If you’re looking for a small-town, second-chance, hockey romance with no spice, look no further! Dan and Kiki were high school sweethearts, but attending different colleges led them to break up and go their separate ways. Years later, a charity event brings Dan back to Maple Falls. After an awkward reunion, Kiki and Dan reconnect, trying to pick up where they left off. However, the two have some obstacles to overcome.

With fall right around the corner, this book gave me all the cozy feels. It’s a short story, but don’t let that stop you—there’s so much packed into it.

Usually I’m not the biggest fan of second chance romance but I’ve been getting into a lot of them as of late. This one didn’t disappoint! It was such a sweet story, absolutely Hallmark-y in the best way!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book. This was a cute small town hockey romance novella. Nothing special, but not bad at all. If you want something under 200 pages with no spice and in a cute small-town setting, look into this! Perfect for fall or wintertime. The town map in the beginning might’ve been my favorite thing ever!!

This was a sweet read. It’s part of a multi author series but can be read as a stand alone. Kiki and Dan have a second chance to make things work, can they do it?
Clean. Kisses only romance.

I received this to read on NetGalley for my honest review.

Let me tell you I demolished The Rebound Play!! It’s a short one at 131 pages but I genuinely stopped reading 2 other books I had on the go so I could finish Dan and Kiki’s story in a day.

Now I enjoy a hockey book as much as any gal does but this had me hooked from the get go - a humble hockey player, fall season in a small town and second chance at love with some non-early twenties aged characters?? An absolute recipe for success.

The writing was absolutely spot on for a rom com without being sickly sweet and it was such a delight to watch two people who never quite got over each other despite 10 years and half a country difference find their way back to each other.

Given The Rebound Play is a shorter book the ending did wrap up a little quicker than I would have liked. I think another 50 pages or so would’ve let everything play out perfectly but thankfully the dual POV did help to expand on some of the plot line quite quickly.

4 stars - rounded to 4.5 for the Gilmore Girls and Emily Henry references as well as unlocking a new trope for me (jock and bookworm) 🧡

I think this book will hold a special place in my heart for a long while 💗

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was a cute, second chance romance between former high school sweethearts. Both Dan and Kiera were enjoyable characters, and you couldn't help but root for their reunion and a happily ever after. This apparently was book two in a series, but I didn't feel like I was missing out reading it as a stand-alone.

3 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This was a quick (176 pages), binge-able hockey romance. Though, I did feel it was a little lacking in substance and plot, but it was a short and entertaining read. It did not leave me needing more (other than more plot and more development). Consider this to be more of a novella than novel. I would say this would be a great book if you are unsure about hockey romances. It also did make me even more excited about fall.

This book had a cute second chance romance storyline. Some of it was predictable but it was still such a cute read. Thank you for the ARC!

Keira and Dan were high school sweethearts but parted ways so each could pursue their dreams. A decade later, they are both in their hometown, kindling a flame that never really died. These characters were so beautifully crafted, and I loved how the story unfolded. The humor was perfectly placed, the small town of Maple Falls was Gilmore Girls caliber dreamy, and the romantic gestures were delightful. I loved this story, and it has me so excited to read the rest of the Love on Thin Ice series! Highly recommend.

Thank you to Wild Lime Books for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Dan and Keira were high school sweethearts. They were each others first love and together till they left for university. It has been 10 years since they broke up but they have neither forgotten nor stopped loving each other.
Dan is back in their home town for a charity match, giving them a second chance at HEA.
This was a cute and quick read. I really liked that Dan and Keira still had feelings for each other after all these years, and did not really waste time expressing them.
Overall a cute, clean read !

