Let's Do This

IFU Hockey #1

by Loren Leigh

Alternate Cover with bonus epilogue!

Shaw

Ever since we met two years ago, Eden Burkehammer has made everything better.

The big defenseman sets me at ease. He’s a beast on the ice—brutal and physical—but when it’s the two of us, he turns to me with these unexpectedly soft brown eyes. This gravelly laugh that makes my whole body smile. And yeah, I might have thrown a glance his way a time or two in the steamed-up locker room showers—you know, just curious.

But he’s my best friend. My teammate. Roommate.

I don’t want to mess with that. Just the thought of losing him sends a cold zap the full length of my spine. Besides, I’ve never gone there with a guy, and he’s never given a single hint he has either.

Until one morning when I sign for his delivery. An envelope that contains something I never—in my life—would have guessed.

And, suddenly, I’m thinking about him in a whole new way.


Burk

I can’t look at Shaw Keenan for too long. When he leans across my truck console, with that whip-quick smile, I get this catch in my throat and focus on the road. Or when he tips his goalie mask up onto his head, hair askew and a flush of adrenaline on his cheeks, I skate back toward the blue line.

I don’t know why. My head’s confused about a lot of stuff. Always has been. But what I do know is that I’ve never thought about anyone the way I think about him.

Especially when he steps through my doorway—in nothing but a pair of thin running shorts and that backwards pink ballcap he always wears—holding a package I ordered on a whim.

And he’s looking at me in a way he never has before.

It’s game over after that.

Genres: M M Romance, Sports, Friends To Lovers, Hockey, Romance, Sports Romance, College

450 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2023

About the author

Loren's characters want nothing more than to fall in love--wholeheartedly, deeply and wildly--and they're ready to take you on the journey with them.


Loren writes contemporary m/m romance, spanning from college romance to romantic suspense, with characters who jump off the page and chemistry that's burning hot.


Join Loren's Facebook readers group here:
www.facebook.com/groups/lorenstarlights/

Reviews

[Lau ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to kiss him. () But what happens after you kiss your best friend?

MM sports romances used to be my favorite thing but, after a ton of recycled books that left me with a sour taste, I had started to avoid them until a couple of reviews saying this was a bit special filled me with hope. I owe you a big one, because I loved this book.


99% of the books that have smut on the first chapters don’t work for me. This is one of those exceptions where the author makes me connect so much with a character I’ve just met that I don’t care. Hell, I was even cheering for them, curious about how they were going to make it work. The plot of this romance is rather simple: two best friends realizing they can be more than that and discovering what it's like being with a guy, but it was the way it was written that made it special.


I adored following Burk, who was caring and sweet and the cutest person ever with his list of ‘words that I will forever remember’ full of things Shaw had told him. Shaw was so easy to love, sunshine and fun and so deserving of all the love Burk had been saving just for him. Let’s Do This is one of these books in which you don’t need a lot of plot because you are feeling everything in your bones. I have dozens of highlights of them calling me single with all the little things they did and think and said to each other.

He didn’t heart anyone else’s comment, but he hearted mine.
And for a guy who doesn’t smile much at all, I can’t seem to stop lately.

While I wouldn’t call it an earth-shattering novelty, I do feel Let’s Do This doesn’t quite feel like the typical recycled sports romance. Maybe because of how much it made me care, or maybe because the pacing was slow but steady. It’s a quite long book with almost no drama, yet it kept me on my toes the whole time because I had no clue how the author was going to make it work once Burk finished college.


Overall, this book made me believe in sports romances again. It was everything I needed and I adored every single second of it. I can’t wait to try what the author is going to write next; there is nothing more important for me than caring about the characters I’m reading about and she nailed that.

