Up until two years ago, I was living large and my life’s priorities were anchored to three things – my NBA stardom, money and celebrity.I was also a colossal dick.Until one night turned my world upside down and I suffered unspeakable loss. That event changed the man I was and made me a widowed-single father.Now I’m a desperate parent trying to raise my special needs son and find him a trustworthy … needs son and find him a trustworthy live-in nanny.
Grad student Brooklyn Hayes may be the one, with her single-minded focus on caring for my son and finishing her Master’s degree. She’s the perfect fit for our needs.
Maybe too perfect…with her bright smile, nurturing kindness and gentle touch. Caleb isn’t the only one who’s fallen for her.
I don’t know when or how it happened, but she changed the game for me. Turning my losing streak into a winning second-half.
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This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. Garrett and Brooklyn had such a realistic, somewhat painful story. Garrett had to learn to let go of his guilt to find the good in life, while Brooklyn had to learn that being a strong woman doesn’t mean that you can’t also lean on a good man once in a while. They had their ups and downs, but Brooklyn was no doormat and let Garrett know that she wouldn’t be used until her convenience wore out for him. Because of that, they both had to find a way to balance what they wanted with what they deserved, and they managed to find their way to their own HEA. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series.
My heart!!!! Gah! Seriously,,,, my heart broke for Coach Garret and his son Caleb,,, and then Brooklyn comes along and makes it so much better! I really don’t want to give anything away, because there is SO MUCH MORE than just Brooklyn coming along and making life better! This book has my emotions all over the place! I’ve cried, screamed, laughed, got mad AGAIN,, turned off my Kindle, swore at it, then ultimately turned it back on and fell in love again! This book is so much MORE than just a love story, it’s about hope, even when you have nothing left to give, you don’t stop. You do everything in your power for your child, never giving up.
This is such a beautiful story, it’s heartbreaking, powerful, and inspirational! I highly recommend this book!!!!
4.5 stars
Game Changer is a sweet and heartwarming story, that will totally pull on your heartstrings. Love how devoted of a father Garrett was to Caleb, as being a parent of a child with special needs is not easy. It takes such love and patience, and Garrett was simply amazing. And Brooklyn, she fit into their world perfectly. Seeing the growth that Caleb made while she was taking care of him, was incredible to see. She was a special person and seeing the bond those two formed together was wonderful. And of course, the connection and chemistry she had with Garrett was off the charts. He needed someone like her in his life, and I’m glad he realized it before it was too late.
Game Changers by Sierra Hill a five-star read that will change your game. This is the first novel in the Change of Hearts series, and I can’t wait for the rest, as this has just been amazing. Coach Garrett is sublime, but his pain hurts your heart, he is so well written that you won’t be able to stop falling for him. This is a gut-wrenching story, but it will also uplift you and make you happy that you read the great story. Caleb is a complex character and watching him grow and blossom just gave this amazing story another depth. That being said he isn’t the only one who grows in this story, Garett and the delicious Brooklyn also grow in some ways as well.
This story is Amazing, Heart wrenching and all around Swoony! Sierra has done an awesome job with telling this story of a single father, of a son with a disability, Caleb, that he feels he caused. I literally teared up through moments in the book. Garrett is a single father, coach and widow. He has a lot he is dealing with and Brooklyn walks into his and Caleb’s life when they need her the most. The relationship that blooms between Brooklyn and Caleb made my heart so happy and the relationship between her and Garrett made me swoon. There journey, throughout the story is not perfect but in the end it is all worth it. Brooklyn is an amazing character, and even though she has to make some choices that make her sad, she is strong and sticks to doing what is right for her. Be prepared to have your heart strings yanked in many ways but feel amazing in the end. I absolutely loved how various characters, from Sierra’s previous books, make little appearances here and there, pulling her stories together like one big family. I am really looking forward to the next story in this new series. 🙂
Beautiful
This story brings together two people who need each other and helps a little bit become stronger and happier. I love all the characters and the story line.
*SPOILERS*
The single dad trope is one of my favorites, so that makes this even more disappointing, but this just wasn’t a very good story. With the exception of sex scenes, there was absolutely no show to this book, just a lot of tell. The author misses a lot of great opportunities to create scenes that will show the bond between Garrett, the hero, and Brooklyn, the heroine, or even Brooklyn and Caleb, Garrett’s son, developing. Time after time, she uses internal dialogue to tell us about a conversation or references a conversation that she could have, and should have, shown us, but never does.
