Book review: THE HOCKEY PROBLEM, by Kendall Ryan

Off The Ice #1

Zayden & Tori

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sometimes a book arrives at the exact right moment it’s needed, and The Hockey Problem was exactly that for me — absolutely cute, perfectly emotional, and just the right amount of swoony.

This hockey romance has everything I love: a feisty, principled heroine, a broody, quietly tender single dad, a six‑year‑old super sweet scene‑stealer (a,k.a. Maisie), and that delicious “we really shouldn’t… but oh no, we’re already falling” tension!

Tori is the kind of heroine I root for immediately. She’s smart, disciplined, and determined to protect her hard‑earned reputation in a field where women are scrutinized twice as hard. She has seen colleagues lose their reputation by getting involved with a player, so she’s determined to never date a player. And yet… enter Zayden.

A French‑Canadian hockey player and single dad who is doing his absolute best while running on emotional fumes. He’s not the typical cocky sports hero — he’s thoughtful, serious, and deeply devoted to his daughter. Many times in the story, we see him exhausted, not only physically but mentally. That vulnerability? Irresistible.

From the moment Tori is assigned to treat his shoulder, the spark is instant. Their therapy sessions become this slow, careful dance — both of them trying to stay professional while failing spectacularly. He looks at her like she’s the first person who’s really seen him in years, and she tries so hard to remember her mantra: no players.  But their chats flow so easily, there’s instant trust.

Maisie is pure sunshine, she likes Tori immediately. Their bond grows naturally and tenderly through accidental babysitting moments, giggles, trust. Maisie blossoms under Tori’s attentions and it makes Zayden sigh in happiness. Watching this little found family form was one of my favorite parts.

There’s a sleazy teammate who crosses boundaries and retaliates when rejected — a storyline handled with care and realism. Zayden stepping up for Tori, taking responsibility, and advocating for her? That’s the kind of heroism I love: quiet, steady, and rooted in respect.

There are side characters that shine: Banks and Winnie. I’m already invested!  I was thinking as I read that they would make a perfect couple, and to my delight, they are next book’s couple! Win!

This story is soft in all the right ways — a gentle romance built on trust, friendship, and the slow realization that sometimes the person you’re not supposed to fall for is exactly the one who feels like home. It’s found family, healing, and a man who finally gets to exhale because he’s found someone who stays. Same for Maisie!

I loved this story. Five stars, easily. 

Purchase links

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3NIjzyQ

Paperback: https://amzn.to/4sGBKnU

Audible: https://geni.us/AudioHockeyProblem

Goodreads: https://geni.us/hockeyprbGR

About the author

Kendall Ryan writes contemporary romance. Her books have been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists a combined total of more than 100 times. 

Connect with Kendall:

➜ WEBSITE www.kendallryanbooks.com

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➜ INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/kendallryan1

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Book review: RUSHED, by Aleatha Romig

The Coopers, book two

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so much better than the first one—and I really enjoyed the first one. In Intercepted, Vee and Fin reunite after fifteen years apart: she’s training to take over the Coopers football franchise from her father, and he’s just been recruited as the team’s second‑string QB. She objects to his contract, management overrules her, and after some hard but necessary conversations (and Vee’s prickly attitude), they finally earn their second chance. And then that brutal cliffhanger hits: Vee walks into her father’s office to share her news, only to find her family waiting with the worst possible announcement—her father has died in a car accident on his way to work.

This book picks up right in that grief. Vee has to swallow her heartbreak and step into the role of Reid Hubbard’s daughter and heir, taking the reins of the entire organization. Immediately, she’s met with resistance from the franchise’s deeply misogynistic leadership—her Aunt Rachel’s husband, Darin, and her cousin Grant, chief among them. Her father had intended to change his will to give them partial ownership, but the new version was never signed. Suddenly, Vee is the sole heir, and the power plays begin.

Every day feels like a battlefield. Every night she comes home to Fin—who has moved in, stepped up, and become the steady, grounding partner she desperately needs.

The story delivers a couple of sharp plot twists and a low, constant thrum of suspense as Vee uncovers secrets she wishes she’d never learned. She’s climbing mountains on all sides: grief, leadership, betrayal, legacy, and the pressure of keeping a massive franchise on track for a Super Bowl run. The author’s behind‑the‑scenes detail is phenomenal—practices, game days, organizational politics—you feel fully immersed in the world.

