Daring the Hockey Player

Ice Dragons Hockey #2

by Willow Fox, Allison West

Jasper Greyson is hot, flirty, and the epitome of trouble. But he’s off-limits. He’s my sister’s brother-in-law, or at least he’s about to be, which kind of makes us family. I should be staying as far from him as possible, except I like hanging out with him, watching him on the ice, and grabbing drinks with him and the guys. Yes, I intentionally showed up when I knew he’d be at the bar because he posted it on social media. I’ve been stalking him. I keep telling myself it’s a harmless crush. Feelings don’t have to be acted on. We’re friends. I’m not sure he’ll ever see me as anything else. That’s problem number one. I’ve been friend-zoned. Problem number two. My apartment complex caught fire, and I don’t have insurance. I have nowhere else to go. And when Jasper finds out, he insists that I stay at his place, in his guest room. Stalking my crush online is one thing. Living with him is entirely something else. This steamy rom-com hockey romance contains no cheating and no cliffhanger. It features characters from Faking it with the Billionaire but can be read as a standalone. HEA.

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

458 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2023

About the author

Willow has loved writing since she was in high school (many ages ago). Whether she’s writing romance or sitting outside by the bonfire reading a good book, Willow loves the magic of the written word.

https://shopwillowfox.com

Reviews

[Yael Tee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m writing with all due respect.
This book was insufferable. I only kept going bc I’m no quitter but…, honestly the bro code it’s getting old. The secret romance cliche it’s getting boring, Jasper couldn’t date Amber bc she was Emerson’s sister… so?
Let adults be adults and deal with their sh!t. I kind of understand why people don’t want their siblings or friends to date their partner’s relatives or best friends, but god it’s getting tiresome. Specially on this book.
Let’s discuss characters.
Jasper it’s fine, he doesn’t strike me as a bad man.
Amber. OMG, she was so needy and childish. Not to mention irresponsible and clingy. They can complain about puck bunnies but she was no better pushing Jasper to fool around with her. She didn’t go to classes just bc she didn’t feel like going, I don’t think we need mindless uncaring characters like that. She didn’t have an opinion of her own, just following Charlotte with any ridiculous idea of flirting with Jasper, doing everything Charlotte told her to do. She would put aside everything to be with Jasper, sooo needyyyy. Telling him she would skip classes to go to his game… 😒
She was rude to everyone who wasn’t Jasper and Charlotte.🙄
Charlotte, omg she’s not even that important but I want to rant about it. She was an awful friend, rude woman and had a ridiculous nosy personality, getting into everyone’s business.
Her appearances were so cringey.
Also, could we please stop making other potential suitors for the FMC be jackasses? It’s also getting old. They could be decent, respectable beings who try to date the girl and it could not work for so many other reasons. Speaking of the guy whose name I don’t remember who went on a date with Amber and Atlas. I understand Atlas and his brother were the villains but cmon let’s put more effort on it.

[Corynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

what a poopy book to start my year off with lol

[Annie Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

charolette is fake girl

[Jelka Evdjenic · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just terrible

[Marian. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and fell in love with the characters.

Amber and Jasper have a chaotic start, Amber is the sister of Jasper's brother's fiancée so she is forbidden by the "bro code" according to her teammates, so they form a good friendship even though they both like each other, I liked the feeling they have, the way they keep it a secret and how they care for each other.

What I did not like? Amber's sister and Jasper's brother, I don't know, I feel strange about some of their actions in this book.

To pass the time it is more than good, it reads fast and I had a very good time with these characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange for my honest review 📚!!

Leer este libro fue hermoso, me divertí y me enamore de los personajes.

Amber y Jasper tienen un comienzo un poo caótico, Amber es la hermana de la prometida del hermano de Jasper así que es prohibida por el "bro-code" según sus compañeros de equipo así que forman una buena amistad aunque los dos se gustan, el sentimiento que se tienen, la manera en que lo guardan en secreto y como se preocupan el uno por el otro me gusto.

