Okay, wow. I just finished this book, and I’m obsessed. Ella and Hudson’s story was such a fun, sweet, and steamy read—perfect for when you need something light but still with depth.

Ella is a British cheerleader studying abroad in Nashville, and she’s determined to crush it on her new team. What she doesn’t expect? Running into Hudson Fox, the star quarterback with a reputation—except he’s nothing like the typical cocky jock. He’s got a soft side (hello, adorable cat named Sourdough), loyalty for days, and some serious emotional baggage. Their chemistry is instant, but they try to keep things casual… which, of course, doesn’t last.

I loved how real they felt—both ambitious but still figuring life out, dealing with money struggles, family stuff, and the pressure of college sports. The side characters (shoutout to Levi!) were great, and the cheerleading/football scenes actually felt authentic, which doesn’t always happen in sports romances.

The only thing I wanted more of? A deeper dive into Ella’s family and maybe a longer epilogue because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. But honestly, that’s just me being greedy—this book was so good. The spice was chef’s kiss, and Hudson? Swoon.

This was my first Ki Stephens book, but it won’t be my last. If you love college romances with heart, humor, and a hot athlete who’s actually a sweetheart, grab this one ASAP.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a sweet story which didn’t let me down. There was romance, sports, some angst and a bad ex boyfriend, what more can you want? I enjoyed the fact that the story arc wasn’t too tried and tested, while remaining nicely within the expectations of the genre. I don’t know much about cheerleading so was a little unsure when the male lead suddenly revealed his interest on both activities, but happy to go with it,

I can see many fans of the romance genre liking this, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. The writing style and dialogue took me out of the story and I didn’t feel like it was offering anything new or exciting in the sports romance subgenre.

As a teen I was obsessed with cheer and Daytona clips so when I found out this book involved a cheerleader and a football star I was very excited! I really liked the plot, but felt the pacing was off at some points. You’d get a big emotional moment and then it was over in a flash without being fleshed out enough for my liking. Really strong book, could just do with a bit more details!

Game On follows Ella Davies, a British cheerleader, packing up to study abroad. Determined to to find herself after her unexpected breakup with her long term boyfriend, and prove herself to her new elite cheer squad at Whitland, Ella least expects to meet Hudson Fox. Quarterback of the schools football team, Hudson has sworn off any distractions, but when he and Ella randomly meet one night Hudson can’t seem to deny the palpable connection between them…Although when reality comes rushing back, the two encounter a slight problem when they realise they’ll be spending more time together than anticipated, and there’s now a measly no fraternisation rule standing in the way of them…

Firstly, I loved how Game On heavily featured Cheerleading and football, and it wasn’t just a glimpse into our main characters passions. It was interesting to read the technicality of cheerleading and in a way it felt like I was experiencing the Netflix show cheer all over again which I absolutely loved!

Ella is so strong-willed and continued to prove so throughout the book. I really admired her determination towards her new cheer squad as it definitely isn’t easy to adapt to a new environment as quick as she did, and even after having her life completely turned upside down, she was not willing to let anything stop her from achieving her dreams. She constantly stood up for herself and made sure to not let her past get in the way. Ella is so willing to listen and understand other’s emotions when they need it, proving just how much she cares for people, despite not having an easy life herself.

Hudson our mmc was so fun and I loved how willing to communicate he was! It was also interesting that football isn’t his career path in life, he simply does it for fun which was so refreshing as you don’t usually see that in a sports romance. In the beginning Hudson is quite reserved, but seeing him open himself up and be more comfortable with his emotions was really special. The OCD representation was done so well in this book, and I felt like I could truly understand and appreciate how it affects Hudson in his day-to-day life.

Together, Hudson and Ella were absolute perfection. Their chemistry and friendship felt so palpable and realistic. I was so invested in their story, I didn’t want to put the book down. I love how they became friends first, as I think that’s what made their relationship feel more authentic. Seeing them navigate their struggles with the no fraternisation rule and come to terms with their feelings was so beautiful and again was another reason I couldn’t put the book down.

The side characters were also so good! They added just the perfect amount of drama and detail to the story and I’m so excited for any of them to potentially get their own story…also honourable mention to Sourdough the cat because he truly just topped it all off.

Overall this was such a fun read and I’m so excited to potentially see more of this series from Ki! 👀

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and omg it is just such a fun, easy, spicy sports romance!

I absolutely flew through it, I loved that it was set in Nashville and that our FMC is a cheerleader!

Our MMC Hudson is such a babe 🥹 he’s not like your stereotypical sports romance MMC, he was a breath of fresh air!

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a cute, easy, spicy read 🫶🏼

Ahh a sports romance that has stolen my very heart!

The cheerleader meets the footballer 🙊😍.

Ella moves to Nashville for a year of her studies to join an elite cheer squad at Whitland University. Having been dumped the night before her flight, Ella is leaving Oxford, heart broken, single and unprepared for a year in a new location.

Her first night out in Nashville, Ella propositions Hudson. They agree to a no strings attached relationship because Ella is leaving in 12 months and Hudson is not looking for a relationship. However, little does Hudson know that he is going to have to step up in more ways than one throughout their agreement.

Sparks were well and truly flying through the pages! The connection that builds between Ella and Hudson feels so genuine, their relationship is developed with excellent pace and this was done simultaneously with character the development. The side characters were included the right amount and I would LOVE a book for Levi!

The ending gave me actual goosebumps and put a smile on my face.

I love Ki’s style of writing, the book is written in dual POV and the transition was seamless. Ki has such a fantastic way to immerse you in the story and I felt like I was at Whitland Uiversity cheering on the football team with the cheerleaders. 📣

i dream for a love like the characters in ki's books experience. the way she writes love and connection is one of the most beautiful things i've ever read about. i loved that even though they were fun, sweet and hot (and temporary in their eyes), they could also be so vulnerable with each other. with hudson telling ella about his mental health and his past, and ella telling him about her family situation, there was never any judgement.

hudson was such a sweetheart. i wanted to give him (& ella) the biggest hug ever : ( what i really loved was that even though he loved football, it wasn't his endgame. he had other big interests and wasn't set on entering the nfl. there was one scene i REALLY loved between him and ella that made me sob. the OCD representation is always something i really appreciate in ki's books. the time and dedication she takes to making sure it's written with care is something i love. ella made sure he was always comfortable and took the time to make sure he knew he wasn't a burden just for being himself.

This was a nice easy read. I haven’t read a sports romance with a cheerleader in it, so that was something new.

It was never gonna reinvent the wheel, but it was a fun book. I liked the tension between the FMC and MMC, and I think the relationship developed at a reasonable pace over the book. I did hate her weird overreaction to the thing right at the end, but other than that their relationship was good.

I feel like the cheer competition was a bit rushed though? Like the entire book was building up to it and it was over in like, 10 pages. It felt a bit anti-climactic almost? The ending was predictable but I’ve no issues with sports romance being predictable.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a bit ridiculous at times. A year abroad in Nashville from Oxford, her parents didn’t want her to study at Oxford (that’s just not a thing), and the MMC is the star American football player but also conveniently an excellent cheerleader? It all felt a bit too…convenient?

Sourdough is an excellent name for a cat incidentally.

3.5/5, but it’s closer to 3 than 4 so marked as 3.

Thanks Netgalley for the copy of the book

Ah I really wanted to like this book as I absolutely love a sports romance but it was just quite hard to read. I didn’t feel the characters had depth so they didn’t draw me in, and the chemistry just wasn’t there either. I also found that the time skips just didn’t help, you’d just get into a certain bit then 2 weeks would’ve passed by.

