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Dating a Denver Dragon #2
Cross Check Crush
This is one crush she’s willing to bet on…
Reality star sweetheart, Freya Danielson, is no stranger to living under a microscope. But not even her fans know about her secret crush on hockey’s hottest bad boy, Bridger Baros.
Bridger’s grumpy persona might be off-putting to some, but Freya sees past the bluster to who he is underneath. Sweet, shy, considerate…
And woefully oblivious to how deep Freya’s feelings run.
Bridger can’t catch a break. If it’s not his brother’s constant passive-aggressive comparison bringing on a headache, it’s his teammates ragging about his aversion to dating. But when everything comes to a head after a frustrating phone call, Bridger finds himself in need of help.
He needs a fiancée. Fast.
When Bridger finds out the owner of his social media fan page is none other than the country’s most beloved “good girl,” he proposes they strike a If she’ll pretend to be his fiancée at his family’s Thanksgiving get together, he’ll help her monetize her fan page by giving her an insider’s scoop into what it's like to be a Denver Dragon.
There’s just one catch—for Freya, nothing with Bridger is pretend. And she’s secretly hoping that by the time their holiday weekend away is over, Bridger has caught feelings for her too.
Putting it all on the line for a self-proclaimed bachelor is scary, but Freya’s determined to win Bridger’s heart—or get crushed trying.
** Cross-Check Crush is a sweet hockey romance full of flirty messages, fake dating, and fuzzy, warm feelings that are most certainly NOT fake. **
Reality star sweetheart, Freya Danielson, is no stranger to living under a microscope. But not even her fans know about her secret crush on hockey’s hottest bad boy, Bridger Baros.
Bridger’s grumpy persona might be off-putting to some, but Freya sees past the bluster to who he is underneath. Sweet, shy, considerate…
And woefully oblivious to how deep Freya’s feelings run.
Bridger can’t catch a break. If it’s not his brother’s constant passive-aggressive comparison bringing on a headache, it’s his teammates ragging about his aversion to dating. But when everything comes to a head after a frustrating phone call, Bridger finds himself in need of help.
He needs a fiancée. Fast.
When Bridger finds out the owner of his social media fan page is none other than the country’s most beloved “good girl,” he proposes they strike a If she’ll pretend to be his fiancée at his family’s Thanksgiving get together, he’ll help her monetize her fan page by giving her an insider’s scoop into what it's like to be a Denver Dragon.
There’s just one catch—for Freya, nothing with Bridger is pretend. And she’s secretly hoping that by the time their holiday weekend away is over, Bridger has caught feelings for her too.
Putting it all on the line for a self-proclaimed bachelor is scary, but Freya’s determined to win Bridger’s heart—or get crushed trying.
** Cross-Check Crush is a sweet hockey romance full of flirty messages, fake dating, and fuzzy, warm feelings that are most certainly NOT fake. **
Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2024
184 people are currently reading
992 people want to read
About the author
Dulcie Dameron
17 books449 followersDulcie is a wife and mother who channels her free spirit into the stories she pours onto the page. Her romance writing obsession turned day job is fueled by caffeine, sarcasm, and kisses from her bearded grump. If you love stories with sizzling tension minus the spice, add her books to your never-ending TBRs.
Find her on Instagram at @dulciedameron
Find her on Instagram at @dulciedameron
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
February 3, 2024
This. Was. Yummy. So many good things packed into story!
Not just chemistry & kisses. We got real people with real struggles, real problems, and insecurities. I felt so seen while reading this book.
But that instant connection they felt…the “I just met you, but I feel like I’ve known you for my whole life” I EEEAATTT THIS TROPE UP!
And it just felt RIGHT for these characters.
I loved seeing Bridget & Freya learn each other’s moods/expressions and they were each other’s support in rough situations.
Y’all know I’m never gonna complain about banter, and chemistry, and flirty moments, and great kisses! ADD FAKE ENGAGEMENT TO IT AND I’M SOLD! And this book delivered there too!
It really was a great mix of heartfelt and hot!
I’m excited to read the rest of the Denver Dragon boy’s books!
Added plus that was so great was the mention of their faith, prayer, God and all the things. It felt naturally written into the stories and I really enjoyed it!
4.5/5 stars
*I received this book from the author**All opinions are my own*
Not just chemistry & kisses. We got real people with real struggles, real problems, and insecurities. I felt so seen while reading this book.
But that instant connection they felt…the “I just met you, but I feel like I’ve known you for my whole life” I EEEAATTT THIS TROPE UP!
And it just felt RIGHT for these characters.
I loved seeing Bridget & Freya learn each other’s moods/expressions and they were each other’s support in rough situations.
Y’all know I’m never gonna complain about banter, and chemistry, and flirty moments, and great kisses! ADD FAKE ENGAGEMENT TO IT AND I’M SOLD! And this book delivered there too!
It really was a great mix of heartfelt and hot!
I’m excited to read the rest of the Denver Dragon boy’s books!
Added plus that was so great was the mention of their faith, prayer, God and all the things. It felt naturally written into the stories and I really enjoyed it!
4.5/5 stars
*I received this book from the author**All opinions are my own*
January 31, 2024
I’m firmly settled into my hockey romance era and I couldn’t have loved this book more!
Bad boy hockey goalie of the Denver Dragons, Bridger, is a grump and has some layers to him that made him vulnerable and a big softie at heart. I loved the way he and social media guru and reality TV star, Freya, met–so many roads lead to their first meet, including a fake engagement proposal (which if you’ve been here for a minute, you’ll know it’s one of my favorite tropes). Freya is so sunny, positive and sweet, but she’s also got a few issues of her own, and I love how they’re there for each other.
This book made me laugh so much, yet there are some weighty and tender moments mingled in there. Their connection, banter, flirtiness, and swoon is perfection. This story delivers the perfect romcom package that I devour, one that anchors to my heart and soul.
With so many things to love–a hot tub kiss, a kiss interrupted by police, complicated family dynamics, teammates who are like family, finding comfort with a person who feels like home, attraction that sprays like ice in a hockey stop…this book is so good. This is my first Dulcie Dameron book and it for sure won’t be my last!
Content: mild+ romance (swoony kisses, making out, light innuendo); harsh/judgy family dynamics
*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were voluntarily given*
Bad boy hockey goalie of the Denver Dragons, Bridger, is a grump and has some layers to him that made him vulnerable and a big softie at heart. I loved the way he and social media guru and reality TV star, Freya, met–so many roads lead to their first meet, including a fake engagement proposal (which if you’ve been here for a minute, you’ll know it’s one of my favorite tropes). Freya is so sunny, positive and sweet, but she’s also got a few issues of her own, and I love how they’re there for each other.
This book made me laugh so much, yet there are some weighty and tender moments mingled in there. Their connection, banter, flirtiness, and swoon is perfection. This story delivers the perfect romcom package that I devour, one that anchors to my heart and soul.
With so many things to love–a hot tub kiss, a kiss interrupted by police, complicated family dynamics, teammates who are like family, finding comfort with a person who feels like home, attraction that sprays like ice in a hockey stop…this book is so good. This is my first Dulcie Dameron book and it for sure won’t be my last!
Content: mild+ romance (swoony kisses, making out, light innuendo); harsh/judgy family dynamics
*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were voluntarily given*
January 25, 2024
Ahhh this book is just the best!! Once I started it this afternoon I couldn't put it down until I finished it!
I absolutely adored Bridger! I loved that he is a grumpy hockey player that has so much depth for why he is the way he is. I love that we see so many sides of what makes him unique. I love that we see him as he struggles with anxiety and even more when he finds his safe place beside Freya.
Oh how I love Freya! She is sunshine personified! I love that even though she would have so many reasons to feel mad at the world she just views the world with such optimism. I love that she has such confidence in who she is as a person both inside and out. But I also love that she still deals with insecurities that she tries to hide because it shows that even those that radiate confidence still struggle.
The relationship and balance between Bridger and Freya was just perfect! I love that they stood up for each other in so many ways. They truly saw each other's imperfections as something beautiful. I love how Bridger just said the sweetest things to Freya and always made her feel precious. I love that Freya was Bridgers rock and could keep him grounded and safe. And the nicknames…ahh Dulcie just choosing the cutest nicknames for her characters!
This book just nailed everything I love about Dulcie’s writing. She writes the best characters that so many can relate to. She nails the kisses and just has you swooning left and right.
If you want a wonderful hockey romance that you won't be able to put down, give this one a go as soon as it releases!
Physical Intimacy Lvl 2.5 (longer kisses without description of tongue)
Zero swearing
Dual POV
I absolutely adored Bridger! I loved that he is a grumpy hockey player that has so much depth for why he is the way he is. I love that we see so many sides of what makes him unique. I love that we see him as he struggles with anxiety and even more when he finds his safe place beside Freya.
Oh how I love Freya! She is sunshine personified! I love that even though she would have so many reasons to feel mad at the world she just views the world with such optimism. I love that she has such confidence in who she is as a person both inside and out. But I also love that she still deals with insecurities that she tries to hide because it shows that even those that radiate confidence still struggle.
The relationship and balance between Bridger and Freya was just perfect! I love that they stood up for each other in so many ways. They truly saw each other's imperfections as something beautiful. I love how Bridger just said the sweetest things to Freya and always made her feel precious. I love that Freya was Bridgers rock and could keep him grounded and safe. And the nicknames…ahh Dulcie just choosing the cutest nicknames for her characters!
This book just nailed everything I love about Dulcie’s writing. She writes the best characters that so many can relate to. She nails the kisses and just has you swooning left and right.
If you want a wonderful hockey romance that you won't be able to put down, give this one a go as soon as it releases!
Physical Intimacy Lvl 2.5 (longer kisses without description of tongue)
Zero swearing
Dual POV
January 31, 2024
Cross Check Crush is part of the Dating A Denver Dragon multi author romcom series, and it was a great way to kick off the series.
With some internet flirting followed by fake dating, this one was so fun. He's a bit of a bad boy, a bit grumpy, and she is pure sunshine. Her positivity oozes in the most perfect way.
This is a pure feel good clean romcom.
With some internet flirting followed by fake dating, this one was so fun. He's a bit of a bad boy, a bit grumpy, and she is pure sunshine. Her positivity oozes in the most perfect way.
This is a pure feel good clean romcom.
February 26, 2024
Oh, sweet hockey sticks! This book, y’all!!! It had my emotions all over the place. I couldn’t get enough of sweet Bridger and Freya.
The romance, the banter, the characters…it was all perfect!
I loved Bridger! He had the perfect amount of grumpiness, but underneath he was the sweetest cinnamon roll! He had so many layers that Freya slowly peeled back to discover the reason behind his broodiness. His character had so much depth and seeing him overcome his troubles was a breathing to read.
Freya was a ray of sunshine and I just loved her name! She was so strong and had such a positive outlook on life. She never let anything get her down and she was the perfect companion for Bridger. She was a precious soul and we need more Freya’s in this world.
I loved their relationship from the beginning. Freya’s crush on Bridger was adorable. It was fun to watch their fake relationship turn to more. Their chemistry was 🔥🔥! The banter was spot on…those nicknames were everything! Those kisses….Dulcie knows how to write those kiss scenes! The way they both supported and stood up for each other was the best. Their love story has become a favorite now, and I’m so excited to read more about the Denver Dragons!
If you love a good hockey romance, with lots of depth and all the swoony romance and kisses, then read this asap!
Things I Loved:
🏒Text messages
🏒“Number One”
🏒Fake Fiance
🏒The dream
🏒The hot tub kiss
🏒Guitar lessons
🏒Flirty banter
🏒Forced proximity
🏒Ice Skating lessons
🏒All the other kisses
🏒The grand gesture
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The romance, the banter, the characters…it was all perfect!
I loved Bridger! He had the perfect amount of grumpiness, but underneath he was the sweetest cinnamon roll! He had so many layers that Freya slowly peeled back to discover the reason behind his broodiness. His character had so much depth and seeing him overcome his troubles was a breathing to read.
Freya was a ray of sunshine and I just loved her name! She was so strong and had such a positive outlook on life. She never let anything get her down and she was the perfect companion for Bridger. She was a precious soul and we need more Freya’s in this world.
I loved their relationship from the beginning. Freya’s crush on Bridger was adorable. It was fun to watch their fake relationship turn to more. Their chemistry was 🔥🔥! The banter was spot on…those nicknames were everything! Those kisses….Dulcie knows how to write those kiss scenes! The way they both supported and stood up for each other was the best. Their love story has become a favorite now, and I’m so excited to read more about the Denver Dragons!
If you love a good hockey romance, with lots of depth and all the swoony romance and kisses, then read this asap!
Things I Loved:
🏒Text messages
🏒“Number One”
🏒Fake Fiance
🏒The dream
🏒The hot tub kiss
🏒Guitar lessons
🏒Flirty banter
🏒Forced proximity
🏒Ice Skating lessons
🏒All the other kisses
🏒The grand gesture
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 30, 2024
“I know that, at least for me, whatever is building between us is more than just a fake relationship. It’s as real as anything I’ve ever felt before. She may be wearing my mom’s ring for show, but a huge part of me wishes it was real.”
