thank you Katie Bailey for the arc! i loved this book so much! Aaron and Olivia are a perfect couple. i loved watching their relationship change so much. unsurprisingly, Katie Bailey did not disappoint with yet another amazing romcom! this was the perfect level of sweet and heat. if you haven’t yet, read this!!

This is a fun, festive enemies-to-lovers holiday romance. Olivia, the fmc, agrees to pretend to be the date of her brother’s best friend, NHL star Aaron who she kinda has a past with. The fake romance then turns into a heartwarming journey filled with witty banter, romantic tension, and plenty of holiday cheer. It is a feel-good read, and the narration was on point. The story overall was delightful and I loved the growth of the characters! Great stuff, thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to enjoy and review this!

Gah! These two bring the tension and I absolutely love it! And let me tell you this book gives you the steam without the spice (IYKYK). These two bring banter and wit but they genuinely care for each other and have chemistry that is off the charts.

This is a dual pov, clean romance. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone novel. It is also connected to “The Quit List”.

This was a fun and delightful listen. This was a new author for me and I will definitely keep an eye out for her work in the future

I first fell into Katie's books last year with Season's Schemeings, the first book with the Cyclones hockey team. Then devoured, The Quit List. So I could not wait to read Aaron's story and see some of our favorite characters. It also is a perfect book to read during the holiday season!!

Katie Bailey is definitely one of my favorite authors!! I fall for her characters every single time. And Aaron and Olivia are no exception. I LOVED THEM. Their banter was on point and the building tension was driving me crazy. Aaron's POV was adorable. I loved how feisty Olivia was. This is definitely a festive read for the holiday season! If you're a fan of audiobooks, I highly recommend this one. Abigail Reno and Lee Samuels did a spectacular job at bringing Olivia and Aaron to life!

Favorite Quote: “She looks back at me like she’d like to stab me with the sharpest skate she can find, and I chuckle to myself. Suddenly, all is right with the world.”

Read if you love:
🏒Pro hockey romance
🤣Teammates banter
💞Enemies to lovers
🎄Christmas vibes
🥰Brother's best friend
🔥Forced proximity
🚿A kiss in the water

Grumpy FMC/Cinnamon roll hockey player MMC

As an avid reader of Katie Baileys, I was SO excited to ARC Holiday Hostilities! And as expected it was another incredible book!

Another Christmas hit from Katie Bailey, that involves Aaron and Olivia. Aaron and Olivia grew up with one another, and Olivia can’t stand her brother’s best friend and current teammate on the Cyclones. She hates him almost as much as she HATES Christmas! In a series of fortunate and unfortunate events the lines begin to blur when Olivia moves in with him for the holidays and helps him out with a stalker situation. To which Olivia comes to realizes Aaron isn’t who she originally thought.

It’s a Christmas, hockey, clean romance—what’s not to love?!

Themes
Pro hockey romance
Teammates banter
Enemies to lovers
Christmas vibes
Brother's best friend
Forced proximity
A kiss in the water

Once again, Katie Bailey does not disappoint with this hockey holiday romcom. With a taste of some of my favorite tropes (brother's best friend, enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy/sunshine, to name a few), this book was a shoo-in for an instant favorite.

Don't get me wrong, I'm always a fan of the typical grumpy/sunshine trope, but reverse grumpy/sunshine always hits different, so I simply love Olivia and Aaron. Olivia's feistiness mixed with Aaron's flirtiness is sheer perfection.

Olivia is strong, guarded, and independent, and it was just so very fun to see her learn to let people in and be vulnerable as she finds a place (and people) to call home. Her initial hatred for Aaron leads to the best chemistry-filled, hilarious interactions. Aaron is sweet, loyal, and (adorably) cocky, and I adored his growth in overcoming imposter syndrome and truly believing in himself. As someone who struggles with fear of not being enough and letting people down, I so appreciate his struggle. As Olivia's misconceptions about Aaron are corrected, they are just the very best for each other, each going all in to support one another.

Then, we have they all the phenomenal side characters, most of which are familiar and beloved from past books. I loved getting to revisit Maddie and Seb from Season's Schemings, and the references to Holly and Jax from The Quit List were great. Jing is such a fun supporting character and I simply adore the Atlanta Cyclones. Each of the teammates is unique and lovable, and I cannot wait for more of their stories.

Thank you so much, Katie and Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will never stop shouting your praises. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute and fast read. I loved it and enjoyed the main characters a lot. I definitely recommend it and can't wait for more

4/5

You do not have to read the first book to understand this one. It can be read as a standalone. This is a perfect read if you want a holiday hockey romance. It is simple, sweet, has some cute moments with good characters, and was enjoyable to read.

I loved this book. Another fun read from Katie Bailey.

Olivia and Aaron have so much chemistry, and you can't help but want to read more of them and their story.

