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The Final Score
A hockey player and a grad student are on thin ice until they meet their match in this sexy romance by
USA Today
bestselling author Lana Ferguson.
Jack Baker is on top of the world now that he’s back on the rink where he belongs. But the high comes crashing down when he reinjures his arm immediately following his return to the ice, and this time, he might never be able to play again. After a lifetime as the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needed him, Jack is left questioning everything he knows about himself.
Abigail Thompson feels like she's hit rock bottom. It’s only been a few months since the massive scandal that finally severed the cord between her and her narcissistic father. And now, in her last weeks of grad school, she’s been kicked out of her building with very short notice. The last thing she wants to do is ask her half-brother for help after what she’s put him through, but it’s looking like his best friend’s spare room might be her only choice.
Jack is flighty, flirty, and a little full of himself—all the things Abby’s learned to avoid in men. However, spending every day together breaks the ice between them, and she starts to realize that Jack might not be who he seems. It’s possible that maybe, just maybe, he might be struggling as much as she is. Soon confiding in each other leads to falling into bed, and this fling will either play with their hearts—or score them the ultimate goal of love.
Jack Baker is on top of the world now that he’s back on the rink where he belongs. But the high comes crashing down when he reinjures his arm immediately following his return to the ice, and this time, he might never be able to play again. After a lifetime as the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needed him, Jack is left questioning everything he knows about himself.
Abigail Thompson feels like she's hit rock bottom. It’s only been a few months since the massive scandal that finally severed the cord between her and her narcissistic father. And now, in her last weeks of grad school, she’s been kicked out of her building with very short notice. The last thing she wants to do is ask her half-brother for help after what she’s put him through, but it’s looking like his best friend’s spare room might be her only choice.
Jack is flighty, flirty, and a little full of himself—all the things Abby’s learned to avoid in men. However, spending every day together breaks the ice between them, and she starts to realize that Jack might not be who he seems. It’s possible that maybe, just maybe, he might be struggling as much as she is. Soon confiding in each other leads to falling into bed, and this fling will either play with their hearts—or score them the ultimate goal of love.
Audible Audio
First published July 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
July 16, 2026
— 3.5/5 stars
Okay, so I went into this book with ridiculously high expectations. Like... dangerously high. First of all, can we talk about that cover? It is genuinely one of the prettiest covers I've seen in a while. I was absolutely obsessed with it, and that's honestly one of the biggest reasons I requested the ARC. The second reason? I had read one of Lana Ferguson's previous book "Overruled" and I remember loving it. So naturally, I walked into this one thinking, "Yeah, this is about to eat."
Well.
It kinda did.
And I hate saying that because I wanted to love this book more. I really, really did.
First of all, it's a sports romance, and I already have a complicated relationship with sports romances. They either become an all-time favourite or they bore me to absolute tears. Unfortunately, this one landed somewhere in the middle leaning a little too close to disappointment.
My biggest issue? Everything happened way too fucking fast.
These people barely knew each other before they were already acting like they were soulmates. I blinked and suddenly they were sleeping together. I literally had to stop and ask myself, "Wait... didn't this book just start?"
Where was the slow burn? Where was the delicious tension? Where was the energy? Where was the build-up? The yearning? The chemistry that slowly drives you insane? Give me something to scream about.
Because when you market a book as enemies to lovers, I expect actual enemies. I expect arguments, unresolved tension, accidental touches that make everyone lose their minds, banter that has me kicking my feet, and a slow realization that oh shit, I think I'm falling for this idiot.
Instead, Abby had basically decided Jack was a flirty asshole before she even knew him. They weren't enemies, they were strangers with assumptions. The moment she actually spent time with him, she immediately realized he wasn't that bad. And just like that boom. So in loveeeee
It all happened in the span of six freaking weeks.
Six.
Weeks.
You're telling me these people met, fell in love, slept together, sorted out their emotional baggage, and reached happily-ever-after in a month and a half? Babe, I needed this relationship to marinate a little.
Now, don't get me wrong, I actually liked the characters.
Abby felt very human. Her fears and insecurities shaped the way she acted, and I appreciated that she wasn't perfect. There were moments where I genuinely rooted for her. Did she frustrate me sometimes? Absolutely. But she still felt like a real person, and I appreciated that.
Jack, on the other hand? Certified sunshine golden retriever energy. Toothy grin, sarcastic mouth, ridiculously lovable, I totally understand why people would fall for him. I definitely did too... most of the time. But even he had moments where I wanted to shake him and ask, "Are you genuinely this dumb or are you just committed to the bit?" . His dumbassery tested my patience more than once.
I know it sounds like I'm just sitting here complaining and maybe I am a little bit of a professional hater but I promise that's not entirely it. I can clearly see why people would enjoy this book. It's cute, it's easy to read, the banter is genuinely fun, and it never becomes emotionally exhausting. If you're looking for a light hearted rom-com that doesn't ask too much from you, this honestly does the job.
It just didn't give me what I wanted.
I wanted more tension. More pining. More hockey. More slow burn. More reasons to believe these two were actually falling in love instead of speed-running an entire relationship.
So yeah maybe I am being a fucking hater.
But I also know this book simply wasn't written for readers like me.
— Overall, if you love fluffy sports romances with a sunshine golden retriever hero, playful banter, and a relationship that moves at the speed of light, you'll probably have an amazing time with this one. 💌
As for me?
I liked parts of it. I loved both main characters individually. I laughed more than once.
But the romance itself just underdelivered, and I walked away wishing it had slowed the fuck down and let me actually fall in love with the story alongside the characters.
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈
౨ৎ pre-read:
⤿ started - 3 July, 2026
reading two arcs back to back, who's this?? 🤭🤌🏻
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so I went into this book with ridiculously high expectations. Like... dangerously high. First of all, can we talk about that cover? It is genuinely one of the prettiest covers I've seen in a while. I was absolutely obsessed with it, and that's honestly one of the biggest reasons I requested the ARC. The second reason? I had read one of Lana Ferguson's previous book "Overruled" and I remember loving it. So naturally, I walked into this one thinking, "Yeah, this is about to eat."
Well.
It kinda did.
And I hate saying that because I wanted to love this book more. I really, really did.
First of all, it's a sports romance, and I already have a complicated relationship with sports romances. They either become an all-time favourite or they bore me to absolute tears. Unfortunately, this one landed somewhere in the middle leaning a little too close to disappointment.
My biggest issue? Everything happened way too fucking fast.
These people barely knew each other before they were already acting like they were soulmates. I blinked and suddenly they were sleeping together. I literally had to stop and ask myself, "Wait... didn't this book just start?"
Where was the slow burn? Where was the delicious tension? Where was the energy? Where was the build-up? The yearning? The chemistry that slowly drives you insane? Give me something to scream about.
Because when you market a book as enemies to lovers, I expect actual enemies. I expect arguments, unresolved tension, accidental touches that make everyone lose their minds, banter that has me kicking my feet, and a slow realization that oh shit, I think I'm falling for this idiot.
Instead, Abby had basically decided Jack was a flirty asshole before she even knew him. They weren't enemies, they were strangers with assumptions. The moment she actually spent time with him, she immediately realized he wasn't that bad. And just like that boom. So in loveeeee
It all happened in the span of six freaking weeks.
Six.
Weeks.
You're telling me these people met, fell in love, slept together, sorted out their emotional baggage, and reached happily-ever-after in a month and a half? Babe, I needed this relationship to marinate a little.
Now, don't get me wrong, I actually liked the characters.
Abby felt very human. Her fears and insecurities shaped the way she acted, and I appreciated that she wasn't perfect. There were moments where I genuinely rooted for her. Did she frustrate me sometimes? Absolutely. But she still felt like a real person, and I appreciated that.
Jack, on the other hand? Certified sunshine golden retriever energy. Toothy grin, sarcastic mouth, ridiculously lovable, I totally understand why people would fall for him. I definitely did too... most of the time. But even he had moments where I wanted to shake him and ask, "Are you genuinely this dumb or are you just committed to the bit?" . His dumbassery tested my patience more than once.
I know it sounds like I'm just sitting here complaining and maybe I am a little bit of a professional hater but I promise that's not entirely it. I can clearly see why people would enjoy this book. It's cute, it's easy to read, the banter is genuinely fun, and it never becomes emotionally exhausting. If you're looking for a light hearted rom-com that doesn't ask too much from you, this honestly does the job.
It just didn't give me what I wanted.
I wanted more tension. More pining. More hockey. More slow burn. More reasons to believe these two were actually falling in love instead of speed-running an entire relationship.
So yeah maybe I am being a fucking hater.
But I also know this book simply wasn't written for readers like me.
— Overall, if you love fluffy sports romances with a sunshine golden retriever hero, playful banter, and a relationship that moves at the speed of light, you'll probably have an amazing time with this one. 💌
As for me?
I liked parts of it. I loved both main characters individually. I laughed more than once.
But the romance itself just underdelivered, and I walked away wishing it had slowed the fuck down and let me actually fall in love with the story alongside the characters.
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈
౨ৎ pre-read:
⤿ started - 3 July, 2026
reading two arcs back to back, who's this?? 🤭🤌🏻
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
lana ferguson is one of my favorite romance authors; she’s just such a fun and quirky writer, but my favorite book of hers will forever be the fake mate✨
i cannot believe that i'm seeing lana ferguson on tour in july!! i cannot wait to meet her and hear her discuss the final score!! and possibly hear about her upcoming projects💖
the final score is a standalone hockey romance novel but follows jack and abby, two characters that appeared in the game changer, and are also siblings to the couple dee and ian from the first book.
this was a fun and sexy romance novel and perfect for those that enjoy forced proximity, enemies to roommates to lovers, and especially having those smutty scenes early🙂↕️✨
lana ferguson is one of my favorite romance authors; she’s just such a fun and quirky writer, but my favorite book of hers will forever be the fake mate✨
i cannot believe that i'm seeing lana ferguson on tour in july!! i cannot wait to meet her and hear her discuss the final score!! and possibly hear about her upcoming projects💖
the final score is a standalone hockey romance novel but follows jack and abby, two characters that appeared in the game changer, and are also siblings to the couple dee and ian from the first book.
this was a fun and sexy romance novel and perfect for those that enjoy forced proximity, enemies to roommates to lovers, and especially having those smutty scenes early🙂↕️✨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“𝑨𝒃𝒃𝒚, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖—” 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒆𝒔, 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒆. “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐.”
