After being dumped on the very day she was meant to move to the U.S. for a year abroad, cheerleader Ella is determined to make the most of her new start. A chance, electric encounter with football player Hudson quickly turns into one unforgettable night — and a no-strings, no-commitment agreement that’s meant to keep things simple.

Neither Ella nor Hudson is looking for a relationship. Both have academic ambitions that need to come first, and neither can afford distractions. But when Ella’s cheer partner is sidelined by injury and Hudson steps in to help, the line between physical and emotional starts to blur. Can they really keep things casual when the pull between them is undeniable — and the stakes are rising?

This was an enjoyable, easy read with a fresh take on the sports romance dynamic. I especially loved Hudson’s background in cheer and his focus on his studies — a refreshing twist on the usual football player trope. While I did feel it lacked a little spark or depth in places, it was still a fun, satisfying read perfect for fans of sporty, college-set romances.

A fun, flirty romance perfect for fans of Bring it On.

I loved Ella & Fox’s dynamic, their chemistry was clear from the moment they met. They felt like two peas in a pod and I felt myself willing them to give in to each other. Their black cat & golden retriever relationship was definitely one to root for!

The cast of side characters shone so brightly in this book! I absolutely ADORED Levi and I really hope there’s a future book planned with him involved! The whole cheerleading team felt like a real family and I felt as if it captured the sport dynamic beautifully.

The only reason I’ve given a 4 star rather than 5 is because of how the pacing falls off in the last 30% of the book. I appreciate the time put in to building the romance at the start of the book but it felt like it could have done with being about 50 pages longer so the time jumps at the end didn’t feel so jarring.

Overall I had a great time and would definitely recommend picking this up if you’re on the hunt for a fun sports romance!

sharp fun and full of all i could've wished for in a sports romance like this one. i was smiling, doing this big grins more than once throughout this book. and it made me feel uplifted and reached all the giggly good emotions in my heart.
we've got our female main character Ella who is a cheerleader just moved to America from England and thats all she an focus on right now. until her first night in town she meets someone who knocks that focus off kilter, Hudson.what she doesn't know is this is the teams quarterback and this man keeps just showing up, being around. i'm not complaining because aren't we just delighted to see what comes next. i definitely got so much joy about reading about these two. there connection and interactions had me feeling so much better about life lol. Hudson himself needs to keep focus of his own. hes got his football. thats it. yeh right Hudson, we've seen you who you kidding?
but of course for our two what starts as a night of fun, friendship and connection with someone nice quickly turns into something a whole lot more. so what will they both decide to do. whats more important or what becomes more important?
gorgeous read. really liked it. the characters and the time we got with them was a joy.

Ella is set to move from England to Nashville with her longtime boyfriend - they’ve planned a study abroad year together and are excited to live in America for a year. That is until he breaks up with her, just before their flight, and she’s left to navigate her study abroad year alone. On her first night in town she meets Hudson and they ‘get together’. This quickly becomes messy when they realise he’s a star quarterback and she’s the newest cheerleader, therefore they’ve broke a no fraternisation rule. They quickly agree it’ll just be a one night thing. But as the year progresses, and feelings develop - can they leave it at just one night? Or are they meant to be more?

This was a fun quick read - cute college romance that would be a perfect poolside read. The relationship here was definitely an instalove - where we have a one night stand in the first 10% and then we follow them gradually falling for each other across the rest of the book. They were cute together! I also really liked the side characters - they added so much to the story.

Overall, this was a spicy college sports romance that was fast paced and an easy read. One night stand that turns to friends to lovers.

ARC copy provided by Penguin & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Game on was not what I expected from a sports romance and I loved it!
Football meets cheer was the combination that I didn’t know I needed. Now I do really enjoy a sports romance but I loved that both Ella and Hudson had their own sports and that they came together.

Ella is feisty, fierce and determined and I liked her character right from the start. She has left her life in England behind for a year to join and learn from a new cheer squad in Nashville. Everything about her new chapter is temporary for a year… enter Hudson Fox- the football team’s star QB.

This was an easy, light-hearted spicy read.

DNF @ 23%

I tried, I really did but the amount of time jumps within the first eight chapters is insane, I was just getting confused the more I read. Literally chapter one, you had Ella at her last cheer competition then two weeks later she has broken up with her boyfriend then all of a sudden being in America and then in chapter two/three she has a one night stand. We know absolutely nothing about the two main characters before this one night stand even happens or how Ella is feeling about the whole breakup and moving to a whole different place for the year. Yes girl, give us absolutely nothing here. But the big time jumps don't even stop there because in chapter eight, we learn that three months has passed, Ella has been at cheer camp for all of two seconds because in the next breath, she's already back at the university. Maybe it's just me, but I could not keep going because I would be struggling.

The characters are dull and offer nothing, the chemistry is not there either. If it wasn't for the unnecessary time jumps and if we got to know the characters better before the one night stand and insta-lust then perhaps I would've continued reading. This book might be for some people but sadly not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book! Ella and Hudson are super cute.
Another really good sports romance book!

Did I just find one of my favourite books of the year????? I think so! This book was beautiful from the start to the end. Thank you Ki Stephens!!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A fun sports romance centred on a cheerleader who has moved from the UK to the US, and the quarterback at her new nashville university. Ella and Hudson have a connection and I enjoyed being immersed in their world. Ki does an amazing job at bringing the reader into the world that has been written and i enjoyed thus book.

I haven’t read many American football romances so I didn’t know what to expect going into it. While I did think the characters were young compared to other college romances I’ve read I really enjoyed the way they supported each other to make sure that they both achieve what they wanted to.

Hudson made the time to cheer with Ella even though he had so much going on in his life because he knew how important it was to her! Really enjoyed their story.

✨3.5 stars✨

This book follows Ella as she swaps university in England for Nashville for a year abroad. It’s all been planned that she and her boyfriend Jamie will go together however at the last minute Jamie decides to break up with her and so we follow Ella as she deals with him, the US, cheer and her growing attraction to the star Quarterback Hudson Fox.

I thought this book was a fun romance, perhaps a little cliche but still overall enjoyable. The only reason this book didn’t get a higher rating is because I thought the character (their actions and their dialogue) was a bit childish. There were several times while I was reading that I had to remind myself that this about characters in University/college as a lot of the times it read younger apart from the in-depth spice scenes 😂. Could’ve fooled me it was YA what with the writing.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun University romance between an American footballer and a cheerleader then I would recommend giving it a go. Especially for a quick read this summer.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

**⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – Fun, Fast-Paced, but a Bit Familiar**

*Game On* by Ki Stephens is a lively and entertaining romance packed with humor, chemistry, and playful banter. The sports setting adds an energetic backdrop that keeps the story moving quickly and keeps you engaged.

While the characters are charming and the dialogue snappy, the plot leans on some familiar tropes and predictable moments. It’s a fun read but doesn’t stray far from the expected rom-com formula.

Perfect for readers looking for a light, feel-good story with plenty of heart and a sporty twist.

OBSESSED!!!!

i honestly devoured this book. i loved hudson and ella SO much!! the start of the book had me literally captivated!

Game on is a college sports romance with a hint of spice. This book follows Ella (a British cheerleader spending a year in the US) and Hudson (a quarterback), we see in to their blossoming friendship come relationship throughout their year together at college. The friendship blossoms quickly but they both actively avoid the idea of a relationship for quite a while.

I enjoyed this book, the characters were great and easy to read about.

soft dnf at 60%

ella is in america, studying abroad for a year. on her first night there, she spends it with hudson but they decide at the end of the night that they dont want to see eachother anymore. but they are forced to spend time together.

this book was just boring and i had no desire to keep going. i feel like there just wasn't much happening and i didnt feel connected to either of the charecters. i have really enjoyed other books by this author before so im disappointed but hope it was just a one time thing!

First up: The Drive-In’s 🥺

This book has everything you’d want in a college sports romance, and I genuinely enjoyed it! I went in with pretty low expectations—honestly, the cover didn’t grab me—but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got into the story. It turned out to be such a cute and heartwarming read.

Thank you to Penguin Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Ella Davies didn’t trade her life in England for a year in Nashville to let anything—or anyone—throw her off her game. She only has one to prove herself on her new school’s elite cheer squad. What she hadn’t planned for was meeting a gorgeous stranger on her first evening in America. Hudson Fox is Whitland’s prized possession, a star quarterback who’s never lacked admirers. But this year, he's sworn off temptation—especially the new English cheerleader who’s proving impossible to ignore. When Ella and Hudson are forced to spend more time together, their "just one night" pact soon shatters. Until tumbling from the pyramid becomes the least of Ella’s worries. Because instead of hitting the mat, she's falling hard for the quarterback. . .

Ella is rediscovering herself. Fresh out of a relationship and thousands of miles from home, she has an opportunity to take the bull by the horns. And she certainly does. I really liked Ella as a character. She’s stubborn and determined, and above all she is kind to others. She’s open to new opportunities and I loved her interactions with those she became friends with. I would have perhaps liked to have seen a bit more vulnerability from her outside of cheer. There was, understandably, a lot of anxiety about being part of the new team etc, but when she opened up about her personal issues, it felt like not enough time was spent on exploring that with her.
I wasn’t Hudson’s biggest fan initially - I found him a little too cocky around other people. But he certainly grew on me as we got to see the real Hudson underneath his slightly cold exterior. It was great getting to know him, to see his quirks and understand his history. Despite everything going on, he really did feel like a great support for Ella, being there for her whenever she needed him. I really liked that he has this softer side to him that he isn’t afraid of other people seeing, more so in Ella’s company.

I found myself hooked by this story from the first page. Sports romances are really growing on me at the moment but I was drawn in by the fact that one of the characters is British! The majority of sports romances see us somewhere in the US and whilst that was the case here as well, it was nice to have different viewpoints on the sports involved! The plot was pretty solid, my only gripes being the whole thing of “we’ll have a one night stand and never again” turning into “but we’ll be apart soon so there’s no point” did feel a little repetitive. I know full well that a story like this will never be just a one night stand and feelings will get involved, but I feel that card was played too often. The characters were well established and I feel Stephens did a great job making everyone individual and successfully melding them together as a group. The romance side of things were well written too. I liked that there were a variety of emotions fuelling the relationship which similarly helped their chemistry and the spicy moments! The ending felt like a good wrap up of everything for this book. The epilogue felt perhaps a little out of place for me. It feels like it is trying to set up a sequel - but that is something that doesn’t feel like a possibility for these characters.

Overall, Game On is a sports romance I definitely recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Penguin Books for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day and is available now on Goodreads.

I enjoyed the sports part of this book, both Ella's cheerleading and Hudson's football, as well as when they worked together. There were also some emotional moments, due to their previous experiences.

This isn't exactly a romcom, but sarcasm is used a lot. It had the desired effect most of the time, but I think it was overused and sometimes it fell a bit flat.

Romance wise, the dynamic sadly didn't wow me, it's like this book tried to make the stakes higher than they actually were. At one point Hudson describes them as fire and ice, and says a relationship between them would be catastrophic. Why? They are 22 year olds at university, what exactly could be so catastrophic about them getting together? The main reason why they shouldn't be together is that football players and cheerleaders are not allowed to get involved, so there was some slight sneaking around, but this wasn't as exhilarating as it could have been.

I think my biggest problem is that I didn't feel any real tension in the romance, I wasn't rooting for these characters as their relationship wasn't that exciting, considering the circumstances.

A third act conflict was included, and I wasn't a fan of the motivations and reasoning behind this.

The spice was good though, and I enjoyed the writing overall.

GAME ON was fun and fast-paced. If you love college romance then I would definitely give this one a go.

This story had everything I love in a college romance! Ella, a British student studying abroad in Nashville, joins Whitland’s cheer program and finds herself unexpectedly tangled up with Hudson—a football player with a heart that’s anything but stereotypical. I really appreciated that Hudson wasn’t your typical college football hero. His character, especially with the thoughtful representation of OCD, added so much depth and authenticity.

The chemistry between Ella and Hudson was electric from the start, and their connection only grew stronger as they navigated the ups and downs of forced proximity. The balance between humor and emotional depth was spot-on—I laughed, swooned, and found myself fully invested in their story.

If you’re a fan of heartfelt college romances with great banter and irresistible tension, this one’s for you.