This book was so fun and entertaining. I was hooked from the beginning. Carissa and Colby's meet cute was so different from everything I have read in the past but it made sense for them. I loved seeing how these characters grew throughout the book. I highly recommend if you are looking for a quick sports romance book. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Hockey romance is where it’s at these days. This spocy, sweet read will fill the gap whilst you wait for the next Becka Mack, Stephanie Archer or Gracey Reilly.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy sports romances in general, and hockey romances are always fun, so this book is right up my alley. I started out a little dubious about whether this is a romance novel because the cover doesn't say romance to me, but it is most certainly a romance novel.

The story has great romantic tension, there's a villain we don't really meet until the last chapters of the book, and the characters have heat. They're attracted to one another almost from the start of the book, even though they start out enemies over a box of cereal!

I have to say, at the beginning of this book, I was doubtful that I would like Colby. He starts out kind of mean, but when he comes around what you see about him is that he's protecting himself. He's vulnerable and doesn't necessarily want to want Carissa.

Carissa is strong and likeable from the start. I liked her and her best friend from the beginning pages to the end. There are some great scenes with her, particularly at the end when she's covered in water.

The pace of the story is a little bit strange because even though there's a villain, and she's mentioned a few times, we don't see her until almost the end of the story. To me, that feels a little bit rushed. But, the story plays itself out completely with no loose ends.

The book also doesn't have an epilogue, which I suppose isn't required but is something I always look forward to. I want to see what happened to the characters a few months (or years) later. I want to know things worked out for them and they're living their happily ever after. This book is missing that element.

Overall, I really enjoyed Off Your Game and would definitely recommend it to other hockey romance readers. It was fun, light in most places, and the characters had great chemistry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Sharp banter, spicy chemistry, and all the hockey swoons

Off Your Game by Susan Renee is everything I want in a rom-com: hilarious meet-disaster (cereal aisle chaos for the win), delicious enemies-to-lovers tension, and a hockey captain who’s one bad attitude away from falling hard.

Carissa is the kind of heroine you want to be best friends with—sharp, bold, and absolutely unbothered by our grumpy golden boy’s charm (at least at first). The banter between her and the captain? Pure serotonin. The slow burn? Worth every second. And the chemistry? Let’s just say, this book could melt the ice at the arena.

Susan Renee nails the pacing, the spice, and the heart, making this a total standout for fans of Tessa Bailey and Helena Hunting. If you're into sports romance with laugh-out-loud moments and characters that crash into each other in all the best ways, this one's a winner.

Clear your schedule—you won't want to put this down. 🏒🔥❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc!!
This book had me from the first sentence. I loved the found family with the guys on the team and the banter between everyone was hilarious. It was an easy, light read that took me no time at all. The meet cute was perfect and set the stage for the story perfectly. I enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series!!!

This book is a fun, fast and flirty read! It was so easy to fall in love with these characters. From the initial meet cute at the grocery store, it was clear these two would have explosive chemistry, and their witty banter really made their personalities shine through. I love a feisty & fierce female! I could absolutely see myself being friends with Carissa in real life. While Colby started out as a real grump, watching him thaw out over time was a treat, and the swoonworthy man who melted at Carissa’s feet was well worth the wait! 🥵

🏒 Hockey romance
♥️ Forbidden
🏒 Forced proximity
♥️ Workplace romance
🏒 Grumpy x sunshine
♥️ Enemies to lovers
🏒 Meet cute at the grocery store

Off Your Game is a feel-good read that strikes a wonderful balance between heartfelt emotion, delightful humor, and delicious spice. If you enjoy hockey romances filled with heart and passion, this is a must read!

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book and to experience Milo’s story!

4.25 ⭐️ Thank you to Susan Renee and Page & Vine books for the #gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book gives off enemies to lovers energy from the word, Go! Don’t mess with a hockey player and his lucky charms. Watching their banter back and forth was definitely a page turner. The turning point in the book will make your jaw drop. Absolutely loved the whole hearted love each one of them brought out in the other.

