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Two Tickets
She’s a tender-hearted English teacher; he’s a hardened professional hockey player. They have nothing in common, but the world wants to see them together.
Brielle Campbell is a fun-loving English teacher whose goal in life is to make everybody love Christmas as much as she does. When her class wins tickets to a hockey game, she crosses paths with Aiden Brooks—the gruff center for the Green Thunder, whose attitude is as bad off the ice as it is on the ice.
The free tickets come with one condition—she has to participate in the half-time show. But when she accidentally hits Aiden with her stick, instead of the puck, the incident goes viral, turning Brielle into an internet sensation and the unwitting subject of countless memes.
While Brielle wishes to fade into obscurity, the world has other plans. The unexpected duo becomes a social media sensation, with fans clamoring to see more of their interactions. She’s rewarded with two tickets to every home game and an unwanted relationship with a guy who rarely smiles.
Aiden and Brielle are thrown together, and Aiden’s going to realize he never stood a chance. Together, they’re about to discover that sometimes the magic of Christmas comes in the most unexpected ways.
This is a full-length closed-door romance with all the tension, sizzle, and romance without the spice.
Brielle Campbell is a fun-loving English teacher whose goal in life is to make everybody love Christmas as much as she does. When her class wins tickets to a hockey game, she crosses paths with Aiden Brooks—the gruff center for the Green Thunder, whose attitude is as bad off the ice as it is on the ice.
The free tickets come with one condition—she has to participate in the half-time show. But when she accidentally hits Aiden with her stick, instead of the puck, the incident goes viral, turning Brielle into an internet sensation and the unwitting subject of countless memes.
While Brielle wishes to fade into obscurity, the world has other plans. The unexpected duo becomes a social media sensation, with fans clamoring to see more of their interactions. She’s rewarded with two tickets to every home game and an unwanted relationship with a guy who rarely smiles.
Aiden and Brielle are thrown together, and Aiden’s going to realize he never stood a chance. Together, they’re about to discover that sometimes the magic of Christmas comes in the most unexpected ways.
This is a full-length closed-door romance with all the tension, sizzle, and romance without the spice.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2023
151 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Manney
20 books132 followersA. J. Manney lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and four kids. Some of her favorite things to do include reading, family days, being a pastor's wife, and watching football on Sunday afternoons with her family
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
January 3, 2026
Two Tickets by A. J. Manney is a contemporary, clean holiday sports romance about kind‑hearted middle school English teacher Brielle Campbell and gruff professional hockey player Aiden Brooks, two people with almost nothing in common who are thrust into each other’s orbit after a Christmas‑time mishap at a hockey game goes viral and turns them into an unlikely social media sensation, leading to two season tickets and a slow‑burn romance that surprises them both with the magic of connection and joy during the holidays.
From the moment Brielle accidentally clobbers Aiden on the ice with her hockey stick instead of a puck, I felt swept up in a story that’s part Hallmark holiday cheer, part grumpy‑sunshine romance, and all heart. Brielle’s warmth, optimism and earnest love of community made me root for her immediately, especially as she navigates the chaotic attention that fame brings while staying true to her own compassionate nature. Aiden’s tough exterior and reputation as the grumpy center of the Green Thunder felt delightfully offset by his quiet kindness toward others, and watching that softening happen sometimes suddenly, sometimes gently making the emotional beats feel rewarding even when the pacing felt uneven or abrupt. I found his shift from distant to devoted a little sudden in places, and felt the narrative could have used a bit more felt chemistry and depth between the two before their relationship deepens, yet the holiday setting, hockey backdrop and themes of unexpected love kept me smiling.
What stayed with me most was how Two Tickets made ordinary moments; cheering in a rink, sharing hot chocolate, caring for someone through their struggles feeling warm and meaningful, like the small joys of the season stitched into a romance that’s as cozy as a snowfall.
I’m giving Two Tickets 3 out of 5 stars because it delivered festive charm and heartfelt feels, even if the characters’ connection occasionally zoomed ahead faster than my heart could fully catch up.
From the moment Brielle accidentally clobbers Aiden on the ice with her hockey stick instead of a puck, I felt swept up in a story that’s part Hallmark holiday cheer, part grumpy‑sunshine romance, and all heart. Brielle’s warmth, optimism and earnest love of community made me root for her immediately, especially as she navigates the chaotic attention that fame brings while staying true to her own compassionate nature. Aiden’s tough exterior and reputation as the grumpy center of the Green Thunder felt delightfully offset by his quiet kindness toward others, and watching that softening happen sometimes suddenly, sometimes gently making the emotional beats feel rewarding even when the pacing felt uneven or abrupt. I found his shift from distant to devoted a little sudden in places, and felt the narrative could have used a bit more felt chemistry and depth between the two before their relationship deepens, yet the holiday setting, hockey backdrop and themes of unexpected love kept me smiling.
What stayed with me most was how Two Tickets made ordinary moments; cheering in a rink, sharing hot chocolate, caring for someone through their struggles feeling warm and meaningful, like the small joys of the season stitched into a romance that’s as cozy as a snowfall.
I’m giving Two Tickets 3 out of 5 stars because it delivered festive charm and heartfelt feels, even if the characters’ connection occasionally zoomed ahead faster than my heart could fully catch up.
January 24, 2024
Um…ok.
I wanted to like this book. I did. But honestly? IT was awful. I wanted to abandon ship before I was even a third of the way through it, and finally gave up before hitting the halfway mark.
If you’re looking for a cute love story (like I was), good luck. It wasn’t in the first half of the book. We read all about her life at the school and she gave serious “clueless” vibes, which is not really what I want out of the main character, sometimes it’s quirky, in this case it was just irritating. I started just skipping over everything that was about her school day, or her just talking to her best friend. It wasn’t worth reading. She hit the big teacher cliche of finding a student that had a bruise. She didn’t get a good look, but she’s a mandatory reporter so she she should really look into it. She spends days being frustrated that she can’t talk to the kid, then out of nowhere invites him to dinner with her and the hockey player. She doesn’t have him call a parent or anything. Which, I get that we suspect he’s neglected, but there are still protocols! Then she invites him to a several hockey games and has him help with her weekend shop. (Again: protocols!)
The romance with the hockey player went nowhere in the half I read. He came to her classroom and she was irritatingly clueless, but moving on. She takes her whole class to the hockey game (which they never explain why), she has no support from the school, and at halftime she is supposed to make a shot on the ice (still no idea why).
She hits the crown jewels and goes viral for it. A woman calls her and tells her she needs to go to dinner with the hockey player, but rest assured it is not a date because he would never! She doesn’t say no, she just asks if they have her address. They do. Then the hockey player shows up at her school to ask her why she stood him up at the restaurant. She tells me that she couldn’t stand him up, because he never asked (the lady never said anything about the restaurant, so that frustrated me).
