The Game Changer

The Cedar Creek Thunder #1

by Julia Jarrett

I hired a single mom to help make my small town fall in love with a baseball team. And now I’m the one falling in love…with her.

Buying a small town baseball team might seem an odd choice for a millionaire tech developer, but I welcome the challenge.

Moving back to my hometown and reviving the once-beloved Cedar Creek Thunder is an impulsive attempt to find a deeper purpose, and a life that is measured in happiness rather than dollars.

A chance encounter with the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen has my temperature rising from more than the tea she’s spilled on me. When she walks into my office for an interview later that morning, it quickly becomes clear there’s no one better suited for the job .

Isla Forrester should be off limits, but with a smile that pierces my soul, the single mom is fire wrapped up in sweet temptation.

I’ve always had thick walls around my heart, but Isla and her son are breaking them down.

Now my sole purpose is getting her to believe that loving her is no challenge at all.

Genres: Sports Romance, Romance, Baseball, Audiobook, Sports, Workplace Romance, Contemporary Romance

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2026

Reviews

[AmdynReads]

I don’t typically read sports romances but this book may have single-handedly changed that. Pun was not intended but it actually works!
Let me explain- imagine you’re a single mom and you land the job of your dreams only to find out that your millionaire boss is the hot guy you spilled your tea on earlier that day. I know.. this sounds like every other boss romance in existence.
BUT HOLD ON!
Your 12 year old son has A.B.S, a disease that caused a birth defect, a missing hand. 🖐🏽 Little do you know that your new boss- the one you’ve been fighting feelings for- also has A.B.S. and knows personally the struggles your son is going through. 🦿

This story really took me by surprise. I did not expect to swoon over Luca and start caring for Isla and her son Charlie. I felt myself rooting for them throughout. I also did not expect to learn so much about A.B.S. and the struggles that go with this disease (physical & emotional).

What to expect:
⚾️ forbidden romance (boss/employee)
⚾️ disability rep
⚾️ found family
⚾️ millionaire boss / single mom
⚾️ MMC- baseball team owner and tech developer
⚾️ FMC- head of marketing to improve the image of a baseball team
🌶️ 3.5/5 very spicy

I can see that some of the other characters in this story will probably get their own books later on in this series and I’m excited to read about them too!

Thank you to Julia Jarrett & Hambright PR for a gifted copy of this audiobook. As always I am voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts.

[Sim-fully Ever After]

4🌟, 3🌶️

Book Review 📖

Stepping into this small-town baseball romance is an absolute delight.

When a hardworking single mom crosses paths with the charming new team owner, their workplace proximity sparks an irresistible slow burn chemistry. Every lingering look and sweet moment between Luca and Isla builds an anticipation that keeps you completely invested.

Beyond the fun sports backdrop, the story features a truly heartwarming emotional core. The thoughtful disability representation woven through Luca and young Charlie adds wonderful depth and realism. Watching this little family form bonds based on genuine care turns every page into a celebration of love.

It is a thoroughly uplifting read balancing lighthearted fun with deeply moving connections. The sweet found family atmosphere and seeing Luca step up make the final payoff immensely satisfying.

Anyone looking for an engaging romance with a whole lot of chemistry will fall completely in love.

~~~~

ALC Review (Audiobook) 🎧

Experiencing this story through the exceptional narration of Connor Crais and Heather Firth completely elevates the entire journey into something truly unforgettable. Their duet performance breathes incredible life into Luca and Isla, capturing every ounce of longing, vulnerability, and sharp wit with absolute precision. Listening to them felt less like hearing an audiobook and more like secretly watching real people fall in love, making every emotional high and tender moment hit with twice the impact.

