Hooking

by Ella Haines

Date will be brought in as the other books are finished for a rapid release. Probably mid 2024.

When Royalty Meets the Rink, Will Love Prevail?

Ashley Winters has lived her life trapped in a world of expectations and responsibility. As her father pushes for her return to a life she's desperate to escape, Ashley impulsively bids on a sexy hockey player at a charity bachelor auction. Maybe one last wild moment will trick her heart into believing she has some sense of control in her spiraling life of duty and responsibility.

Ty Daniels, a hockey star haunted by past betrayals, finds himself at a crossroads with the mysterious bidder from the auction. His time spent with Ashley ignites a spark neither can deny, but he's been lied to before and something about her…. Well, she's hiding something. He just doesn't know what. With their hearts entangled, a world of romantic promise opens up, but it's shadowed by potential repercussions neither could have foreseen.

Can their love endure once the truth comes to light, or will the weight of their contrasting worlds deny them their shot at happiness?

Order today and dive into a romantic world of romance, rebellion, and rediscovery.

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Hooking is the first full-length novel in the Springfield Cyclones series of steamy interconnected (happy ending) standalones featuring the hockey players of Springfield, Massachusetts—a secretly royal romance, forbidden love, forced proximity, opposites attract, professional hockey romance with plenty of heat, heart, and plot.

Genres: Sports, Royalty, Contemporary

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2024

About the author

Ella Haines is a contemporary romance author of various mid-steam romance novels and novellas.

Her books are all standalones in an interconnected world, usually centered around sexy athletes and the empowered women who love them.

As a person who went through years of infertility treatments, she understands wholeheartedly how reading certain tropes (such as secret baby, pregnancy, etc) could be upsetting to people. Therefore, all books are standalones, though there are easter eggs scattered between them.

In addition to writing, she is a CPA and a mom to two young boys. In between potty training, naps, and tax returns, Ella finds the time to write and share her heart-heavy stories with others.

Her novels have heat, heart, and plot. They are not light and fluffy - though there are rom-comesque moments.

A typical New Englander, Ella was born and raised in New Hampshire, and much to her husband’s chagrin, hopes to spend forever there (plus the taxes are good (CPA remember :-) ))

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but I had a really hard time enjoying it. I liked the premise and the authors previous works enough that I thought I would enjoy this book much more than I did. I found the characters to be whiny and repetitive in there keeping secrets phase. I loved the representation that was present throughout the book and how there was lots of mention of the social service system. But there was a lack of hockey in this book and I felt like a lot of the romance scenes ended up being fade to black. This book was equally a slow burn romance and a fast paced one. There were times when I just wanted to say “just rip his clothes off already” because it felt like the scenes were dragging on too long, but I guess Ty would be a good kind of person to have as a relationship partner. I will say that I’m glad this book had a happy ending (it was cutting it a bit close at the end, but we got there eventually). Overall, I did enjoy this book to an extent, but then again, not every book is for everyone. If you like hockey romances with minimal mention of hockey, sweet men that are good in bed, slow burn/fast paced romances, and political issues, then this book is for you! Happy reading! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[TaharaDK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really know how to rate this book.

The story is quite good, i love the connection between the characters and the fierce FMC keeping the MMC on his toes.

What i don’t like is that the book is repetitive a lot, a lot of the thoughts is mentioned again and again, and their communication is basically the same stuff over and over. And then the 3rd person writing almost had me DNF’ing this book. I did not because.. well i wanted to know if it has a HEA or not.

It does get a HEA but it was a long time coming.
Also calling this steamy is just wrong. It has one scene and the rest is fade-to-black. Which was kinda dissapointing because the one scene was pretty hot. Just too short😉

But as said. I like the banter and their chemistry so it will be a 3 ⭐️ from me.

[MammaDi3Gatti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really know how to rate this novel. It's quite well written—this author is a wonderful wordsmith—but it's culturally a bit confusing. I actually almost DNFed it more than once, but I powered through.

So this is a secret princess, forbidden love, sports romance with the promise of some suspense in the form of the heroine's dad. Royal-commoner romance isn't rare, but here, we have a princess from a fictional Middle Eastern country, a country that we are told is strict and patriarchal, with women seen only as "broodmares." Ashley, a.k.a Ashira, even thinks back on having to wear a veil when in her home country. So it is fair for the reader, I think, to extrapolate more about Ashley's life and subsequently wonder how on earth she was allowed to leave home without a chaperone and live a totally American life. That just wouldn't happen. (Full disclosure: I used to teach international students, and the female students who came from the real country that Dariqat was most likely modeled after would never have had such an opportunity, and none of them were royal on top of everything else).

So Ashley's sexual nature—matched by Ty's and far too graphically described for me—and potty mouth, not to mention her apparent ability to live under the radar is a bit...off? Especially when it nearly happens within minutes of Ash buying Ty in a bachelor auction. Side note: The whole bachelor auction chapter (chapter 1) is incredibly cringy and distasteful. She also spoke too colloquially for a woman who speaks English as a second language.