3.5 🌟
I LOVE LANA FERGUSON!!! so I'll start by saying that I still enjoyed this book a lot and would definitely recommend it as a spicy, fluffy palette cleanser. Abby and Jack find themselves in a forced proximity roommate situation where what starts as friendship and vulnerability turns into something more.
I enjoyed the way some elements from Book 1 (The Game Changer) carried over into this one on a smaller scale. If you haven't read that book, I definitely recommend it before this one to fully understand their situation, especially since Jack is the brother of that book's FMC. Either way, it was hella fun ❤️🔥
But at the same time, that's just it...it was fun. Yes, we got some mental health topics woven into the story, but besides that, I found it a bit stagnant. Another hockey romance with forced proximity and roommates turning into something more... I think I found it predictable, which is why I recommend it as a palette cleanser 🫣
Please take my review for what it is: a good time. I still love Lana and will read anything she publishes including her to-do list 😂💕!!!
tropes
💓 hockey romance
💓 forced proximity
💓 roommates
💓 best friend's sister
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ❀*･ if Lana Ferguson writes it i'm gonna read it
thank you so much Berkley for my eARC!
3.5 🌟
I LOVE LANA FERGUSON!!! so I'll start by saying that I still enjoyed this book a lot and would definitely recommend it as a spicy, fluffy palette cleanser. Abby and Jack find themselves in a forced proximity roommate situation where what starts as friendship and vulnerability turns into something more.
I enjoyed the way some elements from Book 1 (The Game Changer) carried over into this one on a smaller scale. If you haven't read that book, I definitely recommend it before this one to fully understand their situation, especially since Jack is the brother of that book's FMC. Either way, it was hella fun ❤️🔥
But at the same time, that's just it...it was fun. Yes, we got some mental health topics woven into the story, but besides that, I found it a bit stagnant. Another hockey romance with forced proximity and roommates turning into something more... I think I found it predictable, which is why I recommend it as a palette cleanser 🫣
Please take my review for what it is: a good time. I still love Lana and will read anything she publishes including her to-do list 😂💕!!!
tropes
💓 hockey romance
💓 forced proximity
💓 roommates
💓 best friend's sister
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ❀*･ if Lana Ferguson writes it i'm gonna read it
thank you so much Berkley for my eARC!
July 10, 2026
⌞ 𝟒.𝟐𝟓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 ⌝ ★★★★1/4
Before I start, I would like a moment of appreciation for the drop dead gorgeous cuteness cover!
Okay, now for the review. First, I'm absolutely with Elena Armas on this: Jack is so dreamy 🤭 He was the perfect mix of sarcastically funny and tooth rotting sweet. He's the kind of guy I would want to shove up against a wall and kiss or cuddle on the couch with. He's really the best of both worlds. OH and he has dimples.
In addition, I also loved the trope. Brother's best friend. But what makes it even funnier, is that Jack's sister got together with his best friend in the previous book. So in a way it was like payback. 🙃
Now, let's talk plot structure. Abby and Jack got together far too soon in my opinion. I didn't feel like there was enough time to really build the tension and sexual frustration before they got together. I also wish that they didn't keep their relationship a secret for so long. Besides that, the third act breakup worked well together with the resolution. I also liked the take on athletic injuries and how that affects you mentally as well as physically.
Ultimately, I had some issues with the overall plot structure, but Lana Ferguson's writing definitely saved the day. Her writing is so easy to get lost in. It flows so well and has her signature charm that I adore so much.
Before I start, I would like a moment of appreciation for the drop dead gorgeous cuteness cover!
Okay, now for the review. First, I'm absolutely with Elena Armas on this: Jack is so dreamy 🤭 He was the perfect mix of sarcastically funny and tooth rotting sweet. He's the kind of guy I would want to shove up against a wall and kiss or cuddle on the couch with. He's really the best of both worlds. OH and he has dimples.
In addition, I also loved the trope. Brother's best friend. But what makes it even funnier, is that Jack's sister got together with his best friend in the previous book. So in a way it was like payback. 🙃
Now, let's talk plot structure. Abby and Jack got together far too soon in my opinion. I didn't feel like there was enough time to really build the tension and sexual frustration before they got together. I also wish that they didn't keep their relationship a secret for so long. Besides that, the third act breakup worked well together with the resolution. I also liked the take on athletic injuries and how that affects you mentally as well as physically.
Ultimately, I had some issues with the overall plot structure, but Lana Ferguson's writing definitely saved the day. Her writing is so easy to get lost in. It flows so well and has her signature charm that I adore so much.
July 9, 2026
DNF
I went into The Final Score with very little hope to begin with. My track record with Lana Ferguson hasn't exactly been stellar, and on top of that, I hadn't read The Game Changer. I figured it wouldn't be a huge issue since this is marketed as a standalone, but within the first couple of chapters I already felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of an ongoing story. The existing relationships and family dynamics clearly carry over from the previous book, and I never felt like I was given enough context to get invested.
Unfortunately, this ended up being a miss for me.
Jack had the potential to be an interesting MMC with his hockey career hanging in the balance, but one thing immediately started driving me crazy: he kept mentioning how much Abby looked like her brother... who also happens to be his best friend. Once? Fine. Repeatedly? It gave me the biggest ick.
As for Abby... she came across as incredibly bland. Her entire personality seemed to revolve around her abandonment issues, and while I understand what the author was trying to do, it felt like that single trait overshadowed everything else about her. I never found myself connecting with her, and that made it difficult to care about the romance.
At some point, I realized I simply wasn't interested enough to keep going. Between feeling lost from not reading the first book and not clicking with either the FMC or the writing, I knew this wasn't going to be the book for me.
Maybe Lana Ferguson just isn't an author who works for me, and that's okay. Not every popular author is going to be a good fit. This one simply wasn't.
I went into The Final Score with very little hope to begin with. My track record with Lana Ferguson hasn't exactly been stellar, and on top of that, I hadn't read The Game Changer. I figured it wouldn't be a huge issue since this is marketed as a standalone, but within the first couple of chapters I already felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of an ongoing story. The existing relationships and family dynamics clearly carry over from the previous book, and I never felt like I was given enough context to get invested.
Unfortunately, this ended up being a miss for me.
Jack had the potential to be an interesting MMC with his hockey career hanging in the balance, but one thing immediately started driving me crazy: he kept mentioning how much Abby looked like her brother... who also happens to be his best friend. Once? Fine. Repeatedly? It gave me the biggest ick.
As for Abby... she came across as incredibly bland. Her entire personality seemed to revolve around her abandonment issues, and while I understand what the author was trying to do, it felt like that single trait overshadowed everything else about her. I never found myself connecting with her, and that made it difficult to care about the romance.
At some point, I realized I simply wasn't interested enough to keep going. Between feeling lost from not reading the first book and not clicking with either the FMC or the writing, I knew this wasn't going to be the book for me.
Maybe Lana Ferguson just isn't an author who works for me, and that's okay. Not every popular author is going to be a good fit. This one simply wasn't.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 ☆
”There’s a myriad of things Abby has never got to experience when it comes to being loved, and I want to make sure she gets to have every single one.”
i loved Jack before, but he quickly became one of my new favorite mmc’s.. his humor, his ability to make anyone’s day better, his vulnerability, the way he just wants to feel needed? we love a layered man. the forced proximity with him and Abby becoming roommates and how determined he was to pursue her, all while giving her the space she needed added a perfect push/ pull.
Abby was the more cynical in their dynamic, but her and Jack both had the same struggle of wanting their choices to be respected by their friends and family. i think Abby was very emotionally intelligent and had the exact advice Jack needed to hear & he’s the only one who really understood her and helped her loosen up.
it’s a Lana Ferguson book.. so of course their sexual chemistry was jumping off the page (the FaceTime scene in particular? throw me a life jacket cause i need help). this just hit all the beats that i’d want in a romance book, i loved these two together so much!!
➳ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
”There’s a myriad of things Abby has never got to experience when it comes to being loved, and I want to make sure she gets to have every single one.”
i loved Jack before, but he quickly became one of my new favorite mmc’s.. his humor, his ability to make anyone’s day better, his vulnerability, the way he just wants to feel needed? we love a layered man. the forced proximity with him and Abby becoming roommates and how determined he was to pursue her, all while giving her the space she needed added a perfect push/ pull.
Abby was the more cynical in their dynamic, but her and Jack both had the same struggle of wanting their choices to be respected by their friends and family. i think Abby was very emotionally intelligent and had the exact advice Jack needed to hear & he’s the only one who really understood her and helped her loosen up.
it’s a Lana Ferguson book.. so of course their sexual chemistry was jumping off the page (the FaceTime scene in particular? throw me a life jacket cause i need help). this just hit all the beats that i’d want in a romance book, i loved these two together so much!!
➳ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
July 8, 2026
The Final Score is a sweet and swoony romance following Abby, a grad school student struggling to find balance in her life, and Jack, a star hockey player who is determined to play another season on ice even with an injured arm. This was such a fun read! I loved how Jack and Abby came together, their roommates to lovers dynamic unraveled perfectly. The two were just so good for one another. It was so sweet how Jack melted for Abby and was able to be vulnerable for her while coming out of his player persona. Not to mention all their abundant chemistry and banter, I could not get over all the little inside jokes; they were just so fun and good together. Aside from the romance, this charming story was filled with heartwarming moments, plenty of steam, and all the swoony moments one could want. I cannot recommend it enough!
~All the thanks to Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
~All the thanks to Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Want to Read
January 3, 2026I can't with the bare dogs on the cover but its going on my tbr anyways
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨🏒 The Final Score 🏒✨
Lana Ferguson will always be an auto buy author for me. She just knows how to write a romance 🥰😍💖
This hockey romance was so cute! I devoured this in one sitting because it was that good. And Jack? I really freaking loved him. Easily one of my favorite MMCs.
I am going to need the audiobook asap when it releases!
💖 What to Expect
• Hockey player MMC
• Grad student FMC
• Forced proximity
• Hurt x comfort
• Friends to lovers
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 7, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Lana Ferguson will always be an auto buy author for me. She just knows how to write a romance 🥰😍💖
This hockey romance was so cute! I devoured this in one sitting because it was that good. And Jack? I really freaking loved him. Easily one of my favorite MMCs.