After being provoked by his annoying brother, Bridger says he’s engaged and is bringing his fiancée home for Thanksgiving. Now, he just needs to find a fake girlfriend. The only woman he can imagine that being, is his online friend that he’s never met before.
Freya has a big crush on tough and intimidating hockey player, Bridger Baros, and runs an anonymous online fan page on him. When he contacts her, asking her to be his fake fiancée, she’s more than happy to say yes. As you get to know Bridger, you can’t blame the girl for hoping things will go from fake to real.
I knew from the synopsis that I was going to enjoy this story, but it was even better than I anticipated. I’ve read several of Dulcie’s books but this one has become my favorite of hers.
I loved Bridger and Freya! They’re fabulous characters with a lot of depth, and such strong chemistry between them.
I especially loved how human and vulnerable they were. Bridger suffers from severe social anxiety, had a drinking problem in the past, and struggles with not feeling good enough.
Freya is a curvy girl, with a port wine stain birthmark on her face. She’s been hurt by comments about her appearance, but I really adored how positive and secure she was about herself. I also loved how she helped Bridger see how remarkable he really was.
Cross Check Crush is the second book in a new sweet hockey romance series — Dating A Denver Dragon. If you love clean sports romances, I highly recommend it.
I received a copy from the author, but a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
After being provoked by his annoying brother, Bridger says he’s engaged and is bringing his fiancée home for Thanksgiving. Now, he just needs to find a fake girlfriend. The only woman he can imagine that being, is his online friend that he’s never met before.
Freya has a big crush on tough and intimidating hockey player, Bridger Baros, and runs an anonymous online fan page on him. When he contacts her, asking her to be his fake fiancée, she’s more than happy to say yes. As you get to know Bridger, you can’t blame the girl for hoping things will go from fake to real.
I knew from the synopsis that I was going to enjoy this story, but it was even better than I anticipated. I’ve read several of Dulcie’s books but this one has become my favorite of hers.
I loved Bridger and Freya! They’re fabulous characters with a lot of depth, and such strong chemistry between them.
I especially loved how human and vulnerable they were. Bridger suffers from severe social anxiety, had a drinking problem in the past, and struggles with not feeling good enough.
Freya is a curvy girl, with a port wine stain birthmark on her face. She’s been hurt by comments about her appearance, but I really adored how positive and secure she was about herself. I also loved how she helped Bridger see how remarkable he really was.
Cross Check Crush is the second book in a new sweet hockey romance series — Dating A Denver Dragon. If you love clean sports romances, I highly recommend it.
I received a copy from the author, but a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
January 30, 2024
Dulcie Dameron is the QUEEN of quick burn romance.
Bridger and Freya’s story had me on a rollercoaster of emotions, mostly swooning and kicking my feet at their sweetness.
Both characters were ridiculously lovable from the very start. I love how their connection originally started (iykyk but I’m not giving spoilers) and how it developed so naturally yet somehow quickly over the course of the book.
Freya, our lovable heroine, had unique qualities that Bridger adored—genuinely and I love how he loved her. Guy not wanting touched except from her is something i haven’t seen much but adored seeing in this book.
Despite the quick romance, the other tensions in the book kept me at the edge of my seat and flipping through pages as if my life depended on it.
I loved every single thing about this book. Dulcie expertly writes deep characters who feel like your best friends and you can’t help but cheer them on. There are about a billion other things I could say. But I’ll leave with this: go buy this book. Now.
I was given a free review copy of this book but was not required to give a positive review.
RATINGS:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✝️
💋💋.5
Bridger and Freya’s story had me on a rollercoaster of emotions, mostly swooning and kicking my feet at their sweetness.
Both characters were ridiculously lovable from the very start. I love how their connection originally started (iykyk but I’m not giving spoilers) and how it developed so naturally yet somehow quickly over the course of the book.
Freya, our lovable heroine, had unique qualities that Bridger adored—genuinely and I love how he loved her. Guy not wanting touched except from her is something i haven’t seen much but adored seeing in this book.
Despite the quick romance, the other tensions in the book kept me at the edge of my seat and flipping through pages as if my life depended on it.
I loved every single thing about this book. Dulcie expertly writes deep characters who feel like your best friends and you can’t help but cheer them on. There are about a billion other things I could say. But I’ll leave with this: go buy this book. Now.
I was given a free review copy of this book but was not required to give a positive review.
RATINGS:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✝️
💋💋.5
August 6, 2024
4⭐️ The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars is because of the beginning tropes 💀. Insta-love and fake dating just aren’t for me BUT the rest of it was great! I love seeing women encouraging their men and vice versa.
