Read if you like: #SportsRomance #HockeyRomance #BadBoyTurnedGood #SteamyReads #SecondChanceLove

📚 Elle Kennedy’s *Body Check* dives into the thrilling world of hockey and romance with an expanded version featuring new and enhanced scenes. Follow Hayden Houston and Brody Croft as their unexpected one-night stand turns into something much deeper amidst a backdrop of game-fixing scandals and personal growth.

👨‍👧 Hayden Houston, an Art History professor, is determined to break free from her past dominated by her hockey coach father. Brody Croft, a dedicated hockey star, is ready to move past his reputation as a bad boy and find something real. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their journey is anything but smooth.

💞 The heat between Hayden and Brody is palpable, making for a steamy read that borders on the erotic. Despite initial intentions for a fling, their connection grows stronger, leading Hayden to reevaluate her preconceived notions about relationships and Brody. Watching their romance unfold amidst challenges is both thrilling and satisfying.

👧 While the focus remains on Hayden and Brody, the side characters, including Hayden’s father and Brody’s teammates, play crucial roles in the story. The game-fixing scandal involving Hayden's dad adds a layer of tension and intrigue, testing loyalties and deepening the plot.

✍️ Kennedy’s writing is engaging and vivid, capturing the intensity of both the hockey scenes and the romantic encounters. The expanded version of *Body Check* brings more depth and heat, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

🌟 *Body Check* is a fast, easy read perfect for fans of sports romance with a spicy edge. Hayden and Brody’s journey from a casual fling to a meaningful relationship is compelling, with plenty of scorching moments and emotional growth. The satisfying epilogue wraps up their story beautifully.

4.5 stars for Elle Kennedy’s Body Check. This cute face past contemporary hockey romance was just what I needed. This was my first Elle Kennedy novel but I hear she’s the hockey romance diva so, I can’t wish to check out more of her work. If you’re looking for a quick palate cleaner book or a dark series in between this would be perfect to fit the bill.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Romance for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Elle Kennedy is forever the Queen of Sports Romance, and I cannot believe that this story was her first ever published because it was just soooo good!

This was a short, and spicy Romance read! The tropes, the spice, the banter between Brody & Hayden, it was all perfect! I also absolutely loved how there was a bit of a mystery element to the story we got to learn about while reading. I absolutely adored this book, and think all my Sports Romance girlies, will eat this one up!!

Tropes:
-Sports Romance
-One night stand
-Forbidden Romance
-Hockey Player x Owners Daughter
-Super spicy
-An element of mystery

One of my favorite quotes:
“You’re a walking contradiction, baby. Serious and proper one moment, wild and uninhibited the next. And the more I get to know you, the more I like what I find.”

Hayden Houston desperately needs to break her dry spell and a one night stand with a hot stranger while in Chicago visiting her father seems like the perfect solution. She can head back to the Bay Area perfectly stress free and ready to settle down into a stable life. Brody Croft is one of the star players for the Chicago Warriors hockey team, and has no idea that the one night stand he just had was with his team owner’s daughter. Now he just has to convince her for more than one night.

Body Check is Elle Kennedy’s very first contemporary romance, and was originally published more than 15 years ago! This reissue comes with additional, updated content and it’s really fun to read Elle’s first ever hockey romance after having been a huge fan of her later hockey romances.

He falls first is one of my favorite tropes, and this one really delivers on it. Brody is down bad for Hayden after their original one night stand, and it was fun to watch him work to convince her that what they felt between them wasn’t a fluke. There was a ton of spice in this! I enjoyed the intrigue of the hockey scandal as well.

All in all a really enjoyable read and one that any Elle Kennedy fan should pick up if they haven’t yet!

This was my second Elle Kennedy book. I found this one to have a lot more heat than the previous one. If you like sports romance with spice every second or third chapter, this is definitely one for you. I would have enjoyed a little more in the way of l hockey scenes. Overall I enjoyed the characters and I this was a quick read.3.5 stars

Romance - CHECK
Spice- CHECK
Short- CHECK
Easy Read- CHECK

👉🏼I’m always a sucker for a sports romance.

•🔥•

While this was enjoyable, it was far from my favorite Elle Kennedy novel. The spice was well done, but I found the plot lacking. I didn't love the main characters like I have many of her others and overall, it just fell flat. The ending was incredibly rushed and I just didn't connect with the story. Luckily it's a quick read but certainly not a standout for me.

I just adore Elle Kennedy’s book. This one was no exception.