The only problem with this book is that it is too short!

I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narration was epic. I absolutely loved this book. Just let me say that I devoured it! I was hooked from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. It was fun and entertaining, and I loved that the guy fell first in this one. I can't wait for more from this author. I highly recommend this to the romance readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Eleventh Avenue, Dreamscape Media and Katie Bailey

This book gave me major Meghan Quinn vibes. Absolutely loved it. The hate-to-love and brother's best friend tropes hit a 10/10 in this book.
Aaron has been added to my book-boyfriend list.
Look forward to more Katie Bailey in the future.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is one of the cutest and most enjoyable holiday reads! I absolutely loved this book. Aaron and Olivia have chemistry that burns like a house on fire, with plenty of sizzle but no spice. Olivia’s long-standing hatred for Aaron stems from a massive misunderstanding, and as the story unfolds, we see Aaron for the total sweetheart he truly is.

Aaron was my favorite character. He’s tender, caring, and downright adorable. His love for his family, especially his mom and nonna, was heartwarming, and I loved his thoughtful efforts to make Christmas better for Olivia without being overbearing. He’s possessive and protective but always kind—a truly healthy partner.

Olivia is such a sweet, feisty character. I appreciated that her red hair wasn’t her personality but just a physical trait. She’s kind, communicates well, and isn’t wishy-washy. Her tough exterior hides a genuinely soft heart, and her love for Saw earns her bonus points! Watching her try (and fail) to resist Aaron was so fun because it’s clear they’re both head over heels.

The romance in this book was incredible. That water kiss? Steamy yet tender and so heartfelt—it didn’t need spice to shine. The kissing scenes were electrifying, and the slow-burn pacing hit perfectly, especially after the 60% mark. Aaron and Olivia’s bond felt genuine, and I loved how much time they spent truly getting to know each other. The gala scene was a standout moment.

The book also featured Easter eggs with Seb, Maddie, Jax, and Holly, tying the world together beautifully. The romance was A+, the Easter eggs were a treat, and I can’t wait to read more from Katie Bailey. A fantastic read!

Holiday themed brother's best friend! This is book 2 in the Cyclones Christmas series and it did not disappoint. I think I liked this one even more than book 1!

Olivia and Aaron have known each other since high school. Obviously they don't know that the other has had a crush on the other since then! Olivia has moved to the city and has a less than ideal roommate situation, so Aaron offers for her to stay with him - but part of this deal is that she has to be his date for their team gala.

I'm a sucker for the brother's best friend trope... especially when there are hockey players involved. Top notch enemies to lovers banter! A really fun holiday read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Bailey and Dreamscape Media for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Hockey? Enemies to lovers? Brother’s best friend? Christmas? I think this book was made for me, no joke! I read this in one sitting, and I have no regrets. Where was Aaron Marino when I lived with the roommate from hell in college? I wanted to shake Olivia from the very beginning, but that’s what keeps us reading, I guess. I will surely read this again when Christmas comes back around…possibly even sooner.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Aaron and Olivia were 🤌. Katie did another great job once again with these characters. There was so much between these two characters, lovers to enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, he fell first and stayed fallen. All the ways that Aaron tried to soften Olivia’s heart was great. Especially letting her come and live in his home. Granted she had to be his date but still. And don’t get me started on her room mates. They were hilarious. I can’t wait for more Cyclones Shenanigans. The narrators really brought this book to life. It a was magical.
Thank you Katie and Netgalley for my advanced review copy. These words are my own.

Katie Bailey? Oh yes!! Super cute...and I LOVE me some Cyclone guys!!
Olivia has some bad feelings about pro hockey player Aaron due to some things that happened in their childhood.
Aaron is a total golden retriever, and the farther in the book, the more I loved him. I really enjoyed getting to know why a girl could dislike such a seemingly great guy.
This had such great holiday vibes. and an awesome redemption arc.

Holiday Hostilities is the perfect blend of festive chaos and heartwarming charm! From laugh-out-loud banter to unexpected twists, this story had me hooked from start to finish. The characters leapt off the page, and the holiday setting added a sprinkle of magic to the mayhem. If you're looking for a book that will make you smile, swoon, and maybe even shout, 'Oh no, they didn't!'—this is the one!"

This was a book I didn’t know I needed. I had a fantastic time reading it,and even greater time listening to it, and it made me feel even more in the holiday spirit.
Aaron and Olivia are everything! I loved their playful banter and how they constantly tried to push each other's buttons. Most of all, I loved their tender moments together and how thoughtful they were about each other’s needs.
Even though this is a joyful book filled with laugh-out-loud moments, it has a touch of sadness, especially with Olivia’s past and Aaron’s struggle with feeling like he isn’t enough.
With the perfect balance of tension, humor, and swoon-worthy moments, this is the ideal book to kick off your Christmas season.