I am going to need the audiobook asap when it releases!
💖 What to Expect
• Hockey player MMC
• Grad student FMC
• Forced proximity
• Hurt x comfort
• Friends to lovers
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 7, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Want to Read
July 16, 2026I was rooting for these two to be a couple in The Game Changer hehe
January 29, 2026
Who, what, when, where, why.
Who cares.
What is different.
When is it over.
Where is the plot.
Why did I request this.
This is a prime example of a book that gives us nothing new or notable. These two had no chemistry and instead of building on that we just got spice. Jack was just recycling lines I’ve read too many times before and Abby’s entire personality was her daddy issues.
It felt like an endless loop: problem, vent sesh with Abby playing therapist, hookup, repeat. I speed read this just to be done.
Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.
Who cares.
What is different.
When is it over.
Where is the plot.
Why did I request this.
This is a prime example of a book that gives us nothing new or notable. These two had no chemistry and instead of building on that we just got spice. Jack was just recycling lines I’ve read too many times before and Abby’s entire personality was her daddy issues.
It felt like an endless loop: problem, vent sesh with Abby playing therapist, hookup, repeat. I speed read this just to be done.
Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.
July 9, 2026
I love a good forced proximity romance and when you throw in a brother’s teammate storyline? You just know the payoff is going to be worth it!
This has everything I love in a Lana Ferguson book: banter, laugh out loud moments, plenty of spice, and those heartfelt scenes that balance it all perfectly.
This has everything I love in a Lana Ferguson book: banter, laugh out loud moments, plenty of spice, and those heartfelt scenes that balance it all perfectly.
June 5, 2026
I DECIDED I WAS TOO NICE BELOW. AFTER FURTHER PROCESSING: 3 stars bc literally any time there was a spice scene my face did this: 😬🥴
—————————————————————————————
I am leaning toward a 3.5⭐️
it was a very fun listen, I was giggling left and right! sometimes you just need an unserious read!!!
—————————————————————————————
I am leaning toward a 3.5⭐️
it was a very fun listen, I was giggling left and right! sometimes you just need an unserious read!!!
July 7, 2026
4.25/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
Lana Ferguson has firmly cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me because she consistently delivers fun, steamy rom-coms with just the right amount of heart. The Final Score had all of that, but what really stood out was the emotional depth behind Jack and Abby’s story.
Both Jack and Abby are carrying around difficult childhoods that have shaped who they are. Those shared experiences become the foundation of their relationship, but they’re also the biggest reason neither of them is willing to fully let the other in. I loved watching their walls slowly come down as they realized they weren’t as alone as they thought.
There’s plenty of external conflict, too. Abby is finishing grad school and preparing to become a child psychologist, but she’s forced to confront the same kinds of childhood trauma she’ll eventually help her own patients navigate. Jack, meanwhile, is facing what could be a career-ending hockey injury and has to figure out who he is if hockey is no longer part of his identity. Their individual journeys felt just as important as their romance.
I also enjoyed the family dynamic. Since Abby’s half-brother and Jack’s sister are in a serious relationship headed toward marriage, these two are constantly thrown together, making the forced proximity feel natural instead of contrived.
The romance was sweet, the chemistry was fantastic, and the emotional growth made the happily-ever-after feel well earned. If you enjoy sports romances with humor, heart, and characters who have to heal before they can truly love, The Final Score is a must read.
Thanks to Lana, Berkeley, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
1.5/5 🌶️
Lana Ferguson has firmly cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me because she consistently delivers fun, steamy rom-coms with just the right amount of heart. The Final Score had all of that, but what really stood out was the emotional depth behind Jack and Abby’s story.
Both Jack and Abby are carrying around difficult childhoods that have shaped who they are. Those shared experiences become the foundation of their relationship, but they’re also the biggest reason neither of them is willing to fully let the other in. I loved watching their walls slowly come down as they realized they weren’t as alone as they thought.
There’s plenty of external conflict, too. Abby is finishing grad school and preparing to become a child psychologist, but she’s forced to confront the same kinds of childhood trauma she’ll eventually help her own patients navigate. Jack, meanwhile, is facing what could be a career-ending hockey injury and has to figure out who he is if hockey is no longer part of his identity. Their individual journeys felt just as important as their romance.
I also enjoyed the family dynamic. Since Abby’s half-brother and Jack’s sister are in a serious relationship headed toward marriage, these two are constantly thrown together, making the forced proximity feel natural instead of contrived.
The romance was sweet, the chemistry was fantastic, and the emotional growth made the happily-ever-after feel well earned. If you enjoy sports romances with humor, heart, and characters who have to heal before they can truly love, The Final Score is a must read.
Thanks to Lana, Berkeley, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 1, 2026
4.5 ★
I have been waiting for this book to come out for so long. Every teaser that Lana posts has been torture! I’m beyond grateful to Netgalley and Berkley for entrusting me with an ARC! Truly a dream come true!
This was exactly what I needed it to be. I loved Jack’s character so much in The Game Changer and getting to know him on a deeper level in his own book was so special. He’s the funny social butterfly who is always down for a good time. But what people don’t realize is that he’s so much more than that. He has his own struggles and anxieties getting to explore that side of him meant so much to me. As someone who has only recently been dealing with medicated anxiety, I understand Jack’s feelings on a deeper personal level. I thought it was so incredibly important to show all those sides of him. Lana did a terrific job of not shying away from the difficult parts of life and I’m so grateful for it.
and Abby! oh sweet amazing baddie Abby! Like Jack, she also puts on a mask to hide her own pain and insecurities. Instead of playful banter, she comes across as grumpy and tough. But beneath that hard exterior, she’s got a heart of gold.
Jack and Abby were truly such a perfect match. And their chemistry?? off the charts!! Lana, truly some of your best spicy work!
I cannot emphasize enough what it means to be able to read this book early!
Thank you again to Netgalley and Berkley! and of course thank you Lana for blessing us with another amazing read!
Everyone be sure to check out The Final Score out on July 7th!!!
I have been waiting for this book to come out for so long. Every teaser that Lana posts has been torture! I’m beyond grateful to Netgalley and Berkley for entrusting me with an ARC! Truly a dream come true!
This was exactly what I needed it to be. I loved Jack’s character so much in The Game Changer and getting to know him on a deeper level in his own book was so special. He’s the funny social butterfly who is always down for a good time. But what people don’t realize is that he’s so much more than that. He has his own struggles and anxieties getting to explore that side of him meant so much to me. As someone who has only recently been dealing with medicated anxiety, I understand Jack’s feelings on a deeper personal level. I thought it was so incredibly important to show all those sides of him. Lana did a terrific job of not shying away from the difficult parts of life and I’m so grateful for it.
and Abby! oh sweet amazing baddie Abby! Like Jack, she also puts on a mask to hide her own pain and insecurities. Instead of playful banter, she comes across as grumpy and tough. But beneath that hard exterior, she’s got a heart of gold.
Jack and Abby were truly such a perfect match. And their chemistry?? off the charts!! Lana, truly some of your best spicy work!
I cannot emphasize enough what it means to be able to read this book early!
Thank you again to Netgalley and Berkley! and of course thank you Lana for blessing us with another amazing read!
Everyone be sure to check out The Final Score out on July 7th!!!
July 13, 2026
The final score by Lana Ferguson
ARC from Berkeley
-the details he notices , the way he sees and describes boyyy you likeeee her
-in the beginning i don’t know i couldn’t connect
-their little moments are so cute 🥰
-the spiceee 👀🤭🤪
-her dad can catch these hands
-they both are going through so much but I love that they find a comfort in each other
-just keep swimming 🥹
-them fighting their feelings is hilarious JUST DATE ALREADYYY
-JACKKKK 🤪
-I love them together and the healing ❤️🩹
-this was a cute romance not my fav and took me a little to get into but still sweet
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
ARC from Berkeley
-the details he notices , the way he sees and describes boyyy you likeeee her
-in the beginning i don’t know i couldn’t connect
-their little moments are so cute 🥰
-the spiceee 👀🤭🤪
-her dad can catch these hands
-they both are going through so much but I love that they find a comfort in each other
-just keep swimming 🥹
-them fighting their feelings is hilarious JUST DATE ALREADYYY
-JACKKKK 🤪
-I love them together and the healing ❤️🩹
-this was a cute romance not my fav and took me a little to get into but still sweet
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
May 1, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Final Score is a warm, funny, and surprisingly emotionally layered hockey romance that kept me turning pages well past my bedtime. Lana Ferguson has a gift for writing characters who feel genuinely real, and Jack and Abby are two of her best.
Jack is the golden retriever you can't help but fall for — quick with a joke, endlessly energetic, but underneath all of that sunshine he's quietly falling apart. A career-threatening reinjury forces him to confront who he is beyond hockey, and watching him slowly allow someone to see that vulnerability is where this book really shines. Abby, our grumpy black cat FMC, has her own walls built sky-high thanks to a complicated family history, and her dry wit paired with Jack's chaos made for some genuinely laugh-out-loud banter.
What sets this one apart from a lot of sports romances is the emotional depth Ferguson brings to both leads. The mental health rep, especially around anxiety and self-worth, felt honest and handled with real care, not just used as plot decoration. The forced proximity/roommates setup was well-executed, letting their connection build organically rather than feeling rushed.
My only note is that the pacing in the early-to-middle section leans into the physical relationship a little quickly, and I would have loved slightly more slow-burn tension before they got there. A bit more yearning would have made an already great romance even more satisfying.
Overall, this is a really solid, emotionally resonant read that earns its romance. If you enjoy grumpy/sunshine dynamics, forced proximity, and heroes who fall first and fall hard, this one is absolutely worth your time. I'll be recommending it all summer.
The Final Score is a warm, funny, and surprisingly emotionally layered hockey romance that kept me turning pages well past my bedtime. Lana Ferguson has a gift for writing characters who feel genuinely real, and Jack and Abby are two of her best.
Jack is the golden retriever you can't help but fall for — quick with a joke, endlessly energetic, but underneath all of that sunshine he's quietly falling apart. A career-threatening reinjury forces him to confront who he is beyond hockey, and watching him slowly allow someone to see that vulnerability is where this book really shines. Abby, our grumpy black cat FMC, has her own walls built sky-high thanks to a complicated family history, and her dry wit paired with Jack's chaos made for some genuinely laugh-out-loud banter.