He tells her they need to go out, so she agrees. Then proceeds to bring the middle schooler. The hockey player is very kind to him and grumpy to her. Several times he was accusing her, saying she was going to accuse him of dumb things like not paying for dinner (it was really unnecessary).
She goes to the next hockey game and the hockey player gets mad at her and makes sure she’s aware they aren’t dating. She knows. She’s just trying to bond with her student. HP proceeds to give her season tickets.
The team PR rep shows up at the school and has her sign an NDA. But she doesn’t know what an NDA is (she’s and English teacher people). She reads it partially, but never questions why she should sign it, or why they would even want her to sign one, because it doesn’t actually make sense to the story yet.
She goes to another game with a friend and the Jumbotron seeks her out and the crowd encourages her to go down to the box to kiss him. She does, but seems clueless to what she’s actually doing. PR lady shows up and demands she wears a jersey and that she needs to be doing whatever PR lady demands, because apparently, she signed a contract to date HP. Again she doesn’t question it.
A rival hockey player shows up to her hot chocolate shop and is frustrated with the amount of sugar in her hot chocolate. She is frustrated by his frustration (but has already pontificated about her type 1 diabetes several times and how she has to make modifications to her own drinks, but apparently that’s not okay for others). He asks for a picture and she says okay. She gets called into a meeting with the team owner because she hurt their image and she needs to fix it. They demanded that she goes to all of the games, including the away ones. They will fly her to all of the games and have already gotten permission from her principal, because naturally he has someone else he will pay to do her job in this low income school. Anyway, I rambled a lot, but that’s where I called it quits.
TL:DR — she has very little interaction with the hockey player and there was nothing noteworthy between them beyond the lack of kindness/sparky/affection/flirting/interest. She did have a lot of interactions with her best friend. She is completely clueless about everything, and while most teachers want a good positive relationship with their students, she’s crossing the actual lines set forth in todays society.
I wanted to like this book. I did. But honestly? IT was awful. I wanted to abandon ship before I was even a third of the way through it, and finally gave up before hitting the halfway mark.
If you’re looking for a cute love story (like I was), good luck. It wasn’t in the first half of the book. We read all about her life at the school and she gave serious “clueless” vibes, which is not really what I want out of the main character, sometimes it’s quirky, in this case it was just irritating. I started just skipping over everything that was about her school day, or her just talking to her best friend. It wasn’t worth reading. She hit the big teacher cliche of finding a student that had a bruise. She didn’t get a good look, but she’s a mandatory reporter so she she should really look into it. She spends days being frustrated that she can’t talk to the kid, then out of nowhere invites him to dinner with her and the hockey player. She doesn’t have him call a parent or anything. Which, I get that we suspect he’s neglected, but there are still protocols! Then she invites him to a several hockey games and has him help with her weekend shop. (Again: protocols!)
The romance with the hockey player went nowhere in the half I read. He came to her classroom and she was irritatingly clueless, but moving on. She takes her whole class to the hockey game (which they never explain why), she has no support from the school, and at halftime she is supposed to make a shot on the ice (still no idea why).
She hits the crown jewels and goes viral for it. A woman calls her and tells her she needs to go to dinner with the hockey player, but rest assured it is not a date because he would never! She doesn’t say no, she just asks if they have her address. They do. Then the hockey player shows up at her school to ask her why she stood him up at the restaurant. She tells me that she couldn’t stand him up, because he never asked (the lady never said anything about the restaurant, so that frustrated me).
He tells her they need to go out, so she agrees. Then proceeds to bring the middle schooler. The hockey player is very kind to him and grumpy to her. Several times he was accusing her, saying she was going to accuse him of dumb things like not paying for dinner (it was really unnecessary).
She goes to the next hockey game and the hockey player gets mad at her and makes sure she’s aware they aren’t dating. She knows. She’s just trying to bond with her student. HP proceeds to give her season tickets.
The team PR rep shows up at the school and has her sign an NDA. But she doesn’t know what an NDA is (she’s and English teacher people). She reads it partially, but never questions why she should sign it, or why they would even want her to sign one, because it doesn’t actually make sense to the story yet.
She goes to another game with a friend and the Jumbotron seeks her out and the crowd encourages her to go down to the box to kiss him. She does, but seems clueless to what she’s actually doing. PR lady shows up and demands she wears a jersey and that she needs to be doing whatever PR lady demands, because apparently, she signed a contract to date HP. Again she doesn’t question it.
A rival hockey player shows up to her hot chocolate shop and is frustrated with the amount of sugar in her hot chocolate. She is frustrated by his frustration (but has already pontificated about her type 1 diabetes several times and how she has to make modifications to her own drinks, but apparently that’s not okay for others). He asks for a picture and she says okay. She gets called into a meeting with the team owner because she hurt their image and she needs to fix it. They demanded that she goes to all of the games, including the away ones. They will fly her to all of the games and have already gotten permission from her principal, because naturally he has someone else he will pay to do her job in this low income school. Anyway, I rambled a lot, but that’s where I called it quits.
TL:DR — she has very little interaction with the hockey player and there was nothing noteworthy between them beyond the lack of kindness/sparky/affection/flirting/interest. She did have a lot of interactions with her best friend. She is completely clueless about everything, and while most teachers want a good positive relationship with their students, she’s crossing the actual lines set forth in todays society.
January 17, 2024
Worst book I’ve ever read. So many red flags and unrealistic aspects that made it hard for me to enjoy the “pleasant” parts.
January 24, 2024
It felt like 80% of the book got edited out or just didn’t get written.
Aiden and Brielle go from literally not speaking to saying I love you in the matter of beginning of November to mid December. There’s so much that’s missing in this enemies to lovers that it just fell flat. We don’t witness Bri falling for Aiden. Aiden tells her that they’re done fake dating but then just like keeps showing up and doesn’t communicate with her the status of their relationship (At least on page). Then after knowing each other for all of a month, he lets her move in with him since her apartment burns down.
Brielle goes from a competent 25 year old adult who can manage her Type 1 diabetes just fine to constantly having low or high sugar and passing out multiple times.
Then!!! Brielle suspects one of her students is being abused by their parent because “she saw a dark shadow on his arm” and “he’s super quiet and withdrawn in class”. She mentions being a mandated reporter but never actually follows through with actually reporting what she thinks. When she looks up his address, he doesn’t have one listed. She thinks it’s weird but again doesn’t follow up. Instead she invites this 8th grade boy to start going to hockey games with her, helps him join a hockey league, has him visiting her house, and even HAS HIM MOVE IN WOTH HER AND HER BOYFRIEND OF NOT EVEN 1 MONTH because Aiden says the dad is gonna check into rehab. Like??? That’s not how this works. Where’s next of kin. Also Where is the principal in this!!
