I’ve been reading Kelly’s books for years and I’m so glad I was able to get a copy of this one early thanks to Boldwood Books. I’m never passing up a best friend’s sister book, especially when there’s sports involved.

Mabel and Ben are electric together. When they’re forced to live together, the long ago crushes come rushing back. And going behind Mabel’s brother’s back only adds to the tension and excitement.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC of this book.

I held high hopes for this book as I was reading - I recognised a name thrown in a few chapters in. It was a charter from one of her other books that I had read on the interactive story app “Chapters”. And it’s one of my favourites on that app! So I was excited to have this ARC…

But then, it got cringey. And just not great. I skipped over so much as it was repetitive and just not needed for the story at all.

Small errors made me a little annoyed - Mable had been there a couple of weeks and the fundraiser was the following week. Then suddenly, 2 chapters later it was a few weeks later…. No fundraiser?
Then a line was like “it had been a month since the all star games” …. So it had now been 5 weeks since the fundraiser was supposed to happen?
Finally the fundraiser happened.
THEN when her brother found out about Mable & Ben, Ben said they had been hooking up “for weeks”. Her brother responded: “she’s only been here a month!”
No. It had been at least three months by the written timeline. I’m not sure the author kept note on that which was disappointing.

It just dragged and nothing really happened. And the thing with the married team mate and his family!? What was that needed for!? There best be a story on him somewhere in the future otherwise that story line was COMPLETELY unnecessary.

This is a tale of forbidden attraction, emotional growth, and undeniable chemistry. A captivating novel that brings to life the tension-filled dynamic between Ben, a determined but socially awkward hockey star, and Mabel, his best friend’s sister who’s suddenly living with him. As the two navigate their complicated history and the undeniable attraction simmering between them, readers are treated to a story that’s both fun and emotionally satisfying.
Ben, the team’s star player, is thrust into the role of captain, a position he feels woefully unprepared for, especially when it comes to leading his teammates off the ice. When Mabel, his best friend’s sister, moves in temporarily, the situation becomes even more complicated. What starts as a seemingly simple arrangement soon spirals into much more as old feelings resurface, and the line between friends and something more starts to blur. Ben’s vulnerability as he tries to overcome his stage fright and step up as a leader adds a depth to his character, making him more than just the typical tough hockey player.
Mabel, on the other hand, is a strong and independent woman with her own struggles. Moving in with her brother is a temporary solution to her personal issues, but it brings her face to face with Ben again. Their past history is filled with unspoken tension, and it’s clear that the spark between them is still alive. Mabel’s ability to help Ben navigate his social anxiety while also trying to suppress her own feelings for him creates an engaging push-and-pull dynamic that makes the romance all the more irresistible.
The chemistry between Ben and Mabel is undeniable, but it’s the emotional vulnerability they both display that makes their relationship feel real. Their development as individuals and as a couple is both satisfying and believable, making this a story not just about love, but about personal growth and overcoming obstacles.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I love a opposites attract romance and then let's throw in some hockey and I am hooked!
Ben and Mable will steal your heart make you laugh and will make you want to join their friend circle.
Ben is a socially stunted hockey player that is on the cusp of becoming captain. Yes, he shines on the ice but when you put him in a social situation, he is at more than a loss for words. Let's now get to know Mable. She is sunshine in a bottle, birds chirping on a Spring morning and Ben's teammates sister. As Ben watches this woman ace every social situation an idea occurs to him. Maybe she can coach him on breaking out of his shell. I loved watching this couple navigate a deal, friendship and then romance! They are sweet, funny, they have great chemistry, and they certainly brought on the sizzle!
~~Michele McMullen~~

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.