Flirtation or Faceoff

D.C. Eagles Hockey #2

by Leah Brunner

After getting my heart broken, I’ve sworn off athletes forever.

Then my best friend has to go and marry an NHL player, and his teammate, Colby Knight, won’t leave me alone.

Colby is a master at scoring (on and off the ice), and he’s not used to being told no. So he takes my disinterest as an invitation to pursue me even harder. I ignore him… until I realize I can use his expertise to help me get my crush’s attention.

But now that he’s my dating coach, and we’re spending so much time together, I’m growing more and more distracted. I mean, those dimples? Very enticing.

Just when I think he might be more than just a playboy hockey player, a blast from the past comes back and reminds me why I swore off athletes in the first place.

Can I trust Colby, or is he just another jerk who will break my heart?

(This is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance, and can be read as a standalone. This book contains mild language. Trigger warnings: cheating exes.)

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Hockey, Sports, Hockey Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary

306 pages, ebook

Published September 1, 2023

About the author

Leah Brunner is an Amazon top 25 best selling author who writes romance filled with explosive chemistry and relatable, flawed characters. She loves writing character driven stories that will tug at your heart strings and also make you smile.

When she's not writing, she can be found spoiling her Maine Coon cats, or watching The Office with her kids.

Although she's a Midwestern girl at heart, Leah is a proud Air Force spouse and has moved all over the United States with her husband and three children.

You can find Leah on Instagram @leah.brunner.writes

Or join her Facebook reader group: Leah's Lit Lovers

Reviews

[Jen ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐


MCs:
- Colby, 30, hockey player
- Noel, 29, professor

Book info:
- No cheating between MCs (Noel's ex cheated on her, and Colby's dad on his mom I think??)
- Found family
- Sports romance
- Professor / Hockey Player
- Date coaching
- Non-virgin MCs (H - reformed manhoe, h - one bf only)
- MMC celibate since meeting the FMC (more than a year in the present time)
- FMC never had another boyfriend, I think she's been celibate since she and her ex broke up (that's like almost a decade ago!!!)
- OM (not really, Noel's ex has been picked to join Colby's team, and he caused some issues)
- OW (not really, when they were celebrating in a bar, two women suddenly sat on Colby's lap and it took him by surprise before pushing them away. And this scene was captured by the OM and he sent the pics to Noel)
- Clean romance (kissing only, but there are some innuendos)
-HEA married


Brief background, they met when Noel's best friend got engaged to Colby's teammate. It was definitely love at first sight for Colby but irritation for Noel.

Noel has trust issues when it comes to athletes because her college ex-boyfriend cheated on her. It's been almost a decade since that betrayal but she didn't date again. I guess the damage runs way deeper for her.

As for Colby, he's a freaking manwhore. But when he saw Noel, it was like lightning struck him and right there and then he decided she was the one for him. He stayed celibate and was actively flirting with her to get her attention.

Noel saw these flirt attempts as meaningless because Colby's like that with everyone. And his reputation for being a playboy didn't help his case either. He was hell bent on making her fall in love with him but she was more than happy to ignore him and glare daggers in his way instead.

So Noel has been crushing hard on this other professor. But he won't look at her way, and this makes her a bit downhearted. And she thought that there's no one more than capable of teaching her to attract others than Colby. And they went into this date coaching thing where they go to "fake dates" for her lessons. Colby didn't like this idea at all! But he and his teammates (yes, he asked for their help) sees this as an opportunity for him to spend more time with Noel and make his moves on her. They spend more time together and Noel sees the sweet side of Colby and that there's more to him than what he's letting other people see.

I have to admit that it took me awhile to warm up to Colby. Don't get me wrong the guy had it soooo bad since chapter 1, and I don't doubt his feelings for Noel. But the constant reminders of his reputation, always takes away the plus points he gained for all the sweet things he did for her. It was quite difficult for me to get past his previous lifestyle, but that's my issue.