¿lo que no me gusto? la hermana de Amber y el hermano de Jasper, no se, me siento rara por algunas acciones de ellos en este libro.

Para pasar el rato esta mas que bien, se lee rápido y pase un muy buen tiempo con estos personajes.

[Karon Delgado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I proud I listened to this.. no but am I happy I listened to this… yess 🤣

[Jessica Vahey · Rating 3 out of 5]

ah the best friend was really annoying 😅

[maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

At first I really enjoyed this book. I liked Jasper a lot better than his brother.
I have one big point of criticism though: this book normalizes the fetishization of lesbian relationships.
Furthermore, until the 75% mark Jasper insisted nothing could happen between them because of their siblings. All of a sudden without reason he just didn't care anymore. It didn't make any sense to me. The mc's best friend came off as kind of bitchy and annoying. She always bossed her around and Amber let her. I didn't like how big of a deal everyone made Amber being a virgin. Jasper called her an "innocent dove". (ew) Although, he was very respectful and caring. He is only one year older but everyone makes it seem like a big age gap because of the mc's virginity.
Overall I was entertained and kind of invested. They really were cute.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Daring the Hockey Player is the second book in the Ice Dragons Hockey series and my second book by Willow Fox that I read.

Amber and Jasper's relationship starts off of a bit rocky as Amber is the sister of Jasper's brother's current fiance, Emerson, which makes Amber off limits due to the bro code. So instead of dating, the become good friends. After Amber's apartment starts on fire, Kyler suggests to Jasper that she move in with him as things between Kyler and Emerson are still new. Jasper agrees, but is very cautious is how things will go.

Overall, the story is cute and was a quick read. I did not like some of the behavior of the characters, but I do recommend!

[·˚✧*₊˚davina₊˚✧.* · Rating 1 out of 5]

she’s not like other girls. she lets her friend control her every decision AND she doesn’t want some famous hockey player’s jerseys. 😱 she’s so different. 😍

a very cringe book. 100% do not recommend.

[thelisa.ɤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

only giving this 3 stars cause i did like it more than book 1 and jasper had his moments but geez aside from him and sometimes amber all the characters were so unlikeable

[Jaimie Adamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this series! Can’t wait to read the next one!

[L · Rating 2 out of 5]

not bad but meh not it for me

[Brenda H · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[nikkyireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️
I liked Jasper and Amber more than Kyler and Emerson. I did not like Charlotte and thought she was annoying. Quick paced and fun.

✨️Sports Romance - Hockey
✨️Forbidden - Brothers Fiancés Sister
✨️Forced Proximity
✨️Friends to Lovers

[Whirledtraveler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook. It was a sweet, escapist story. Nothing esoteric. It is predictable, simple, and a nice interlude to listen to while cleaning house or working out.

[Jenesy Gabrielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay so maybe one star is harsh because I did finish it. But I had quite a few issues with this book. First and foremost, I get virginity tropes are a thing. I respect that. But if you have a character who has had sex with women they are not a virgin. Period. Even if I look past that, the whole “conflict” of why they “couldn’t be together” was weak and led to a very weak climax when they finally got together because there was really no reason for them to not be together in the first place.

[camiˎˊ˗ · Rating 1 out of 5]

terrible

[lovestoread · Rating 1 out of 5]

you know that feeling when you know the couples' relationship ended straight after the book ended? yeah that's how I feel.
First off, the girl was such a red flag and so was her sister. I hated every single person in the book, even the side characters were so annoying. Secondly, the amount of time this girl forced herself on him when he clearly said he didn't want her and she acted so immature. The writer constantly brought up her age and height and she was 20 years old so she wasn't that young but the writer made her into a 13 year old childish girl who has no clue about anything going on around her. She overreacted constantly so I got second hand embarrassment countless times and had to shut the book to get away from it. And thirdly (whilst there is many more reasons I hated this book) how do you say you love a person without going on a single date with them??? They barely hanged out and they were awkward as hell but somehow, SOMEHOW THEY LOVE EACH OTHER?? I feel like nowadays in these books they really downplay the significance of the word and its meaning. If you're about to break up with someone, say I love you and it fixes everything. That infuriated me so much.
Anyways I'm so glad that torture is over. 2024 started and all my books have been terrible ugh.

