Thank you Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.


I love all things Elle Kennedy. It was fun to read a book from the beginning of her career. I ended up listening to this on audio and really enjoyed it. This was dual pov but the audio was just a single narrator.

I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline in this one. It is weird that this doesn’t lead to a series and just a standalone!

This story was exactly what i needed to read.
Elle Kennedy knows how to write hockey stories that will get you hooked from the beginning.
Brody and Hayden … fire together and be ready for some steamy scenes!

The Body Check is exactly what you can expect from an Elle Kennedy hockey romance—engaging, heartfelt, and filled with sizzling chemistry. Hayden Houston returns home to Chicago to support her father through a messy divorce and a work scandal. This break gives her the chance to reconnect with her best friend, who offers her some much-needed advice on life and love.

Hayden has found a kind and dependable man—someone she thought she needed after growing up on the road with her hockey coach father. However, she soon realizes something is missing: intimacy. After putting her relationship on hold for the summer, Hayden decides to take her friend's advice and spend one night with a sexy stranger to scratch an itch. What she doesn’t expect is for the stranger to turn out to be none other than Brody, her dad’s team’s hotshot forward.

Brody, usually content with casual hookups, is taken by surprise when the woman he spent an unforgettable night with doesn’t take him up on the offer for an encore. There’s something about Hayden, and for the first time, he finds himself catching feelings. However, their growing connection is complicated by the fact that her father owns his team, a situation already mired in controversy.

I really liked Hayden as a character. She’s strong, independent, and determined to build a life that’s different from the one she had growing up. Raised by a father whose work kept them constantly moving, she’s determined not to repeat that cycle in her future. As the book progresses, we see Hayden wrestle with her hesitations and emotional barriers, making her journey toward love all the more rewarding.

Brody is equally lovable. At the height of his career, he’s outgrown his playboy ways and his relationship with his teammates demonstrates his core values: loyalty and honesty. Though not looking for a relationship his encounter with Hayden forces him to confront his readiness for something serious.

Tropes:

--Hockey romance
- Opposites attract
- Forbidden romance (player x coach’s daughter)
- Dual POV

If you’re a fan of the hockey romance genre and are looking for a quick, enjoyable read with a bit of tension and emotional depth, I highly recommend The Body Check. It’s a fun story to lose yourself in, a perfect weekend read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Sweet, swoon-y, hockey romance with a cast of characters that have you itching for their stories as well!

Entertaining enough but needs some polishing. Feels like a first effort at writing. Elle Kennedy has come so far since this book.

Great quick read.

Story moves fast

Canadian author

Always enjoy Elle Kennedy and it’s nice to not have to commit to a series and still have one of her novels

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Body Check by Elle Kennedy!

I love Elle Kennedy, but you can definitely tell this was one of her earlier works. It was still cute, just not as good as others I've read from her.

Not Elle’s best work but honestly, I’ll take her worst any day of the week because it is always a fun ride. And honestly man can she write spice! Elle I will Stan you forever.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This one was way too insta love (lust?) for me. I didn't enjoy the fact that she was technically just on a break from her boyfriend. I didn't like that. It felt icky. I didn't feel too connected to the characters.

After a nomadic childhood spent following her hockey coach father, Hayden Houston is determined to finally figure out her own path in life. Her plans don’t include a one-night stand—especially not with Brody Croft, the star player on her dad’s hockey team. But what was supposed to be a single night of passion turns into something neither of them anticipated.

Brody is bold, loyal, and completely committed to his team. But his night with Hayden sparks a connection that feels impossible to ignore. As their budding relationship is tested by a game-fixing scandal, Hayden must decide whether Brody’s bad-boy reputation is too much for her—or if he’s the one who will finally make her stay.

Tropes
- Hockey romance
- Forbidden romance (coach’s daughter x player)
- Bad boy with a heart of gold
- Second chance at love
- Slow-burn with sizzling chemistry

Body Check scores big as a spicy, heartfelt hockey rom-com that keeps the heat on and the emotions running high. There is more story, more intensity, and even more hockey magic, making it a must-read for sports romance enthusiasts in this version.

Hayden and Brody are the kind of opposites that attract in the best way. Hayden’s struggle to carve her own identity outside of her father’s shadow is deeply relatable, while Brody’s unwavering loyalty to his team and unexpected vulnerability make him utterly swoon-worthy. Their chemistry is off the charts, with banter and emotional resonance that keeps readers hooked from the start.

The hockey backdrop adds depth and excitement, with vivid on-ice action and the palpable camaraderie of the team. The game-fixing subplot raises the stakes, testing both their relationship and their loyalties. Kennedy expertly balances the steam with genuine emotional moments, making Hayden and Brody’s journey one of both passion and personal growth.

Whether you're a die-hard fan of hockey romances or new to the genre, it delivers a winning combination of humour, heat, and heart.

More recommendations, if you loved Body Check!!
- The Deal by Elle Kennedy
- Pucked by Helena Hunting
- Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
- Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
- Playing for Keeps by Kendall Ryan

I absolutely tried and tried to read this and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this so much - thank you! However, I literally have picked it up no less than ten times and I could not make myself read more than a page or two (or, at best times, a chapter or two) at a time.

I hate giving up but sometimes you just have to. I have no links because I did not want to negatively review something I did not finish.

I may just be over hockey romance, but I also just don't think this added anything to the genre. Hayden and Brody just didn't have enough chemistry to keep me interested.

Such a good cute read! It’s perfectly written to keep the reader intrigued! Body check was a perfect light read for me!

HELLO HOCKEY ROMANCE OBSESSION!

Hayden, home to help her dad through a messy divorce and hockey scandal, is feeling unfulfilled in her life and relationship and decides to pick up a man at the bar. Little does she know her one night stand, Brody, plays for her dad’s hockey team. Brody isn’t so sure about being a one night stand though…

I absolutely loved these two! I love how Brody did not give up on Hayden. He knew what he wanted and boy he got ittt (casually inserts Taylor Swift lyrics.) Hayden’s character growth and development was exceptional. I really felt that Hayden and Brody truly complimented and brought out the best in each other.

I think hockey may be my new favorite sport. Immediately planning a trip to a hockey game after reading Body Check.

This was a wild mix of genres with romance being the focal point but also had a touch of mystery and scandal as well. Elle Kennedy writes so well, that it just worked. Already a huge fan of her novels, it was a no brainer I had to have this book.

Fun, sassy and surprisingly light this book will have you nestled into your chair unable to put it down.

I enjoyed this cute hockey romance! It was nice that I had a bit of an extra flare with the mystery of the scandal with the hockey team and who was a part of it or not, plus the one night stand/unexpected second meeting/can’t resist each other combination compounded by the owner‘s daughter/hockey player trope. Definitely a good one to pick up if you enjoy hockey romances!

I always love to see where authors start in their careers and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing where Elle began her career as a staple in the sports romance world. This was a fun read but just wasn’t my favorite. I still enjoyed it, but enjoy the growth we see from Elle more now.

I always enjoy a hockey romance. I loved Brody's character - so sweet and sincere. I wasn't completely fond of the almost-love-triangle situation with Hayden's boyfriend (although they were on a break.) This book has plenty of steam and the storyline surrounding her father and the game-fixing adds some interest and depth to the story.