A really nice hockey romance, with enemies to lovers trope and a spot of forbidden romance in this novel.

It was quite nice to read how Colby and Carissa started off, fighting over some cereals, to see how it developed.

A fast read that I can easily recommend if you're into the tropes listed above.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

This was your typical enemies to lovers hockey romance and sadly it just wasn’t remarkable in any way. The ending was very… odd… and there was no character depth or development. Sadly, there are much better hockey romances out there and I am not able to recommend this one to anyone. Thanks for the opportunity for this ARC. Due to the lower rating & potentially negative review, I did not review on Goodreads

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I didn't really find anything appealing about the MMC and couldn't relate to the FMC. There were too many characters introduced. The plot was sometimes confusing and lacked depth.

I hated the way most characters spoke about and treated women. It felt dehumanizing, as if they were nothing but body parts. It's frustrating to read a story marketed to women who enjoy hockey romance, only to see those very women referred to as "tramps" among other things... disapointing in 2025.

3.5 stars

Firstly the MMC is kind of a HUGE asshole? Like he’s so mean? Over a box of cereal he started sexually harassing her?? And he didn’t even apologize?? And not like hot asshole vibes, he gives off straight MEAN vibes AND THEN SHE APOLOGIZED TO HIM???? Doesn’t make sense.

AND THEN AFTER KISSING HER AND GHOSTING HER, HE GOES TO THE BAR IN THE HOTEL THAT THEY ARE BOTH STAYING IN AND PICKS UP 2 WOMEN???? SHE TELLS HIM TO TAKE HIS HANDS OFF HER AND HE IGNORES HER???? I would have slapped him as well. And then he has THE AUDACITY to say “you feel how hard I am for you” WHEN HE WAS LITERALLY ABOUT TO SLEEP WITH 2 OTHER WOMAN? Okay my guy. Sure thing. Fuck you very much.

And then he goes around and hurts her, literally SCREAMS at her, and then turns around and says “I know you’ll never hurt me” but he hurt her so many times???? No thank you. This is such a toxic relationship I can’t.

This book is making me so heated, the FMC deserves so much better and if I was her friend I would have really slapped some sense into her.

ALL THAT BEING SAID - there were some cute moments, I enjoyed the writing style and the side characters very entertaining though so I’ll probably continue the with the series.

The hockey romance in this book was such a thrill! The forbidden nature of their relationship added an intense level of tension that made every moment feel high-stakes. I loved watching the characters navigate the challenges that came with their secret connection. It kept me on edge, wondering how they would make it work despite everything standing in their way.

What really made this story stand out was how tender and sweet their relationship felt. Even with all the tension, there was this beautiful softness between them that made their bond feel real. The chemistry was undeniable, but it was their emotional connection that truly touched my heart. It was the perfect mix of passion and genuine care for each other.

This book offered a fantastic balance of intensity and warmth. It was exciting yet uplifting, leaving me with a smile as I turned the last page. A truly heartwarming read!

I really struggled with this sorry and the romance as I just couldn’t connect with the MMC, his introduction made him incredibly unlikeable and I find that many of his actions came off as immature, inappropriate and disrespectful with no real pushback until later. The relationship didn’t click with me for this reason as I thought the FMC deserved better.

I was very sceptical about this, because as much as I love hockey romances there are some which are somewhat lacking in plot! However, this was not one of those books and I absolutely loved following Colby and Carissa’s story! I loved how both characters developed and changed as the story went on, becoming more vulnerable with each other and how they ultimately worked through issues together. I was even more excited when I realised this was part of a series and there are several other Chicago Red Tails books for me to devour!

This book easily ranks up there with Becka Mack and Elsie Silver when it comes to the dynamic between the MMC and his friends. Their bond is full of playful banter, deep loyalty, and an unshakable brotherhood – men who give each other hell but would also do anything for one another. And since they’re each getting their own books, I’m already excited to see their stories unfold.

This one follows Colby, a brooding hockey captain with a dark past and a very specific game-day ritual – eating a bowl of Lucky Charms before every match. But when he heads to the store late at night, desperate to replenish his stash, the last box is snatched up right in front of him by a woman who refuses to hand it over. That woman? Carissa, our FMC, who has no idea who he is and is thoroughly unimpressed by his attitude. He hates that he loves the way she challenges him. And as it turns out, she’s the team’s new marketing director, setting up instant tension between them.

Colby is an absolute ass to her at first, and I honestly wasn’t sure how they were going to end up together. But after months of undeniable chemistry and slow-burning tension, they finally give in, and their relationship takes off. Carissa, with a dark past of her own – her parents stole her identity and left her drowning in debt – fits seamlessly into the team dynamic, holding her own among the players. Meanwhile, Colby is haunted by the loss of his older brother, who drowned when they were kids, leaving him carrying years of guilt. Their connection grows as they bond over board games, playful teasing, and some seriously steamy encounters (which, let’s be real, move at a much faster pace than real life but make for a great read).

Then comes the third-act conflict. At a charity event, a jealous ex-coworker of Carissa’s steals private photos from her phone and sells them to the media. Colby, believing she betrayed him and the team, reacts harshly – though, thankfully, he doesn’t cross the line into irredeemable territory. He tells her he never wants to see her again, and Carissa, heartbroken, resigns from her job and disappears from his life.