But then as the story goes, and I've come to know more about Colby. He eventually made me like him, most especially when I read from his POV how he was so disappointed in himself for the way he behaves before meeting Noel. I particularly appreciate this line when he was talking about his manhoe phase: "I wish I would’ve grown out of it sooner, or never even entered it." I think I only appreciate a reformed playboy trope when said playboy really regrets/ashamed of his reputation.

This guy is so sickeningly sweet and truly lovestruck with Noel. His efforts to make her see him and how much he truly cares for her are so adorable to read.

- He read her favorite books
- He went to a cosplay event with his 3 year old sister to surprise her
- He introduced her to his parents
- He brought her to this pancake diner, which is like his private sanctuary and that no one knows the location.
- He brought her to the children's hospital to give toys to the sick kids.
- He planned their fake dates with the sole purpose of wooing her
- He built her a library in his house *swoons*

As for the non-third act breakup, I kind of see this coming, it's always the same when the MMC had this reputation. But I'm glad that even if Colby is in a six day away game he didn't let a day pass that Noel doesn't know how much he loves her. I also liked the fact that Noel made effort on her side to cope with her trust issues and insecurities. Honest and mature conversations always make me swoon over the MCs.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The MCs are likeable and even the side characters too. Worth reading if readers are fine with clean romance.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this book is so cute!

Colby stole my heart from the get-go, and the banter between him and Noel was priceless. Their friendship-to-love journey felt so natural, and I was rooting for them the whole way. Colby’s swoon-worthy efforts to win Noel’s heart were seriously impressive. The man put in the work to win Noel over, and he deserved that girl! I loved seeing how much effort he put into proving himself.

One of the highlights for me was the DC Eagles family. The dynamic between the them had that bromance vibe that I couldn't get enough of. The guys always have each other’s backs, and I absolutely melted during the scene where they’re at Remy’s gym, making the “becoming Noel’s Knight in Shining Armor” list together. It was too wholesome!

Plus, I really enjoyed the little hints dropped for the next books in the series!

Tropes:
❤️‍🔥 Dating Coach
❤️‍🔥 Golden Retriever MMC
❤️‍🔥 He Falls First
❤️‍🔥 Bookish FMC

🚨🚨 TW: Cheating (not between MCs), Cancer, Parental divorce

[jessicakaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I binged this book in less than 10hrs and I have no regrets about it because I LOVED this🤭🤭

4.75⭐️

A hockey romance, dating coach, frenemies to lovers, he falls first and HARD!! Noel is anti hockey players due to her past so when she meets the charming and cocky Colby, she immediately is not impressed. Except, Colby literally has love at first sight and becomes obsessed.

This book was pure sweetness and so funny with some off the charts sexual tension. Noel is such a relatable character (love is scary and Noels feelings around that was so real), and Colby is a new fav book boyfriend. He literally was down bad for Noel and would do anything for her. He’s also secretly the softest person🥹.

One of my favorite things about this book was the found family aspect that comes with the hockey team. The relationships that they’ve built together are so real and deep and so refreshing to not only see great female friendships but male friendships too!

Once again, this series is a closed door romance (so no on page spice) BUT Leah does a great job at writing steamy kisses and a plot that is not reliable on spice. Basically I didn’t even notice there wasn’t spice because the story was amazing on its own and it didn’t need any to be better because it already was great.

Loved this series so much and the hints for Remi’s book has me like 👀👀🤭😏

Thanks Leah for the ARC🫶🏼

Side note: There’s a character with the last name Evander in here and some hockey fans will know who that is and I found it hilarious given the state of the character in this book and hockey player 😂😂 so shoutout Leah for sending me with that reference!!

[nat!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was pretty cute but it took me FOREVER i just could not get into it

i love me a good sports romance but for some reason i did not find myself wanting to sit down and read this and i feel like i would start going on my phone a bunch because it didnt hook me in, but it was still a really good story and i did like it! colby was so cutie and he was nothing if not determined which i loved!! his gestures were so sweet and i loved how much he cared for noel!

i also loved all of the side characters ofc and prob will be continuing the series because i want to see more of their stories!