Ty is super sweet and is portrayed that way. If their relationship is uneven with Ty doing all the work, it mostly passes since he seems to enjoy it that way. But surely he found it odd that a woman from the Middle East has the name Ashley Winters?

A lot more is rattling around in my brain, but I don't want to spoil anything. So in short, while the plot and character development leave a lot to be desired, the visceral love Ashley and Ty share is pretty special.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the author and BookSirens. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a different book with an unusual storyline.

Ashley/Ashira has been living in the US for a few years after negotiating with her controlling father to allow her to get a college degree and work in the US. She’s an royal princess for a very conservative Middle East country and was raised to be subservient and loyal to her family’s expectations. All of this background is at complete odds with how she’s been living her life in the US.

Ty is a professional hockey player and meets Ashley when she buys him at a charity bachelor auction. Their connection is supposed to be a temporary distraction for the last few months Ashely is living in the US.

Their connection was a little odd as they had little in common other than physical attraction. She was interested in mostly steamy encounters with him, while Ty was wanting an emotional connection with her.

She didn’t give him anything more than generalities about her past and family life, and completely closed off the possibility of a future for them. It made reading about their relationship feel a little pointless and empty.

The timing and events for the ending felt out of the blue and a little contrived, and completely disconnected with the story. I’m still not sure what or who her father was in her home country, really more questions than answers or clarity for this portion of the story.

Overall this is an average read and a more contrived storyline than I typically prefer.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly enjoyed this book. It had me giggling, it had me tearing up. Overall I highly enjoyed what this book had to offer.
Now I won’t lie I have read a lot of hockey romances in the past year this one was quite a bit different from the usual hockey romances. There was less of a focus on the sport and more of a focus on the connection between the main characters. I really enjoyed that hockey wasn’t the main focus, but it could have used a bit more hockey. It focused a lot on the FMC job in social work and honestly It felt like the MC was there and his job was hockey. I did enjoy the mentions of the ups and downs of social work and it seems like the author did her research into the
While I did enjoy the book I didn’t necessarily love it. It was fairly repetitive in the plot and it felt like chapter after chapter. The suspends and anticipation only really ramped up in the last 150 so pages in the book and it almost felt like we weren’t going to get a happy ending.
Closing thoughts: I did enjoy this book. While not my all time favorite book it is good.

I received a copy of this book for free as an ARC from the author and booksirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily and it reflects my honest opinions

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was well written and it had me laughing and crying throughout. I loved the fierce spirit of the FMC. Ashira aka Ashley is a middle eastern princess that has been afforded the opportunity to live a "normal" life and utilize her degree in America for three years. We meet Ashley near the end of this sabbatical when she is attending a charity auction. This auction is where she meets our MMC, Ty.

As a hockey fan, I'm always up for a hockey romance book. This also means there can never be too much hockey in the book for me so I feel like I'm probably not the one to judge the amount of hockey in the book. There were, however, a few instances in which the way something was phrased regarding the sport made me chuckle. I don't expect hockey romance books to be 100% accurate to the sport, though. I don't even know if I could write 100% accurate to the sport and I know hockey really well. Overall, I think the author did a good job. I think they did a great job conveying the off-ice team dynamic as well.

This was an adorable love story about the courage to follow your heart and the importance of being honest with your partner and yourself.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Krissy C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received as an ARC and leaving my honest review voluntarily. This was an okay read but I had to suspend a lot of belief to get through it. Ashira /Ashley is supposedly a middle eastern princess that has somehow been given the opportunity to live in America for 3-years before she has to return and fulfill her duties and she is dreading going home where it's painted as strict and patriarchal, and her choices will be taken away because women are seen only as "broodmares. So I found it really hard to accept that given she is from such a strict family/ country and her supposed royal status, she can be on her own in America without bodyguard protection or a chaperone (which is a common thing in strict religious countries). She keeps the truth of her identity from Ty who has been burned before and is suspicious and although both agree to keep things solely physical, it gets complicated when feelings get involed and the truth and other issues come to light. In the end, Ashley has to make the difficult decision of which path to take, knowing each has its own price and consequences.

[Lynn_G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashley/Ashina is a royal in hiding who’s bid big on hot bachelor hockey player Ty. Ty is immediately into the tipsy socialite, but his distrust meter is pinging like mad, and having been burned in the past, he avoids suspicious women at all costs. Nevertheless the pair embark on a physical affair both hope to keep no strings. Life, however, has a way of destroying even the best laid plans and feelings are soon involved. Familial and succession duties soon bring complications and a sense of betrayal for having been lied to add to the forces pushing Ashley and Ty apart.

For the most part I enjoyed this book. It could have been improved by a slower reveal to the reader of Ashley’s situation versus knowing immediately what duties shes putting off as she lives the wealthy socialite life in Boston.