Of course, the truth comes out – Carissa was innocent all along. Right before a game, Colby learns the real culprit and has a full-blown panic attack, realising the gravity of his mistake. But by then, Carissa has stayed away, unwilling to reopen old wounds. Determined to win her back, Colby tracks her down – only to find her apartment flooded from burst pipes. Without hesitation, he takes her home, proving he’s all in, and they finally get their well-earned HEA.

Overall, this was a solid, engaging romance with great tension, lovable side characters, and plenty of heat. I can’t wait to see the rest of the team’s stories and how the friendships and relationships continue to evolve.

Pretty short book overall..nice hockey romance. There is a lot of cussing going on in this book. I got nothing against a good cuss word here and there but geez. At some point, it was kinda repetitive at the beginning just talking about Lucky Charms cereal. I’d have to give it a second go around in reading it to see if I would like it more in the future.

This book was short and sweet and a good way to get in a quick hockey romance fix. Big turning point scenes in this book seemed to be a bit rushed, there’s not a whole lot of buildup before you get to the good parts. Which is refreshing, but also takes away some of the tension buildup that we crave in romance novels. This also means that The forgiveness part after the climax of the book came fairly quickly, and was almost. “too easy.”

There were a couple cringe worthy parts of this book, but otherwise the writing was fairly smooth and easy to follow. The dialogue seemed pretty on par for the characters ages for the most part. After reading the excerpt for the next book, which is at the end of this book, I don’t think I will be finishing the series. There’s not much that set this book apart from other hockey romances that I’ve already seen.

This book felt very similar to other Hockey Romances I’ve read. The title and cover got my attention and I was so excited to read!

Overall, the book fell flat for me. Colby did not have any redeeming qualities in the beginning to be given any chances with Carissa. Carissa should have slapped him in the face one last time and never gave him the time of day.

The dialogue was cheesy, simple and felt too forced. I was looking for a deeper connection between Colby and Carissa, but all we got was a rushed relationship.

I saw the “third act breakup” coming from a mile away. I wish the author was more discrete with the phone and coworker situation. It was too obvious where it was going and made me lose interest real fast.

So, cussing does not bother me. But good grief. It was being thrown around like confetti. It was really annoying to be honest.

I did enjoy the book overall, but I feel like the ending was just very abrupt. Cute story though.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the chance to review this book early.

What a great story! Can't wait to read more by this author!
Thanks Netgalley and to the author for the ARC!

First off thank you to NetGalley and Susan Renee for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4
🌶️🌶️/5

I will say when I first started this book I did not like the writing style and I was struggling. Well once I got about 15% in I was hooked! I finished this book in one sitting and absolutely loved it!

The fact that we started off arguing over lucky charms🍀,was incredible. I also happened to be reading this on St Patrick’s Day which just made it better.

If you like hockey romances, enemies to lovers, and forbidden romances this is for you! I was feeling all types of emotions while reading this book. I laughed, I cried, I giggled which to me is just the absolute best. 🩵

All in all I highly recommend this book and I can wait to get my own hard copy once it’s released! 🏒⛸️

this book was really good.. hockey romance easy to read. would highy reccomend this book when it come out

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I’m a sucker for a good hockey romance. But 28% in, the two main characters are still arguing over a box of lucky charms…The next 22% they argue about who is worse and who’s messed up after they share one kiss. I usually find banter amusing. Colby and Carrissa’s banter- annoying. They are both supposed to be adults, 8 years after college graduation, but the banter screams high school/college.

I also hate the nickname Smalls. Just not a book for me.

This was a cute little enemies to lovers hockey romance! I would have liked to see a little more depth and back story for the characters but it was still a nice quick read!

I really enjoyed seeing the characters progress in this story. The story was well paced and well written. I was hooked from the beginning and devoured it in just a few sittings.

This was just what I needed to tie me over until some of the other hockey romances I’m anticipating are coming out. This was a lot of fun and definitely new book partners!

Off Your Game is a hockey romance about NHL player, Colby who has a chance meeting with a woman named Carissa at a grocery store in which there is a verbal altercation over a box of cereal. Carissa has no idea he's a hockey god and needs the cereal as it is part of a superstitious game ritual.

Low and behold they later discover that Carissa is the new marketing employee hired to handle the team's social media accounts. Carissa and Colby are magnetic and drawn to each other leading to the formation of a relationship, despite Carissa's boss warning her not to get involved with the players.

Throughout the story Colby is battling unresolved childhood trauma while Carissa is trying to make up for being taken advantage of by her parents both of which affects their relationship. An incident happens that leads to the leads to them questioning their relationship, and its continuation. However, don't worry this story definitely has a happy ending.

Reading this story left me will warm fuzzy feelings. The pacing at the start of the story was slow to start but picked after the first several chapters. I really appreciated the character development of the FMC and MMC. I felt they were both relatable and their personal issues were realistic. The plot itself was well written for the length of the story and premise.

Colby is prime book boyfriend material, rough on the exterior, but good hearted and swoon worthy. This book has a healthy amount of spice that was well written, and very enjoyable. There was no denying these characters chemistry, and I was rooting for them the entire time.

I also appreciate the accurate representation of mental health needs in this story, and the normalizing of getting help.