I was kind of disappointed in this book. I had such high hopes for a queer sports romance (especially in an Olympic year!) but this fell flat for me. For starters, it did not need to be 72 chapters long. I know the page count is closer to 350 but the number of chapters alone made this drag. I also wasn't a huge fan of the flashback chapters -- they didn't really add anything to the present-day story that Nat or Darcy hadn't already said. And the emotional punch was lacking from the prior breakup. I think it could have used some more editing, either with those scenes or with the segment scenes between Nat and Darcy; again, those just felt like unnecessary filler.

My biggest complaint though, is that Nat was completely out of line towards the end of the book. She was acting like an early 20something rather than the 40ish year old woman she was. I was behind Darcy and didn't think she had much to apologize for. In a dual POV book, I want to understand both characters POV, especially with the conflict, but I just couldn't get behind Natalie's behavior.

Honestly the more I'm writing this the more I am talking myself out of a three star review. I also didn't really get the chemistry between Nat and Darcy, it just kind of felt like we were told they always carried a flame for each other rather than being shown it.

I do think Kate Cochrane has the ability to write a better book, so I will be looking forward to her next work! Unfortunately, this one just did not work for me.

Teammates to lovers to rivals to coworkers to ....? Taking the "women in sports date each other" stereotype to new heights! This was a fun and easy read. It was an interesting choice that one of the main character's names was LaCroix, which felt like a bit of a weird choice, given the famous water brand. Maybe that is an actual last name in Canada, but I just through of the bubbly water the whole time.

My qualm with this book, was that it was slightly confusing why they ever even broke up. I think a miscommunication troupe can be boring, and this essentially was their entire relationship, which felt VERY frustrating as a reader, especially the amount of times said miscommunication happened. This wasn't enough for me to have a bad taste going away from the book, though more of just a constructive criticism!

Did you get that gut-punch feeling when Alex Morgan was left off the USWNT Olympic roster? Did you love all the hype for the PWHL inaugural season? Do you live for all of the little dramas that surface during the Olympics? Are you already counting down to Milan 2026?

If you answered “Um, obviously,” to any of the above questions, this is FOR YOU.

Nat and Darcy were college hockey teammates that years later are known for an intense international rivalry. When they reunite for a morning show segment, old habits die hard and old sparks trigger an internet hashtag.

I absolutely devoured this book and will be aggressively recommending it to absolutely everyone as soon as it’s released.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review!

Super Cute! I am a big fan of LGBTQ+ fiction specifically in sports! This was a fun read about two ex's who are reunited.

I'd heard good things about this book but it was even better than I thought it would be, especially for a debut. I fell in love with Nat and Darcy and their chemistry- the banter and plot was so fun to read. I flew through this book but was sad when it was over, I'll absolutely be keeping an eye out for anything Cochrane writes in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, I feel lucky to have been able to read this early!

2.5 rounded up to 3

Former collegemates turned Olympic rivals are now cohosts on Wake Up, USA. But Nat and Darcy are also ex-lovers. Well, almost. Things never got that far in college, but those old feelings? Yeah, they are alive and well. And the internet is definitely picking up on them. It's not long before #PuckingHotties is trending as Nat and Darcy try to navigate their complicated history.

I really, really wanted to like this. But it left me very underwhelmed. The banter, tension, and emotions just weren't there. It was all a little bland for me. But here are some reasons why you might want to pick it up:

-Rivals to Lovers
-Second Chance Romance
-Women's Hockey
-Olympic Tie-in
-Lovers who Compete together stay together

Reading Wake Up, Nat & Darcy was an absolute delight especially with the Summer Olympics just around the corner! The fun, sarcastic banter between Natalie and Darcy was so well written, making their second chance romance all the more engaging. Despite their ten-year gap, the spark between them never dissipated, manifesting in playful brawls and witty exchanges. The rivalry between Darcy, the Canadian hockey star, and Nat, the US hockey star, added and exciting layer to their dynamic. The book’s concept of co-hosting a sports show and trying out various Olympic events was entertaining and kept me hooked. While the secondary characters could have been more developed, the focus on Nat and Darcy’s evolving relationship was endearing. Nat’s struggle with imposter syndrome and Darcy’s efforts to stop out of her father’s shadow added depth to the characters. The steamy hotel scenes and the alternating chapters between present day and their college days where they originally fell in love enriched the story for me. I hope this gets adapted into a movie or TV show!