~~~~

I was lucky enough to receive both a digital copy and an ALC, and being able to immersive read and listen to this story made the whole experience even more special.

~~~~

Huge thank you to Julia Jarrett and Hambright PR for the Copy and ALC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨

[Elizabeth Neal]

Thoughts:

1. I'm a few chapters in and while I'm enjoying it, I'm also a little irritated. The heroine, that I'm estimating to be twenty-nine based upon context clues, has had sex twice. TWICE. Both with a teenage boy, as in, the one that knocked her up when they were in high school. This grown woman is so worried about it happening again that she's been celibate for over TWELVE years. Make this make sense. Oh wait, you can't. I can understand a teenage girl being scared and paranoid about that, but a woman almost in her thirties?!? No. Just no. Also, she's had sex twice and only gotten pregnant once, so her fear is not mathing. Meanwhile, her almost forty-two-year-old Hero has recently (a few months, I believe) broken up with his last girlfriend, that he lived with, and has over a decade on the heroine, so you know their respective parts are irritatingly skewed. Had this been reversed and he was the single parent, you know he would've miraculously found the time (and courage *scoff*) to have more sex. I freaking hate when the single mom always goes without while a single dad rarely does.
2. He knows her son is missing a limb, and has since birth. Which is what happened to him. However, even knowing that, he, essentially, accuses her of being shallow and superficial by saying to Dom, his best friend and her co-worker, “Besides, even if I wasn’t her boss, there’s no saying she’d be interested in a guy missing his fucking leg.” What the hell? At least Dom, who doesn't like how attracted Luca is to her because of their respective positions, doesn't believe that about her. -- "Even I can admit she’s a good person. And while I definitely don’t think you should be thinking about dating her, she doesn’t strike me as the kinda woman who would care about shit like that.”
3. Sixteen chapters in and he's STILL worried she'll treat and/or look at him differently because of his prosthesis? Seriously? Not only does he know about her son, her having told him TWICE, but he's also met her son, seen the missing limb, and then hung around with him a second time playing baseball. For someone who claims to like/care for Isla as much as he does, his lack of belief in her character is disappointing.
4. "And it’s not that I thought for one second that you would be that way. Especially not after meeting Charlie." "I meant it when I said I trust Isla not to think of me any differently because of my leg." LIES. See above.
5. Overall, I enjoyed it. That being said, had it not been for the issues above, I would've loved it and added it, without hesitation, to my go-to-reread collection.

[Makayla]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ THE GAME CHANGER — Julia Jarrett (Audiobook) 🎧⚾️

Thank you Julia Jarrett for the ALC ❤️

I hit play and suddenly my entire personality became small-town baseball romance.

This audiobook?? ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE

Single mom + billionaire baseball boss + forced proximity + slow burn tension that should be illegal = me pacing my house like I was personally involved in the outcome. The chemistry builds so naturally that by the time it hits, I was screaming into the laundry I was folding like the team just won the championship.

The narration was TOP-TIER. Like, “I forgot I was listening to an audiobook and thought I was spying on fictional people’s lives” level good. Every emotion landed, the longing, the humor, the quiet moments, the spice 👀 All of it enhanced by voices that understood the assignment.

The romance is swoony without being cheesy, spicy without overpowering the story, and emotionally satisfying in a way that makes you sit there afterward like: wow… okay… I need a moment. The found family vibes, the small-town charm, the baseball backdrop? Perfection.

This book didn’t just change the game it rewired my brain chemistry.

🎧 If you’re an audiobook lover: RUN.
⚾️ If you love sports romance: RUN FASTER.
💖 If you want heart, heat: congratulations, this is your next 5-star read.

[Issy]

you know when a book feels like it talks to your soul? this book was that for me.

reading this felt like meeting and getting to know these people in real life, they felt so real, tangible, and relatable—and that for me is a hallmark of a great story.

this felt like a breath of fresh air when it comes to reading a sports romance, it’s not your typical sports romance trope, BUT you will get everything you love about a sports romance and more—but what got me was the emotional depth the story holds.

i was emotionally all over the place while reading this book. one moment i was kicking my feet giddy and the next i was crying. i love the way ABS (amniotic band syndrome) was tackled and represented in this book—with so much love and care.

if there is one thing that i’m taking away from this book is that representation matters. i love the way Julia represented not only ABS, but also on how a woman can be successful in any point in her life. she represented different kinda of family dynamics but all are rooted in love.

thank you so much for the opportunity to read this as an arc. can’t wait for the rest of the world to read Luca and Isla’s story💙

[Katie]

Thank you to Hambright PR & Julia Jarrett for a gifted copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie, the primary reason I prioritized listening to this is because Connor Crais is the male narrator. That, and I was in the mood for a sports romance. 😂 I wanted something light and fun, and while this book is definitely both of those things, I was not expecting to love it as much as I did!

This may be the first book I've read by Julia Jarrett, but it definitely will not be the last. She crafted a touching and romantic love story between two people who've been doing life on their own (for the most part), but become whole together.

Isla is a single mom to 12-year-old Charlie. They move to the small town of Cedar Creek, where Isla takes a job as the marketing director for the town's baseball team. She accidentally runs into Luca, and from the moment they meet, there is an instant connection and attraction. But surprise! It turns out Luca is the owner of the baseball team and Isla's new boss, making him about as off-limits as it gets. But despite their best efforts, neither Luca nor Isla can fight their feelings for long, and soon enough, their professional relationship turns into something more.

Yes, this book is sweet and hot and swoony, but one of my favorite elements is the friendship and bond that Luca and Charlie have over their shared disability—amniotic band syndrome. I thought Julia did a beautiful job incorporating this disability rep into the story, and it really tugged on my heartstrings that Charlie not only has a new male role model in his life, but also one who could relate to him and understand what his life is like. Luca shows Charlie that he's capable of anything, despite his disability, while Luca finds his home with the woman of his dreams and the kid he adores.

