Oh, Game Plan. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways.
The newest book in the Game On series is about a man-bunned, tattooed, and bearded virgin football player. And that was all that anyone needed to tell me before I one-clicked so hard that I pulled a muscle. I should also note that this is my first book by Kristen Callihan, and readers are totally okay to jump right into the series with this book here.
Ethan Dexter has always had eyes for Fiona Mackenzie since he met her about two years ago. She’s the younger sister of his best friend’s wife and it makes group functions a little rough on the guy. He gets pierced and tattooed as sort of a self-flagellation to curb his desires. He’s quiet, reserved, and definitely a beta hero. And I just want to wrap him up in a big fluffy blanket and feed him comforting spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese.
Fiona is a little larger than life. She works for a decorating firm back in New York and, though she’s short, she packs a big personality. I loved that the heroine was the one who was the flirt and being warned to be gentle with Ethan. They’re a bit opposite, but it works and it’s adorable.
When Ethan finally blows his gasket and loses his cool in a “mantrum” that’s been a long time coming, Fiona just walks out. She doesn’t fawn over him or turn on the dramatics. She asks him to stop and, when he doesn’t, she just peaces out to go get food and let him sort himself out.
Their relationship starts with a kiss, which started with a dare. They’re both visiting friends/family for a week and things just happen. But the honeymoon ends as they retreat to their respective states. Ethan is based in New Orleans and Fiona is…not.
Honestly, a lot of things happen in this book to test their relationship. There’s the issue with Ethan having his first time and trying to hide the fact that he’s a virgin from the general public (though I don’t get why it’d be such a huge deal if it got out). The reason why he’s abstained for so long stems back to the fact that he was the “chubby kid” for most of his life and then when he started to play college ball, he felt women gave him attention for all the wrong reasons. When he explains his first attempt at sex, it’s really horrific, though I do have some reservations about the “mechanics” of the situation.
There’s also a big scandal at the end that I didn’t exactly see coming. Callihan has a way of using scenes and details that serve another purpose that you don’t even realize until it plays into the plot later.
However, what really got me about this romance was the portrayal of a long distance relationship, which I know is somewhat subjective to my own experiences. I was actually in one for a while and they aren’t for the faint of heart. Fiona knows she isn’t cut out for one and it definitely affects her. It’s not a bad thing to want your partner close, to see, and to touch. And the things said and done when the characters were trying to function in a relationship, but lacking the things that a lot of couples get to experience, brought up a lot of stuff. Stuff I didn’t even know I needed to process.
I cried a lot, admittedly. Because these feelings and emotions hit close to home, and they felt very real for someone who has been there.
“But even as I make the promise, the fear that we’re both lying to ourselves remains. Because it’s clear this relationship isn’t working the way we need it to, and something will have to give before it breaks.”
Sometimes, you want things so badly to work that you’ll keep at it, even when it’s obvious that it’s not going to with the current circumstances. There are these blinders that if we have love, that it’ll be enough. And sometimes it’s not. Sometimes, something has to give.
And when Fiona is going through hell at work and she’s all alone, wanting nothing but Ethan to physically comfort her and he can’t, I lost my everloving shit.
“Just know I’m with you. Even when I’m far away, I’m with you.”
At that point, I’m full on ugly crying in the living room while trying not to make this awkward for my roommates.
I mentioned on Twitter that sometimes you find a book that really reminds you of why you love a certain genre, be it romance or scifi or whatever. For me, The Game Plan really reminded me why I love this community – the authors, the readers, all of it. Love is a really powerful thing, whether it succeeds or it doesn’t. It’s a universal feeling that people have experienced. And though my happy ending didn’t quite happen, it warms me to know that Fiona and Ethan had their HEA. Fictional characters be damned.
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Thanks!
This a really great, meaningful review. This book isn’t my usual cup of tea, but your review made me want to buy it anyway-:)
Thanks for ur recommendation I bought the series and am reading hook up now! Def my catnip! Happy weekend 🙂
What I love most about Kristen Callihan is her amazing way of building intimacy between her characters. There are these little moments where you can almost see a character’s heart being opened and the love and trust coming out. New adult usually makes my skin itch. I’m only abut a third of the way through the first book in this series and I know I will be autobuying the rest just like I do her Darkest London books. Plus Ethan is an honest to goodness lineman. You can take your star running backs and elite quarterbacks. Give me a giant sized lineman I can climb like a tree.
Thanks for the review Amanda!
Oh, great, yet another book where the entire plot is given away by page six.
@Trish: There’s no big secret or big reveal here in terms of the plot. However, I’d say the romance is more about overcoming obstacles in a relationship: long distance, stressors like a toxic working environment, a partner being in the public eye. The fact that Ethan is a virgin is mentioned in the book description, so it’s not a surprise when it’s revealed in the book.
@Amanda–the entire plot of the book is still given away by page six. If a romance is to be effective it should be “will they?” instead of “when they?” This is a definite “when they?”
@Trish: I think I’d have to disagree. Most romances end with some sort of HEA. It may not happen in the first book (in the case of an ongoing series), but most times, the couple will end up together. So for me, I don’t see romances as a “will they?” because I know they will.The hero and heroine (or whatever combinations of love interests you have) are going to have a happy ending, but it’s how they are going to get there that matters to me as a reader.
@Amanda–but isn’t it more interesting when it’s known that the relationship NOT working out is a possibility? You know, like REAL LIFE? Should the word “fantasy” be added onto “romance?” I think so, since the protagonists of books can look however but the ‘heroes’ better be hot and chiseled.