[~Nicole~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf at 86% .If you like Tal Bauer’s cotton candy gems he lately publishes then you’ll adore this for sure .Add to this the fact that Loren Leigh writes just as well and be sure to take into consideration that it has more sex than the usual Tal Bauer book . What can I say, I’m not a fan and for me the best part of this book was the first 25% . After that it all became sugar and sex and internal monologues of one MC waxing poetical about the other one and whining that the other one doesn’t love him .
Even though this trope is as old as time and it’s quite overused in MM it still might have been good but the book was waaay to long (almost 400 pages) and too mushy and with non stop sex on the brain (which wouldn’t have bothered me if it hadn’t been so freaking long) . You know who did this trope perfectly? Jay Northcote in Helping Hand. Why was that better you ask? Well because it was the right length for this simple trope, it showed us the guys bonding more realistically, it wasn’t sappy and it had the perfect tone (for me I mean) .
What I did love was the beginning where they were shy and awkward and scared and negotiated their forays into the gay sex. That was so endearing that I thought I would LOVE this book. And then it all became a snooze fest. Nothing really happened here,they had sex and then pages and pages of waxing poetical and whining ,rinse and repeat -God, Burke was so annoying . He was so bland and he was so boring . Shaw was a bit better though,too bad we had very little of his POV. Anyway, it’s a 3 stars book for me because I love this author’s writing (I loved her previous book) and because of those 25% in the beginning where the guys were so tender, so sweet and so awkward I wanted to hug them. Unfortunately the non communication was really boring (even their hockey team was boring ..Cute but quite boring ). The guys were simply unable to communicate and every time they were about to have a serious conversation they choose to have sex instead.
Also , dear author, I’m sure whoever told you that “coaie” is used frequently in Romania as a form of addressing meant well but it’s really not, unless you’re a trouble-making highschooler or a thug in a gang. It was absolutely cringey and I shuddered every time I read it. It’s nasty and vulgar and it’s really not suited to a sweet guy like Shaw. ✌️

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the author of Always comes a lighter best friends to “just hooking up” to lovers hockey romance that still holds plenty of depth. There’s first times and sexuality discovery. I absolutely adored both of the main characters but Burk has my entire heart. He’s a gentle giant with a heart of gold. He’d do anything to protect the ones he loves and to see him pine for his best friend and get what he never thought was possible??? It was beautiful and so rewarding. There’s so many complexities to Burk and Shaw. Burk struggles with his self-image and feeling as though he has no control over his life and that he will never be good enough because of the cruel words of his father he’s been subjected to his whole life. They feel so real, as do the side characters. I had such a vivid picture of who all of these people were on the inside and the outside and I tip my hat to Loren and her wonderful writing for that. The possessiveness and jealousy here is perfection!!!! Did I reread those parts quite a few times? Yes. Yes I did!!! Oooo and the steam was steamin!!!! 🥵🌶🥵🌶

I slam my fist into the bench. I just risked my ice time. I fucked with the whole meaning of the word team. But as the image of Shaw laid out on the ice—splayed out because Cassidy can’t control his goddam motherfuckin’ skates—I don’t know that I fully regret it. For Shaw? I would do it again. I would fuck myself over and over. Every time.

I have zero illusions. Shaw is who he is, and he has never once pretended to be someone else around me. I wouldn’t want him to. But watching him—knowing what he’s doing, seeing it—it’s going to rip me to shreds one motherfuckin’ hookup at a time. And then what? Afterward, is he going to come up my room? And if he does, will I let him in? I groan.

I loveeee the reformed playboy who then falls in love and that is 100% Shaw!!! He’s such a goofball and a charmer who uses humor to deflect and him and Burk are just 100% made for each other. They find it so easy to be vulnerable with each other and their chemistry is simply out of this world. The banter between them is so natural and fun and often filled with a sexual innuendo from Shaw that makes Burk blush and laugh, Shaw’s favorite thing to do.🥰

You were magic. Everything my father says is such a stark contrast to Shaw. To the way Shaw tips his chin and smiles at me. The way he pushes me. Not because he believes I’m shit, but because he believes I’m not.

I’d recommend this book to fans of Eden Finley and Neve Wilder and even to people who didn’t particularly love Always by this author but enjoy MM sports romances because it’s much different. I’ve read (what feels like) a billion MM sports romances and this one is in a league of its own for me. It didn’t reinvent the wheel or anything and it didn’t have to. The characters are what makes this story stand apart from so many for me. Put Burk and Shaw in any type of story and I’m positive I would have loved it just as much. ❤️

Everyone should have a Burkie. Someone who makes things okay. Someone who makes a place feel home just because they’re in it.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING 4.5 STARS

Let’s Do This is book one in the IFU Hockey series by Loren Leigh. This is also my first book by this author and only her second book to be released! This is one of the sweetest, sexiest MM romances I’ve read. These two men literally had me melted into a puddle most of the way through this. If you choose to read this, make sure you click on the link at the end for the bonus epilogue because that was just the perfect icing on the cake!



Eden (Burkie) Burkehammer is a senior at IFU and Shaw Keenan is a junior. They both play on the hockey team, are roommates at the hockey house, and are best friends. They are rarely apart. And both have big dreams of making it to the NHL. Burkie is a defenseman and Shaw is a goalie, both so talented.