[Sarah Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

(NO spoilers)
i don’t believe any book is truly bad. as a writer, i always try to take one piece of information away from that book, to impliment into my own writing experience. with absolutely no shade to the authors, what i learned from this book was how not to write male characters, or any character for that matter.
it kind of felt like a teenager trying to sound like a man, and doing a very poor job at it. obviously, sex is prevalent in both genders, but there was not a single male character in this book that didn’t think with their dick. and although i liked jasper, oh my god did he HAVE to get hard by everything? i mean, seriously… everything.
and it wasn’t just jasper, it was every other hockey player and any man amber interacted with. there’s not a single man in this story i’d trust my drink with at the bar.
which, don’t take this as me being a prude. i love spice, that’s mainly the genre i most enjoy. and maybe that means my standards are just higher when it comes to spicy scenes, but the scenes were cringe worthy and not written well. i read better harry styles & louis tomlinson fanfiction on wattpad back in the day.
speaking of characters i wouldn’t trust my drink with, can we talk about charlotte? i’ve never seen a worst “best friend.” i honestly expected her to be the antagonist in the end, but alas, i was wrong. leaving your friend alone at bars to be hit on by creepy men is not cool, man- especially for someone that requires her “best friend” to call after every first date amber has. i don’t think she cared at all about her safety, i think she only ever cared about hearing the latest drama going on in ambers life so she could use it against her later on. not to mention, outing her as a virgin is completely uncool. and lastly, at least for me, in my experience, when a friend of mine is struggling financially, the last thing i would ever do is force them to goto an expensive event they can’t afford, and expect them to buy expensive merchandise. maybe i just hit the jackpot with friends in my life, or maybe charlotte is just a horrible friend. but the world may never know.
my last critique on characters, is kyler and emerson. now, i didn’t read the first book in the series, but i have never seen worse siblings in my entire life. i don’t understand emerson’s obsession with infanizing her 20 year old sister, when she’s 24 and her frontal lobe ALSO hasn’t developed yet lmao ??? i don’t endorse underage drinking, but i know that telling your underage sister, whose life you aren’t apart of, that she 1000% cannot drink, that she will rebel. but for me, it wasn’t just the alcohol-related controlling that bothered me. it was how she didn’t trust her to make any decisions on her own at all. you live and learn and she very clearly did not exercise this.
now for kyler, im not as disappointed in his character, but i still think he’s very flawed. if my soon to be sister in law had a life changing event take place while she is in a vulnerable place, the last thing on my mind would be to kick her out because i don’t want to “pop the bubble me and my fiance are in.” i mean, after one night? come on. especially as a billionaire. in the very least, he couldn’t put her in a hotel for a few months? aside from his selfishness, he too had an issue with not trusting his brother, jasper, to make his own decisions. i can almost empathize with him more so then emerson, due to their upbringing and his role as a parent-like figure to jasper. but, to the point of becoming hostile when he doesn’t get his way in controlling jasper, is ridiculous.
now, for our two main characters, jasper and amber. i don’t have nearly as many critiques for them as i did with side characters, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. amber was lacking for me, in personality and in depth. she reminded me a lot of bella swan from twilight, and that isn’t a compliment. her whole life kind of revolved around her situationship with jasper, to the point that i can’t recall any of her backstory or what she was even majoring in in college.
for jasper, eh. there were some scenes that i’d be kicking my feet like a fangirl and the scene directly after i’d find myself cringing. i think this is mainly due to my earlier point, of the authors not knowing how to write a male character. all they really knew how to write was, “ah yes, i love pussy, violence, and the bro code as a fully grown man.” and when i read the words, “as a warm blooded man, of course i love pussy,” i kinda lost hope for the book lol.
i know all of this sounds super harsh, so please don’t let this discourage you from reading it.

