3.5⭐️ Katie writes cute books that are fun, with low stakes and enjoyable characters. This one was no different. I liked it. But darn it, I wanted to love it!

There were just a couple things that I didn’t love. The characters were sexualizing each other for the entirety of the book. Like seriously. I want more than that surface level stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I liked both Olivia and Aaron. They were cute. But like I said, I wanted more from their growing relationship. And honestly more from this story. I felt like nothing really happened, so I was super disappointed.

And my heavens their love confession was cringe. I couldn’t. I just COULD NOT. And by the end, I had had enough of these characters and this story. That love confession though pushed me over the edge lol.

Now that I’ve said all of these negative things. I will say, I still enjoyed listening to it. The audiobook was well done. I have no qualms with it. I liked the characters. They were fun. And hey, if you’re here for a good time, this book will be able to provide that. But I just expected more. Especially after reading The Quit List. Still love Katie’s books though and will continue for read them, because they are fun.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Bailey, and Dreamscape Media, for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The book was fine, but just didn't do it for me so, I'd give it 2.5 -3 stars. This book lacked depth and emotion, and I couldn't connect to either character.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced audiobook!

I'm a sucker for brother's best friend and this one was such a great holiday read. When the mmc has been obsessed and the fmc hates him, it makes for the best banter. The narrators were great and executed this perfectly. I felt a connection between the two and there was some innuendo even though it was closed door.
I will definitely check out more from this author.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

Super cute book. Mildly holiday-ish, I loved the haters to lovers vibes. The drama was really low, which may be super enjoyable for some people who aren’t looking for a lot of angst! Nearly steam free too for those looking for just a sweet little love story. For me, it was missing something special, something that sets it apart. But all in all, cute story!

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC.

This follows Olivia and Aaron in a brother best friend/teammate, loathe to love , Ice hockey, forced proximity, Christmas romance.

This was so much fun and made me laugh! Olivia and Aaron have known each other since they were teenagers and have always had a bickering relationship. Olivia thinks that Aaron is an arrogant ice hockey player and has no time for her when in reality Aaron has always been obsessed with her and found that the only way to get her attention was by annoying her.

After not seeing each other for each they are thrust together in a Christmas time slow burn romance.

This is the second in the Cycones series and even though I haven't read any of Katies previous books it didn't take away form the story but did hint at a few of the side characters previous romances.

Love the narrators.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book! I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down. The author has such a good writing style. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last! I enjoyed the characters. They had good chemistry.

Great narrators. I especially liked the female voice.
This book is just as much fun in audio, filled with chemistry, banter and general swooniness!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this! I’ve read 3 Katie Bailey books this year and I’ve really enjoyed all of them. I saw a friend compare her to Sarah Adams banter and chemistry and I totally agree!

Olivia has been enemies with her brother’s friend and hockey teammate since high school. When she moves back to Atlanta to be closer to her brother, she ends up spending more and more time with Aaron. He is also a professional NHL player. Olivia’s rooming situation is terrible so when she finds out her roommates are throwing a huge party over Christmas, Aaron offers her a spot in his home. He needs a fake girlfriend to divert a puck bunny and the rest is history. This takes place around the holidays but I think it could be read year round. Bailey creates such delightful stories with banter and amazing chemistry. The narration was fantastic and I didn’t want to stop listening to it.

Found myself laughing out loud while listening to this very funny well narrated book. The looks I got while walking my dog in the park were also pretty funny! Olivia is not a fan of Christmas or her brothers best friend/pro hockey teammate Aaron. Neither have been very good to her. Aaron has led a seemingly charmed life as an NHL superstar and the only thing he likes better than hockey is getting on Olivia’s last nerve. When they each find themselves in need of a little help, they strike a deal. They’re both smart, snarky, silly, in serious denial, and oh so stubborn n the best way. All of this led to a perfect ending. Wish this was more than a 2 book series.

You know I’ve read quite a few hockey romcoms this fall, and I noticed that most of them are actually missing any actual hockey, lol. And I have to say it’s a trend that continues in Katie Bailey’s newest novel: Holiday Hostilities. But that’s fine, because the truth is here I much more here for the romcom than the hockey, lol. Her latest hockey romcom features one of my favorite tropes, the fake dating trope, though it’s done in a rather unique way. You see Olivia Griswold despises her brother’s long time best friend and hockey superstar Aaron Marino. It goes way back to when she was a teen and he snuck in through her window. But now Aaron needs her help, and the truth is he makes her an offer she can’t refuse. You see Aaron is being stalked by a crazed fan (kind of) and he’s worried what will happen when he is part of a celebrity auction event the team is putting on. Olivia’s roommates (which include an underwear thief and a guy who plays the bagpipes bright and early every morning just to name a few) are driving her crazy. So Aaron makes her an offer, she move in with him (with his schedule he won’t be around much anyway) while she looks for a place of her own and enjoy some peace and quiet and all she has to do is accompany him to the charity event and bid on him. (See what I mean about it kind of being fake dating but not quite?) The problem is, Aaron is actually crazy about Olivia, and always has been, and now Olivia is seeing there is much more to Aaron than she originally thought and is catching feelings as well. This is a sweet romance that hits all the right beats, and I really liked both your leads, not to mention some of the supporting cast. Despite the limited ‘screen time’ Triple J is quite the character. Abigail Reno and Lee Samuels do a wonderful job with the narration making this one an absolute pleasure to listen to, and with the holiday theme it’s perfect for the lead up to Christmas. I’d like to thank Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Holiday Hostilities.

I’m a sucker for a Christmas story add in hockey players and you have me hooked!

Such a fun listen!

🏒 Holiday Hostilities 🏒

Oh this holiday hockey romance was adorable! It had a little bit of all of my favorite tropes. Katie Bailey brings the Sarah Adams energy to this enemies to lovers, brothers best friend story filled with butterflies and steam.

In a bit of a pickle with a roommate situation, Olivia begrudgingly agrees to moving in with hockey Captain Aaron for the holidays. Aaron’s in a bit of a pickle with a crazed fan situation and barters his living arrangements for a fake dating publicity situation. Did I mention Olivia is a holiday hater and Aaron is going to help her find joy in the season again? SAY LESS.

I adored this sweet and funny holiday hockey romance listen. The narrators were well cast and did a wonderful job bringing the tension to life. I highly recommend the audio for some holiday romance cheer in your ears!

Check this one out for:
🏒 Enemies to lovers
🏒 Forced proximity / roommates
🏒 Fake dating
🏒 Sports / celebrity romance
🏒 Brother’s best friend
🏒 Adorable team / friend antics

Thank you to Dreamscape media for this ALC! My opinions are my own.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the audiobook! 3.75/5 stars

It always feels a bit trite to say, “This was my first book by [author], but it won’t be my last!”—but that really sums up how I feel here. This is a good book: the writing is solid, the story is entertaining, and it strikes the right balance of sweet and sexy without veering into full-on steamy.

That said, I didn’t connect with it on a deeper level. The market is saturated with romcoms, holiday romcoms, and hockey romances, so it takes something really special to stand out. While this one was enjoyable, it didn’t quite have that extra spark. It’s very trope-heavy—fake dating, brother’s best friend, hockey romance, enemies to lovers, second chance. All great tropes, but they felt more like a checklist here than carefully selected elements woven together to create something unique.

Overall, Holiday Hostilities entertained me, and I’m glad I read it. If you’re a hockey romance fan looking for a seasonal read to celebrate Christmas, this is a great option. As for me, I’m looking forward to reading more of Katie Bailey’s backlist!

Audio:
This dual POV story features two narrators—a huge plus in my book. Both delivered solid performances, though I didn’t love either. There wasn’t anything “wrong” with their performances — just personal preference and the kind of voice I wanted to hear for these characters.

This is what I want all holiday books to be. It could be read at Christmas but it could also be read any time of year. It’s a full novel full of sport romance, brother’s best friend, nemesis to lovers, he falls first, forced proximity and so much more!

I’m swooning over here. I could not stop smiling. All the stars.

Olivia has been away from home for years working as a flight attendant. But she’s ready to be closer to her brother and decides to make his home, her new home base. The only problem? With her brother, comes the proximity to his best friend and teammate, Olivia’s nemesis, Aaron.

I accidentally started and finished this audio today. The narrators were wonderful.

And I honestly couldn’t tell you if there was any spice? I’m fairly certain it was closer door with lots of incredible teasing. But it wasn’t something I missed. The book was fantastic without it.

Thank you dreamscape media for the audio!

I received an advanced listening copy of this audiobook. This is my own opinion.