I really enjoyed this read, and honestly, I couldn't put it down.

It broke my heart to hear the full story of Colby and his Lucky Charms tradition, I just wish it had come into play a little bit more later in the book.

This story led me on a roller coaster ride of emotions, the end was a bit lacking but I still enjoyed it and it was a satisfying end.

Honestly the enemies to lovers part is written better compared to a lot of other works I've read and that makes me happy.

Off Your Game is funny, spicy and fast paced and I really enjoyed the first 40% of it and then I sadly started having issues with it.

The plot started out really interesting and I thought it was going to be a cute insta lust/love kind of book but the last 20% ruined that completely and it felt a bit unnecessary the stuff that happened, in my opinion. Because it was so short you don’t get properly introduced to the characters and therefore I couldn’t connect with them. I think 100 more pages would have solved a lot of those issues.

1/5 – DNF. Cringe, chaotic, and frustrating

I really wanted to enjoy this, especially since it was my first hockey romance, but I ended up DNFing it around the halfway point. It just wasn’t working for me, I tried to skip ahead to see if anything could hook me but it was hitting the mark.

The premise had potential—a random cereal aisle run-in turning into a workplace romance—but it never really landed. The characters felt flat, and I couldn’t connect with either of them. Colby came off more entitled than endearing (he spirals over Lucky Charms, which... really?), and Carissa didn’t feel fully fleshed out either.

There were too many side characters cluttering the plot, and the dialogue often made me cringe. Some scenes meant to be funny or steamy ended up feeling awkward or forced. The “kind of cheating” moment completely threw me off, and the way women were talked about in this book—words like “tramp” casually thrown around—felt outdated and uncomfortable, especially in 2025.

The writing itself was easy to follow, and I appreciate the effort behind it, but overall the story felt shallow, immature, and not worth finishing. Definitely not for me.

3.5 ⭐️

Off Your Game is book one in the Chicago Red Tails series. It’s an enemies to lovers, hockey romance following team captain Colby and the team social media manager Carissa. After butting heads at a grocery store over Lucky Charms cereal, they instantly form a strong dislike for each other. As they are forced to work together, they slowly both let down their guards and realize their true feelings for each other.

This was such a fast-paced read and I breezed through it in one sitting!

What I loved: I’m a sucker for a good hockey romance, and this one delivered on the vibes. The enemies to lovers angle was solid, with plenty of banter and build-up. Their relationship grew at a good pace and I could really feel the emotion coming through both of them. The hockey team had great chemistry with each other and I loved seeing their interactions with Clarissa.

What didn’t work as well for me: While I enjoyed the overall dynamic, I couldn’t ignore how toxic their relationship was, particularly from Colby. Their very first argument was way too aggressive. Colby yelling at Carissa (who was a stranger at the time) over cereal was more red flag than meet-cute, and unfortunately, that pattern continued. Nearly every disagreement between them involved Colby raising his voice at Clarissa and jumping to conclusions instead of having a regular conversation. I understand that he’s under pressure and has some underlying trauma, but his behaviors were not okay. It became a pattern that took away from the romance. Honestly, Colby needs therapy to work through his trauma.

Without spoilers, the climax of the story really solidified the fact that Colby never fully trusted Carissa, even as they were supposedly growing closer. That lack of trust made it hard for me to root for them as a couple in the long run. I can see them breaking up within a few months.

With the writing style as well, there were a few borderline and fully misogynistic comments within the chapters. One particular instance I remember is the use of the word “tramp” to describe a woman. These instances made me pause for a moment and put a sour taste in my mouth. Normally in instances where I do a half star raring I round up, but due to this I rounded down.

I read this book in a day! It was a very easy, light read with a grumpy-ish hockey player & a sunshine-ish fireball of an FMC. Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, there were a few moments that I went “eek let’s not say that” & I was surprised (& not really happy) with the casual slut shaming. Without it, this book would have been a 5 start for me!