What sets this one apart from a lot of sports romances is the emotional depth Ferguson brings to both leads. The mental health rep, especially around anxiety and self-worth, felt honest and handled with real care, not just used as plot decoration. The forced proximity/roommates setup was well-executed, letting their connection build organically rather than feeling rushed.
My only note is that the pacing in the early-to-middle section leans into the physical relationship a little quickly, and I would have loved slightly more slow-burn tension before they got there. A bit more yearning would have made an already great romance even more satisfying.
Overall, this is a really solid, emotionally resonant read that earns its romance. If you enjoy grumpy/sunshine dynamics, forced proximity, and heroes who fall first and fall hard, this one is absolutely worth your time. I'll be recommending it all summer.
July 10, 2026
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Lana Ferguson is the master of grumpy sunshine. This book is the perfect follow up to The Game Changer, giving so much heart and depth to Jack and Abby, who just may be one of my favorite Lana Ferguson couples to date. Absolutely loved the updates for Ian and Delilah as well! A delight of a book from start to finish!
July 8, 2026
2.5/5 stars
3.5/5 spice
Tropes:
💖 Hockey Romance
💙 Brother’s Best Friend
💖 Forced Proximity
💙 Mental Health Representation
💖 Frenemies to Lovers
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an eARC!
4/5 Audio:
Audio Review:
Note – I read the eARC for the first 68% of the novel and then finished the last 32% of the book by listening to the audiobook. That being said, my opinions on the audiobook and narration are only for the final 32% that I read in this format.
I loved both of our narrators for The Final Score. I can always appreciate the care and attention that goes into producing a duet narration audiobook. I know they’re not for everyone, but it’s nice to know that a lot of time and attention to detail was went into the making of the audiobook.
I don’t have a ton of exposure to Samantha Summer’s previous narrations, but it looks like she has done most, if not all, of Lana Ferguson’s English language audiobooks, so I’ve definitely heard her work before. I really liked her voice and hope she is used in more audiobooks that I listen to in the future (beyond just Lana’s books).
The Male narrator was Nicholas Goroff, who seems to have a much more limited backlist of narrative work. I did really enjoy his work overall, though I was a bit put off during spicy scenes. I’ve learned that I really do not like it when the narrators “really get into” the spicy scenes. Obviously, you don’t want monotone narration during sexual encounters, but, in my personal opinion, vocally “acting out” sex scenes needs to stop (unless it’s a graphic audio maybe?). It’s incredibly uncomfortable, and I wish Nicholas would have toned down his narration a bit during those scenes.
Overall, fantastic production quality once again from this Books on Tape production!
Book Review:
TLDR - I didn't hate this book but I had A LOT of problems with it.
I think this might be my sign that Lana Ferguson just isn’t the author for me. This is the fourth book of hers that I’ve read and they’ve all been fine, but not particularly great, in my opinion. The three previous books I read from her are all paranormal romances so I thought that I might have a better chance with contemporary (especially since that’s typically more my jam than paranormal), but unfortunately, that was not the case.
I find that I have a hard time really connecting with the characters that Lana Ferguson creates, and often I also don’t find myself particularly fond of the plot. Her writing style isn’t bad, and I don’t find her work offensive, I just haven’t been gripped by or invested in anything I’ve picked up from her.
Getting into “The Final Score” itself, buckle up because I have a lot to say about this book. For ease of reading, I’ve broken my thoughts down into individual categories. I also want to note that any quotes listed were originally pulled from the eARC but cross-referenced with the published audiobook to make sure they were actually in the published material.
The story:
Originally, I wanted to say, “I feel like you’re dropped right into a story that seems as though it is an interconnected standalone with a previous book in the series”. But the funny thing is, despite it not being listed as such (as of pub day, 7/7/26) on any retailer (that I have seen), such as Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Amazon, etc, nor anywhere in the email containing the widget I recieved for this eARC, The Final Score, IS, in fact, a “sequel” following characters originally seen in Lana Ferguson’s “The Game Changer” novel. If you haven’t guessed already, no, I have not read that novel prior to reading “The Final Score”.
Though it is not marked as such, I will be henceforth referring to this book as an interconnected standalone.
With any good interconnected standalone series, you theoretically should be able to pick up any novel in the series and grasp the plot and background with little to no difficulty. Yes, you will have missed depth to some of the backstory, but the author should give you the tools you need to understand the important backstory from the previous books. I’m not necessarily saying that Lana Ferguson doesn’t do this, I just don’t think she did it particularly well. I very much so felt like I missed something (which I unknowingly had!) when starting this book. The FMC’s family situation and the side characters were introduced to me, but I don’t believe they were introduced well enough to make me feel like I didn’t need to have read the “first” book in order to really get the vibe of the friend group and our FMC’s background.
This is technically not the fault of the author themselves, and Lana may have been promoting this book as an interconnected standalone or “sequel”, but unfortunately, if she was, I was not exposed to that promotion. The publisher really needed to have labeled this book properly and let readers know that it is a continuation of a previous novel, just following different characters (who were seen in that previous novel)…aka an interconnected standalone.
The characters:
As I touched on earlier, I don’t tend to connect with Lana Ferguson’s characters. I found our FMC, Abby, to be a bit more 3-dimensional than the MMC, Jack, but they both felt fairly flat overall. It wasn’t until the very end, around the much-dreaded third-act break-up, that I finally started to feel like maybe these could be “real” people. At that point, it’s way too late in the game for me to be forming connections with the main characters. Especially in a Romance book.
The relationship:
It was giving lustful.
Honestly, their relationship was kind of hard to root for because they seemed like F*** buddies more than anything for the majority of the book. I do think the mental health representation (more on this below) helped me better understand the bond forming between the main characters as the book progressed, but I didn't necessarily see these two as a couple that would be "endgame". I think most people will agree that one of the main jobs and author has when writing a Romance book is to convince you that the main relationship is one that should exist, and exist forever. Like with the character building, I felt more confident in their relationship when we got to the third-act break-up, but certainly wasn't fully convinced by the end of the book.
The third-act break-up (without spoilers):
Speaking of the third-act break-up, I actually found the break-up to be quite realistic, which may have been why I started to see these characters as more “real”. It wasn’t necessarily miscommunication, but more of a barrier of improper communication, if that makes sense. So, in my opinion, it was significantly less annoying than the classic miscommunication trope. Nevertheless, I truly did find it to be wildly realistic.
The third-act break-up resolution (without spoilers):
This kind of ruined the break-up itself because I felt as though a completely unnecessary, and frankly overdone and cheap, trope was used to propel the resolution of the break-up and get our main characters back together. I actually thought their journey of getting back together was really solid until this particular trope came into play. It truly did cheapen the ending for me, though I do want to point out that it could have been “done worse” than it was, so I appreciate that it wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been. But it still really disappointed me. For those that want to know what this trope is, I will put it behind a spoiler barrier;
Mental health representation:
Another “pro” for this book was the mental health representation. Firstly, a lot of the representation was for the MMC, and I feel like more often than not, books like this only really highlight mental health issues in the FMC’s, so this was refreshing. The FMC absolutely has relevant mental health struggles that were touched upon a lot in the plot, but I felt as though the spotlight was a bit more on the MMC’s mental health, though this may be an unpopular opinion. I also thought it was overall handled really well. I do think it was a bit convenient that the FMC is in grad school for psychology, but I’m willing to let that go. If anything, I appreciated that while Abby was a good support person for Jack, things didn’t always go perfectly when he was struggling with his mental health. So, Lana Ferguson didn’t make the FMC “perfect” at handling the MMC’s mental health, despite being in her final year of grad school for Psychology.
Finally, being…nitpicky? Or maybe just calling out issues and inconsistencies:
1) Right off the bat, this one happened in the first chapter, so it made me nervous for the remainder of the book (rightfully so, unfortunately). I don’t know if Lana Ferguson is a fan of hockey necessarily or is just kind of jumping on the very popular sports (most specifically hockey) romance bandwagon, but I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. Note: since this example happens in the first chapter, I don’t consider it a spoiler. Our MMC re-injured his previously injured arm during a hockey game and the FMC’s brother (the MMC’s best friend), and teammate, quite literally offers to leave in the middle of the game to meet him at the hospital. First of all, no professional hockey player would dip in the middle of the game because his friend got hurt. Most players probably wouldn’t even abandon the game if the teammates injury was life-threatening! But also, why would you even consider leaving *your job* when there’s literally nothing you can do about your friends non-life threatening injury, and you can meet him at the hospital in a couple of hours?? I just thought it was all a little too absurd.
- Not to pile onto this point, but it also says that “the ref has already called a time-out” after the injury occurs, but, if I’m not mistaken, when there’s an injury (of a certain caliber), the official will “stop the play”, they don’t “call a time-out”. This really is something simple that should have been caught in editing.
2) Speaking of the MMC’ s injury, there’s another line that’s simply medically incorrect and I wish it had been caught in editing. This one happens much later in the book so I will put it behind a spoiler barrier, though I think people can see where the book is going from very early on. I really try not to be too judgmental about medical things in books, but a quick google search would have helped that one line not sound idiotic from a doctor.
3) Once again, going off of the last point, there is another, less annoying, misrepresentation of medicine and injuries. This one is in the epilogue though so it’s also going behind a spoiler barrier.
4) Next, during Abby’s POV we get a glimpse into one of her grad school psychology classes. During this class they are discussing abandonment. First, all of the things that the professor said are things she should have learned in undergrad. And second, she gets overwhelmed by this topic of discussion, which is fair due to her personal history, but she acts like this is her first exposure to this topic…when she’s in her final year of grad school…for psychology. This, once again, felt like lazy writing. It felt like Lana didn’t want to write an age gap romance (specifically for this book), so she couldn’t make Abby an undergrad student, but also didn’t want to put in the time or effort to show us a psych lesson that is actually fitting for a final year grad student. That’s not to say they don’t discuss abandonment in the final year of psychology grad school classes, but specifically the things that the professor was saying about the topic are things that should be “psych 101” at this point for these students.