If you want a quick, spicy, romcom read this is it. I didn’t love the indecisive bit Hayden had about her other BF because he was just so bland. I mean I get it but um yeah he wasn’t Brody.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

I love sport romance novels. Body Check did not disappoint. I would love for this to have been a series. Brody and Hayden are so happy, as long as it's all kept a secret. Of course it doesn't stay a secret for long. Brody is a very loyal person. Not just to Hayden but to his team. I think that is his best quality.

ARC Review for Body Check. Spoilers removed. Full Review is on the site.


As a huge fan of Elle Kennedy’s contemporary hockey romances, it was a delight to discover that "Body Check" was not just her first contemporary romance, but also her first hockey romance—where it all began. Although "Body Check" is currently a standalone, the material is ripe for additional books, even 15 years later! While I’m not certain how the original book fared, this extended version with added content and sporadic rewrites is definitely the Elle Kennedy we know and love!

Hayden was supposed to come to Chicago, support her father, and then return to her simple, easygoing life in California. Instead, she found herself at a bar with her best friend Darcy, looking to scratch an itch that her boyfriend of two months had no intention of addressing. Having asked Doug for a break, Darcy convinces Hayden to “get it out of her system” with a one-night stand, so she can focus on her father and be all the happier (and calmer). Not quite her style, Hayden decides to give in to temptation in the form of a gorgeous gentleman currently playing pool across the room.

Brody was done with casual hookups and one-night stands. As a left-winger for the Warriors, he had his share of puck bunnies and just wanted a woman who could see past the uniform. He had no interest in taking anyone home that night, not until the unexpected goddess approached him at the pool table. She didn’t seem to recognize him, which could easily be faked, but the fact that she swept the floor with him at the pool table was very real! Intrigued and aroused, Brody agrees to join Hayden for a “nightcap.” What he didn’t agree to, as Hayden quickly learns, is to never see her again the morning after. Not realizing the pure determination of a man who always gets what he wants, Hayden gives in to Brody’s relentless pursuit, setting ground rules for their fling that has a clear expiration date. Unfortunately, her heart didn’t get the same memo. As Hayden’s world starts to turn upside down, she has to decide if the life she wants, the future she needs, is more important than the opportunity standing in front of her.

One thing I have always loved about Kennedy’s writing is her ability to make you feel like you are on the ice in one of her hockey stories. This one was no exception. The Warriors were in the playoffs, and each time Brody hit the ice, you were right there! I also love her ability to create the perfect blend in her male protagonists. Brody is the ideal mix of arrogant, confident, romantic, and sweet. His continuous pursuit of Hayden for all the right reasons just makes you fall in love with him even more. When Kennedy dives into the insecurities of Brody and Hayden's past, you find characters you can identify with on an emotional level.

Another thing I admire is Kennedy's artistic way of approaching a spicy scene. She has never shied away from the spice in her books, but what I love most is how she can morph it from just plain raw, animalistic intensity to a sensual, intimate connection as the protagonists begin to fall for each other. You feel the shift and know the moment the heart becomes just as entangled as everything else.

While the budding romance between Hayden and Brody was the overall arc of the story, the subplot of the potential Warrior scandal had a life of its own.

Kennedy also takes a moment to project the perspectives of Brody and Hayden onto secondary characters, giving them just as important a role as the primary ones.

While Brody and Hayden were characters to admire, my favorite character was Darcy! She was the most unapologetic woman who lived her life by her rules. I would love to see how her story pans out. Kennedy set this up perfectly to be a series if she decided to revisit this universe.

Providing an array of emotions from beginning to end, "Body Check" is yet another triumph of Elle Kennedy’s talent. From moments that have you laughing despite yourself to tears you didn’t anticipate, Hayden and Brody’s story will capture you and leave you hoping against hope that this is only the beginning.

This was a fun, steamy romance that checked all the boxes for me. I enjoyed the characters, the romance, the banter, and the pace immensely. Hayden, who's come home to deal with some family matters, unexpectedly adds fuel to the fire when the one night stand she meets turns out to be a member of the hockey club her father owns. I really enjoyed that, unlike other stories of this kind, it's Hayden who wants to keep it casual and Brody, the hunky hockey player, who's looking for something more permanent and, of course, this too adds to the drama they face. Add to that the backstory of a criminal investigation, bribery allegations, and family issues, and this book kept me engaged and turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next. I loved both Hayden and Brody and enjoyed watching them navigate feelings, family, other relationships, and careers on their way to finding common ground and accepting the inevitability of their romance. Ms. Kennedy has once again given us a wonderfully entertaining and spicy read that is a great addition to her other sports romances.