[Autumn Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first audiobook!!!! Ahhhhhhh I finally finished one!! I liked this and I think I could listen to another one. I was pretty into it and like concentrating on it. I definitely liked Grayson. He was so freaking cute and sassy! He fell second but definitely fell harder. He was her knight in shining armor more than enough times and that’s all you can ask for in a guy. He was a freaking protector, provider, and lover man! I liked their dynamic and his relationships with his brother and teammates. Those were really good. I liked Amber. I could see a little of myself in her. She is independent and dependent all at once. She loves love and she loves him. It was a “him and only him” type crush and I love that. She didn’t like hockey but for him, she’ll like it. She was playful and very flirty when she wanted to be like go on boss girl. I didn’t like Charlotte at points because she was a sucky friend. Leaving the girl and like not having her back at times. She did some things that I would be pissed abt as a friend. As well as her sister. She wasn’t the greatest either. Even though she was mentioned a lot, she didn’t show up a lot actually. Kyler did more than her. But coudos to Amber for continuing to try with her. Something that bothered me throughout the story was that the team continued to play the Island Bruisers. Like do y’all not play anyone else relevant. I understand the whole conflict but like guys cmon. But besides that, I think I liked listening to it. Wohooooo audiobook!!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two in The Ice Dragons Hockey Romance Series and it is Jasper and Amber’s story. Amber is a quiet and reserved person but she has had a crush on Jasper for a long time but he is off limits because her sister is engaged to his brother which makes him part of the family and even though Amber loves spending time with him and his friends she knows that all he will ever see her as is a friend even though she wants more but when Amber’s apartment building has a fire and she had nowhere to live Jasper suggested that she stayed with him until everything is sorted out. Jasper plays for the Ice Dragons Hockey Team and when he meets Amber and helps her after a date gone wrong she thanks him and then don’t see him for until a few months later but the attraction is instant and there chemistry is strong and the more time that they spend together Jasper realised that he wanted more but because of the Bro-Code and all the complications it could cause he tried hard to keep his distance but it becomes harder to not give in to how he feels so they decide to give in and see where it goes but what will happen when there secret is revealed. I absolutely love Amber and Jasper together and they are so perfect for each other but with all the ups and downs and complications what will the outcome be for them in the end. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one sitting because it was so addictive and I can’t wait to read more books in this brilliant series.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Amber asks Jasper's help to get away from a her disastrous date, neither of them expected to see the other a half year later shopping for an engagement ring. More specifically the engagement of Amber's sister Emerson and Jasper's brother Kyler. The attraction is immediately there, but Jasper is hesitant in pursuing it, since he doesn't want to break the 'bro-code'. When Amber's apartment bursts into flames, Kyler suggests that Jasper invites Amber to her place. And while the distance between them gets smaller, so does the distance between their hidden feelings and hearts. But how do you pursue those feelings when you're siblings ought to be married soon.

I loved the story , it has some pretty spicy scenes. like 3/5. I enjoyed the banter between Jasper and Amber. But found it a pity, that Amber kept pushing Jasper to go further in the beginning. And tried to trick him into giving into his feelings. After he, although lying, told her he wasn't interested. Nevertheless I enjoyed the story a lot and will be looking forward to see more novels from the author.

