Has the heart of "You've Got Mail", but with a digital messaging app instead of AOL. I will recommend to fans of Tessa Bailey and Ali Hazelwood. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for digital review copy.

✨ Publication date: September 17, 2024✨

Stay is the second book in the WAGs steamy hockey romance series by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen.

Matt Eriksson is a star player for the professional Toronto hockey team. It’s been a rough two years, after his wife presented him with divorce papers and he barely sees his young twin daughters, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and not interested in any kid of relationship.

Thank goodness for Fetch, the local Virtual Assistant company that literally does everything he doesn’t have time for. When the dog walking company they hired messes up, Hailey the co-owner steps in to help.

Hailey Taylor Emery not only co-owns Fetch with her ex husband, she’s also a huge hockey fan! When “Snipes87” one of her premium anonymous subscribers needs last minute help, she steps in. When he leaves her two tickets to the next home game she clues in that he’s Matt Eriksson her hockey crush.

Hailey and Matt begin spending more time together and their chemistry is off the charts. The problem is, neither is interested in another long term relationship but they can’t seem to get enough of each other. When Hailey finds out a secret that could devastate Matt, will she break company code to help him?

I really liked both of the characters in this book. Liked this one much better than the first (I still struggle with Blake’s character, he shows up in this book too!). The chemistry was off the charts and the steam was smoking! This was a 4 star read for me!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #ellekennedy #sarinabowen #wags #stay

REVIEW✨
Stay
(WAG, #2)
By Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen
••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••

I’m currently in a mood for hockey romances and this one hit the spot. I wasn’t sure how this one would be with it having two authors, but it was flawlessly done and you couldn’t even tell that it was a story formed from two minds. It was so good! It was easy to read, the plot was fun, the characters had good development, the chemistry was sizzling, and it was the book that I needed. Hailey and Mat are a perfect pair, their meet cute was new and refreshing and it had me cheering for them from the start.

Included in this book…
🏒 Characters getting over Divorce
🏒 Strong FMC
🏒 Single Dad
🏒 Love for Hockey
🏒 She walks his dog

Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Plot points: 💥💥💥💥
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Stay is the second book in the WAGs series. It can be read as a stand alone; which is how I read it. Stay is a M/F hockey romance in which both main characters are recently divorced and about 30 years old; one with kids, one without. I am a big fan of Sarina Bowen's Hockey Guys Series and the Him duology by Kennedy and Bowen. Hockey romance is one of my favorite subgenres but unfortunately this one was lacking.

We start the book learning our FMC and MMC have been messaging each other for months, for work, and in this love is blind sort of way have gotten to know one another. She guesses pretty randomly, that he must be her favorite professional hockey player and he guesses she must be the woman on her work website's homepage. Thank goodness for their keen detective skills because it would be totally awkward if either of them were falling for someone other than the totally random people they decided each other are. Also, we miss all of the months of them getting to know each other and falling for each other so when we read about the yearning it comes off as strange behavior and I'm not invested without seeing that buildup.

The book is a fairly quick read and it's written fine. Not the best work of either author. Not the book I'd recommend to someone new to Kennedy or Bowen.

This was such a fun book! I didn’t realize it was the second in the wags duet and in the same world as him/us (which has been on my tbr forever) so I didn’t know the backstory of some of the cameo characters but can’t wait to go back and read their stories! I love Elle and Sabrina! Hailey was such a relatable character. Like who wouldn’t quite literally get tongue tied around their celeb crush? And I loved Matt. I wanted to yell at both of them to be nicer to themselves lol but they both had some real growth over the book. And I loved all the secondary characters too. A great binge able read

My goodness! This is the cutest romantic story ever. Sarina and Elle bring it every single time. Stay is the second book of the WAGs series and I am addicted already!

