**ARC Review: "Good Boy" by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen**

*Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)*

"Good Boy" by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen is a witty, heartwarming, and irresistibly fun start to the spin-off series from their beloved "Him" and "Us" books. This novel takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions with the perfect blend of humor, romance, and a touch of angst.

Jess Canning is on a mission to prove herself as more than just the "family screw-up." Tasked with hosting her brother's wedding, Jess is determined to show her family she can handle it all—no mistakes allowed. But things get complicated when she has to face Blake Riley, the larger-than-life best man with whom she had a regrettable fling. Jess is committed to keeping things strictly professional, but Blake has other plans.

Blake is the ultimate charmer—a goofy, lovable hockey player with a heart of gold. He's been smitten with Jess since their first encounter, and the wedding is his chance to win her over for good. What makes Blake such an endearing hero is his unwavering determination to prove that he's more than just a jokester. Beneath the surface, he's a "good boy" with depth and sincerity, and his relentless pursuit of Jess is both hilarious and heart-melting.

The dynamic between Jess and Blake is electric. Their banter is sharp, playful, and packed with sexual tension. The push-and-pull of their relationship is perfectly balanced, making their journey from "friends with a complicated past" to something much deeper incredibly satisfying. Kennedy and Bowen excel at creating characters who feel real and relatable, and Jess and Blake are no exception. Jess’s struggle to be taken seriously and Blake’s desire to be seen for who he truly is are themes that resonate deeply.

"Good Boy" is more than just a rom-com; it’s a story about personal growth, taking risks, and learning to see beyond first impressions. The authors skillfully mix humor with emotional depth, making for a story that’s both laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly poignant. The supporting cast, filled with familiar faces from the original series, adds an extra layer of warmth and familiarity, making this book a treat for long-time fans and newcomers alike.

In conclusion, "Good Boy" is a must-read for anyone who loves a good laugh, a swoon-worthy romance, and characters who feel like old friends. Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen have crafted a story that’s as sweet as it is spicy, leaving you eager for more of the Riley-Canning saga. Whether you’re a fan of their previous works or discovering them for the first time, "Good Boy" is sure to leave you smiling.

Cheezus this guy was cheesy as hell. I rolled my eyes through at least half of it and thought I would never like him after he called someone the bomb dot gov. But I guess, much like Jess he grew on me and by the end I loved them together.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good sports romance and pretty much anything Elle Kennedy writes. I was so excited to read this arc and it didn’t disappoint! This was my first in this series and I can’t wait to go back and read about the other characters in the other books.

Whoooweee. I love a good hockey romance.  Blake Riley is most definitely proving himself a fine specimen to lust after.
5 years post break up. He finds himself falling for a girl when he least expects it. It seems he's unprepared for what lies ahead when in reality he's just a big softy with a big heart. Anyone would be lucky to date this funny, sexy goofball.
Jess has moved to Toronto to go to nursing school. Her brother and his husband,who also plays hockey for the same team as Blakes, live in Toronto too. Bringing them closer being away from home.
Things get heated when Blake needs a girlfriend and gets Jess to agree. The fire starts up from there.
This is a super fun, sexy story. I cant wait to read the next in series.
5 stars.

Jess is struggling. Anxiously planning her brother's wedding, she runs into his teammate and former one-night stand, Blake. Stereotypically crass hockey player and constant flirt, Blake begs Jess for more - and she attempts to fend him off at every chance, failing in steamy increments. But before these two make it, she has to figure out her future.

You know, this book bothered me in the beginning but it definitely grew on me. At the start, it was Blake's character that I just couldn't stand - he seemed a caricature - but after a few chapters his edges smoothed out I found myself appreciating his candor and sleazy pick-up lines. Jess is a believable female lead and there's nice development there that seems real and relatable. It's a steamy one, as to be expected with this crew, and the setup for further novels is really fun. There's no new territory here, just spicy hockey teammates, friends, and romance. I look forward to the next one in the WAGs series.

This was a such a fun read! I always head into Hockey Romances expecting a bingeable love story filled with witty banter, humor, off the charts chemistry and memorable characters -- "Bad Boy" definitely provided all of that and more!

I really enjoyed reading Blake and Jess's love story and I can't wait to read more from these authors in the future.

If love sports romances, I'd definitely check this one out!

Thank you Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen, Net Galley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I didn’t realize when I requested this, it was a rerelease! I clicked so fast because I love both of these authors. I read Good Boy and the other related books a year or so ago. I’ve enjoyed them all. The MMC of Good Boy, Blake, was the lovable teammate and neighbor in the Him/Us series. It was nice to see Blake get his HEA, but also to learn more of the reasons behind his personality and quirks. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy and pushing me to go back and revisit the characters.

I loved this so much! I love Jess and Blake so much! A fresh romance about hockey by Elle Kennedy! Having loved the off-campus series so much, I had high expectations for this one! They were amazing together. Excellent connection and a strong foundation. I couldn't get enough of th

Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, Sarina Bowen and Elle Kenney for this e-ARC.

Yikes. I am astonished to see this republished with a cute little contemporary cover and then to be confronted by numerous non-consensual sex scenes. Being a airhead-himbo-frat boy-jock seems to be the excuse here, and it really has no place in this story. I stopped reading after the first third.

This story is critically outdated and is clearly republished. The vocabulary and very cliché gay best friend were other obvious standouts. As far as I got with the plot, both characters seem very immature and neither were someone I was rooting for.

eARC provider for review via NetGalley.

I had previously read this book and thought it sounded familiar when I requested. I liked it when I first read and liked it again when I re-read.