Both have felt something missing in their sex lives, not as fulfilling as they want. But it’s Burkie that has more of an idea why. That it’s not women his body wants but one specific man. And when a delivery arrives at the very beginning of the book, Shaw gets a very surprising realization that Burkie is having thoughts he never suspected. Which open his eyes to thoughts of his own.

"Everyone should have a Burkie. Someone who makes things okay. Someone who makes a place feel like home just because they’re in it."

These two take to exploring things together like ducks to water! And I loved that. I think their deep friendship paved the way for them but it was also holding them back. Neither wanted to say or do anything that would ruin their friendship. Some might think that the sexual or romantic new side of their relationship might have developed fast but to me, it was developing all along, building along with their friendship!



These two just melted me. Especially Burkie. They balanced each other, Burkie the quiet one, Shaw the more social one. Their connection, the way they cared for each other...just SO MANY SWOONS! And the way each chapter was started with “the list!” I love that so much! I need to check out the other book Lauren has out and I can definitely guarantee that I am all in on this series. I followed her everywhere to keep tabs on her updates. I honestly am just not ready to let go of Shaw and Burkie! Just what I needed, something new to obsess about!

“What if you have two dreams?”

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Your typical friends to lovers, who play college hockey but, in this case the writing style was so engaging and addictive that I just couldn’t put this book down.

At least for the first sixty percent of the book.

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very syrupy sweet, but perfect if you’re in the mood for that kind of story.

Gay hockey teammates
No drama
No homophobia
Awesome friends, all accepting
Perfect HEA

The story opens with one of the main characters in bed with two women. I almost stopped reading at that point. I am so tired of women being used in books like this as a prop for the bi-awakening male.

I mean, I’m attracted to women. Absolutely. But there are times lately when it feels like something is missing.

However, I’m glad I kept reading as the story really was sweet. The main characters were both sweet, their friends were sweet, their families were sweet (maybe not the one critical dad), the coaches were excepting, the league was excepting…

The sex was even tender and sweet!

I scoot down another inch and turn my head to kiss the inside of his thigh. Jeez, I love being down here. Between his legs, his junk all in my face. Is it weird to say that it makes me feel really close to him? To be able to do this. To know how he smells, how he tastes.

By the end of the story I was firmly on the #BurkandShaw team.

[nark · Rating 3 out of 5]

✦ yet another MM hockey romance. they somehow haven't gotten old quite yet.
✦ this was a pretty good read overall. definitely a little too long in my opinion, it dragged a little towards the end for me. the mcs were very cute together and they definitely gave me some mushy feels. it was a little too sweet for me at times though.
✦ this book will probably be gone from my memory in like a week, but it was an easy and cute read to pass the time.

[taylor :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly don’t know what to say. Usually, when I finish a book, I write the review straight away. But I couldn’t do it with this book. My mind is blank. It’s not that I hated this book, but it is because I absolutely loved it. It’s crazy that I can think of all kinds of things to talk about when I dislike a book, but when I find a book I adore, my mind plays the Jeopardy theme song. But, I am going to try to write this review. Hopefully, it does the book justice. Okay, let’s do this (hehe).

I have been going crazy waiting for this author to write something. If anyone were to ask me what my favorite book is, I would say it was her debut book “Always”. So obviously I have been dying to read something else from her. I am so in love with her writing that I would have read her grocery lists if she published them. When she posted on her Facebook page that she was publishing another book, I would be surprised if y’all couldn’t hear me screaming from wherever you are in your part of the world. I was going to fight for an ARC of that book, and I was going to ignore whatever schoolwork needed to be done. I deserve some happiness, damn it. A little dose of Lexapro, please!

One thing that surprised me about the book was that it jumped right away into the good stuff. I loved that, though. You don’t really see that much, so I guess that’s why I was shocked. She got me hooked from page one. It talks about in the blurb that Shaw signs for a certain package for Burk, and that happens in chapter 1. She was like we are getting into it NOW. Hell yeah, Loren.

One thing I love about this author’s books is how much emotion and depth the characters have. You can tell she gives it her all when writing these characters. The connection that Burk and Shaw have is lovely on its own, but it gets even better as they start to get intimate. And it is super hot, too. Her sex scenes are fabulous. There were also some jealousy and overprotective scenes in this book that made me giggle like a schoolgirl. I even woke up my family at one point around 2 am from laughing. This book was just so fun and so sweet. I had a hard time separating myself from it for even a second. I didn’t want to go to sleep at night. I even had a hard time taking a break to go to the potty. I was a woman obsessed.

