Another winner!

Cassie Connor is now one of my favourite authors to look out for, her books have a great storyline with really developed characters which become totally encapsulating, not forgetting more spice than vindaloo!

A great comfort read that had fantastic witty charm and banter between the characters. It was well written with great flow and dialogue. I am happy to have found a new author and look forward to read more from them in the future.

I enjoy reading about Lilly and tate. This was a quick read for me, but it was an adorable book. It was definitely sassy and spicy! I enjoy reading Elle Kennedy and Meghan Quinn , and now I can add Cassie Connor to that list! There was times that I was laughing so much that I felt like I was crying. I defintely reccomend this book!

3.5 stars.

Lily and Tate dated in college, but a few mishaps occur and they don't see each other for eight years. The next time they meet is when Lily takes on the role of Tate's bodyguard / fake fiancée after a series of threats he's received.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters’ banter and dialogue was easy to read, with a few exceptions.

What made me ultimately deduct a star was that was no epilogue and that there were a few scenes, especially at the beginning, involving one of the characters Pammie that felt confusing and hard to place. Also, I found not all plot points to be wrapped up by the end of the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A good book you cant help but not love, Yes another sports romance but sports is in so make do. I am thankful I got to the opportunity to read this

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A fun second chance sports romance!

It’s been years since Tate shattered Lily’s heart. Now he’s a high profile NFL player and Lily’s latest security assignment. Sparks fly when these two reconnect.

I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining and filled with action packed scenes. Definitely a little different than other sports romances I’ve read, but I really liked it!


📘: The Big Game by Cassie Connor
🗓️: January 16, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, Cassie Connor, and Harper Collins UK for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley, Amazon, and Goodreads.

I was really excited for the premise of this book but sadly it fell short for me. I found it overall to have a bit too much of a juvenile feel. The characters were meant to be adults who met in college but it had a real high school feel to it I couldn’t get past. The plot was a fun idea but again I think the execution felt a bit too far fetched and nothing ran deep enough. I’ve loved some of her past books but this one just wasn’t for me sadly.

I had high hopes for this one because I thought it would be a really cool reverse gender The Bodyguard second chance romance, but I ended up DNF at around 35% then skipped to the last few chapters.

Too many plot holes. He's a Texan NFL player but a lot of action in New York. Theyre both 28 and she's been retired from MI5 (!!!) for a few years? The ending was ludicrous and disappointing given we're supposed to have a heroine who was in MI5 and highly trained.

Also, why can’t British writers write about characters in their own country without pandering to the worst of the American market? The male POV was just full of his dick twitching. The author admits not knowing NFL, but didn't even really demonstrate any research into a NFL team.

The writer has promise but this needed more work.

Thanks to One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️ 3/5 🌶 2/5

‘Only good girls get what they want.’ He pushes me back against the tiles and changes his hold on my arms, forcing them higher above my head. ‘Are you going to be a good girl?’

Um... ok, sir 🥵

Lily & Tate were high school sweethearts, until they were separated and heartbroken. Their reunion is an odd one now that he is a professional NFL player and she is a bodyguard of all things (hear me out, I thought this was going ti be weird but I liked the roll flip).

This was a fun, enjoyable, and quick read with a good balance of yearning, lust, romance, humour and tension to keep you burning through pages.

Were there some pacing and general storyline flaws? Yes. But it didn't make it bad. It's comparable to a Netflix RomCom. I had a good time and enjoyed it.

♡ Enemies to Lovers
♡ Second Chance
♡ NFL Sport Romance
♡ Protective and Possessive MCs
♡ Banter & Whit
♡ Spice
♡ Push & Pull

This was an enjoyable quick read with a lot of spice and the main characters have good chemistry. I liked that the FMC was the bodyguard in kind of a role reversal of a trope, but overall, I didn't love how the plot developed in terms of mystery and suspense.

Lily and Tate were college sweethearts but went their separate ways, leaving her heartbroken. Now he’s the face of an NFL franchise and she’s a successful bodyguard.
Tate has been getting death threats and his team hires a bodyguard, someone who can fit in without looking like a guard. Lily has trained and is the best in her profession. She can fit in by pretending to be Tate’s girlfriend. Neither of them are happy with this situation, but the Super Bowl is coming up and Tate needs to be there.
As they spend time together their feelings for each other return, but can they stay together after the threat has passed?
I enjoyed this light hearted enemies to lovers, second chance romance. It’s an entertaining read, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a cute second chance love story! I love a good football story and this was a really fun one. The writing was good and the characters were easy to connect with. A fun read!

The Big Game was a pleasant read. It was a second chance love story with romance and spice.
It did seem they ‘bickered’ often which I found a little annoying, but it is worth a read.

I've seen mixed reviews for this book, but I go off vibes and I had a great time reading it. It has romance, spice, suspense and it made me laugh. I enjoyed the woman being the bodyguard and Lily is a great character.