If you’re looking for a short and spicy sports romance then look no further!

I loved the main characters and the chemistry they had! The reason I’m rating this so low (for an Elle Kennedy book) is because there were so many sub-plot points weren’t really resolved or addressed. The alcoholism with Hayden’s dad was so unrealistic and I feel like if you’re going to address that then you should do it right or not include it at all.

If you like hockey romance, one night stand tropes, or just like Elle Kennedy’s writing then this might be for you!

Thanks so much to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I had fun with this one! It was super bingeable, the vibes were there and it was so spicy! Brody Croft is such a sweetheart, I love that man. We even got some drama, which was a little bit predictable. It felt a little repetitive at times, I started to skim towards the end but overall I had a great time reading it and devoured it in basically 2 days.

Tropes:
-hockey player (golden retriever)
-hockey owners daughter
-he falls first
-friends with benefits
-third person dual pov

3.5⭐️
3🌶️

Thank you NG for the ARC!

3.5 stars! this was a cute hockey romance and elle is an autobuy author for me. while i did like the unique story - it didn’t click for me because:
1) it was too short, if it was even 20 pages longer i would have been happy with the pacing - the last 20% felt too fast and the resolution could have been a BIT more thought out event wise
2) the resolution didn’t satisfy me!!! i feel like the betrayers was out of left wing and it was just random and even about shelia i could have used some more context to make it believable
i WILL say elle’s banter and spice NEVER falter!!!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Elle Kennedy just knows how to write a good hockey romance. I don't know what kind of sports medicine gets put into these books but as per ususal, you will become addicted to this book and not be able to put it down until its over at which point you will just think about it for days. This book was very much on the spicy end so I needed to be in the right headspace to read it but once I started it was hard to stop. Overall, I found it to be a really quick and easy read because the story line and our MC's were just so enjoyable to read about.

Elle Kennedy is one of my favorites. I’ve genuinely loved every book I’ve read from her., this was no exception. I love that this book was spicy and heartwarming, but dealt with real life issues (divorce, death of a family member, gambling, and others.) It isn’t my favorite from her, but a quick spicy read!

I love Elle Kennedy, and it was so cool to be able to read her first hockey romance (with a little bit of added moments). Hayden and Brody’s story was super hot, and I loved getting to read all about their steamy ONS, followed by his falling hard and not wanting to give her up. It has all the tropes I love (owners daughter, hockey, he falls first), with added serious moments (the entire situation with her father). Overall, I thought this was such a great read!

I love Elle Kennedy's work and hockey romances, but this was missing something for me.

Body Check is Hayden and Brody's story. Hayden is the coach's daughter and Brody is an NHL player for his team. They realize there is a spark between them, and Hayden just wants a one-night stand. She thinks she meets just the perfect candidate in Brody, but later realizes it's a bit complicated when she learns he plays for her dad's team.

Overall, it was a fun read, but the plot was a tad predictable and did feel like something was missing. Body Check is a rerelease from the 2009 edition. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

thank you so much to netgalley and harlequin romance for the arc of elle kennedy’s rewrite of body check! i have always been a fan of kennedy’s works especially her sports romance novels, however this one fell very flat for me. i know it was a rewrite of her first ever sports romance novel, and i think a lot of evidence of her earlier writing days still remain in the new version. the pacing was all over the place- the romance felt very rushed and insta love but the investigation drama felt very dragged out despite everything being solved at the very end. also i did not believe our main characters relationship was as deep as they claimed it to be in the end, it all felt purely physical attraction. the entire time i read this book i really wanted hayden to go to a therapist, and to stop avoiding her problems. i also wasn’t super wild about brody either he felt very pushy and overly cocky which i didn’t love. i was sad that i didn’t enjoy this because normally reading kennedy’s books is always a good time.

Body Check is a dual POV one-night stand to more sports romance. Hayden, an art history professor, is on an extended vacation to help her father navigate a contentious divorce and decides to indulge in a one-night stand. Brody, a star hockey player on the team Hayden’s father owns is tired of flings and looking to settle down. He’s convinced that Hayden is the woman for him, now he needs to convince her that he’s the man for her!

This one was a lot of fun to read, it's definitely a change of pace from the slow burns I gravitate towards. Hayden and Brody had great chemistry! The story was enjoyable, with just the right balance of fun, spice, and drama. Definitely worth the read!

Read dates: 06/07/2024- 06/09/2024
Goodreads review: 06/09/2024
Instagram review: 06/10/2024
Blog review: 07/02/2024