The Game Changer by Julia Jarrett
The Cedar Creek Thunder #1
Small Town Sports Romance
February 10, 2026
⚾ Baseball x Small town
⚾ Millionaire
⚾ Single mom
⚾ Workplace
⚾ Age gap
⚾ Disability rep
I hired a single mom to help make my small town fall in love with a baseball team. And now I’m the one falling in love…with her.
Buying a small town baseball team might seem an odd choice for a millionaire tech developer, but I welcome the challenge.
Moving back to my hometown and reviving the once-beloved Cedar Creek Thunder is an impulsive attempt to find a deeper purpose, and a life that is measured in happiness rather than dollars.
A chance encounter with the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen has my temperature rising from more than the tea she’s spilled on me. When she walks into my office for an interview later that morning, it quickly becomes clear there’s no one better suited for the job .
Isla Forrester should be off limits, but with a smile that pierces my soul, the single mom is fire wrapped up in sweet temptation.
I’ve always had thick walls around my heart, but Isla and her son are breaking them down.
Now my sole purpose is getting her to believe that loving her is no challenge at all.
Start Reading Today: https://www.amazon.com/T-G-C-Julia-Jarrett-ebook/dp/B0FFCQR16N
The Game Changer by Julia Jarrett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
🎧📚ARC & ALC REVIEW📚🎧
I had the opportunity to both read an ARC and listen to an ALC of The Game Changer and because it is a first in a series, I read it first, then gave myself a pause and then listened. The beginning of a series sometimes throws a lot of information at you as far as side characters and this way I was able to highlight what I might need to know for the future, etc etc etc. Okay, well, enough about my reading OCD. LOL
Let’s talk about this story! I was “in it” from the beginning. I love the way that Julia set-up everything, from the meet-cute to everything that comes after. I had a sense of joviality from the moment I started reading. I was excited to see how the story would unfold and all the circumstances would evolve. The way Julia mirrored “real-life” in this story was top-notch. Honestly, there was never a point in this story where I felt like it was fictional. These were real people with real circumstances taking life by the ba11s and soaring! She did not miss a single detail, and she also didn’t throw in dramatics. Listen, this story had enough none-typical circumstances to navigate and adding “thrown-in” conflict would have come across as forced and just dumb and I love that Julia knew that. She told a story of three people coming together “to get through this thing called life” and it was poignant and sweet, sexy and thrilling, captivating and swoony! The small-town, family and friends vibe was strong and I’m just ridiculously happy about this story!
The duet performance by Connor Crais & Heather Firth “raised the roof” on this story! I couldn’t believe how lost I became inside this story while I listened to it. It’s not a long or short listen; it’s about average but I was lost in it! GAH, I love it when that happens! Huge 👏👏round of applause👏👏 to both narrators and of course Julia for writing this beautiful story!
The Game Changer by Julia Jarrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After selling his company, Luca has decided that he needs a new challenge and what better challenge than owning a baseball team. And just when he thinks life can’t get more complicated, enters Isla, a single mom who knocks him off his feet.
Isla is looking for a fresh start and when Luca offers her a job, she’s determined to be the best she could be. Soon sparks fly and the growing feelings became hard to ignore.
This was one of those books I couldn’t put down — everything about these two was perfect. And since this is book one in the new series – I’m more than ready for the next pair of HEA.
***Review copy requsted and reviewed on behalf of Julia Jarrett Review team***
MEET THE AUTHOR: Julia Jarrett has a passion for writing sexy, sweet, contemporary romance novels that are full of relatable heroines, and the swoon-worthy men who fall in love with them.
Julia is a busy mother of two boys, a happy wife to her real-life book boyfriend, and the owner of two rescue dogs. If you’re looking for her, she’s probably sitting in a comfy chair somewhere, drinking tea and dreaming of a sunny vacation.
www.authorjuliajarrett.com
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20173508.Julia_Jarrett
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-jarrett
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