Published by Forever on September 8, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
His football days might be over. But the game is just beginning…
Forced out of the game by a career-ending injury, Dylan Sullivan is busy drowning his sorrows in the local bar. Slumped a few stools down, Izzy Brooks knocks back another bourbon. Her grandpa is selling the horses she loves, meaning she’s out of a job—and a home.
The next morning, Dylan wakes groggily to the sound of horses’ hooves—with zero memory of the night before. Unlucky for him, there’s a tougher-than-nails, sexy-as-hell ranch hand with a scowl the size of Texas to fill him in… Last night, Dylan bought eighteen horses to fill his family’s empty ranch. Izzy’s horses.
Izzy’s future relies on Dylan becoming the rancher he never planned to be. As she puts him through his paces, competitive sparks—and something even more sizzling—fly. And stolen moments amongst the haystacks start to feel like a new beginning for both of them.
But when Dylan gets a chance to rejoin the world of football, the hope in Izzy’s heart flatlines. Will he prove every misgiving she had about him true? Or will he realize the path he never expected to walk is the one leading to the happy ending he was looking for?
Game Over is a steamy but heartfelt enemies-to-lovers cowboy and sports romance, perfect for fans of Elsie Silver, Stephanie Archer and Liz Tomforde. The second in the Oakwood Ranch series, it can also be read as a standalone.
Dylan had worked hard to recover from an injury, but it wasn't enough to get him back on the team. Izzy had built a life she loved as a ranch hand, but now the ranch she called home was being sold. Both were at a crossroads when circumstances brought them together. Now, they have decisions to make about their futures, and perhaps, those futures will include each other.
I have to say, I was absolutely charmed by this Game Over. It was a grumpy-grumpy (yeah, you read that right) romance where I couldn't wait to see who would blink first.
Dylan was drowning his sorrows in a bottle of bourbon when he agreed to purchase all the horses from a family friend (who was Izzy's grandfather) with the stipulation of keeping the ranch hand on staff for six weeks to help with the transition. The ranch hand being Izzy.
Izzy was none to pleased to "play rancher" with Dylan who seemed to decide on a whim to become a rancher. She was serious about horses, but she was also seeking stability for her future. She needed Dylan to prove he was all in with the horses. Her reluctance to trust Dylan came from her past with her broken marriage weighing heavily on the choices she made. Although Izzy's hesitance to trust frustrated me at times, I understood why she had these feelings and that she was only trying to protect herself.
I also felt for Dylan. Following his father's death over 20 years ago, his family put the ranch life behind them. They poured their energy into football, and lo and behold, all three Sullivan brothers became professional football players. After all these years, Dylan's career had come to an end. He was trying to figure out his place in a world without football. It was easy to understand why this was a tough decision for him, especially when seeing his heart was split between football and ranching. He wavered for quite a while, and I just had to be patient with him no matter what I thought was right.
It was worth it though because I adored him and Izzy together. They fit so well, and Izzy brought so much to his life. She challenged him and seamlessly became a part of his world. This was a lovely world. The ranch sounded like a piece of heaven on earth, but even more importantly, it was inhabited by a wonderful family who fully welcomed Izzy as one of their own. This was very important given her past of feeling like she didn't fit in or belong, and I was happy to see her grow in this environment. There was also a cute kid who stole the show (and my heart).
Overall: I had a wonderful time on the ranch with the Sullivans and was overjoyed to see Izzy and Dylan figure out their futures together.
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on August 18, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
They staged a romance, faked a breakup, and this time around, anything can happen—even something real.
Thea Pappas has always been the storm in her own life—fiery and unpredictable—traits that led her and her younger sister, Addy, through a series of foster homes. But with Addy's whirlwind engagement, Thea is determined to be the perfect maid of honor, even if she finds it odd that she hadn't heard of the fiancé until the ring was on Addy's finger. She believes she can survive a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a group of strangers without causing any trouble.
But upon arrival, Thea realizes these aren't strangers. Among the familiar faces is Owen Hayes—the man who, three years ago, paid her to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family wedding. Now, he's looking at her with the same panicked expression.
Owen's life has always been about control—managing his mother's matchmaking schemes, his family's expectations, and the career path he never truly chose. Thea was his one rebellion, a beautiful lie that ended with a "heart-destroying" fake breakup. Now, with his younger brother's wedding underway and his mother on the prowl, Owen begs Thea to reprise their roles. One week. Same fake breakup. No feelings.
But as old sparks reignite and the lines between pretense and reality blur, Thea and Owen will have to choose: carry on their greatest performance yet or admit the truth—that it was never fake at all.
Thea was surprised by her little sister Addy's engagement. She was even MORE surprised to discover Addy was marrying into the family of her fake date Owen. Though it had been three years, the sparks were still flying between Thea and Owen, but would they be able to pull off being fake exes?
This was one complicated fake dating scenario. What are the chances that Thea's fake date from three years ago would be her sister's future brother-in-law? And how would Thea know that Owen had been playing the broken hearted ex for so long? This put Thea between a rock and hard place. She was excited to be reunited with Owen and his family, but she also had to honor her sister's wishes to keep her distance in order to maintain the peace.
I have to admit, sometimes I thought Addy was a bit selfish. I understood her backstory and her reasons, but for how long should Thea be punished for their childhood? How much longer did she have to push her needs and wants aside for Addy? I had these feelings about Owen's mother as well. They infuriated me at times, but I will say both redeemed themselves to some extent. Family can be complicated, and though I never doubted they loved each other, I was glad to see them all working to allow everyone to live their lives on their own terms.
Maybe I was angry with everyone because I wanted Owen and Thea to have their HEA. I felt as though they both constantly sacrificed themselves for everyone else, and now, it was their turn. They had such great chemistry, and more than that, they appreciated each other - flaws and all. When they were together, they smiled their real smiles and felt a sense of calm that was often missing from their day. I could not allow them to give that up, no matter what.
The wedding setting was a lot of fun. The chaos of a big family was well captured, and I enjoyed being part of their shenanigans. The bus key became a running joke, and that final exchange had me rolling on the floor.
Overall: I had a great time at this wedding and couldn't help but cheer for Thea and Owen.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
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