If you can overlook all of this, the writing is fine and the story is cute but overall it wasn’t worth my time
Aiden and Brielle go from literally not speaking to saying I love you in the matter of beginning of November to mid December. There’s so much that’s missing in this enemies to lovers that it just fell flat. We don’t witness Bri falling for Aiden. Aiden tells her that they’re done fake dating but then just like keeps showing up and doesn’t communicate with her the status of their relationship (At least on page). Then after knowing each other for all of a month, he lets her move in with him since her apartment burns down.
Brielle goes from a competent 25 year old adult who can manage her Type 1 diabetes just fine to constantly having low or high sugar and passing out multiple times.
Then!!! Brielle suspects one of her students is being abused by their parent because “she saw a dark shadow on his arm” and “he’s super quiet and withdrawn in class”. She mentions being a mandated reporter but never actually follows through with actually reporting what she thinks. When she looks up his address, he doesn’t have one listed. She thinks it’s weird but again doesn’t follow up. Instead she invites this 8th grade boy to start going to hockey games with her, helps him join a hockey league, has him visiting her house, and even HAS HIM MOVE IN WOTH HER AND HER BOYFRIEND OF NOT EVEN 1 MONTH because Aiden says the dad is gonna check into rehab. Like??? That’s not how this works. Where’s next of kin. Also Where is the principal in this!!
If you can overlook all of this, the writing is fine and the story is cute but overall it wasn’t worth my time
March 5, 2024
This was a grumpy/sunshine attempt. Attempt because I unfortunately it didn’t work. Brielle, the sunshine, was sweet but made the stupidest decisions. Aidan, the grump, was actually just a huge jerk.
This felt like two different novels. The first 75% and then the last 25%.
The first 75% Aidan was moody and rude and hardly formed sentences. There wasn’t enough time for them to get to know each other because they were never together and when they were, Aidan ignored Bri. I wish Aidan had snapped out of his grumpy/jerky ways sooner, warmed up earlier, stopped being disrespectful and rude to Bri before the end of the book. I wish Bri had a backbone and self-esteem to stick up for herself.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, for the last 25% Aidan was attentive and spoke in full sentences, treating Bri like an actual human being. It was like he was a totally different character. I like a grump as much as the next girl, but Aidan’s “softening” needed to be more gradual or at least shown here and there so the change wasn’t so jarring and out of character.
Unfortunately the majority of this book was a classic case of “A woman lets a man treat her like crap and do the bare minimum because he’s hot and then thinks it’s love when there’s some effort.”
This felt like two different novels. The first 75% and then the last 25%.
The first 75% Aidan was moody and rude and hardly formed sentences. There wasn’t enough time for them to get to know each other because they were never together and when they were, Aidan ignored Bri. I wish Aidan had snapped out of his grumpy/jerky ways sooner, warmed up earlier, stopped being disrespectful and rude to Bri before the end of the book. I wish Bri had a backbone and self-esteem to stick up for herself.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, for the last 25% Aidan was attentive and spoke in full sentences, treating Bri like an actual human being. It was like he was a totally different character. I like a grump as much as the next girl, but Aidan’s “softening” needed to be more gradual or at least shown here and there so the change wasn’t so jarring and out of character.
Unfortunately the majority of this book was a classic case of “A woman lets a man treat her like crap and do the bare minimum because he’s hot and then thinks it’s love when there’s some effort.”
March 12, 2024
I thought the first part of the book was kinda cute and fun in a holiday Hallmark movie kind of way (although very unrealistic for some things, especially the teacher/student dynamic) but then it took a turn for me when the “switch” happens (which comes out of nowhere basically and also makes no sense? And she just goes along with it??). She literally gets roped into a fake PR relationship (with the PR woman lying to her about the contract?!?!) and she’s not getting compensated but goes along with it for a man that is basically rude to her from day one?? I just chalked it up to the Hallmark vibes 🙃
But I got the “ick” once he started fully being possessive of her (first with little comments to just her, but even to his teammates and stuff). Then, once the big fight happens at the Christmas Gala, everything was even more downhill from there. He is ultra possessive and “takes care” of all these problems for her bc of his large size and/or money.
The other thing was really put me off the story were the comments during the makeover part where she makes a comment about the makeup artist being male… but then he comes home and makes a big deal bc there was a man there?!?! And then is still kinda mad about it even when it’s explained he was the makeup artist?! It’s 2024, why is there still this ignorance towards certain people doing certain jobs? 🙄
Things that made no sense: the scene with her brother just showing up to threaten her boyfriend and then leave. Like, what was the point of this? Also, what happens with the teammate’s crappy model girlfriend after the gala? She acts like a b*tch to the main character but does the teammate stay with her even though he knew she was a b*tch for no reason?? Why did they wait until the day or two before Christmas to get his grandpa a Christmas tree?? She mentions it at the end of the date like 2 weeks or so beforehand?!?!
Overall, it was a fun read in the beginning until it wasn’t… I only finished it bc I hate to DNF (especially when I’m so far into a book). I think the Type 1 Diabetic representation was nice in this book (especially from a main character and to be kind of educational about the condition). I would maybe recommend this to someone specifically looking for a conservative romance story, but I most likely won’t talk about this book again beyond this review.
But I got the “ick” once he started fully being possessive of her (first with little comments to just her, but even to his teammates and stuff). Then, once the big fight happens at the Christmas Gala, everything was even more downhill from there. He is ultra possessive and “takes care” of all these problems for her bc of his large size and/or money.
The other thing was really put me off the story were the comments during the makeover part where she makes a comment about the makeup artist being male… but then he comes home and makes a big deal bc there was a man there?!?! And then is still kinda mad about it even when it’s explained he was the makeup artist?! It’s 2024, why is there still this ignorance towards certain people doing certain jobs? 🙄
Things that made no sense: the scene with her brother just showing up to threaten her boyfriend and then leave. Like, what was the point of this? Also, what happens with the teammate’s crappy model girlfriend after the gala? She acts like a b*tch to the main character but does the teammate stay with her even though he knew she was a b*tch for no reason?? Why did they wait until the day or two before Christmas to get his grandpa a Christmas tree?? She mentions it at the end of the date like 2 weeks or so beforehand?!?!
Overall, it was a fun read in the beginning until it wasn’t… I only finished it bc I hate to DNF (especially when I’m so far into a book). I think the Type 1 Diabetic representation was nice in this book (especially from a main character and to be kind of educational about the condition). I would maybe recommend this to someone specifically looking for a conservative romance story, but I most likely won’t talk about this book again beyond this review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2025
This book was cute but I feel like the teaching aspects were unrealistic and I found that it took me out of the story a bit. But other than that, this book is cute, fun, and a very quick read.
December 20, 2023
Loved it!