A real shame as it had the premise to be so good

INFINITE STARS

i need a love like the ones Ki Stephens writes desperately because every. single. book and character she writes, i fall in love with and game on was absolutely no exception! this book was so perfect, beyond perfect tbh and i am so grateful to evermorebooks for the arc & proof (still in disbelief about that)

i need to just take a moment to appreciate Ki in general, for being one of the kindest people and to say how proud & happy i am that this will be her first (of many) trad published books! i can’t wait to see her name in book shops and to gush about game on to absolutely everyone (prepare to be SICK of me) from Wattpad to being traditionally published, i am forever a Ki Stephens fangirl and can’t wait to read everything else her beautiful brain gives us!

now onto the actual review🥁

game on follows Ella davies, an English cheerleader taking a year to study abroad in Nashville. after an unexpected breakup with her loser boyfriend, she places her focus on proving herself worthy of competing with Whitland University’s elite cheer team. that is until she meets Hudson fox, star quarterback, on her first night. the initial connection between them is undeniable, leading them to spend the night together under the guise of it being a ‘one’ time thing… but despite them both being desperate to avoid distractions, they can’t seem to stay away from eachother

what’s a no strings attached deal between friends 😏

one of my favourite things about this book & Ella and Hudson relationship was how authentic it felt and how genuine their connection was. they built such a beautiful friendship from their initial attraction and were so caring & considerate of one another while still having the perfect flirty banter.

from start to finish, i loved them together. their interactions, healthy communication and trust was so lovely to read in general but especially in their intimate scenes. Ki writes spice with the perfect balance between soft & sweet and hot & horny and i fucking love it every time. Ella and Hudson tension and sexual chemistry was palpable, i legit felt like i was third wheeling by just reading i felt so immersed! Hudson ‘good boy’ fox is my new obsession😮‍💨

they were so perfect together because you could just feel how deep they felt for each other despite trying to keep it casual.

i highly appreciated the OCD representation and how it was written with obvious consideration and wasn’t just thrown in there. we got to hear Hudson backstory and how his OCD effects him and it’s so clear that Ki prioritised making the inclusion of this authentic. and Ella, the sweetheart that she is, was so respectful and kind, always ensuring he was comfortable, reassured and never felt like a burden for being himself. that one scene IYKYK, had my heart melting at her natural urge to make sure he felt at ease.

that’s the beautiful thing about Ki’s books, you’re guaranteed the most gentle souled characters who love so fiercely and genuinely it makes your heart ache❤️‍🩹

even the side characters were written SO well. they were each so distinctive and individual and have me CRAVING books for each of them. especially Claire and Levi!!!!
the found family vibes and friendships were so perfect!

i have read so many sports romances, but this storyline was unlike any i have read before! i loved the cheerleading aspect, it’s not a sport I’ve read much before but i LOVED it! i don’t want to spoil anything😭 but theres one part of this that i was not expecting but it absolutely made the book even more special! you will not regret reading i promiseee!!!

Ella and Hudson were both so driven and passionate about their sports and futures, it was so admirable. reading how they showed up for each other and were both so constantly encouraging and uplifting was BEAUTIFUL!

I don’t think I will ever get over them. I truly could keep going with this review but it’s too long for insta anyway😭soooo to wrap up, this book is an infinite star read for me.

it’s the perfect sweet, spicy warm hug read with the most honest and real characters you can’t help but fall in love with. i honestly tried to put off reading this because i knew i was going to love it and i did, more then i could have anticipated and now I’m sad i can never read it for the first time again. BUT, you can!!! everyone mark your calendars for September 9th!!!💜💜💜

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m so sorry, but this wasn’t for me at all. Everything went so quickly in the beginning with immediate lust but no chemistry?

I found that the characters felt flat, I didn’t feel anything between Ella and Hudson and couldn’t find myself caring for their relationship or goals. Their hesitation in starting a relationship makes sense. I did like Ella and her determination.

