Monica Murphy is a new to me author and I was super excited to receive this arc. I am a sucker for football romances that include forced proximity and when I read the blurb for End Game, it gave me New Girl vibes. Everleigh is a lot like Jessica Day. The only problem I had with the story is the pacing. This is a s-l-o-w burn, which surprised me, because it was a relatively short book, so when I saw I was getting down to the last 30 pages, I knew the ending was going to be rushed. Everleigh and Nico often avoided conflict by ghosting each other rather than hashing things out like adults. Nico was such a manchild who could not handle rejection because no woman had ever rejected him. He had the most personal growth in the story and I was glad when he finally pulled his head out of his ass. By then, the story was almost over and I was left feeling like I had been edged for 230 pages and then got a wham bam thank you ma’am. I hope we get more of Everleigh and Nico in the next book because this ending was too abrupt.

Trope:
Football Romance
Roommates to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Opposites Attract
College Romance
Found Family
Slow Burn

I always love sports romances, so it’s no surprise that I loved this one too! Nico is your typical college football player who loves parties, his friends, hooking up and he has his eyes set on going pro. One of the things I loved was Nico’s character development throughout this book. It’s very slow moving but little by little we get to see him change his attitude.

Everleigh has gone through a break-up and is homeless when her apartment for college falls through. After meeting Nico and his friends, they let her move in. I really liked Everleigh because she was trying to do what she wanted for herself, against her mother’s wishes. I love the relationship she developed with her roommates (including Sienna) and the other football players. They all become her family. There is some ex-other woman drama throughout, but I am glad there wasn’t any towards the end.

I do wish we would’ve gotten a little more of the relationship between Nico and Everleigh at the end. I feel like that part was cut short. I’m hoping we get to see more of them in future books.

Thank you NetGalley, Monica Murphy and Valentine PR for the ARC for an honest review.

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 is the first book in the new Kings of Campus series by Monica Murphy, featuring an entertaining opposites attract, roommates to lovers, football romance for Nico and Everleigh. Everleigh’s life turned into a lesson in Murphy’s Law when she found herself homeless as college is starting. Luckily she overhears a group of guys discussing their open room, and she’s able to strike a deal with them for the room. She has no idea her new roommates are the most popular guys on campus with NFL potential. She’s also not prepared for the magnetism of Nico, the surly leader of the pack. The two of them getting together would be a bad idea, but will they be able to resist the pull?

This was a fun, fast-paced story with a true opposites attract vibe. Everleigh is a definite relationship girl with only one prior relationship under her belt, while Nico is a playboy who only does hook-ups. They definitely have an obvious attraction and some tension between them, but I did find it a little hard to connect with them at times, with their wishy-washy behavior. They grew on me though, later in the book, when they were finally honest with themselves and each other.😍 Also the slow burn aspect was extra slowwww!😅 The world building, however, was great, and the dynamic of all the friends and roommates was full of witty banter and a tight found family vibe that I always gravitate towards. The yoga and football scenes were a hit for me as well. I found myself distracted by the story brewing between Sienna and Gavin, and I can’t wait to read their book!!🤪

I received an ARC for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#EndGame #monicamurphy #ContemporaryRomance #NewAdultRomance #sportsromance #AlphaHero #Athlete #badboygoodgirl #CollegeFootball #ForcedProximity #GrumpySunshine #OppositesAttract #RoommatestoLovers

All hail the Queen of College Football Romance!!

When I found out that Monica was writing a whole new world with all new characters I was so excited. And then I got to read it and I was not disappointed.

Niko & Ever’s romance is the slow burn story that I didn’t know I needed. Monica doesn’t hold back on these two, she lets us see all their flaws and vulnerabilities and makes them come to life on the page.

This isn’t a super steamy story, but it gets its point across and makes you love these two and their journey even more. With a whole cast of side characters the future is unlimited for this series, and I can’t wait to read more!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

what to expect:
Strangers to Lovers
Sports Romance
Football Player x Yoga Instructor
Slow Burn
Reformed Playboy
Found Family

If you're into sports romance with a side of swoon-worthy drama, this book is a total win! Everleigh’s story of winding up as the only girl living with three guys—one of them being the deliciously infuriating Nico—had me hooked from the start. Nico, the football star with a bad boy reputation, proves that even playboys can change when they meet the right girl.