February 3, 2024
Love this new to me author - and of course I’m on board for a hockey theme. 😉 A fun read!
February 20, 2024
So many cute things about this story.
January 30, 2024
I absolutely loved Bridger & Freya's heartachingly beautiful, sweet, caring, loving, swoony story!!
January 29, 2024
Imagine you run a fan account for your celebrity crush, and imagine he contacts you, asking if you will be his fake fiancée and go home with him for thanksgiving.
Meet Freya and her grouchy, celebrity crush Bridger, who plays for the local ice hockey team, Denver Dragons. She can't believe her luck when Bridger contacts her via her social media fan account and asks her for a huge favour. Next thing she knows, she's driving to Bridger's family home for thanksgiving, trying to convince his family that they are madly in love. Freya feels like she's dreaming, but could there be a chance that this show they are putting on might not be so fake after all?
This book was delicious. I enjoyed every bite! An absolute triumph from Dulcie Dameron. I was so excited to read this one and was not disappointed. Fake dating is fast becoming a favourite trope of mine, and these two are just so cute!!!! Also love a good grumpy/sunshine story and Bridger is the most adorable grump!
Read this book! You will not be disappointed!!
Meet Freya and her grouchy, celebrity crush Bridger, who plays for the local ice hockey team, Denver Dragons. She can't believe her luck when Bridger contacts her via her social media fan account and asks her for a huge favour. Next thing she knows, she's driving to Bridger's family home for thanksgiving, trying to convince his family that they are madly in love. Freya feels like she's dreaming, but could there be a chance that this show they are putting on might not be so fake after all?
This book was delicious. I enjoyed every bite! An absolute triumph from Dulcie Dameron. I was so excited to read this one and was not disappointed. Fake dating is fast becoming a favourite trope of mine, and these two are just so cute!!!! Also love a good grumpy/sunshine story and Bridger is the most adorable grump!
Read this book! You will not be disappointed!!
January 24, 2024
Cross Check Crush is the second book in the Dating a Denver Dragon series. This is a multi-author series centered around the Denver Dragons hockey team and can definitely be enjoyed as standalones as well.
Honestly, just give me ALL the closed-door hockey romance... I am absolutely HERE for it! Seriously, I am obsessed, and I have to say I am absolutely loving this series so far! Grumpy MMC always seem to win me over, so naturally I adored Bridger right from the start for that reason alone... but as someone who also deals with severe social anxiety, I definitely connected with and appreciated his character very much! Bridger and Freya's story was super sweet with all the humor and swoon that I adore in a romcom, but it also had so much depth to it as well. I feel like we all have insecurities we struggle with and as such can relate to these characters on some level--- making them all that much easier to fall in love with and root for.
Dulcie Dameron has very quickly become a must-read author for me, and this one definitely solidifies that for me... it's so perfectly swoon worthy and I enjoyed every single second. I absolutely cannot wait to read more from this series.
Cross Check Crush is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.
**I received an ARC for consideration. All opinions are my own.
Honestly, just give me ALL the closed-door hockey romance... I am absolutely HERE for it! Seriously, I am obsessed, and I have to say I am absolutely loving this series so far! Grumpy MMC always seem to win me over, so naturally I adored Bridger right from the start for that reason alone... but as someone who also deals with severe social anxiety, I definitely connected with and appreciated his character very much! Bridger and Freya's story was super sweet with all the humor and swoon that I adore in a romcom, but it also had so much depth to it as well. I feel like we all have insecurities we struggle with and as such can relate to these characters on some level--- making them all that much easier to fall in love with and root for.
Dulcie Dameron has very quickly become a must-read author for me, and this one definitely solidifies that for me... it's so perfectly swoon worthy and I enjoyed every single second. I absolutely cannot wait to read more from this series.
Cross Check Crush is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.
**I received an ARC for consideration. All opinions are my own.
February 4, 2024
AHHHH… I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed this book! The way the anxiety Bridger experienced was portrayed in such a way that brought true awareness to it while also showing how Freya was able to be such a source of comfort to him was truly beautiful!
I LOVED the fact that she had a fan page for him , I just thought that was the cutest little way for them to get introduced to each other! Seeing the care and love they had in getting to know each other and the way Freya was able to be there for Bridger when he dealt with his tough family interactions was so sweet.
Freya is such a ball of SUNSHINE ☀️ I loved the positive outlook she took on with everything and I am definitely taking a few pages out of her book :)))
I adored the way faith and God were introduced in this story that felt so natural and not forced in any type of way!
