Playing to Win

Toronto Blaze #1

by Kim Findlay

Braydon
I fought to play in the NHL. Now I may have blown my chance with a drunken rant that went viral about the female goalie who shared my NHL debut. I can’t say that I reacted badly after I found out she was the secret half-sister I never knew existed.
To repair my reputation and prove I support women’s hockey, I’m pretend-dating a hockey player. So bizarre. Fortunately, she’s brilliant, as well as an Olympic champion. And did I mention sexy?
When she gets devastating news, I support her, and things between us feel real. It’s hard to remember she’s only dating me for her job, because she refuses to be ‘just’ the girlfriend of a hockey player.
Jayna
I’m one of the top women players in hockey, but my family still considers my brother, drafted but playing in Europe a bigger success. They’re more invested in his career than mine, even though I won a fricking Olympic gold medal.
Now I’m injured and working PR for the Toronto Blaze NHL team while I rehab. When an idiot they brought up from the farm team gets caught dissing my teammate, I’m asked to fake date him to rehab his reputation. It’s just temporary. Until the worst happens, and suddenly my fake date is my biggest support.
But I can’t lose my identity. I’m a hockey player, not a WAG.

Genres: Sports, Sports Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Hockey, Hockey Romance, Amazon

344 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2024

About the author

Kim Findlay left Canada on a sailboat and spent five years cruising the Caribbean with her husband and the world's cutest dog. After two years on the island of Saint Martin, She's on her next adventure living in France! Bucket list accomplished!

She's now working on the fifth book of the Toronto Blaze series, which includes some characters from Halftime. She's also starting on a series set in France. Join her newsletter to keep up!

Reviews

[Melanie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC Review

Playing to Win is the start of a series by Author Kim Findlay, and what a start it is!

The story follows Jayna a female, Olympic Gold medal winning hockey player and Braydon an undated AHL goalie who gets called up to the NHL.

Following his NHL debut, Braydon goes on a drunken rant about the female goalie who stole the focus of his debut, however not for the reasons you might think.

To solve the PR nightmare Braydon and Jayna are forced into a fake relationship by the teams management.

What happens when the fake relationship starts to feel real? Can the two work through the various dramas and become a real couple?

This author was a new to me author and I’m so glad to have the opportunity to read this great story! As someone who spent time working as an athletic trainer for both a men’s and women’s hockey team, the spotlight on the differences between mens and women’s hockey is so important !

I highly recommend checking out this story when it release March 1, 2024. Thank you Kim for the ARC opportunity in exchange for my honest review !

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect, new to me author, and I did not read the blurb, I was looking for a book to read. I was pleasantly surprised. While elements were just as expected, it was the twist of female hockey players that held my attention.

Braydon is given a chance to make an NHL team, and while his performance on the ice is not the problem. It is his off the ice behavior that has him in a situation. The PR department proposes a solution: a (fake) girlfriend who happens to be a hockey player herself.

I like the way Jayna’s character is written, strong, and stands against those who disrespect her teammates, or women’s hockey. We get to see some real life struggles, and the work involved playing sports at that level.

I plan to read more from this series, as this book is a great start.

Thank you to Booksprout and the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Vic · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Puck me, what a great hockey story with lots of twists, turns and drama. Once I started, I couldn't stop, and 3am later, it was done. And what a ride. Hockey, chemistry, steamy spice, connection and love. What more do you want?

I was totally invested in Jaydon, they had depth. I liked the realness of the setting and how their relationship developed. I just really liked it and look forward to the next one.

I'd have liked a bit more hockey to make it 5 stars but still, a strong start to the series.

I was fortunate to receive an advance reader copy and this is my honest review.

[Kristi]

One of my edits, kicking off a brand-new hockey romance series set in Toronto, out now!

