please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: yes
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: death of a sibling, depression, grief, pediatric ICU patients, pediatric kidney failure
Kinky Content: dirty talk, exhibitionism, fingering, hand necklaces, irrumation, marking, mutual masturbation, nipple play, oral, praise, queening
standalone: book 4 of Empire State Hockey series
final thoughts: this book was so good, and the side characters were great- I can’t wait to read the rest of the series to see their journeys!
The banter, the nicknames, the push and pull, and the found family had me loving every turn of the page. The MMC Cade is a broody, broken goalie who is only soft for the FMC Gwen who is a pediatric ICU nurse who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
The pacing was great, the storyline was intriguing, and the MCs were likable. I’ll definitely be reading more by Lexi James

read this book if you love
😬 angst
🫡 big MMC
🥵 dirty talk
🏝️ forced proximity
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family
💞 friends-to-lovers
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
👦 she falls first, he falls harder
🤫 hidden secrets
🩹 hurt/comfort
🛏️ “it’s just a fling”
💞 mutual pining
🥰 nicknames
🙏 praise
🚙 road trip
😂 romcom
🏒 sports romance (hockey)
🌍 world building