Author: L.A Cannon

First Published: 13 December 2023

“You’re the best thing that I never planned.”  

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to L.A. Cannon for sending a copy my way!

Dylan and Jared have little in common besides their love for video games. That is until one night they give in to the temptation, stoking the flames of hidden desires.

Despite the undeniable chemistry, though, they aren’t meant to be. Not only are they in different stages of life, but Jared also has a boyfriend.
But what if fate gave them a little shove and pulled them closer together?

I am over here just swooning over Jared and Dylan! They are just the cutest. If you are looking for a sweet and equally steamy MM romance, you need to read Game Changer.

Dylan and Jared are coworkers at a gaming company. Apart from their love of video games, they have little in common but have become fast friends, so much so that their workmates joke that they are work husbands. During a drunken night, the pair give in to their attraction, but it quickly halts as Jared has a boyfriend. Maybe they just weren’t meant to be. Throw in Jared ending his relationship and add in a dash of forced proximity, when Dylan offers Jared a place to stay, and their sexual tension skyrockets and this might be the perfect scenario to throw them together.

Jared is in his mid-twenties and is a complete cinnamon roll. While he does engage in a heavy make-out session with Dylan while still in a relationship, he is quick to call it quits. Despite his attraction to Dylan and the tension brewing in his relationship, he is loyal and committed to his boyfriend, Paul. I loved that exploration of staying in a relationship even if it’s not the best for you and when you are in different places from your partner. Jared gives off major golden retriever vibes.

Dylan is the brooder of the two. He’s almost forty and from the outside seems like he’s fine with living the bachelor lifestyle. He’s life revolves around work, his tattooing and snowboarding. It broke my heart to realise that he’s dedicated himself to this bachelor lifestyle as he’s been typecast as a power top based on his appearance and hasn’t been able to get what he needs in past relationships. He is more reserved and doesn’t easily open up about his personal life. I loved watching him open up to Jared and seeing their relationship unfold, as despite the 12-year age gap, which he is hung up on, Jared is his perfect match.

This is a novella, but the way L.A. Cannon can include their history and budding relationship is incredible. From the opening scene, you can tell Jared and Dylan are close friends. I loved how slow-burn their relationship is, from the awkwardness after their make-out session where they don’t know how to address it or how it will impact their friendship to the hot, building sexual tension which explodes into some hot and heavy steamy scenes. Seriously, the steamy in here is off the charts. I will never look at strawberry gummies the same way. Outside of their sexual chemistry, there is a touch of sweetness, which made me swoon so hard. The number of caretaking scenes here melted my heart. If you know me, the caretaking trope is my kryptonite. We get scenes where both Dylan and Jared care for each other, which shows just how their relationship develops outside their sexual chemistry.

I adored Game Changer and honestly wished we got more because I am obsessed with Dylan and Jared. So excited to see what L.A. Cannon writes next! She has fast become one of my auto-buy authors.