Audiobook🎧
The book is done in duet narration—hooray! Connor does all of the male POV chapters and male character dialogue throughout the book. Obviously, he is perfect as always. No notes. 😂 No matter what character he's narrating, I'm guaranteed to fall in love with them.

Heather Firth is the female narrator, and I thought she was great too. It was my first time listening to her, and I would happily listen to her again.

So, if you can't tell by now, this book warmed my soul and made my heart happy. If you're in the mood for a low-stakes, feel-good romance that just feels good, pick this one up!

4.5 stars! ⭐️

[Michellelovesreading]

This is the first book in the cedar creek thunder series and I loved it so much.

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Isabella Grace]

“𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙫𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢, 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙜, 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚.”

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: 4/5
SPICE: 🌶️ 1/5

Okay, apparently we’re taking another brief field trip away from the morally questionable men.

Don’t worry.

I’m sure I’ll return to my regularly scheduled red flags shortly. 🚩😂

But until then…

BASEBALL. ⚾️

You guys know I will give basically any sports romance a chance. Put a man in a uniform, give me a little forced proximity and suddenly I’m willing to learn rules to sports I previously did not give a single f*ck about.

I’M FLEXIBLE. 💅🏻😂

Julia Jarrett is a new-to-me author and this one was…

Fine.

Cute.

Sweet.

Easy to read.

But ultimately?

It was just okay for me.

And sometimes that’s the hardest kind of review to write because there wasn’t one catastrophic thing that made me hate it.

I didn’t hate it AT ALL.

I just kept waiting for something to make me really FEEL something…

And it never quite got there.

😭

The premise immediately grabbed me.

Beckett is a millionaire former tech developer who decides he’s tired of measuring his life by money and wants something with actual PURPOSE.

So naturally he does what all of us do during an existential crisis…

BUYS A BASEBALL TEAM.

😂

Specifically, the Cedar Creek Thunder in his hometown.

He’s determined to revive the team and make the town fall in love with baseball again.

Which means he needs someone who knows the community and can help market the team.

Enter Isla.

Single mom.

Had her son Charlie at seventeen.

Has basically built her entire adult life around making sure her son is safe, happy and cared for.

And before she even knows Beckett is potentially going to be her boss, these two have an adorable little meet-cute involving spilled tea.

Cute.

I was IN.

Then Isla walks into her job interview later that morning and…

👁️👄👁️

OH.

That’s the hot man she spilled tea on.

And THAT’S her potential new boss.

😂

You know I love an awkward little oh sh!t moment.

And Beckett is immediately into her.

Like…

IMMEDIATELY.

This man sees Isla and basically goes:

Yep.

That one.

😭😂

And honestly, Beckett is about as far away from my usual fictional men as humanly possible.

No stalking.

No murder.

No criminal empire.

Nobody is tied to a chair.

WHO AM I?!

😂

He’s a golden retriever.

Sweet.

Supportive.

Patient.

Completely into Isla.

And very quickly falling for Charlie too.

This man isn’t a red flag.

He’s barely even a beige one.

😂💙

And I DID really enjoy the single-mom aspect.

Isla’s relationship with Charlie was probably one of my favorite parts of the book.

She became a mom incredibly young and has spent basically her entire adult life putting him first.

You can FEEL how much she loves that boy.

And I loved her relationship with her own mom too, especially knowing how much support she’s had raising Charlie.

It gave their little family a warmth I really enjoyed.

But what I appreciated most was the disability representation.

Both Beckett and Charlie have limb differences, and there are some genuinely sweet moments surrounding Charlie’s experience.

Watching the community and baseball players make sure he can participate without making him feel like he’s somehow LESS capable?

🥹

THAT got me.

Because inclusion doesn’t have to mean treating someone like they’re fragile.

Sometimes it means:

Okay, this is what you need. Let’s figure out how to make it work.

👏🏻

I really appreciated those moments.

And I could see the potential for Beckett and Charlie to have this incredibly meaningful connection because Beckett understands something about Charlie’s experience in a way many adults around him simply can’t.

Which brings me to one of my frustrations…

WHY ARE WE HIDING THIS?!

😭

I understand Beckett having insecurities.

I understand that having a disability doesn’t mean you owe anyone access to that part of yourself before you’re comfortable.

Absolutely.

But once Beckett and Isla started developing an actual relationship?

And he KNOWS her child is navigating such a similar experience?

I kept waiting for that conversation.

And waiting.

And WAITING.

At some point I was like:

SIR. PLEASE COMMUNICATE.

😂

Because there was an opportunity for a really beautiful connection there, and instead it felt unnecessarily prolonged.

And unfortunately…

That was kind of my biggest issue with the entire book.

REPETITION.

Isla has completely understandable reasons to be cautious about relationships.

She became a mom at seventeen.

She’s protective of Charlie.

She’s built her life around stability.

She doesn’t want to risk her job.

AND Beckett is her boss.

I get it.

All valid concerns.

The first time.

And the second time.

Maybe even the third.

By the seventy-fourth time we circled back around to:

BUT HE’S MY BOSS.

I was like:

BABE.

WE HEARD YOU.

😭😂

Especially because the solution felt so painfully obvious.

Change the reporting structure.

That’s it.

That’s the tweet.

😂

If the workplace dynamic is THE major thing preventing these two people from being together, I need the obstacle to feel genuinely difficult to overcome.

Not something that could potentially be solved with one meeting and an updated org chart.

YOU PEOPLE RUN A BUSINESS.

FIGURE IT OUT.

😭

And because we kept circling the same conflict without enough forward movement, the romance started feeling more frustrating than angsty.

There’s a difference.

I LOVE angst.

You guys know I’ll happily let a book emotionally waterboard me for 500 pages.

😂

But I need to believe there’s an actual reason these people can’t be together.

Here, I kept looking at the obstacle like:

Move it.

🤷🏻‍♀️

I also wanted a little more from Isla’s personal growth.

This woman has spent YEARS protecting herself.

She’s essentially avoided intimacy since becoming a teenage mother.