The grumpy/sunshine trope is one of my favorites and this one did not disappoint. Brielle knows next to nothing about hockey and does a good job annoying the MVP hockey player. I loved seeing her break through his hard outer shell. And then once she does.. hello caveman! Ha I love it. The author did a wonderful job. I'm hoping she does Brielle's brother next 😉
The grumpy/sunshine trope is one of my favorites and this one did not disappoint. Brielle knows next to nothing about hockey and does a good job annoying the MVP hockey player. I loved seeing her break through his hard outer shell. And then once she does.. hello caveman! Ha I love it. The author did a wonderful job. I'm hoping she does Brielle's brother next 😉
December 21, 2023
Absolutely loved it.... I did get upset for bri a bit when it came to the team in the beginning... But it worked! I really hope she turns this into a series with all the hockey boys stories and bri's brothers...
January 31, 2024
Content Rated PG
Clean romance, kissing. No language, talk of parental abuse.
November 19, 2024
4.5⭐️ ohhhh so good!!! took me a minute to get into it but it was amazing!! love aiden. and i really enjoy this author! i love hockey romances so that and christmas combined… loved it!
March 18, 2024
The second hand embarrassment was strong in this. Also how was this girl so clueless sometimes like taking pictures with random people ? Letting a stranger lead you somewhere? Signing an NDA not knowing you have to fake date ??? How did their relationship work it was so weird idk like it felt so formulated which I guess that was the point? Also Dante just following her around how is that not breaking student teacher codes ? I get she cares for him but like where’s the line . HER APARTMENT BURNS DOWN LIKE WHAT ??? what was the reason for this ok so all the sudden he’s saying he’s her life when i think they’ve had like two decent conversations make it make sense. What was the point of the plot point that her brother is a random secret undercover security guard who goes to other countries ? DANTE IS GOING TO LIVE WITH THEM? Where are the regulations ! I think the type 1 diabetes representation was good though. Like Brielle didn’t let it define her life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
I tried...
I loved the concept described in the summary, and had high hopes but sadly I struggled to get through to the end.
First, the pacing. This wasn't a slow burn, it was glacial. I don't think the protagonists spent more than three minutes together until the tracker reached 46%. This made virtually impossible to feel any chemistry between the leads. There was a stretch when I wondered if this was a story about teaching and hot chocolate recipes instead of a romcom. Nothing wrong with those things, but not what I was expecting.
Second, the first kiss. My favorite milestone in this genre. The set up was great, but the actual execution was sort of blink and you miss it. Little description, no spark.
Third, lazy exposition through inner monologue. This is probably a "me" thing, but it makes it so hard to engage with the story when a single.character basically provides a review of events. Show me through actions, describe actions and reactions, expand dialogue as a way to reveal things to the reader. Plus, including Aiden's POV would have opened up another avenue, explained his actions/ emotions, built some chemistry.
Finally, a fake dating trope when the characters barely communicate through the midpoint of the book? Where the orchestration is so hostile, you have to work hard to understand why Bri doesn't jet immediately? It just didn't seem right that the two main players weren't able to coordinate the charade at all? No chance to bond, to build chemistry? What we are left with is a too passive Bri, a hostile Aiden, and no "why" except "why do they bother?" I would've loved to have seen confrontation between them turning into tension, or a united front against the manipulation by Chloe or the kinda misogynistic aggression by the coach. There were so, so many good setups that seemed to fade away.
I feel badly about leaving a negative review, but hopefully there's something constructive in there. It's partly because it feels like all the pieces are there, especially a different slant on the meet-cute. I do know how hard and brave it is to put a piece of your heart on the page and put it out there for the world to see, and applaud that ( not to mention the restraint used with "hence", " plethora" and "exploding ovaries").
I loved the concept described in the summary, and had high hopes but sadly I struggled to get through to the end.
First, the pacing. This wasn't a slow burn, it was glacial. I don't think the protagonists spent more than three minutes together until the tracker reached 46%. This made virtually impossible to feel any chemistry between the leads. There was a stretch when I wondered if this was a story about teaching and hot chocolate recipes instead of a romcom. Nothing wrong with those things, but not what I was expecting.
Second, the first kiss. My favorite milestone in this genre. The set up was great, but the actual execution was sort of blink and you miss it. Little description, no spark.
Third, lazy exposition through inner monologue. This is probably a "me" thing, but it makes it so hard to engage with the story when a single.character basically provides a review of events. Show me through actions, describe actions and reactions, expand dialogue as a way to reveal things to the reader. Plus, including Aiden's POV would have opened up another avenue, explained his actions/ emotions, built some chemistry.
Finally, a fake dating trope when the characters barely communicate through the midpoint of the book? Where the orchestration is so hostile, you have to work hard to understand why Bri doesn't jet immediately? It just didn't seem right that the two main players weren't able to coordinate the charade at all? No chance to bond, to build chemistry? What we are left with is a too passive Bri, a hostile Aiden, and no "why" except "why do they bother?" I would've loved to have seen confrontation between them turning into tension, or a united front against the manipulation by Chloe or the kinda misogynistic aggression by the coach. There were so, so many good setups that seemed to fade away.
I feel badly about leaving a negative review, but hopefully there's something constructive in there. It's partly because it feels like all the pieces are there, especially a different slant on the meet-cute. I do know how hard and brave it is to put a piece of your heart on the page and put it out there for the world to see, and applaud that ( not to mention the restraint used with "hence", " plethora" and "exploding ovaries").
November 16, 2024
Where do I start?
Well for one, I myself am a middle school English teacher and um, wtf. Never should you be alone w a student, not documenting everything, showing blatant favoritism. Especially with how much she mentions that she’s in a low income school? Yet she only focuses on connecting with and helping one kid? But also, once again. Alone w a student? Seriously.
But then there is the love story part. And I have never been so confused. They literally spent 80% of the book hating each other. But then he magically is in love with her? Also did anyone else notice that despite it being in the FMC’s point of view, we quite literally never get any kind of decent understanding of HER feelings. Like he is all in love with her one day and she gives us zero legitimate indication of how she feels.
Romance books, especially hockey romance books, love to give the FMC some kind of book-related job. Doesn’t matter if it’s librarian, teacher, bookstore owner, etc. but half the time I’m like hey have you actually been in a library,bookstore,classroom,etc? Because it sure as hell doesn’t read like it
Well for one, I myself am a middle school English teacher and um, wtf. Never should you be alone w a student, not documenting everything, showing blatant favoritism. Especially with how much she mentions that she’s in a low income school? Yet she only focuses on connecting with and helping one kid? But also, once again. Alone w a student? Seriously.
But then there is the love story part. And I have never been so confused. They literally spent 80% of the book hating each other. But then he magically is in love with her? Also did anyone else notice that despite it being in the FMC’s point of view, we quite literally never get any kind of decent understanding of HER feelings. Like he is all in love with her one day and she gives us zero legitimate indication of how she feels.