What I loved most is that Vee and Fin are now openly together. She lets herself be vulnerable with him, and he rises to meet her every time. Their second chance feels truly earned here.

And just when you think you can breathe—another massive twist, another cliffhanger, and now we wait months for the next installment in this addictive, high‑stakes series.

Purchase links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2TCWZZD

About the author

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years, they've raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns or her new lighter side, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams! 

 

Keep up with Aleatha Romig and subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.aleatharomig.com/contact

 

 

To learn more about Aleatha Romig & her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Aleatha Romig:

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Book review: TWISTED PAWN, by L.J. Shen

Society of Villains #2

Aquilles & Tierney

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am still reeling from this epic story. It’s a full-blown saga, and honestly, it could be titled Love vs. Hate because Aquilles and Tierney’s relationship never stops teetering between the two. You can feel the profound love simmering beneath everything, yet circumstances twist it into hatred: their families, their loyalties, and above all, their guilt. That old saying about the fine line between love and hate? This book is basically a doctoral dissertation proving it true.

Aquilles puts Tierney under suffocating surveillance—bodyguards tracking her every step, preventing her from having lovers, and killing any man she manages to escape long enough to touch. For a woman who survived a Siberian gulag at fourteen, who endured years of sexual abuse, starvation, cold, and utter lovelessness, this is just another layer of tragedy on top of a life already carved by desolation.

Tierney inspired so much pity and compassion in me. When she and Tiernan escaped the gulag and reunited with their father and older brother, Tiernan immediately stepped into the Irish mafia world like he’d been born for it—accent, swagger, ruthlessness and all. Their father Tyrone was too depressed (and I think lazy!), and Fintan too addled in addictions (booze and gambling), so Tiernan became the de facto leader. Meanwhile, Tierney was dismissed as “too broken” and left alone with her wounds. No wonder she harbored resentment; the men got to reinvent themselves while she was expected to quietly survive.

She reinvented herself anyway—into a socialite with a glittering network of useful contacts. But beneath the sparkle, her life felt like a downward spiral, all motion and no meaning.

It takes a near-death moment for Aquilles to realize that without Tierney, his life is worthless. And that’s when the book shifts. If the first half is war and hate, the second is love and devotion. Aquilles does a complete 180, dedicating himself to helping her live rather than trapping her in fear. The angst doesn’t disappear—it just transforms. And now we get the subtle humor and razor-sharp sarcasm I adore in LJ Shen’s writing. The first half was angst on steroids; the second half is angst with heart.

There are plot twists that genuinely gave me whiplash. I kept getting hit with surprises, one after another, and I was so glued to my Kindle that I went shopping with my daughter and basically followed her around like a zombie, eyes locked on the screen.

What I loved (besides the sheer awesomeness of the story): Alex Rasputin’s appearance and his genuine remorse for what his father put them through. He may be the new Pakhan, but he’s not ruthless with Tiernan and Tierney. I loved seeing Tiernan and Lila so happy—Tiernan is a total sap with his wife, which gives me hope we’ll see Aquilles in full whipped-husband mode in future books. Enzo remains my favorite deadly Golden Retriever—capable of murder, yet adorable with the family. And Luca… that cold-blooded man intrigues me. I’m crossing my fingers he gets a book so we can watch him fall just as hard as the others.

Overall, I loved this book and the way LJ Shen crafts her characters. The men are savage, ruthless, and terrifying—until they fall in love. Then they become passionate, jealous, possessive fools for their women. I adore that dichotomy. And the women, even when carrying unimaginable trauma like Tierney, have an inner steel that makes them survivors—women the men must fight to deserve. It’s delightful. It’s delicious. It’s everything I want in a dark romance.

Purchase links

🖤 Deluxe edition: http://amzn.to/47IUAkN

♥️ Walmart exclusive: shor.by/bw13

🖤 eBook: http://amzn.to/3WQeANt

About the author

L.J. Shen is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of contemporary, new adult, and young adult romance. Her books have been sold in twenty different countries, and she hopes to visit all of them.

