This fourth book in Ari Baran’s Penalty Box series is a second-chance romance featuring two top-flight hockey players who are at or near the end of their playing careers and are not handling the prospect of change at all well. It’s an emotional and very messy story, somewhat darker and more sombre in tone than…
I’ve tried to get away from insta-reads from my favorite authors in recent years because inevitably, they’re going to hit a low note and it’s so disappointing when it happens. Tessa Bailey has been on my ‘tentative’ list for a couple years now because with her rapid publishing schedule, sometimes there’s a sameness to her…
Home Ice Advantage is the third book in Ari Baran’s Penalty Box series, and my favourite so far. It’s a rivals-to-lovers romance between two guys in their forties, both former players-turned-coaches working with a struggling hockey team in a rebuilding year. I admit that I struggled with some of the hockey nitty-gritty – which had…
The Game Changer is the latest offering from Lana Ferguson following her big hit, The Fake Mate. This is a hockey romance with the brother’s best friend trope and for those that like their books spicy, this one is just as steamy as her last two books. The first half of the story is lighthearted…
When I think of new adult sports romances, especially hockey related ones, Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy immediately come to mind as my favourites of the genre. So when I heard of Unsteady by Peyton Corinne, at first a viral TikTok sensation of 2023 that was then picked up and published by Atria books, I…
If you love smart hockey romances with leads that act like grownups and writing that shows a commitment to excellence, you, like me, will not enjoy this book. Our heroine, Astrid, is yet another romance heroine with zero interest in romance. Five years ago, she was left at the altar by a hockey star and…
Canadian Boyfriend is shockingly weighty for the usually lighthearted Jenny Holiday, but heavy subject matter looks good on her. The book is just thoughtful enough to keep the winter chill away, but is also a completely trenchant character study. There’s a couple of quirks that keep this from reaching DIK status, but it’s a very…
Delay of Game is the second book in Ari Baran’s Penalty Box series of hockey romances, and it’s a complete change of tone and pace from their début, Game Misconduct. That book was full of raw edges, an angry, sometimes violent, antagonists-to-lovers romance in which the characters were struggling with addiction, trauma and self-destructive behaviour….
Rachel Reid’s Time to Shine is one of my most highly anticipated new books of 2023. The success of her much loved Game Changers series means reader expectations are high – and I’ll admit that while I really hoped this book would live up to them, I’ve also seen one too many an author fail…
I’ve picked up a few of Kate Meader’s Chicago Rebels hockey books before. Generally, they’re fine, but not great. This label fits Superstar perfectly. Pepper (yes, Pepper) Calhoun is the disaster-prone daughter of the Rebels’ hockey coach. She’s got a reputation as a jinx after her ex-boyfriend Kent had a career collapse following their breakup,…
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