I adored this one! It is easily one of my favorite hockey romances I have read so far. I also liked the balance of volleyball and hockey elements. It was refreshing to see two talented athletes fall in love. The blend of tropes as a whole is just so great. It checked a lot of my boxes and did so skillfully. 

I wish we could've seen a bit more of their summer fling in the past that started it all. There were a few flashbacks, but they didn't provide the context I was hoping for. They are so cute, and I would've loved to see more of how Nikolai pulled Isabelle at the beginning. 

The one part that confounded me was how everyone continually brought up how purple everything was at the university. It seems to be building up to some kind of plot point and then it just... disappears. It was a failed Chekov's gun moment. If you are going to bring something up over and over, it should contribute to the plot in a significant way. 

I love how there are a whole host of LGBTQ+ side characters. I noticed at least two lesbian characters and one gay character. It was a nice blend of queer culture being naturally integrated without feeling forceful or there for brownie points. In a sizeable friend group on a college campus, there are likely a few queer people. It helped ground the story in a bit of realism. 

There were a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud. The guys in this story were particularly amusing. Especially when James locked Cooper and Nikolai outside in the snow to work things out. I also smiled at all of the bonding moments including the matching sibling tattoos. 

The one part of this story that I didn't love so much was the aggressive daddy issues. It makes sense for Nikolai's character but less so for Isabelle. Her conflict would be much more effective if it was strictly centered on her brothers. Not every older male needs to be a threat or source of tough conflicting feelings. 

I really admire Reilly for the way she employed the setting to propel the plot forward. Each setting served a purpose for the story in a sensical way. It felt deliberate and calculated effectively. 

This book has a good bit of spice but this spice contributes to the character development. If you are not a fan of spice, I do not recommend this book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to the hockey romance fans. It is full of characters with depth that also bring about a lot of humor. There are a lot of daddy issues so prepare yourself for that before going in. 

I received this book as an arc from Valentine PR. My review is honest and voluntary.