I liked this, read is in 3days while I had to go to work. This book has one of the worst thing in novels that I hate ans that is the quirky girl trope but the author has been able to blend that in beautifully and not for a single moment it felt like she's been quirky just for the heck of it. Emotions were clear and resolved properly like an adult.

I was very lucky to receive an ARC of this book and bloody loved it wow it’s only 280 pages it releases on 12 January read it xxx

The Good: The overall plot and ideas behind the writing were decent. The characters were likeable and the tropes were everything I love. Brothers best friend? YES. Hockey romance? Yess. Forced proximity, and childhood crushes? Yes yes. The intention was there and it had good potential.

The Bad: There were tons of hockey cliche’s, mansplaining about hockey, and a real lack of depth (even when dealing with some pretty ouch topics). There was barely any tension or emotion from the characters and it just fell flat for me. There were also side stories that didn’t contribute to the overall arc of the couple - is this seed planting for future couples in future books? Either way, it was distracting and left me dazed and confused.

The Ugly: This story includes undisclosed child loss (not to a main character). This didn’t advance the plot one bit and should have been edited out - or at the very least, disclosed in a trigger warning list.

Hockey romances are my absolute soft spot, and Crossing the Line hit all the right notes! I laughed so much while reading this—seriously, some moments had me in stitches. Mabel is such an inspiration with her quirky, unapologetic personality and fierce determination to fight for what she wants. And Ben? Don’t even get me started. He stole my heart with his sweet, quiet demeanor and simple desires: hockey, friends, and, of course, Mabel. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I couldn’t get enough of them.

Now, where are the books about the rest of these hockey players? I need more ASAP!

Kelly Jamieson kicks off her *New Jersey Storm* series with a hit! *Crossing the Line* delivers everything I love in a sports romance: hockey hunks, a sweet yet steamy storyline, and characters you can’t help but root for. If you’re a fan of light, romantic reads with just the right touch of spice, this book is a must-read.

The standout for me was the dynamic between Ben, the shy and socially awkward hero, and Mabel, the bold and sunshine-filled heroine. Their opposites-attract chemistry is heartwarming, as Mabel gently encourages Ben to embrace his confidence while still respecting his authentic self. The story’s message—that imperfection is what makes us unique and lovable—was beautifully woven into their relationship.

Jamieson balances lighthearted fun with moments of emotional depth, touching on themes like emotional abuse and healing without weighing down the overall feel-good tone. The pacing is smooth, making this an easy, uplifting escape, perfect for fans of hockey romance or anyone in need of a palette cleanser after heavier reads.

With tropes like brothers-best-friend and friends-to-lovers, this book is sure to hit the sweet spot for romance readers. *Crossing the Line* is the kind of cozy, relatable story that stays with you long after the final page. Highly recommended for hockey romance fans!

Mabel goes back to her borther's, a hockey player, after she breaks up with her abusive boyfriend. Little did she know that her brother was sharing his house with his best friend, Ben, whom Mabel had a crush as a teenager.

I like the way both Mabel and Ben grew up and went outside of their comfort zone. I did not like some tropes or events that took place in the second half of the book though.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC of the novel. All opinions are my own.

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

A cute, fun, mildly spicy, brother’s best friend, hockey romance. I found it to be cute, but not all that, ya know?

There was a big focus on the difference between introverted and extroverted people which was interesting to see. We see introverts in books, but I’ve never seen a bigger introvert than Ben. It was similar to the grumpy/sunshine trope honestly with how opposite Ben and Mabel were.

It was a cute quick read :)

I absolutely loved this book. It had me hooked at hockey romance, and brothers best friend.
This was a beautifully written love story, and the spicy scenes were well written. It was not ALoT of smut so I wouldn’t necessarily class this as erotica, but it was an amazing love story. I would recommend this book to people for sure!

Mabel and Ben were cute together. Mabel is a free spirit. Ben is a hockey star who is an introvert. He asks her for help to get better about public speaking as he is in the running to be the team captain but starts to fall for her. Big issue- Mabel is his teammate (and best friend's) sister. Overall, low angst, sweet and fun with good steam. The characters felt young with some growing up to do but overall, a fun way to spend a few hours! Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an early read.

The off-limits brother’s best friend trope is so fun in Crossing The Line. Loved the social anxiety rep.

Would warn other readers about the mentions of past verbal/emotional abuse as well as off-page fatal car accident.

Thank you Net Galley for the arc!

