Great spin on a hockey romance. Yes, it is a brother's best friend but in a unique way where 2 people see the same situation very differently. I could see both sides and loved when they finally worked out. Mabel was a fun main character - and I loved that she made her brother insane :) as every good sister should!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is cute, it's predictable in a sense but this isn't a bad thing! It's less hockey, more personal relationships & self-growth. The growth both characters make while acknowledging that there isn't anything wrong with them as they are is such a good thing to see. It did feel at some points that it was really like hammered home..like, literally written on the page.

The FMC leaves a bad relationship where her ex is just a real ass, and there are some comments made by her brother & her parents that are frankly kinda shitty & in the same vein as what her ex said and they didn't seem to really be addressed so that bugs me.

Based on the cover, I wouldn't have bought this - not a fan of people or torsos on the cover at all. I would however read more from this author (maybe on kindle if the covers are like this).

Another day, another sports romance to love 💙

⭐ Rating Criteria ⭐

💙 Plot:

I genuinely really liked this book. I could relate a lot to Ben who has social anxiety. I think the disorder was portrayed quite nicely in this story, so kudos to the author for writing it well.

I loved how Ben and Mabel’s romance developed - there was an established relationship between them already since they’ve known each other since high school, and their story picked up nicely when they met again after Mabel moved in with her brother.

💙 Characters:

I just love Ben - he’s so sweet and authentic - I also love how patient and understanding he is, especially during that third-act with Mabel. I really enjoy reading about how their relationship is developing because of how cute their dynamic is. I think they’re a great introvert-extrovert match and they can definitely learn a thing or two from each other.

💙 Overall:

This was such an easy and enjoyable read. I'll always eat up a brother's best friend romance, and this one did not disappoint! Not only did I love the main characters, I also really liked the found family trope in this book ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to share my honest review of this ARC ❤️

I could.not put this book down. The brothers best friend trope was done so well, and it is a great addition to the world of hockey romance.

Ben is up for a promotion to team captain but there's one problem - he hates public speaking! To make matters worse, his best friend's sister ends up living with them and Ben has had a crush on her for forever.

Mabel didn't intend on starting over after a bad break-up, but here she is...living with her brother and his best friend, Ben. Both guys are hockey plays and one of them needs her help becoming a more confident and outgoing version of himself. Mabel thinks she can help, but she knows that Ben is serious temptation!

I really loved how the author was able to bring a real-life issue into this story (social anxiety) and how the characters were able to have fun with each other. The spice was and chemistry between the characters was so good and was written well overall. I'm excited to read more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

I talked about this book in a hockey romance vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0qght0SxLI

Brother’s best friend / childhood crush / opposites attract. Loved this one listened to it on Spotify and it was a quick listen. Will be looking for more by this author!

Ugh I love a brother's best friend trope, throw in forced proximity and enough said! I adored this book, Ben was such a sweet MMC, he's got hard core social anxiety and my favorite parts of the book are when he's trying to work on this skill., the Starbucks scene was my absolute fave! I think it was nice to see a man who was okay to be vulnerable and wasn't a cocky, perfect dude. Mabel is his perfect foil, she's a social butterfly coming out of her cocoon after a toxic relationship. I love their chemistry and how they both help each other and are so understanding. This was a very endearing, lovely book and the spice was on point!

I am big in my hockey romance era. I liked the main characters and I like the brother's best friend trope. I liked the interactions between Ben and Mabel. I was really liking the book until a turn that made it a chore to finish the book. I just wish this one part was not included. I know that it was used as part of character development, but I think it could have been achieved in a different way. I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book before this event happened.

Spoiler takeaways...


I liked the interactions with the teammates and how they attempted to help Ben, which backfired.
I felt that the family siding with the ex can be very true in some situations with controlling narcissists.
The accident didn't need to destroy the family and as someone with a child around the same age, it just ripped out my heart and I did not want to finish.

First of all, I love a sports romance! So, when I got the opportunity to read my first book with this author, I was excited. Overall, I think this book was good - not super original, but it was a quick and easy read. Between the introverted MMC and the brother's best friend trope, I found this one really entertaining. I loved the role reversal where the FMC is the outgoing one with a past since it's rarely the case in sports romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for kindly giving me an advanced copy of this book to read.

A smutty hockey romance, my guilty pleasure. I love good hockey romance and crossing the line has it all, opposites attracts, likeable characters and a perfect mix of funny and serious moments.
A beautifully written plot with spicy moments that didnt make me cringe.

3.75/5

This was a short and sweet hockey romance. The plot was very consistent throughout. Kelly Jamieson tackled several issues (abuse and child loss), I wish she would have gone more in depth about the topics. Hopefully this turns into a hockey series!

Such a hot book with sexy hockey players! I was immediately engrossed in the story. I loved the plot between Ben and Mabel, and how everything turned out in the end.

what if your crush–who happens to be your brother’s best friend, ask your help to teach him how to be more approachable? Let’s measure the pros and cons, pros: you both could be friends again like before, cons: you might get your heartbroken again by that close-ness. Now this is what Mabel currently going through after her broke up and crashing to her brother’s apartment to only meet her childhood crush, Ben. Worse, Ben needs a public speaking and lessons to be outgoing and she is his only choice. Can they survive each other and live their own lifes without breaking each other hearts? Or will they take the risk?

I think “Fresh” will be the word to explain this book, since Jamieson made a fresh combination of a shy hockey captain and an outgoing librarian. It’s how Ben brought stability to Mabel’s chaotic energy that makes me fell in love with their relationship.

Plot wise, I think the story is pretty much predictable and simple but I think there’s a lot of valuable lesson that I could get throughout their story, especially as the unapproachable shy myself, I think I could connect mostly with Ben and I could learn from Mabel’s way of being a social butterfly. And I do enjoy to read the development of both characters, Mabel to gain back her self-esteem after going through separation with a toxic partner and Ben to became more understanding to his surroundings. I do wish I could get more interaction between Mabel and her family, especially her brother.

If you are looking for Opposite attract trope, Hockey romance, and Brother’s best friends, then this book is your perfect choice for a quick read!

✨ Publication date: January 12, 2025✨

Crossing the Line is a steamy hockey romance by Kelly Jamieson. This book had all the tropes: grumpy/sunshine, brothers best friend, second chance. This was my first by this author and won’t be my last!

After years in an emotionally abusive relationship, Mabel finally leaves her boyfriend. Her family and friends don’t get it, they think Julian is wonderful and it’s just her quirkiness that’s causing the rift. Mabel is too embarrassed to tell her family exactly what happened until she gets back on her feet again.

Mabel’s twin brother is an NHL player who takes her in until she can find a place of her own. She’s got to stay on the couch though, his best friend and fellow hockey player Ben is using the spare room. Mabel had a huge crush on Ben growing up so it’s going to be awkward but she’ll manage.

Ben has his own issues. He’s got an opportunity to be captain of the team next season but the team executives want to see more of him publicly. Ben would literally rather skate naked in a crown than speak in front of a room.

Mabel’s quirky personality is just what he needs to help coach him how to manage the public in any setting. Ben has a charity meeting and gala coming up and asks Mabel to help him. She knows she owes her brother for taking her in so she agrees.

Mabel and Ben both harbour childhood crushes for each other and the chemistry when they start spending more time together is undeniable. They start a no strings attached relationship but can’t seem to get enough of each other.

When Ben expresses his true feelings, Mabel panicks. Can she get past her fears and see Ben’s love for what it is? Or is she destined to be alone forever?

This was an easy, quick read for me. I enjoyed the authors writing and I really did like the characters and their relationship. It’s steamy, but I was underwhelmed by the bedroom scenes, they were just okay. This is 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 #kellyjamieson #crossingtheline

I really liked how well the two main characters came together in a realistic way. The book felt very realistic and of course the hockey was great too!

This was a wonderful read. two very different main characters who really fit together so well. Perfect opposites attract. The line 'introvert in an extrovert society' really resonated with me and I realised how true that statement is! I really loved how the FMC helped hte MMC gain control of his introvert-ness through various tools. Her support was just lovely to read. So caring and wonderful! I would have liked a little more character depth and the spice scenes were a little plain. All up, a great read! I hope there is more to come from this author!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Kelly Jamison for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this hockey romance, the characters' honesty and vulnerabilities.
Off the ice this was a wonderful love story, two characters totally opposite in personalities. The introvert and the extrovert.
I will say I wanted a bit more at the end on Mabel and her new career.
All in all I truely enjoyed this read :)

Ice hockey player Ben close to being named team captain, but first he needs to come out of his shell and believe in himself so he can be the voice of the team to media and supporters. His best friend's sister Mabel - outgoing, bubbly and confident - agrees to help him manage his fear of public speaking.
It turns out that Mabel had a teenage crush on Ben, and all those feelings are coming back as they work together.
Ben and Mable are likeable, with believable vulnerabilities, but the story does lack depth and the plot is rather predictable - but hey, it's a hockey romance with brother's best friend and a great way to escape the outside world.

I always like a good hockey romance, and Crossing the Line by Kelly Jamieson is an easy choice for that criterion. Mabel, an outgoing librarian, moves in with her twin brother after a recent breakup and unexpectedly reconnects with her childhood crush—Ben, a professional ice hockey player and her brother’s best friend.

The author has masterfully woven a heartfelt romance between the main characters while highlighting important aspects of relationships, adding depth to the story. The characters are well-developed, and even the side characters seamlessly enhance the reading experience, making the novel even more enjoyable.

If you love hockey romances with well-rounded characters, strong chemistry, and an engaging storyline, I highly recommend Crossing the Line.

Lots of tropes, a fast paced story, and so much spice!

Note Trigger Warnings per author:
- Past toxic relationship
- Serious motor vehicle accident involving secondary characters
- Death of a child of secondary characters


What happens when your childhood crush is your brothers best friend and you are all living in the same apartment?

Will Mabel survive crashing on her brother's couch knowing the man she can't stop thinking about is a few feet away?

Will Ben ignore his friends warning and pursue Mabel? Will he be able to be more outspoken or remain introverted and lose the one woman he can't stop thinking about?

A fabulous book if you are looking for a spicy hockey romance read with a great character and plot arc.