The slow burn between Everleigh and Nico was torture in the best way possible. I loved watching Nico struggle to shake off his playboy image and prove to Everleigh that he's more than his past. But with her insecurities and his possessive streak? The tension was real! Jealousy, sweet moments, and plenty of roommate drama kept me glued to the pages.

what to expect:
Strangers to Lovers
Sports Romance
Football Player x Yoga Instructor
Slow Burn
Reformed Playboy
Found Family

cant wait for Gavin,Coop,Frank & Sienna's stories <3

“I want the one I can’t have. The one I shouldn’t touch. I’ve always been temped by the forbidden.”

End Game was the first book in the Kings of Campus series and features roommates Everleigh and Nico. This sweet and swoony story was an easy read that is a lot of fun. I loved these two as well as their friends.

Ever was down on her luck and had just gotten to college only to find out she had nowhere to live. I loved how scrappy Ever was and how determined she was to make the most of her college experience despite it’s auspicious beginning.

“Silly. This is not a word I use to describe myself, but she makes me feel silly and hopeful and unsure. Which is not normal for me.”

Nico was a bit rude, grumpy, and such a player, but somehow, I liked him. When he finally started letting his guard down and showing his heart, he was a sweetheart. He tried to ignore how Ever made him feel, but his jealousy and possessiveness wouldn’t let him. I loved watching him try to convince Ever to give them a shot.

“My mom always told me, when you know, you know. And I know about you, Ever.”

Ever and Nico clash from the beginning and their snarky banter is full of fire. It was fun to watch Ever bond with each of her roommates and her chemistry with Nico was off the charts. Full of flirty banter, found family, combustible heat and a whole lot of heart, End Game was a fast-paced read that devoured in one day and now I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Monica Murphy has got a new series for us! WHOOP WHOOP!

END GAME is the first book of her new Kings of Campus Series and I'm ready for everything! ❤️

Everleigh is new in Santa Mira and she hasn't an easy life. She has nowhere to live although college stars soon.
What can a lonely girl do then?
Well, when she overhears three huge and gorgeous guys, she sees her only chance.
She wants to be their new roommate, buuuut not all the guys are really happy with that.
Maybe they can change their minds?

What can I say? I'm a huge fan of Monica Murphy's books!
And End Game? Well, it's no exception for sure! 🤗
I felt with Everleigh right from the beginning. She wants to start over in a new town and go to college. But then she had nowhere to stay? OMG! Horrible!
But then there were these three guys in the café, searching for a new roommate.
I was so happy when they agreed and everything turned for the better for her. 🩷

Of course there was some kind of tension between Everleigh and Nico right from the beginning. Awwww... and I liked that a lot! 🤗
Both are so completely different, buuut you know what they say: Opposites attract! 😌

Yeah, sometimes dear Nico was a bit frustrating too, buuut at the end he stole my heart. ❤️

Everleigh and Nico turn into roommates and then... awww... you'll see for yourself!

Well, I also loved the other guys! Cooper and Dollar. I hope they'll get their own stories!
Such sweeties! And Sienna? Such a badass girl! 😍

If you're in the mood for
● college romance
● football romance
● bad guy / good girl
● opposites attract
● roommates to lovers

END GAME is your kind of book!


Thank you so much to Monica Murphy for this ARC via NetGalley.
This is my honest review in my own words.

Such a great read! I loved the meet cute that brought Ever into the Nico’s and his friends/roommates/teammates lives. The sparks were flying between Ever and Nico from the very beginning, even if they were both quick to deny them as anything but lust. And boy did they deny them! I did think Ever was a bit wishy washy and a bit harsh towards Nico at times but I had to remember that she’s fairly inexperienced when it comes to relationships and she can’t see inside Nico’s head like I can. How does she know his intentions are true, right?
I was riveted from beginning to end! I can’t wait for more from these rugged but loveable football players!!
5 stars!!!

I’m a sucker for football college romances and this one was no different. honestly, is there a better time of the year to read college + sports romances? I don’t think so. with that said, add this one immediately to your autumn tbr. this is such a cute, quick paced and fun read. plus it’s the first book in a new series!!
you meet Everleigh and Nico and you can’t help but falling in love with them even with all their flaws (absolutely love real characters!!!). and since this is the first book in the series you meet a of characters that I’m hoping to have future books about them. the tension between the main characters is incredible, the friendships are way too cute and real.
I just wish we had an epilogue or some kind of closure. but I guess this means we’ll see more of them in the future books of the series (?)

tropes in this book:
sports romance
college romance
roommates to lovers
forced proximity

NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND ALERT! Meet Nico in this brand new book by Monica Murphy. The boy that makes every girls heart swoon. I am obsessed with him I need him in my life. Nico and his friends allow Everleigh to move in with them. Will it be a disaster? Who knows. I cannot get over the characters in this book and the story. It was such a good book to read and so much fun!