The Rebound Play by Kate O’Keeffe, is part of the Love on Thin Ice series (Sweet Small Town Hockey Romcom) and I am here for it! The stories can be read in any order, or even as a standalone, but reading them as they come out has been great and I highly recommend. Kiera (Kiki) is loyal, logical, and steadfast. Until she sees Dan, the one who got away and who has held her heart ever since. Then she’s a bit of a mess. She let him go for all the right reasons and she has moved on with her life. Again, until she sees Dan. Dan is THE man. The amazingly successful hockey hero from the small town of Maple Falls who has everything. Except Kiera, and he wants her back. Watching them spend time together and fall in love all over again was so sweetly satisfying. Honestly, I love that there is not a lot of drama or tension (I feel like they lived it with ten years apart) and we get to pick up at the good part. Plus, it happens in the fall season, so all the romantic fall vibes set the scene perfectly! These two are perfect together and will give you all the happy, romantic, emotional feels.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Dan and Keira had a really cute little second chance romance storyline! Lighthearted, occasionally laugh out loud if a teeny bit predictable, it sets the stage for some future storyline’s that will be fun reads as well! Definitely recommended and I will be reading the rest of the series for sure!

In this heartwarming romance, former high school sweethearts Dan and Keira reconnect years after their separation. Dan, a former popular jock turned professional hockey player, and Keira, a bookish caretaker for her ill sister and her niece and nephew, are brought back together when Dan returns to their small town, Maple Falls, for a charity game. As they reconnect, their past romantic feelings quickly resurface. However, for their relationship to last, they must confront the issues that caused their initial breakup.

This is the second book in the "Love on Thin Ice" series, and it captures the essence of small-town charm with a fall festival and farmers' markets as key elements in the story. Despite being a shorter read, it's filled with fun, romance, and endearing characters, making it perfect for fans of cozy love stories.

Dan, a rising NHL star, and Kiera, the local market owner, were high school sweethearts who broke up so Dan could chase his NHL dreams. Their reunion sparks a whirlwind of emotions, filled with goofy moments and a lot of nostalgia.

While the plot is light and sweet, there are a few instances where the narrative feels a bit forced. The ending, while undeniably sweet, may seem a bit unrealistic.

The writing style is light and engaging, with a conversational tone that breaks the fourth wall. However, the book's portrayal of women, particularly in relation to love rivals, can be somewhat “I’m not like other girls” vibes again. Yet a few pages later, we’re talking about women supporting women?

Overall, The Rebound Play is a nice palette cleanser for those seeking a feel-good, completely closed door romance between the heavier books.

📚Book Review📚

The Rebound Play by Kate O’Keeffe
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒Small Town
🏒Second Chance
🏒Opposites Attract
🏒Jock/Nerd

The Rebound Play was a sweet closed door romance that follows two high school sweethearts who called it quits when it came time to go their separate ways for college. They’re reconnected when the NHL star comes to town for a six week charity event that gives them time to re-connect. The book was a short read but felt predictable. They both wanted each other back from the start so the back and forth about being worried if the other would feel the same felt a little redundant.

QOTD: What’s your favorite hockey romance?

#thereboundplay #hockeyromance #smalltownromance #secondchance #oppositesattract #jockandnerd #fallread #moodreader #bookstagram #toris_readingcorner

The rebound play is a sports romance about second chances, since sometimes we are with the right person but at the wrong time. This book is quite short and quick to read and is perfect for alternating with heavier readings because it allows you to disconnect easily since it contains all the ideal elements to fall in love with the book: sports romance, small town, friends to lovers...
An element to highlight in the relationship of the protagonists is that although time has passed, the love between them has not been lost, and I loved that, also the place in which the story takes place is super beautiful and it represents any small town where everyone knows each other and helps each other. I was also very fascinated by the protagonist because she shows us how she is always looking out for her sister and helps her in everything she can (you will discover why in the book ;)).
In conclusion, I highly recommend the book because is a very beautiful and enjoyable story to read when you don't know what to read or you are on a reading block.

Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I post my review on Instagram !!