There’s a lot to unpack there.

And I wanted the story to dig deeper into WHY.

What is she afraid will happen?

What does motherhood mean for her identity as a woman outside being Charlie’s mom?

What does she actually want for HERSELF?

There were pieces of it.

I just wanted MORE.

Because the bones of a really emotional story were sitting right there.

And that’s basically how I felt about the entire romance.

I WANTED MORE.

More tension.

More depth.

More development.

More moments that made me really BELIEVE these two were falling deeply in love.

Beckett is wonderful to Isla.

Isla is attracted to Beckett.

Charlie is adorable.

They’re cute together.

Everything is…

Nice.

And maybe that’s exactly what some readers need.

But apparently I have ruined my nervous system with fictional psychopaths because I kept waiting for my heart rate to increase.

😭😂

Give me SOMETHING.

Now, if you’re looking for an easy, low-angst sports romance?

This could absolutely work for you.

Because there’s a lot here to like.

Baseball.

Small-town vibes.

Single mom.

Age gap.

Workplace romance.

Golden retriever MMC.

Forced proximity.

Disability representation.

Cute family moments.

A man who is genuinely trying to build a life around happiness instead of money.

It’s SWEET.

And not every romance needs to emotionally destroy us.

I have been informed this is apparently something healthy people understand.

💀😂

But for ME?

Not bad.

Not something I regret reading.

And I would absolutely try Julia Jarrett again because there were things about her writing and characters that I enjoyed.

This particular story just didn’t completely click for me.

Sometimes a three-star book isn’t:

I hated this.

It’s simply:

I read it. I enjoyed parts of it. I’m glad other people love it.

And I’m probably not going to think about it again next week.

🤷🏻‍♀️

If you love baseball romance, team-owner MMCs, single moms, workplace romance, age gaps, golden retriever heroes, disability representation, low angst and sweet family dynamics, this may hit WAY harder for you than it did for me. ⚾️💙

As for me?

I think I’ve behaved long enough.

Someone please return me to the morally gray section.

THERE’S PROBABLY A MASKED MAN WONDERING WHERE I WENT. 😈🚩🖤

[Kendra’s Library]

This book was the only thing that got me through two days of being sick in bed.

Luca and Isla had such a refreshing relationship. I absolutely adored how much Luca doted on Charlie, and how well they bonded. Luca and Isla are relationship goals, and they had quite a few moments that had me kicking my feet or bursting out laughing.

This story was motivating and informative in the best way. I think Julia did a great job speaking about the topics she chose. It’s always great to see disability inclusivity in romance books.

Great small town romance with a boss & single mom!

Thank you to Julia for the ARC💜

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

[HolleeJane]

⭐⭐⭐✨ 3.5/5 Stars

The Game Changer by Julia Jarrett
Cedar Creek Thunder #1
🎧 Narrated by Connor Crais & Heather Firth
ALC Review

This was my first book by Julia Jarrett, and as a sports romance lover, I was really excited to dive into this one. The story follows Beckett, a millionaire tech developer who returns to his hometown after purchasing the struggling Cedar Creek Thunder baseball team. Hoping to help the town fall back in love with baseball, he hires Isla, a single mom, to help market the team. Throw in a workplace romance, forced proximity, an adorable spilled-tea meet-cute, and plenty of chemistry, and this had all the ingredients for a romance I thought I’d absolutely love.

One thing I have to give this book a lot of credit for is the disability representation. Beckett was born without one of his legs and has dedicated his career to developing prosthetic technology, and I thought that aspect of the story was handled really well. I also loved Charlie, Isla’s son. His representation felt thoughtful and authentic, and I actually learned a few things while reading. That was easily one of my favorite parts of the book.

Connor Crais and Heather Firth also did a wonderful job with the audiobook. They both gave strong performances and really brought these characters to life.

Unfortunately, this one just fell a little short for me when it came to the character development. I really struggle to fully enjoy a romance if I can’t connect with the main characters, and I never quite got there with either of them.

Beckett is an incredibly successful man who has built a company that’s changing lives through prosthetic technology, but so much of his internal struggle revolves around believing no one could truly love him because of his disability. While I completely understand those insecurities don’t just disappear, I felt like the story never really addressed them in a meaningful way. He meets Isla, the attraction is instant, and from there it almost feels like those fears are quietly swept under the rug rather than worked through. I wanted to see conversations, vulnerability, and emotional growth that showed how he overcame those feelings instead of simply moving past them.

I felt similarly about Isla. As a single mom myself, I completely understand being protective of your heart and your child after a difficult relationship. Her hesitation made sense, especially considering she hadn’t been with anyone since the father of her son twelve years earlier. But she spent so much of the story going back and forth wanting Beckett one minute and pushing him away the next that it became frustrating. Again, I understood why she felt that way, but I never felt like the book gave either character the emotional conversations or development needed to truly resolve those fears.

I think that’s what ultimately held this book back for me. There were moments that felt like plot holes because the characters’ biggest emotional obstacles were introduced as major conflicts, but they never felt fully addressed or resolved. Instead, it seemed like those insecurities simply faded away without the conversations or growth that would have made their happily-ever-after feel completely earned.

Overall, this is still a sweet sports romance packed with tropes I love single mom, millionaire, workplace romance, forced proximity, and an adorable meet-cute. The disability representation was one of the strongest parts of the story, and the audiobook narration was excellent. I just wish the emotional character development had been explored a little deeper because I think this could have easily been a four- or even five-star read for me.

[Deanna]

4.5*

Thank you Hambright PR and Julia Jarrett for sending me a copy of The Game Changer, because I really enjoyed this!

The relationship dynamic here worked well for me because both Isla and Luca were mature and respectful of each other. There was no ridiculous conflict, and the only conflict present was Isla being concerned of her reputation which is totally valid. Their meet-cute was cliché but honestly, it was perfect.

