I received a complimentary copy from.ghe publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I am a huge fan of Tessa Bailey and love how the author writes humorous love stories. The book tells the story of Britta who is a waitress at Sluggers and has a crush on a particular player. On one side there is Sumner who hopes to play in the NHL who needs to marry an American woman to stay in the US. Britta ends up marrying Sumner. It's a marriage of convenience and so fast-paced and humorous.

Actual rating 3.5

When it comes to a Tessa Bailey book there are two things you can expect: Humor and Spice.

Boy, did she deliver in this fun, spicy, sports romance novella PERFECT for this holiday season!

I personally love a story where the MMC is OBSESSED so Sumner’s character was so cute to me! I’m also a complete sucker for both of the main tropes: marriage of convenience and brother’s friend.

For being a novella (144 pages), it was well-paced and kept me excited and interested from the get-go. Overall a fun, spicy, funny book that's perfect to read at any time throughout the year, but especially the lul between Christmas and NYD!

This book got lots of different feedback and I didn't really expect anything from it.
BUT, I read it in one day and fall in love. Britta's development wasn't showed very well, as the book itself is short, but I still really liked her. It seemed like she is my friend and I felt really close connection with her. Britta is very charming girl and I really liked her.
Sumner is a gentleman and real golden retriever boy. The fact that he followed her and wanted to around be Britta so cute. I also liked his family and the environment in which he grew up. As, it shows where it all came from. "I want my wife!". That's literally how I would describe him. Sweet hockey player.
Unfortunately, as immigrant myself, green card is a very big part in this country. In book it showed very quick process, when in real life it takes the least 3 years (if you are lucky). But this book isn't about "how correctly get married in the US and get you green card", it is about love story and how it progresses. So, anyone who took off points for that, just don't get "reading for fun" part.
Overall, I gave this book 5 stars. Tessa Bailey really knows how to write the way you will be intrigued and feel special. Definitely a good book and will recommend it around!

This was a very quick book to read. Personally, it wasn’t the best book from Tessa Bailey. I felt that Sumner was supposed to be a “nice guy” but every time it switched to his POV all he’d ever think about was fucking Brita. So the two sides kind of conflicted. However, it was still an entertaining and quick read for me.

✨ 3.5 STARS ✨

yes this book is rushed and completely unrealistic, but as a short seasonal novella, what else would it be composed of? the vibes were there which is what carries the rating. i would have loved to get more details and background on the characters if it was a full book but it did what had to be done and stands on its own.

on new year’s eve, britta’s half brother asks her to marry his hockey teammate in order for him to get a green card and stay in the country. their terms: its super platonic and they will expire at the SAME TIME NEXT YEAR!!

- hockey player
- brothers bestie
- fake dating
- he falls first and harder
- touch her and i’ll kill you
- spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
- short seasonal novella

This was a novella about a marriage of convenience between a girl and her brother's hockey teammate. Britta and Sumner are friends though they secretly and not so secretly have feelings for each other. Throughout the novella we see how Sumner gets Britta to actually make their relationship the real deal. Britta has her reasons so it was interesting to see how Sumner breaks down her walls. This was a short quick read.

Tessa Bailey is Tessa Bailey. What else can I say to that? I loved that we got a hockey romance out of her!! As always I’m so excited for what’s to come

Thank you Amazon and Netgalley for the ARC! I sure do love Tessa Bailey and all of her silly humor and fun spicy times. She always nails the banter and chemistry while making things just FUN for the characters and the reader. If you need a good time, TB is your girl!

📚 Dive into the sizzling world of "Same Time Next Year" by Tessa Bailey, a steamy novella that combines hope and humor in a fake marriage journey that unfolds over the course of a year. Set against the backdrop of a beloved bar, Sluggers, and the local hockey scene, Britta, an ambitious waitress, finds herself entangled in a marriage of convenience with Sumner Mayfield, a formidable defenseman on the brink of an NHL breakthrough.

💕 Adored by all, Britta's strict no-dating policy for hockey boys takes an unexpected turn when the team urges her to marry Sumner on New Year's Eve to secure his stay in Bridgeport. Initially hesitant, Britta's resolve wavers when faced with Sumner's soulful brown eyes and undeniable charm. The stage is set for a tale of unexpected love, commitment-phobia, and the challenges of a relationship born out of necessity.

🔥 The chemistry between Britta and Sumner evolves from a slow burn to a passionate inferno, making "Same Time Next Year" a captivating Marriage-Of-Convenience narrative. However, some readers might find the sudden intensity of their connection surprising, as it transforms from non-existent to scorching hot. The story, spanning a year, features significant time jumps that propel the plot forward, keeping readers engaged with the couple's evolving dynamics.

🌟 Despite the unexpected steaminess that takes center stage, the characters of Britta and Sumner shine through, making their relationship relatable and endearing. Britta's commitment-phobia and Sumner's desperate love create a compelling dynamic, drawing readers into their journey. While the steam level may feel inconsistent with the characters, the overall narrative and the exploration of their relationship make "Same Time Next Year" a worthwhile and enjoyable read.

📖 In this novella, Tessa Bailey skillfully weaves a story of love, humor, and personal growth, offering readers a delightful escape into the world of fake marriages and unexpected romance. Whether you're a fan of holiday romances or enjoy a generous dose of steam in your stories, "Same Time Next Year" delivers a satisfying blend of passion and heart.

A cute, quick novella that I read in one sitting! Tessa Bailey books always make me laugh and this was no exception. Her writing is so enjoyable, her characters are so sweet, and her plots are entertaining. I loved Britta and thought she was a great main character.

