This book is a SPICY good time. It was my first Ruth Stilling book & it will not be my last! A pro-hockey & pro-soccer romance, it’s got forced proximity, fake dating & a British MMC. Jack is next level hot & the spice was elite. The yearning, chemistry & connection are all there for this couple.
All of the little things Jack does for Kendra to make her feel safe & supported were textbook green flags. He listened & was there for her in every way. He made her feel seen & never negated her feelings. Jack’s words of affirmation game was stellar. Plus, his claim her vibes had me melting. And did I mention the spice was hot?
Kendra’s break-up scene with her boyfriend set her on the path of a strong FMC & I appreciated her concerns about needing to be on her own, but unable to make it work. When Jack steps into help her, I melted. And when he takes her dress shopping? Good lord, the intensity of the yearning in that moment was off the charts. Holy cow. The chemistry sizzled.
I did struggle a little with how long Kendra allowed herself to give up everything for her ex boyfriend. But the reality is, I’ve known plenty of women who have done similar things. Oftentimes, we expect our book characters to be perfect, but real life often isn’t. I appreciated Kendra’s acknowledgement that she had left him emotionally long before she broke up with him. It worked for me.
A few people mentioned concerns about Jack changing his last name. I can’t speak to that bc this is my first book by this author. That said, while unusual, it’s not unheard of to change your last name to your new father’s name if former relationship is bad.
A note on narration – I thought the female narrator was amazing. She handled every voice beautifully & convincingly, including all genders & accents. And while I really like the male narrators voice for most of the characters, I felt like he struggled with some of the accents for Jack’s American teammates.
Overall, I had a great time listening to this read. I like the characters & the plotline. The spice was hot & the tools as teammates portion was phew, hot. This was a great read & I will 100% read another book by this author. 4 stars. 3 peppers