A promising debut novel

The Game Changer is Finley Chuva’s debut novel and the beginning of a series. It is a nice romance novel set in the world of soccer and board game cafes.

Elena Torres is a professional soccer player and that means everything to her. She also has a hobby that she loves almost as much as playing soccer and working with wood. She barely has time for a serious relationship, especially after the last one failed because of just that. Recently she was diagnosed with autism and she hasn’t fully comprehended it. She is not very comfortable in large crowds and her best friend Margot usually accompanies her to such events. But when Margot can’t, she suggests to Elena that Harper, her younger sister, could accompany her.

Harper Wright is the owner of a board game cafe and plans to open her second. She still struggles with the fact that her parents do not appreciate her achievements and always compare her to her successful older sister. It also took her a while to accept that she has a plus-size figure. She also has had a crush on Elena since she was a teenager, so it’s not hard for her to accompany Elena to this event.

From the beginning, the two get along well and there is a certain attraction that they both believe is one-sided. They have good conversations and have a lot of fun together. When they admit that they are attracted to each other, they just want to be friends with benefits. But we know how that goes, it doesn’t work. It just takes Elena and Harper a little longer to figure it out. The main characters are likable women with some flaws, but with their hearts in the right place, always trying to learn from their mistakes.

Overall, an entertaining romance novel that also touches on important issues. You can tell it’s a debut novel, it’s a bit long-winded and bumpy at times and I didn’t very much feel the chemistry, however, I’ll be sure to read Finley Chuva’s next book too.
My rating 3.5 ??

ARC was provided by the author to LezReviewBooks.com in exchange for an honest review.