What to expect:
- Second chance romance
- Sarcastic, competitive banter
- Winter Olympics setting
- Steamy scenes
- Alternative timelines
- Imposter syndrome
- Sapphic love
- Emotional growth and healing
- Strong female athletes
- Low-stakes conflict

#puckinghotties #wakeupnatanddarcy #wakeupusa #winterolympics #sapphicromance #sapphiclove #queerlove

Wake Up, Nat and Darcy was a very cute FF sports romance book that I really enjoyed!

I loved the combination of backstory and present day that helped to build the story line of the two main characters. I also really loved the competition element between USA and Canada throughout the segments, especially releasing during an Olympic year I could relate to the loyalty to your country they experienced during the segments.

Darcy was a well-rounded character who had fame from her father and had to deal with those expectations and misogyny that would place her in to be “known” only by her father’s accomplishments and not her own. She was older than Nat but still has a subdued way of needing Nat to take the lead in scenarios and trust her.

Nat was a spicy competitor who put on a brave and confident front but Darcy could see behind the persona and truly see her for what she was and loved her for that.

They both had insecurities and didn’t communicate them well in the end, but they were both pining to get each other back and had a happily ever after. Even Darcy’s dad stood up for Darcy to stand in her own pedestal and not in his shadow.

I loved the book and would recommend!

This book was just ok. I was really interested in the premise but I found myself bored for the first third or so.

The main issue I had with this book was that I struggled rooting for Natalie and Darcy to end up together. It really felt like their present-day relationship was based on memories of dating in secret for a few months in college. I felt that we didn’t see them grow enough as individuals or as a couple from the chapters that take place in college.

I really did appreciate the representation of a sapphic romance between professional athletes. The plot drew me in as someone who watches women’s sports.

Thank you to Kate Cochrane, Harlequin & Carina Adores, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wake Up, Nat and Darcy comes out on 11/12/24.

A delightful second-chance romance, Wake Up, Nat and Darcy follows two female hockey players through their relationship in college (which ended in flames) to their (somewhat unwilling) reunion as television hosts. Filled with cutting banter and heartfelt emotion, this book will keep you hanging in and hoping!

I am so deep in my hockey romance era and was ecstatic to read this sapphic one! Though neither mc is an active player, their gig at the Winter Olympics still brings all the best of sports romance tropes: lots of forced proximity and flirty competition.

Nat and Darcy are both former, decorated women’s hockey Olympians, once college teammates turned fierce rivals, representing Team USA and Team Canada, respectively. Their rivalry was only heightened by the fact that their relationship in college ended badly, so these two exes hosting a gig together is bound to be complicated.

I loved that the characters were older and that there were discussions of what athletes’ retirement looks like and how it can give you a bit of an identity crisis (especially for women who don’t rake in millions even at the heights of their careers!!). Speaking of, I also appreciated the conversations around women’s sports and hockey, specifically, and the disrespect paid to them and the erasement of their achievements.

Though I appreciated having older characters, it didn’t always feel like they acted their age. I know they had a bad falling out in college and that resentment had just been stewing, but there was some pretty immature behavior and miscommunication that made it frustrating at times. It also made the pacing feel a little odd, as they had to overcome the hard feelings from before to get together, but their juvenile behavior constantly hindered their development.

Still happy to see a sapphic hockey romance! Maybe with the PWHL and the increased attention around women’s hockey, we’ll get even more! Exciting times

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Super cute! I love sports romances and I love sapphics and I LOVE the second chance romance trope! Will definitely be recommending this one to my patrons. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!