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another super sweet addition to the D.C. Eagles Hockey series! There's something about a relentless flirt. The one-sided infatuation from Colby Knight was so playful and fun. I was instantly smitten by his roguish attempts to win Noelle over.

Noelle was hilariously not impressed by his antics—I loved her for it. A lover of fantasy with a doctorate in history, Noelle had a bit of an old-timey vibe that was so endearing. I was totally sympathetic to her hesitations about Colby. With a terrible breakup behind her, and just an all-around bad impression of hockey players (same. haha!), it made sense.

But she gets there, slowly but surely! Though Noelle initially has eyes for someone else, Colby slides in with some really cute dating lessons that prove maybe opposites do attract. I loved seeing Noelle open her eyes to an unexpected yet perfect choice.

And I have to say, I fell hard for Bruce in this one. I hope we'll be seeing a book for him!

(heat level: kissing only)

[eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,75 ✨
- dla fanów the cheat sheet!!!!!!
- KOCHAM TO
- kocham mądre główne bohaterki

[costitanza (onetoomanybooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this super cute audiobook.

Noel is a history professor with a passion for fantasy books. She is sweet but resolute and guards her heart as much as she can after getting burned by her college hockey player ex-boyfriend.
That is why when she meets Colby Knight, NHL superstar and heartthrob she doesn´t want anything to do with him. But when her work crush seems to keep ignoring her Noel asks Colby for dating tips.
The two embark on a series of fake (for Noel)/real (for Colby) dates and in between fantasy conventions, bungee jumping and hockey games the two will swoon the reader with laughs and sweetness.

I recommend this book to all the lovers of
- frenemies to lovers
- he falls first
- hockey guys and amazing friendship
- a super sassy grandmother and a super cute 3 yo step sister
- lord of the rings
- ANY BOOKLOVER DREAM (like girls what he did for her it´s our dream and just for that the book is worth reading)

Also, this book doesn´t have spice so if you are looking for a hot romance this is not it. But if you want a sweet story with an amazing MMC then you are in the right place.

Also I didn´t know it was book 2 of a standalone serie and I will for sure go back and read the previous one and the 0.5 novella.

[paula ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐

I'm definitely obsessed with this series and will definitely continue reading more books by this author.

I loved the characters (both main and secondary) so much, and let me just say, Colby is BF material. I'm obsessed with him 🥰

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

CLOSED DOOR HOCKEY QUEEN.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

I don’t care that we’re only three books into this series (including the prequel!), Leah Brunner is creating the best closed door hockey romance series around.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Colby was absolutely GONE for Noel from the get-go and he was so dang sweet. Good heavens. I loved how much he cared. For Noel, his friends, family and those around him. I loved his passion and commitment. I just loved HIM.

And Noel. I loved her too. I loved how incredibly intelligent and nerdy she was. I loved her character arc too and how she learned to trust and move forward with the things she wanted in life.

The chemistry between Colby and Noel was off the charts. I loved how soft it was, but also sexy. It’s a fiery combination that sets the book A FLAME. I loved the dating lessons, and protective moments. All of the family get together and the seeing my favorite D.C. Eagles again.

This book had it all. I already want to read it again.

Overall audience notes:
- Sports Romance
- Language: some light – moderate
- Romance: heated kisses
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: brief physical altercation, cheating ex (recounted)

[Anastasiaa.Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 // Lepsza niż pierwsza część, pierwsze 100 stron nuuda ale później się rozkręciło i w sumie było fajne, okej romans bez spicy scen z serio fajnym głównym bohaterem, ciekawa fabuła, fake dating

[Caroline Rohem · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- He falls first
- Dating lessons
- Feisty and bookish FMC
- Golden retriever MMC


Ever since I met Noel and Colby in Desire or Defense, I was dying to read their book. And I have to say it was a lot better than I was expecting.

Noel needs help to win over his crush from work, and she asks Colby for help. He's a serious flirty, so no one is better to help with the dating lesson. But despite what Noel thinks, Colby has a crush on her, so he sees these lessons as an opportunity for her to realize he's the right guy for her.

