Author Kelly Jamieson is one of my favorite hockey writers...but then throw in a rescue dog and an incredible slow-burn romance and...HAT TRICK!

The dog park "meet cute" where Lilly and Easton meet is great! Easton's backstory is heartbreaking and tragic, yet makes him the focused and infuriating hockey player he is. Lilly has some craziness in hers as well, but again...they wouldn't have met if it weren't for what she went through. Both characters are admirable and strong and it was perfect the way Author Kelly Jamieson blended them together.

I LOVED Otis! He added so much to this romance. The other characters (friends, hockey players, family members) were perfect additions as well, and I enjoyed the relationships and side-storylines about them. The humor was so "in real life" type humor, which made me feel a personal connection to this dual POV read. The “life lessons” in this read were wonderful as well…

“I always wanted to travel and learn new things. But real life got in the way. And then one day you realize…if you don’t do it now, you never will. And in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.”

The beginning of the book moved a little slowly, but nothing that would turn me away. It was still very enjoyable, just slower paced. However, it really picked up and when I realized I was getting to the end of the book, I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to see how it ended, but I wanted to put it down because I didn't want it to end! I loved the epilogue and can't wait to see what the next book in the Bears Hockey series brings! 4.5 puppy paw prints!

Easton’s life was consumed with hockey. The past had left him in a dark and shattered place and then he met a furry little dog that would change his life and introduce him to Lilly. They both enter into a casual relationship not willing to give more until it becomes too late. Stepping out and daring to speak up when other voices remain silent remind them to take a step and achieve everything they have ever wanted.

I didn't like the cussing. Easton is a hockey player. I like the name Easton. A frantic woman leaves a dog with Easton and his friends. Someone thinks Lilly is having an affair . Lilly is struggling with unemployment. I like the name Lilly. Lilly meets Easton when walking a dog. They don't get off to a great start. Easton offers Lilly a dog walking job. I liked that Easton feels that he can still talk to Bryce ,the brother that died. I liked Carlin Lilly's friend who is a dental hygienist. I liked that Lilly took Otis to visit her grandma.

What better meet cute is it than when dogs force the meetup?! Easton has just rescued this puppy, Otis and Lilly has just lost her job and has fallen to her backup of dog walking. Their tangle up at the park fulfills a need for them both.

Easton is a hockey player with a sad backstory and anger management issues. Lilly is suffering because she blew the whistle on a former companies practices.

The ensuing Friends to Lovers romances between them and adorable Otis is so sweet! Jamieson created wonderful characters and some crummy ones. Easton is having issues with his jerkhole Coach. Lilly is there whenever he needs her and this scares him.

There is a moral to this story that I love! No matter how afraid you are, some risks are worth taking. And if you stand up to abuse, others will follow.

You had me at dogs and hockey!

Must Love Dogs...and Hockey starts out so different with hockey player Easton Millar rescuing a dog after an incident with an elevator and ends up adopting Otis. Easton runs into Lilly Evans at the local dog park walking Otis even though he is clueless about taking care of a dog but when he tells her that he has to go out of town, she volunteers to take care of Otis.

Easton and Lily start as friends, but their attraction starts to grow when they open up to each other which takes time which makes for a good romance. Must Love Dogs...and Hockey is the first book in the Bears Hockey Series and I’ve already preordered the next book You Had Me at Hockey.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a cute read. I had a whole vision of “Otis” in my mind. Felt like there was a moral to the story, which is unusual.

I received an advanced reader copy to leave an honest review of this book. I have read quite a few of Kelly Jamieson's hockey romances and this one did not disappoint! The writing style is excellent and easy to follow; no jumping around in the timeline which is great.

This book follows Easton, a hockey player with some anger issues, and Lily, who is unemployed and down on her luck. Easton feels like he has lost everything. He has a bit of a tragic past so hockey is his passion and main focus. His current coach however is a unbearable and not just for Easton but the whole team. He has difficulty dealing with that and tends to have a blowup which has repercussions. Lily just lost her job and now needs to figure out a new plan since she has been blacklisted in her current industry.