Tropes:
- forbidden romance
- soon - to-be-brother - in - law
- forced proximity.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brandi-Lynn Weiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Kyler and Em’s story I was excited for Jasper and Amber’s. While I really liked Em in book 1, I didn’t particularly like her in this book. I felt her and Kyler interfered and were too nosy when it came to Jasper and Amber. For being sisters, I really didn’t sense much of a relationship between Em and Amber, and didn’t think she had any right to interfere in Jasper and Amber’s relationship.
This was definitely a very slow burn romance, but it’s got alot of sexual tension going on! I loved Jasper. He was absolutely the perfect gentleman and was very sweet and respectful of Amber.
The character that really surprised me was Charlotte. At first I wasn’t liking her. I thought she was trouble and wasn’t a good friend. But somewhere midway I got to liking her. She was a better supporter and was there for Amber more than Em was I felt. And I’m so looking forward to reading her and Noah’s story next. Just from the blurb it seems there’s going to be drama and a little angst thrown in. Can’t wait!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amber is a college student who is a virgin, and her sister is engaged to a NHL player. Jasper is an NHL player, and his brother is engaged to Amber's sister. While Amber and Jasper had never met before he "saved" Amber from an awful date. Jasper is very much a golden retriever boyfriend and wants to make Amber happy with that being said he makes her first time a very special thing for her. He tries to fight his attraction to her even with him falling for her. Amber has her friend Charlotte who is rooting for Amber and Jasper, at first Charlotte bugged me but as the story went on, I liked how she supported the relationship whereas Amber's sister Em discouraged it which I feel like she didn't really have the place to do that considering they really didn't have a good sister/sister relationship. I do plan on buying this book because I loved it!!

[Renée · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daring the Hockey Player by Willow Fox is the second book in the Ice Dragon Series, but this can be read as a standalone.

Jasper and Amber who are the younger brother and younger sister of the previous two main characters (Kyler and Emerson)

This story has a meet cute moment followed by a “I’ve been thinking of you for months” and the worst kind of best friend. Along with hockey romance, off limits/forbidden, forced proximity and friends to lovers.

There’s a few terminologies that didn’t seem to fit in this book, which are more notable than in the first book and I’m not sure if it’s because these two are younger.

The narration by Kay Kennedy was well done, especially since this was dual POV’s. Also you can’t go past a free audiobook that’s published by the author via their YouTube - especially between credits.

[Erika Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd book from the Ice Dragon Hockey Romance collection and it was similar to the first book, however I liked it a bit more. Strangers to near-family to friends then roommates.

Let me tell you how much I despise the “best friend” when they are obnoxious like Charlotte. It’s very -dare I say cringy- when the BFF is always daring the main character to do something, or putting them in an uncomfortable or awkward situation, then try to act like the big sister and give the “if you hurt her” speech when anything goes wrong. Absolutely cannot stand those characters so that’s why I dropped down to a 4 star rating.

Jasper’s character is adorable though!

Overall a good, quick read.

4.0 ⭐️
2.0 🌶️

[Ebony Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review 📓⛓️🏒 DARING THE HOCKEY PLAYER BY WILLOW FOX

4/⭐️ 2.5/🌶️


This one was a different angle for me for sure I have read book 2 and 3 coming into not knowing it was a series before I started reading.

Jasper kept pushing her away and definitely denied both of them the happiness that they were both looking for. Which was a new angle for me.
I loved the banter that these to had.
But the way he took her in no questions.
Both having to over come miss understanding to truly find each other.

Without reading the first book her sister comes off as a massive overprotective ass but later noticed they are definitely in their own bubble.

[Kathy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood to read or in this case listen to a smutty book. So for that I can say it did have its fair share of sex happening every where. The story line could have been better laid out. The daughter’s comments were hysterical and her swear jar was pretty full by the end of the book. Not sure if there was a reason for the mafia King’s family their story line was skimpy. Also the daughter’s biological Mother was also someone who need more to figure out her story.
Quick read, broke up my other reading.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

OBVIOUSLY it’s a cute, “oh I didn’t realize your brother is marrying my sister when we met the other day” romance. Amber is the virginal baby sister to Emerson (book 1, which tbh I didn’t listen to/read) who I DID NOT LIKE. Jasper is the supposed irresponsible hockey player (although not true). When he finds out she’s the sister to his brother’s fiancée he totally blocks all advances claiming “bro code.” 🤦‍♀️

I did like them…but really only at the end. IRL Amber would’ve been seen as annoying and desperate to get Jasper’s attention. Emerson was just a b*tch. BUT…still good. So 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️