I received an advance reader copy from the author and booksirens, and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

[Caitie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of Hooking by Ella Haines in exchange for an honest review. Hooking is the second book in the Springfield Cyclones Series. Ashira/Ashley is a princess from Dariqat living in America on borrowed time after striking a deal with her brother and father. Ty is a fun loving and charismatic NHL hockey player who is looking to enjoy his life in the outdoors and get over past betrayal. Ashley and Ty meet at a bachelor auction when Ash bids on Ty. Add in a little too much alcohol, as well as some funny and sassy friends, and this will equate to some laugh out loud moments. Ash and Ty subsequently form strong connection which make it hard for Ash to follow her families wishes or her destiny. I gave this book 3.5 out of 5. The book started strong, however, it was little drawn out where it didn’t need to be. I also noted some minor editing errors. I do recommend this book as it is a light read and is funny. I am excited to see what Ella has in store for Ilya in book 3.

[bookgirl1021 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's the likelihood of meeting your soul mate at a bachelor auction? For this hockey player and for this princess it seems likely! The main characters have a lot of steam, I was hoping for a bit more of actual communication though. I would rate this a steam factor of five stars and story factor of three stars. Ty is a professional hockey player who loves the outdoors. Ashley is a real princess who's living in the USA under an assumed name. Even after falling for Ty, she can't bring herself to disclose the truth about her life and the expectations of her position in her royal family. I would have enjoyed the story more if they were able to be more truthful with one another.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Laura Caswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooking by Ella Haines is the second book in the Springfield Cyclones series. Books can be read as standalones.

Sometimes love is perfect, but then outside factors make it seem as though it isn't. Ashley and Ty meet at a bachelor auction and both realize that they could be something special together. Ashley knows she is leaving for home in a few short months and is keeping a big secret about her identity. When Ashley is outed by the paparazzi, everything falls apart. But an impassioned "Choose us" saves the day!

I really enjoyed this story! I received an advance review copy of this book at no charge, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[SassypantsReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, Hooking was not at all what I was expecting. It was so much more emotional than I was thinking it would be, and it REALLY delved into some heavy topics. This is definitely not a lighthearted read. It was still very good, though. Ty was a cinnamon roll MC, perhaps a little too much. Ashley was fierce, until it came to her family. There were lots of steamy scenes. I don’t super love the miscommunication trope, so I did get a bit frustrated.

I received an ARC of Hooking from BookSirens. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Theresa Quitshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your typical hockey romance. This book definitely hits quite a few tropes, secret princess, hockey romance and forbidden love. I was rooting for Ashley and Ty the entire time. Ty falls first and falls harder and needs to convince Ashley. When her dad and brother enter the storyline it just didn't fit quite right for me and that's why I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5. Overall I recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher, author, & BookSirens for sending me this e-ARC. All thoughts are my own, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

[Renee Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Ty and Ashley’s story. It was a really good read. I loved meeting Ty and Ashley and following their love journey. They are both very well written and very intense people who are immediately attracted to each at first glance. There is a lot happening in this story, lots of twists and turns, secrets, obligations, and hockey! I wasn’t sure how their love would work, but beyond the obvious physical attraction (and its HOT), both had such kind and tender hearts, so, true, forever love was inevitable. I look forward to reading Book 3. Love the Springfield Cyclones!

[…Welcome to My World &#x1f30e.. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story about a young woman who is running away from the unjustice of her arraigned marriage, she meets Ty through bidding on him for a charity. These two were so cute together. I loved how Ty showed Ashley how she was better than a one night stand. He showed her patience and love and he cherished her. I also loved how her brother came though for her in the end.

I received an arc copy and I’m voluntarily leaving my review.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley attends a charity auction, in which she buys Ty. Ty is a Cyclone NHL player, Ashley is a social worker, and both have secrets. I absolutely loved it. I have never read any of Ella Haines' books til now. She has become one I plan to follow since she writes hockey romances. She makes the players come alive, and it feels as though you know them personally and their struggles. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah Mitcham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiding her true self.

MF, Secret Princess, Hockey, Contemporary, Romance. The second book in the series and they interconnect with each other but are stand-alone's..you will hower see the MC s of the other books and maybe see some parts of their romances. These books can be read in any order. This story is packed full of steam. Angst, forced proximity, Opposites Attract, secrets, drama but ends with a guaranteed HEA.

[HeadCanonHeadCase · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3

With the clock ticking down on her impending arranged marriage, Ashely wants to have a few last moments to live the life she wants. Winning a date with Ty at a charity bachelor auction might be just what she needs. Can she keep her secret princess status under wraps?

Read if you like:
-Secret Princess
-Opposites Attract
-Bachelor Auction

I didn't like this as much as the first book, but still found it fun. I really had a hard time connecting with Ashley.

[ajscenic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read about how Ashley (in disguise) meets Ty at a charity auction. This book was well written and had some really funny moments.
The reason I didn’t give it a 5 star review is that Ashley was left alone with no bodyguards which seemed unrealistic to me.
Overall this was a good read.

[LA FITCH · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story where Ty, the hockey player, falls for Ashley who he thinks is a social worker. This is a fun read and keeps you engaged thee entire story. This is a must read.

I received this book free via Booksirens and leave this review voluntarily

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Just Amazing! I couldn’t put it down!

[Nancy LeBel · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the feelings are right in this book. Amazing read

[Marissa Madson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a great read I’m so glad I was given the chance to read the arc

[Marissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

The spice was minimal, the story was boring, and there was almost no hockey.