♡

When I got this book on my Kindle, I literally screamed. This is one of the readings I've been looking forward to most this year.

I love Noel, and it's very easy to identify with her. Colby is so sweet and caring. And to see Noel stand up for him was amazing.

And the story developed better than I could have imagined. I loved the guys helping Colby, and especially that Noel and Colby had time to really get to know each other better, develop a friendship, and then go on the way to a loving relationship.

It's great to see the team reunited again. They really are a family, and also to see Noel's friendship with the girls.

♡

💞 Some of my favorite quotes:💞

"Red is her color. And not only because of her dress, but that angry blush on her face is sexy as hell."

" This woman being mad at me is more enjoyable than any other woman being nice to me."

"I've spent so much time with Colby lately that my heart does this thing when he texts me."

♡

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I found myself smiling at various times.

Please read this book. It's worth it.

I got an ARC, but all opinions are my own.

Thank you , Leah Brunner, for sending me this ARC.

[Claudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

A prime example of the "fast fashion-ification" of publishing. A bunch of buzzworthy tropes that sounds good in theory, but were clearly executed with little to no effort for a cashgrab. Good thing I got this for free.

I think the author really missed out on her calling to be a horror author, because the inner dialogue of this male lead is eerily similar to that of a stalker. Very Joe Goldberg. It's never too late to pivot career paths, Leah Brunner.

This is also a prime example of why Goodreads should allow 0 star reviews <3

[Ania (literackie_serce) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colby 🥹💓

[Amy Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a confession. I’m in love with 5 guys from a hockey team. West, Remy, Bruce, Mitch and Colby have my heart. I love the camaraderie between these guys and how they joke around with each other. I’ve loved both West and Mitch’s story and Colby’s was no different! Did I read this book in one afternoon? Yes, yes I did. It was just so fun and hard to put down.

If you like the “he falls first” trope, this book is for you because Colby is a goner from the first moment he sees Noel. Unfortunately for him, Noel doesn’t exactly like him and his cocky, flirty attitude.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆, 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆.

This book had me giggling and swooning! Colby and Noel have such great chemistry. Colby definitely has the playboy past and I loved how he wanted to prove to Noel that this relationship was different. I also loved how Noel slowly sees past Colby’s reputation and learns to trust him.

This book is fast paced, full of laugh out loud moments and has some super swoony moments! I’m loving this series!

📖
🔥steamy without spice, making out with mild innuendos, sex is discussed, and closed door btw married couple
🤬 mild language
❓MMC has a past that includes casual sex and one night stands

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was such a cute and lighthearted, low steam, hockey romcom!

The characters were more green flags than realistic people, but I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

Colby was crushing hard on Noel, and resorted to using their dating lessons as a way to woo her. Meanwhile, she thought the flirting was just his personality, plus she’d sworn off hockey players because of a bad ex.

SO ADORABLE.

[ੈ✩‧₊˚ faithreads *ೃ༄ (inactive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so this book was super wholesome…it wasn’t the best I’ve ever read tho😕 I loved Colby and Noel, watching them grow to trust and love each other was so special! 🥹 I’m obsessed with Noel’s style and the fact that she’s a history professor?! Girlboss vibes! She was so relatable and I loved getting her POV! Colby was so sweet and tender and loving! I love that he saw her one day and decided that she was the one! I loved his sweet relationship with his mom and stepdad, and how we got to see his biological dad work on himself because of Colby! Also Ruthie and him were adorable! I loveeeee that he read books for her!! Like he’s literally a walking green flag🤭 This is the second book in the series, and I really love how we get to see the characters progress and see the friendship and bond between the boys! I also loved the tropes:
⛸️ Insta love (on one side…)
⛸️ Enemies to lovers
⛸️ Hockey romance
⛸️ Dating practice
⛸️ Healthy communication
⛸️ Bookish girl x hockey boy
I absolutely loathed Dexter! He was so stuffy and condescending and just boring!! I was so annoyed that Noel liked him lol. Nicknames are hit or miss for me, and “angel” was def a miss…🫤 It made me cringe almost every time. On top of that, the writing felt very cringe and elementary? I really liked book 1, but I had the same problem. It wasn’t too bad, but definitely noticeable. Other than that, this was super sweet and fun to read! I liked how there was a subtle theme of feminism! And when he annotated those books for her, I literally got butterflies for her🥰 Also he built a whole library for her!?!? Marry him noel🤪 Overall, this is a super fun and quick romance that I’d recommend!

