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

May 16, 2025May 9, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

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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Book Review: Exes Don’t (Fall in Love #3) by Leah Dobrinska

March 4, 2025December 26, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Christmas Sports Romance
Length: 292 pages
Author: Leah Dobrinska
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A fast-paced and fun sports and spy romantic comedy…let the games begin!

Rose Kasper has a secret. A big one. She’s a spy. Okay…not exactly. She works as an undercover security specialist. For a decade, she’s used dry humor, deflection, and self-deprecation to keep herself distanced from her sisters and friends in order to hide her double life. But when a man she dated for the job years ago—the same man she foolishly let herself get close to—is in danger, she must place herself in his playing field yet again. Whether he likes it or not.

Anton Bates has a full life juggling his roles as star quarterback of the Green Bay River Foxes and Prince of Penwick, a small island nation off the coast of Norway. He’s slow to trust, having been used for his position—both of them—on more than one occasion. So when Rose Kasper, a woman whom he loved and lost, sweeps back into his life, he wants nothing to do with her. Or does he?

Anton audibles and decides to use his unexpected reunion with Rose as an opportunity to prove to her that the two of them together are a touchdown. Rose knows she doesn’t deserve Anton—not with all the lies and deceit. But his gameplan is working, and she starts to believe that if she’s honest with him, maybe things between them can be different this time. But when the truth comes out and Anton’s life is at risk, their second chance looks like it’ll end in a loss.

Because exes don’t fall in love…do they?

MY KRYPTONITE.

I don’t know what it says about me that one of my favorite tropes is a man obsessed. But it is what it is and it’s really easy to win me over at that point. I loved this book, it’s my current favorite of the series and I had such a blast with it (especially after just finishing Wind and Truth, IYKYK).

The quarterback/prince dynamic took a little more suspension of my reality than I prefer, but the author made this work. It’s quirky and you don’t have ALL the information, yet the romance really shines and I loved that this had just the right amount of flashback chapters to add to the history between Rose and Anton.

Also, praise dual POV. I loved seeing both of their mindsets and personalities behind all of the hard decisions that were being thrown at them. I loved all of Anton’s teammates and Rose’s sisters. Strong support systems make a book really sing for me.

The confession of love about melted me through the FLOOR. Oh gosh it was perfect. I loved all of the heated kisses and mounting tension that broke away for a second chance and a true relationship. The drama played well into the finale and it’s a quick, lighter read that even has a little bit of holiday cheer.

Overall audience notes:

Sports Romance
Language: none
Romance: heated kisses
Violence: mild
Content Warnings: brief gun violence

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ALC Book Review: The Favorites by Layne Fargo

January 16, 2025January 3, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Genre: Sports Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Layne Fargo
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: January 14th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.

An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story” through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary. But she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.

Inspired by the powerful love and hate that fuel Emily Bronte’s classic, Wuthering Heights, The Favorites is an exhilarating dance between passion, ambition, and what it truly means to win.

Thank you LibroFM (LibroFM Parnter) for the gifted audiobook.

DRAMA BE DRAMAING.

I FULLLLLLLY admit that I usually hate books like this. I am not a drama drama drama kind of gal when it comes to my contemporary reads, but when I tell y’all this book had me in a CHOKEHOLD, you would not believe. It took every turn you can imagine and I was gasping over and over again every time the next hit came. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Which obviously means I gave it five stars because the chaos was beautifully crafted and these unlikable characters had my full attention.

I loooooved that this was a full cast with excerpts from a documentary style (so lots of narrators and it read really awesome over audio). I’m curious to see how it looks in printed format. I think that’s what made it all the more exciting and intense too. The narration was just expertly done and I could not stop listening.

Will people hate this book? Absolutely. But I think it’s going to be a popular one too. There’s something about the insane drive to succeed and be the top contender that makes you put away any moral compass that becomes fascinating to watch. Read it and then come find me to talk about it.

Overall audience notes:

Sports Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: closed door, quick fade to black
Violence: mild
Content Warnings: cheating, mentions of past child abuse, loss of life

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Book Review: O Goalie Night by K.M. Gillis

December 28, 2024December 13, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Christmas Sports Romance
Length: 333 pages
Author: K.M. Gillis
Publisher: Literary Lupin
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

‘Tis the season to be tempted.

All Beth Michaels wants for Christmas is a fresh start. A new job in a new city is her chance to finally break free from her overbearing yet well-meaning mother, not to mention her small-town notoriety as NHL superstar Ben Michaels’ little sister. But her dream of independence hits an unexpected snag when a housing mishap leaves her with no choice but to move in with Ben’s best friend and teammate, the broody (and gorgeous) Foster James.

As a top goalie, Foster has always been great at handling high-pressure decisions and sticking to the rules. But there is one rule he finds impossible to follow: don’t fall for your best friend’s sister. After years of being alone, resisting the sweet and funny Beth may be the toughest challenge he has ever faced.

The goal was to keep their relationship under wraps, but plans have a way of becoming tangled during the holidays.

O Goalie Night is a holiday hockey romcom. It’s the first novel in the Ottawa Otters standalone series.

NO COMPLAINTS.

I was dragged in by this cover and title. I COULD NOT RESIST. And the book was a great read too. Just the right book for the right moment. This is a low angst and tension, a little bit of insta-connection and allllll of the Christmas moments you could want. I loved the skating and tree decorating and many moments in between. Foster James is a walking green flag and I love that for Beth.

There’s not a lot to the plot (which is fine!!). It hit all the best notes for me in what I enjoy in a Christmas romance. I like it to feel simple but engaging and please bring all the swoon. I appreciated that the spice didn’t overwhelm the plot (though some of the innuendo did feel a little out of pocket). It’s fast paced and there’s plenty of hockey content to be able to say this is a sports romance too. I enjoyed the whole cast and look forward to continuing this series.

Overall audience notes: