This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

The FMC’s obsession with her "cheeping eggs" and the constant reminder of her biological clock were more weird than charming, and the MMC's behavior was..... let’s just say, not winning any points for likability or body positivity.

The chemistry between them had potential, but their actions often felt forced, like they were just there to push the plot along. And despite being labelled as a sports romance, there was pretty much zero hockey—just a sidelined athlete who barely touched the ice! As for the spice? Let’s call it a mild fade-to-black situation—definitely not the steamy read it promised.

Overall, the story had its moments, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. It felt more awkward than swoon-worthy. If you’re looking for a true sports romance with real character depth, this might not be your best pick.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing an e-ARC!!
#BreakingtheIce #NetGalley.

This was a little too much trope and too little plot and development. While the book wasn’t unenjoyable, I have to admit that it felt like pandering. There was no real reason why Nick was a hockey player, other than that hockey sells right now. There was no reason or value to the couple working in a bookstore, other than people who read romance like romances set in bookstores. The MMC felt like a knock-off of one of Elle Kennedy’s hockey boys, but the issue is that this man isn’t in college and so the behavior and jokes just weren’t appealing. The FMC was fine, albeit a bit annoying. Overall, the book was fine. I didn’t hate my time reading it, but I don’t think I would recommend it to a friend either.

A lovely love story. The bookshop sounds amazing full of lots lovely second hand books. Bit saucy in parts . The egg parts made me laugh . A neat ending .

I'm sorry but one mention of cheeping eggs and I'm out. This one is not for me. DNF at the first chapter.

I accidentally uploaded a review for a different book—corrected version coming soon. 🫣 Whoops! sorry!

I really enjoyed reading this book, it uses the ice hockey element perfectly. I enjoyed the overall concept and how the romance aspect was perfect and worked with what I was expecting. I thought the characters were perfectly done and had that feel that I wanted. Amy Andrews has a strong writing style and that the concept worked overall.

Well that was a good book.

A cute bookstore romance between a sports star and a career driven geek.
I loved the setting of the bookstore. The chemistry between Nick and Sam was through the roof.

It was hilarious reading about Sam's eggs cheeping constantly and her bad dates!! And the spice? Lots of spice 🫣

I love a good hockey story and this was a thoroughly enjoyable one! Nick sets out to help Samantha find a "baby daddy" to help her get pregnant, but they end up realizing they are great together. A fluffy, fun read.

This is the perfect book for book needs that love sports romance! The story was so entertaining and funny!

Overall an enjoyable and cozy hockey romance. My only complaint was the repetitive references to "chirping eggs" which took me a bit out of the story at times, but other than that I had an enjoyable time reading this book

Overall this book was a good read but I didn’t find it as enjoyable as I wished I had. I love Amy’s work but this one just wasn’t one of my personal favorites

1/5, dnfed at 46%.

This was a failure.

I hated it so much. The female main character was so naive and STUPID and DESPERATE I hated it. Oh my god. Her EGGS CHIRPED?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? And that's the internal monologue of a 30 year old woman? It read like she was 15! Jesus CHrist, that was so cringe and horrible.

SHe was so DESPERATE to have a baby and I get it but she did not ONCE think of a sperm donor? To just go to the clinic? NOTHING? Seriously?

And THEN she acted like she was a naive virgin who doesn't know ANYTHING about sex. Seriously, she's supposed to be 30-year-old woman who already slept with men before and the author had her buy 200 condoms for a date because she couldn't choose? Are you serious? In what way is this funny or smart of well-written? It's not. And then she was so overwhelmed by vibrators as if she couldn't just order one online? No, Nick had to follow her into the store and make fun of her! Jesus, he too acts like he's 16 immature asshole when he's supposed to be 38. What the fuck.

And the fact that Sam asks her sister about EVERYTHING like she couldn't think for herself? Hell no! I hated it.

The book is written horribly, the characters are flat and immature despite being supposed to be in their 30s, the plot is just boring. I was disappointed.
This is the second book from the author I read this year and it's gonna be the last. It's not for me.

Interesting story of a misguided woman with "chirping eggs" and a hockey player recovering from an injury centered around the romance book store his grandmother ran until her death. I loved the book store and sure wish I could work at one! What a dream job!
Samantha, the FMC is certainly book smart, but lacks confidence around the opposite sex, this being due to how she was raised and also due to severe body image issues. She decides that she needs a baby (hence the chirping) and has a set of qualities she is looking for in the potential baby day.
Nick, the MMC is gorgeous, fit, and a player. Laying low, running his grandmother's book store, and doing physical therapy, he has plenty of time with Samantha.
Their interactions are funny, entertaining, and you can just watch as their attraction and care for each other grows. As Nick sets her up on terrible, after terrible blind dates, they finally let themselves be.
Steam wasn't overwhelming, it fit the story well and minimal conflict brought this to a happy ending.
Overall, an enjoyable read. Thank you

Sam, a newly 30-year old woman, finds herself contemplating her future, specifically regarding babies and where that would leave her with her career. She meets Nick Hawke, who is also considering his future: will he return to the NHL after his knee injury or will he stay managing his grandmother’s bookshop?

