The End Game is the first book of the Kings of Campus series and a great starting point to a new series. I enjoyed the uniqueness of Everleigh finding herself homeless after the college messed up her housing and her having to live with several guys. I love a good slow burn and I feel like it made the story more realistic. I loved the build up of Nico and Everleigh’s relationship and the friendships in their home. I loved all the side characters as much as the main characters and really hope they get their own stories!

Great series starter! I really liked this book! All the tension between Nico and Everleigh was too much and I so eager to know what will happen next. Their chemistry is ever present from the start of this book. It was inevitable that they will end up together. The ultimate question tho was how long will they be able to resist each other?

This book is about how Everleigh ended up being roommates to three football players. Since she doesn’t follow sports, she doesn’t really know the extent of their fame. She’s in desperate need of a room to stay and they are in search of a roommate so they both agreed to some terms before Ever got the room.

I love every character in this book. They were all great except for one. 🙄
I especially loved Cooper’s sister, Sienna. I’m looking forward who will be the FMC and MMC of the next book. 🤭

I enjoyed End Game. I liked the overall plot, the friendships and the characters. I liked both Ever and Nico and enjoyed the foundation they built, i could definitely feel the chemistry between them from the moment they met. I adored the group of guys and how they all interacted with one another. Most of all though i loved how they all respected and treated Ever with respect from the get go. How they built their own friendships with Ever seperate from her relationship with Nico and whether or not they were in a relationship. I really liked Sienna’s character too and how she and Ever just vibed from the get go and built such a good friendship. I adored Cooper, i don’t know why but he was my favourite and i hope to read his book at some point soon. Personally, i did find that that the relationship was done very slow for my tastes. I still enjoyed this book and recommend people give it a go.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. We have Everleigh, a transfer student who has just lost her housing and ended up rooming with 3 football players. It's obvious she's gonna end up with the most popular guy, Nico. The push and pull is obvious to everyone around them.

Sienna, whose brother Coop lives with Ever and the guys, was the banter I needed. She keeps it real and calls them all on their BS. I hope she and Gavin get a book because I need to know what happened between them.

This was a slow burn, and I was on my ties waiting for the moment it would finally happen, then it did, and that was it. I wish we had more after the fact. Overall, it was a fun read and enjoyable characters.

This was a cute roommates to lovers romance. Everleigh and Nico constantly fighting their feelings for each other. I absolutely adored this book! ❤️❤️

જ⁀➴ 4-4.2 ★ I can't really explain it but this book (and honestly a lot of this author's books) is superrr nostalgic to me and reminds me of my roots like football romance, ROOMMATES TO LOVERS, forced proximity, opposites attract, college romance LMAOO. Its like your classic academic set, sports romance with the campus' beloved football player and a girl who barely knows about any of it.

the storyline
Everleigh (h) is put in a tough situation when she arrives at UC Santa Mira for a fresh beginning but is practically left homeless after a housing mishap. Rooming with three guys was definitely not on her ideas of what the year had in store for her but when she overhears three guys talking about needing a new roommate after their intended one bailed, she finds an opportunity. Her biggest obstacle to getting that room though was the campus' star player Nico (H)who can't afford any distractions this season and already knows that Everleigh would become a huge one.

And she did.

I think what also really amplified my overall enjoyment from the book were the side characters as well who were all enjoyable and the friendship between all of them and how effortlessly the guys accept Everleigh into the fold once they get to know her a bit more.

There's a ton of push/pull in this book and is also pretty slow burn like for most people though i honestly felt like it was a fast paced read for me ahaha.

Though the one detractor would honestly be their poor communication and ability to manage their emotions despite being about to graduate college but honestly this wasn't for a hugely significant part of the book so I truly didn't mind. I would definitely consider this book a good read if you're looking for something light and entertaining.

Thank you VPR and Net Galley for the ARC from one of my favorite authors, I really appreciate it

End Game is the first book in the new Kings of Campus series by Monica Murphy. I'm a sucker for sports romance, so I was really excited to read this one!

Everleigh made the decision to transfer to a college in California and move away from everything she's known. Her start at her new school gets off to a very rocky start, as the apartment she was going to move into is now no longer available and classes start in a matter of days. By a stroke of luck, she hears three guys talking at the cafe about having a room to rent out. She knows she's got to take a leap of faith and inquire about the room. What she isn't anticipating when they finally tell her the room is hers, that she is moving in with three of the schools well-known football players!

Nico is on the football team and is one of the most sought after bachelors out there. He is known for not having relationships, but for being a player. He also was the one person who was not in favor of Everleigh moving in with he and his teammates Coop and Dollar. His fear is that everything will change because a female is living with them. While he might have been right about that, things didn't change in the way he thought!