The ending of this book was perfect. The last few chapters were like an epilogue full of time skips. She updated you on what was going on every few months. They weren’t in their HEA yet, so what she did was necessary. There were some issues that were in the way of the HEA, and instead of just ignoring them, she made the characters work for it. It felt realistic, and I appreciated it. When I say they aren’t in the HEA yet, I don’t mean they were unhappy and suffering. They just had some obstacles they had to figure out. But all is well in love and hockey. And then Mrs. Leigh wrote the lovely epilogue to finish off the lovely book.

So, if you want to read a besties-to-lovers + roommates + hockey teammates + double first-times, then I would suggest this one. I hope you fall in love with it as I did. Hugs and kisses!!!

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet read.🥺

Loved it. Shaw and Burk's romance felt like a warm hug. I love them so much🥺😭💖

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad to say this book was a disappointment, especially after waiting so long after Always

and here's the thing, this book has this amazing blurb- it talks about Shaw being best friends with his roommate, it talks about stealing glances of him in the locker room, but not wanting to act on it due to fear of losing his friend; and it talks about Burk having confusing thoughts about his best friend, being unable to look at him for too long, and then a package delivery changing everything.

So, I am expecting some amazing secret pining and stolen glances between two best friends; some delicious build up of their feelings; and then a package delivery happening that changes things for them-

but- the package delivery literally happens on page one. If you think everything about best friends for two years having feelings for each other sounds good, well, too bad because that is only in the blurb and never actually happens in the book.

I tried flipping back a few pages in my kindle thinking I accidently missed a prologue, I did not. I tried checking the author's goodreads thinking surely I missed a prequel novella, I did not. This story skips over all the pining and longing and jumps to the package delivery, and goes from 0-sex. Can we call it friends to lovers when the part where they are just friends is not even in the book?

I felt like I started a really good story at the 30% mark and missed all the good parts. It actually really reminded me of a Cora Rose book where you are dropped in the middle of a story in progress and it goes from 0-sex and then just continues with the sex sex sex for the rest of the book. Plus there would be random comments about their past as friends which would have been amazing to read, but is not in the book.

The rest of the story was pretty good - but I mean when you skip the best part of the friends to lovers trope it just falls flat. I also think for me, when I feel so let down at the very beginning of a story, it kind of sets the tone for the rest of the story so I had a hard time really getting into it.

I mean, don't let my review scare you away, I am clearly in the minority and everyone else seemed to love this? Probably just me 🤷🏻‍♀️

[♡Gabi♡ [grad school hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” 𝑰𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔. “𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑨 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑨 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆. 𝑰’𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑰’𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆.”

Shaw and Burk were the cutest best friends to lovers I have read in a while!!🥹

I absolutely adored their friendship, communication, relationship, the never ending love they had for each other, them being snuggle buddies any chance they got, and so much more!! They were truly so perfect I couldn’t get enough of them!

The way they navigated life together through college and playing hockey, family drama, deciding on how and when they wanted to come out, the uncertainty of the future, etc…Shaw and Burk went through all that and more right by each other’s side as they are always stronger and better together and it was the most beautiful thing to read about.

Their connection goes so deep and was so healthy, the spice was spicing 🤭, and they really brought me all the feels!!💗

[Megan [Cottage Vibes] · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM Romance
Friendship Set On Fire
3.5 Stars ⭐️

I’m going to be brutally honest. I was in the mood to read some mediocre sports romance that was fast paced and full of sex. With a title like “Let’s Do This” and reviews saying this starts with a sex toy and a mutual jerk session, I was sold. However, I got wayyyy more than I bargained for because while this may have started with sex toys, it morphed into a beautiful friends to lovers book.

This is one of those books where two male best friends on the same hockey team have always been much more than just friends yet never realized it until an eye opening moment happens between them. Burk has been questioning his sexuality his entire life and recently ordered a dildo online but when it gets delivered Shaw happens to sign for it and much to Burk’s horror the “discreet package” actually has the name of the company on it. I rolled my eyes at this because there is no way this would happen in real life. I know this because I have ordered many many toys and they have always been in some kind of blank packaging. There has only been ONE time there’s been a bit of an issue but it was because whatever idiot packaged it put it in a foam mailer and when it showed up, the silhouette gave it away. Somewhat. 🤣🤣 So anyway this package shows up and when Shaw brings it up to Burk’s room to make fun of him, their relationship changes. I had expected lots of the usual sex exploration that happens in a college romance and while there is some of that and some kinky stuff at that, this book took me deep into their friendship and showed me exactly why they became besties. It also showed me a whole group of hockey guys that I need stories for asap.

