The Game Plan by Kristen Callihan
Series: Game On, #3
Romance Contemporary/Sports
November 1, 2015
Self Published

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: I see Ethan Dexter; he shines for me. And I burn hotter than the sun when I am in his orbit.

Ethan (Dex) Dexter has just about everything he wants as a well known & very talented center for the NFL. Except a certain young woman he has wanted since he first saw her four years ago. When they end up in the same house on vacation, Dex decides the time has come for him to make his interest known.

Fiona (Fi) Mackenzie has always seen Dex as a friend & nothing more. This huge biker looking man in full beard and covered in tattoos is nothing like her usual tastes in men (boys) but when he turns his full attention on her, she wants to melt into his arms and never leave. But they live in two different cities and Fi doesn’t do long distance relationships or one night stands.

Fi is Dex’s forever girl and he plans to up his game until she realizes he’s her forever man.

Move over Drew & Gray-Gray…Dex is in the house.

The Game Plan is the third book in Callihan’s sweet, sexy, heartfelt, often humorous sports romance series that revolves around a group friends who played football together in college together. Though they are now in the NFL, playing for different teams, they still maintain their friendship. Though this is the third book in the series, each one can stand alone. We have already seen Drew and Gray find their happily ever afters…now it’s time for Dex.

Gorgeous, built, tattooed; sporting a sexy man bun, beard and *whispers* his virginity, Dex has always been the quiet one. The mature one. The one the other guys came to for advice or a shoulder to cry on. When he first meets Fi, he is instantly bowled over.

“I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you, Cherry.”

But he knew she was too young for him-she was still in college and had no intentions of settling down. Now four years later, when they both happen to end up at Gray & Ivy’s house on vacation, Dex takes this as a sign to make his attraction known. He follows Fi to a small nightclub and there he places his plan in motion and maneuvers her for a kiss by using his beard.

“So your stance on beards is?” His gaze so strong I feel it in my toes.

My breathing picks up. “Don’t particularly like them.”

“What don’t you like about them?”

Is he serious?

He stares at me.

I guess he is.

Taking a quick sip of my drink, I search for an answer. “They’re just so…fuzzy. Prickly.”

“Do you know this based on experience, or are you making an assumption?”

My gaze narrows. “Aren’t you the philosopher.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“Fine. Assumption.”

His lips quirk. “You should find out if your assumption is true before you condemn the beard.”

“Is this some sort of creepy way to get me to touch your beard?”

Fi is considered the wild, flighty MacKenzie. Always ready for a good time and never seeming to settle down, this tiny blond talented spirit now works for a designing firm in New York. Due to her father’s career & previous behavior, Fi isn’t into athletes but something about Dex calls to her. She believes in romance but with him living in New Orleans and her living in New York, she is positive that any relationship between them will ultimately fail.  But when he kisses her, all her objections seem to fly out the window.

“…you were a sexy-as-fuck, sly-as-all-hell charmer who grabbed my attention and held it.”

This well written new adult novel gives readers a sexy heartfelt love story teeming with emotion, drama, romance, and plenty of humor. The fluid storyline ebbs and flows seamlessly as we are submerged into the lives of the protagonists-Dex & Fi. While we do see some drama and angst, it’s not melodramatic or used as merely a plot device. Callihan uses it to explain some of the actions.  Witty dialogue, dynamic scenes, and a well plotted swoon-worthy romance serve to make this story an enjoyable read.

“I want you badly enough to put all my cards on the table, show who I really am.”

The romance between Dex and Fi builds slowly, starting with a sexually enhanced friendship that deepens and grows at a realistic pace. I adored how mature and centered Dex was in his life & in his feelings for Fi. He KNOWS she is the one and nothing is going to stand in his way to getting her. Deliciously crazy hot chemistry keeps your e-reader steamed up as does Fi’s constant references to how utterly beautiful Dex is to her.

“Cherry, let me lay this down for you. I’m all in. I want you. I always have.” That voice of his goes deeper. “You going to let me have you?”

Jesus. I cross my legs tightly, heat pulsing through me. “You’ve already had me.”

“That was only a taste.” It’s a rumble in my ear, all his need and impatience a driving force that leaves me breathless and thrumming. “I want more.”

Humorous dialogue, satisfying sexual tension, and some emotional angst to allow for the gradual reveal of the main conflict(s). Callihan uses their personalities and personal lives to show us that they are perfect for one another. Both of them need someone who sees below the surface to the person that exists inside. Dex grounds Fi while she helps him fly. Though the romance is the main aspect of the storyline, Callihan intertwines it with some plotlines, using them to further elevate the romance and guide it along the path to love.

A dynamic and hilarious cast of old friends and familiar faces helps keep the story following along at a steady pace and only adds more humor. Gray and Ivy are predominate as they watch this romance unfold from the sidelines and try hard not to be overly protective of their cubs. We also get to see more of Drew, Anna, and members of the various football teams. Laughter and camaraderie are the prime ingredients on which this diverse group is built on and they certainly kept me laughing with their advice, observations, and attempts to help.

“Dude,” says Ryder. “Were you aiming for the most bonehead thing to say? Because you fucking nailed it.”

“Yeah,” says Jones, a defensive end who’s pulling on his sweats. “The only thing worse would be if you pulled out the ‘it’s not you’ line.”

“I told her it wasn’t—”

Another round of groans, even more pained, rumbles through the locker room.

“Bad play, man.”

“Way to go, knucklehead.”

The ending brings one particular conflict to a head and solidifies the love Fi and Dex have for one another while highlighting the changes it has evoked in both of them. Dex learns to finally let go and Fi wholeheartedly stands beneath him to catch him. While I wasn’t as flail-ee (is that even a word?) with this one as the last two I still enjoyed it immensely. This one is calmer and sweeter with the pretense of a relationship already in process, at least on Dex’s part. I felt as though I missed getting to know them as individuals as Dex and Fi become  a couple pretty quickly. Regardless, Callihan gave me all the feelz and I am looking forward to her next book. Dare we hope for Rolondo? I vote YES!

Grade: B

Prior Kristen Callihan Reviews

Goodreads I Author Website I Series List 

Amazon