Super excited to read more of your books!
I LOVED the fact that she had a fan page for him , I just thought that was the cutest little way for them to get introduced to each other! Seeing the care and love they had in getting to know each other and the way Freya was able to be there for Bridger when he dealt with his tough family interactions was so sweet.
Freya is such a ball of SUNSHINE ☀️ I loved the positive outlook she took on with everything and I am definitely taking a few pages out of her book :)))
I adored the way faith and God were introduced in this story that felt so natural and not forced in any type of way!
Super excited to read more of your books!
February 5, 2024
Swoony Clean Hockey romance
This hockey romance was all things swoony!
It also fantastically repped things not talked about enough in book!
1. The fact our male main character has pretty bad anxiety and some minor ADD symptoms.
2. That our female main character has port wine birthmarks on her face.
I absolutely LOVED both of these aspects of the story and thoroughly enjoyed how they played into the romance.
There was a lot of healing, examples of real and hard family relationships, and yet a lot of optimism and hope involved too.
Such a great read and the fact there is hockey involved just made it even better!
👄Makeouts
⚠️Emotional hurt from family members, grief from loss of parents and grandparents, anxiety rep!
This hockey romance was all things swoony!
It also fantastically repped things not talked about enough in book!
1. The fact our male main character has pretty bad anxiety and some minor ADD symptoms.
2. That our female main character has port wine birthmarks on her face.
I absolutely LOVED both of these aspects of the story and thoroughly enjoyed how they played into the romance.
There was a lot of healing, examples of real and hard family relationships, and yet a lot of optimism and hope involved too.
Such a great read and the fact there is hockey involved just made it even better!
👄Makeouts
⚠️Emotional hurt from family members, grief from loss of parents and grandparents, anxiety rep!
January 24, 2024
Give me all the Dulcie books.
Freya and Bridger are perfection.
I'm so gaga over this broody meets sunshine
duo.
Bridger comes off as a grump, but is covering some serious social anxiety. (Side note,
I'm thrilled to see this portrayed through a male lead.) He really just doesn't want to be the family let down.
Enter Freya, Bridger's unknown Number One fan.
Although not accepted by all, she is authentic, optimistic, and not just a fan girl - she's all in as Bridger's advocate and caretaker of his heart.
I love their fast fall, their flirts, and the way they each have to accept being accepted as is.
*Swooooooon*
I received an ARC copy from the author. This is my honest opinion of the book. ❤️
Freya and Bridger are perfection.
I'm so gaga over this broody meets sunshine
duo.
Bridger comes off as a grump, but is covering some serious social anxiety. (Side note,
I'm thrilled to see this portrayed through a male lead.) He really just doesn't want to be the family let down.
Enter Freya, Bridger's unknown Number One fan.
Although not accepted by all, she is authentic, optimistic, and not just a fan girl - she's all in as Bridger's advocate and caretaker of his heart.
I love their fast fall, their flirts, and the way they each have to accept being accepted as is.
*Swooooooon*
I received an ARC copy from the author. This is my honest opinion of the book. ❤️
February 6, 2024
I loved this hockey romance!! It was well-written and so swoony! Who wouldn’t love Bridget and Freya! A great grumpy/sunshine pair!! I had a smile on my face the entire time reading this! There was lots of depth and real world problems but it wasn't too heavy. Which made it relatable and realistic while still being lighthearted. It was wonderfully balanced. The romance and flirting were on point, perfect for grumpy/sunshine! Bridger only had eyes for Freya and I loved that so much! She brought him out of his shell and supported him throughout the book. The family drama was intriguing and convicting and well-written by Dameron. I really enjoyed this hockey romance and can't wait to see the rest of the hockey players stories unfold.
January 30, 2024
Genre: sports romance
Content: makeouts, severe social anxiety, alcoholism (in the past), toxic family relationships, loss of parents/guardians in the past
Y’all, I don’t know anything about hockey except that I AM IN MY (sweet/closed door) HOCKEY ROMANCE ERA. Yes, yes, please.
Bridger Baros is a grumpy player on the Denver Dragons. Freya Danielson anonymously runs a Bridger fan page on Insta. She and Bridger begin messaging and talking some through the page, enough that he nicknames her Number One (as in his #1 fan). Spurred on by his brother’s toxic comments, Bridger proclaims that he’s engaged and will be bringing someone home for Thanksgiving. But who? Enter Number One. 😉
I am such a big fan of Dulcie’s writing! She is an auto-read author for me at this point. What I really loved about this story was the diverse representation that we got: Bridger has severe social anxiety that he “treated” with alcohol earlier in life. Freya has a port wine stain birthmark on her face. I feel like this isn’t something seen in books often and I love to see it.