Their transition from just friends to more felt seamless and the way they took care of each other just made me all swoony. They’ve always had a touchy feely friendship with each one believing their lives were all the better now that they’ve met. Burk is very very protective of Shaw and he’s always thought that’s because he’s the D-man to Shaw’s goalie but it becomes crystal clear it’s always been more to both of them. This has all those small touches, secret smiles and caretaking that I adore in books like this. Both are afraid to mess up their friendship but their feelings are just too strong to ignore and their first kiss was perfect. I LOVED Shaw’s family 💗 and my favorite part of this book was the “things I’ll always remember” list. It made me cry FFS during a low angst book 😂

”Yeah? How do you seduce a Burkie?”
His voice is quiet. “You be Shaw.”
I’m grinning so widely my face hurts. “Shit, that’s all it takes?”
“For you, yeah.”

It wasn’t perfect though. I felt like this book was a tad long and I can’t quite put my finger on what was missing, I just know something prevented me from flat out loving this. This is actually the first time I’ve read this author and I like her writing style. I always meant to read her book “Always” but never got around to it so I need to make time for it now. The main character in that book does make an appearance in this one for people who like cameos.

[Layla]

I can't believe I'm doing this but...

DNF@40%

RTC
.........

Ok so:
I'm leaving this unrated because most of the reason I DNFed was all on me.
Reason: I am practically unable to read an ebook anymore. It's either audio or nothing for me at this point. I thought this book would be an exception but it wasn't.

The other reason I'm DNFing is:
I felt robbed of all the pining that we could have had witnessed before chapter one happened.

I needed to see how they were both checking out the other, especially Burke. It felt like we were thrust in the middle of the story. So I felt disconnected from the beginning.

This book also felt like Neve Wilder's Want Me and Tal Bauer's Gravity had a baby.
But... it wasn't as good as either of them😅

I had so many high hopes. Alas...
Maybe if it went to audio one day, I may listen.

[BelleLovesRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5/5 🌶️ 3/5 — Included in my books-I'm-taking-to-the-grave list.

Holy fucking shit, this book wrecked me in the best possible way. I’m crying—happy tears—because that ending?! That perfect, dreamy, soul-shattering epilogue?! Shaw and Burkie got married, made it to the same NHL team, AND won the fucking Stanley Cup together? I will be screaming about this until the end of time. 🥹🗣♾️

Let’s talk characters:
Shaw—the flirty sunshine goalie with a wink for everything and a smile that could melt ice.
Burkie—the intense, shy grump of a defenseman with protectiveness and a jealousy streak that made me feral. 🌞🐻‍❄

The best friends to lovers trope? FUCKING DELIVERED. The way they treasure their friendship before even touching the line between platonic and romantic? It’s everything. Shaw is an unapologetic little tease and Burkie is just… Burkie. Gruff. Quiet. Devoted. And when he falls? He fucking crashes, hard. 🤌🏻❤️‍🔥

The banter? Gold. The sexual tension? Off the charts. The innuendos on ice?? Had me wheezing.
BELLYBUTTON FINGERFUCKING and BJ BURRITO deserve their own goddamn fan club.
Also, a moment of silence and respect for the double-long big ass fluffy pillow. Iconic. 👉🏻🌯

The inner monologues? Absolute fucking poetry. I was highlighting like a madwoman. 🤓📝📑

Chapter 15 broke me in the most tender, wholesome way: drunk Shaw being taken care of by back-hugging Burkie as they shuffle around the house like emotionally constipated penguins? That scene is branded into my soul. I’m taking it to the grave. 🐧💞🐧🪦⚰️

“I pick you.”
Fuck. Me. Up. That line punched me in the heart and then licked the wound. 😭🤗❤️‍🔥

This book is premium-grade yearning, desperate pining, and sweet, slow-burn deliciousness wrapped in one hell of a filthy, funny, and tender romance. Shaw just throws his heart out there while dropping lines like "suck a nut" like it’s nothing. ICONIC. 🥜🍆💀

The epilogue is the kind of happily-ever-after that makes your chest ache. Burkie’s love for Shaw is so fucking deep—he’d give up everything just to be with him. Their chemistry, both on the ice and off? Fucking flawless. They’re soulmates. Period. 💞🧑🏼‍❤️‍🧑🏻 ❤️‍🔥

I want to shove this book down the throat of everyone who ever asked, “What’s so good about MM romance?” THIS, BITCH. THIS IS WHAT. 🗣🤌🏻✨️

This was my first book by Loren Leigh and I swear to god, I’m coming for her whole damn catalog. 🙂‍↕️