Pages: 306
Language: 🫢
TW⚠️: relationship trauma, innuendos, cheating, drinking
Genre: Romance
Format I read: Kindle Unlimited
Would I recommend to others: Yeah

[angiees_books♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

wzięcie tych książek z pracy było bardzo dobrą decyzją 🥰 najlepszą oceną tej książki będzie fakt że przeczytałam ją w jeden dzień 😅 colby skradł moje serce 🥹❤️

[Alysha (For The Love of Christian Fiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well heeellooo “he falls first” and “he falls HHHAARRDDD”! We love you.

I love these D.C Eagle boys SO much! Leah writes the BBEESSTT friend interactions and I’m pretty sure I was grinning like a FOOL every time there was a team scene.

Colby was a DOOOLLL!! I love a good reformed flirt/ladies man! And when he made the decision to commit, he was ALL IN! (All the swoons)

Noel was a fun, spunky character! I loved that she acknowledged that she would have a problem trusting due to her past, but stayed and worked it out. WE STAN A COUPLE WHO WORKS FOR GOOD COMMUNICATION!

THE GAME PLAN TO WOO NOEL IN THE GYM WAS EVERYTHING! (I’m telling you, I’m a goner for this series)

And as always Leah weaves REAL struggles so seamlessly! I enjoyed the different family dynamics and the steps toward healing that were taken for both characters from their pasts.

I really enjoyed this book, and am so looking forward to the next story! 👀😍
4/5 stars

*I received this book from the author**All opinions are my own*
*not cf, clean fade to black, with mild language and innuendo*

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well let me just start off by saying, I LOVED THIS BOOK.

We've got COLBY - flirty, playful, confident, charming, sweet, golden retriever energy!

And NOEL - fiesty, smart, bookish, introvert, professor, strong, I want to be friends with her!

Their story is:
•opposites attract
•hockey romance
•dating coach
•reformed playboy
•he's fallen first and HARD
•grand gestures
•exxxxcellent tension and hilarious banter!

I was hooked immediately from the start and I could not put this book down! ALL of the characters are absolutely fantastic! I was laughing, I was swooning, I was feeling alllll the feels! All the hearts and stars from me!
I already want to re-read and annotate!

Highly recommend this book!! It can totally be read as a stand-alone, but I also highly recommend book 1, Desire or Defense!!
BOTH AMAZING.

[ksiazkowamagda · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏒ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴢᴊᴀ ꜰʟɪʀᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏʀ ꜰᴀᴄᴇᴏꜰꜰ🏒



[ współpraca reklamowa]




"ᴅᴏ ᴋᴏńᴄᴀ żʏᴄɪᴀ ʙęᴅę ᴘᴀᴍɪęᴛᴀᴌ ᴄʜᴡɪʟę, ᴡ ᴋᴛóʀᴇᴊ ᴘᴏ ʀᴀᴢ ᴘɪᴇʀᴡꜱᴢʏ ᴊą ᴜᴊʀᴢᴀᴌᴇᴍ. ᴄʜᴡɪʟę, ᴡ ᴋᴛóʀᴇᴊ ᴜśᴡɪᴀᴅᴏᴍɪᴌᴇᴍ ꜱᴏʙɪᴇ, żᴇ ɪꜱᴛɴɪᴇᴊᴇ ᴍɪᴌᴏść ᴏᴅ ᴘɪᴇʀᴡꜱᴢᴇɢᴏ ᴡᴇᴊʀᴢᴇɴɪᴀ."






Jestem totalnie zakochana w tej serii. Styl pisania autorki jest cudowny. Kreacja bohaterów i zamysł na fabułę totalnie mnie kupiły. Nie sądziłam, że tak dobrze będzie mi się je czytało. Ogromnym plusem tej historii jest to, że nie ma tu spicy scen. Autorka w idealny sposób potrafi przedstawić relację bohaterów,. Samymi spojrzeniami czy gestami potrafi sprawić, że czytelnik jest w stanie wychwycić napięcie jakie pojawia się pomiędzy nimi.

Historia Noel i Colby'ego rozkochała mnie w sobie już od samego początku. Bardzo szybko się z nimi zżyłam i ich polubiłam. Bawiłam się naprawdę cudownie czytając. Nie chciałam się z nimi rozstawać ani kończyć tą książkę. A to mówi naprawdę wiele.


Noel po swoim bolesnym rozstaniu obiecała sobie, że już nigdy nie zaufa ani nie wejdzie w związek z żadnym ze sportowców. Skupia się na swojej pracy oraz swoich pasjach. Jednak zaczyna się jej podobać kolega z pracy. I prosi Colby'ego aby udzielił jej paru lekcji randkowania.


Colby jest znany, ze swoich podbojów. W jego życiu pojawiło się naprawdę wiele kobiet. Ale nigdy nie były one na stałe. Nie wchodził z nimi w żadne dłuższe czy poważniejsze relacje.

Pewnego dnia na jego drodze pojawia się Noel. Od tego momentu żadna inna dziewczyna nie jest mu w głowie. Każda jego myśl kierowana jest w kierunku kobiety. Największym problemem jest fakt, że dziewczyna za nim nie przepada. A on za wszelką cenę chcę jej pokazać jak ważna dla niego jest. Gdy tylko pojawia się okazja udzielenia jej lekcji randkowania to zgadza się. Ma nadzieję, że dzięki temu zbliży się do niej i udowodni jej, że nie jest jak jej były.

Relacja głównych bohaterów jest rozczulająca. Mnie osobiście mocno chwyciła za serce. Autorce udało się ukazać ja w naprawdę piękny sposób. Ich uśmiechy, gesty mówiły więcej niż słowa. Z każdą kolejną stroną było pokazane jak stają się sobie bliscy. Jak spędzali ze sobą więcej czasu. Jak wiele główny bohater był w stanie zrobić dla głównej bohaterki. Te na pozór nic nieznaczące gesty mówiły najwięcej. Nie musieli nawet ze sobą rozmawiać by wiedzieć czy druga osoba potrzebuje pomocy czy też nie.

Colby ma potencjał na książkowego męża. Bo to co robił dla głównej bohaterki było po prostu urocze. I to jak dla niej się starał. Na każdym kroku pokazywał, że dla niego nie liczy się żadna inna kobieta oprócz niej. I to jak dawał jej przestrzeń, kiedy tylko jej potrzebowała.

Wracając jeszcze do relacji bohaterów. Naprawdę były pokazane obawy i rozsterki głównej bohaterki. Jak walczyła sama ze sobą i swoimi wątpliwościami. Dzięki temu stała się jeszcze realistyczna. Bo pokazała, że po utracie zaufania nie tak łatwo jest wejść w nową relację nie mając obaw.

Jednak przeszłość ma to do siebie, że wraca prędzej czy później. I tak też było w tym przypadku. Nie mogło być za długo zbyt kolorowo. Niektóre rzeczy się skomplikowały. Jednak tylko od samych bohaterów będzie zależało czy im się uda czy też wręcz przeciwnie.


Motyw found family w tej pozycji jest tak cudownie ukazany, że za każdym razem jak o tym pomyśle, to uśmiecham się sama do siebie.

W tej historii pojawili się bohaterowie pierwszej części i cudownie było przeczytać co dzieje się u nich w ich dalszym życiu.


Może wydawać się, że to historia jak każda inna i nie ma w niej nic niesamowitego. Ale dla mnie osobiście stała się ona naprawdę komfortową serią. Bawię się podczas jej czytania cudownie. Bohaterowie potrafią w naprawdę szybkim tempie w sobie rozkochać i śledzenie ich przygód jest czymś naprawdę fascynującym.


