Mein Leseerlebnis

Das Buch enthält eine an sich nett und gut zu lesende Liebesgeschichte, die mich aber nur bedingt einfangen konnte. Das lag primär daran, dass die Charaktere auf mich nicht besonders lebendig gewirkt haben. Auch wirkten beide Hauptcharaktere in ihrem Verhalten und Auftreten in sich nicht ganz rund.

Da es mir beim Lesen von Liebesromanen aber wichtig ist, die Hautpcharakter als echte Personen sehen zu können, hat mein Leseerlebnis darunter natürlich gelitten.

Darauf aufbauend konnte ich kein großes Interesse an den Geschehnissen entwickeln und hatte Probleme beim Lesen bei der Sache zu bleiben.

Nach gut der Hälfte habe ich den Roman dann abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer kurzweilige hockey romances mag, die nett geschrieben sind, für den könnte das Buch einen Versuch wert sein. Solltet ihr eine bessere Verbindung zu den Hauptcharakteren aufnehmen können als ich, könntet ihr eine schöne Zeit mit der Liebesgeschichte habe.

Checkt vor dem Lesen eine Leseprobe und achtet vor allem darauf, wie lebendig die Charaktere auf euch wirken.

Rule #1 Do not cross the line with best friend’s sister!! Great romance! I highly enjoyed reading this book! It had intrigue, fabulous characters, and a fantastic storyline! It was a great hockey romance! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

What a fun steamy story! A cute little (quick) read, there’s a lot of hockey romance out there so difficult to know what to pick up.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this eARC - this is my honest review*

2.5 Stars

Crossing the Line is a brother’s best friend, hockey romance set in New Jersey, USA.

Whilst I can definitely see that the author has potential, the writing here required more refinement and editing. It felt somewhat immature, despite the mid-late 20s ages of the characters. Some sentences were very stilted and cold, while others felt like they were written by a giggly 14 year old. Commas were used maybe a little too liberally.

Despite being set in the US, I could tell that the author was probably Australian by the use of vernacular (which is fine as I, too, am Australian) but took some of the believability out of the story.

There was an attempt to address difficult topics that were not given a trigger warning including child loss and domestic abuse. I don’t think either topic was particularly well executed or addressed and, particularly where the child loss was concerned, poorly integrated into the story. Some elements came out of nowhere, happened to characters just introduced, and had no bearing on the story.

Whilst Mabel was somewhat of a stereotypical, adorkable cliche, I liked Ben and the way his introversion (possibly non-neurotypical) personality was portrayed. He was relatable and sweet, with enough depth that he felt like a real person. The romance between them was unfortunately half-baked in comparison. The spice was fine, but not particularly interesting.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book and had plenty of merit. I do think it would be benefited by further revision.

Ben and Mabel star in this opposites attract, slow burn, new adult sports romance. The tension is mostly in their different personalities and temperaments. Ben is an introvert. He’s a professional hockey player, in line for the captaincy but needs to step up with his public persona. Mabel is effusive and extroverted, but also impulsive. She and Ben meet up again when she moves in her with brother and Ben is also staying with him. Mabel has just left a toxic relationship that has made her doubt her judgment- and a bit of her sanity. Ben needs a hand with the social stuff and Mabel is on the spot.

The romance is taken up with Mabel learning how to accept herself and move on from her previous relationship while Ben is also learning some self acceptance and some new skills. There’s some external drama but mostly it’s just these two working it out - steamy 🌶🌶 and fun. I loved their first person points of view so we get to know them really well - Mabel especially is a hoot!

Thank you Kelly Jamieson, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Mabel left her relationship due to being mistreated. But when she moves in with her twin brother, she realises her teenage crush lives there to.
This book follows the concept of moving on and learning how to not give in to the past. It also looks at the beliefs in oneself and how helping others to show what matters most

Funny, sad and romantic – this story had it all…

I love this author’s hockey romances and Ben and Mabel reminded me why! They were at a crossroads in their life – both professionally and personally. Add in proximity – they were staying at her brother’s condo temporarily - and their intense mutual attraction was going to be impossible to ignore…

I loved how Mabel was so bold and bright while Ben was the quiet, introverted one. Maintaining healthy self-esteem and self-worth were not strangers to either of them. While they were content with who they were that didn’t mean they didn’t struggle to ‘fit in’. Oh man, who can’t empathize with that?? Friends, family, co-workers – they seemed to all have an opinion on what they could do differently and doesn’t that just make it harder to just be yourself?

How they worked it all out, while navigating real life at the same time, meant a story that was rich in laughter, sadness (it was life after all) and a relationship just grew stronger. Steamy, funny and oh so human… Loved it!

4.25 ⭐
1 🌶️
Tropes/themes: Hockey romance, introvert & extrovert, grumpy/sunshine
Dual POV 1st person
This story was really good! Honestly I got pulled in and didn’t write down many notes, but it was really cute and adorable and swoony. Ben is the cutest omg. His attempts at following his teammates’ dating advice is so freaking hilarious and sweet. That poem 🥹🥹🥹
My only complaints are that it needs more spice (I always say this lol) and I wish Mable would’ve told him that he is normal when they started on their extrovert lessons. Those aren’t very big deals though, and I still enjoyed reading this a lot.

Ben and Mabel were absolutely adorable! This was my first read from this author and I really enjoyed it! Their second chance-ish vibe and clear miscommunication about their past and Ben’s introvert nature is a very relatable topic! There are some minor triggers in this book for pregnancy loss, not the main characters as well as gaslighting so beware! All in all, a great read!!

New to Kelly Jamieson, I have to applaud her ability to immerse the reader in the heat of the game and then seamlessly flip the script, placing you in the heart of her characters. A surprisingly unexpected mix of sweet and sorrow, Crossing the Line is more than your typical hockey romance - it's a testament to self-discovery, self-love, and the transformative power of acceptance from others.

Sleeping on her twin brother’s couch was never where Mabel expected her life to end up. She was happy-ish, with a job she loved and a man she thought she would marry. But that man turned out to be a narcissistic, manipulative monster who love-bombed her into blindness, taking over her entire life. When he gave her an ultimatum - to choose between him or her best friend - she realized it was time to cut her losses and walk away. Unfortunately, Julian doesn’t take rejection well. So now Mabel isn’t just crashing on a couch - she’s hiding, trying to recover from the wreckage of her shattered life. The last thing she needs while licking her wounds is an audience - especially from the one guy who spent most of their childhood avoiding her like she had a contagious disease. Sure, she’d been infatuated with Ben for years, but he’d made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her. That was then. This is now.

And now, who was Mabel kidding, Ben was still impossible to ignore. She can’t seem to stop her eyes from wandering his way, but she’s not foolish enough to risk her heart again. She’s focused on putting her life back together, and falling for Ben is not happening.

Ben, on the other hand, already has enough on his plate. He’s working hard to prove he deserves to be team captain, his coach is forcing him to be more outgoing (and he’d honestly rather play hockey naked than leave his introvert bubble), and he’s now the spokesperson for a charity. The last thing he needs is his best friend’s twin sister showing up out of nowhere and crashing on the couch. It’s easy to leave their past behind him… until Mabel starts creeping into his present - specifically his dreams and fantasies. But no matter how tempted he is, it can’t happen. She’s off-limits, and he’s determined to focus on becoming the leader his team and coach expect him to be.

Still, when Ben realizes he needs help breaking out of his shell, the solution seems obvious: ask Mabel to coach him on being more extroverted. It means spending time together, yes, but he’s convinced they can keep things professional, for the sake of his friendship with her brother Marek, and out of respect for Mabel’s recent messy breakup. They have to.

As a longtime fan of hockey romances, I truly enjoyed Mabel and Ben’s sweet, heartfelt story. Watching Mabel rediscover herself and witnessing Ben’s growth alongside his team was utterly satisfying. That said, I couldn’t help but feel the story was somewhat incomplete by the end. The narrative spends a lot of time on Ben’s desire to earn the captain position and his team’s quest to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but we’re never told what happens. Did they make it past the first round? How far did they go? While this lack of resolution might not bother readers more invested in the romantic arc, as a hockey fan, I wanted to know!

On a lighter note, I’m officially adding the word “pregret” to my vocabulary. That scene was pure gold - and even better was how it played out (no spoilers, but it’s worth the wait). As is typical with sports romances, the secondary characters were a riot. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Sarah Adams’s The Game Plan with all the team antics. The way they ripped on each other showed the strength of the team and their brotherhood as players, which set a solid foundation for a pivotal scene later in the book.

As for the overall story, I was genuinely surprised to learn that Kelly Jamieson has written over 50 novels and novellas. While I found this story entertaining, the writing occasionally felt underdeveloped - more novice than polished. One particular issue stood out: Jamieson’s tendency to repeat lines or ideas verbatim rather than rephrasing for emphasis. At first, I thought it was an oversight, but it happened multiple times, and each instance left me thinking, “Wait, didn’t she already say that?” Since this is an ARC, it may be something buffed out before publication, making it a moot point. If so, fantastic. If not, while it doesn’t hinder the story, self appointed members of the grammar police may take notice.

Beyond that, I had a larger issue with the lack of a trigger warning regarding the death of a child. While the event occurred off-screen, it significantly impacted the story’s tone. I understand how it was used to push Ben out of his comfort zone and highlight his empathy and compassion, but the entire subplot felt disconcerting. It disrupted the book's lighthearted feel, dropping a ten-pound weight into the narrative without much warning. While Jamieson eventually tied everything back into the narrative by showcasing the team’s camaraderie, their drive to win for their teammate, and the community's support, I can’t help but feel that, unless this is setting the stage for Alfie’s story, the same emotional depth could have been achieved in a less hard-hitting way.

As for the spicy scenes, they didn’t quite hit the mark. The focus seemed to be more on how Ben carried himself - i.e., his transition from quiet and reserved to more vocal, rather than on the actual physical connection. The build-up was more intense than the steamy scenes, making the almost moments hotter than the actual intimate connections, which fizzled rather than scorched.

Looking deeper, the story centers around three key themes: narcissism, introversion, and acceptance/teamwork. While Mabel’s experience in a toxic, narcissistic relationship is well-explored, some of the conversations about it felt overly long and unrealistic. That said, readers will walk away with an understanding of terms like love bombing, signs/red flags of narcissistic or manipulative behavior, and the reasons why someone might stay in such an unhealthy relationship. I would definitely give a standing ovation to how she highlights society's perspective on women in abusive relationships and the tendency to blame the victim - especially when the partner is emotionally and psychologically abusive, leaving scars that are harder to detect by the outside world. On the topic of introversion, while I appreciated the focus on Ben’s struggles, I felt disheartened by the implication that his introversion was a problem he needed to fix in order to succeed. Introversion exists on a spectrum, and not all introverts experience it as a hindrance the way Ben did. While Mabel’s constant reminders that there was nothing wrong with Ben helped balance this portrayal, the idea that introverts need external validation to be accepted rubbed me the wrong way. Still, I respect that this may have been Jamieson’s personal perspective as an introvert herself.

All that said, the introduction of the players - particularly Archie’s final comment - and the scenes involving Alfie hint at the potential for this to become a series. While my journey with The Storm ends here, I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy heartfelt twists on classic romance tropes.

Crossing the Line by Kelly Jamieson kicks off a new hockey romance series with the story of Mabel Smits and Ben Antonov. Mabel, a free-spirited librarian, has just left an abusive relationship and moves in temporarily with her hockey-playing brother, seeking stability. To her surprise, her former crush, Ben, also shares the space. Ben, a reserved and dedicated hockey player, is striving to improve his public image to qualify for team captain—a challenge that pushes him far outside his comfort zone.

As Mabel helps coach Ben in social confidence, they form a genuine connection. Ben values Mabel for who she truly is, in contrast to her controlling ex. Their relationship is heartwarming, built on mutual respect and personal growth. The story balances Mabel’s journey of reclaiming her independence with Ben’s determination to lead without compromising his quiet nature.

This is a charming and satisfying romance with lovable characters, emotional depth, and a touch of sports drama. Fans will enjoy the chemistry between Mabel and Ben and look forward to revisiting the hockey world through future stories in the series.

I’m hooked on Kelly Jamieson hockey romances! Ever since I picked up my first Bears Hockey book (Must Love Dogs…), I fell for the characters, and little Otis, how she wrote about the #Humboldt crash but fictionalized it - she’s a Canadian author that is absolutely one-click for me!

