Oh man, I really wanted to like this one. The first was fun, but I didn't love it, but this one was really not my cup of tea (but I really think the problem is with me, not the book).

Holiday Hostilities is a hockey romance with a Christmas backdrop to create a warm and cozy atmosphere. Unfortunately, it falls short in delivering depth and emotion, making it difficult to invest in Olivia, Aaron, and their relationship. The central conflict is simple, but is resolved almost too quickly, leaving little room for developing tension and growth. However, I thought the author's writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making it a quick holiday read. The narrators were also fantastic and great at portraying Olivia and Aaron. I felt they really added more flair to the story and characters. Ultimately, Holiday Hostilities is a light, festive read that might appeal more to those looking for a low stakes hockey romance in a Christmas setting.

Super cute listen! The audio book was so good and I loved the banter! I just wish we had more spice than just a make out🤷🏼‍♀️ But I did love the balance between the actual sport of hockey and the romance! Both narrators were *chefs kiss*

Thank you to NetGalley for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love the enemies-to-lovers trope! Olivia and Aaron were fun to follow on that journey.

Strengths:
- love that Olivia has a job, is fully financially independent and not necessarily looking to immediately pivot from her work as a flight attendant just because she now has a rich boyfriend (so many of these sports romances include the "fantasy" of a woman being able to quit her job to become almost entirely financially dependent on the athlete partner and I can't suspend my disbelief on this being a good/desirable thing to become fully financially dependent on the breadwinning partner)
- while it is a plot point that Aaron invites her to live with him while she looks for an apartment she can afford without unhinged bagpipe playing, underwear stealing roommates, Olivia can technically afford to live on her own and I love the safety in that for her in the long run (perhaps I have too much baggage around women getting stuck in relationships with men they are financially dependent on to ever find the fantasy of marrying a wealthy man, quitting your job, and having no financial safety net sexy)
- I really liked the chemistry between Olivia and Aaron and for readers who don't enjoy graphic sex scenes there is chemistry without any spice (it's closed door for folks who prefer that)

Weaknesses:
- If you have read things like Icebreaker or Pucking Around and have come to anticipate high levels of spice in your hockey smut, this does not deliver (again -- know your audience when handselling/recommending this to folks)
- The cast of characters felt quite chaotic
- I am aware that this is the second book in a series and I didn't read the first book because typically romances like this don't require it
- In my experience romances "series" are typically loosely connected with each novel standing alone because we're focusing on a new relationship (and I often pick up romance series out of order based on what is available/comes in at the library)
- The large cast of teammates and their WAGs felt especially overwhelming in Holiday Hostilities
- I now have the first book on hold at the library to see if that's just the vibe of Bailey's world building OR if there was a significant amount of development for the side characters in book one that really makes it important to read her works in order (something I will definitely keep in mind when recommending this title)

Opportunities:
- We got a whole hockey team to pair up and I'm a sucker for this subgenre!

Threats:
- Hockey romance is a very saturated niche in romance; there is not a lot here to distinguish Holiday Hostilities from other hockey romances
- I think some folks have tried to really stand out in the hockey romance space by intensifying the sex and kinds of relationships (Pucking Around I'm looking at you!)
- Holiday Hostilities is very mid; I had a fun time listening to this audio book, I enjoyed the plot, I enjoyed the comfort of knowing exactly what I was going to get.......... but also there were no surprises and this will fade into the soup of hockey romances that now live in my brain two years into consuming almost every hockey romance I can get my hands on

I'd definitely recommend this to folks, but it would be to younger folks, folks who like steam but not spice, and/or folks newer to hockey romance.

"But you hate me."
"The only thing I hate about you, Olivia, is having to be around you and not being able to do this."
*cue first kiss*

Rating: 3.5/5

- hockey romance
- holiday romance
- brother's best friend/teammate
- hate to love
- roommates to lovers
- black cat x golden retriever
- he falls first/it's always been her
- no breakup
- closed door
- dual pov

I really enjoyed Season's Schemings, so I had high hopes for Holiday Hostilies. While it had some good moments, it didn't quite meet my expectations.

But let's talk about Aaron, the book's highlight. He's always had feelings for Olivia (he's been friends with her brother since high school). So, when he gets a chance to spend more time with her, he takes it. He's a charming sweetheart who spoils her and cares for her whenever possible.

This book definitely has black cat x golden retriever vibes, with Olivia hoping to avoid Christmas and Aaron pushing her into the festive spirit. I like seeing her let down her walls and let him in, realising her animosity was unfounded. Once they're in, they're in with no breakup, even when roadblocks stand in their way.