Romance books, especially hockey romance books, love to give the FMC some kind of book-related job. Doesn’t matter if it’s librarian, teacher, bookstore owner, etc. but half the time I’m like hey have you actually been in a library,bookstore,classroom,etc? Because it sure as hell doesn’t read like it
February 15, 2024
I wanted to love this book based on the synopsis of it. Unfortunately, it didn’t completely work for me. This is a slow burn which I tend to prefer but when Aiden does a complete 180 it threw me off. He goes from practically hating Brielle, then the next minute he’s completely in love with her and got extremely possessive overnight. I think the story may have worked better with a dual POV and more of a build up in their feelings. As a hockey fan myself, I did notice quite a few hockey mistakes but that didn’t keep me from finishing.
I do like Brielle’s sunshine personality but there were times when she was quite naive in her thinking and actions. The student/teacher friendship Brielle had with her student Dante didn’t work. There are some things teachers just shouldn’t do or are allowed to do and taking your student out to dinner alone etc. without parental permission is frowned upon. Also, it’s quite heavy on the diabetes. I get she is diabetic but having it pushed in our faces through the book was a bit much. Although I can see why seeing as it was the 180 that changed Aiden’s feelings.
Overall it was a cute book and quick read.
I do like Brielle’s sunshine personality but there were times when she was quite naive in her thinking and actions. The student/teacher friendship Brielle had with her student Dante didn’t work. There are some things teachers just shouldn’t do or are allowed to do and taking your student out to dinner alone etc. without parental permission is frowned upon. Also, it’s quite heavy on the diabetes. I get she is diabetic but having it pushed in our faces through the book was a bit much. Although I can see why seeing as it was the 180 that changed Aiden’s feelings.
Overall it was a cute book and quick read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2024
Two Tickets: A Holiday Hockey Romcom was an unexpected surprise of a story! This was my first book by A. J. Manney and I enjoyed the story between Brielle and Aiden. Grumpy, hot hockey players are a trope in themselves, so I wasn't surprised by Aiden's reputation and actions. I loved Brielle's sunshine character and the fact that she was a teacher was an extra plus! I am a retired teacher/librarian, and I haven't read many books where the main character is an educator. I also taught in low-income areas and the fact that we are mandatory reporters is drilled into our brains constantly, so Brielle's concern is a realistic one in an educator's life.
However, Brielle's Type 1 Diabetes is the most unexpected twist of the book. Diabetic main characters are rare enough. I’ve only read one other book with a female lead on an insulin pump that was also written in a realistic manner. I am also a diabetic who spent the last 10 years of teaching with an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor and before that on-insulin shots and finger sticks. This was the most authentic portrayal I have read to date, and I appreciate the author's inclusion of the small details that are important to maintaining glucose control. It’s our life! Aiden's reactions of shock and resulting determination to learn all he could occurs in many homes after a diabetic diagnosis.
However, I thought some parts of the story could use some filling out. Aiden's change from pushing her away and then pulling her back in was a bit confusing. It was like a switch was flipped and we never saw it coming. We might have benefited from a dual point of view story so we could better understand Aiden's thoughts. I have found that books that include both characters POV to flow better and help us better understand the characters.
I hope we might be seeing a series out of this author based on the characters we met in Two Tickets! I am certainly intrigued by her best friend Stephanie, teammates Sebastian, Rico, and Gunner and Brielle's mysterious brother Noah and younger sister!
I would give the book 3.5 stars based on what I felt was missing pieces. However, I loved the newsletter bonus from Aiden's point of view when Brielle passed out! That revealed so much about Aiden's thoughts and feelings that poured out when he saw Brielle lying on the bathroom floor. Include more of that type of writing in the next books please!
However, Brielle's Type 1 Diabetes is the most unexpected twist of the book. Diabetic main characters are rare enough. I’ve only read one other book with a female lead on an insulin pump that was also written in a realistic manner. I am also a diabetic who spent the last 10 years of teaching with an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor and before that on-insulin shots and finger sticks. This was the most authentic portrayal I have read to date, and I appreciate the author's inclusion of the small details that are important to maintaining glucose control. It’s our life! Aiden's reactions of shock and resulting determination to learn all he could occurs in many homes after a diabetic diagnosis.
However, I thought some parts of the story could use some filling out. Aiden's change from pushing her away and then pulling her back in was a bit confusing. It was like a switch was flipped and we never saw it coming. We might have benefited from a dual point of view story so we could better understand Aiden's thoughts. I have found that books that include both characters POV to flow better and help us better understand the characters.
I hope we might be seeing a series out of this author based on the characters we met in Two Tickets! I am certainly intrigued by her best friend Stephanie, teammates Sebastian, Rico, and Gunner and Brielle's mysterious brother Noah and younger sister!
I would give the book 3.5 stars based on what I felt was missing pieces. However, I loved the newsletter bonus from Aiden's point of view when Brielle passed out! That revealed so much about Aiden's thoughts and feelings that poured out when he saw Brielle lying on the bathroom floor. Include more of that type of writing in the next books please!
January 8, 2024
Oh, this was too good!
I absolutely loved Brielle and Aiden! Well I at least loved Aiden from about half way through the book and on. That first half of the book wasn’t Aiden’s best look. He was so short with Brielle and absolutely clueless as to all Brielle was doing that she didn’t even want to do. His jerkiness just made it great when he fell and fell hard. I love it when the male love interest uses the word “Baby” I don’t know why, maybe it’s because my own love interest (hubby of 16 years) will call me that and so it gives me all the feels. I also am a sucker for whispering or talking lowly. I think it just makes that conversation that much more sweet and intimate.
I loved seeing that Brielle has Type 1 diabetes. It’s not a disease that is talked about often enough. I hated to hear that a lot of the experiences in the book came from the author’s own little girl and her battle with it.
I loved the huge heart Brielle has and her desire to help Dante. I loved seeing Aiden and his teammates take an interest in him too and show him some attention and love.
Also…ugh I’m going to gain ten pounds trying to recreate all of Bri’s fancy hot chocolates! I loved the detailed descriptions of each!
I think the only two things that could have made this better for me was:
1. A duel POV book. I just much prefer them. I want to see and hear as much about the love story from the man’s pov as I do the woman’s pov. I actually normally pass on books that are dual POVs, but I was really interested in the author’s Northwoods pack books -also great if you haven’t read them.
2. That this was part of a series. Now the good news is that it seems as though the author could be setting us up for more books! I want to see Sebastian, Rico, and Gunner all fall in love. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing if maybe Rico ends up falling for Bri’s sister. I also am really interested in her brother’s story. AJ has definitely planted seeds of curiosity in my head and I love it!
