Great little hockey romance!

I found the characters a little underwhelming but for a debut, the writing style was great!

This book was good for a debut but there was some room for improvement in my opinion. I read an ARC so things may have been edited afterwards but there were some places where the wrong name was used or the same name was spelled two different ways. While I think this book would have benefitted from having and editor, I really enjoyed the story and the characters! I usually forget about books right after finished them but I found myself thinking about this story days after which means it stood out in a good way.

I don’t think I liked this very much. The whole book felt very underdeveloped. There needed to be much more character development before the mcs met, and i didn’t feel invested in them at all. It felt like this was a middle of the series book and we got background in different novels, rather than a stand alone. Still an easy read though

Thank you to NetGalley & Kathryn for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It’s no secret that I’m loving the hockey romance genre that has popped up recently. I do hail from the land of heartthrob Sidney Crosby after-all! So, I was excited to get my hands on this book. Y’all, it did not disappoint! I loved the chemistry between Kennedy and Alexei. I’m a sucker for a “bad boy is actually a great guy” trope and the character of Alexei really warmed my heart. I liked that Kennedy had layers to her and I can relate to her feelings about hockey and how it ties to her Mom. I’d definitely recommend this book to my fellow Spice girls and guys and I’m excited to see what Kathryn Kincaid writes next!

Unfortunately the quality of the ARC I received contained mostly blocked out sections, even re-booting and another download didn’t make a difference. So it made for very difficult reading and I was unable to understand any of the story.

I was really pleasantly surprised by Play Your Part, a hockey romance following a hockey player and the daughter of the owner of the team. She's recently been dumped her secret boyfriend and not at all impressed with the hero until they strike a fake dating deal that benefits them both. This was highly readable.

I loved this story so much. I am such a Hockey fan in books its my favorite! I cant wait to read more from this author in the future.

I had a hard time getting into this one. I found the FMC, Kennedy, to be a little self deprecating and dare I say, pathetic? Basically, the hockey player she was dating on her fathers hockey team got traded and broke up with her / ghosted her. She's super upset about it. She runs into Alexei Volkov, who has replaced her ex-bf on the team. She hates him because of this whole situation, but then they are photographed together and it looks like they're 'together'. The team decides that in order to get teh fan base on their side, they need to convince everyone that Alexei isn't using Kennedy to get back at Justin (the ex bf), and that they are in a real relationship. Alexei isn't super likable, and they think their fake relationship could make him more likable.

- pro hockey
- rivals ex gf
- fake dating
- coach's daughter
- reformed player
- dual POV

I just wasn't a fan of Kennedy and it made it difficult to read because of that.

Love love love a good hockey romance and this one hit all the marks for me! I love the fake dating trope and I feel like this book does it really well!

Play Your Part is a debut hockey romance, demonstrating solid storytelling and great promise for new author Kathryn Kincaid.

Kennedy Cole is in a rut. She’s just been dumped by her professional hockey player bf, she’s dropped out of college and quit her job working for her father’s hockey team, she’s moved back home and she’s unhealthily bottling up the grief she’s weighted under by the recent loss of her beloved mother.

Things are feeling kind of hopeless and Kennedy’s mood and attitude aren’t the greatest, but when she gets photographed conversing with the team’s new player Alexei Volkov—the guy with a bad reputation, who has taken the place of her traded ex-boyfriend—she finds herself the focus of unwanted media attention, with false rumours of her and Alexei’s new romance quickly becoming the talk of the town, much to Kennedy’s dismay.

To boost Alexei’s tarnished public image, the team’s PR head (and old friend and once-colleague of Kennedy’s) suggests that Alexei and Kennedy play into the rumours and pretend to date for a time, hopefully getting Kennedy out of her funk and helping Alexei improve his precarious image.

Alexei and Kennedy butt heads from their very first encounter and even with all the pretend they engage in, going on public dates and attending team events, they continue on with often scathing defensive barbs and snarky banter at every turn, only finding common ground as forced proximity reveals their veiled vulnerabilities and a deeper attraction both try their best (but fail) to ignore.

I usually eat up enemies-to-lovers and fake relationship books, and although this one was a decent, easy read, something about the circumstances and the FMC kept me from loving the story and romance to a bigger degree than I did. I loved Alexei and a lot of the secondary characters (particularly Kennedy’s bestie and Alexei’s newbie roommate, Zach), but Kennedy herself set me on edge from the very opening scene and never truly won me over. Her issues were significant and her emotions palpable, but she came across as too unnecessarily snappy and judgemental, especially to Alexei, for far too long into the stories progress for my liking.

The romance was also lightly explicit, when compared to a lot of the other hockey themed romances I’ve read in recent years. This didn’t bother me as such, because I appreciated that there was a heavier lean towards character development and exploring relatable themes of family, friendship, loss, healing, and self-redemption, as well as finding new, lasting love with a partner who is worth one’s time and devotion. (Hear, hear!)

Overall, this was a welcomed read, despite my indifference to the FMC. I was impressed enough with the writing quality and storytelling that I find myself hoping, specifically, that Kincaid delivers us a sequel, because a cinnamon roll character like scene-stealer Zach needs his own story like I need my next breath.

hockey and fake dating?? YES PLEASE i ate this book up in one sitting! i could not put it down the enemies to lovers was so good and their banter was perfection! i loved how their wasnt too much miscommunication and that they had healthy communication! i love watching the mc's go from fake to real feelings, it just so good! and these two did not disappoint! i thought the flow of the story was great and i had such a fun time reading it! definitely recommend this one to all my sports romance lovers!

Hockey hotties? Yes please!

And when it is fake relationship (where you know they are going to be getting down later on)? Oh yeah.

I love it when a perceived bad boy shows his heart of gold, and the so called good guy show his true (a-holey) colours.

Alexei and Kennedy's story is told in dual POV and I loved getting each of their views on where this fauxmance is going to go.

I would read more by this author

Well this took me by surprise! I think I committed the cardinal sin of judging a book by its cover… big mistake. This was amazing. Top tier hockey romance for sure, as well as fake dating perfection. I loved both characters and their futile attempts to fight their attraction. I also loved the community around them, Zachary was adorably funny 🥰 Although this was a spicy hockey romance, it was still endearing and very touching ❤️

All the good tropes:

- enemies to lovers vibes
- fake dating
- hockey romance
- only one bed
- bereavement journey
- pretty spicy

I really enjoyed this book. I will say that first chapter is rough though.It was very choppy and hard to follow. BUT once you get past it, this really is an enjoyable story. There is a lot depth and trauma that both characters have and it is dealt with really really well! Also this is a good enemies and lovers! I love their bantering and bickering! It is one of my favourite things! Also a great fake-dating trope although I wish there was more dates. A hint of miscommunication which wasn't terrible but people, talk about your feelings!! Please! I beg of you! All and all, a delicious addition to the hockey romance genre!! I really enjoyed and will be recommending it!

Play your Part by Kathryn Kincaid is an adorable Hockey romance between owners daughter Kennedy and young player with a bad reputation, Alexi. After being abruptly dumped by her long term boyfriend, Kennedy decides she wants to explore who she is and what better way than at the start of the season party thrown by her father, the owner of the team. Still shaken by the breakup, Kennedy drinks a bit too much and eventually confides in the teams new superstar.
This book is full of fake dating, protectiveness, and sweet moments between two people who don't want to admit their feelings are no longer fake. I really enjoyed this book and ATE it up. The chemistry between the two MCs was authentic and adorable. I loved how big of a role the side characters played in conniving to get them together. Overall this was an adorable fake dating, hockey romance that I could not put down and would recommend for anyone looking for a jealous but sweet hockey boy.

Kennedy has been lost for a year that was when her mother died. Now going to what she thinks will be her new home with her boyfriend, she finds that his stuff is packed along with hers and he is leaving the hockey team for a new team in a new city and new state. Lost she is trying to figure out what has just happened. Alexei who is on a one-year contract with a new team is caught in a photo with Kennedy after all of her break up with Justin and it becomes obvious to everyone except them that they must work together to help each other overcome this mishap. Along the way they find themselves which helps and she really finds out that Justin really wasn’t what she thought he was. She also finds herself back in school and back to doing what she and her mother used to like to do, see if she finds a new love as well. A really good book with good characters.

Do you like enemies to lovers? Slow burns? Hockey romances? Ex-girlfriend of my enemy? Well so do I! This book was a classic enemies to lovers paired with fake dating the coaches daughter. A post that went viral after Alexei’s enemy (and Kennedy’s ex) commented on leads to them fake dating to help improve Alexiei’s image. Such a good read for us hockey romance lovers. Also I hope we get a book for Zach!! Such a lovable side character!!!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I absolutely adored this book! if you love a good hockey romance, this one’s for you!

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Sports romance
Fake dating
Enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Forced proximity
Dual POV
Witty banter
Great chemistry
Hockey team owner’s daughter
Found family
He falls first

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The secondary characters- Zach!
It was more then just a romance it covers topics of family, loss and grief
NC rep!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Unfortunately the quality of the ARC I received contained many blocked out sections, even re-booting and another download didn’t make a difference. So it made for very piecemeal reading and possibly some missed links within the story.

This is a fake dating trope - hockey romance involving a player and the owners daughter after she was unceremoniously dumped by another player a week earlier. She wants revenge, the new player needs to have his image validated.

They seem to fork a bit of a friendship but I never really got strong vibes if chemistry from the sections I read. Also, the female character really needed to get herself a life - she was grieving but the just perpetuated the female not really doing anything but pining and then getting the guy. I think we are better than that in 2@23 aren’t we?

Apologies I couldn’t rate this one more highly - I could only go on the sample I read.

2.5 to 3 stars

I’m a sucker for any hockey romance, especially one with a good fake dating trope. Add in a dash of he falls first and a FMC who starts standing up for herself and you’ve got an amazing read.

Alexei Volkov is a superstar in the hockey world. Known for his ruthless moves on the ice, his take no shit post-match interviews and antics with the ladies. After the death of her mother, Kennedy Cole, the team owners daughter, has given up on everything she used to love - including her studies and beloved hockey. She’s also just been dumped by Alexei’s nemesis. Enter a fake dating proposal and a journey of redemption and growth for both of them. With just the right amount of banter, sass and stubbornness - it all makes for a quick, spicy and enjoyable read.

I will just say, it’s pitched as enemies to lovers. It’s more one-sided blind hate to lovers 😂 can’t be enemies if only one of you knows you’re supposed to hate each other.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the author & publisher for the chance to read and review this book. Review is my own.