I also really enjoyed how involved Luca was in Charlie’s life and how he desperately wanted to do well by Isla and Charlie. The disability rep was well done with the 2 of them. Very excited to read further stories in this series.

[Franny]

I think this was my first baseball romance and I really enjoyed it! Isla is a single mom who lands a temp position with a small town baseball team. Luca falls first and I can relate to Isla’s insecurities. I liked the disability rep (missing limbs) and how both Isla’s son and Luca build each other’s confidence.

The audiobook is a duet narration by Heather Firth and Connor Crais and they were fun to listen to.

Thank you HambrightPR and Julia Jarrett for the ALC and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tropes:
⚾️ Single Mom
⚾️ Millionaire
⚾️ Workplace Romance
⚾️ Disabled Hero
⚾️ Age Gap
⚾️ Baseball in a Small Town

[Holly]

Isla, a single mum, lands her dream job as a marketing director for the Cedar Creek baseball team. Hoping for a fresh start, she relocates to give both herself and 12-year-old Charlie a better life. Luca, recently back in town as the new owner of the Cedar Creek Thunder, is desperate to revive it and bring back the sense of community it once felt. As the chemistry heats up, can they remain professional, or will they cross the line?

I really enjoyed this book. It was spicy, easy to read and handled the sensitive topic of disability beautifully. The characters were well written, and the ending was perfect. If you like sports romance books, this one is for you.

[De Rijdende Boekenwurm]

Thanks to Julia Jarrett for providing the eARC. This is my honest opinion.

Love, Drama & High Stakes

Sometimes tension does not come from epic battles or shocking crimes but from small, pressing moments where everything is at stake. ‘The Game Changer’ is a perfect example of a story where the pressure of competition, personal expectations, and desire come together seamlessly.

Julia Jarrett builds suspense primarily through the dynamic between her characters. Every look and every word seems loaded with meaning and unspoken longing. It keeps the reader on edge, wondering what will happen next and which decision will set off a domino effect.

There is also the tension of the goal at stake. The team, the game, the chances of winning everything hangs by a thread. Jarrett shows how obstacles and unexpected twists make the game thrilling while also putting the inner lives of the characters under pressure.

Then there is the emotional investment. Winning on the field or in love feels urgent and all-defining. This combination of physical challenges and emotional uncertainty keeps the reader hooked as Jarrett unfolds her story with fluidity and attention to detail.

This is a book that shows tension often arises between the lines, in choices, and in the characters’ feelings. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys stories where you play along both on the field and in the heart.

Small-town sports team | Second-chance romance | Workplace tension | Slow-burn chemistry | High-stakes competition | Personal growth | Emotional dilemmas | Unspoken desire | Triumphs and setbacks | Heart-fluttering moments

[Sarahscurrentread]

This is a review for the audio

Connor Crais and Heather Firth do an amazing duet bringing Isla and Luca to life. You can feel the immediate attraction between the characters and the depth of feeling throughout the book.

I loved the character of Luca. While he messes up, he immediately realizes and apologizes and puts things right. He genuinely cares for Isla and Charlie and will do anything to make them happy.

Isla is a strong independent woman, and I love that. She never backs down on what’s important to her, and does so in a kind way.

Luca and Charlie’s relationship is fantastic. The growth of Charlie’s confidence was great to see.

This was a great book and a great audio!

[Morgan]

Hit it out of the park

Such a perfect combo for a small town romance.... spice, disability rep, a swoony mmc and a strong single fmc with a kiddo (and mention of the town from a previous series 🥰).

[Anais Rosa]

The Game Changer by Julia Jarrett is book one in the Cedar Creek Thunder series, and I experienced it through immersive reading. I absolutely loved it!

What can you expect?
⚾️ Baseball romance
🏡 Small-town romance
👩‍👦 Single mom
💰 Millionaire hero
💼 Workplace romance
🦿 Disabled hero
✨ Age-gap romance

4.5⭐ |2 🌶️

🎧 Audiobook: Narrated in duet by Connor Crais (yes... one of my favorite narrators right now! 🫶🏽) and Heather Firth. They both did an incredible job bringing these characters to life, and I highly recommend experiencing this one through immersive reading.

Luca is a millionaire who purchases his hometown baseball team and begins restructuring the organization. One of his first priorities is hiring a marketing director, which is where Isla enters the picture. Isla is a single mom raising her 12-year-old son, Charlie, who was born with amniotic band syndrome. She became a mother at a young age, and for the last decade, her entire world has revolved around her son. Dating hasn't even been on her radar.

Luca ended his engagement and returned home looking for a fresh start. Buying the baseball team gives him a new purpose. Their chemistry is instant, but what makes it even sweeter is that they'd already crossed paths at a local coffee shop before unexpectedly seeing each other again during Isla's interview.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the representation of disability. Luca also has amniotic band syndrome; Charlie was born missing an arm, while Luca is missing a leg.

Luca has spent years hiding his disability from the public, preferring not to let it define him. That changes after meeting Charlie. Watching Charlie confidently embrace who he is inspires Luca to rethink how he sees himself. Their bond was so beautifully written.

As an amputee myself, this part of the story really resonated with me. When you have a visible disability, people often stop seeing you first and instead only see your disability. Your accomplishments can easily become overshadowed. The author captured those emotions with so much care and authenticity.

And that opening game scene... 🥹 When Luca chooses to wear shorts for the first time so Charlie won't feel alone? It completely melted my heart.

The romance was equally wonderful. Isla refuses to pursue a relationship. She doesn't want anyone thinking she only got her job because she's dating the owner. After becoming a young mom, she's worked incredibly hard to build a career on her own merit, and she's determined not to let anyone question that.

Luca is patient, supportive, and completely devoted to both Isla and Charlie. He also carries emotional scars from past relationships, where women made him feel like less of a man because of his amputation. Watching Isla create a safe space where he felt accepted exactly as he was? Absolutely swoon-worthy.

And yes... the spice was fantastic.