The tension between her and Tate is off the charts. They make a cute couple and I enjoyed watching Lily try to resist being pulled back in. I also liked the fact that they didn't actually take too long to talk about why they broke up so there isn't as much miscommunication as there could have been.

The action twist to the book was fun and added some suspense. I did suspect a certain character but it didn't ruin it that I guessed. The ending was a bit ridiculous but it was also entertaining.

This was a solidly fun read!

I LOVE a sports crossover, and so The Big Game did not disappoint.

I also love when the FMC is just a badass, and Lily checks that box.

I do wish there had been a little bit more on the suspense side of things, but overall, the chemistry between Lily and Tate was 10/10.

If you like a fast paced sports romance with second chances, this is a solid read!

Lily and Tate were college sweethearts, crazy in love with each other till a misunderstanding drove them apart.
Years later they meet again. Tate is a pro footballer who is getting threats, and Lily has been hired to protect him. There are too many hurt feelings between Lily and Tate for anything to happen, but the sparks between them didn’t get the memo. Try as they might, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Their chemistry was hot. I enjoyed the suspense and the action.

This is an entertaining but somewhat uneven sports romcom that blends second-chance romance, fake dating, and light suspense. The story follows Lily, a tough-as-nails security agent, assigned to protect her ex, Tate, now a high-profile NFL player. Their forced proximity reignites old tensions and undeniable chemistry, making for plenty of steamy and emotional moments.

While the premise is fun, the execution stumbles in places. The sports elements feel underdeveloped, and the romantic suspense aspect, though intriguing, lacks the depth needed to feel truly high-stakes. Additionally, the writing sometimes struggles with pacing and believability, particularly in how the security storyline is handled. That said, the banter is enjoyable, the tension between Lily and Tate is engaging, and the book delivers on the spice promised. A solid pick for fans of *Miss Congeniality* vibes and steamy sports romances.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed the sports side to this story but it definitely needed more editing/work. This book did have lots of spice but just didn't do it for me.

Great premise- needs work.

I really wish this book would have gotten a bit more editing. The American football slip-ups don’t bother me as much, because I assume this book will be a UK release as well as US, and simply don’t matter to the plot. BUT, plot holes are plentiful and ultimately, it felt like the author had an idea that could have been a series, or two separate books, but didn’t seamlessly work together.

Our hero and heroine are college sweethearts. A cheerleader from the UK (whose father was stationed in the states, allowing her to get an education), and a quarterback who is destined for the NFL. Our FMC, Lily is called back home across the pond for a family emergency right after “the big game” and right after she overhears our MMC (Tate)’s dad tell him to dumb her and focus on the game. Then we have a time jump forward.

We now jump not only to ten years later, but also from
Romcom to romantic suspense. This is when things fall apart. Why the hell is an MI6- I think that’s what it said- or similar- agent protecting an AMERICAN football player? Not FBI. Not CIA. Not DoD, etc. A foreign agent…..mmmmkay…..I must have missed an info dump? At the very least, we needed one line saying this was a joint task force and other agents are imbedded in other teams?! Idk- that was a really intriguing plot point that I just needed one reason to legitimize it in my mind. Also, I know this was inspired by the movie Miss Congeniality, in part, but unfortunately, it seems it’s just the secret agent and explosive device aspect and not the fun stuff. No makeover aspect, or really uncomfortable tension. The MCs seem to fall into comfortability- albeit somewhat resistant at times- and I wanted more awkward moments that would make me want to kick my feet and squeal, ya know?!

Positives do include good steam, some decent loathing/exes to lovers banter, overall it’s entertaining- even if at times frustrating and an HEA, if slightly ambiguous.

2.75 BUT, not a bad 2.75, just a “it needs work” 😜

Thank you so much One More Chapter, Harper Collin’s UK and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced work!

I’m going to be honest when I set the book to read on goodreads I had a quick look at other reviews and I was shocked to see so many 1 and 2 star reviews. Going in I didn’t expect much for the story due to that. My mind just couldn’t put the reviews to that book, doesn’t make sense. Is it the most amazing writing you’ll ever read? No, but it’s very rare that highly rated books are these days.

This book had such a great spin on your typical romance. I don’t think I’ve read a book before with a woman in charge, I loved reading it. The bodyguard spin and the drama that follows kept me hooked. I would’ve been happy to avoid all adult responsibilities and just read the book in one sitting.
The tension and spice between Lily & Tate is just *Chef’s Kiss*. I loved seeing them in the Prologue and how they rebuilt their connection and relationship the second time around. Sometimes all you need is a little forced proximity to get the job done. Tate is an American Football player and the sport does get mentioned but there isn’t any playing football until the end, so if you’re not into sports romances I would still definitely give this book a read.

I'm giving this book a 3.75 rating.