ARC Review 📚📚📚:


Although I like this book, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I was so enthusiastic about this book. Especially since Monica Murphy writing is exceptional.
When Everleigh first gets at UC Santa Mira, she's put in a difficult predicament because of a housing error that essentially leaves her without a place to live.It was always going to be difficult for her to transfer to a new college in her junior year, but now that her housing has fallen through, her car has been broken into, and she has nowhere else to turn. She is fortunate enough to convince three football players to let her move in after overhearing them mention that they need to find new roommate. She's settled in at last, and her new housemates are fantastic. Her developing crush with Nico is the only issue. Not wanting to ruin the roommate dynamic and her opportunity at fresh start. She choses not to act on her crush.
Be prepared for a tedious read, this book was a slow type of romance. I also thought the characters were a touch too immature. Instead of working through their feelings, they would choose to ignore one another for days when they were after their encounters. Nico was also your average arrogant, popular boy who thought he was greatest gift. While he did see some growth as a character towards the end. He fell short for me. I was actually more interested in the side characters. I was engrossed in the Sienna/Gavin drama *sidenote*I hope that’s the next book. I absolutely cherished Everleigh's connections with Dollar and Cooper. I also truly liked all of the supporting characters and their friendships. While I have nothing against a slow-burning romance, it seems pointless when they eventually hit it off at 98% of the book. This was an excruciatingly slow burn. Why torture us like that ???
Overall, although it seems like a okay book to read it wasn’t my fave but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it. Read it to get an introductions to the amazing side characters.

Recommend Adding to your TBR so you can see the growth of the side characters and to get a sneak peek of the next couple.


* Dual POVs
* Sports Romance
* Slow Burn
* Found Family
* Alpha Jock
* Opposites Attract
* Forced Proximity

Everleigh is a transfer student at UC Santa Mira, getting ready to start her Junior year, when her roommate situation falls through. While at a coffee shop, she overhears a group of guys talking about how they need a new roommate and the next thing she knows, she's rooming with three of the most popular guys on campus, who are football players for the Santa Mira Dolphins. When her roommate, Nico, takes a liking to Everleigh, they both know it's not a great idea, especially since they're living together, but will they be able to resist the temptation?

This is the first book in the Kings of Campus series, and I really enjoyed it! It was a super cute football romance, with roommates to lovers trope, a slowburn romance, and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

Oh nico was just so swoony, ever and nico gave me so many feels. This was a fantastic story, these 2 characters were so well written. Highly recommended

My Rating: 4.5/5

My Thoughts: Everleigh has had trouble catching a break in life. She doesn't have a supportive system back home and she's looking for a fresh start. Unfortunately, she desperately needs a room to rent after her current housing doesn't work out. She approaches three strangers after overhearing them needing a new roommate and her bad luck starts to look up. Nico is one of the football stars and isn't exactly one for a relationship. He's hesitant about Everleigh, but he feels drawn to her. These two have a bit of a rocky start, compared to her other roommates. After all the setbacks Everleigh had, I loved how strong of a person she was, even when she didn't see how much her roommates valued her. I thought this book was sweet with a little drama. I love Monica Murphy's football romance. It's a perfect Fall read.

This is my first Monica Murphy read, and I will definitely read more!

When Everleigh's rooming situation at her new college falls through, she's desperate for somewhere to live. Desperate enough to follow 3 large dudes home and beg them to let her rent their spare room! Turns out these guys are university football players, and they're a huge deal around campus. Frank, or "Dollar", Coop, and Nico each take some convincing, but they eventually agree to take pity on her, if she'll cook them 3 meals a week.
Frank clearly has a crush on Ever, but she friend zones him real hard. Nico, on the other hand... let's just say that they have to fight their attraction with all their might.

I liked the found family in the roommates and their friends. I want to read more about Coop and Frank, as well as Gavin and Sienna, Coop's sister. I feel like I got to know the side characters pretty well, and I'd like to read their books, but I feel like Everleigh and Nico didn't get enough character development in this story, and their relationship arc was a bit flat. He's kind of just an A-hole over and over until he apologizes once and becomes a changed man. And Everleigh was sort of one-dimensional, all we know about her is she's naive, she's new here, and has a strained relationship with her mom.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading the next one!