I really liked the dynamic of Nico and Everleigh, but I do wish we would have gotten more about her background, and what led her to leave home. I would have liked for there to have been more time for Nico and Everleigh to interact in ways that would have shown more development in their relationship. I felt like it took way too long to actually get them together with a lot of the same conversations. I liked the secondary characters a lot and I'm hoping we will get books for them in the future.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Everleigh is at new college and finds herself homeless. She's in desperate need of a place to stay and happens to hear a small group of guys needing an extra roommate. She introduces herself and convinces them to let her move in, but unbeknownst to her these three super cute, big buff new roomies of hers are college football royalty. She finds herself very attracted to one roomie in particular, Nico, who happens to be known all over campus as a habitual playboy and ladies man. Nico finds himself tempted by his forbidden female roommate and things start to get a little messy around the house.

This is a super slow burn with them denying their feelings and not wanting to screw up the roomie situation if things go south after they hookup. Everleigh puts up a good fight against Nico's smile and charm, but one night while trying to fake out one of Nico's crazy past hookup they kiss and that sets things in motion for these two. Nico is absolutely adorable and so far out of his element when he's crushing on her and making zero progress. I loved seeing his growth toward the second half of the story. I honestly felt like this story could happen in real life, and I kinda loved that about it.

There were some pretty great background characters setting us up for the series and I cannot wait to see whose story is next!

This is surprisingly deep for a college romance. And I’m not saying that this author’s other works don’t have all the emotion and angst and humor like this one, but this story? It’s got more…growing up involved. And in the best ways, honestly.

Nico is a player. Full stop. But he sure isn’t playing much now. Not since meeting Everleigh. He doesn’t WANT to want her, but he does. He doesn’t want to just be friends, but they are. And he definitely doesn’t want to upset the good thing they all have going as roommates, but…he might. He’s maturing in ways he didn’t expect. He’s falling in a way he never planned to do. And he’s got to get his head and heart together to win Ever’s trust. Sure, he’s got her body on board. But that’s not his end game here. And both his mother and Coop remind him that not all feelings are bad, especially if they bring the potential of a forever love his way.

Everleigh is growing and maturing also. She doesn’t have as much to do as Nico, but she does have to face some fears and some uncomfortable truths. But she does, and Sienna proves to be an excellent friend to both her and Nico, which just makes me adore her more.

Trust me, this isn’t your standard Monica Murphy athlete needs to grow tale. This series is going to hit a little harder with the changing from boys to men. And I am all in for whoever finds their way from boy of a certain mentality to man on a mission next!

End Game by Monica Murphy is a college football romance. Everleigh is new to the college and needs a place to live. Nico is the college football star wide receiver and needs a roommate to join the house with teammates Frank and Cooper. I loved the instant chemistry between Everleigh and Nico. They tried to deny it and come up with every excuse why they shouldn’t be together. The supporting cast of characters in the roommates, teammates, and friends really makes this book entertaining. I love the premise of the story and everything about it. I didn’t want it to end and I want to see what happens with the other characters. This author is fantastic and I love everything she writes.

nd Game by Monica Murphy 💖
Kings of Campus, Book 1
Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
NA • Sports Romance
ARC Review
287 pages
🗓️ September 17

•football romance
•college romance
•good girl/bad boy
•roommates to lovers
•close proximity
•found family

📌“I waved at her. She waved back, and my heart tripped over itself when she did.”

First, don’t be jelly I got to read this first. You’re going to love it just as much as I did once you read it too 😜

Second, I almost doubted Nico for a second there but never Monica Murphy. She delivers these flawed MMCs straight to our hearts😌

Third, while you probably won’t see this until the day after… I finished this book the day football returned and it’s a sign of how much the gods must favor me 😜😂

Lastly, you can’t give me a sports romance with an alpha hero and not expect it to become my absolute favorite Monica Murphy?! It was inevitable 🥹

I also very much adore all those boys. Even you Gavin. Even you 🫣

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Listen, I am not opposed to a slow burn romance.. but when they finally bang at 98% it feels kind of useless. This was a tortuoussssss slow burn, like what are yall waiting for?

I will admit the rest of the storyline was good and I enjoyed watching Everleigh find her footing at a new school, and with a great group of friends. But I just find it hard to categorize this book as a romance, when the actual romance was covered so little, and only developed in the legit last 10% of the book…

I did enjoy the setting up and introductions of everyone in the friend group, and I would definitely continue reading other books if it becomes a series, this one just missed the mark for me. I think I would be super interested in seeing Gavin and Sienna’s relationship next as long as it happens before 90% of the book is over lol

I’m a sucker for a sports romance and when I saw that Monica Murphy was releasing this new book, I was so excited.

I found this book very fast paced and I managed to read it very quickly. I easily liked the characters and the friendships that were formed, getting me excited for future books in this series and seeing some of the other side characters get their happy ending (*cough* Gavin and Sienna *cough*).

I loved some of the tropes that were present in this book and although some of the outcomes were predictable, I loved seeing Everleighs friendship grow with the guys, Sienna and eventually Nico. I will say, this book was a slow burn, the couple do not properly get together until the last like 10% of the book but we still had some cute moments between them in between, as well as a lot of miscommunication and ignoring each other…

As much as I did enjoy this book, I will say that we moved on from situations quickly or I felt as if they were never quite handled. Despite the reconciliation at the end, all the characters went from either being best friends and joking around to ignoring each other and getting annoyed by them.

