Book Review: Rookie Season (The Boys of Loft 3B #1) by Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner

October 5, 2025September 20, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★.75
Audience: NA Sports Romance
Length: 330 pages
Author: Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s starting his rookie season in the NHL…

Noah Downsby has always had one goal: play professional hockey. Now that he’s finally made it, he’s determined to prove himself. And if he’s going to have the best rookie season in NHL history, he needs zero distractions.

But Noah didn’t plan for Allegra—Ally—Callahan moving in with him.

With her sassy smile, smart mouth, and bad habit of ‘borrowing’ his jerseys—nevermind her stupid cat who won’t stop sleeping in his bed—one thing’s for

Ally is officially a distraction.

…She’s moving across the country to start over.

The rumors say she’s a bad girl, but they’re all lies. Lies that have ruined her reputation.

So when Ally’s offered a fresh start in San Francisco, she packs up her life and brings her baggage out west—emotional and otherwise.

Living in a swanky loft with three NHL players is a world away from college dorms, but at least two of her new roommates treat her like one of the guys.

And then there’s Noah.The grump whose broody glances turn her blood hot. Who makes her feel both safe and sexy…when he’s not icing her out.

As things between Noah and Ally heat up, their walls come down. And suddenly, there’s a whole lot more than his rookie season on the line…

I’M HERE FOR IT.

I gotta say, I like this sexier writing style of LB & KB. It is that delicious level of heat without being open door and I can’t tell y’all how deeply I will BEG to have more authors in this category. It once again goes to show, you do not have to have spice to have a heated romance and I will die on this hill.

ANYWAYS.

I really did love the New Girl loft dynamics here. The boys were such gems and I adored the way they played off of each other and took care of each other. I love strong male friendship groups and that Allegra found her own close girlfriends too.

It did take me just a touch to get into (and I don’t know if that’s because I was getting used to the new setting or that the flow of writing was off for a few chapters). BUT, I thought things only got better and better and I binge read the second half of this book. I could not put it down and LOOOOVED it all. I loved the character growth for both Ally and Noah. I loved seeing old characters. I loved the protectiveness and all of the hockey content. Just so many good things stood out to me.

I’m very excited to read more books from this series.

Overall audience notes:

NA Sports Romance
Language: mild
Romance: heated make-outs with light touching
Violence: mild
Content warnings: mentions of loss of parents (recounted), brief physical violence, recounting of sexual assault

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Book Review: The Escape Plan (Only Magic in the Building) by Katie Bailey

May 24, 2025April 27, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 310 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing
Release Date: April 23rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When there’s no escaping the plans life has for you…

Beckett McCarthy’s beloved Gran always taught him to find magic in mundane, everyday things. But since she died, he no longer feels any magic.

In fact, he feels nothing at all.

So, when he has an opportunity to spend a summer abroad in Serendipity Springs, he’s expecting little more than a change in scenery.

Until Keeley Roberts—quite literally—falls into his life.

From their first chaotic encounter in a stuck elevator, Beckett and Keeley can’t seem to stay apart.

Not that Becks is complaining. He’s enchanted by his beautiful, feisty new neighbor; drawn to her in a way he can’t explain… until they discover an invisible string that’s been connecting them all this time.

It’s as if fate itself has conspired to bring them together.

But with Beckett soon returning to Ireland and Keeley’s dream job hanging by a thread, is fate enough to keep their love alive… or will they need a little magic?

SEND ME TO IRELAND.

I enjoyed this book so much. I thought it was a good wrap-up to the series (and can still totally be read alone, the epilogue in this one just highlights the previous couples a little).

I loved the magical realism aspect. I thought it was subtle and made the moment just right. All of the times they ended up locked in together caused an incredible amount of chemistry and connection to form. It was swoony and heated and I think Katie Bailey has some of the best kissing scenes around.

