Some books feel like slipping into a memory you didn’t know you had, and this one did exactly that. Penelope inherits her grandparents’ Brentwood home — a stunning architectural gem worth millions — and suddenly she’s drowning in property taxes she can’t pay. Her mother’s solution is simple: sell it. But for Penelope, that house is the only place she ever felt truly happy, the one space that held her childhood together. Letting it go would be like letting go of herself.
And then there’s August — who also grew up in that house, who loved her grandparents like his own, and who still drives her grandfather’s restored car, the Growler. Their histories are tangled long before the romance even begins.
August comes from a big, loud, loving football dynasty. His father is a Hall of Famer, his brothers are practically folklore, and August himself is the shiny new first-round draft pick for LA. Except the pressure is eating him alive. Cue the viral video of him shirtless, in a purple faux-fur coat, doing the chicken dance on a table. His anxiety is spiraling, and the team’s PR department is done with his shenanigans.
So what’s the solution? A fake fiancée, of course.
When Penelope walks into August’s house and finds him there, they have the world’s most awkward reunion — just repeating each other’s names like two malfunctioning robots. They’ve known each other their whole lives, but they’ve also spent those same years misreading each other so spectacularly that it’s almost impressive. She thinks he goes numb because he dislikes her. He goes numb because she short-circuits his entire nervous system. Classic.
When August asks her to be his fake fiancée, Penelope agrees out of loyalty to his family — even though she refuses to let him pay her taxes. Their engagement starts stiff and uncomfortable, but slowly, beautifully, the truth of their feelings begins to surface. August finds peace with her. Penelope feels safe with him. And because they grew up together, there’s this effortless intimacy between them — a shared history that makes their connection feel inevitable.
One of my favorite parts is the childhood incident that shaped everything: Penelope at eight, August at nine, a baseball to the face courtesy of March. August running to her, shirt off, pressing it to her cut, holding her in his lap and rocking her while January sprinted for the adults. That moment is the emotional root system of their entire relationship. They’ve been each other’s soft place to land since they were kids.
Once their relationship becomes real — and yes, the sexy times are very yummy — a new problem emerges: everyone expects a wedding. But they’re still figuring out what they are, what they want, and how permanent this is. Cue more miscommunication, because apparently these two geniuses still haven’t learned to use their words.
But the payoff is worth it. Every plot thread ties up beautifully. Their love grows into something tender and steady — the kind of love that aches when he’s away for games and bursts with joy when he comes home to her.
Their togetherness is easy. Sweet. Deeply satisfying.
This story gave me everything I wanted: childhood history, found family, slow-burn longing, mutual pining, emotional healing, and a romance that feels both inevitable and earned. I closed the book with a full heart and a big smile.
Purchase links
https://www.amazon.com/Only-Gameday-Kristen-Callihan-ebook/dp/B0F7CJWTJ9
About the author
Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather do. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards.
Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. In 2015, Kristen received a RITA Award for Best Paranormal Romance for her novel Evernight.
Kristen is a child of the 80s, which means she s worn neon skirts, black lace gloves, and combat boots although never all at once and can quote John Hughes movies with the best of them. A lifelong daydreamer, she finally realized the characters in her head needed a proper home and thus hit the keyboard. She believes falling in love is one of the headiest experiences a person can have, so naturally she writes romance. Her love of superheroes, action movies, and history led her to write historical paranormal novels. She lives in the Washington, DC, with her husband and two children.
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