’s hard to not cheer for Ian and Delilah as they navigate the line between childhood friends and fake dating to reacquainted friends who become so much more to each other. 

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