3.5 Cheezus Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️.5/5

This entire review is dedicated to Blake Riley...

I think this book taught me not to judge a character by their first impression because if I trusted my first impression, I might have found myself angry with my inner feminist going holy fuck can this guy stop it? He is bordering on the line of sexual harassment and it IS NOT CUTE!!!

But if you give him a little time, he might make you love him. Because I officially love Blake Riley....

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Jess is planning her little brother's wedding and she needs it to be perfect because she needs to prove to her family she can do something right. But the universe has thrown a little spanner in her plans in the form of Blake, who she had a magical one-night stand with and he wants to rekindle their explosive flame but she cannot be distracted as this wedding must be perfect!

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
See the thing about Blake is that he's the fun guy. Everybody describes him as fun because he adds laughter, joy and enthusiasm into life. He just brings this charismatic spark to everything. But also does this as a defence mechanism. The cliche "Just because he is smiling doesn't mean he is happy". He is hurt and trying to deal with a very messy breakup that has affected who he is and who he is to his family. He portrays himself as this happy-go-lucky guy, pushing the "fake it till you make it" not allowing his emotions to surface. That is until Jess enters his life and makes him start to deal with his issues and how he has been dealing with them.

This IS WHY this book was so eye-opening, as I mentioned at the start, I really didn't like him. He came on way too strong and as much as Jess was telling him no; he kept pushing to the point that he was annoying and very juvenile. It gave off a popular frat boy mentality with his cockiness, arrogance and confidence as "he always gets the girl" and he WILL get her no matter how cheesy, corny or pushy he is.

BUT...to see his development and THE ACTUAL CHARACTER as the story progresses was something else. He has intricate layers underneath his smile, that show he is so much more than what his first perception. His personality is so deep, and his generosity, kindness and heartfelt actions were adorable. He is so sentimental that it is JUST FLIPPING CUTE how genuine and sincere he is. Every little thing that he did, whether he was doing it for Jamie or Wes or Jess, it was just so special. The man has a heart of gold and he wears it on his sleeve. I swooned way too many times at everything that he did and as I kept reading realised how good-natured and kind-hearted he is as all his little good deeds and actions were revealed.

I also loved that he didn't do any of these things for recognition and praise. He is a Hockey Star - he gets enough praise on the rink so doesn't need it; it was really beautiful to see that he wanted to help and do good, just because he is a good guy and likes doing it.

Now I know I might have already known this about his personality before but I didn't. I haven't read Him or Us so this was my first introduction to Black Riley... AND I JUDGED HIM WAY TO HARSHLY!!

I feel like by the end of this I was his biggest cheerleader!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Second Chance (Folling ONS)
▶ Dual POV
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Golden Retriever MMC
▶ Brother's Best Friend
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ He Falls First
▶ Sarcastic MMC
▶ Cages Her With His Arms
▶ Fake Dating

Overall if you want a sweet little cute Hockey Romance where you will have the bestest best good boy golden retriever MMC - READ THIS!

Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, Sarina Bowen and Elle Kenney for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own

after reading him/us/epic i was so excited to finally dive into these guys story after falling in love with the doofus that is blake riley, and while i did enjoy this book it just didnt grab me the way i had hoped it would going into it. blake and jess are adorable and funny as hell but i got pretty tired of “cheezus” fast 😅

i think maybe in the future im going to try and give this another read, see if its maybe just a timing thing that made me not love this as much as i could have

This was a DNF for me, the main character was insufferable and I just couldn’t root for their romance. Cute story and I’m sure other readers will enjoy this book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea!

I loved this so much! It held my attention and had little plot twists I didn't expect or see coming. I loved the characters and the story. There was some more stagnant parts where it felt nothing was happening but other than that it's amazing

Another Elle Kennedy Hockey Romance!! I went into this one with high hopes given how much I’ve adored the off campus series!

Whilst it was quite as earth shattering as The Off Campus series I did still enjoy it - I definitely found the last 30% off the book far more gripping than the start

Overall I enjoyed this book but the J-Babe nickname made me cringe each and every time ahhhh

Review to be posted on @travelthroughpagess_ on Instagram shortly

I love anything Elle Kennedy and she salted again with this book! It was funny and I loved every min of it

A collaboration between Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen, Good Boy is the perfect sports romance. With Hocky, puppies, and comedy, what more could you want?

I haven't read anything by Elle Kennedy before, but this was a great, spicy romance! Starting the book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it since I'm not a hockey fan, but I could relate to the main character (Jess) as she wasn't originally a hockey fan either. I felt like by the end of the book, both of us were rooting for Blake's team! The one thing that I can complain out is that Blake's cocky attitude was kind of annoying and not super realistic at times. I felt like it was like he was a caricature versus a real person. But overall, the book was fast-paced and fun and I can't wait to read the 2nd in the series.

He really is a good boy...

Blake is such a golden retriever lead. He falls first (always a plus).
Jess is a screw up. No way around it. That's a trope I do not care for, not in the male or female lead (not a plus).
But I enjoyed how hard Blake worked at gaining Jess's affection, even if I thought he could do so much better than her.
Recommend.

I love Jess and Blake so much! An adorable golden retriever cinnamon roll hero! I loved Blakey’s jokes and antics. I love how Jess came into her own. She gained confidence in herself and stopped worrying so much about measuring up to her family. Together they were wonderful. Great chemistry and a solid foundation. I couldn’t get enough of them. This was such a great feel good, low angst romcom!! If you want to laugh and smile, don’t miss this book!

I can’t wait to carry on this series!