5) Lastly, another point from the very end of the book, so therefore behind another spoiler barrier, plus a personal note on my thoughts about fictional condom usage; Some of my frustration absolutely comes from the fact that SO MANY Romance books simply decide that condoms are bad and the characters shouldn’t use them. I appreciate the books that discuss STD’s and birth control but almost no one ever goes a step further to point out that pregnancy can absolutely happen on birth control. Obviously, it can also happen on birth control with a condom but that is significantly less likely. No, it’s not the “job” of the author to be educational in their Romance novel, but young women absolutely pick these books up and are influenced by them. I just wish authors would take the time to add one sentence acknowledging that birth control is not 100% effective, and there is an increased risk for pregnancy when not using a condom, despite hormonal birth control usage, for the sake of their readers.
- And for anyone interested in some statistics: with “perfect” (taking it every day, at the correct time) hormonal birth control usage, the likelihood of getting pregnant (without condom usage), is about 1%. However, the typical person misses a dose here and there, or takes it at the “wrong” time. In this (common) case, the risk jumps to 7 to 9%. Obviously, there is fluctuation with these numbers depending on the type of birth control (pill, ring, implant, etc). For the typical, “nonperfect” hormonal birth control user, also using a condom decreases the risk from that 7 to 9% back to around 1%.
3.5/5 spice
Tropes:
💖 Hockey Romance
💙 Brother’s Best Friend
💖 Forced Proximity
💙 Mental Health Representation
💖 Frenemies to Lovers
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an eARC!
4/5 Audio:
Audio Review:
Note – I read the eARC for the first 68% of the novel and then finished the last 32% of the book by listening to the audiobook. That being said, my opinions on the audiobook and narration are only for the final 32% that I read in this format.
I loved both of our narrators for The Final Score. I can always appreciate the care and attention that goes into producing a duet narration audiobook. I know they’re not for everyone, but it’s nice to know that a lot of time and attention to detail was went into the making of the audiobook.
I don’t have a ton of exposure to Samantha Summer’s previous narrations, but it looks like she has done most, if not all, of Lana Ferguson’s English language audiobooks, so I’ve definitely heard her work before. I really liked her voice and hope she is used in more audiobooks that I listen to in the future (beyond just Lana’s books).
The Male narrator was Nicholas Goroff, who seems to have a much more limited backlist of narrative work. I did really enjoy his work overall, though I was a bit put off during spicy scenes. I’ve learned that I really do not like it when the narrators “really get into” the spicy scenes. Obviously, you don’t want monotone narration during sexual encounters, but, in my personal opinion, vocally “acting out” sex scenes needs to stop (unless it’s a graphic audio maybe?). It’s incredibly uncomfortable, and I wish Nicholas would have toned down his narration a bit during those scenes.
Overall, fantastic production quality once again from this Books on Tape production!
Book Review:
TLDR - I didn't hate this book but I had A LOT of problems with it.
I think this might be my sign that Lana Ferguson just isn’t the author for me. This is the fourth book of hers that I’ve read and they’ve all been fine, but not particularly great, in my opinion. The three previous books I read from her are all paranormal romances so I thought that I might have a better chance with contemporary (especially since that’s typically more my jam than paranormal), but unfortunately, that was not the case.
I find that I have a hard time really connecting with the characters that Lana Ferguson creates, and often I also don’t find myself particularly fond of the plot. Her writing style isn’t bad, and I don’t find her work offensive, I just haven’t been gripped by or invested in anything I’ve picked up from her.
Getting into “The Final Score” itself, buckle up because I have a lot to say about this book. For ease of reading, I’ve broken my thoughts down into individual categories. I also want to note that any quotes listed were originally pulled from the eARC but cross-referenced with the published audiobook to make sure they were actually in the published material.
The story:
Originally, I wanted to say, “I feel like you’re dropped right into a story that seems as though it is an interconnected standalone with a previous book in the series”. But the funny thing is, despite it not being listed as such (as of pub day, 7/7/26) on any retailer (that I have seen), such as Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Amazon, etc, nor anywhere in the email containing the widget I recieved for this eARC, The Final Score, IS, in fact, a “sequel” following characters originally seen in Lana Ferguson’s “The Game Changer” novel. If you haven’t guessed already, no, I have not read that novel prior to reading “The Final Score”.
Though it is not marked as such, I will be henceforth referring to this book as an interconnected standalone.
With any good interconnected standalone series, you theoretically should be able to pick up any novel in the series and grasp the plot and background with little to no difficulty. Yes, you will have missed depth to some of the backstory, but the author should give you the tools you need to understand the important backstory from the previous books. I’m not necessarily saying that Lana Ferguson doesn’t do this, I just don’t think she did it particularly well. I very much so felt like I missed something (which I unknowingly had!) when starting this book. The FMC’s family situation and the side characters were introduced to me, but I don’t believe they were introduced well enough to make me feel like I didn’t need to have read the “first” book in order to really get the vibe of the friend group and our FMC’s background.
This is technically not the fault of the author themselves, and Lana may have been promoting this book as an interconnected standalone or “sequel”, but unfortunately, if she was, I was not exposed to that promotion. The publisher really needed to have labeled this book properly and let readers know that it is a continuation of a previous novel, just following different characters (who were seen in that previous novel)…aka an interconnected standalone.
The characters:
As I touched on earlier, I don’t tend to connect with Lana Ferguson’s characters. I found our FMC, Abby, to be a bit more 3-dimensional than the MMC, Jack, but they both felt fairly flat overall. It wasn’t until the very end, around the much-dreaded third-act break-up, that I finally started to feel like maybe these could be “real” people. At that point, it’s way too late in the game for me to be forming connections with the main characters. Especially in a Romance book.
The relationship:
It was giving lustful.
Honestly, their relationship was kind of hard to root for because they seemed like F*** buddies more than anything for the majority of the book. I do think the mental health representation (more on this below) helped me better understand the bond forming between the main characters as the book progressed, but I didn't necessarily see these two as a couple that would be "endgame". I think most people will agree that one of the main jobs and author has when writing a Romance book is to convince you that the main relationship is one that should exist, and exist forever. Like with the character building, I felt more confident in their relationship when we got to the third-act break-up, but certainly wasn't fully convinced by the end of the book.
The third-act break-up (without spoilers):
Speaking of the third-act break-up, I actually found the break-up to be quite realistic, which may have been why I started to see these characters as more “real”. It wasn’t necessarily miscommunication, but more of a barrier of improper communication, if that makes sense. So, in my opinion, it was significantly less annoying than the classic miscommunication trope. Nevertheless, I truly did find it to be wildly realistic.
The third-act break-up resolution (without spoilers):
This kind of ruined the break-up itself because I felt as though a completely unnecessary, and frankly overdone and cheap, trope was used to propel the resolution of the break-up and get our main characters back together. I actually thought their journey of getting back together was really solid until this particular trope came into play. It truly did cheapen the ending for me, though I do want to point out that it could have been “done worse” than it was, so I appreciate that it wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been. But it still really disappointed me. For those that want to know what this trope is, I will put it behind a spoiler barrier;
Mental health representation:
Another “pro” for this book was the mental health representation. Firstly, a lot of the representation was for the MMC, and I feel like more often than not, books like this only really highlight mental health issues in the FMC’s, so this was refreshing. The FMC absolutely has relevant mental health struggles that were touched upon a lot in the plot, but I felt as though the spotlight was a bit more on the MMC’s mental health, though this may be an unpopular opinion. I also thought it was overall handled really well. I do think it was a bit convenient that the FMC is in grad school for psychology, but I’m willing to let that go. If anything, I appreciated that while Abby was a good support person for Jack, things didn’t always go perfectly when he was struggling with his mental health. So, Lana Ferguson didn’t make the FMC “perfect” at handling the MMC’s mental health, despite being in her final year of grad school for Psychology.
Finally, being…nitpicky? Or maybe just calling out issues and inconsistencies:
1) Right off the bat, this one happened in the first chapter, so it made me nervous for the remainder of the book (rightfully so, unfortunately). I don’t know if Lana Ferguson is a fan of hockey necessarily or is just kind of jumping on the very popular sports (most specifically hockey) romance bandwagon, but I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. Note: since this example happens in the first chapter, I don’t consider it a spoiler. Our MMC re-injured his previously injured arm during a hockey game and the FMC’s brother (the MMC’s best friend), and teammate, quite literally offers to leave in the middle of the game to meet him at the hospital. First of all, no professional hockey player would dip in the middle of the game because his friend got hurt. Most players probably wouldn’t even abandon the game if the teammates injury was life-threatening! But also, why would you even consider leaving *your job* when there’s literally nothing you can do about your friends non-life threatening injury, and you can meet him at the hospital in a couple of hours?? I just thought it was all a little too absurd.
- Not to pile onto this point, but it also says that “the ref has already called a time-out” after the injury occurs, but, if I’m not mistaken, when there’s an injury (of a certain caliber), the official will “stop the play”, they don’t “call a time-out”. This really is something simple that should have been caught in editing.
2) Speaking of the MMC’ s injury, there’s another line that’s simply medically incorrect and I wish it had been caught in editing. This one happens much later in the book so I will put it behind a spoiler barrier, though I think people can see where the book is going from very early on. I really try not to be too judgmental about medical things in books, but a quick google search would have helped that one line not sound idiotic from a doctor.
3) Once again, going off of the last point, there is another, less annoying, misrepresentation of medicine and injuries. This one is in the epilogue though so it’s also going behind a spoiler barrier.
4) Next, during Abby’s POV we get a glimpse into one of her grad school psychology classes. During this class they are discussing abandonment. First, all of the things that the professor said are things she should have learned in undergrad. And second, she gets overwhelmed by this topic of discussion, which is fair due to her personal history, but she acts like this is her first exposure to this topic…when she’s in her final year of grad school…for psychology. This, once again, felt like lazy writing. It felt like Lana didn’t want to write an age gap romance (specifically for this book), so she couldn’t make Abby an undergrad student, but also didn’t want to put in the time or effort to show us a psych lesson that is actually fitting for a final year grad student. That’s not to say they don’t discuss abandonment in the final year of psychology grad school classes, but specifically the things that the professor was saying about the topic are things that should be “psych 101” at this point for these students.
5) Lastly, another point from the very end of the book, so therefore behind another spoiler barrier, plus a personal note on my thoughts about fictional condom usage; Some of my frustration absolutely comes from the fact that SO MANY Romance books simply decide that condoms are bad and the characters shouldn’t use them. I appreciate the books that discuss STD’s and birth control but almost no one ever goes a step further to point out that pregnancy can absolutely happen on birth control. Obviously, it can also happen on birth control with a condom but that is significantly less likely. No, it’s not the “job” of the author to be educational in their Romance novel, but young women absolutely pick these books up and are influenced by them. I just wish authors would take the time to add one sentence acknowledging that birth control is not 100% effective, and there is an increased risk for pregnancy when not using a condom, despite hormonal birth control usage, for the sake of their readers.