@Trish: I do like a certain realism in my romances (unless I’m reading something that’s obviously supposed to be fantastical/paranormal), but I want my warm, fuzzy ending. I know that not all romance readers want the same thing or they read the genre for different reasons. If you find a “will they?” scenario more enjoyable to read, where the couple’s outcome could really go either way, go for it! But I like knowing I can count on an HEA in the end and I like seeing how characters work to achieve or maintain their happiness as individuals and as a couple.
@Trish I agree with Amanda. I think that’s one of the reasons why When Harry Met Sally is such a popular movie. From the very beginning you know the two are going to get together. Instead of focusing on the big ‘will they or won’t they’ factor, they spend the movie exploring the characters’ personalities and their relationship.
Loved the review. Initially very tempted. but the part about the long-distance relationship is a bit of a flag. My husband and I have been bi-coastal for a large part of our 30 year marriage. It has not been that good for the relationship or for us. We’ve now moved to a new city where we know no one but where we can live together while holding jobs in a last ditch effort to save this thing. I may wait a bit to read this book. But loved the review. Thanks.
@Vicki: I’d definitely wait then. This book (as you can see) brought up a lot of feelings I had about my long distance relationship that I thought I had dealt with. But sending good vibes your way and I hope it all works out for you!
@Kay: “I think that’s one of the reasons why ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is such a popular movie.” Sure, because a man and a woman can’t POSSIBLY be friends without being secretly in love with each other.
I was not going to read THE HOOK UP, nope, nope, nope, for many reasons, most centered around “YA, NA, ugh.” I even said that aloud, which means now that I’ve read it and have fallen off the nope-topus and into squee-ville, my grovel must be public.
This was my first Kristen Callihan book, but not my last, because I immediately bought the other two. Haven’t read them yet, but I know good book noise is coming soon. Also, married to a lineman for 39 years and they need the love, too. Thanks, Amanda.
You lost me at “man-bunned”. I hate the man bun in so many ways. So. Many. Ways. lol
I’m not a man-bun or beard-lover either. Most men I’ve seen with very long hair just don’t seem to have cleaned or conditioned it properly – gentlemen, you can’t just get all sweaty and jam it into a bun for days! Still liked this romance, but had to pretend that the hero had a very extensive grooming regime.
@Heather, I hear you, but at some point she’s gotta pull out those pins, and then he’s a guy with long hair. My tastes were set in the early 70’s, so I’m all over that.
@Tish, we all know men and women can be friends without being secretly in love. The reason why “When Harry Meet Sally” is a great romance is because they weren’t friends who were secretly in love, they were friends who fell in love. It is the exploration of how they get there that holds us. It’s what always holds us. Not just will they, but how they, can they, or should they. Why would we invest our time and interest in characters who decide at some point, meh, this is too hard, we’re done because that’s REAL LIFE? You may not have noticed, but REAL LIFE is full of people who meet, fall in love and negotiate all the obstacles and pit falls REAL LIFE puts in their way and live HEA in REAL LIFE. Props @Vicki!
@bnbsrose: been around for almost fifty years. “Pitfall” is one word.
I am intrigued, because beards and tattoos (sorry if that is reprehensibly shallow) but I have such bad experiences with contemporary romances (and sports romances in particular) because they tend to be too frothy/light and wish-fulfillmenty for me to handle. Are there any other jerks like me who’ve read this and can chime in about if this skews light/frothy or more real? This is a great review, and I personally LOVE romances where the roadblocks are of the “connecting with other humans is hard” variety rather than “here is a complex but unreal set of plot twists”, but I have been burned by contemporary sports romances so many times, even beards and tattoos are not enough to get me off the fence right away. Specifically I’m wondering if Fiona is one of those romance-novel-sassy ladies? (Cannot deal.)
While I liked “Game Plan,” “The Friend Zone” (Ivy and Gray’s story) was the one that really roped me in. Good stuff.
@Cordy, I don’t think you can describe Kristen Callihan’s books as light or frothy. She has a deft hand at intimacy and relationship building. You’ll be reading along and you think you know what’s going to happen and there’s this extraordinary moment, this expression of emotion and connection that will leave you breathless. It’s never just “I can’t stop thinking about how her hair smells, damn it”. Even when it seems to be instalust, it moves onto something more in such unexpected ways.
@bnbsrose – SOLD. She should hire you to include a blurb for froth-fearing readers such as myself!
I loved this book so much I finished reading it at work on my phone. I’m not an American so I don’t know or care about the football bits but I loved how intense Ethan was – he has so much going on beneath that calm surface. I also loved how real it was and how much they stuck together and worked hard for their relationship.
Read your recommendation and was looking forward to the book. The Game On series just keeps getting better. I really liked The Friend Zone, but The Game Plan was WOWZA! Great writing, seriously steamy & very romantic. Going on my 2015 Favourites List. 5 Star++
@Amanda I couldn’t find your comment on the January 21 rant post for a direct reply, but thank you so much for the recommendation! After reading this review, I’m totally in! I’m a sucker for unconventional heroes. Thanks!
I’ve read all three GAME ON books in a week. Wish I could remember how Kristen Callihan’s name came to my attention. Am a huge fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Rachel Gibson, especially their football and hockey series, and have wished and hoped I’d find another author of the sports/romance/graphic variety. I’ve found her. My only regret is that I stop here until another GAME ON book is released, if ever. It appears the entire LONDON series is paranormal, which I do not do. Although I do enjoy time travel, go figure. Anyway, I’ll be 74 in two months. Hopefully that doesn’t creep out anyone. I’m sure I’m not alone, in my age category, in my thirst for great erotic romance novels. Sign me: FarFromDead. :-}
I thought what I wrote above WAS my comment?