I picked this one up because I’m constantly looking for sports romances that give me the feeling that Rachel Spangler’s or Cat Sebastian’s do, and once again I’m left disappointed. I think this is a really good romance novel, and I do recommend it for the store. I just think it’s a standard romance novel– a black forest cake that should be eaten by black forest cake fans, though it may not be as good as the one their grandma used to make. Maybe that’s a convoluted metaphor, but if you like sports-based sapphic romances, you will have a good time reading this book. It just might not be your favorite. One thing I really want to applaud it on is that it doesn’t just say these characters had a thing offscreen and do nothing about it–there are flashbacks meant to help us feel why these characters care, and to cause tension in the mystery of what truly happened between Nat and Darcy all those years ago. It’s good tension, and it helps you root for the characters.

Wake Up, Nat & Darcy is filled with palpable tension and engaging flashbacks that will have you rooting for its main couple. Perfect for lovers of hockey romance and women.

This was such a cue second chance rivals story. It literally sf me kicking my feet at time. I really ate this book up.

I really really really wanted to love this book! It’s a great premise, but it just ended up falling flat for me. The main characters were pretty two dimensional and there weren’t really any well-defined side characters to break it up. For a story that’s set in a stunning locale, we get no descriptions of the scenery or any real setting details throughout. With that being said, it’s the author’s debut novel and it always amazes me when someone does the dang thing - this is a whole book and she should be really proud of her hard work! I’m excited to see what else is to come as she matures as a writer.

3.5 ⭐️s rounded up to 4!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for review.

Wake Up, Nat & Darcy is a sapphic hockey romcom following two former Olympians/exes as they are forced to work together on Wake Up, USA, a morning show covering that year’s Winter Olympics.

Sports romance ✅
Forced proximity ✅
Second chance ✅
Fake dating ✅

Nat and Darcy were teammates on their college hockey team by day and secret girlfriends by night, until closeting and insecurities led to the relationship’s dramatic implosion. For the next decade, Nat played for the US team, Darcy for Canada, and they became the fiercest rivals both on the ice and off.

Now, they are retired athletes covering the Olympics on Wake Up, USA. The network wants them to play up their infamous rivalry as they try out various winter sports in order to educate and amuse the viewers. But when the TV audience soon notices the chemistry between them, it’s not long before their “relationship” goes viral and the network asks them to lean into bit in order to continue the show’s online relevance. As performance for the camera begins to blend with a real spark, the two must navigate their past hurts and decide if—for happy ever after—the second time is the charm.

I loved this concept! So cute. It was also great to read about women in their 30s still figuring things out. The fake dating element was also really hilarious.

The main reason this wasn’t 5 stars for me was because I felt the pacing was a touch slow. There were a few flashback scenes I felt didn’t really add anything to the story that we didn’t already get from the present timeline, so they mostly slowed the plot. As well, at times I felt these women in their mid-30s acted a bit more immature than was palatable for me.

Overall this was a cute fluffy read, and I would definitely recommend it for those seeking sapphic romcoms!

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! I’ve been hoping for a perfect rivals-to-lovers sapphic hockey romance and this one more than delivers. The tension, relationship issues, hurt and repair, the grumpy-softie that Natalie is and the princess that Darcy is - it’s all so perfectly beautiful!! What a satisfying second-chance love story. It was everything I was hoping for! Kate Cochrane is an incredible writer - everything is so well-written, so natural, so descriptive, and I couldn’t find fault in anything here! I loved their banter and joking, and the standing-up-for-eachother and the big speeches that were so beautiful and emotional. Such a great book and one I’ll be recommending forever!
/ARC - thank you!

I requested Wake Up, Nat & Darcy because Anita Kelly blurbed it. Unfortunately, it turns out that I like Anita's books more than this one. I didn't feel any click and therefore I decided to DNF at 21% instead of struggling through and giving a low rating.

I really wanted to love this book, but just never got into it.
I didn't connect with either character or any part of the story.

As a women's hockey fan, I was SO thrilled when I heard about this book and immediately picked it up. While I'm glad there's sapphic hockey content in the world, this one was a bit of a mess for me. I found both protagonists' reactions to any small issue to be inflated and over the top, and didn't totally believe in their chemistry.