ARC Review: Game Over (Oakwood Ranch #2) by Bella North
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Series: Oakwood Ranch #2
Author: Bella North
Published January 22nd 2026 by Bookouture
Goodreads Synopsis
His football days might be over. But the game is just beginning…
Forced out of the game by a career-ending injury, Dylan Sullivan is busy drowning his sorrows in the local bar. Slumped a few stools down, Izzy Brooks knocks back another bourbon. Her grandpa is selling the horses she loves, meaning she’s out of a job—and a home.
The next morning, Dylan wakes groggily to the sound of horses’ hooves—with zero memory of the night before. Unlucky for him, there’s a tougher-than-nails, sexy-as-hell ranch hand with a scowl the size of Texas to fill him in… Last night, Dylan bought eighteen horses to fill his family’s empty ranch. Izzy’s horses.
Izzy’s future relies on Dylan becoming the rancher he never planned to be. As she puts him through his paces, competitive sparks—and something even more sizzling—fly. And stolen moments amongst the haystacks start to feel like a new beginning for both of them.
But when Dylan gets a chance to rejoin the world of football, the hope in Izzy’s heart flatlines. Will he prove every misgiving she had about him true? Or will he realize the path he never expected to walk is the one leading to the happy ending he was looking for?
Game Over is a steamy but heartfelt enemies-to-lovers cowboy and sports romance, perfect for fans of Elsie Silver, Stephanie Archer and Liz Tomforde. The second in the Oakwood Ranch series, it can also be read as a standalone.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Following his injury on the field, Dylan Sullivan is devastating to learn that even though he's trained as much as possible to return, he's forced out of his sport. Drowning his sorrows, he drunkenly buys the neighbouring ranch's horses, and gets the beautiful ranch hand thrown in too. The only problem, she hate's him. Izzy Brooks is down on her luck, and when her grandfather sells up, she's out of a home too. Heading to Oakwood Ranch in her trailer, she's shocked to see that her new boss knows next to nothing about being a rancher, and she's relying on him to sort his shit out before it's too late.
Now when we first met Dylan in Score to Settle, I knew his story was going to be special, especially with the pain he was feeling so acutely because of the injury. He was really shaken by it all, and the fact that his two brother's were playing for his team, and he had to watch from the side-lines. Dylan's spiralling was getting out of control, to the point that everyone was worried for him, especially when he bought the horses. Dylan's growth across this book was exceptional, and it wasn't only because of his falling in love with Izzy. The relationship between the pair was fractious to start, and it was so realistic how they slowly, but utterly, fell in love with each other. I always adore books with found family, and this was definitely one of them. Izzy was well and truly taken into the Sullivan clan, and her daughter, Mad, was adored by them all - most of all Dylan. We saw more of Jake and Harper's relationship, so I hope that when Chase's book comes about, we'll see how Dylan, Izzy and Mad's little family are faring.
Dates Read:
October 12, 2025
Rating
4 Stars
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