Holiday Hostilities is a cute, Hallmarky holiday hockey romance (say that sentence without getting stuck on the h’s, I dare you). Aaron is a perfect golden retriever oversized hockey boyfriend. Olivia is a cute redhead flight attendant who hates Christmas. It’s no spice, low swearing, but with some steamy kissing. I don’t think I’ve read sports romance like that, so I don’t know who to compare it to, but it’s still cute and fun. I’d recommend if you’re in the market for a cutesy holiday romance with no spice.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the ALC.

Very sweet!! I’m such a sucker for a brother’s best friend, knew each other as kids, he's loved her the whole time etc.. love watching Aaron and Olivia grow together and figure out their feelings after all that time. Thank you to NetGalley for an audio ARC!

Katie Bailey does it again!

I'm a big fan of the Cyclones Christmas series, and book two did not disappoint!

I beta-read this for Katie, and received an ARC from Booked with the Emilys! These are my honest thoughts.

AARON IS MY NEW FAVORITE KATIE BAILEY MAN! I love that he isn't who he seems... I adored the callbacks to other people from the KBU (Katie Bailey Universe), like Aaron going on a date with Holly from The Quit List and getting to see Maddie and Seb so much again in this one! I thought the team and their banter brought so much fun to this story. And... I truly loved Olivia. She was snappy and funny and sensitive and thoughtful.

Aaron and Olivia are enemies-to-lovers in this sorta second-chance romance between brother's best friend/teammate and little sister. They both have their walls up, for various reasons, yet they find themselves in a forced proximity/roommate situation because Olivia's housing situation is horrendous (and funny), and Aaron wants to take care of her.

Read this if you love:
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Redemption from high school
- Roommate nightmares (underwear thief, bagpipes, and one who always needs help with something... lol)
- Forced proximity
- "You're not staying here" -> roommates
- Inside jokes
- Grinch (Olivia, anti-Christmas) and Grinch (Aaron, reserved grumpypants)
- The cutest Christmas date
- Brother's best friend
- Found family
- Professional hockey player x flight attendant
- FAKE DATING because of a PR nightmare
- Professional hockey team shenanigans (so excited to find out who will be next!) ;)
- SUPER thoughtful MMC
- Closed door romance
- It's always been you ~vibes~
- Meddling brothers, Italian grandmas, and Italian mamas

This one should be on everyone's holiday TBR this year! Out November 22nd! :)

EDITING TO ADD: The audiobook is SO FUN. I loved both narrators and thought they brought the fun banter and chemistry to life! The audiobook is out December 17th and is one you should definitely check out!

I liked the two lead characters and the cast of characters in the team and friends and family. But the conflict was a little basic

I absolutely loved this holiday romance! I haven’t had much time to dive into holiday-themed stories lately, but this one was such a treat. From the very beginning, the narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The chemistry between the two was instantly engaging, especially with the "enemies to lovers" theme. It was a bit more one-sided at times, with one character holding a grudge while the other slowly warmed up, but that tension made their interactions even more entertaining.

The forced proximity aspect of the story came across brilliantly, with the narrator perfectly capturing the reluctant closeness and all the little moments that made me smile. The humor in this story really stood out, and the narrator’s delivery had me laughing out loud several times. It wasn’t just funny—it was witty, sharp, and so much fun to listen to.

Listening to this gave me the same feeling as watching a hockey player like Sidney Crosby on the ice. His mix of intensity, skill, and heart makes you feel everything—the passion, the tension, and the moments of joy when everything clicks. The narrator captured those emotions perfectly, from the slow burn to the moments that made me laugh or swoon.

This was the perfect blend of holiday cheer, great chemistry, and plenty of laughs. If you're looking for a fun, feel-good listen with a touch of tension and a lot of heart, I highly recommend it. It definitely made my holiday season brighter!

As the newest Cyclones Christmas title, Holiday Hostilities is Olivia and Aaron's holiday-adjacent love story. It's a little bit enemies-to-lovers, a little bit friends-to-lovers, with a side of brother's best friend and a whole lot of fun! The narrators did a nice job with the dual POV story, and I thought the Christmas vibes were pretty minimal, so this is definitely a book worth reading any time of year. I recommend this book as well as Season's Schemings, the first in the series.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for gifting me with an ALC to review! All opinions are my own.