I absolutely loved Brielle and Aiden! Well I at least loved Aiden from about half way through the book and on. That first half of the book wasn’t Aiden’s best look. He was so short with Brielle and absolutely clueless as to all Brielle was doing that she didn’t even want to do. His jerkiness just made it great when he fell and fell hard. I love it when the male love interest uses the word “Baby” I don’t know why, maybe it’s because my own love interest (hubby of 16 years) will call me that and so it gives me all the feels. I also am a sucker for whispering or talking lowly. I think it just makes that conversation that much more sweet and intimate.
I loved seeing that Brielle has Type 1 diabetes. It’s not a disease that is talked about often enough. I hated to hear that a lot of the experiences in the book came from the author’s own little girl and her battle with it.
I loved the huge heart Brielle has and her desire to help Dante. I loved seeing Aiden and his teammates take an interest in him too and show him some attention and love.
Also…ugh I’m going to gain ten pounds trying to recreate all of Bri’s fancy hot chocolates! I loved the detailed descriptions of each!
I think the only two things that could have made this better for me was:
1. A duel POV book. I just much prefer them. I want to see and hear as much about the love story from the man’s pov as I do the woman’s pov. I actually normally pass on books that are dual POVs, but I was really interested in the author’s Northwoods pack books -also great if you haven’t read them.
2. That this was part of a series. Now the good news is that it seems as though the author could be setting us up for more books! I want to see Sebastian, Rico, and Gunner all fall in love. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing if maybe Rico ends up falling for Bri’s sister. I also am really interested in her brother’s story. AJ has definitely planted seeds of curiosity in my head and I love it!
April 6, 2024
Kisses only
I liked the characters in the book for the most part. I found the obligatory best friend a little annoying though. My main issues with the book were:
1. Bri totally crosses the line as far as student/teacher relationships go. To me, it felt like grooming. Yes, she is concerned for him but to “help” him she: invites him to dinner, goes to multiple hockey games with him, buys him hockey gear, has him work for her after school, and shows up at his house. She spends way too much time with him outside of school and also, how does she expect him to do any school work when she keeps him out on school nights?
2. It felt like there was something missing in the plot. Bri goes to dinner with Aiden. Then she is asked to sign a NDA (why are you signing something after an event that happened? Also I’m pretty sure she breaks the NDA multiple times by saying things are fake). After that, Aiden kisses her for the crowd and she is seen as his girlfriend. Not once does she agree to a fake dating thing. Why would she go along with it? It doesn’t make sense! I felt like the hockey people steamrolled her into doing their bidding and she just goes along with it.
3. The teaching. Come on, is she actually a teacher? She says she can’t go to away games on weekends. So she’s okay going to them on schooldays? She misses multiple days and doesn’t say anything about lessons plans. And her principal signing off on her leaving Thanksgiving week was weird to me. I read more about how she made hot chocolate (a bit tmi if you ask me) and how she dealt with diabetes (so much dang foreshadowing that it felt like an eclipse) than I ever did about her actual job as a teacher.
4. My last issue was Aiden. We don’t get to know him at all. He is rude to Bri and kind to kids, his teammates say he is a nice guy at heart but we don’t get to know him. Bri doesn’t spend much time talking to him and then he all of a sudden is calling her baby, being super possessive (HATE it when guys say things like “you’re mine”), and telling her she is perfect. Where did that all come from?
I liked the characters in the book for the most part. I found the obligatory best friend a little annoying though. My main issues with the book were:
1. Bri totally crosses the line as far as student/teacher relationships go. To me, it felt like grooming. Yes, she is concerned for him but to “help” him she: invites him to dinner, goes to multiple hockey games with him, buys him hockey gear, has him work for her after school, and shows up at his house. She spends way too much time with him outside of school and also, how does she expect him to do any school work when she keeps him out on school nights?
2. It felt like there was something missing in the plot. Bri goes to dinner with Aiden. Then she is asked to sign a NDA (why are you signing something after an event that happened? Also I’m pretty sure she breaks the NDA multiple times by saying things are fake). After that, Aiden kisses her for the crowd and she is seen as his girlfriend. Not once does she agree to a fake dating thing. Why would she go along with it? It doesn’t make sense! I felt like the hockey people steamrolled her into doing their bidding and she just goes along with it.
3. The teaching. Come on, is she actually a teacher? She says she can’t go to away games on weekends. So she’s okay going to them on schooldays? She misses multiple days and doesn’t say anything about lessons plans. And her principal signing off on her leaving Thanksgiving week was weird to me. I read more about how she made hot chocolate (a bit tmi if you ask me) and how she dealt with diabetes (so much dang foreshadowing that it felt like an eclipse) than I ever did about her actual job as a teacher.
4. My last issue was Aiden. We don’t get to know him at all. He is rude to Bri and kind to kids, his teammates say he is a nice guy at heart but we don’t get to know him. Bri doesn’t spend much time talking to him and then he all of a sudden is calling her baby, being super possessive (HATE it when guys say things like “you’re mine”), and telling her she is perfect. Where did that all come from?
December 27, 2023
Aiden is the ultimate grump and Bri is the ultimate sunshine. The story was very cute and, overall, I enjoyed it. Bri is a great teacher and I enjoyed the interactions with her students (though I did have some questions about her being able to have a student over for a movie and her being able to take him out to dinner without talking to the parent…is that legal?) Plus, a hot chocolate shop!!! Super cute! And the side characters were perfection…especially the guys on the hockey team and Bri’s BFF.
I do wish we saw Aiden fall a bit more before he fell hard. It might have been helpful for this book to have a duel point of view. We saw a little bit of him softening towards Bri but I thought he got possessive literally overnight….kinda gave me whiplash. I would have appreciated a little bit more time for their relationship to develop before he declared she belonged to him.
Also, how Bri was essentially tricked into signing the contract by the PR frustrated me. The PR was rushing her to sign, even though Bri was trying to ask questions about it and trying to understand. I think I would’ve made more sense for Bri to know, at least a little bit, what she was agreeing to. Also Aiden. How did he not know what was going on?
Those are just some minor complaints. Overall, I enjoyed the story and hope to see this as apart of a series with the rest of the hockey boys and I especially think Bri’s brother needs to settle down 😉😉
I do wish we saw Aiden fall a bit more before he fell hard. It might have been helpful for this book to have a duel point of view. We saw a little bit of him softening towards Bri but I thought he got possessive literally overnight….kinda gave me whiplash. I would have appreciated a little bit more time for their relationship to develop before he declared she belonged to him.
Also, how Bri was essentially tricked into signing the contract by the PR frustrated me. The PR was rushing her to sign, even though Bri was trying to ask questions about it and trying to understand. I think I would’ve made more sense for Bri to know, at least a little bit, what she was agreeing to. Also Aiden. How did he not know what was going on?