The book also has a great found family, thanks to the hockey team. They share many moments on and off the ice, and I'm curious to see who gets a story next. Finally, Katie Bailey writes closed-door so well, as the forced proximity of the roommates' situation adds just the right amount of tension.

As for my concerns, I wanted more from the plot (the stalker storyline did nothing for me), and I needed a more substantial reason for Olivia's animosity toward Aaron. Otherwise, it was still enjoyable, and I'll continue the series.

I received an early ARC and audio copy.

I was excited to receive an advance copy of Holiday Hostilities via Netgalley. Once I realized it was the second in a series, I quickly read the first book (Season's Schemings). Holiday Hostilities is far better than the first book...and it can definitely be read as a standalone.

All in all this is a feel-good, no spice, holiday romance. It dragged on a bit and definitely could've used a little more something (Drama? Spice? Witty banter? Anything, really...). But it's a cute and easy read that will scratch your holiday romance itch.

I recommend this book if you enjoy no spice romance, romcoms, enemies to lovers and cozy holiday romance.

3.7 rounded up to 4.

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.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1Z16TZQ94G597/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

LOVED IT! This was another winner for Katie Bailey! The fiery banter, the heat without the spice, and the holiday cheer were fabulous!

It’s a wonderful mix of enemies-to-lovers, brother’s-best-friend, and hockey team escapades. It also has a very memorable kissing scene that gave me heart palpitations.

I adored Aaron and Olivia. Aaron is the sweetest! It’s hard not to fall for a guy who has been secretly obsessed for years with his girl. He’s funny, flirty, and has such a big heart.

Olivia was wonderful with her sass and spunk! It was super sweet watching her fall in love with Aaron and with Christmas again.

What I loved:
Enemies to lovers
Brother’s best friend
Dual POV
Nonna
Olivia’s crazy roommates
Justin Bieber
That first kiss
The skating date
Teammates banter
Roommates forced proximity
An MMC who falls both first and harder

I genuinely love everything about this book. Beyond the fiery banter and the sassy back and forth, this is a sweet and tender love story. It’s one I’ll definitely be rereading. If you enjoy holiday romances, this one is a must-read!

I listened to the audiobook and I thought both narrators were great! They did a fabulous job with the voices and added a lot to the story!

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for an ALC. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Great Christmas read without being overly Christmasy. Olivia and Aaron have known each other since they were children. Reconnecting in adult life where the sparks are flying! Olivia is Aaron's teammate's little sister. I loved out Olivia stayed true to who she was while also being open to new things. Aaron allowed her to be herself without pushy her. Christmas tree with a dart board of his faces ... sooooo good!

Thank you to The Dreamscape Team and NetGalley for this copy of Holiday Hostilities.

The enemy tension was filled with sizzling chemistry between a brother’s teammate and best friend’s little sister. Olivia and Aaron are the perfect couple with a history of trash talking as banter.a very runa and addictive read.

“I remember everything about you, Olivia. Every last detail.”

I listened to the audiobook and LOVED it!! The narrators really brought everything to life and I felt like I was living in these pages.

Aaron and Olivia are the quintessential golden retriever and black cat energy and their zippy banter brings the sizzle in this enemies-to-love romcom.

Aaron is Olivia’s brother’s best friend and hockey teammate and he gets under her skin like no other, yet there is an underlying current zipping and sizzling, just waiting to be unearthed. There’s nothing better than the banter between two sworn enemies and the kick they each get from testing the limits of the other’s patience is to die for. These characters are so lively and feisty and I loved the reverse grumpy sunshine, as it’s her grinchiness that battles against his holly jolly-ness.

When a precarious situation puts Aaron’s reputation and captaincy at risk, and Olivia’s living circumstances are less than ideal, a deal is formed and all bets are off. Katie Bailey does a brilliant job of bringing this relationship to life and creating a wonderful team of characters. The Christmas magic is…magical and the romance sparks are hot and divine.

The Christmas hockey romcom in all its opposites is everything I dreamed it would be.

Content: mild+ language; mild+ romance/innuendo

Olivia and her brother’s best friend Aaron, an NFL star, don’t get along. Olivia is in a crappy living situation and tries to find somewhere to go over the holidays. Aaron offers up his apartment in exchange for Olivia to bid on him during a fundraiser (using his money of course). All of the characters are adorable. Both Olivia and Aaron were lovely and the banter between them was fantastic. I loved the enemies to lovers and brothers’ best friend troupes. I also appreciated that they didn’t jump into the relationship right away, both were questioning what should happen. The holidays were mixed in throughout the story but was not the main focus of it. This was one of my first sports romance reads, and surprising to me, it wasn’t centered on sports. Bailey did a good job weaving in the sports and the holidays in the story.

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.

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.