There are also a lot of inconsistencies in the storyline, like she tells us Garrett and Becca, his deceased wife, reconnect and get back together at his brothers’ funeral, then finds out a month later that his hookup, Penelope, is 12 weeks pregnant making Celeb’s birth about 6 months after his brother dies. A few chapters later she writes “my brother had already been dead for a few years before Caleb was born”. Another inconsistency is she has Garrett freaking out and stopping a makeout session with Brooklyn because she said “I want to make you feel good” because that’s what his crazy hookup and baby mama, Penelope, said to him and apparently it traumatized him. Not a few pages later, she has him saying those exact words to Brooklyn the night they had sex for the first time. Finally, during this story, Caleb is about a month shy of his 5th birthday, but she describes him having “a sweet, toothless grin”, then later describes his smile with a mouth full of baby teeth.
Overall this book just wasn’t for me. This is my first time reading Sierra Hill, and it’ll probably be a long while before I’m likely to pick up anything else written by her.
I liked that a loving father with a special needs child was featured. Not a lot of people realize the daily struggle single parents face. I could have done with a lot less taking God’s name in vain!
Garret and Brooklyn’s journey makes for a most enjoyable read. Caleb’s transformation is heartwarming.
Easy reading.
The book had romance while the focus was on the special needs of a little adorable boy. Keep the tissue handy.
The single dad trope is one of my favorites, so that makes this even more disappointing, but this just wasn’t a very good story. With the exception of sex scenes, there was absolutely no show to this book, just a lot of tell. The author misses a lot of great opportunities to create scenes that will show the bond between Garrett, the hero, and Brooklyn, the heroine, or even Brooklyn and Caleb, Garrett’s son, developing. Time after time, she uses internal dialogue to tell us about a conversation or references a conversation that she could and should have shown us, but never does.
There are also a lot of inconsistencies in the storyline, like she tells us Garrett and Becca, his deceased wife, reconnect and get back together at his brothers’ funeral, then they find out a month later that his ex-hookup, Penelope, is 12 weeks pregnant making Celeb’s birth about 6 months after his brother dies. A few chapters later she writes “my brother had already been dead for a few years before Caleb was born”. Another inconsistency is she has Garrett freaking out and stopping a makeout session with Brooklyn because she said “I want to make you feel good” because that’s what his crazy ex-hookup, Penelope, said to him and apparently it traumatized him. Not a few pages later, she has him saying those exact words to Brooklyn the night they had sex for the first time. Finally, during this story, Caleb is about a month shy of his 5th birthday, but she describes him having “a sweet, toothless grin”, then later describes his smile with a mouth full of baby teeth.
Overall this book just wasn’t for me. This is my first time reading Sierra Hill, and it’ll probably be a long while before I’m likely to pick up anything else written by her.
I am so loving this blind date with a book, I’m getting introduced to some amazing authors. I had seen Sierra Hill’s books advertised on facebook but hadn’t read her until now. Soon as I started this i was hooked, I couldn’t wait to see how this would play out and how long Garrett could deny his feelings for his hot nanny.
I honestly loved this story, Sierra brought us some great characters in Garrett and Brooklyn. I loved their chemistry and dynamic. I could understand why the change in relationship status was hard for Garrett. I really think his son Caleb stole my heart, he was so cute.
well done Sierra on delivering a book that was filled with heart, steam and emotion. I will most certainly be checking out the other books in the series.
3.5 s
The first chapter of this book hooked me. It is the story that absolutely tugged at my heart. I also have a weakness for sport romances and single parent romances. There was no way I could resist the story of Coach Garrett Parker and Brooklyn Hayes.
I love the premise for the novel and the characters. These characters each have strong personalities that make them distinct and relatable. I enjoyed their interactions and their connections.
Sierra Hill did a good job of relaying the complexity of the characters’ emotions to the reader. Their attraction to each other and their chemistry are undeniable. Their struggle with the professional versus personal relationship was quite easy to understand. I adored the way they worked together to do what was best for Caleb.
I also enjoyed the twist and turns this story navigated. They kept the story moving and added a nice layer of suspense. I was anxious to find out exactly how it would all conclude.
Game Changer is my first book experience with Sierra Hill. It is also the first book in the Change of Hearts Series. The characters I encountered have set the stage for some interesting future stories. I look forward to reading them.
This was one of the most beautiful, heart melting books I’ve ever read. It shows the struggles of raising a special needs kid, but, at the same time, how it is one of the most beautiful and true loves of all time. It shows a man that went through what must be one of the most difficult situations one can experience, and how he came out strong, and with a love so beautiful and pure for his son, I just want to re-read this book over and over to re-live these sweer emotions, specially the first time Caleb used his iPad to speak with Garrett. Damn my ovaries exploded with that one. And Brooklyn? What an amazing woman. She’s hard headed and so persistent, I love her strength and how she fight for woman’s equality. Her confidence is super attractive and she’s so sure of herself, she’s an inspiration.
It was an amazing book and one that I won’t forget so soon
So, this is a book about a single father, Garrett, former NBA player and now coach if a college team, with a child with special needs, Caleb. He hires Brooklyn as a nanny, and she’s a grad student of child psychology or something like that, and is specialized childs with special needs. It’s Garrett and Brooklyn’s romance, and deals heavily with his tragic and complicated past and related issues.