Those are just some minor complaints. Overall, I enjoyed the story and hope to see this as apart of a series with the rest of the hockey boys and I especially think Bri’s brother needs to settle down 😉😉
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf-bored
January 5, 2026Perhaps it’s because I’ve been a teacher, but this book felt like a red flag to me. A teacher being alone with a student multiple times, not getting parental permission for activities outside of school, etc. etc. was horrifying to read. This book also didn’t portray teachers in a good light in general—showing up late to meetings, if at all; spacing out and not paying attention to trainings; not caring about a wonderful opportunity for the students; need I go on? Having been a teacher, it didn’t feel realistic at all for Bri to only seem to care about one student and then not give much effort into any other aspects of her job other than grading papers.
All of my teacher peeves aside, the romance fell flat because it…didn’t really exist! Granted, I DNF’d at 41%, so maybe something happened in the last half, but the MMC and FMC barely spoke to each other or interacted, and when they did, he was rude and she waffled between being rude and teasing. Somehow she was also okay with a surprise fake relationship being forced on her by a PR person who didn’t explain anything they were asking her to do (also what English teacher doesn’t know what an NDA is?).
There were too many unrealistic scenarios in the main characters’ forced proximity/relationship, and I couldn’t like either character.
All of my teacher peeves aside, the romance fell flat because it…didn’t really exist! Granted, I DNF’d at 41%, so maybe something happened in the last half, but the MMC and FMC barely spoke to each other or interacted, and when they did, he was rude and she waffled between being rude and teasing. Somehow she was also okay with a surprise fake relationship being forced on her by a PR person who didn’t explain anything they were asking her to do (also what English teacher doesn’t know what an NDA is?).
There were too many unrealistic scenarios in the main characters’ forced proximity/relationship, and I couldn’t like either character.
January 25, 2024
I really tried hard to get into this book because I thought this story had a lot of potential. I really like the idea behind it but I just feel like it wasn’t written in the best way. I think a dual pov would have made this a lot better because Aiden’s switch to hating Brielle to saying he loves her and being possessive over her was like instant and threw me off tbh. I felt like some much needed parts in the story were missing, such as some insight into how Brielle feels about Aiden or her and Aiden hanging out, but there was a lot of unnecessary parts, especially her at work and with her bestfriend. I really didn’t get into the book until 65% because that’s really the first time it felt a like a romance. I also feel like Brille’s behavior with her student was weird and isn’t realistic at all. Also the English teacher doesn’t know what an NDA is?? I can see some quirky cluelessness in characters but this one really didn’t make sense to me and it felt like Brielle was painfully and realistically clueless. But I liked Aiden’s character and wish we could have gotten to know him better through a dual pov.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2024
A hockey star and an English teacher who doesn’t skate!
This is my first read by this author and definitely not my last. Hockey is a big thing in books right now and this does not disappoint. Aiden Brooks is the ultimate Grumpy Gus big time hockey star. Brielle is the middle school English teacher who’ll do anything for her kids and knows absolutely nothing about hockey. When one of her classes win tickets to the professional hockey games she’s only along to chaperone and work on her phone so she won’t get bored. Ha! A major theme in the book is Brielle’s type 1diabetes and what’s necessary daily as a normal part of her life. Because dates have reacted so horribly to the news she’s diabetic she never tells them until it’s absolutely necessary. She goes through several traumatic events in the story which makes her insulin levels go wonky and Aiden pulls through like a champ. I’m really liking his three closest teammates and hoping to hear stories about them. Dante, one of her students, grabs your heart.
Heat level clean.
This is my first read by this author and definitely not my last. Hockey is a big thing in books right now and this does not disappoint. Aiden Brooks is the ultimate Grumpy Gus big time hockey star. Brielle is the middle school English teacher who’ll do anything for her kids and knows absolutely nothing about hockey. When one of her classes win tickets to the professional hockey games she’s only along to chaperone and work on her phone so she won’t get bored. Ha! A major theme in the book is Brielle’s type 1diabetes and what’s necessary daily as a normal part of her life. Because dates have reacted so horribly to the news she’s diabetic she never tells them until it’s absolutely necessary. She goes through several traumatic events in the story which makes her insulin levels go wonky and Aiden pulls through like a champ. I’m really liking his three closest teammates and hoping to hear stories about them. Dante, one of her students, grabs your heart.
Heat level clean.
June 3, 2024
Loved it!!!
I devoured "Two Tickets" immediately after finishing "The Flirty Forward", and I'm so glad I did! I had to know more about Aiden and Brielle's story after meeting them in the previous book (I know, I know, I read them out of order - oops!). But it was totally worth it. Aiden's gruff exterior was pretty rough - he's all tough on the outside, but a softie at heart. And Brielle? She's the sunshine to his rain cloud. Her optimism and positivity are infectious, and her kindness and independence make her an absolute delight. I loved watching their relationship grow as she used her two tickets to watch Aiden's hockey games, and seeing him take care of her and help manage her Type 1 diabetes was precious. The whole story is just so sweet, heartwarming, and funny - I found myself smiling from ear to ear throughout. And the supporting cast of characters is just as lovable - from Aiden's grumpy grandfather to his hockey teammates! If you're looking for a feel-good romance with a dash of humor, look no further. Highly recommend!
I devoured "Two Tickets" immediately after finishing "The Flirty Forward", and I'm so glad I did! I had to know more about Aiden and Brielle's story after meeting them in the previous book (I know, I know, I read them out of order - oops!). But it was totally worth it. Aiden's gruff exterior was pretty rough - he's all tough on the outside, but a softie at heart. And Brielle? She's the sunshine to his rain cloud. Her optimism and positivity are infectious, and her kindness and independence make her an absolute delight. I loved watching their relationship grow as she used her two tickets to watch Aiden's hockey games, and seeing him take care of her and help manage her Type 1 diabetes was precious. The whole story is just so sweet, heartwarming, and funny - I found myself smiling from ear to ear throughout. And the supporting cast of characters is just as lovable - from Aiden's grumpy grandfather to his hockey teammates! If you're looking for a feel-good romance with a dash of humor, look no further. Highly recommend!
December 17, 2024
I liked this grumpy hockey/sunshine teacher book. Let’s be honest; anytime you have a teacher-hockey player story, I’m all in 😂
Aiden needs help cleaning up his image and his viral interaction with Brielle at a game is a PR dream come true. How long before fake dating turns real.
But I did feel like there were some gaps in the writing.
• Aiden goes from seemingly hating Brielle to loving her. It’s like a switch flipped and there was no build up to it. Felt rushed.
• shame on the PR/Hockey team for the nonsense with the away game. Ridiculous.
• while I liked the bond she wanted with Dante, I do think it crossed some teacher-student boundaries…particularly the end. I also feel like we didn’t get much information about any of that until the end, and by then it didn’t make much sense.