I feel like a hater because there's nothing even wrong with this book it just didn't do it for me.
It was fine. I read it all, I enjoyed it but I'm not rushing back to those characters.
I can't even say what could've been done better because it had all of the characteristics I usually enjoy in my hockey romance but I just didn't vibe with it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you to Page & Vine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Off Your Game in exchange for my honest review!

I am absolutely swooning. If you love hockey (duh), romance (also duh), sassy pr and social media managers, and grumpy hockey players, then this one’s for you. Off Your Game had me hooked from the grocery store meet-cute all the way through the last spicy scene—and yes, the heat level is perfectly placed!

This book is such a fun, fast-paced read (just over 300 pages) filled with flirtiiiiiiing, banter, and some surprisingly emotional depth. I devoured it in a single sitting and loved every minute. Carissa and Colby have electric chemistry, and the dual POV really brings their personalities to life. I laughed, I kicked my feet, and now I desperately need the next book in the series.

* Enemies to Lovers
* Grumpy/Sassy dynamic
* Dual POV
* Hockey Captain x PR Rep
* Grocery Store Meet Cute
* Family Trauma

A delightful, spicy, feel-good read that balances heart and humor perfectly. Put this one on your radar if you’re a fan of Tessa Bailey-style rom-coms!

The captain of the Red Tails hockey team, Colby, and the new PR social media specialist, Carissa, spark up a romance that is MAGICALLY DELICIOUS! Susasn Renee's Off Your Game is heartfelt, romantic, and if you enjoy spice, be prepared to eat this book up like a bowl of cereal. (Too many Lucky Charms pun? Maybe, but I love it.)

Carissa is a bold, bright, and beautiful woman starting a new job for a professional hockey team. She is doing her best to prepare, and the night before her job, she has a craving for her favorite cereal, Lucky Charms. At the store, she grabs the last box and is met by a hot man, Colby, who is offering her top dollar for her box. Their conversation is full of sarcasm and banter. The next day is her first day on the job. She is nervous about meeting everyone, including the team, but she is shocked when she comes face to face with Colby.

Colby and Carissa may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but together, their chemistry will draw readers in. Yes, the attraction is HAWWWTTTT, but it is the deeper connection that struck me. I loved the way Susan Renee wrote their story because it felt so authentic. There are ups and downs, and it does get messy, but love finds a way. I know this was my first time reading Susan Renee, but I can't guarantee that it won't be my last.

I was super excited about the premise of this book, but I didn't end up liking the MMC. I didn't feel that he did much to redeem himself after being an a**hole to the FMC when they first met.

This was such a fun read. Entertaining and full of drama. The meet-cute was perfection, but it did set the stage of the MMC being a total a-hole. Numerous times, I felt like a slap or two might do him some good.

It is a cute romance story that delivers on fun and tension.

I am such a sucker to hockey romance books but this just missed the mark. The story and characters lacked depth and I honestly felt like I was reading a whole lot of nothing throughout. Referring to a part of sex as all aboard the train was probably the biggest ick I’ve read in a book. The third act break up was beyond ridiculous and honestly Colby is a bit stupid for actually believing she would do something like that. Honestly just fell flat for me which is such a shame.

4.75 stars

I loved watching both Colby and Carissa grow as individuals while also overcoming their challenges together.

Colby was hilarious! And the banter between them? To die for! I was constantly cackling, on the couch, in public, wherever I happened to be reading, which, let’s be honest, doesn’t always go down well. (Picture a grown woman giggling like a loon in the middle of a waiting room... yeah, that was me.)

The reason I docked just a smidge off the full 5 stars was because the last few chapters felt a little rushed. Nothing major, I just would’ve loved a bit more time spent on the forgiveness arc, it felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly.

Overall though, I really enjoyed Colby and Carissa’s story and I can’t wait to read more in this series!

Enemies-to-lovers, hockey romance, and one very unlucky cereal box. Are you ready to fall for the rival?

This was a hard DNF (at 41%)

The characters were not lovable, this borders insta love and the plot wasnt enticing. I wasnt enjoying it, and I knew this wasnt go better, so better finish it. The only good thing was the team, they were fun

:(