The second book in the series has Dan coming back to the town he grew up in to recover from an injury and to take part in a charity Hockey game. At first, he does not want to go but is ordered so he decides to make the best of it. Leaving ten years ago on a Hockey scholarship and now becoming a star in the NHL he wonders what happened to his ex-girlfriend. Well, he runs into her finally since she has made it a point to not be around when he has come into town before. Kiera though has her hands full being in charge of the farmers market and then helping her sister with her children since she is not feeling well. I felt that I should have liked this book more but it just felt off for me for some reason. I am sure others will love it.

The Rebound Play is the second installment in the Love on Thin Ice series, that takes place in the quaint town of Maple Falls, where a charity hockey competition sets the stage. The story follows Keira (Kiki) and Dan Roberts, high school sweethearts who never moved on from each other despite their breakup when Dan left for a college hockey scholarship and a career in the NHL. Now, as Keira manages the local farmers market and cares for her family, Dan returns home, sidelined with a wrist injury but eager to play in the charity game. Their reunion, far from a typical "meet cute," reignites their old flame, with Dan questioning whether there's more to life than hockey and Keira worrying about the future once the charity event ends. The characters are delightful, especially Keira’s endearing young nephew, and while the story is sweet and enjoyable, it might have benefitted from a bit more conflict to raise the stakes. The novella-length book provides a lovely, easy read with added charm from interconnecting characters from previous and future installments.

I wish I had discovered this author sooner and thoroughly enjoyed diving into this engaging story, which had me laughing out loud in public. Keira and Dan’s reconnection, with Dan’s persistent efforts to win her back, including coaching her nephew for free and picking his hockey number based on her birthday, makes this a heartwarming and entertaining read.

The Rebound Play is the second book in the universe of Maple Falls. Can be read as a standalone but the series is so cute. I have enjoyed it so far. And ever since reading the first, I wondered more about the story of Dan and Keira.

They were high school sweethearts, and broke up because each had to go their own way. He became a famous NHL hockey player and she went to college but eventually came back to her small town to help her sister with a health condition. After spending years apart, they meet again on their hometown since he’s back to play there for charity.

I’m not usually one to love second chance romance but I really liked this book. It’s easy to read, it has lovable characters and makes you root for the story, since you can feel their battle with insecurities, their adversities since life kept them apart and finding their way back to each other and reconnecting.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Rebound Play is the second book in the Love on Thin Ice series, which is a series of small town romcoms with each volume being written by a different romance author. This one is by Kate O’Keeffe. The series take place in the small town of Maple Falls, centering around a hockey competition being put on for charity.

This volume stars Keira (Kiki) and Dan ‘the man’ Roberts. Back in high school the two were an item, each was the other’s first love. And the truth is neither of them have ever gotten over the other. But they broke up at the end of high school, going their separate ways when Dan couldn’t resist a college scholarship to play hockey at Yale and then made it into the NHL. Now Keira not only manages the town’s farmers market but also helps look after her sister, who is dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and her and her niece and nephew. As for Dan, he’s currently benched while he undergoes PT for a wrist injury, but gets cleared to go come home to play in the charity competition. Of course they are going to run into each other (and I’d say it was quite the meet cute, though I’m not sure you can call it a meet cute considering they already know each other so well.) As their relationship rekindles, Dan begins to wonder if there is more to life than just hockey, while Keira worries what will happen when the competition is over and Dan returns to the NHL. Loved the characters, Keira’s young nephew was especially endearing, and the story for the most part hits all the right notes. If I have to complain about anything it would be that there could have been a bit more … conflict? tension? turmoil? Not sure exactly how to phrase it. It was a very sweet second chance love story, it’s just there really weren’t all that many hurdles for them to get over. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, who says love has to be hard? I definitely enjoyed it, and of course we not only have some minor interaction with a few of the characters from the previous book, but we also have interaction with the one of there stars of there next book. I really enjoy the interconnectivity of the books. This is on the short side, more novella than novel, but that just meant I was able to complete it all in a single sitting, and very much enjoyed doing so. I’d like to thank Wild Lime Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Rebound Play.

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