A beard-related dare and one hot-as-hell kiss changes everything.
NFL center Ethan Dexter’s focus has always been on playing football and little else. Except when it comes to one particular woman. The lovely Fiona Mackenzie might not care about his fame, but she’s also never looked at him as anything more than one of her brother-in-law’s best friends. That ends now.
Fi doesn’t know what to make of Dex. The bearded, tattooed mountain of man-muscle looks more like a biker than a football player. Rumor has it he’s a virgin, but she finds that hard to believe. Because from the moment he decides to turn his quiet intensity on her, she’s left weak at the knees and aching to see his famous control fully unleashed.
Fi ought to guard her heart and walk away; they live vastly different lives in separate cities. And Dex is looking for a forever girl. But Dex has upped his game and is using all his considerable charm to convince Fi he’s her forever man.
Release Date: Jul 29, 2025
Series: Game On
Book: 3
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: HarperCollins/Harlequin Books
Imprint: Canary Street Press
Price: $12.99
Ethan Dexter has been eyeing Fiona for quite some time. Her sister (Ivy) is married to his best friend, so the two are friendly. The problem is that Ethan wants to be more than friends with Fiona. They are both in town visiting her sister and the new baby when things turn more than friendly.
Dex, as he is referred, is such a sexy character. The author makes him not only physically appealing but also emotionally. He is a virgin, which was an interesting take because we don’t always get a virgin hero. He is this big, tatted, pierced dude who takes extreme measures to control his sexual urges. I had a hard time believing that he was a virgin. Perhaps I was judging him because of his career and overall appearance, but I couldn’t understand it. I did like that Fiona was willing to make him lose all his control, and she definitely pushed him to do so.
If a reader hasn’t read the past book in the series, The Friend Zone (Ivy and Gray’s story), then they may not understand how much Dex has lusted after Fiona. The story can be read as a standalone, but it will give insta-love vibes that are almost too much. Since Fiona never really took an interest in him, I found her newfound feelings very strange. Yes, the attraction was real from the moment she got up close and personal at the bar, but instantly, they went into a relationship full speed ahead.
The drama surrounding their relationship detracted from the story. It was bad enough that they were trying to navigate their feelings, the sexual tension, and being so far away from each other. The author really didn’t need to throw anything else in the mix. I did like seeing what happened to the other characters, since everyone is pretty close.
Fans who have been waiting for this story will enjoy The Game Plan. Ms. Callihan is an author I enjoy, so I will likely read anything by her.
~ Samantha
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