It’s slow. Not slow burn, just slow. Which isn’t necessarily bad, but somehow it felt long, despite it being 260ish pages.
Most of the book, Garrett was a pretty good father and touched my heart deeply. Then, he took some really stupid decisions and had the nerve to be surprised when it went wrong! Really, man? How could you be surprised? Luckily, he learns from his mistakes and experiences some character wrought… In the last two or three chapters.
Actually, the biggest problem of this book is definitely the heroine. She’s just super. Super smart. Super pretty. Super caring. Super sexy. Super sexual. Super feminist. She’s basically Superwoman. Absolutely flawless. Even her sarcasm isn’t really sarcastic and just endearing. Way too perfect. Way too surreal. Way too unrelatable.
The author tried too hard to write a feminist, badass heroine, and ended up writing another Mary Sue with an openly feminist speech. Except when she “suffers”. Then, she gets overly dramatic and stupid, and we read a really forced and unnatural “Girl Power! pep talk”.
As a feminist in the making, I am mad.
Brooklyn was really hard to like, because she was so much.
But I give it this, the depiction of disability and special care for children was really well made, realistic without being overly depressing. Caleb really was the sunshine of this book and I’m happy when he’s happy, even if I really don’t buy his “awesome relationship” with Brooklyn.
2.5/5
great read
This was my first Sierra Hill read and I really enjoyed it.
I loved the storyline, but really appreciated how realistic it was in portraying how life looks when you’re a parent of a special needs child.
The characters were very well written and so enjoyable to get to know throughout the story. I loved how the relationship unfolded between G and B because it felt natural and believable. The supporting characters were also well written so reading about the relationships overall was easy and entertaining.
I’m such a sucker for a single parent romance and this book doesn’t disappoint—especially because it’s got some angst in there for the Hero. I crave all the angst, but what was refreshing about this book is that it wasn’t a heavy angst. There certainly was potential for the book to be pretty heavy considering the circumstances in the storyline, but the author really found a way to express the struggles G faced in a very simple and surface value manner. Overall, it’s the perfect book for those that like some angst, but don’t want to be triggered or emotionally drained while experiencing the story.
I really was so captivated by the characters and their story that I had a hard time putting the book down and stepping away for even the smallest of moments because I needed to know what happened next. At the same time I really didn’t want their story to end.
I loved the blend of deep emotion and sizzling steam. Garrett and Brooklyn made a terrific couple. I loved them together and as individuals. Add in Garrett’s son, Caleb and you have a trio that will steal into your heart in the blink of an eye. You can expect plenty of feels as the story line unfolds. I loved that this nanny/single dad romance had such a realistic feeling to it. Everything was not perfect, the characters had flaws and everything wasn’t easy. A very moving and really good read.
I really need to learn not to be so damn stubborn. I picked up this book because I want to read the next book in the series. But within the first few pages I pretty much knew it wasn’t for me. However I like Sierra Hill’s Courting Love series and I want to read the next book in this series and I really hate not finishing a book once I start it. So really the issue is I’m a stubborn idiot who wasted her day.
This was one of those times I just didn’t connect with either character. And I never really felt any romance between them either. I just felt like he was a cold, selfish jerk and she was convenient and attracted to him. Whenever things didn’t work out he shut down, used her then ran away. And when he made stupid selfish decisions and they didn’t work he came crawling back.
Brooklyn I just didn’t really care about at all. She was all “I’m a strong independent woman” but she just kept putting up with his crap. His apologies were seriously lacking and he was genuinely shocked every time she reacted rationally to his cold shoulder.
Rant ahead with spoilers
I thought he was still in love with the dead ex wife until he explains that they were not working out and that she died upset because he wasn’t really in love with her. She was just convenient and did what he wanted.
SOUND FAMILIAR BROOKE?
He has a bad day when a different ex pops up. He comes home, has sex with Brooklyn then asks her to sleep in her own room. He then is late to take his child to school, when Brooklyn goes to see if he’s ready she overheard him on the phone talking about moving and having to give her up. She is naturally upset, takes his son to school and gets on with her day. He then gets home from work late after sending a text message of thanks all day. Then he is dumbfounded she is going to move home to let him deal. He then takes off for a week to set up a new life in a new state and when he returns he is stunned she doesn’t want to drop her entire life and follow him.
Seriously? Where was the actual romance? Maybe when he was spouting off about his dead wife being the best woman and mother EVER who couldn’t be replaced?
But surprisingly it was hard for him when he moved without her, on a whim, so he moves back and all’s right in the world and they’re back together and skipping off into the sunset.
Oh and the drama with the ex just magically went away. But it’s all good now because he is letting the dead ex wife go to make room in his heart for Brooke.
I just can’t with these idiots. Sorry.