Thank you to Ki Stephens, Penguin Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Game On in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I expected and more! Game On follows the story of college football player Hudson Fox and cheerleader Ella Davies, who has moved across to Whitland University in Nashville for a study abroad year, through one academic year.

I really enjoyed reading the individual character development for each main character, Ella moving on from her ex-boyfriend and Hudson continuing to come to terms with his father leaving his family.

I felt like the British representation in the book was accurate and not overly pushed, as in some books that I have read recently. And the epilogue was a perfect ending to a super sweet story!

I have already downloaded The Trade by Ki Stephens and am super excited to read it!

Thank you again!

Such an easy read.
College football/cheerleader romance with some twists and turns along the way. Loved Ella and Hudson from the beginning. Would definitely recommend!

This was such a cute college romance between a cheerleader from England and an Athlete at her university in America. This was such an easy read, i sat and finished it in one sitting and really enjoyed it!

Wonderful book about stepping out of your comfort zone to find yourself! I loved the accuracies with regards to the vastly different locations and the overall pace of the book. Ella and Hudson were amazing. No miscommunication, just a wonderfully sweet tale of learning to take what you want. I loved the journey of Hudson and Ella and whilst some tropes were evident the ending wasn't outwardly predictable. Some parts felt a tiny bit easy for the main couple but this certainly did not take away from my overall love of the story and character arcs.

I had much higher hopes for this book than the two previous ones I was reading because I love college romances and the chemistry between Hudson and Ella seemed clear from the beginning. Unfortunately, the book lapsed into a kind of repetitive stasis from the moment the two main characters agreed to their arrangement, and it honestly didn’t feel like there was anything carrying the story forward. There were a lot of elements that felt predictable, like the partner change for Ella’s cheer competition, and the banter between Ella and Hudson just kind of disappeared. I was intrigued by Hudson’s paranoia around fires and checking his house and I was keen to see that get explored, and then it never was. Unfortunately the book really just meandered its way through so it’s a no from me.

Thank you to evermore and Ki Stephens for the early review copy of Game On, it was such a pleasure to read!

2025 Read: #37
Rating: 5 ⭐
Releases: August 14th

THE BLURB 📖
**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 goal: 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 shatters. Soon, tumbling from the pyramid becomes the least of Ella’s worries. Because instead of hitting the mat, she's falling hard for the quarterback. . .

MY THOUGHTS 💭
✨ Y’all I love love LOVED this, it was such a fun read!
✨ Ella and Hudson are EVERYTHING!
✨ He’s a quarterback and a history buff AND a former cheerleader!!
✨ I loved the exchange aspect of the story
✨ The cats name is SOURDOUGH, how precious
✨ All of their friends are so much fun!
✨ I grew up watching my sister do cheerleading so it was fun to imagine the routines

Game On is a very sweet, very clichéd but enjoyable read! It hits all your main college sports romance Tropes with your added British-ness, cheerleading and secret backstories. I must admit, I almost DNFed despite it being such an enjoyable read when Vi told everyone her mum had a heart condition - tachycardia. I just feel like you shouldn't drop in words you don't understand! Medical inaccuracies are an instant turn off for me- we wouldn't allow sports inaccuracies!

The writing was slick and witty, the descriptions bold and vivid and the characters fun and well developed. I could easily see this becoming a fully fledged enjoyable series - a lighthearted escape!

This was a fun, cute and easy read. I enjoyed myself but it didn’t stand out to me in anyway. I have read this book before in a thousand different capacities so it’s really nothing special.

But I did like the fact the heroine was British and not the hero, and she has to navigate her new life in the States. I find the British hero stereotype tired and overdone so it was a nice welcome change here :)

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.