She lives in Florida with her husband, three rowdy sons, and rowdier pets and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows, and reading to her heart’s content. Connect with her on her website at www.authorljshen.com or on Instagram (@authorljshen), or join her Facebook group at http://goo.gl/QZJ0NC. Sign up for her newsletter at https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb, and text SHEN to 313131 to get new release alerts (United States only).

Connect with L.J. Shen:

https://www.authorljshen.com 

Book review: MY KIND OF GUY, by Sarina Bowen

Hockey Guys #4

Beck & Forest

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book made me so happy I don’t even know where to start. It’s funny in that soft, adorable way that sneaks up on you, and the characters grabbed my heart from page one. Sarina Bowen always writes amazing M/M hockey romances, but this one felt extra special.

Beck absolutely stole the show for me. He’s quirky, sweet, a little chaotic, and somehow the most lovable human ever. Every time he put himself down, it hurt, because he’s such a bright light. Watching him fall for Forest—and for Forest’s whole little world—was beautiful.

Forest broke my heart in a quieter way. He’s a single dad, tired, scared, and carrying a lot of old hurt. His backstory is painful, and it explains so much about why he keeps Beck at arm’s length. But seeing him slowly realize how much Beck means to him, and how much Beck already fits into his life, was incredibly moving.

The humor in this book is perfect. The beer‑league hockey scenes, the bar antics, Charlie bonding with Beck, the naked‑chest cheering moment—everything had me smiling. And the emotional beats hit just as hard. The Covid scene, the heartbreak, the big NHL moment… all of it landed.

I loved every page. The banter, the warmth, the found family vibes, the slow healing, the way these two men finally choose each other. Beck and Forest are the kind of characters you want to hug and protect. This story reminded me why I love romance: it’s about hope, second chances, and finding someone who sees your worth even when you can’t.

A total delight. Five stars, easily.

Purchase links

Amazon: https://geni.us/MKOG-Kindle
Apple Books: https://geni.us/MKOG-Apple
Kobo: https://geni.us/MKOG-Kobo
Nook: https://geni.us/MKOG-Nook
Google Play: https://geni.us/MKOG-Google
Audible: Coming soon!

Books page: https://sarinabowen.com/my-kind-of-guy
Series links page: https://sarinabowen.com/hockey-guys-links

ADD TO GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245204597-my-kind-of-guy

About the author

Never miss a new book or sale! Subscribe to Sarina's newsletter at: http://geni.us/SBsignup

Sarina Bowen's contemporary and LGBT romance novels have hit the USA Today bestsellers list twenty times. Formerly a Wall Street derivatives trader, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University. She lives in New Hampshire with her family, nine chickens, and far too much hockey gear.

She would be honored to connect with you at http://www.sarinabowen.com

Book review: THE DEAL MAKER, BY Louise Bay

This romance starts off a little rocky—not just in tone, but in how the characters come across. Everyone feels prickly, defensive, or downright irritating at first. But that’s exactly why the story works: as it unfolds, you start to see the cracks, the insecurities, and the old family baggage that shaped them. And suddenly these people who seemed impossible become genuinely relatable.

The heart of the book is the growth. Both leads have spent years trying to live up to expectations that were never fair to begin with. Watching them slowly step out of those patterns—setting boundaries, choosing themselves, and learning to trust someone else—is what gives the romance its weight. Their connection feels earned because it comes after real internal work, not instead of it.

The family dynamics add tension, the friendship moments add warmth, and the romance builds from friction into something solid and supportive. Once the story finds its rhythm, it becomes surprisingly heartfelt.

A satisfying, character‑driven romance with two people who learn to stand on their own so they can stand together. A strong four stars.

Purchase links

https://amzn.to/4rn5ncd

About the author

International, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes contemporary romance novels that make you laugh - the kind she likes to read.

Ruined by the bonk-busters of the eighties, Louise was inspired by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, but wants to be Emily Henry when she grows up.

Louise loves the rain, RHOBH, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, hanging out with her kid, elephants and champagne (not necessarily in that order).

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

 

Keep up with Louise Bay and subscribe to her newsletter: https://louisebay.com/newsletter/

 

To learn more about Louise Bay& her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Louise Bay:

https://louisebay.com/contact/