Endgame by Monica Murphy is the first book of the Kings of Campus series and is a college romance with a football-based subplot with some comedic elements weaved in.

However, it was unfortunately not my favorite. I had difficulty being engaged in Everleigh and Nico’s journey. The main characters were quite bland, and there wasn’t anything extraordinary about them or the storyline.

I did enjoy Everleigh finding herself throughout the story and pushing herself in a good way at UC Santa Mira despite the rough start she had.

Murphy excels at writing school-setting romances. The Lancaster Prep series is one of my favorites in that category, and I’d recommend checking it out if you enjoy those types of settings. However, End Game fell a little flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher; Montlake, the author; Monica Murhpy, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my unbiased opinion and is given with free will.

It's been awhile since I've read a college new adult book and I can honestly say I enjoyed it. The characters were not immature and they had a good head on their shoulders. They focused on school and football but also had their occasional fun with parties and going to the bars. I instantly loved Everleigh and connected with her. There was just something about her connection with the guys that I adored. Nico fell first and hard, even though there was some push and pull it doesn't take away from the story. I understood where Ever was coming from with Nico's playboy ways and I respected how Nico wanted to change and be better for Ever. I loved the lasting friendships that developed and I'm looking forward to the other guy's stories.

I really wanted to like this more than I actually did. The characters were great, but I was looking for more spice. We did not get any spice until over halfway through the book, and that is not my preference when it comes to romance novels.

This was a fun sports romance from Monica Murphy. Everleigh and Nico were so sweet together and I loved watching them fall for each other.

End Game by Monica Murphy is the first in her Kings of Campus series.

I love a good sports romance and this didn't disappoint. Everleigh is transferring to UC Santa Mira and finds out on her way there that her living situation has fallen through. While trying to figure out what to do, she overhears three guys talking about how their 4th roommate has ditched them and that they need to find a new roommate fast. Desperate so as to not be homeless, Everleigh follows them from the coffee cafe they are in and approaches them, after catching the eye of one of them - a devastatingly handsome Nico. Nico confronts her and asks if she is following them and she tells them that she overheard their predicament and guess what? She needs a place to stay. Nico is reluctant, but Dollar and Cooper seem to think it's a great idea.

After moving in, she ends up sharing a bathroom with Nico and agrees to cook for the guys a few nights a week to alleviate some of the amount due on her rent.

Through hanging together and living together, they start to have feelings for each other and despite Nico being kind of a typical arrogant athlete, Everleigh falls for him and then he for her.

I enjoyed the secondary characters and set up for the next books in the series and I really, really hope that this book ends with Dollar finding someone worthy.

I give this book 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in consideration for an honest review.

End Game was an okay read and I wish I had enjoyed it more, but I didn't. The thing that killed this story for me was the flow of it. The flow was slow which made the whole story drag and I thought it would pick up along the way, but it just didn't. Everleigh, Nico, Cooper, Dollar, Gavin and Sienna were okay characters, and Sienna's character had me laughing out loud a few times but there was nothing about them that made me love them or them memorable. I like the football moments they had in the story but there were few and I wish there was more. It seemed as if it took a long time for the relationship between Nico and Ever to develop and when it did, I felt as if the story ended soon afterwards. This wasn't a bad story; it just wasn't the story for me. I would recommend readers giving the story a try to see if it's the story for them.

I love Monica Murphy’s books anyway, but End Game truly felt like it was custom-made for me. I couldn’t put this down!

Everleigh's decision to transfer to a new college in her junior year turned out to be a major mistake. Not only did her housing plans fall through, but her car was also broken into, leaving her with no options. However, luck seemed to be on her side when she overheard three footballers discussing the need for a new roommate. She managed to convince them to let her move in, and finally, things started to fall into place. Her new roommates were amazing, except for one problem - her growing crush on Nico, the one person she should never be interested in. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Nico, on the other hand, desperately needed someone like Everleigh in his life. He needed someone to help him see what he had been missing and to make him realize the importance of a future rather than just a casual fling. Although he appeared to be an alpha male and a grumpy player, deep down, he was a sweet guy who struggled to express his feelings. He was afraid of being rejected by the woman he was falling for.

This book explores various tropes, including sports romance with the male main character playing football, forced proximity due to being roommates, and the concept of found family. The college romance aspect adds an extra layer of excitement to the story. While I enjoyed the slow burn and the gradual development of their relationship, I do wish there was an epilogue to provide a glimpse into their future. Hopefully, future books in this series will shed more light on their relationship.

Overall, I found the book enjoyable and engaging, particularly the found family dynamic.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Monica Murphy writes the best college romances! Especially when it comes to football! I absolutely loved this book, it was the lighthearted fun read I needed at just the right time!

The reformed playboy trope is one of my favourites and this book nailed it! Nico was fun and flirty and fell hard for his girl! I also enjoyed that Everleigh didn’t actually make it easy for him and made him work for it.

The little found family they have going on is great and the way they’re all there for each other was sweet!!

I can’t wait to see whose story is next!!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early!

Love the sports romance by Monica Murphy. It was such a fun read and I loved the push and pull between Everleigh and Nico. He did drive me nuts with his stubbornness a bit. Major jealous vibes because he couldn’t use his words but he got it together in the end

will say I am super interested to see who the rest of the guys end up with and Gavin and Sienna relationship.

I loved this book! I thought that the slow build of the relationship between Ever and Nico was great. I finished it in less than 24 hours. Definitely a great beach read for the summer!

Monica Murphy won me over with her Lancaster Prep series so I have been incredibly excited to read some of her other books. End Game is a fun and entertaining start to the Kings of Campus series. Set at a collage and centered around a sport, I found it reminiscent of the Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy and fans of those books should definitely give this one a go!