Hailey co-owns a company called Fetch with her ex-husband. Fetch is a successful business catering to the clients’ every need at top speed any time or place. Hailey has been texting and crushing on one of her clients, a hockey star for nearly a year -- they never really met face to face. One day Matt needs someone to walk his dog and Hailey was there for the rescue. Matt has been watching her though security cameras and he was intrigued by the beautiful physique of the blonde who seems to adore his little dog. Matt decides he wants to meet the dog-walker in person and he wants her for more than what her job entails.

I absolutely adore Matt and Hailey. They both came off a recent divorce – his was a little more painful. Neither are looking to jump into another serious relationship. Matt and Hailey have amazing chemistry and they cannot keep their hands off each other long. I like the fact that they did not jump into bed right away. Matt actually asked Hailey out on a proper date and wooed her. I love the heroine – she is smart, driven, hard-working, understanding = not clingy or needy. She is passionate about hockey but not the groupie type – she just has a cute innocent crush on him. Matt is a hockey star… sexy and successful but he is also just a regular guy who is super caring and sweet. It melted my heart the way he adores his little princess. I enjoyed the endearing and hilarious banters between these two. The chemistry is sizzling and the sex scenes are pretty hot. Both have been out of practice for a while after their divorces but it didn’t take long before they burned up the sheets. The part where Matt was trying to role play in the bedroom was hilarious – I was dying laughing so hard. Total genius there ladies!

Overall, this book was so much fun to read – sweet, sexy, light-hearted, romantic – exactly what I was looking for -- a feel- good weekend read. Devoured in one sitting - this is a standalone but you really don’t want to miss out on the first book Good Boy either (Blake’s story). I cannot wait for what Sarina and Elle come up with next.

Thank you Bloom Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second book in the WAGS series Stay is a cute fun MF romance. Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen both have unique writing styles that once combined into this book create a masterpiece.

A quick, fun read for a hockey lover. The dual authors did a really good job of integrating their characters and story. It was refreshing that the romance story didn’t follow the same formula as so many books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️
💭My thoughts: I enjoyed this one more than the first book, but I think it can still be read as a stand alone. It would just be more enjoyable knowing the side characters that are from the first book. The mmc Matt is the definition of “If he wanted to, he would”. Nothing stopped him from showing Hailey that he cared for her. He got so creative, I found it so sweet. He’s a single dad and although juggling work and seeing his kids whenever he can, he knew the sparks with Hailey were too good to pass by. He helped her build her confidence up. As perfect as Matt sounds, he was still no where near perfect. He blames himself for how his marriage ended and brought that into his relationship with Hailey. He knew his occupation is busy and didn’t think Hailey had the patience to be in this relationship and Hailey proved him wrong. This book had such a cute ending and I definitely recommend it if you enjoy hockey romance, single parent, recently divorced characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this! This was just so much fun.
Hailey, the creator and owner of Fetch (virtual task rabbit) becomes romantically involved with Matt Eriksson, a client who just happens to be a professional hockey player. These two divorcees navigate careers, intense attraction, their newfound romantic lives, and of course drama.
I loved how focused this was on Hailey's career: it never once took a back seat or felt contrived. Fetch was such a cool concept as a startup and I loved the humor embedded in it. I also really loved Matt's career and the look into hockey families in a way that felt really genuine but also uplifting. The WAG's weren't portrayed as awful! I was so happy.
I thought the spice was VERY spicy and went from 0 to 100 really quick: It was well written but felt a tiny bit whiplashy. The third act breakup was predictable but also wonderfully short: thank you for having characters come to their senses quickly!
My favorite part I think was the portrayal of Hailey's ex. The complete respect they have for each other post divorce was just lovely to see, and a great balance to Matt's ex. It was great to see divorce portrayed so well-rounded.

A little boring, but cute enough.

I would have preferred a bit more character building, but what I was able to glean from the characters I liked. Dog and four-year-old twin girls are always cute. I liked how this book navigated the divorced parents situation, though I would’ve liked for it to go a bit deeper (especially in relation Hailey’s background).

⭐️ 4/5
🌶 3/5
🩷 3/5

This was a good read for sure! I do love me a broken man, pining over the woman he lusts for.