Ja z czystym sumieniem mogę Wam ją polecić. Jestem przekonana, że będziecie się dobrze bawić na niej tak jak ja.


Nie mogę doczekać się już trzeciej części i mam nadzieję, że nie będę musiała długo na nią czekać.





Moja ocena 5/5

[Solei · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
I absolutely loved this book! Colby was so sweet and everything he did melted my heart. I mean this man started reading fantasy books and annotated her favorite book. How could you not melt at that. And built her a whole library with a rolling ladder in his house!!! Ahhh a girl can dream. This was the book for girls who love grand gestures and sweet and thoughtful moments. I felt engaged in this book the whole time and could definitely feel the tension between the characters. If you are looking for a new sports or hockey romance, I would definitely recommend this one! The audiobook narration was also fantastic and I loved both of the narrators.

Tropes:
- hockey romance
- closed door
- dating lessons
- dual pov
- famous/rich love interest

[Brianna Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second one in the series and the second one I’ve read from Leah Brunner- she doesn’t disappoint. I’m loving the whole rough hockey team aspect of this series. Hockey guys are burly and tough guys, which is exactly how she’s writing them but they all have a little soft side too and that’s just super adorable. They tend to have a soft spot for the women in their lives and that makes it even more adorable. Loving this series so far, hoping to catch the next one too!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Dew · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is all over the place. It starts off with the past and goes to the present where the fmc is the granddaughter of a US Senator and her family is wealthy enough that her grandmother spends $18,000 for the fmc to go on a date with a guy she already knows.

From there, it gets even more convoluted and sad. Noel is a 29yo college history professor with the mental and emotional awareness of a 13yo middle schooler. Her college boyfriend from undergrad was a jerk, so instead of moving on with her life, she has built her life as a monument to that failed relationship - not only has she never dated again, she hates everything that could ever remind her of him to the point that she won’t hang out with her best friends when they go to hockey games to support their significant others. She goes to a game with the random dude from her work who wants to use her as an in with the hockey team, but not her friends.

The author barely develops the fmc’s career beyond mentioning that she dresses quirky, drives an old timey car, and to say she teaches history. Apparently, her trauma from 10 years ago is still so extreme that she acts like a jerk to any student who plays sports because her ex played sports. The fmc says she loves to read fantasy and romance novels, but only ever mentions Tolkien. She doesn’t even read anything related to her job, so I guess research, publication, and tenure isn’t a concern.

Meanwhile, the mmc, Colby, spends a year trying to convince the wet sandwich to give him a chance.

[Callie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise was a bit different than I anticipated!

I thought it was going to be about Noel not wanting to date Colby because he’s a manho, etc. but it turned out to be more like she just doesn’t think his flirtation is serious, so thinks nothing of it.

Colby confused me a bit because it’s basically love at first sight for him, but aside from flirting with her (which she obviously doesn’t even take seriously) he doesn’t pursue her in any strong way for the year he likes her.

I’m so over manwhores, but this is the kind I can sort of tolerate. He’s celibate for a year since meeting her, likes her for more than her looks even at first, and regrets his past. He knows he’s grown up and wants a serious relationship. I do wish we didn’t have all the reminders about his sordid past, but it’s a closed door romance, so it’s not too explicit.

Also it gave me a little satisfaction he has to suffer through her liking a co-worker and helping her dating skills. 😉

There is a situation at the end because of some insecurity, but it was never over the top.

Also, I liked how Noel was nerdy and not meek or quiet, like it’s often shown in books. And he embraces it and reads her favorite books and builds her a library, so points for that!

It was a pretty low angst, not too serious read if you want something fast! I would’ve preferred a little more depth and I’m always on board for some more spice, but it was cute overall!