Isla was such a strong heroine; confident, talented, hardworking, and an incredible mom, daughter, and friend. She and Luca truly balanced each other, and I loved watching their relationship grow.
I also loved how Charlie inspired Luca to continue developing prosthetic technology for upper-limb amputees after previously focusing on lower-limb prosthetics. It added another meaningful layer to his character and showed how deeply he cared about making a difference.

Watching Luca become part of Isla and Charlie's little family was one of the sweetest parts of the book. Even Charlie's cat, who loved absolutely no one besides Charlie, warmed up to Luca.

This was my first Julia Jarrett book, but it definitely won't be my last. As an amputee, I truly appreciated the disability representation. It was thoughtful, respectful, realistic, and never felt like it existed simply to move the plot forward. It was woven naturally into the story, making it all the more impactful.

Thank you, Hambright PR, for the e-book/audio. This review reflects my honest thoughts.

[Anca A]

#Review: *The Game Changer* - Julia Jarrett - ARC/ALC [18+]
4.3/5✨
2.5/5🌶️

Luca Calloway was trying to revitalize the baseball team he bought, even if he had nothing to do with the sports industry, being a tech developer. In order to get things done, Luca hired Isla Forrester, who mesmerized him even from their first encounter. And that wasn't at her interview for this job, but in a random situation when she spilled tea all over him. The connection was instant, but there were some things which Isla couldn't cross over and the fact that he was her boss, played a huge role in backing down from anything that might have been between her and handsome Luca On top of that, she had to think about her kid, because she really needed that job and she couldn't do anything to jeopardize it, being a single mom. But Luca had finally found someone who slipped behind his walls and he wouldn't give up that easily on changing Isla's mind, in becoming more than boss - employee. Will he succeed in doing so?

I have enjoyed that slow burn of this story, even if at some point it felt like it was dragging a bit, taking a little too much for Isla to recognize that it was impossible to stay away from Luca by repeating the same reasons over and over again. She had a fixation on Luca being her boss and she really didn't want to mix things up, knowing that that it could affect her career and the job she had just started working at. Luca had a pretty tough job in changing her mind about this, but I liked his determination and how charming and patient he was with Isla, in his pursue in winning her heart. Even if he had his own problems and insecurities to take into consideration, Luca knew that he could easily get over these facts, feeling that Isla was worth fighting for. And he definitely did that, with all he got! And that included charming Isla's son, who wasn't that easily friendly with other people. It was something really sweet.

It was such a nice book to listen because of the amazing narrators, Connor Crais and Heather Firth, who managed to create such a beautiful and genuine connection between these characters. They made it so easy for me to get immersed into this story and to feel all those nagging insecurities these characters had, feeling all that emotion behind their struggles.

Thank you soo much Hambright Pr for these amazing opportunities and for accepting me to receive the e-copy and ALC of this book. The immersive read was really great!🥰

✨Tropes
▫️Single Mom
▫️Workplace Romance
▫️Boss x Employee
▫️Age Gap (29/42)
▫️Slow Burn
▫️Disability Rep
▫️Sports Romance
▫️Baseball

[Mary]

Book Title: The Game Changer (The Cedar Creek Thunder Book 1)
Author: Julia Jarrett
Publisher: Julia Jarrett
Pub Date: February 10, 2026
Dates Read/Listened: August 5, 2026 – August 8, 2026

🗣️ 𝚀𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚔(𝚒𝚜𝚑) 𝚃𝚊𝚔𝚎: What a beautiful start to a series! I have a feeling I know where book two is going to take us, and I can’t wait to get there. But about The Game Changer… This was such an emotional and heartwarming read, and I loved every moment I spent listening to it. I actually have a young niece named Isla, so the steamy bits felt a little awk at first 🤣, but I got used to it eventually, and I loved her chemistry with Luca. They are both such determined individuals, and I love nothing more than strong MCs. Also, the addition of both Luca and Isla’s son having a missing limb was such amazing representation that made my heart feel like it was growing in size since they got to connect on such a level. If you are a fan of steamy romance, or even just sports romance, I highly recommend this one!

🎧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬: I loved my time spent with the audiobook, and I thought Heather Firth and Connor Crais did such a wonderful job voicing Isla and Luca. This is also a duet narration, which is my favorite, and it definitely added to my enjoyment of the book. Crais especially got really into it, and he made the steamy scenes that much more 🔥 that we might need a 🧯 for it. You can’t go wrong whether you choose to listen with your eyes OR your ears.

T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 🏟️🦾🫂🦿😼

𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
𝙼𝚢 𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I received an advanced listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jessica Alcazar]

🎧📚ARC & ALC REVIEW📚🎧

I had the opportunity to both read an ARC and listen to an ALC of The Game Changer and because it is a first in a series, I read it first, then gave myself a pause and then listened. The beginning of a series sometimes throws a lot of information at you as far as side characters and this way I was able to highlight what I might need to know for the future, etc etc etc. Okay, well, enough about my reading OCD. LOL

Let’s talk about this story! I was “in it” from the beginning. I love the way that Julia set-up everything, from the meet-cute to everything that comes after. I had a sense of joviality from the moment I started reading. I was excited to see how the story would unfold and all the circumstances would evolve. The way Julia mirrored “real-life” in this story was top-notch. Honestly, there was never a point in this story where I felt like it was fictional. These were real people with real circumstances taking life by the ba11s and soaring! She did not miss a single detail, and she also didn’t throw in dramatics. Listen, this story had enough none-typical circumstances to navigate and adding “thrown-in” conflict would have come across as forced and just dumb and I love that Julia knew that. She told a story of three people coming together “to get through this thing called life” and it was poignant and sweet, sexy and thrilling, captivating and swoony! The small-town, family and friends vibe was strong and I’m just ridiculously happy about this story!

