Thank you to HarperCollin UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC of The Big Game in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, I was really excited to receive this ARC. As an avid football fan and lover of all sports romance plots (I see what you did with the cover there-nice play on Trav and Tay), I had really high hopes here. I will say that the author does give a blurb at the beginning of the book where she acknowledges that some of the football facts may be a bit off because she is British and does not have a solid understanding of the sport, but in all honestly, I just assumed her publishing team would have edited things for accuracy. Fun fact: they did not. I know this is a stupid sticking point, but there were so many points about Tate's role as a football player that was so far off base, it just threw the storyline. Even after finishing the book, I have no idea what position Tate actually played. At one point she makes it seem as if he's a quarterback and then a receiver? Then she has him playing on the defense in the Superbowl. Honestly, so stinking confused. I understand that football may not be the author's first language, but why in the world would you pick to write a book centered around a sport you do not understand? I just cannot seem to look back this huge error in the overall storyline.

Another sticking point for me was the back and forth between the two man characters. Each of them keep playing this game of cat and mouse (she runs away, he runs away, she pushes him away) to the point that it actually gets obnoxious. There are so many interactions and reasonings as to why the main characters do something that just do not make sense nor are they believable. I found myself rolling my eyes more often than not and horribly annoyed with both main characters at several points (especially Tate).

I would also be remiss to mention that the ending is completely unbelievable. We have zero idea why Sven wants to bomb the Superbowl (super random), you end up having no idea what happens to him, and there is absolutely no way on God's green earth that the Superbowl would even continue after a bomb has been found and deactivated within the stadium just prior to kickoff. Is this an actual joke? There's just simply no way and another aspect that just has no believability to it.

Lastly, our two main characters spend the entire novel building up the the first time they actually seal the deal, being that it was put off after Tate's college championship game. You spend the entire book just waiting for the tension to break and IT JUST ENDS! You get nothing. No resolution to literally anything. Believe me, this is not a closed door romance as there is plenty of spice throughout the book but why in the world would someone just leave things so open ended on so many fronts? Overall, this book just left me incredibly annoyed and confused. If you are a lover of football at all with at least a nominal understanding of the spot, this book will just bother you beyond words. Would not recommend picking this one up unless you are fantastic at suspending your disbelief/all reason.

I have to be honest, this did not live up to expectations.
Advertised as Miss Congeniality meets the Superbowl, I headed into this book expecting a certain picture I can't quite put into words (though it may be best described as wanting to see the main character as Sandra Bullock...). The book definitely delivers on the Superbowl and secret agent parts, but for some reason this just didn't really work for me.

I guess the main reason why I had a hard time connecting to this story, is because the attraction between Lily and Tate 'The Don', felt more like lust instead of love. It all felt a little too superficial for me to be seen as true love. Sure, they already knew each other from college, but the time in which the story takes place felt rushed in regards to their romance.

The plot was quite entertaining. From being hired as a fake fiancée to help protect Tate, Lily is what seems to be the epitome of a bad ass, though at times I struggled with her attitude. The writing was comfortable and helped me speed through the book. The book definitely isn't bad, but I guess I got stuck on the expectations I had to alter while reading.

I read this via Netgalley ARC, and it was easy and fun, but someone really needs to review the specifics of American football during the short parts that actually go over game play bc I could not figure out what position Tate was supposed to play - his notoriety screams QB but one does not play both offense and defense ... It was fun and easy but the details are not well looked at (and the disclaimer at the beginning doesn't help - if you are writing about something you'd u don't know, you have to research it.)

THE BIG GAME caught my eye because I love second chance romances like this that involve a long, misunderstood separation that neither of the characters really wanted.

The story is entertaining from the first page with brief dips into the Tate and Lily’s past, and suspense, danger and intrigue surrounding the Super Bowl and threats to Tate’s life. The pacing is swift. The romance takes the usual stumbles until they finally get out of their own way.

I find this to be an entertaining sports and suspense romance and thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.