The journey was good and I looooved Beckett and his family. A rambunctious bunch who loved so big and I appreciated how they helped Beckett realize he needed to start living his life for him. And I loved Keeley’s arc too. She is spunky and fun and learned to let go of some past hurt to have a fulfilling relationship with Beckett.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Language: none
Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Holiday Hostilities (Cyclones Christmas #2) by Katie Bailey

January 11, 2025December 26, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Christmas Sports Romance
Length: 332 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing
Release Date: November 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s the most hateful time of the year…

There’s only one thing Olivia Griswold hates more than her brother’s best friend, Aaron Marino.

The NHL’s favorite playboy has hordes of adoring fans, but to her, he’s still the cocky jerk she’s loathed since high school.

But when Aaron hears Olivia’s spending the holidays with her roommates from hell, he offers her a place to escape to.

His place, to be exact.

In return, all she has to do is be his date to his hockey team’s Christmas gala. It seems simple enough, but Olivia soon discovers that sleeping behind enemy lines is a dangerous game—especially when the enemy looks like that.

Olivia knows she’s playing with fire, but she won’t let herself get burned again.

And they do say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

Get ready for delicious enemies-to-lovers banter and tension with tons of festive cheer in this charming hockey rom com. Holiday Hostilities is a closed door/fade to black romance that includes mild language, innuendo, and suggestive humor.

DID YOU SURVIVE THAT KISS?

Everyone kept mentioning this one kissing scene in Holiday Hostilities and hot DANG. They were RIGHT. Deliver me a swoony, sexy (but not open door) kissing scene and I am a goner. Praise be.

ANYWAYS. This book was great. I loved it. I had such a great time with the dynamic and banter between Olivia and Aaron. Call me smitten. I loved all of the nuanced details that showcased just how gone these two were for each other and the passion speaks for itself.

There was a small sub plot involving an obsessed and delusional side chick that I didn’t love. Just not my cup of tea for the drama of choice buuut it didn’t ruin the book for me. I was a still a goner for these two. Plenty of hockey action, some good holiday moments and now I have become a Katie Bailey fan.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Christmas Sports Romance
Language: low
Romance: closed door

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Book Review: The Roommate Situation (Only in Atlanta #1) by Katie Bailey

April 25, 2022June 26, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 278 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: June 15th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Conor Brady is the hottest man I have ever laid eyes on. Ever. He’s also my new roommate. In the past few days, I became jobless, homeless, and boyfriendless.

So, I did what any 28-year-old woman with her life together would do: I ran. Far, far away from my life in New York and straight to my big brother’s house in Atlanta.

Only, it turns out that my brother is away on a business trip. And, he failed to tell me that a full-on, godlike hottie—who happens to be a premier house flipper—has taken up residence in the spare bedroom while his enormous new house is being renovated.

There’s a million reasons why I shouldn’t fall for Conor.

But our chemistry is undeniable.

Which means I have a teeny, tiny situation on my hands…

The Roommate Situation is a laugh-out-loud funny, swoony, closed door romantic comedy. Expect some mild language and suggestive jokes alongside sizzling hot chemistry and tension you could cut with a knife—all without the explicit scenes.

BLAND.

This book was too easy.

From the moment they met it was instant EVERYTHING. And I will acknowledge instant attraction can work, but it just didn’t do it for me here. I wanted to feel like there was some angst, some will they/won’t they. Conor and Jess were practically a couple from the get-go (and you can’t convince me otherwise). It led to a really boring plot that could have been great. It’s a brother’s best friend’s trope. THERE WAS SO MUCH TO WORK WITH.

If I was going to pick something I did enjoy, I liked the initial set-up. I’m all for a roommate situation and how it can build with some good ol’ forced proximity. The banter and conversations were fairly humorous and it was written well. So even though I didn’t click with much of this it could definitely be different for you.

I was looking for a lot more and I’ll wait to see about reading the next in the series (though that looks like an enemies to lovers story, so I’m hopeful).

Overall audience notes: