Loved it!
Pick up this gorgeous hug of a book and get transported to your happy place… wraps itself round you like a cosy blanket. It has warmth, charm, laugh-out-loud moments and a wistful nostalgia. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you @netgalley for my #gifted e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book! A bookish, classical music-loving pro hockey player + a music teacher and professional cellist? Amazing. Jenny Proctor does it again. 🥲

Read this one if you like:
💕 forced proximity
💕 he falls first
💕 slow burn

After a childhood all about hockey - not to mention a dastardly hockey-playing boyfriend - Gracie has a firm, unbreakable rule: she doesn't date hockey players. She's a cellist and focuses on her music, ignoring hockey to the best of her ability in a hockey-obsessed town, with a hockey-obsessed family and a hockey-playing neighbour. But that neighbour? After he comes racing to her rescue one day, she seems to be seeing him everywhere. And the more she sees of him, the more fragile her rule seems to become. It doesn't hurt that he enjoys classical music, either. But dare she let go of her rule, or will she live to rue it?

I've read several book in this series so far, and they've set a high bar. Well, this didn't disappoint (except perhaps in being the last book!). I've been looking forward to seeing Felix get his happily ever after - he seemed to deserve it - and it was worth the wait. I loved watching these two together, but I also appreciated seeing some mending of the battered relationships they each seemed to have with their families (particularly Gracie). In fact, that side of things was possibly what really made the story for me. The problems with the relationships were what made their relationship difficult, and seeing their relationship able to start healing the other relationships brought it full circle. All in all, recommended - and I'm curious to see whether Summer gets her own story next.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Literally, this is EVERYTHING I wanted in a hockey romance. Thanks to Chloe Liese getting me hooked after
Always Only You. I wanted something that was more than insta-lust which seems to be a theme in the hockey romances I have found. I dont mind a slow burn but I wanted some real issues and a story line. I liked the conflict in Always Only You because it felt real. Absolutely not in Love was the first book I have found since that did that. I read it in ~4 hours (only because I had to leave in between) because I count not put in down. I LOVE Felix and Gracie and I love that their issues were not completely resolved with a nice little bow but did have some growth/closure to it to make their relationship seem viable.

Love love love this book so much!

Absolutely Not in Love – Jenny Proctor

Review summary: A wholesome, sweet ice hockey meets classical music romance. A wonderful book that within one chapter has turned me into a Jenny Proctor fan.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thank you to NetGallery and Jenny Proctor Creative for the opportunity to review this book. Absolutely Not In Love will be available for purchase from 16 October 2023 exclusively through Amazon.

A new ice hockey romance was enough to get me interested in Absolutely Not In Love, and the first few chapters left me wanting more. The book didn’t deliver the ‘spice’ factor that a lot of popular ice hockey romance books are currently offering, but it made this book stand apart.

The book explores the ‘will they won’t they’ against the backdrop of the female protagonist who hates hockey thanks to family and a bad boyfriend. What makes this book so delightful and something I had to devour was the authentic connection and flow between Grace and Felix. Was I expecting spice in this novel? Yes, thanks in part to the surge in ice hockey spice dominating the romance market. However, the spice would’ve detracted from this.

Grace is a teacher and classical cello player – she is warm, intelligent and anti-hockey.

Felix is the hot ice hockey player equivalent of Lucas Scott (for all my fellow millennials. For gen Z – One Tree Hill still hits). Well read, articulate and a gentleman who does not have lots of lady friends, he is the right amount of ice hockey and Mr Darcy, with some unfortunate social anxiety.

They are both likeable, relatable characters with some issues. However, the novel is not melodramatic, it is realistic and fun and a great read.

At the end of the book I realised this is the 7th and final in ‘The Sweater Weather’ series and I can’t wait to read the others. It’s a standalone book, but I have no doubt that reading the other 6 books in the series will capitalise on the developed secondary characters that pop up in Absolutely Not In Love.

This is a must read wholesome romantic comedy that couples classical music and ice hockey beautifully (and I never thought I could combine these two ‘opposite’ things I love in a romance book!).

This was a cute read with likeable characters. Low key drama with some kissing scenes. I was a little surprised the intimacy didn’t develop past kissing given the evolution of the relationship. But I enjoyed how the romance between Felix and Gracie developed. I would have liked more interactions of both MC’s with their parents to fill in some background information since those parents had greatly affected Felix and Gracie’s perception of themselves. A sweet read without being too sweet.

I’m now on a mission to own and read every single Proctor book!
Absolutely Not in Love is book 7 in her Sweater Weather series by Jenny Proctor and y’all this story was a sweet, tender and humorous hockey romance.
She has written a swoon-worthy hockey sports rom-com.
It was everything I want in a rom-com—excellent writing, tangible chemistry between the main characters, funny and witty dialogue, a great storyline, characters that are relatable and lovable, and romance that is intense and sizzling but clean.
Jenny Proctor’s writing was very engaging and she kept me sucked into the story.
I couldn’t put this book down and read it in two sittings because the storyline takes you in right from the first page and kept your attention throughout and it completely hooked me and was so addictive.
Jenny certainly knows how to pull her readers in.
All of the characters in this book felt incredibly real and I became emotionally invested rather quickly.
This book was everything that I love about romcoms! Jenny does such an amazing job developing characters with phenomenal chemistry that you root for from page one and her style of humor is so entertaining and has me smiling all the way through!
Jenny Proctor has definitely made a forever fan out of me!

And can I just mention her cover art!. They are so gorgeous and I’m now I’m dead set on owning every single copy!

I would like to thank NetGalley and JPC Publishing for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Want a new book boyfriend? Check out ABSOLUTELY NOT IN LOVE by Jenny Proctor and fall in love with Felix, the pro hockey player who ticks every single box

Felix has gone straight to the top of my all-time favourite book boyfriends - he's kind, hardworking and understanding. Even the conflict at the end was understandable because he's just a damn good person.

Often I find closed door romances too sickly sweet, but this was the perfect balance of passion, softness and the sweet, healing kind of love. Both characters are likeable, adorable and bring out the best in each out!

READ FOR:
🏠Forced proximity
❤️Slow burn
❤️Closed door romance
❤️Fluffy
⭐4 stars

Thanks to @NetGalley and @JPCPublising for the ARC! Opinions are my own

#rochellereadsit

I was already in love for this series before this book, so When it came with a Hockey player guy head over heels inlove for the main girl and She being the person with romance issues and insecurities, I was totally caught up! Ihave enjoyed everything about the story and how the author developed all the scenes with softness and romance well balanced! I more than recommend this book for everyone! <3

Absolutely Not in Love is probably my favorite read of the last six months (and I average 5 books/week)! Felix is an absolute dream of a book boyfriend and Gracie is a wonderful female lead. I could not be move in love with their story and their characters. This is a truly slow burn, clean book and I can easily lose interest when reading those, but not in this case. Jenny Proctor keeps your attention from beginning to end in this book and I've already gone and downloaded How to Kiss a Movie Star since I got a sneak peak at that in the Epilogue. I give this book 6 stars out of 5, I enjoyed it that much! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Absolutely Not in Love
By Jenny Proctor

This is my first time reading anything by Jenny Proctor and this book did not disappoint! It was a very sweet chick lit. Sometimes when reading sweet romances, they can almost be sickly sweet, but not this one! This one was well done without being over the top.

I recommend this one for anyone who's looking for a sweet, cozy read this fall!

Thank you to #netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Absolutely Not in Love is the last novel in the Sweater Weather series - and what a way to end it!

Both Gracie and Felix are wonderful, likeable and adorable, and they bring out the best in each other - once they begin to open up to the idea of wanting to be more than just neighbours you bump into every now and then in the hallway.

Both Gracie and Felix have issues in their backgrounds they are still dealing with - Felix has always felt like he doesn't measure up to his parents' expectations and his father doesn't support his choice of career as a pro hockey goalkeeper, whereas Gracie's family has always been all about hockey and gone to every single one of her brother's hockey games when they were growing up but missed a lot of Gracie's performances and don't really understand her passion for classical music or being a cellist. Eventually, even though she has sworn she'd never date a hockey player, Gracie starts to realize there is more to Felix Jamison than just the sport, and Felix, well, he needs to realize that it is okay to want things just for him and not try to please everyone else.

This is a sweet and quick read, and if you are looking for a fall romance with swoony and heartfelt moments and main characters with great chemistry then this is the book for you!

Felix was such a real, imperfect, thoughtful yet still swoony book boyfriend. I loved that this love story just had their own hang ups as the hurdle to overcome. No other people, no crazy misunderstandings..just the kinds of things a real life couple would need to wade through. They both made sacrifices for each other and they both grew. It still had sizzle, but with maturity. It wasn’t all about getting their hands on each other…it was about caring for the other person. I loved it!

Gracie is a symphony musician who grew up with an older brother who lived and breathed hockey - enough that she now despises the sport. So there's no way she's going to fall for the hottie next door, who happens to be a professional hockey player. But she comes to realize that Felix is much more than just a hockey player. He loves classical music and he's an avid reader as well.

This was a delicious relationship to read from the beginning. Their banter and connection really make their chemistry sizzle. I'm not usually one for closed-door romances, but I've been into hockey romcoms lately, and I really enjoyed the other Sweater Weather book I read, so I thought I'd give this one a try. This is a definite winner. It was so satisfying watching Gracie and Felix connect and fall in love. Awesome way to wrap up this fall-themed series. I highly recommend this one, especially if you like hockey/sports romances!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

*ARC review*

Thanks to @netgalley and @victoryeditingngc for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the last book in the Sweater Weather series and I am sad to leave Harvest Hollow (all books in the series are set in this town). This was as good as the last book in the series and I had a great time seeing Felix and Gracie come together!

Felix is by far the perfect book hero of our dreams : a pro level hockey goalie, an ardent reader and collector of books (the guy has a home library, need I say more!) and he also listens and admires classical music! He is the best thing for me in this book, so just for him I recommend the book! Gracie is also a sweet loveable girl who is a cello player and absolutely hates hockey! She has her reasons for doing so, which we see in the book. She is set against not dating a hockey player ever, but Felix hopes to change her mind.

Felix and Gracie are next door neighbours! So it is a neighbours to lovers trope, with bit of forced proximity 😊. They happen to spend time together and over beautiful swoony moments Gracie recognises Felix for more than just a famous hockey player. In fact, their love for classical music and books brings them close. Gracie’s cute nephew and Felix’s hockey team members are all fun to know. Their meet cute, night chats over dinner, meeting the family, and the grand gesture at the end were all heartwarming.

Without giving out any further spoilers, I would just say it was a very sweet, romantic story and I did not find any cliches (not anything that made me cringe) and you should not miss it! I am sure you would also love Felix 😉

P.S. It is a closed door romance all the way but still lot of romantic moments and kisses 😘!

Review posted to Goodreads and IG.

Absolutely not in love has me absolutely in love!

It was so good.Felix and Gracie are the best. I loved Gracie's shift from not liking hockey to it slowly but surely progress to her growing from the bad memories hockey held and that was so amazing.
Amazing addition and unfortunately end to the Sweater Weather series honestly it's sad to see it go

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

This was the first book I've read in the Sweater Weather series and I really enjoyed it. I loved the chemistry and the banter between the main characters, Felix and Gracie. Their communication was also great, and I loved the way they supported each other, particularly with each other's family.

There wasn't anything big that I disliked, however, I did find that the plot was a bit too monotonous and there was no tension or build-up anywhere. There were times where the plot felt like it was going in one direction, but then the scene/chapter ended abruptly and suddenly it was a few days later in the story. I think part of this was the closed-door romance aspect and the transitions out of the romance scenes could've been smoother for me.

This book is part of the Sweater Weather series by different authors but it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. If you -like me- read the other books you will probably enjoy meeting some familiar characters again.
Gracie is a music teacher and cellist who loves classical music and hates hockey. Her neighbour is Felix Jamison, the goalie for the town's hockey team. Felix feels attracted to Gracie but he can accept that she won't ever date hockey players. But when they spend more and more time together (thanks to a flooded apartment) there just might be a chance for them...
I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked both main characters, but Felix is just THE perfect book-boyfriend. The story is really sweet and I liked meeting some of the characters from the other books of the series again
If you're looking for a sweet romance this book is definitely for you.

Did I stay up until 2am to just to finish this book? I sure did. I loved this so much. This was my first Jenny Proctor book and I’m definitely going to have to read the rest of her books. I have been looking forward to reading Felix’s story since he was introduced in ‘Just Don’t Fall’. I couldn’t wait to find out more about the quiet and broody goalie who loves to read. I love hockey romances (even though I’ve never watched hockey and know next to nothing about it).
I’ll admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of Gracie’s in the beginning. She was biased against hockey players because of past experiences, and wasn’t the nicest to Felix or his teammates. The more I learned of her history and of her, the more she grew on me. Felix and Gracie were the perfect match. Their banter was adorable and their chemistry was sizzling. I loved seeing their romance unfold. It didn’t feel rushed to me and they truly took the time to get to know one another.

This book. Wow. I definitely stayed up way past midnight to finish this whole book in one sitting. I loved it.

Characters? Check.
Growth of the characters? Check.
Butterflies? Check.
Storyline? Check.
All of it. So good.

This is my new favorite Jenny Proctor book. I loved every single bit of it.

Felix — the perfect gentleman. Love that it was a “he fell first.”
Gracie — loved that she worked through her issues to make things work!
The secondary characters — loved them too!

I laughed and cried through this book. Easy 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!