[anna. ׂׂૢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆´ˎ˗

﹌﹌﹌
4 stars! I had a great chuckle reading this book. The fact that I had to prepare to return to my senior year of high school made it difficult for me to finish it quickly, but let me just say that every time I picked up this book to read a portion, it made me smile.

Because of how blind they were, there were times when the main characters were pretty annoying and I wanted to punch them, but it's totally acceptable. I would characterize the entire story as a gradual burn.

I don't want to bore you too much, but there are many lovely and sexual moments in the story. There are hockey romance tropes, dating coaches, frenemies to lovers, teaching tropes, and hockey guys, among others.

My favorite scene in the story was when Colby created an entire library for Noel within his home. I'm adding this to the list of things men should do to win my affection because it just went above and beyond my expectations.

﹌﹌﹌

[Mara Lopreiato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay this took me so long to read. I feel like it was a really cute love story but it was very YA
I mean if you find someone blowing you a kiss spicy this is your shit. I just found it off because the characters are like 30+ years old but was like omg kissing is way to much. So definitely a minus in the spice but a cute story if your 12 and want to read about 30 year old hockey players.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author and you can be sure that I am now going to go back and read or listen to the earlier books in this series! This is a clean fiction romcom title with some heat, some alcohol references, and some mild language. I include this information so that if these things are deal breakers for you, then you will know before choosing this novel. I, personally, felt that the language worked for the book, was not excessive, and added a realistic element to the teammates’ conversations.

I loved that Colby fell first. Having not read the earlier books yet, I only knew Colby in this novel. He was apparently quite the playboy. However, he is now completely devoted to Noel in this story and expresses regret for the way he lived his life previously. It was nice to see how fun and playful he was and all of the lengths he went to in order to be there for Noel.

Noel had a legitimately strong reason for her trust issues. She also had trouble imagining that someone like Colby would change his ways, choose her, and stay true to her. She had a lot to work through and I liked that she had supportive friends who cared about her and wanted the best for her.

This book was swoony, fun, and full of heart from beginning to end. I absolutely loved it. The dual audio book narration was wonderful and made for a great listening experience.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[reading.irl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pierwsza część, czyli "Desire or defense" nie należy do moich ulubionych książek. Była w porządku, ale brakowało mi w niej romansu. Jednak chciałam spróbować przeczytać również drugą i zobaczyć czy okaże się lepsza.

Wyszło na to, że pochłonęłam tę książkę dosłownie w jeden wieczór. Jest jak dla mnie definicją komfortowego romansu. Naprawdę świetnie się bawiłam na "Flirtation or faceoff".

W tej książce, podobnie jak w poprzedniej, relacje rodzinne odgrywają sporą rolę i bardzo mi się spodobało jak zostały tu przedstawione. Oprócz rodziny, przyjaciele głównych bohaterów także często się pojawiali i okazywali im wsparcie.

Motywy zawarte w tej książce, idealnie wpasowały się w mój gust. Nie dość że jest to sportowy romans, to Colby staje się dating coachem Noel. Tak więc zaczynają chodzić na udawane randki.

Colby jest zawodowym hokeistą, natomiast Noel wykładowczynią, która uwielbia czytać książki. Colby jest definicją golden retrivera, a przyznam, że jednak mało czytam takich książek. Zazwyczaj główni bohaterzy mają jednak mroczniejszy wizerunek.

Na dodatek on zakochuje się w niej pierwszy i okazuje jej to na różne sposoby. Między innymi, przeczytał dla niej jedną z jej ulubionych książek, aby móc z nią później o niej rozmawiać. Także cała fabuła jest wprost przeurocza.

Choć myślałam że hokejowe romanse trochę mi się już znudziły, to ta książka pokazuje, że nadal potrafią być świetne. Jeśli lubicie urocze, komfortowe historie, to myślę, że "Flirtation or faceoff" na pewno wam się spodoba. Czekam już, aż następna część zostanie u nas wydana.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colby & Noel were perfect and I could have listened to them banter all day long.
I am loving this series and cannot wait for more books to come out.
These are closed door, hockey romance, and they are everything I need for a cozy cute romance.
Much love to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my ALC.