This one releases on January 30th and if you are also in your hockey romance era, you aren’t going to want to miss it! I can’t wait for the next book in this multi-author series!
I highlighted some many parts of this story that the fave quotes will be hard to choose this time…here goes nothing!
Quotes That I Loved:
😂 "She's no one you would know."
What am I saying right now? She's no one he would know? She's no one that I even know! I literally just made her up!
🔥 If he's about to ask me out right now, it's an automatic and emphatic YES, PLEASE, COME TO MAMA.
👀 "If at any time you feel uncomfortable tomorrow, I want you to tell me, okay?
If you're scared or nervous... whatever it is. Don't feel like you need to put a brave face on for me. I want to see all of you, no hiding."
*I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own. No positive review was required.
Content: makeouts, severe social anxiety, alcoholism (in the past), toxic family relationships, loss of parents/guardians in the past
Y’all, I don’t know anything about hockey except that I AM IN MY (sweet/closed door) HOCKEY ROMANCE ERA. Yes, yes, please.
Bridger Baros is a grumpy player on the Denver Dragons. Freya Danielson anonymously runs a Bridger fan page on Insta. She and Bridger begin messaging and talking some through the page, enough that he nicknames her Number One (as in his #1 fan). Spurred on by his brother’s toxic comments, Bridger proclaims that he’s engaged and will be bringing someone home for Thanksgiving. But who? Enter Number One. 😉
I am such a big fan of Dulcie’s writing! She is an auto-read author for me at this point. What I really loved about this story was the diverse representation that we got: Bridger has severe social anxiety that he “treated” with alcohol earlier in life. Freya has a port wine stain birthmark on her face. I feel like this isn’t something seen in books often and I love to see it.
This one releases on January 30th and if you are also in your hockey romance era, you aren’t going to want to miss it! I can’t wait for the next book in this multi-author series!
I highlighted some many parts of this story that the fave quotes will be hard to choose this time…here goes nothing!
Quotes That I Loved:
😂 "She's no one you would know."
What am I saying right now? She's no one he would know? She's no one that I even know! I literally just made her up!
🔥 If he's about to ask me out right now, it's an automatic and emphatic YES, PLEASE, COME TO MAMA.
👀 "If at any time you feel uncomfortable tomorrow, I want you to tell me, okay?
If you're scared or nervous... whatever it is. Don't feel like you need to put a brave face on for me. I want to see all of you, no hiding."
*I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own. No positive review was required.
January 30, 2024
“𝙃𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙟𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙮’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠.”
This was such a cute story, and I loved Bridger and Freya together! Gah, I just wanted to hug Bridger. The way he masked his severe social anxiety with a grumpy, gruff exterior really pulled at my heart strings. I loved that he was truly a cinnamon roll with eyes only for Freya. I enjoyed meeting his teammates and how they really came through for him when it mattered the most. I’m really looking forward to their stories!
“𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙮𝙖’𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙚. 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”
Freya was truly a ray of sunshine and she’s a heroine you can’t help but connect with. I loved her confidence despite her outward appearance. She was truly beautiful inside and out. Her positivity was so contagious and it was exactly what Bridger needed. They had such great chemistry — first in the DMs and then in person. I love that their relationship truly started before either of them realized it. I highly recommend this sweet hockey romance for fans of fake relationships, lots of pining, and swoony kisses!
Content: kisses
Available on KU.
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.
This was such a cute story, and I loved Bridger and Freya together! Gah, I just wanted to hug Bridger. The way he masked his severe social anxiety with a grumpy, gruff exterior really pulled at my heart strings. I loved that he was truly a cinnamon roll with eyes only for Freya. I enjoyed meeting his teammates and how they really came through for him when it mattered the most. I’m really looking forward to their stories!
“𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙮𝙖’𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙚. 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”
Freya was truly a ray of sunshine and she’s a heroine you can’t help but connect with. I loved her confidence despite her outward appearance. She was truly beautiful inside and out. Her positivity was so contagious and it was exactly what Bridger needed. They had such great chemistry — first in the DMs and then in person. I love that their relationship truly started before either of them realized it. I highly recommend this sweet hockey romance for fans of fake relationships, lots of pining, and swoony kisses!
Content: kisses
Available on KU.