- And for anyone interested in some statistics: with “perfect” (taking it every day, at the correct time) hormonal birth control usage, the likelihood of getting pregnant (without condom usage), is about 1%. However, the typical person misses a dose here and there, or takes it at the “wrong” time. In this (common) case, the risk jumps to 7 to 9%. Obviously, there is fluctuation with these numbers depending on the type of birth control (pill, ring, implant, etc). For the typical, “nonperfect” hormonal birth control user, also using a condom decreases the risk from that 7 to 9% back to around 1%.
January 22, 2026
I relate to Jack so much in this book! Thank you Lana for writing him and sharing him with the world. Abby was also a delight and it was so heartwarming to see her walls come down!
July 12, 2026
A strong 4. Missed 4.5 by smidgen.
This book started off very strong for me. I devoured half of it on release day. The characters were already familiar, but I appreciated the minor reminders of background information. It was done very well compared to other books that keep bringing up past plot points from previous books over & over again.
A perfect balance of sport & non sport. I know I've said this before. Some books focus too much on one theme or the other, but Ms. Ferguson obviously knows the recipe for success.
Out of the characters, I actually related to the MMC & his struggles a lot. The quip about 'Finding Nemo' (vague to avoid spoilers) really hit the nail on the head for me & going forward I couldn't help but see my own traumas in place of Jack's traumas, which ended up making me sad & reflecting on the past. Will have to unpack that later at therapy.
The ending, unfortunately, was muddled with too much & not enough. The part about the bike felt a little unnecessary with everything else going on. I wanted to see the culmination of the situation with Kyle. The event in the epilouge felt too early in contrast to Abby's earlier remarks regarding her living situation. Closer to a year would have sufficed, IMO. While on the topic of grievances, it was confusing that the main characters each had their own name for a side character, which caused whiplash a couple of times due to the amount of POV changes. I was often like - "Wait, who? Oh yeah, the sister..." Points off for that mess.
I will say, though, that I think Ms. Ferguson has *THE* best spice out there. I have not been let down once by her that I can recall & she has provided some memorable spicy time moments. It's some damn good soup. MMM MMM GOOD. Final answer.
I'd love to see more of these characters, but I think this is probably it for them? Unless they somehow end up being Easter Eggs in a future novel , I'd still really appreciate that.
ANYWAYS - thank you, Ms. Ferguson. Always a pleasure, no pun intended.
This book started off very strong for me. I devoured half of it on release day. The characters were already familiar, but I appreciated the minor reminders of background information. It was done very well compared to other books that keep bringing up past plot points from previous books over & over again.
A perfect balance of sport & non sport. I know I've said this before. Some books focus too much on one theme or the other, but Ms. Ferguson obviously knows the recipe for success.
Out of the characters, I actually related to the MMC & his struggles a lot. The quip about 'Finding Nemo' (vague to avoid spoilers) really hit the nail on the head for me & going forward I couldn't help but see my own traumas in place of Jack's traumas, which ended up making me sad & reflecting on the past. Will have to unpack that later at therapy.
The ending, unfortunately, was muddled with too much & not enough. The part about the bike felt a little unnecessary with everything else going on. I wanted to see the culmination of the situation with Kyle. The event in the epilouge felt too early in contrast to Abby's earlier remarks regarding her living situation. Closer to a year would have sufficed, IMO. While on the topic of grievances, it was confusing that the main characters each had their own name for a side character, which caused whiplash a couple of times due to the amount of POV changes. I was often like - "Wait, who? Oh yeah, the sister..." Points off for that mess.
I will say, though, that I think Ms. Ferguson has *THE* best spice out there. I have not been let down once by her that I can recall & she has provided some memorable spicy time moments. It's some damn good soup. MMM MMM GOOD. Final answer.
I'd love to see more of these characters, but I think this is probably it for them? Unless they somehow end up being Easter Eggs in a future novel , I'd still really appreciate that.
ANYWAYS - thank you, Ms. Ferguson. Always a pleasure, no pun intended.
June 19, 2026
Sugar and spice. The CLASSIC Lana Ferguson ingredients.
True to form, this book packs some HEAT. Like, extra spicy, oh they’re at it again?!, wouldn’t want my mom to read spice. Honestly more than I normally look for, in my reads.
But it works because balancing all the 🥵 are deeply sweet, tender, heartfelt moments and character work. Jack and Abigail are both a little broken for different reasons (and Jack, literally, as he navigates a hockey injury). With that comes some great mental health rep, deeper conversations, and real opening up to the other.
Jack is also my favorite type of MMC: former playboy who is such a shit (affectionate) who is just feral for her. AND a hockey player which like, I am deeply into right now.
Add to that so many top tier tropes (brother’s best friend, forced proximity) and it’s a fun, spicey read.
🎧 I always adore Samantha Summers on a Lana Ferguson audio and she’s once again fantastic here. Nicholas Goroff matches her sooo well. Also it’s DUET and just so good, throughout.
Some of the beats I liked a little less (e.g. third act brake-up) and it didn’t hit quite as much as Lana’s stellar omegaverse stories have. I also don’t loveeee the dating siblings setup. But overall I enjoyed it.
‼️Also, one note: I really wish this were tagged as a series (elsewhere and on Goodreads). I knew Lana had written hockey romance before, but since I didn’t see this as related anywhere, I figured it was fully a standalone. I was definitely a little confused early on lacking some of the context from The Game Changer. By the time I realized they were interconnected, I was in too deep here to pivot. It works on its own but probably works a lot better if you’ve met Delilah and Ian before!
Thank you Berkley for the eARC and PRH Audio for the ALC!
3.5 ⭐️ rounded 🆙
True to form, this book packs some HEAT. Like, extra spicy, oh they’re at it again?!, wouldn’t want my mom to read spice. Honestly more than I normally look for, in my reads.
But it works because balancing all the 🥵 are deeply sweet, tender, heartfelt moments and character work. Jack and Abigail are both a little broken for different reasons (and Jack, literally, as he navigates a hockey injury). With that comes some great mental health rep, deeper conversations, and real opening up to the other.
Jack is also my favorite type of MMC: former playboy who is such a shit (affectionate) who is just feral for her. AND a hockey player which like, I am deeply into right now.
Add to that so many top tier tropes (brother’s best friend, forced proximity) and it’s a fun, spicey read.
🎧 I always adore Samantha Summers on a Lana Ferguson audio and she’s once again fantastic here. Nicholas Goroff matches her sooo well. Also it’s DUET and just so good, throughout.
Some of the beats I liked a little less (e.g. third act brake-up) and it didn’t hit quite as much as Lana’s stellar omegaverse stories have. I also don’t loveeee the dating siblings setup. But overall I enjoyed it.
‼️Also, one note: I really wish this were tagged as a series (elsewhere and on Goodreads). I knew Lana had written hockey romance before, but since I didn’t see this as related anywhere, I figured it was fully a standalone. I was definitely a little confused early on lacking some of the context from The Game Changer. By the time I realized they were interconnected, I was in too deep here to pivot. It works on its own but probably works a lot better if you’ve met Delilah and Ian before!
Thank you Berkley for the eARC and PRH Audio for the ALC!
3.5 ⭐️ rounded 🆙
May 13, 2026
*Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House, for the free copy for review.*
Review: A riveting roommates-to-lovers romance!
“The Final Score” follows Jack Baker, a hockey player, and Abigail “Abby” Thompson, a grad student, after living under the same roof breaks the ice between them.
On top of some hilarious banter and Ferguson’s trademark spice, I loved the depth of the characters in this one! Both move in together with emotional baggage. While Abby is working through her tumultuous relationship with her father, Jack is struggling to accept what a life without playing hockey looks like. Ferguson handles the topic of mental health with care and the characters’ vulnerability reads as raw and relatable.
The roommates out of necessity plotline was phenomenal, creating the perfect amount of forced proximity for their connection to develop naturally. Spending every day together allows the two to grow closer and work through their hardships side by side. Despite Abby initially trying to keep her distance, they compliment each other perfectly and the slow build up of tension culminates in so many swoony and heartfelt moments.
The dialogue was repetitive at times and the third-act breakup felt a bit abrupt, but I still found the book enjoyable overall.
➤ 4 stars
Review cross-posted to: Book Blog | Bookstagram | Amazon
Review: A riveting roommates-to-lovers romance!
“The Final Score” follows Jack Baker, a hockey player, and Abigail “Abby” Thompson, a grad student, after living under the same roof breaks the ice between them.
On top of some hilarious banter and Ferguson’s trademark spice, I loved the depth of the characters in this one! Both move in together with emotional baggage. While Abby is working through her tumultuous relationship with her father, Jack is struggling to accept what a life without playing hockey looks like. Ferguson handles the topic of mental health with care and the characters’ vulnerability reads as raw and relatable.
The roommates out of necessity plotline was phenomenal, creating the perfect amount of forced proximity for their connection to develop naturally. Spending every day together allows the two to grow closer and work through their hardships side by side. Despite Abby initially trying to keep her distance, they compliment each other perfectly and the slow build up of tension culminates in so many swoony and heartfelt moments.
The dialogue was repetitive at times and the third-act breakup felt a bit abrupt, but I still found the book enjoyable overall.
➤ 4 stars
Review cross-posted to: Book Blog | Bookstagram | Amazon
July 11, 2026
Book 109 of 2026
I hate to say it, but this wasn’t my favorite of Lana Ferguson’s books. Is it bad? Absolutely not. But there were two key issues for me —
1. The male narrator …it’s not that he was bad. He was just *so* far from how I imagined Jack sounding. I thought I’d get used to it, but I didn’t & it bothered me the whole time. I think he’d be great reading those opening lines of the Star Wars movies, but it didn’t work for me here.
2. I can appreciate a good growth arc for a character, especially when they overcome a trauma or mental health struggles or certain triggers. But it’s a *very* fine line of how many times a character can “snap” before I stop wanting them to be deserving of a HEA. I think I can forgive it fictionally, but towards the end I just couldn’t help but wish for one less of those scenes.