My favourite part was that it was short. Tessa Bailey can be a hit-or-miss for me, and this was a definite miss. Not only does the comical size difference do nothing for me - he is introduced as some kind of hulking Frankenstein's monster rather than an attractive human man, and she seems to be practically Barbie-doll-sized - authors need to stop romanticising weird possessiveness and anger issues. Rage is scary, not cute, and framing it as otherwise is hugely discomforting and problematic. Hoping this trend in romance dies out really soon.

I enjoyed the Bellinger sisters series, but after suffering through this thankfully short novella I'm not tempted to check out the rest from TB.

Cute novella that got to the story instead of a lot of fluff around it, which I liked. Funny but with some reality mixed in. Quick read with some spice and humor.

I've enjoyed all the Tessa Bailey books I've read to date, and this spicy little novella was no exception! I adored Sumner and could have used 200 more pages of him and his family, and would have also loved getting to know the other hockey players more. Britta was pretty bland but I think a longer story would have fixed that/made her more likeable. Would recommend but wanted more! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This novella follows Britta, who works at a bar and often deals with a rowdy hockey team who frequent it. One of the team members is her brother who she is rather close with. Another teammate is Sumner, a tall, dark, and handsome hockey player who is surprisingly sweet and unsurprisingly into Britta - it’s a little obvious that he’s nursing a crush. When Britta’s brother informs her that Sumner is at risk of losing his green card and being shipped back up to Canada before he gets called up to the NHL to play professionally, the entire team not so casually suggests that she marry him to get him to stay.
That’s ALL I’m going to tell you, because you should really just read this and find out what happens for yourself!

I loved this! It was such an enjoyable and fast read! I am really sad that this wasn’t a full length novel, not because I thought the story was incomplete in any way, but because I loved the characters and wanted more time with them. This was a delight and I just always love Tessa Bailey, so it doesn’t surprise me in the least that I love this just as much as all of her other books.

Britta and Sumner had such amazing off-the-charts chemistry and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their feelings for one another. Tessa really made sure that the reader felt the emotions of the characters.

I adored Sumner and how he was not only a big and strong hockey player, he was also a cinnamon roll. He would do anything for Britta and I was obsessed with how protective he was of her. I also appreciate how Tessa conveyed how exactly he fell first and how dedicated to her he is. This makes Sumner a book boyfriend contender for sure!

Their relationship progression was also very well done and even though it was a novella, I thought it was depicted in a complete way. I didn’t feel like we were missing out on any relationship building at all. I really appreciated how thoughtfully Tessa crafted the story and made everything feel so whole.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly! If you are a fan of adult romance books (and Tessa Bailey books in general), don’t miss out on this! It’s the same Tessa Bailey writing style packaged in a much smaller format. It was a real treat!

Thanks so much to Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for this eARC! I truly appreciate it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon for the eARC.

Tessa Bailey's books are always steamy. But this one just didn't connect with me. She fell so fast and he was so lackadaisical. Not my favorite.

Same Time Next Year is a novella by American author, Tessa Bailey. Britta: waitress at Sluggers bar, of which she’d like to be part-owner, and a favourite venue for the Bridgeport Bandits hockey team. Sumner Mayfield: big, hunky Canadian import on the team, whose work visa is running out the next day. The team begs Britta to marry him so they don’t lose their star player, but even though she finds him attractive, and she knows he’s besotted with her, Britta has a very good reason for avoiding marriage.

Marry, they do, but it’s strictly a business arrangement: he pays for her share in the bar and they agree to publicly act married at least until after he scores a green card. They don’t live together or even date, just have study sessions to know enough about each other for the green card interview, and Sum quietly bears his frustration for the first NINE months of their marriage.

For Sumner, it’s love and lust at first sight, and his inner monologue consists mostly of the effects that the sight of Britta, what she says and does, have on his nether regions, and describes in graphic detail what he would do with her body, if only he had her permission. A dozen consecutive pages of this, and then a further seven, when he finally does get permission quickly becomes boring.

This is a very predictable marriage-of-convenience tale; apparently there are quite a lot of inaccuracies re hockey leagues and green cards; while there are some sweet moments, “sexy” in the blurb means very explicit; if you like romance with plenty of steamy sex, both imagined and real, you may want to don your disbelief suspenders for other aspects of the story and go along for the ride.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an hones5 review.

Tessa Bailey delivers once again. A quick, concise novella to get your juices flowing. I loved it. Especially since a Canadian was featured.

All the spice and electric chemistry you’d expect from Tessa Bailey in a bite-sized novella form! This hockey flavored, marriage of convenience story was hard to put down!

Same Time Next Year is a spicy little novella that hits the spot. If one were to complain, it would have to be about the length, I wish it was longer! But I knew what I was getting into. So do our two protagonists, when they decide to get married in name only so he can get his green card. These things have a way of working out. Having a huge hockey-loving family helps.

As a long time fan of Tessa's and taking in to account that she is one of my very few autobuy authors I have to say, I was extremely disappointed in this one.

Same Time Next Year is Bailey's jump into hockey romance but it felt a bit flopsy. There were a few things that didn't even scream realistic enough for a simple and quick read and unfortunately, I found myself losing interest so much that it took over 10 days to read the 140 odd pages.

The pros;
- it was short.
- I actually really liked Sumner. Who doesn't love a golden retriever style love interest?

... and that's unfortunately it.

I have generously given this three stars - but don't be fooled. This one was definitely not it.

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and Net Galley for an advanced copy for an honest review. This one is available now.