I always love a book with a fun cast of characters, which we get from Sebastian, Rico, & Samantha.
All in all, a quick, fun read …. even with the critiques above.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
📖: KU
Aiden needs help cleaning up his image and his viral interaction with Brielle at a game is a PR dream come true. How long before fake dating turns real.
But I did feel like there were some gaps in the writing.
• Aiden goes from seemingly hating Brielle to loving her. It’s like a switch flipped and there was no build up to it. Felt rushed.
• shame on the PR/Hockey team for the nonsense with the away game. Ridiculous.
• while I liked the bond she wanted with Dante, I do think it crossed some teacher-student boundaries…particularly the end. I also feel like we didn’t get much information about any of that until the end, and by then it didn’t make much sense.
I always love a book with a fun cast of characters, which we get from Sebastian, Rico, & Samantha.
All in all, a quick, fun read …. even with the critiques above.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
📖: KU
Read
December 21, 2025Thoughts:
1. We only get Aiden's POV in the prologue. While I enjoyed this story, I do think it could've benefitted if we'd been given more of it.
2. I really couldn't stand anyone associated with the team-- aside from Sebastian and Rico -- for quite a while. The way they treated Bri was too much. They talked down to her, insulted her, made her feel inferior, and as if the whole fake dating thing (and all it entailed) was her doing.
3. Number two includes Aiden. I feel like he should've apologized for his earlier attitude toward her.
4. Aidem's transition in how we treated Bri was abrupt. The beginning was as if she was a nuisance, then a couple nice moments, to you're the most important thing to me. This is where number one would've really helped make it seem more realistic.
5. I loved Sebastian and Rico. Gunner got a lot better as the faking became actual.
6. I wish we would've learned if Dante's dad completed rehab and whether it worked.
1. We only get Aiden's POV in the prologue. While I enjoyed this story, I do think it could've benefitted if we'd been given more of it.
2. I really couldn't stand anyone associated with the team-- aside from Sebastian and Rico -- for quite a while. The way they treated Bri was too much. They talked down to her, insulted her, made her feel inferior, and as if the whole fake dating thing (and all it entailed) was her doing.
3. Number two includes Aiden. I feel like he should've apologized for his earlier attitude toward her.
4. Aidem's transition in how we treated Bri was abrupt. The beginning was as if she was a nuisance, then a couple nice moments, to you're the most important thing to me. This is where number one would've really helped make it seem more realistic.
5. I loved Sebastian and Rico. Gunner got a lot better as the faking became actual.
6. I wish we would've learned if Dante's dad completed rehab and whether it worked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2023
no no no. not for me. i just don't understand when the switch happened - when did aiden stop hating/resenting bri and why wasn't bri more suspicious about it? i just don't understand how bri could go from "this man is so grumpy and i'm just doing this cause i have to whomp whomp" to fucking moving in with him. also why didn't she get paid when she was with aiden to 'improve his image'? also just didn't like the whole dante subpoint, sorry, sue me. i liked the last like fifty pages, though, which is why i'm not rating this one-star; aiden taking her skating and helping her at the hot chocolate shop was cute. i also appreciated the representation of type 1 diabetes, as it's very close to my heart.
January 27, 2024
4/5 🌟
Think I’m being just a tiny bit generous with giving it 4 but that’s okay to me. First, I wanted to say how I wanted to Dnf this book bc of how fucking rude he was to Bri. Absolutely not. He wasn’t grumpy, he was just straight up rude. BUT he did change for the better and turned into a cutie patootie. The diabetic dog he gave her for Christmas. AHHHHH. So cute.
I was reading the scenes at the end when she moved in with him and it genuinely felt so homey. Also made me sad bc I want that. It was so cute and just them. In their house. I could also feel their love for each other.
Loved that they included Dante in almost everything.
LOVED Sebastian and Rico. So funny together LMAO
Aiden 🦋🫶🏼😫😍💌♾️😁💳✨😋🫠🤭🤩🌟♾️
Think I’m being just a tiny bit generous with giving it 4 but that’s okay to me. First, I wanted to say how I wanted to Dnf this book bc of how fucking rude he was to Bri. Absolutely not. He wasn’t grumpy, he was just straight up rude. BUT he did change for the better and turned into a cutie patootie. The diabetic dog he gave her for Christmas. AHHHHH. So cute.
I was reading the scenes at the end when she moved in with him and it genuinely felt so homey. Also made me sad bc I want that. It was so cute and just them. In their house. I could also feel their love for each other.
Loved that they included Dante in almost everything.
LOVED Sebastian and Rico. So funny together LMAO
Aiden 🦋🫶🏼😫😍💌♾️😁💳✨😋🫠🤭🤩🌟♾️
December 18, 2023
The way everyone used the FMC was so cringe. And she's just a happy little Mary Sue, going along with it? Even worse.
The way the PR girl tricked her into signing shit that locked her into fake-dating was absolutely disgusting human behavior. Pretty sure Chloe will get her own book someday but jeez, she isn't a good person. And the FMC is just a doormat. Somehow she worries about money but doesn't out any thought into how much gas, parking, food etc are going to cost now that she signed some sort of fake contract requiring her "services"
At least if she was a prostitute, she would have been paid for use of her time and body.
The way the PR girl tricked her into signing shit that locked her into fake-dating was absolutely disgusting human behavior. Pretty sure Chloe will get her own book someday but jeez, she isn't a good person. And the FMC is just a doormat. Somehow she worries about money but doesn't out any thought into how much gas, parking, food etc are going to cost now that she signed some sort of fake contract requiring her "services"
At least if she was a prostitute, she would have been paid for use of her time and body.
July 12, 2025
This book is the precursor to The Green Thunder series. I didn't read it until I had read two of the three books from the series, because I didn't know about it, but definitely read it first.
I enjoyed reading Brielle and Adrien's story, even though there were some spoilers in the first two books I read. Also, I laughed out loud at their first two meetings. Truly great.
This book could have used another read-through before printing. There were so many redundant words in sentences that made them awkward to read. If I didn't like the story anyway, I would have knocked it half a star.
I enjoyed reading Brielle and Adrien's story, even though there were some spoilers in the first two books I read. Also, I laughed out loud at their first two meetings. Truly great.
This book could have used another read-through before printing. There were so many redundant words in sentences that made them awkward to read. If I didn't like the story anyway, I would have knocked it half a star.
December 24, 2023
It is a cute story but I am sorry-- I could not get past that Bri drove a student of hers to her house, watched a movie with them, and then took them to a restaurant. What!?!? I don't think you need to be a teacher/educational staff to realize HOW THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW!!! And we are supposed to think nothing of this... Mind you, the kid has no parent permission for this. I just wish more knowledge of how teaching works went into the creation of the story before we were supposed to start rooting for a teacher who apparently does not know child safety laws.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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