The duet performance by Connor Crais & Heather Firth “raised the roof” on this story! I couldn’t believe how lost I became inside this story while I listened to it. It’s not a long or short listen; it’s about average but I was lost in it! GAH, I love it when that happens! Huge 👏👏round of applause👏👏 to both narrators and of course Julia for writing this beautiful story!

[Gillian]

Let me preface this by saying I’m writing this review RIGHT after finishing the book because I’m vibrating with excitement and a bit manic.

This book was beyond what I could have imagined. Let me lay it out for you for past me reading it in live time: Started off strong! An adorable meet cute mishap. The intro to the sexy MMC. Then introduced to Islas son who has a limb difference. Wait and then the MMC has a limb difference too! Omg love the representation!!!

This book brings together many important topics: limb difference not only with the main character but also a side character, teen pregnancy, single parenthood, and people pleasing perfectionism.

All of these characters are not perfect, they make mistakes just like us. I love the way that Islas characters internal monologue is so accurate to feelings many people have felt about being enough for others, showing your more than your past, and having grit and determination to succeed on your own terms. Then Luca comes into the scene has this perfect seeming man who has done amazing things. But as the book progresses the layers start falling and those true characteristics that are so easily understood. He is a provider (he want everyone to have what they need, even the little things) my acts of service love language was absolutely giddy for this man, he is has his own internal battle when it comes to his own limb difference, and struggles with accepting praise and acknowledgment for all the things he does.

This book was relatable, had those leg kicking giddiness moments, meaningful/deep conversations, and a sexy ass MMC who knew what he was saying and doing. I CANNOT wait for the next one!!!!

[Kym]

What a delightful new baseball series from Julia Jarrett! With wonderful characters (especially Luca, Isla and her son, Charlie), set in the fictional small town of Westport on Vancouver Island, it’s is both heartwarming and poignant!

Luca Calloway is a millionaire tech developer who has bought his hometown’s baseball team and its dilapidated stadium in the hopes of rekindling the community’s interest and support of their team. He’s not just a “tech nerd” throwing money around though…he truly is invested in making this happen.

To that end, he hires Isla Forrester as his temporary marketing consultant (who, unbeknownst to him, he first meets in a cute mishap at a coffee shop) to generate excitement about the team and its soon-to-be completed refurbished stadium. Isla and her son, Charlie, have recently moved to Westport to be closer to her mother who lives in nearby Dogwood Cove (which is the setting of a wonderful series as well!) and friend, Juniper. Isla is pleased and relieved to be hired by the charming man she (literally) bumped into while getting her morning tea!

Sparks fly between Isla and Luca from the beginning but Isla wants to keep a professional distance…her job is only temporary and she wants to stay in Westport once her contract is up and finding another marketing job in a smaller community will be challenging enough.

Luca is beyond charming. Whether it’s his sincerity in supporting his team - providing new gear, uniforms, refurbishing their stadium - or involving the community to bring back the excitement of having a great hometown team, he’s 100% committed.

His interactions with Isla’s twelve year old son, Charlie, really shows the depth of his caring spirit. Yes, of course there’s romance between Luca and Isla, but the commonality that he and Charlie share is very touching (and I really commend Ms. Jarrett for shedding light on this…being vague to avoid spoilers!). His support and acceptance goes a long way with Charlie.

The supporting characters from Juniper, Isla’s mom, Luca’s best friend, Dom, to the baseball players we meet, all add to the story and draws the reader in!

This is a wonderful, enjoyable book and I’m really looking forward to the subsequent stories in this series!

[Pam]

Sometimes there is just something about a book that really doesn't work for you. I started this book enjoying myself. The meet-cute was lots of fun, and I was totally on board with the setup for the plot, but I ended up being deeply irritated by the repetition in the plot beats to the point where I was yelling at my audiobook.

At the core of this story, we have a single mom who had her son when she was only 17 and ends up falling for her boss at her contract job. Now, I really enjoyed the single mom aspect of the story. I thought Isla's relationship with her son was lovely on the page, and I liked the dynamic she had with her mom, who has helped her raise him.

What did not work for me was the constant repetition of Isla's reasons for not being with her boss, Luca. There was a totally obvious solution sitting right in front of both of these characters the whole time. She should report to the CFO, not the CEO. It was staring them in the face, and I just couldn't get past the fact that these people were so dumb they couldn't figure that out. If you're going to make work the reason two people can't be together, the reasons have to be insurmountable, not merely inconvenient.

I listened to part of this book on audio and read part as an ebook. I really liked the narrators and thought their work did a lot to make this story tolerable for me. Had I just been reading the ebook, I probably would have DNF'd, but I stuck with it because they were compelling performers.

Thanks to Hambright for the complimentary ARC and ALC of The Game Changer. 2.5 stars.

[Shannon]

Julia Jarrett honestly just never disappoints and this first book in her new Cedar Creek Thunder baseball series features single mom, Isla and Luca, her new boss and the owner of the team.

Set in small town, Vancouver Island, sparks fly between Luca and Isla from their very first meeting but each is determined to keep things professional. Isla doesn’t want to lose her job and Luca doesn’t want to abuse his authority over Isla.

Both are also very insecure and nervous about entering a new relationship. Isla because she doesn’t want to be judged for becoming a single mom at 16 and Luca because of his limb difference.

But when they meet at a conference for amniotic band syndrome survivors (ABS), they can’t help bonding and deepening their relationship even more. Especially after Luca befriends Isla’s son and helps him learn to use prosthetics to play baseball.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book but I’ll just say its full of vulnerable, relatable characters you can’t help cheering for, has excellent disability rep and was amazing on audio with duet narration by Connor Crais and Heather Firth.