I started off really loving this book, there’s so much to love. I loved best friends bother trope, forced proximity, and emotionally vulnerable FMC. I love the silent love from the MMC. There’s a lot of great things about this book and it’s a quick read!

The only thing that knocked it down for me is the infant death….it felt unnecessary and somewhat glossed over. I didn’t find it taken with appropriate care that I would’ve liked to see.

The first book in what I hope is a new series, focusing on the Ben Antonov of the New Jersey Storm and his teammate’s twin sister, Mabel Smits.

Ben and Mabel have know each other since high school, yet they don’t really know each other as well as they think. I enjoyed getting to know Ben and Mabel, and watch their relationship evolve from an uncomfortable reunion to friends and more.

Each of these characters had issues to overcome, and together they each grow and mature a great deal. Ben develops into a strong leader for his team on and off the ice. Mabel overcomes the gaslighting and confidence crushing impact of her former boyfriend.

A few of Ben and Smitty’s teammates were introduced and crumbs left that will hopefully turn into books for some of them!

I received a free ARC from the author; and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.

THANK YOU THE BOLDWOOD BOOKS AND NETGALLEY for sharing me the arc of Crossing The Line.

Hockey Romance YES and also brother's best friend YES, with mutual pining from childhood UMM!!! yes yes yes yeszzzzz sign me up 🙌✨😎.
I read Crossing The Line in a single day, it completely had me. I loved the plot and the characters : Mabel and Ben. And how they understood each other. The tension 🥵😘 and chemistry between them was amazing 🤗🥰. I loved how the author showed vulnerability side of Ben and how he came across it with help from Mabel.
3.5 stars 🌟
Negative : I felt like it was missing something maybe the romance spark was less. Also spicy scenes were not spicing 🤐😑.
.
Hoping this is a series and we get Smitty's and other hockey player's book too 📚🧡🏒.
📖
𝘽𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢. 𝘼 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩. 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩.

I love a good hockey romance, this was enjoyable and I thought Mabel and Ben were good characters but this isn’t a book that is memorable for me. I finished it over a week ago and not thought about it since which speaks volumes to me.
It was a quick read and a good filler for me.
Thank you NetGalley, Kelly Jamieson and Boldwood Books for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Ben and Mabel are really cute together. I love the way they help each other and make each other better. Ben, with Mabel's help, turns his awkwardness around. Mabel learns she isn't too much. I love their history. It is really.cute that Ben was so intimated by Mabel.in school. I hope we get a book for Marek, Mabel's brother. This story was well written, cute, sweet, emotional and fun. 4.5 stars

Not what I thought the book to be about. Not sure I entirely clicked or connected with the characters of this story. Seemed too drawn out in areas and under developed in others.

I did stop at 32%. not my kind of book.

Spoiler Alert

I really enjoyed this book. I mean who doesn’t love a hockey romance novel? Not to mention your brothers best friend trope!
The characters are relatable and I love the dynamics between the 2 main character. Though Ben is quiet, and introverted, there are some super sweet moments between him and Mabel.
One aspect of the book that I always applaud authors for including is domestic violence and though Mabel doesn’t endure DV in the physical way, it still highlights what a person goes through in other forms of abuse. I love when a novel also shines light on everyday issues such as this.
Overall I give this 4/5 stars and would recommend to family and friends.

4 ½ Stars for this hockey romance!

This is a cute romance that had me laughing-out-loud. I loved Mabel, she had her own style and wouldn't change for anyone ... even her controlling boyfriend. It was a nice change that the hockey player wasn't a "player" and in fact, he was quite shy. But yet Ben had a heart of gold and would do anything for the ones he loved. I was rolling on the floor laughing when he tried to break out of his shell and speak to random people ... you'll see what I mean. Then there's the steam ... Ms. Jamieson sure knows how to write it!

Ben is a NHL player and moves in with his best friend until his condo renovation is finished. But when his friend's little sister needs a place to stay, she ends up at her brothers place. Ben thought that Mabel was quirky way back when ... now, she's still a little quirky, but she's stunning. Then there's that unspoken rule ... stay away from your best friend's little sister. Mabel leaves her boyfriend, quits her job and moves in with her brother until she can get back on her feet. The only problem is Ben! She had a huge crush on him when she was a teenager ... and apparently that hasn't changed.

I received an ARC courtesy of Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

This was an amazing book to read. I loved the second chance part but also the teammate's sister trope. But what I loved most about this story is that both were dealing with issues and they were there for each other. The whole hockey team was great together and I've loved all their interactions. There were some funny moments when they lived together with her brother.
I would absolutely read this book again