Overall, there was more good than bad. I’d definitely go the route of the ebook or physical copy if I could do it again, though. I think it would’ve been a little more enjoyable.
Format: audiobook (Spotify)
*duet narration - Samantha Summers (she was great) & Nicholas Goroff
I hate to say it, but this wasn’t my favorite of Lana Ferguson’s books. Is it bad? Absolutely not. But there were two key issues for me —
1. The male narrator …it’s not that he was bad. He was just *so* far from how I imagined Jack sounding. I thought I’d get used to it, but I didn’t & it bothered me the whole time. I think he’d be great reading those opening lines of the Star Wars movies, but it didn’t work for me here.
2. I can appreciate a good growth arc for a character, especially when they overcome a trauma or mental health struggles or certain triggers. But it’s a *very* fine line of how many times a character can “snap” before I stop wanting them to be deserving of a HEA. I think I can forgive it fictionally, but towards the end I just couldn’t help but wish for one less of those scenes.
Overall, there was more good than bad. I’d definitely go the route of the ebook or physical copy if I could do it again, though. I think it would’ve been a little more enjoyable.
Format: audiobook (Spotify)
*duet narration - Samantha Summers (she was great) & Nicholas Goroff
July 4, 2026
The Final Score completely delivers on the steam, the laughs, and all the feels! After meeting Jack in The Game Changer, I've been dying for his story! Jack initially seems like your typical flirty athlete, but underneath all that swagger, he’s secretly hurting and trying to figure out who he is without the rink. Abby has plenty of her own walls up, but as they start confiding in each other, their late-night chats turn into a high-heat fling that is so fun to read. I absolutely loved watching the ice melt between these two!
More than just another spicy hockey romance, this book was overflowing with emotional depth. The mental health rep was absolutely top-tier! As a reader with ADHD myself, I felt incredibly seen by Jack’s character. You could tell that Lana put a lot of thought and research into developing his character. It felt very authentic. It also helped that Abby was studying psychology, allowing for a hearty dialogue filled with healthy communication and emotional awareness.
If you're looking for something that balances heavy heat with real, emotional depth, you should definitely pick up this book! You won’t regret it!
4.5⭐️ rounded up
More than just another spicy hockey romance, this book was overflowing with emotional depth. The mental health rep was absolutely top-tier! As a reader with ADHD myself, I felt incredibly seen by Jack’s character. You could tell that Lana put a lot of thought and research into developing his character. It felt very authentic. It also helped that Abby was studying psychology, allowing for a hearty dialogue filled with healthy communication and emotional awareness.
If you're looking for something that balances heavy heat with real, emotional depth, you should definitely pick up this book! You won’t regret it!
4.5⭐️ rounded up
July 12, 2026
Half a star off for the ridiculous hockey schedule/no team doctor, half a star bonus for the chapter 11 Sleep Token reference combing for a 4⭐️ read.
July 11, 2026
loved the cover but this was so disappointing
July 10, 2026
so this…kinda sucked?!
July 11, 2026
Most sports romances treat the sport as wallpaper. A jersey, a rink, a big win somewhere near the end. This one opens with a man being told he might never play again, and then it makes you sit in that room while he smiles about it anyway.
That opening image, a twelve-year-old boy learning that a held smile makes your cheeks ache, is the thesis of The Final Score by Lana Ferguson. Everything after it is the slow business of prying that smile off her hero's face.
Face-Off: The Setup, Without Giving the Game Away
Jack Baker plays for the Boston Druids, and he has just clawed his way back onto the ice after an injury he brought on himself doing something spectacularly dumb. The comeback lasts about as long as it takes to say the word. He goes down again, harder, and this time the doctors talk about surgery and permanence. Jack, the strong one for his little sister since their parents died, has no idea who he is without the skates.
Abigail Thompson is finishing a psychology grad program, pulling coffee shop shifts, deleting texts from a father who treats her existence as a public relations problem. When flooding forces her out of her Back Bay studio, the only spare room going belongs to her half brother's best friend. That would be Jack. The flirt. The loudmouth. Exactly the species of man she has trained herself to avoid.
You already know what proximity is going to do here. That is the contract you sign with a book like this. The pleasure is in watching two people who are both quietly falling apart decide, almost against their will, to hold each other up.
The Players
Jack Baker Is the Best Thing on This Roster
Ferguson has said in her acknowledgments that Jack is her favorite hero she has written, and you can feel it on nearly every page. He is a chronic people pleaser with a beta blocker in his bedside drawer and a panic attack waiting behind the grin. He is also very funny, in a way that never feels like the author reaching for a joke. He calls a charcuterie board a "shark coochie board" and refuses to be corrected. He makes nachos as a coping mechanism.
What lifts him above the usual golden retriever hockey hero is how unglamorous his anxiety is allowed to be. He tears his bedroom apart hunting for a pill. He shakes on the floor while Abby counts his breathing. He says something cruel to the one person who has been gentle with him, because the fear has nowhere else to go, and the book does not let him off the hook for it. Romance heroes are usually granted a tidy, decorative sadness. Jack gets a messy one, and no kiss cures it.
Abby Thompson Is a Harder Sell, and That Is the Point
Abby is prickly, guarded, and openly contemptuous of Jack for the first stretch of the book. Readers who need to like a heroine on sight may struggle. Stay put. She is the daughter a famous man had in secret and then resented for existing, and Ferguson traces that damage with real care. The scenes where Abby drinks tea with the woman her father cheated on to have her are among the strangest and best in the novel.
Her arc is the quieter one. Jack has to learn he is more than a job. Abby has to learn that being loved is a skill nobody ever bothered to teach her, and that letting someone spoil you is not the same as owing them.
Ferguson's Voice: Banter, Heat, and the Occasional Over-Explanation
The dual first-person present tense is standard issue for the genre, and Ferguson handles it lightly. Jack's chapters are loose and chaotic. Abby's are drier, tighter, full of the small internal negotiations of a woman who has decided that wanting things is dangerous.
Dialogue is the engine. Ferguson writes bickering that sounds like two people enjoying themselves rather than two people being written at, and the drift from insult to flirtation to something tender happens so gradually you only clock it in hindsight. The heat, when it arrives, is explicit, frequent, and in character. Jack talks. Abby discovers she likes being talked to. There is a hiking trail scene that will either delight you or send you looking for a different book, and I suspect you already know which one you are.
Where the prose strains is in the interiority. Both narrators explain their own psychology back to us, and because Abby is training to be a therapist, the book hands her lines that read like a workbook rather than a woman. Several emotional beats land twice, once as scene and once as summary. The second pass is rarely needed.
Reading It as a Companion Novel
This follows The Game Changer, and it runs on a nice bit of symmetry. That book gave us Ian and Delilah, where Ian was the best friend falling for Jack's sister. Now Jack is the best friend falling for Ian's sister, and he milks the irony for everything it is worth, to Ian's visible distress.
You can read The Final Score by Lana Ferguson as a standalone. The backstory gets re-laid and the emotional stakes are self-contained. That said, the group scenes carry a warmth you will only half feel without the first book.
What Works
Jack Baker, unreservedly. Anxious, generous, mouthy, and written with unusual tenderness.
Mental health treated as ordinary. Medication is normal. Therapy is normal. Nobody is healed by orgasm.
Dialogue that is actually funny rather than functionally funny.
Stakes that hurt. A career ending is treated as a real loss, not a speed bump before the epilogue.
A found family that feels lived in, particularly Aunt Bea and the odd, tender friendship between Abby and her brother's mother.
An ending that resolves the injury question honestly instead of miracle-curing it.
Where the Puck Misses the Net
The middle sags. Once the two of them settle into a rhythm, the book coasts for several chapters on domestic sweetness and bedroom scenes with very little forward pressure.
The third-act rupture is visible from a long way off, and it resolves along entirely familiar lines.
Abby's father is a villain with no interior. He functions as a pressure system, never as a person.
The hockey is thin. For a novel named after a score, there is startlingly little of the game rendered with any specificity. Come for the men, not the sport.
The emotional over-explanation noted above, which flattens a few scenes that had already done their work.
Who Should Read This
Best suited for
Readers who like their hockey romance heavy on feelings, high on heat, and low on actual line changes. Fans of brother's best friend, forced proximity, one-roof tension, and heroes who cry.
Probably skip if
You need a slow burn, a clean read, a heroine who is warm from page one, or a book that actually cares about the sport in its title.
Final Buzzer
The Final Score by Lana Ferguson is not a flawless book. It sprawls in the middle, it under-uses its own sport, and it explains a few things it had already shown beautifully. But it does the hardest thing a romance can do, which is make you believe that two damaged people are actually good for each other rather than simply drawn to each other.
Jack Baker will stay with me. The book around him is uneven. The man at the center of it is not.
That opening image, a twelve-year-old boy learning that a held smile makes your cheeks ache, is the thesis of The Final Score by Lana Ferguson. Everything after it is the slow business of prying that smile off her hero's face.
Face-Off: The Setup, Without Giving the Game Away
Jack Baker plays for the Boston Druids, and he has just clawed his way back onto the ice after an injury he brought on himself doing something spectacularly dumb. The comeback lasts about as long as it takes to say the word. He goes down again, harder, and this time the doctors talk about surgery and permanence. Jack, the strong one for his little sister since their parents died, has no idea who he is without the skates.
Abigail Thompson is finishing a psychology grad program, pulling coffee shop shifts, deleting texts from a father who treats her existence as a public relations problem. When flooding forces her out of her Back Bay studio, the only spare room going belongs to her half brother's best friend. That would be Jack. The flirt. The loudmouth. Exactly the species of man she has trained herself to avoid.
You already know what proximity is going to do here. That is the contract you sign with a book like this. The pleasure is in watching two people who are both quietly falling apart decide, almost against their will, to hold each other up.
The Players
Jack Baker Is the Best Thing on This Roster
Ferguson has said in her acknowledgments that Jack is her favorite hero she has written, and you can feel it on nearly every page. He is a chronic people pleaser with a beta blocker in his bedside drawer and a panic attack waiting behind the grin. He is also very funny, in a way that never feels like the author reaching for a joke. He calls a charcuterie board a "shark coochie board" and refuses to be corrected. He makes nachos as a coping mechanism.