Sports romance + bookish woman was enough to hook me into downloading this book. Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me for a couple reasons.
Representation for plus-size girls as the romance lead in books is so great, but not at the expense of other women. There was a lot of talk (from both Sam and Nick) about Sam not being like other women/being a “real” woman. Additionally, the story was lacking in the found family aspect of a sports romance. In fact, there was no sports in this at all apart from a blip at the end of the novel.
That being said, this book was a light, easy read, with great chemistry and sexy, realistic sex scenes.

Fans of Hannah Grace might enjoy this friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, sports-adjacent contemporary romance.

This book is a super fun 4/5 stars! Nick "Hawkeye" Hawke is the perfect mix of a hot, tough athlete dealing with an injury and a total sweetheart, while Sam is a driven, relatable heroine figuring out her life. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the slow-burn romance between them is just the right amount of teasing and tension.

The setup of the second-hand romance bookshop adds such a cozy vibe, and it’s the perfect backdrop for all the flirty moments and will-they-won’t-they drama. You can feel the sparks flying whenever they try to stay “just friends.”

The only thing that kept it from being a full 5-star read is that a few parts are a bit predictable, and the story could’ve moved faster here and there. But overall, if you’re into steamy, lighthearted romances like the ones from Elle Kennedy or Hannah Grace, this one’s worth picking up!

*Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Andrews, and Boldwood Books for providing the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a review, but all thoughts are my own*

Ignore the other reviews! This was probably one of my favourite books this year, I absolutely loved it- couldn’t put it down, what a page turner.
Nick and Samantha the main characters were so mismatched that they were perfect for each other. You can’t help who you fall in love with- it’s the chemistry.
I’d give it 6 starts if I could.

NHL hot shot, Nick Hawkeye Hawke has 4 months to recuperate from a potentially career ending injury. All he has to do is take it easy and keep things low key. So, looking after his grandmother's beloved second hand romance bookshop and working very closely with the ruthlessly efficient Samantha Evans is just what he needs right? Wrong!

Career driven Sam has impulsively decided to swap her highly stressful corporate job for a slower pace in her favourite bookshop at the exact time her biological clock has started to tick. And she wants absolutely none of that. But when your boss is a hot hockey superstar and you can’t stop daydreaming of him being your baby daddy, forced proximity takes on a whole new meaning.

With temptation around every book shelf, Nick and Sam find themselves skating on thin ice until they put themselves firmly in the friend zone. But the more they try to resist their slow burn, the more they want each other. How long can they stay in the zone until one of them breaks the ice?

I was a little slow to warm up to this book, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. I loved the banter between Nick and Sam, it was hilarious. I think I had a perma smile while reading. Their slow burn kept the embers burning, and once they came together it was fireworks With some wonderful secondary characters, it was a highly enjoyable book.

I was initially drawn to this as I thought it would be a sports romance but there’s not a lot of sports in it. I actually really liked the plot, but nick for me felt younger than 38 in the book? I also felt like the pacing was off in some parts, we’d have a big moment happen like the elevator scene and suddenly jump to 3 weeks later!! The most off putting thing was the egg talk, I felt like it was mentioned too much and tbh if I had bought this I probably wouldn’t have finished it due to this. I really enjoyed the body positivity talk as it’s nice to have a fmc that’s not stick thin and “small and petite” for once. Not my fave book but it was okay.

From the offset this had the same nostalgic feel as a mid 2000s romcom.

I initially loved the idea that the hot hockey player was going to be running the romance bookshop. This played a stark contrast to the sexist boss Sam had to deal with. Where a male colleague was offered more opportunities, despite being bad at his job, because his uncle was the boss and so he felt untouchable.

I loved the setting - the bookshop seems like the perfect place. The typical old second hand bookstore that has a cosy vibe.

They have instant chemistry, which I really loved. I also enjoyed the fact that FMC was curvy - not the usual stick and that he’s obsessed with her.

She seemed more fulfilled and happy at the bookshop than her stressful accountancy job. Cosy vs high powered career.

My main issue was the reoccurring theme of fertility and the pressure you feel to be a mom once you hit 30. The idea that her eggs were screaming at her and that’s what she used to make all her decisions. The whole idea that she was perfectly happy with her career and didn’t consider motherhood, but then it suddenly became her main goal and sole deciding factor in life. This could be representative of how women feel once they hit 30, but it felt sightly over-exaggerated and tended to make her character slightly annoying.

Another factor was the fact it’s presented as a sports romance, he’s literally in hockey gear on the cover, but there’s little to no hockey in the book. I understand he’s injured so the hockey is on the sidelines, but the book would’ve worked just as well (possibly better) if the whole hockey player element was removed and he was simply a guy who takes over his grandma’s bookshop after her passing. The hockey injury gives him a reason to be there, and is referenced but just wasn’t fleshed out enough for me.

Presents the typical romcom trope of her having a high powered job then losing it. She then finds herself and falls in love - this time in a cosy bookshop setting. Then gets offered her high powered job again, but now it’s lost its shine. Will she choose her career or love?

Overall I enjoyed this book! The characters were likeable and well presented, and I adored the cosy bookshop setting. Whilst there were areas that could’ve been more fleshed out - like his career and his avoidance of relationships/not wanting children - it was an overall fun read. I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a cosy romance with a green flag MMC and a cosy bookshop setting.

ARC copy provided by Boldwood Books & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.