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.
April 1, 2025
2.75/3
If my celebrity crush asked me to be his fake fiancé then I would have a hard time saying no too…
This wasn’t a Christian romance like the first book in the series which I was kind of surprised by because the author is Christian. Nonetheless it was still cute and very cheesy! I felt like I was reading a fan faction because how often does your celebrity crush happen to stumble upon your fan page and dm you to be his fake fiancé for Thanksgiving??!! Umm never! This book was so unrealistic. I mean he literally calls her "Number One" as a pet name!!!
I wish Bridger got some acceptance, closure, support, forgiveness, anything with his family at the end though. Throughout the entire book, he unleashes all his trauma onto Freya about his toxic family and it was left unresolved in the end. He didn’t talk to his dad, Georgiana, Blaine, etc. about his feelings (and some of this resentment is from his teenager years so talking about it is long overdue).
The last chapter though was peak romcom material!! So much so that I got second hand embarrassment lol
If my celebrity crush asked me to be his fake fiancé then I would have a hard time saying no too…
This wasn’t a Christian romance like the first book in the series which I was kind of surprised by because the author is Christian. Nonetheless it was still cute and very cheesy! I felt like I was reading a fan faction because how often does your celebrity crush happen to stumble upon your fan page and dm you to be his fake fiancé for Thanksgiving??!! Umm never! This book was so unrealistic. I mean he literally calls her "Number One" as a pet name!!!
I wish Bridger got some acceptance, closure, support, forgiveness, anything with his family at the end though. Throughout the entire book, he unleashes all his trauma onto Freya about his toxic family and it was left unresolved in the end. He didn’t talk to his dad, Georgiana, Blaine, etc. about his feelings (and some of this resentment is from his teenager years so talking about it is long overdue).
The last chapter though was peak romcom material!! So much so that I got second hand embarrassment lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2024
Dulcie is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read every book she’s written and they keep getting better and better!! I loved this sweet love story between Freya and Bridger. He’s a hockey player and she’s his number 1 fan. She runs his fan page and one night they dm each other. What happens when he asks her to be his fake fiancé over Thanksgiving when he visits his family? He’s watched her in the stands and she’s had a crush on him forever! A match made in heaven? Read the book to find out!
February 24, 2024
Love This Series
Freya is indeed a ray of sunshine and goodness and has overcome so many hard things in her life. It was a joy reading about her. My heart went out to Bridger with his passive-aggressive family and anxiety issues. Bridger and Freya's relationship was so darn sweet. I also love hockey, and I love the fact that this series centers on a hockey team. Beautiful ending as well.
Freya is indeed a ray of sunshine and goodness and has overcome so many hard things in her life. It was a joy reading about her. My heart went out to Bridger with his passive-aggressive family and anxiety issues. Bridger and Freya's relationship was so darn sweet. I also love hockey, and I love the fact that this series centers on a hockey team. Beautiful ending as well.
January 31, 2024
Grumpy sunshine with a touch of hockey
Grumpy/ Sunshine with hockey thrown in for good measure… what’s not to like. A sweet hockey romcom that’ll keep you turning the pages. Looking forward to the rest of the books in the series!
Grumpy/ Sunshine with hockey thrown in for good measure… what’s not to like. A sweet hockey romcom that’ll keep you turning the pages. Looking forward to the rest of the books in the series!
January 30, 2024
Very cute. The family dysfunction was very believable and Bridger was a great MMC.
February 1, 2024
I loved the body positivity Dulcie established in this book and discussion of healthy boundaries. The grumpy/sunshine banter was fun to read, and I loved the team atmosphere. Also the talk about books influencing world perception was so funny. Reading too much romantasy might be a thing. 😂
February 7, 2024
3.5⭐️
Siempre amaré un romance en donde uno de los protagonistas tenga ansiedad social porque me da ánimos de que alguien con as puede encontrar el amor.
Siempre amaré un romance en donde uno de los protagonistas tenga ansiedad social porque me da ánimos de que alguien con as puede encontrar el amor.
March 9, 2024
Fake relationship trope at its finest! I’m a big fan of this author already and she knocked it out of the park again!
March 15, 2024
I loved this one! The title is absolutely perfection for this book as Freya has the biggest crush on hockey star Bridger. He’s grumpy too! They have a fake relationship and I adore them together!
September 23, 2024
4.3⭐️ cute!! love both MC’s probably not gonna read the other books in the series, not cause i didn’t like it tho.
October 20, 2024
4.25⭐️’s
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