Tag: appies

ARC Book Review: As You Ice It (Appies #7) by Emma St. Clair

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 334 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

f at first you don’t succeed, DO NOT try, try again. At least not when it comes to dating a hockey player.

When Naomi met Camden Cole on Oakley Island, she assumed he would be gone in a week or two like any other tourist passing through.

Perfect for a fun summer relationship. A temporary one.

As a single mom to ten-year-old Liam, she’s not holding out hope for husband material and is way too skittish about commitment to consider more.

So when both Naomi and Liam start getting too attached, she cuts Camden loose. Better to end things before either of their hearts could get broken.

But the joke’s on her—they broke anyway.

As an added punchline (and gut punch), her job relocates her to the town of Harvest Hollow—where Camden plays for the Appies.

It’s FINE, Naomi tells herself. He’s a professional hockey player with a busy career. Their paths will never cross.

And they probably wouldn’t have—if not for Liam’s newfound hockey obsession.

Now, Naomi is right back where she was last summer—with the same feelings and the same desire to protect her and Liam.

But when Camden wants to go all-in with her and Liam, is Naomi ready to stop running?

As You Ice It is a closed door hockey romance with all the sizzle and swoon, but no spice.

This is part of the Appies hockey romance series, featuring Just Don’t Fall, Absolutely Not in Love, a Groom of One’s Own, Romancing the Grump, Runaway Bride and Prejudice, and When Alec Met Evie. These books are standalones but may be best read in order. Related If All Else Sails.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

OH HOW I ADORED THIS BOOK.

This was a huge surprise to me that this story was coming and y’all, I NEEDED it and didn’t even know it. I loved seeing Naomi and Camden’s love story get its own book. It was incredibly soft and tender. It’s low angst but high tension and filled with alllll of the communication. This book brought me peace every time I picked it up.

And getting to see the entire Appies team one more time was hitting me in the feels. The group texts and friendships make this book. I love how large this family is and how they treat and love each other through the highs and lows.

AND DO NOT WORRY, DO NOT FEAR, the jersey moment there and it was *on fire*. BLESS SPORTS ROMANCES.

Overall audience notes:

  • Hockey Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: a loved one with early on-set dementia

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ARC Book Review: Romancing the Grump (Appies) by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 358 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s a grump and happy to stay that way. But can her sunshine melt the ice around his heart?

Nathan Sanders didn’t earn his reputation as the grouchiest player on the Appies minor league hockey team by chance. So when Summer Callahan breezes into his life with her flirtatious smiles and endless charm, he responds like he always he completely ignores her.

But Summer is intrigued by the surly center, and she won’t be deterred quite so easily. She’s convinced that the ones with the hardest shells on the outside are often the softest underneath. And she’s determined to prove it.

Romancing the Grump is a closed door grumpy sunshine hockey romcom with heart and humor, sizzle but no spice. Perfect for fans of sports romance who want a little less heat. Books in the Appies Hockey Romance series connect to Just Don’t Fall & Absolutely Not in Love from the Sweater Weather series, but all books stand alone and can be read in any order.

Thank you to the author for an eARC and gifted copy.

THIS BOOK.

Gosh, Jenny Proctor, DOES NOT MISS. I have been anxiously waiting for another Appies books and this was incredible. An all consuming kind of romance with the push and pull angst that leaves you breathless. And the kissing scenes??? YES PLEASE.

I loved Nathan and Summer (yay for dual POV!). Their chemistry was so easy to see and you just felt that draw between them. I loved how Nathan’s struggles with relationships were handled and that he had space to work through his own trauma to find love with Summer. And I loved how brave and bold Summer was. She leaned into the fear of not knowing how the situation would unfold and I loved that for her. The dialogue and banter was, as always, swoony and fun. And I can’t get enough of the strong friendships and families throughout. I love the support the other Appies players provide and the comradery between everyone.

I could go on and on about how many scenes I adored (why yes, we get another JERSEY SCENE Y’ALL) and the sweetness of the relationship between Summer and Nathan. I loved everything about this.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: heated kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: workplace harassment, death of a parent (recounted, alcoholism)

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ARC Book Review: A Groom of One’s Own (Appies Series) by Emma St. Clair

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 345 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He always dreamed of getting married–but for love, not to avoid deportation.

Eli Hopkins has it all–almost. A hockey career with the wildly popular Appies. Teammates who are like brothers. The only thing he’s missing is someone to share it all with. Oh–and correctly filed visa paperwork. Due to administrative error, Eli is about to lose everything. Unless he can find someone to marry him in the next thirty days. And he might have the perfect woman in mind. The only problem? He’d like to marry her for real, not simply for legal purposes. Now Eli faces the challenge of winning over a wife who thinks the marriage is in name only …

A Groom of One’s Own is a closed door marriage of convenience hockey romcom with heart and humor, sizzle but NO spice. Perfect for fans of sports romance who want a little less heat. This book connects to Just Don’t Fall & Absolutely Not in Love from the Sweater Weather series, but all books can be read as standalones.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

SO TENDER.

I love the way Emma St. Clair books make me feel. They are the right balance of heart and humor that make me smile and swoon. I love the kissing scenes and the characters and the way the plot works out with each story and this was no exception.

I adored Eli and Bailey. All the stars for getting dual POV. I loooved how Eli was the best kind of golden retriever MMC. Heart on his sleeve, big feelings and all the protectiveness. Good heavens I couldn’t get enough of him. And Bailey? Loved her too. I loved her shyness but willingness to be bold and open to her relationship and situation.

With just the right level of hockey content and omg a jersey moment, y’all know I LOVE JERSEY MOMENTS. And this whole group of hockey players/friends? AH I LOVE THEM ALL. The wedding scene was sweetest, softest moment and I’m still a melted puddle of those longing looks and heated kisses. And now I’m obsessing over many other scenes and y’all just need to read this one ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (past), grandmother with dementia (on page), mom with chronic illness (on page)

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