Crossing the Line is yet another example of her brilliant writing style and she’s giving us a brother’s best friend trope in a fresh way. When Ben has to room with his BFF for a couple months before his new place is ready, and then suddenly Mabel shows up to live on the couch after an unexpected break-up and moves to the city, he knows he’s in trouble. He’s always had a thing for her but she’s completely off-limits! She’s the only one who can help with his public speaking problems though, when his coach and staff require him to step out of his comfort zone in a bid to become team captain.

A fresh take on a number of tropes (not just the one), Jamieson’s beautiful prose, and who doesn’t love a hockey romance?! A definite recommendation from me, obviously! I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the early copy. This is my honest feedback.

This book completely took me by surprise. I absolutely devoured it. I loved every single minute of it. This is one of my top hockey romance novels for sure. Ben is, hands down, my new book boyfriend. Mabel’s journey of not settling for less than she deserves is definitely a life lesson for all of us.

Seriously, if you are a hockey romance lover, read this book!

A very special Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

I thought this book was beautifully written! There was a good balance of character progression, alongside a good plot line.

One thing I personally enjoyed was that there wasn’t too much spice in this.

This book differs from others I have read, as it has a good dynamic of the mmc being shy and socially awkward , compared to the bold and outgoing fmc. You don’t tend to see that too often in books.

I’d definitely suggest this to someone !

4 ⭐️
2 🌶️ 🌶️
My first book by this author and I enjoyed reading it.
This book was definitely a slow burn, which I usually don’t care for but the plot and witter banter between Mabel and Ben were SO good!
I don’t want to give too much away but I will say a few words from scenes that will live rent free in my head 😂
🦙 llama head 😂
🎶 Under Pressure 🤣
And of course the poem! “I know this is awkward, and probably weird, but I like you a lot, even more than my beard” 🤣😂🤣
Just read this book if you’re in need of some laughs and a few steamy moments 🌶️

Crossing the Line by Kelly Jamieson. Might not been a top read but still enjoyable once I got into the it. Likable characters and good storyline.

This book was good- it went into some really deep and uncomfortable topics some of which I didn’t feel were necessary to the book. I thought there was a lot of hockey talk which isn’t what I look for in a hockey romance but I know some people enjoy that aspect. Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Ben is a good hockey player, but to become a Captain he has to also show his face at the events outside the arena and the locker room. There's just one big problem: he is an introvert. Here comes Mabel, his teammate's sister, she is a social butterfly who will happily help him to reach his goal in order to put her life problem on hold.

Kelly Jamison wrote this sports romance with a little spin,where the jock is the awkward shy one, and the librarian is the friendly outgoing one. I've adored how Mabel and Ben supported each other, emphasizing their values, and accepting their flaws without judging. Both these characters are eandearing, and I've felt seen for my shyness and chaotic mind.

Crossing The Line was a very good read, that I recommend.
I want to make a little warning if you have a trigger for toxic partners, because the heroine was in a bad relationship that made her lose some self esteem.

I have to admit that I don't really know much about ice hockey, but I do enjoy romances that feature the sport for some reason. Crossing the Line is the story of Mabel and Ben. Mabel has just left an abusive relationship where her ex-boyfriend used coercive control to try and make her into the type of woman he thought that she should be, rather than the free spirted individual she actually is. Ben is a quiet and retiring type, but he loves playing his sport and really wants to step up to become captain of his team, even though it pushes him so far out of his comfort zone.
I loved this pair as a couple. Ben might struggle to be the centre of attention, but he doesn't let that stop him from following his dreams. He tries to find a way to be the person he needs to be, but makes sure that it doesn't change who he is fundamentally. Mabel has been pushed into change by her previous partner, Ben allows her to be herself and loves her all the more for it. These two make a fantastic couple and I really enjoyed following their story.
This was a great read and one that I really enjoyed. I'd love to go back soon and hear more from some of the other characters that appeared in this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

I came into theIs book with the expectation of a good fun hockey romance based on my previous enjoyment of Kelly Jamieson's books. Of course, she delivered this front, but but she exceeded my expectations with the characters' personalities. An outgoing FMC who can be a bit all over the place and a painfully shy MMC who needs his routines; they're not the typical romance characters, but it was refreshing to see to very real, but different personalities find their way to each other. One thing I found distracting were the made up words that the FMC used, it took away from a character that otherwise would have felt very real and relatable.