Lily and Easton "meet" in the park when Easton's dog (which he rescued in his building and isn't really his) attacks the dog Lily is walking. Easton feels horrible but knows he needs help with his dog Otis as he has no idea what to do with a dog especially with his travel schedule. Enter a new idea for Lily's future employment as a dog walker. Thus a relationship forms. It takes awhile for Lily to warm up to Easton but eventually their relationship takes off even though neither want a "relationship". Of course things are never easy and things escalate with Easton's coach and with Lily's prior job. Both need to better understand the other to see once if they can take things to the next level.

Overall an excellent book. Very fast read, fun and quirky. I would definitely recommend.

This was super cute and I loved this couple. I also loved that Otis, the dog was a big part of Easton and Lilly's story. He had a huge personality and was the glue that kept these two anti-relationship people together.

Now usually the anti-realationship characters are not my favorite. However, Kelly Jamieson wrote this couple in a way that avoided what I don't like about them, mainly not getting to see them together very much. This was the opposite. We got really good couple time with these two and they were just genuinely fun characters to read about.

I also really loved how this ended. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I highly recommend this for when you are in the mood for a really cute story.

I always struggle with the author. Her books start out well but by the end they become so formulaic. I did like the dog and social justice elements but the dialogue lost me sometimes as it could be juvenile. The relationship between the hero and heroine was nice and developed on a realistic timeline.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A hot hockey player, a strong woman, and an adorable dog....what's not to love.
The author pulls the reader in from the start with a heroic rescue of a scared dog. As you are then quickly introduced to the hockey player rescuer and the sassy dog walker, the story moves along at a great pace. The interactions between these two main characters was funny, sexy, and sweet. Adding to the depth of the characters were the secondary characters. The conversations and actions among Easton and his teammates, Lilly's with her friends and family, and both of them with Otis, helped to build well-developed characters. This added depth to their personalities and helped build authenticity to their relationship.

Both Lilly and Easton have multiple issues that they need to work through. Although their problems are quite different on the surface, as the story develops they reveal more and more about themselves and are able to be the positive part of each other's life. Although they both begin not wanting a relationship, their bond continues to grow organically through the events of the story and they eventually realize that they are in love, and together, they can overcome their issues. The basic conflicts that the characters were facing were intimidation from those in power and a sense of loss of loved ones. As these are issues that many people face in reality, I think it makes the story more interesting and relatable to readers.

This was a face-paced and enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book.

Kelly Jamieson writes a great hockey romance. There is just enough hockey mixed in with the story. I was hesitant to read this book based on the title. I am not a dog book person, but the author saved it. The title is appropriate in that Lilly and Easton meet because she cares for his dog Otis, but the story itself has a lot of serious topics in it. In the epilogue, the author mentioned she wrote it right after COVID-19 caused us all to stay at home. The themes throughout the book focus on Lilly's lawsuit and retaliation from a former employer and Easton's difficulties with his abusive coach who also makes racist remarks. Easton also has issues from his past where he survived a bus crash that killed his father and brother. Both Lilly and Easton have problems, but together they find support even though Easton is still afraid to trust and love.

Book one in the Bears Hockey series. I am A huge hockey fan and a sucker for a hockey romance. I truly Enjoyed this book. They both had emotional baggage to get thought but the chemistry was off the charts. When a lonely hockey player accidentally takes in a dog he needs a dog walker! I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and can’t wait to read more by the author. I will Definitely be checking out Kelly’s other hockey series.

I LOVE Kelly Jamieson's books. I lover her okey players and her writing.
Thant being said, this one wasn't as enjoyable as the other books I have read. It was still an ok read, but I found it to be a little slow and I wasn't really feeling Lilly.

Hockey is all I’ve ever known. It’s my life and I love playing, however, our coach has been on my case lately and all I want to do is lash out at him. My anger is what got me traded here in the first place, I have to make sure I keep my cool. It’s not just me he’s yelling at, it’s all of us. When we lose a game, he throws clipboards at us, continuously yells, kicks equipment in the locker room, this is not the way you want to motivate any team! One of my teammates lives in the same building as I do. While we wait for the elevator, a woman gets in and she has a dog on a leash, except the doors close and the dog is on the outside. I jump to save the poor animal and between my friend and I we manage to take off his collar. Eventually she returns and says she can’t deal with taking care of the dog anymore and walks out! My friend and I look at each other, wondering what to do. I’m the one that eventually takes him up and figures this will all work out tomorrow when someone is missing a dog. Except no one does. For now he’s mine. Otis, as I now call him, tries to befriend another pup, except in his exuberance, the owner of that dog thinks they are fighting. Come to find out, she’s a dog walker and a beautiful one at that! I hire Lilly instantly, and explain my predicament. This is going to work out great, hopefully she’ll also go out with me.

When I run into Easton, his dog attacks the one I’m walking. Well, I do find out that Otis is just not trained and he was trying to be friendly. It’s a good thing this happened since I just lost my job and I’m having to resort to dog walking in order to pay my rent and eat. Until I can find another job in my field, hopefully I can expand my services and get more pups to take care of. I don’t want to mix business with pleasure, but it’s getting harder to say no every time Easton asks me out. I’ve never felt this chemistry with anyone else.

When we both agree to go with our feelings and not label it as a relationship, I’m sure it will all work out. Except feelings have a funny way of creeping in when you last expect them to.

I love anything that Kelly Jamieson write.

I loved this book!!!!! the dynamic between Easton and Lily is as perfect balance of sweet and hot. Plus you throw in a neurotic dog named Otis and it keeps you laughing. I have read most of Kelly's books and can say I'll continue to read more. Can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.....

I’ve been reading Kelly Jamieson for a decade and she’s never written a bad book, seriously she hasn’t. She’s written some I’ve loved greatly and she’s written some that didn’t resonate with me, but she’s never written anything I couldn’t finish. That being said, Must Love Dogs…and Hockey got off to a really slow start for me. I struggled through the beginning of this book, but there was enough in it to keep me going and I’m so thankful that I did. I enjoyed this book; the characters were quirky and interesting, the plot had many layers, and while it dealt with the serious issues it still contained many light hearted and fun moments as well.

Lilly’s life is in an uproar; her father decided to “find himself” and left her mother to travel, she was just fired from a job she really didn’t like but paid the bills, she’s embroiled in a lawsuit from a previous employer for wrongful termination and ostracizing her in the industry, and her boyfriend left her when she was let go from that job. Her roommate and friends have been there for her even loaning her money, but she also feels responsible for her grandmother losing part of her retirement savings because of the company she’s suing. As she says “My life is like the love child of a train wreck and a dumpster fire right now.” Despite all of that Lilly is a fairly upbeat, optimistic woman who is trying to decide a direction for her life.

The last thing professional ice hockey player Easton wants or needs is a dog, but after saving a puppy it seems like he has one. Easton has no idea what to do with a puppy but he can’t turn the little guy over to just anyone because it’s evident the puppy has issues sort of like him. After being traded last year, he knew he needed to keep his head down and just play his heart out, but his coach is a nightmare that he feels is ruining the team. He’s miserable, his teammates are miserable, but he doesn’t feel there’s anything that can be done about it without tanking his career.

Lilly and Easton meet under unusual circumstances and with the help of a couple of determined dogs. Lilly is not impressed with Easton, but he perseveres and hires her to take care of Otis (the puppy that really isn’t his) while he’s out of town. Over time their relationship grows and as they share bits and pieces of their lives, they both begin to see their own future a bit better as well. They are a good sounding board for one another, I found it interesting out easily they shared things about themselves that they hadn’t shared with others. They were often very open and candid with one another in what they were thinking and feeling especially Easton who made no bones about the fact he wanted to in fact bone Lilly.

While this was a slow burn romance, once they hit the sheets it was anything but, this author never disappoints in her sex scenes and Lilly and Easton find they are extremely compatible in the bedroom as out.

There was so much I enjoyed about this book once we got past the slow start, but what I had problems with was Lilly’s attitude towards Easton when he was facing a huge crisis with his coach. I felt like she really didn’t understand what could happen if Easton proceeded with a complaint and she should have considering she was shut out in her own field, especially since he shared with her what hockey meant to him and why.

Must Love Dogs…and Hockey was a fairly low angst romance with serious themes, yet it was filled with humor, interesting characters (both main and supporting), an adorable puppy, and fun.

I received an advanced reader's copy of Must Love Dogs...and Hockey by Kelly Jamieson from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was not the first book by Kelly Jamieson that I've read and I have never been disappointed so I went in with high hopes. Happily, the positive track record continued with another fun book; and, bonus, it included two of my favorite things - hockey and dogs!

Overall, I felt this was a solid romance and I found it to be well written. I especially liked the primary and secondary characters' interactions and found their banter to be amusing and realistic from the start. The main characters, down on her luck Lilly and hockey player Easton, started out a bit adversarial, but they quickly bonded over an adorable dog. Once they had that common ground, their attraction was acknowledged and the romance began.

All in all, Must Love Dogs...and Hockey by Kelly Jamieson was a quick, fun read and I would recommend it for any romance fan.

The idea was a good one but the writing was amateurish. The author repeated ideas over again and again. Whether to fill space or to make sure her readers got it after the first 3 to 5 times I don't know. Lilly's whole story line was lame. If she had a complaint worth suing her company over I want 2 things. One I want it to personally affect the person, in this case Lilly. And two make it something relevant to the reader. I don't know the company she worked for. I still didn't understand exactly know what they did wrong by the end of the book. So basically I have no reason to care. Yes, I got that there was a moral lesson in this slim plot. If I was reading a highly researched, suspense book then that kind of plot would be great. In this book I don't care. To create emotion make it something like she was so sexually harassed she feared for her safety and had to quit. That creates real anger. Raw emotion. It directly affects the heroine.. It makes me invested in Lily.
The best part of the story is Easton and his buddies. Getting to know them and seeing them supporting each other while having a jerk for a head coach.
The author's attempt at making a comparison between Easton and Lilly's situations is a stretch. Some way to make a deep level connection I guess.
The dog's a cute touch. I enjoyed the opening scene in the book. But I felt like that plot could have been more developed. Something besides Lilly is so ambitious she wants to be a full time dog walker so that's how they get to know each other.
A lot of potential. With some practice I'm sure Ms. Jamieson will become a good author someday.

Dogs + Hockey... what’s not to love?
I love how Lilly doesn’t immediately fall for the charming and attractive hockey player. She is tough and isn’t the annoying, giggly girl that falls head over heels for the guy. She pushes back and doesn’t have time or the patience to dealing with someone flirting with her.

Easton has a pup land in his lap due to weird circumstances and this dog just melts my heart on how attached he is in no time 🥰.
My first opinion was that Lilly makes Easton off his “game” which turns his come ons into cheesy lines but more they talk the more I notice he is just a tad awkward. It is kind of cute that made me crack a smile and shake my head at him.

Lilly and Easton have some struggles in life that seems to help them relate to each other more to form a more secure friendship/relationship. This brings them together yet causes their strain at the same time.

There was a couple inconsistency that threw me off and dialogue is a bit repetitive but the story to me felt strong and kept me intrigued.
When I got to the Epilogue, I felt it was missing the end. It just suddenly dropped off. Maybe that was the author’s way of trying to open up into maybe another book after this to continue but I really felt there could have been more to complete that still would have brought you interest in continuing to another book. This part was just slightly disappointing.

I honestly struggled to decide to give this a 3 or 4 star review based on the negatives in this book. I felt 4 stars because overall even with the couple things that bothered me, I was hooked on this book.
Overall I really enjoyed this storyline, there was a lot of enjoyable adventures with these two along with the other great character.


I received this ARC by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. The opinion given is mine alone and not influenced by anyone else.

There are a few words I would use to describe this sports romance, which I received from NetGalley and the publisher. (Thanks to them!) Charming- what an adorable friends to lovers romance. Now, they didn’t start as friends but Easton came into ownership of Otis in an interesting way and needed Lilly to walk him. Lilly just opened a fall walking business so it was fortuitous but they developed a friendship quickly- but there was always an underlying attraction. This book is also quite amusing. Otis’ antics were adorable and well written- I could totally picture his cute behaviors and excitement at seeing the people he loved the most. Definitely steamy (when they finally became more than friends). And also, contemporary in that it addresses contemporary issues of how to challenge authority figures who obviously do bad things.

I really enjoyed this first book in Kelly Jamieson’s new series. Can’t go wrong with hockey and a dog! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!