4⭐ 2🌶️

I read an advanced copy, and this is my honest review. Thank you to Valentine Pr, the publishers, and the author.

Heck Yeah! I’m always down for a read where an egotistical fboy gets put into his place by a strong woman who doesn’t even know how beautiful she is. It’s so awesome when she stands her ground and says nope I refuse to be another notch on your bedpost and demands to be treated with respect. When even though she may not see how much she affects the clueless playboy…she still recognizes she is worth more than to be treated like just another girl he wants to bed.
And boy did Ever put him in his place…although his feeling may have been real from the beginning had she not put her foot down and rejected his advances…well let just say you’ll need to read it to find out how it turns out. I’ll tell you one thing…I can’t wait for book 2. Which I’m positive will be announced soon…cause how can you have a book 1 of a series and not have a book 2? And I mean we have so many guys left to read about…wonderful read, thanks Monica for the beautiful and entertaining read!

I wanted to love this book but while I liked it, it did fall a little short for me. The premise and the tropes had me so excited for what this book had in store for me but wasn't executed to the level I thought it would. This book was a slow, SLOWWWWW burn, so be prepared for that and the characters felt a little high schoolish to me. When faced with conflict they would resort to ignoring each other for days instead of working out their feelings. Nico was also your typical arrogant, popular boy who felt like he was God's gift to women, now granted he did have some character growth towards the end of the book there it was a painful ride of assho*ery to get there. Now I LOVED all of the side characters and their friendships, I was really invested in the Sienna/Gavin drama (I hope that is the next book) and I enjoyed Everleigh's relationships with Dollar and Coop... one-word yoga (iykyk).

Everleigh Olmstead could not have any worse of luck. After finally being able to move across the country to attend her dream college, she is left homeless with nothing but her backpack. A coincidental meeting with three burly guys needing a last-minute roommate ends with her in a 'New Girl' situation of being the only girl in a house of guys.

These guys? They are not your average college bros. They’re the "it" guys of campus, and they all play for the highly successful football team, with professional contracts on the horizon. They strike a deal with Everleigh that if she agrees to help with the cleaning and cook them dinner, they will hook her up with discounted rent and elite bathroom accommodations.

Sounds like a win, win right? Well, it is until Everleigh can't help but be attracted to the surly man of the bunch, Nico Valente. Football god with quite the reputation for being a "hit it and quit it" type of man, but as hot and cold as he might be with her, he has made his interest known. But, he has also made it clear that he does not have any interest in a relationship and she has made it clear that she is not interested in a hookup. But the longer they are in each other's space they can't fight the attraction building between them. They've tried and tried again to keep things innocent but when a psycho exes show up and push them together lines are crossed, but will their friendship survive it? Or will they find something much more real in store for them?

I was gifted an advance reader copy by the author and Valentine PR in exchange for an honest review.

monica murphy definitely chose to perfect season to release this book! reading a football romance, on the first sunday of football season? the vibes were immaculate. i really liked the female main character in this book. i found Everleigh’s struggles and triumphs to be equally relatable, as i recently went through a very similar transition point in my life; moving to a new city where you know no one, and experiencing happiness within the new environment. i also enjoyed the found family, and the sports aspects of this book a lot! i feel like sometimes sports romances disconnect from the sport itself, but in this one, football was prominent all throughout. there really was no plot, which is fine because the pacing of the first half of the book was great. however, as it went on, i found myself enjoying it less and less. i hated the male main character… Nico was so whiney and he just gave me the ick constantly. it also just felt very wattpad-y, which is a positive quality for some, but not for me. overall, i just don’t feel like this couple would last in real life, so it was hard for me to be super invested in their story.

*End Game* by Monica Murphy is an emotional and engaging contemporary romance that dives into the ups and downs of a complicated relationship. The characters have great chemistry, and the slow-burn tension keeps you hooked. It’s a well-paced read with just the right mix of romance, personal growth, and a few surprises along the way. Perfect if you enjoy a story with a bit of angst and heart.

Thank you net galley and Monica Murphy for the arc copy of this book. I enjoyed it thoroughly

This was a great start for a new series. I really liked ever and felt so bad for her not having an apartment last minute and all the other issues that happen. It was refreshing that she was brave to ask the guys about the apartment. Nico is a player. But he starts to have the real feeling for ever his roommate. I really love their chemistry. The plot was good and I really enjoyed it. I really like all the guys and can’t wait to get to read their stories like frank, cooper, sienna and Gavin. I can’t decide which one I am hoping is next. Monica Murphy is such a great author.