THE END GAME
by Michael Scott Clifton
Contemporary Sports Romance | 368 Pages | Publication Date: August 8, 2025
Campaign Highlights
“With its small-town, underdog-basketball-team-goes-to-the-state-championship feel-good story, paired with a sweet romance, The End Game checks all my boxes for an incredibly satisfying read.” ~Carpe Diem Chronicles
“Ted Lasso meets basketball.” ~StoreyBook Reviews
“The End Game by Michael Scott Clifton is a delightful read that blends romance and sports while exploring the human connection.” ~Book Fidelity
“You don’t need to be a basketball fan or a sports fan to enjoy this simultaneously sweet and tense, humorous and introspective novel.” ~LSLL/Jill Anderson
“Clifton nails it. He captures the messy, imperfect humanity of a team and makes you root for every single one of them…sometimes, the real win is just having the courage to play.” ~Ames for the Stars
“Exhilarating and emotion-filled! A triumphant underdog story and satisfying sports romance.” ~Boys’ Mom Reads
“Every win, every struggle, every ounce of sweat feels real.“ ~TX Lit Chic
“The writing is great, the story polished, and the pace is faster than a one-minute shooting drill.” ~The Book’s Delight
Campaign Schedule
| 09/16/25 | Carpe Diem Chronicles | Review |
| 09/17/25 | LSLL | Spotlight |
| 09/18/25 | The Page Unbound | Spotlight |
| 09/20/25 | The Book’s Delight | Review |
| *09/28/25 | Book Fidelity | Review |
| 09/23/25 | Ames for the Stars | Review |
| 09/24/25 | The TX Lit Chic | Review |
| 09/26/25 | Boys’ Mom Reads | Review |
| 09/27/25 | LSLL | Review |
| 09/28/25 | Rebecca R. Cahill, Author | Spotlight |
| 09/29/25 | StoreyBook Reviews | Review |
Synopsis
Eager to put his past behind him, Chris Cooper takes the head basketball job at Mayfield High School in Northeast Texas. Haunted by a history of rocky relationships, he’s surprised by the sparks his landlady, single mom, Jennie Sloan, ignites in him.
Despite trust issues from her own tumultuous past, something about the tall coach with emerald-green eyes makes Jennie believe in second chances. When her young son bonds with Cooper, the barriers Jennie built around her heart begin to crumble.
Excited about the raw potential of his team, Cooper is blindsided by Rocco Rawlings, the arrogant Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. The AD demands Cooper’s entire team play football. When Cooper refuses, Rawlings works to undermine the basketball program, and Cooper is forced to find inventive ways to succeed.
As the stakes rise on and off the court, Cooper and Jennie must contend with the demons of their past to protect the fragile flame they’ve lit, while Cooper’s scrappy team—fueled by grit, heart and a shared dream—might just defy the odds and reach the ultimate end game.
A state championship.
About the Author
Michael Scott Clifton is a rapacious reader, gardener, and movie junkie. A resident of East Texas, he lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Melanie. A multi-award winning author, his books include The Treasure Hunt Club, The Janus Witch, and the Conquest of the Veil Series—The Open Portal, Escape From Wheel, A Witch’s Brew, and Cavern of the Veil Queen, and the award-wining Teen/YA novel, Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator. Pringle Prawn, an urban fantasy novel, is a 2024 Reader’s Favorite Book Award winner. Google him @authormsclifton, or visit his website at www.michaelscottclifton.com
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