✨ The Big Game by Cassie Connor ✨

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

If you're looking for a light, spicy, sports rom com that feels like Miss Congeniality meets the Super Bowl, this one delivers exactly that! With a fun mix of forced proximity, fake dating, and a second chance romance, it’s a touchdown for trope lovers. The premise is super cute! NFL security guard and a star quarterback forced together under high-stakes pressure? Sign me up! The spice is undeniably there, and if you’re into swoony athletes and sassy heroines, you’ll find some fun banter and chemistry to enjoy. However, the connection between Lily and Tate felt shallow, leaning heavily on physical attraction rather than emotional depth. Their back and forth dynamic was more immature squabble than tension filled banter, which made them a little annoying at times. I wanted more heart in their second chance story. The emotional stakes felt low when they could’ve been so much higher. Overall, The Big Game is a spicy and entertaining read that doesn’t take itself too seriously. While it won’t top my sports romance list, it’s a fun pick for a quick, tropey escape with a side of NFL drama. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Tessa Bailey who don’t mind characters that fumble a bit before finding their footing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cassie Connor, and One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. The characters were so perfect. The story was fantastic and exciting. Also the spicy scenes were hot!
I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I love cheerleading and the NFL so I was looking forward to this but the writing, the main character, feels very childish. I feel like the writing could have been brought more grown up instead of college like talk.

Be great for a college student but not for a older audience.

Maybe a future read would grab me better.

Loved the spice and the story. It was fun and football - focused. I enjoyed reading this one. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When I saw cover of this book I immediately thought this was going to be about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce but after reading the synopsis it's more of a "Miss Congeniality" vibe. (I totally would have read it either way.) This was a fun, flirty, steamy read but there are several threats and attempts to take Tate's life and it's not all fun and games (pun intended). This is a great palate cleanser book and I had a great time reading it but if you are looking for something deep and emotional, this one may not be what you are looking for. The spicy scenes were delicious and Tate sure does like thinking about pizza. Don't take this one too seriously an you will likely have a good time reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Feels like a college read even though it’s about adults in jobs and careers.

The push and pull was good and the emotions were clear

The characters… Lily was cool, Tate was pretty annoying

There were a lot of unresolved questions towards the end of the book. And it didn’t seem purposeful.

First off, this was a fun and easy read. The Big Game follows Lily and Tate who dated in college and both ended up heart broken. They meet again, eight years later, when Lily is hired as a security detail for Tate, who is now a super famous American football player receiving threats ahead of the superbowl.

The book is largely entertaining, I don’t think most people would pick this book up expecting a gripping down to earth plot, and that won’t be what you get. The plot is a bit ridiculous at times but still fun. The romance between our two main characters is more of the ‘we are two hot people and that’s why we’re meant to be’ type instead of a more genuine connection. That’s fine but it gets quite repetitive and it always feels ridiculous when all the characters seem to appreciate about each other is their hotness and then they go on long inner monologues about how well they work together and how much they love each other. Anyways, so far I’m saying it’s a pretty standard fun but not particularly moving romance. What bothered me a bit is that there’s a couple of passages where I thought the whole looks-based thing went to far. I don’t need to be told specifically that she’s not only the tallest on the cheerleading team and also she’s skinny, but she’s by far the skinniest of them all. I find it quite fascinating as well that the author is British and makes a point about potentially missing some of the nuances of American English (and there’s definitely some choices of phrasing where I was taken aback a bit, I don’t think people talk like that), but some of the most awkward phrasings are actually in the British English of the fmc when she’s meant to be sounding British.

Anyways, all of this to say, I think this is a fun read and if you’re looking for an easy, quick read you can finish in a couple hours, it might be worth picking it up but it’s quite surface level and not always written fantastically.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK + One More Chapter for this copy to enjoy!

I devoured this in a single sitting. Cassie Connor did not disappoint as this was my second book of hers and it was again, an enjoyable time.

Loved the plot, the action, the romance, the banter, the tension and the spice.

It was paced appropriately and I felt that the yearning and second chance romance aspect was well done. I loved reading about these characters falling in love again and rebuilding their connection - the climax of the story really had my heart pounding and aching for these two. I also especially adored the FMC and how competent she was. Though I did wish there was more grovelling lol but that's just a personal preference.

Cassie Connors truly delivered on the Miss Congeniality premise of the book. It was definitely a page turner and kept me hooked on the plot. And so many cute and sweet moments that made me swoon.

Highly recommend if you wanted a quick and easy read full of action and romance - low stakes but high stakes in some aspects; but just overall a great read.

Would definitely read again, as well as anything else Cassie Connor writes!

Overall rating: 4.5/5