What lifts him above the usual golden retriever hockey hero is how unglamorous his anxiety is allowed to be. He tears his bedroom apart hunting for a pill. He shakes on the floor while Abby counts his breathing. He says something cruel to the one person who has been gentle with him, because the fear has nowhere else to go, and the book does not let him off the hook for it. Romance heroes are usually granted a tidy, decorative sadness. Jack gets a messy one, and no kiss cures it.
Abby Thompson Is a Harder Sell, and That Is the Point
Abby is prickly, guarded, and openly contemptuous of Jack for the first stretch of the book. Readers who need to like a heroine on sight may struggle. Stay put. She is the daughter a famous man had in secret and then resented for existing, and Ferguson traces that damage with real care. The scenes where Abby drinks tea with the woman her father cheated on to have her are among the strangest and best in the novel.
Her arc is the quieter one. Jack has to learn he is more than a job. Abby has to learn that being loved is a skill nobody ever bothered to teach her, and that letting someone spoil you is not the same as owing them.
Ferguson's Voice: Banter, Heat, and the Occasional Over-Explanation
The dual first-person present tense is standard issue for the genre, and Ferguson handles it lightly. Jack's chapters are loose and chaotic. Abby's are drier, tighter, full of the small internal negotiations of a woman who has decided that wanting things is dangerous.
Dialogue is the engine. Ferguson writes bickering that sounds like two people enjoying themselves rather than two people being written at, and the drift from insult to flirtation to something tender happens so gradually you only clock it in hindsight. The heat, when it arrives, is explicit, frequent, and in character. Jack talks. Abby discovers she likes being talked to. There is a hiking trail scene that will either delight you or send you looking for a different book, and I suspect you already know which one you are.
Where the prose strains is in the interiority. Both narrators explain their own psychology back to us, and because Abby is training to be a therapist, the book hands her lines that read like a workbook rather than a woman. Several emotional beats land twice, once as scene and once as summary. The second pass is rarely needed.
Reading It as a Companion Novel
This follows The Game Changer, and it runs on a nice bit of symmetry. That book gave us Ian and Delilah, where Ian was the best friend falling for Jack's sister. Now Jack is the best friend falling for Ian's sister, and he milks the irony for everything it is worth, to Ian's visible distress.
You can read The Final Score by Lana Ferguson as a standalone. The backstory gets re-laid and the emotional stakes are self-contained. That said, the group scenes carry a warmth you will only half feel without the first book.
What Works
Jack Baker, unreservedly. Anxious, generous, mouthy, and written with unusual tenderness.
Mental health treated as ordinary. Medication is normal. Therapy is normal. Nobody is healed by orgasm.
Dialogue that is actually funny rather than functionally funny.
Stakes that hurt. A career ending is treated as a real loss, not a speed bump before the epilogue.
A found family that feels lived in, particularly Aunt Bea and the odd, tender friendship between Abby and her brother's mother.
An ending that resolves the injury question honestly instead of miracle-curing it.
Where the Puck Misses the Net
The middle sags. Once the two of them settle into a rhythm, the book coasts for several chapters on domestic sweetness and bedroom scenes with very little forward pressure.
The third-act rupture is visible from a long way off, and it resolves along entirely familiar lines.
Abby's father is a villain with no interior. He functions as a pressure system, never as a person.
The hockey is thin. For a novel named after a score, there is startlingly little of the game rendered with any specificity. Come for the men, not the sport.
The emotional over-explanation noted above, which flattens a few scenes that had already done their work.
Who Should Read This
Best suited for
Readers who like their hockey romance heavy on feelings, high on heat, and low on actual line changes. Fans of brother's best friend, forced proximity, one-roof tension, and heroes who cry.
Probably skip if
You need a slow burn, a clean read, a heroine who is warm from page one, or a book that actually cares about the sport in its title.
Final Buzzer
The Final Score by Lana Ferguson is not a flawless book. It sprawls in the middle, it under-uses its own sport, and it explains a few things it had already shown beautifully. But it does the hardest thing a romance can do, which is make you believe that two damaged people are actually good for each other rather than simply drawn to each other.
Jack Baker will stay with me. The book around him is uneven. The man at the center of it is not.
July 14, 2026
2.5 ⭐️I wanted to like this, but the list of things I was annoyed with just kept growing beyond my appreciation for it being a light and fluffy read.
The grumpy x sunshine teasing banter/dialogue felt so forced to make up for the lack of emotional development between Jack and Abby. They have individual trauma that they kind of support each other through (-her way more so than him), but their connection was on the shallow side. The whole book takes place in SIX WEEKS, after all, and then the epilogue is only six months later.
Soooo much of this book tied in to what happened in The Game Changer that it being labeled a standalone is puzzling. For example, I have NO memory of the specifics of what Abby’s dad did to her and since it was not really re-explained, he was just this figure in her life constantly calling/texting to harass her. It was confusing to feel like a conflict/villain was being built up without any details.
Summary:
Abby Thompson feels like she has hit rock bottom. The dust may finally be settling after the scandal that severed ties between her and her narcissistic father, but a burst pipe in her apartment has her crashing on the couch of Ian and Delila, her half brother and the girlfriend he is very much in love with… if you know what I mean🙉😖. She never would’ve believed her saving grace would come in the form of a spare room offered by Ian’s best friend (who also happens to be Delila’s brother), Jack Baker. Accepting it begrudgingly in an attempt to finish her last weeks of grad school for psychiatry strong, she was surprised to find there was more to him beyond the facade of his flirty personality and inability to take anything seriously. Navigating his own rock bottom after re-injuring his arm immediately upon his return to the ice playing professional hockey with Ian, he is spiraling after getting the news that his injury is way more serious than he first thought. Continuing to play might mean he never plays again and is forced into an unwanted early retirement. Who is he if he isn’t the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needs him?! Their heart-to-hearts over nachos and pancakes bring them closer and closer and soon enough they are sharing more than secrets!
Spoilers ahead…
In the acknowledgements, Lana Ferguson said Jack is probably her favorite MMC she has written and… I could not disagree more. He is a manchild and I found him kind of insufferable, honestly.
Know the scene in Off Campus when Hannah is late to Garrett’s big game and he is anxiously pacing? Then she comes in and instead of snapping at her for not being there or being reachable, he checks that she is okay??? Jack Baker COULD NEVER. As we know from their third-act-breakup, Jack took all his anger out on her despite her literally pointing out it to him while it was happening.
Jack is like a teenage boy in a man’s body with all his dick jokes, sexual innuendos, and inability to be guided into a logical decision about his injury by both medical professionals AND his trusted people until HE decides he’s finally ready. He was such a baby about it and there was an immaturity to him that was very off-putting.
I don’t see them working long-term, but then again…. he needs an in-house therapist and she needs someone to spoil her, so maybe they’re the perfect match.
I was ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS Abby apologized to him for walking out after their argument/breakup. It put them on equal ground after the argument and that ground WAS NOT EQUAL. She was right to walk out after being spoken to like that and after cutting ties with her dad, I would’ve liked to see her keep some of that backbone.
Abby being hit by a bike also sped up the resolution of the third-act-breakup and cheapened it. It gave Jack such an easy path to forgiveness with the ‘I thought I lost you, I’m so sorry’ and the use of that near-death experience trope ruined the ending for me. It could’ve been stronger if he actually had to man up and apologize without her injury lean on.
The grumpy x sunshine teasing banter/dialogue felt so forced to make up for the lack of emotional development between Jack and Abby. They have individual trauma that they kind of support each other through (-her way more so than him), but their connection was on the shallow side. The whole book takes place in SIX WEEKS, after all, and then the epilogue is only six months later.
Soooo much of this book tied in to what happened in The Game Changer that it being labeled a standalone is puzzling. For example, I have NO memory of the specifics of what Abby’s dad did to her and since it was not really re-explained, he was just this figure in her life constantly calling/texting to harass her. It was confusing to feel like a conflict/villain was being built up without any details.
Summary:
Abby Thompson feels like she has hit rock bottom. The dust may finally be settling after the scandal that severed ties between her and her narcissistic father, but a burst pipe in her apartment has her crashing on the couch of Ian and Delila, her half brother and the girlfriend he is very much in love with… if you know what I mean🙉😖. She never would’ve believed her saving grace would come in the form of a spare room offered by Ian’s best friend (who also happens to be Delila’s brother), Jack Baker. Accepting it begrudgingly in an attempt to finish her last weeks of grad school for psychiatry strong, she was surprised to find there was more to him beyond the facade of his flirty personality and inability to take anything seriously. Navigating his own rock bottom after re-injuring his arm immediately upon his return to the ice playing professional hockey with Ian, he is spiraling after getting the news that his injury is way more serious than he first thought. Continuing to play might mean he never plays again and is forced into an unwanted early retirement. Who is he if he isn’t the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needs him?! Their heart-to-hearts over nachos and pancakes bring them closer and closer and soon enough they are sharing more than secrets!
Spoilers ahead…
In the acknowledgements, Lana Ferguson said Jack is probably her favorite MMC she has written and… I could not disagree more. He is a manchild and I found him kind of insufferable, honestly.
Know the scene in Off Campus when Hannah is late to Garrett’s big game and he is anxiously pacing? Then she comes in and instead of snapping at her for not being there or being reachable, he checks that she is okay??? Jack Baker COULD NEVER. As we know from their third-act-breakup, Jack took all his anger out on her despite her literally pointing out it to him while it was happening.
Jack is like a teenage boy in a man’s body with all his dick jokes, sexual innuendos, and inability to be guided into a logical decision about his injury by both medical professionals AND his trusted people until HE decides he’s finally ready. He was such a baby about it and there was an immaturity to him that was very off-putting.
I don’t see them working long-term, but then again…. he needs an in-house therapist and she needs someone to spoil her, so maybe they’re the perfect match.
I was ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS Abby apologized to him for walking out after their argument/breakup. It put them on equal ground after the argument and that ground WAS NOT EQUAL. She was right to walk out after being spoken to like that and after cutting ties with her dad, I would’ve liked to see her keep some of that backbone.
Abby being hit by a bike also sped up the resolution of the third-act-breakup and cheapened it. It gave Jack such an easy path to forgiveness with the ‘I thought I lost you, I’m so sorry’ and the use of that near-death experience trope ruined the ending for me. It could’ve been stronger if he actually had to man up and apologize without her injury lean on.
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