But this didn’t stop me from enjoying the little parts of this book and I can’t wait to see who’s next in this new series.

I’m always eager to get my hands on new releases from this author because her stories are engaging and addictive. 3.5, rounded to 4 stars.

Everleigh is the new girl on campus, not a super thing to be, as a Junior in college, but she made it happen. Football players convincing her to move in as their new roommate was definitely a win for her.

The guys are your typical football guys, and it was endearing to watch her engage with them. Nico wasn’t my favorite choice for her because of his self-centeredness and player behavior. In my opinion, he gained more from her presence than she did from having him in her life. But overall, they worked together.

There is a mutual attraction and chemistry between Nico and Everleigh, but it ebbed and flowed. Sometimes I felt like it wasn’t really there at all, or questioned why it should be.

I enjoyed this story in one sitting and adored the way the plot unraveled for the characters. Despite some challenges, their journey towards a happy ending matched what I had hoped for and expected.

I do recommend this author this book, and I enjoyed my time with these characters. I just wanted to love it more than I did.

I was fortunate to receive a complimentary copy of this one from Netgalley (thank you), and happily leave my review.

I absolutely devoured End Game! It came as a complete shock TBH how much I enjoyed this book. Sports romances and new adult books can be hit or miss for me, as sometimes I just can’t take the immaturity of younger characters, but the characters in this book were completely delectable.

Literally, this read was a guilty pleasure for me. It felt like a mix of a sports romance with New Girl vibes, and I was totally here for it! I definitely didn’t know going into this book that it’d be a 5-star read for me, but I really had a hard time putting it down. I can’t wait for the next books in this delicious new sports romance series!

You’ll love this book if you enjoy:
- Sports romance
- Bad boy falls for good girl
- Found family
- Alpha hero
- Roommates to lovers
- Opposites attract
- Grumpy sunshine

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first book in the Kings of Campus series, also my first book by this author. I love a good football romance 😍 it was so cute, I loved it from the very beginning. It was giving New Girl vibes, I absolutely love that show! This is like Nick and Jess had a baby named Everleigh 😅

Everleigh has found herself “homeless”, her housing falling through when she just moved to town to attend college. She overhears a group of guys in need of a roommate, she wants the room. It doesn’t matter that it lands her living with 3 football players, one whom she may or may not have a crush on 😉

I loved this book, I seriously finished it in less than 24 hours. I loved Everleigh’s relationship with all of her new roommates, a sense of found family. Watching her and Nico’s relationship develop, the slow burn 🔥 I’m excited to see where this series goes next 😍

Thank you Monica Murphy and VPR for the ARC!

Ahhhh!!! I can't say enough good things about this book! I started right after my kids went to bed last night and could not put it down until I finished! The angst and pining were superb with a great group of friends which made so many scenes fun and enjoyable. I love when a book can have a great mixture of the angst/pining/ chemistry between the main characters and then also have fun side characters that you can hope one day get their on book.

The book started when the FMC, Everleigh is down on her luck and her roommate situation fell through. She had just recently transferred to a new picturesque college that is near the ocean. It is apparently the ideal location with the beach near by, all the coffee shops/restaurants/bars within walking distance. You know what dreams are made of @ Luckily for her she over hears a group of guys talking about needing a fourth roommate. Enter the fun group of guys to the chat

Nico the MMC is the handsome, somewhat broody guy who smiles at her, Cooper is a large stocky tattoo man, and then there is Dollar who is a big teddy bear desperate for love.She doesn't know but they are on the football team for the college and a big deal on campus. The story develops from there with lots of chemistry, new characters being added and fun antics.

I highly recommend you checking this book out! I hope all the characters get a book and l'll also be hoping that / certain football player wakes up!!!

Tropes:
Sports romance
Bad boy vs good girl
Found family
Alpha hero
Roommates to lovers
Opposites attract
Grumpy Vs sunshine

I love that this book is extremely character driven. The main characters, secondary characters, and the background characters were all very much involved within the story. I loved Nico and Ever! I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the arc of this book.

I'm a huge fan of other books by Monica so was stoked to get this opportunity to ARC read this story from a new series!

I haven't read many sports romances, but this one I really enjoyed. I liked how Everleigh wasn't just there watching games, but also ends up working for the team too. Definitely bought the sports trope into it in a different way to what I have read before.

I would have liked to know more about Everleigh and her past, but not knowing didn't effect how this story was told, would have just been a nice to know.

I know Nico was portrayed as a massive player and arsehole, but I honestly didn't feel that from him.

Ultimately this was a short and sweet story. Whilst I think it was a real good read, I don't think it would have fallen flat if it were longer with more exploration of both main characters separately and together.

I liked all the supporting characters. I want to know more about Sienna and Gavin. Frank NEEDS a HEA. And I want to know more about Cooper for sure! Set up really well for future books.

My first Monica Murphy book and I enjoyed it. The book was easy to read and the characters were fun. The side characters seem fun and can't wait for their books.