The dialogue didn’t feel real or natural to me, and the pacing in some scenes was so fast! I also couldn’t find any connection to the side characters or the friendships. I really struggled to keep picking it up.

I liked sourdough, it is a great name for a cat.

I really appreciate the opportunity to read this early, but just unfortunately wasn’t my cup of tea.

If you are a sports romance fan you’ll definitely enjoy this book. It was such an easy read. I loved the dynamics between our main couple and how their relationship grew steadily in a very realistic way. My only slight criticism is I wanted slightly more banter between the characters and some chapters felt a little rushed through. I just wanted to slow down some scenes and really feel the tension between our characters who are denying their feelings are more than they are. Other than that I had fun reading and would read more from the author. Hopefully there’s more books about the other characters.

This was a good read. For me this solid 4 stars read.
I loved the connection on the first sight. And loved them together, but why this isn't 5 stars read, it is because it was little predictable...
This wasn't my favorite read by this author,but I really enjoy reading her writting style. Big thanks for this arc

I've never read a sports romance where both characters were into cheerleading so for me, it was a great start.

Likes
The reality of indecisiveness between the main characters. They were quite unsure on whether to start a relationship, and for somewhat good reasons considering the trust issues from their past relationships. It made them more humane as this behaviour would be relatable to those who overthink.

I also love how dedicated and confident the main characters are at their respective sports. They showed their cockiness was backed up with constant practice.

The female main character formed her own found family for herself rather than hoping and waiting.

Love the cheerleading jargon. Had serious respect for cheerleaders prior but it's nice to have learnt new words and more about cheerleading from this book.

Dislikes
The typical cliche breakup with the female main character's ex. Not awful and glad it was quickly over and done with. But hate when the ex is long term and a terrible person.

The privilege of the female main character at the end. Glad there was not a third act breakup but her reaction was due to privilege. Personally I do not like this, but it makes sense as she did come from a rich background and that played a part in her thinking.

Overall, it was a good quick read which I enjoyed and would recommend to those who love sports romance and male characters who go above and beyond for their love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this book which is a huge shame because it sounded right up my alley.
The character development was lacking and both the FMC and MMC felt pretty one dimensional.
I found that I wasn’t particularly interested in the overall storyline because of this and found myself skimming a lot of parts.
However, I will say I’m intrigued by the side characters mentioned (Claire and Levi) so would potentially pick up book 2 in the series (assuming this is a series) if it’s about them

I loved this book so much. The characters were so perfect and the story itself just hooked me in. Such a fun exciting read.

I really struggled with this book which is a shame as I thought this would be right up my alley.

I felt like this was a good idea and had potential but lacked execution of the plot. The characters felt one dimensional and lacked any defining characteristics.

The banter between characters felt forced and not organic or relatable . The spice scenes were generic and I struggled to read them. I was unsure why the decision was made for the FMC to be English as apart from a little mention of her accent she has no English sayings as part of her vocabulary, I was unsure what the point of this was to do with the plot?

I also felt the storyline of her relationship breaking up and her meeting the MMC that day and forming a connection just was not written well enough for me to believe it.

I think if some things are adjusted this story could have good potential. Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you so much to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book, FOUR STARS ⭐️👏🏻

I absolutely loved this book! From the minute I started to the end, I couldn’t put it down. I loved following the love story of Ella and Hudson throughout. High school sweethearts with the twist of living on opposite sides of the world, shared passions and an ex that won’t get the message. Such an enjoyable read, can’t wait to discover more from this author - hopefully with a follow on series with the other characters or even more of E&H’s story.

Definitely recommend adding to your TBR 🤍

This was a sweet and steamy fun read!
A one night stand college romance with a cat daddy? Count me in! Sour stole the show as all cats should!
I can’t wait to read this book again when it’s out in its full glory!
Reading a book about a cheerleader was refreshing! I’ve read maybe one before? It was good to see a different dynamic! I loved her previous series coastal u and this was a great one to follow on with after the trade!