Matt is broken after his hoe of an ex-wife divorced him, taking him that he was the cause (him and his career).

But then he meets Hailey, and she both loves to challenge him, and protect him. I really do love when couples are able to give each other strength - its the best foundation for love.

Moving on from the smooshy-lovey stuff... the banter, the dry humor, the brutally honest 'wtf, why am I like this?!' inner monologue moments were great.

The hilarious moments between team mates can only be described as 'man things' 🥲🤣 (I'm fairly certain my husband would have died of embarrassment if his team mates caught him taking a 🍆 pic whilst sitting in his chair on a plane 🥴).

All in all, this was a good, fun, spicy, hockey Rom-Com.

This was such an adorable rom-com-eqsue story! HTE and Matt had a rather unique meet-cute, but their chemistry was palpable even before they ever met in person. This is definitely a fun story to dive into as you welcome the Fall!

Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen are the best at crafting funny and romantic hockey love stories. Although I would not say Stay is revolutionary, it is great at what sets out to do. There is low angst and low drama, but lots of slow-burny love.

I'm OBSESSED. 10/10!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my God! I loved this so much and couldn't put it down! Elle Kennedy has never failed me! I flew through this book and ugh I need more

hockey romances are everything! This was such a great and spicy read. I think that fans of Elle Kennedy's other books will be super happy with this one.

This book was just alright. I hate when authors make women stupid over men and she titled a whole chapter "Losing IQ Points". Just not my cup of tea with all that.

I’m really thankful for the chance to read Stay! As a small account, it means a lot to me to get a book from amazing authors like Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen, who I love so much. I’ve been missing this book from my WAG collection, and I couldn’t put it down!

The story is about Hailey Taylor Emery, who thinks her favorite client at Fetch is actually hockey star Matt Eriksson. Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met? Hailey is so cute and relatable as she flirts online with Matt, especially while dealing with her own breakup. The idea is so unique, and Elle and Sarina really bring it to life.

It took me a little longer to finish because I had a medical procedure, but this book was the perfect thing to help me feel better. Hailey and Matt’s chemistry is fantastic, and the hockey elements made it even better. Who can resist a good kiss cam moment?

Thank you to Sourcebooks for sending this book my way, and a huge thanks to Elle and Sarina for writing such a fun and heartwarming story. If you love hockey romance, Stay is a must-read!

Ever thought falling for your anonymous client through a virtual assistant service was a good idea?

Yeah, neither did Hailey Taylor Emery, until she’s 95% sure her secret crush/client is none other than her lifelong celebrity obsession: hockey star Matt Eriksson. Cue the swooning, the texting... and the utter panic.

Hailey is doing just fine post breakup, thank you very much. She’s content with a little online flirtation, especially when that flirtation happens to be with the Matt Eriksson. But all that harmless banter takes a sharp turn toward eek territory when she’s called in to meet him face-to-face.

Turns out, crushing on a pro hockey player from behind a screen is one thing but meeting him in person? Utter chaos. And Matt? Oh, he’s just trying to survive the minefield of post-divorce life. Between his ex, his kids, and feeling like the team’s romantic failure, the one bright spot in his day is a virtual assistant who just gets him... even if she won’t show her face.

But what happens when this virtual connection takes a very real turn? Matt can’t resist inviting Hailey to a game, and Hailey can’t resist saying yes.

Throw in some front row hockey seats, a couple of adorable but oh-so-awkward moments, and a sizzling, slow burn romance that’ll make you blush harder than a kiss cam gone wrong, and you’ve got yourself a winning play.

Stay is packed with the quirky charm you’d expect from Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen, delivering LOL moments (misunderstood pics, anyone?), tender sweetness, and enough steamy chemistry to melt the ice. Hailey and Matt’s connection, both virtual and real, will have you rooting for them from page one. Plus, the hockey team shenanigans? Pure gold.

If you love romances with heart, humour, and just the right amount of sports drama, Stay will check all the boxes.