Highly recommended for fans of authors like Hannah Bonam-Young, Brighton Walsh, Stephanie Archer or Helena Hunting. HUGE thanks to the author for sharing an ALC with me in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are my own.

[Lauren | TransportedLFL]

Thank you to Hambright PR for the advance reader and listener copies. These are my opinions.

This is the start of a new series featuring an independent baseball team, the Cedar Creek Thunder. As I read, it became clear that there were lots of happy couples associated with the Vancouver Tridents, so it's nice to know the author has a great backlist available for another baseball team.

But there's something so special about a small, independent team that's resetting and trying to become a strong community presence. That's precisely the goal of the new owner, Luca. And he immediately hires Isla to consult on social media and marketing. She's a single mom and relocated to Cedar Creek to get a fresh start for her and her son.

I am always here for a workplace romance, and this was so good. I felt it handled the power dynamics between the two of them very well. And their chemistry was so hot from the start. I appreciated the pacing and their connection.

I also loved the behind the scenes of getting ready for baseball season. And I look forward to even more ball in future books.

I greatly appreciated the disability rep. I had not previously known much about ABS, and it was explained well. At first, I wanted to see more from Luca, but his growth was excellent.

I immersive read and enjoyed both formats. The audiobook was narrated by one of my all time favorites Connor Crais, and he was joined by Heather Firth. I expect she will become a favorite as well.

[Amber Hess]

Thank you to Julia Jarrett and Hambright PR for the ARC and ALC of The Game Changer. This was a sweet sports rom-com with great disability representation for both an MC and a supporting character. I primarily listened to the ALC vs reading it.

Luca, our MMC, is the engineer of a technology to better prosthetic limbs and also returns to his home town to rebuild the local baseball team. As part of his rebuild, Luca hires the very qualified Isla as marketing director. While Luca appears to be a confident businessman, he hides that he also has a prosthetic leg.

Isla is a single mom who had her son at 17. When her son was born he had Amniotic Band Syndrome resulting in the loss of part of his arm. Isla is immediately attracted to her new boss but struggles but recognizes she must maintain the professional relationship for the sake of her son.

This was a sweet story, but their main struggles come from lack of communication which is so preventable. For the ALC, I thought it was well done except Luca’s voice was quiet sometimes when the chapter was in Isla’s POV. This was sweet and if you enjoy work place romance with disability representation then this is for you!

[Taylor Balkema]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and overall I really enjoyed it, even though a few things kept it from being a higher rating for me.

The absolute standout was the disability representation. I loved how naturally it was incorporated into the story, and the relationship between the MMC and her son completely stole my heart. Those moments were easily my favorite part of the book.

I also enjoyed the romance much more in the second half once the relationship had time to develop. My biggest issue was the pacing. It felt like they went from "we can't do this" to "okay, never mind, we can" so quickly that it gave me a bit of whiplash.

And since I experienced this one on audio... Connor Crais can do no wrong. His narration was, as always, fantastic and definitely elevated the experience.

Overall, this was a solid 3.5-star read with heartfelt family moments, great disability representation, and an audiobook performance that made it easy to keep listening.

[Esther | esthersreadingnook]

my first Julia Jarrett book and it surely will not be my last!!

I can not wait to continue this series! I was hooked immediately.

The limb difference rep was so well done, in my opinion. It never felt like she made the characters feel less and felt incredibly empowering.

The relationship between Isla and Luca was everythingggg. the instant connection was sooo swoon worthy. I loved that they were so honest and open with each other about their feelings. Loved that although there were things Luca kept from Isla, she went into the revelations with an open mind and understanding. it's so refreshing seeing ADULTS behaving like adults haha.

will absolutely be continuing the series. I can't wait to read book two!

the narration on this was phenomenal!! Duet and soooo good. both voices were amazing and perfectly matched for the characters.

thank you hambright and Julia for the alc!

[Randi (randi_reads)]

2.5 stars

This is just one of those books that doesn't work for me. I just couldn't get into it. I am very thankful for the duet narration being so good that I finished. There's nothing wrong with it, but it was just boring and insta lust by both Luca and Isla. He's her forty-two-year-old boss and she's his late twenties (?) single mother employee and it's forbidden for them to have a relationship, but it doesn't seem like a big deal. There wasn't any angst. It was just too cute and light.

I appreciated the disability representation in the book, though.

The audio is really good. It's narrated in duet by Heather Firth and Connor Crais. Both give great acting performances.

Thank you to Hambright PR for the advanced readers copy/advanced listeners copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tancy | tancysreads]

🎙️ narrated by Connor Crais & Heather Firth

This story was so fun! It felt unique and new, while also feeling beloved at the same time. I love single mom & single mom to a teen was really fun. I love the added disability representation. I felt like she handled it with care and dedication throughout the entire book. I teared up at multiple moments throughout the book, especially with Luca & Charlie together. Their bond was so special 🫶🏼

The romance worked for me. I liked that they tried to hold off because they worked together, but ultimately just couldn’t. The baseball was super minor, but we got some fun behind the scenes from the job side that I really liked! I love how she handled literally every situation that was thrown at her with grace & it all just felt real. It was swoony & I really enjoyed it.

🎧the audiobook was a treat! Connor was the perfectttttt Luca. Broody, a little secretive, but also such a green flag billionaire. Heather is a new to me narrator but she did fabulous in this one & I’ll be looking out for her in future audios! 5/5🎙️

Thank you to Hambright PR & the author for the free audiobook🫶🏼

Read if you love..
* disability representation by 2 characters
* very minor league baseball
* single mom
* workplace romance
* a secret relationship they think is secret but actually everyone already knows🤣
* billionaire
* 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (4 scenes, I skipped & didn’t miss any huge details to plot)