I’ll never recover—and honestly? I don’t want to. 🙂‍↔️

-
Quotes:

"Always wanted to send the big ol’ eggplant to a dude."
"Send me one."
"An eggplant?"
"Yeah, I want a Burkie aubergine."
"Sure that’s what you want?"
"Yep. I wanna be reminded of the gargantuan cobra that’s swinging between your legs right now."
-
For Shaw?
I would do it again. I would fuck myself over and over. Every time.
-
It's because he's Shaw. And seeing him hit, hurt, pushed-anything-puts every part of me on high alert.
-
"You show up for me," he says quietly, almost to himself, my skin prickling under his touch. "Every single time."
Yes, I do.
Without question.
Without exception.
-
"I want you to fuck my mouth. Until l fuckin' gag on you, and I don't want you to stop until I've sucked every drop of your cum deep down my throat."
-
"Your sack is hot. I want to nuzzle it. Can l nuzzle it?"
-
"I'm in." No question. No hesitation. "I pick you. I love you."
-

RC and MCs:
🏒 MM, vers
🏒 Shaw Keenan and Eden "Burkie" Burkehammer
🏒 Shaw: Green-brown eyes
🏒 Burkie: Brown eyes, shoulder-grazing hair

Genre, tropes, and all things my safety fam needs to know:
🏒 MM college hockey romance
🏒 Goaltender x defenseman 
🏒 Bestfriends-to-lovers
🏒 Roommates
🏒 Teammates
🏒 Opposite attract
🏒 Sexual awakening
🏒 Double first times
🏒 Gentle giant
🏒 Reformed manwhore
🏒 J/P protective MC
🏒 Demi-sexual MC
🏒 Closeted MC
🏒 Only soft for him
🏒 Angst: Low-medium
🏒 Vibes: Sweet, swoony, steamy, emotionally rich
🏒 OW/OM drama: No
🏒 Cheating/sharing: No
🏒 Third act breakup: No
🏒 Ending: HEA (A truly perfect and dreamy one!!!)
🏒 Epilogue: Yes
🏒 Series structure: Standalone

Spice and kinks:
Mutual jerk-off session, bellybutton fingerfucking 💀, frotting, semi-public sex, rimming, coming hands-free, bareback, sex toys.

CW/TW:
Homophobia, emotional abuse by a parent, emotional struggles with self-identity and self-image (insecurity), family issues, violence (one scene).

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt like we started in the middle of this and I would have loved some more build up of the tension between the mcs. The starting scene is the package delivery and it goes straight into sexy times between the guys. I was hoping to see the pining and tension that was alluded to in the blurb. This was a light but long read for this type of book, it had some good moments but LOTS of sweetness. There wasn’t much angst considering they are the first out NHL players, I would have loved a bit more depth to the story and for us to actually see the friends to lovers happening and the impact this had. I found myself bored with the lovey dovey-ness and so many sex scenes.

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader)]

21%
idk what to tell you guys, this author writes good books, my brain refuses to read them

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the friendship to more, the supportive side characters.

The Not-So-Good: The depth. I wanted to know these characters a little deeper. I liked them! I just felt like I could've liked them more.

The Bad: The lack of a conflict. I need something! I guess for them it was the distance they had to deal with, but I didn't feel like it was a true conflict they work through together.

Overall: This was some cute smutty fluff. Nothing against it! Just don't go into this expecting something deep or angsty -- and I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Burk and Shaw's story. They've been best friends, teammates, and housemates for a while when a special delivery makes them cross the line into more. They start a hot fling that turns into more when they realize how much they care about one another. There is some hot sexy times, some big life changes, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Burk and Shaw's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove: No, they're best friends before this begins.

H1 (Hero #1) rating: 3.5 stars. Burk. I liked him and how he cared for the H2, but I wanted a little more depth in his character.

H2 (Hero #2) rating: 3.5 stars. Shaw. I liked him and his positivity but I also felt like we could've gotten more deep into his character.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Not really

Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes. It did feel like a lot at some points to where it was taking away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: No

Possible Triggers: Yes Sibling with health issues/homelessness as a kid (off page) and verbally abusive parent (mostly off page)

Closure: This ends in a good place and what I would call a HEA ending they're married

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does Not have the H1 or H2 pushing away
- Does Not have a separation between the H1 and H2
- Does Not have abuse
- Does have a HEA ending

[rithu · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC review and spoilers ahead!**

I loved Loren’s debut novel, Always, which has been a consistent comfort re-read for me while I waited for her next book. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC for Let’s Do This and I can confidently say that it’s a 5/5 for many reasons, many of which overlap with my reasons for loving Always, so Loren’s future books will automatically be on my TBR list!

Let’s Do This is a best friends-to-lovers romance between two college hockey players - Shaw, who is bubbly and easygoing, and Burk, his contemplative, quiet, and caring teammate. The beginning really drew me in because the reader is launched into their journey right from the start - it felt so real and intimate like you’re actually listening in on two young people who are learning about themselves through this evolving relationship - it felt a mixture of fun, flirty, and intense all at once.

What kept me engaged throughout the story is the growth of these two characters, which is an area that Loren excels at. She’s able to take a hockey, friends-to-lovers romance (which has been done countless times) and make it fresh and different; I truly felt invested in these characters and how they leveraged their 2+ year friendship as a strong foundation for their relationship. Shaw and Burk complement each other so well and give each other the stability and support that they lacked during their childhoods; Shaw is supportive and encouraging - I loved that he pushed Burk to dream big and to not give up on his NHL dreams, even when Burk was willing to give it all up for him. Burk is a constant in Shaw’s life - he’s loyal, reliable, and not afraid to be vulnerable about his feelings for Shaw, even if he didn’t think they’d be reciprocated. They pushed each other and were eventually able to get their much-deserved HEA (I loved the scene where they won the Stanley Cup together as husband and husband!).

Let’s Do This is an intense comfort read that conveys such a relatable story about loving big and finding a way to share a life together while supporting each other’s dreams and ambitions. I honestly can’t wait to read more from Loren!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️

“What are we doing?” “I don’t know.” His smile evaporates, his heels coming back down on the floor.
“But whatever it is, I kinda don’t want it to stop.”

Has anyone else seen Nick the Goalie on TikTok? Because that’s exactly how I picture Shaw — all puppy energy and chaos, a ball of sunshine. ‘Sometimes you just have to look at your knob and say thank you for being just big enough.’

“I just want to go somewhere where shit’s okay. Where I don’t have to pretend to be anything. And that’s kinda turning out to be your bed. But if that’s not where you’re headed, then I’ll go where you are.” His green eyes come up to meet mine. “Because I don’t think it’s actually about the bed.”

I don’t know why I gave this a four the first time I read this, but whatthehell I had so much fun rereading it that I’m giving it a five. It wasn’t perfect, actually pretty standard college friends to lovers, with your usual drama, but they were too adorable and I fell in love with them all over again.

Everyone should have a Burkie. Someone who makes things okay. Someone who makes a place feel like home just because they’re in it.

I loved Shaw’s energy, their friendship, the grumpy/sunshine, the sexy sexy times, the exploration, the way they were crazy about each other. It was just so easy between them. Like I always say, I’m just here for the vibes not the plot. And these were the vibes I needed at the moment.

“I pick you,” I lean over to look at him. He blinks up at me.
“Pick me for what?” “For anything.”
“I pick you too.”

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Queer awakening
- Homophobia
- Emotional abuse by a parent
- Mention of past homelessness
- Vers MCs
- Frotting
- Semi-public sex
- Rimming
- 69
- Toys
- Coming hands-free

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️
THEE cutest best friends to lovers I've ever read! 🥺🥺
So swoony, sexy, emotional and adorable. I'm going to miss Shaw and Burkie.

....

"Someone who makes things okay. Someone who makes a place feel like home just because they're in it."

"Can't believe I used to avoid kissing. But then, I'd never kissed a Burkie before."

"It's not just sex. It's something more. Growing between us as he focuses back on my face, his eyes catching on me like he can't see anything else. It's a high that I've never come close to hitting before. Not in the bedroom. Not on the ice. Not a single time in my life."

"Being inside him is so fucking emotional. Like we're both exactly where we should be. And, shit, I have to hold back some kind of sob. It's relief and satisfaction and hot-edged need all wrapped together."

....

Tropes:
Best friends to lovers
Sexual awakening
Double first times
Teammates
Hockey
Roommates
Low angst
Emotional
Swoony
No kissing rule at first

[Iman (hiatus)]

The kind of relationship that starts with sex. They jerk each other off (as friends) before it even hits the 10%. So far, there was no any kind depth of their friendship, but focused too much on the flirtings. I love FTL, but not this exact kind and not gonna waste my time. Stopped at 20% just to confirm my first statement.

[TrippyBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I did not want to put this down. Who doesn’t want a Hot hockey love story with mature characters ?
I loved Eden & Shaws relationship they were so cute! & im super excited for the next book in the series . I honestly will read anything she writes!