I really wish that it was slightly longer because I feel like their is a lot of unexplored narrative around Ever's relationship with her mother and Nico's relationship with his father. Overall, however, I really loved this book and can't wait to read future Kings of Campus books!

Everyone's dream, living with the big guys on campus, the hot and popular guys- but gee, because your room fell through? Duh, yea, this is a dream after all. The nice, and hot, girl moves in, and the sparks fly. In many directions! A fun rom com, not to be missed

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Everleigh may have just made the biggest mistake of her life. Transferring to a new college in her junior year was always going to be tough, but having her housing fall through, her car broken into, and nowhere left to turn, she's all out of options. Luckily, she overhears 3 footballers say they need to find a new roommate, and manages to convince them to let her move in. She's finally found her feet, and her new roommates are great. The only problem is her growing crush on Nico, the one guy she should never want, but can't stop thinking about.

I've started getting into sports romances, and the synopsis for this one drew me in. I really liked the camaraderie between the household, and the secondary characters. Everleigh arrived at UC Santa Mira not knowing anyone, but the guys fully accepted her. Coop was like an older brother, and his sister, Sienna, became a great friend quickly. Dollar had a crush which was a little annoying at first, but he and Everleigh talked it over, and there were no hard feelings. With Nico though, it was different. He was a definite player, and against her moving in at first, because he was worried a girl in the house would change everything. And though she did, all her changes were for the better. Nico was definitely a character who needed someone like Everleigh in his life, and to get his head out of his ass and realise what he had in front of him. He was too used to getting it all on a platter, and Everleigh made him work for it, and consider a future, rather than just a one time thing. The secondary plot line of Sienna and Gavin was interesting, and I hope that they have a book soon.

Monica Murphy has always been a go-to author for me to read. I always love her books! I was so excited to see this as a read now on Netgalley. I stayed up way too late reading this, with zero regrets. Everleigh was sweet, and Nico turned out to be a big teddy bear. I also loved the other roommates, guys from the football team. I'm hoping for Sienna's own story, I need to know what happened between her and Gavin!

I was fully invested in Everleigh and Nico’s story from page one. This was my first book by Monica Murphy, but it won’t be my last. I enjoyed the dual POV and her writing style. I also enjoyed all the characters and can’t wait to see whose story we will see in book 2.

Everleigh is new to UC Santa Mira and her housing falls through so she ends up rooming with 3 football players. She doesn’t realize their celebrity status on campus prior to moving in with them. They can have any girl they want especially Nico Valente. He should be off limits but Everleigh can’t help but want him. As much as he tries to resist thinking about her, she is always on his mind. Don’t let Nico fool you. He may come off as an alpha male, grumpy player, but really he is a sweet guy who is scared to express his feelings and doesn’t know how to handle it when he is pushed away by the woman he is falling far.

Troupes in this book:
* Sports romance (MMC plays football)
* Forced proximity (roomates)
* Found Family
* College romance

I really wish there was an epilogue where we get to see the them further into the future but I’m hoping we will get more glimpses of their relationship with future books in this series.

I enjoyed the slow burn and build up of their relationship and I love the found family aspect in this book. Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for voluntarily letting me read this book and giving an honest review. This book will be released on September 17, 2024.

I was in the mood for a fluffy romance and this fit the bill. Aside from a few too many travails piled onto the heroine in the first 10 pages of the book, nothing too earth shattering happens.

The characters are largely likeable and had chemistry. I did have a thought midway through that the dual POV took away from some of the romantic tension, but it didn't kill the story.

Thank you, @netgalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC and,of course, @monicamurphyauthor

When I looked on my shelf and saw End game sat there, I absolutely did a little happy squeal. I was so excited to get stuck in that I had to put my current read to the side and get started straight away. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I was fully invested in this story right from the start. It truly is something special.

Who doesn't love a sports romance? 😍

Nico is a typical alpha male or tries to appear to be. This is very far from the truth. He is a sweetheart. I really loved his character development throughout.

I adore the friendship that grew between the group, especially between Everleigh & Sienna.
There wasn't a single character in this book I didn't love. I have been left wanting more!
I was smiling, kicking my legs, and my heart was melting throughout.

I can't wait for the paper back to be released so I can read it all over again 🥺

It deserves all the stars. If you haven't pre ordered, please go over to Amazon to do so!

I have never read a Monica Murphy book that I have not loved, and I have read most.

I watch out for every new release and it's always an easy 5 stars. This one is not, and that hurts me.

This storyline is fantastic. I adore so many of the characters. I look forward to the rest of the series. Not only to read about how the other characters find love, but to see how the less adorable ones redeem themselves. The pace is perfect. It's good enough that once I started reading it, I did not stop until the last page.

However, I am annoyed by the person who edited this one for Monica. I've never edited a romance novel in my life, but I sure as heck want that job.

I refuse to do this author an injustice by publicly stating the "flaws". Quite honestly, I nearly opted out of giving feedback, but I am settling for not posting it anywhere else. I will say that this version is not publish and release ready.

Should it happen without another edit, please read and recommend. This book is still pure joy and any romance reading lover will enjoy it.

#Tayvis #EndGame

I would call this more of a 3.5 star read for me personally. Fans of Say You Swear and the TV show New Girl will love this book! The premise was interesting and worked well at quickly forming connections between our core characters. If you like storylines that are more on the forbidden romance, forced proximity vibe with a mix of insta-love and heavy on the tension early on then this book is for you! The book is also a nice easy read and definitely works well as a palate cleanser when you want something fun and lighthearted to read. The only reason I could not rate it a 4 was mainly due to the fact that I appreciate more of a slow-burn romance but can see people who don’t want that would love this book.