If you liked ‘always’ you would like this as well.
Friends to Lovers
Low angst high spice

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ✨ Sweet mm hockey friends to lovers romance! I just wish they would’ve showed them as friends first. This just jumped right into them being lovers. Still a good read tho.

[Noi (in & out)]

DNF - 10%
How could you switch so fast? and with the girls in the next room? No.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 2024 - 4.5 stars

Very sweet, and worked well on audio with Liam DiCosimo and Tim Paige who had nicely distinct voices that fit the characters well.

Dec 2023 - 4.5 stars

So damn cute.

I have a weakness for friends and roommates, and that's what I've been actively looking for lately. This satisfies both, as well as having an easy sexuality awakening/exploration.

This book is very heavy on the sex, starting from the first or second chapter and never letting up. I liked the awkward but open communication they had going in the beginning and how they navigated the learning-about-sex-together element of their relationship.

This made the middle a bit frustrating though because the communication kind of fell apart and they really could've resolved it all sooner rather than both angsting and waffling over whether the other had feelings for them or not.

That said, it was still quite low angst, though not without heart.

This book was much more cohesive than the author's first book which was trying (and failing) to juggle 4 or 5 major plot elements at once. The scope of this book is small and IMO this works much better.

Though I'm not usually a fan of multiple epilogues, I actually quite liked the flashforwards at the end, which I think worked better than just a broad recap epilogue or open ending. I also liked the way the ending played out, though I suspect it wouldn't be quite so straightforward in real life.

I think my rating here is a touch generous but I finished this book with a happy, warm feeling, so I'm going to maintain it. I can see myself re-reading this in the future and we'll see how it fares.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

- hockey
- roomies/besties to lovers
- sexual awakening
- low angst
- sweet but steamy

After a less than conspicuous package shows up for his roomie and best friend Burk, Shaw starts seeing his best friend in another light and offers a proposition that would benefit them both, but soon the lines between being best friends and something more start to blur.

I am an absolute sucker for friends to lovers romances, and Shaw and Burk's story had me grinning, blushing, and full on swooning. They were just so freaking cute! The openness and easy exploration of their sexualities was so beautifully done, and I loved how accepting their friends/teammates were of them as well.

[Bookbingewithsteph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still utter perfection after my first reread. I know there will be many, many more. ♾️♾️♾️♾️ stars

_________________________________________
THIS BOOK. I absolutely LOVED Always, so I was delighted to be given the chance to read an arc of Loren’s new release. College hockey + best friends to lovers? I was sold.

This story grabbed me right from chapter one. Shaw and Burk are both extremely likable MCs. Shaw is a big ol’ cinnamon roll goalie with a heart of gold and just the sweetest bi awakening I’ve read in a while. Burk is his protective and pining best friend, and OH MY, his POV made my chest ache. I knew Loren was a master at writing emotion from her previous book, and she absolutely did not disappoint with this story.

The story felt very raw and the progression of their feelings felt natural. Their vulnerabilities and constant open communication throughout were written perfectly. The spice was sexy and emotional, and the love confession had tears streaming down my face. I honestly can’t wait to reread this book soon.

Absolutely loved this book. Really looking forward to the next one. If Loren writes it, I will read it.

[Mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just…😭😭❤️❤️😭😭 wow!

There is not much original in this story, but holy fuck was it ever special! I don’t expect originality, I expect to feel, and I have so many feelings.

I was worried with the start of the book, when Shaw accepts a mail delivery for Burk that is an anal vibrator. I’ve read books with similar storylines that end up enjoyable but not full of a lot of emotion, but was I ever wrong.

There’s so much I could gush about, but I don’t want to spoil much. Everything and everyone in this book was wonderful. The pacing was perfect. The way Burk and Shaw act is age-appropriate. They’re not the best at communicating but they’re always trying. They’re in their early 20s and they’re doing so great, my sweet baby angels.

The epilogues were perfect.

I have no complaints. This was just wonderful. I teared up many times and I just LOVE how long the book was. I truly feel like I got enough of them.

ETA: The newsletter epilogue was NOT for me and I’m choosing to pretend it didn’t exist :)

[A.M. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So freaking cute.

I adored every second of this warm hug, chocolate chip cookie gooey goodness of a book. Burk and Shaw are in my top 3 for fav book of the year!

The growth and love and just phenomenal story telling. It was everything I love in romance!

[ivy]

DNF @ 47% - it just feels like I’ve read it all already. Love Shaw but the book is over at this point for me. Everything also might have been a little too nice. I need some animosity or some obstacle to stay invested. There’s none of that here.