NHL player male MC. Olympic gold medalist hockey player and NHL PR staff female MC. Fake dating. Work romance. Disparity in women's sports. 🏒

http://editsbykristi.com/playing-to-win

[Sharon McMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Braydon gets called up from the farm team to be a backup for the NHL but when the next guy on the list gets hurt on a fluke, Braydon gets the opportunity of a lifetime and gets to start as goalie. Because the team needs an emergency back up goalie behind Braydon, one of the professional female players, Faith, gets called in as she just happens to be at the venue with her gear from a photo op they had earlier in the day. This is a milestone for women’s hockey and a huge promotional opportunity for not only the Blaze NHL team but the Bonfire women’s team. Braydon plays two periods and the team is up by so many points that they put Faith in along with some other third string players which makes history as Faith is the 1st female to play in an NHL game. After they secure the win and are all headed back to Faith’s house to celebrate, Braydon’s mother drops some horrible news that Faith is actually his half sister. Braydon is crushed and goes out to drink his sorrows but in a drunken rant goes out verbally attacking Faith and the videos go viral. In order to save his career since the Blaze still needs him, they come up with a PR strategy where Braydon was actually making those comments about his “girlfriend” going to hang out with Faith instead of hanging out with him after the win. The PR people use Jayna who is currently on the women’s team on the Injured Reserve due to a knee injury but she is also filling in for someone in the PR department while they are out on maternity leave. What better way to save Braydon’s reputation along with the Blaze so it doesn’t look like they were bashing the female players.

Jayna agrees to it because she not only wants to support her friend ut also wants to use every opportunity with Braydon to promote the women’s team and she gets paid to do it. Jayna is a fantastic hockey player and even has the Olympic Gold to back it up. She always said she would never date a hockey player but she starts to make some connections with Braydon when she finds out what really happened that night and what kind of person he is. He is definitely not what she expected. I love that she is a strong determined woman and continues to build a family with her teammates when her family treats her like she is just “playing around at hockey”.

I enjoyed that this book gave us a glimpse into the side of Women’s Professional Hockey and all the issues that they have to fight against to even the scale between Men and Women’s pay, venues, benefits and some of the rules as well that hold back women. I really enjoyed the different take on the romance as this was a breath of fresh air in the sea of hockey romances. I also liked that the characters supported each other in their mental struggles but their dreams. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series goes

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

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the storyline in this book quite compelling. I really enjoyed it. It’s one of the most memorable hockey romances I have read. Maybe even a favourite. The author found a good balance with the romance and the hockey. I appreciated the look at the marginalized sides of hockey, particularly women’s hockey. The reader comes to a better understanding of the disparity and challenges as Braydon learns and grows.

When Braydon Mitchell got the opportunity to move up from his team he was supposed to sit the bench as a back-up goalie for an NHL team, but found himself actually in the net. “Getting the call-up had been nerve-racking enough when I’d expected to warm the bench. I was never supposed to get this far.” It threw him when he ended up sharing his debut game and the spotlight with a goalie from the women’s league. Some upsetting news ignited his already existing frustration and a viral video of his drunken rant left him in a precarious position. Jayna, an injured player from the women’s league and a social media manager for the teams, was tasked with improving Braydon’s image by faking a romantic relationship with him. They wanted to “…prove that Mitchell didn’t have an issue with female hockey players by having him date one.” There were plenty of complications along the path as the fake started to fade away and feelings became very real, but there were still challenges to be faced. “We had no future, so the sooner we were done, the better.”

There were many layers to this story. I felt it was very well-crafted with so much more than just a simple fake dating romance. And the story offered a reasonable justification for the fake relationship. The progression of the relationship felt grounded and gradual as the characters learned more about each other and acknowledged attraction. The main characters were nuanced, well-developed, and engaging. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well. They added a lot of depth to the story. I look forward to more stories about some of them. After growing up in a hockey-loving community, one thing that I find with many hockey romances is that while the authors have researched the details of the sport, they don’t quite capture the zeitgeist of hockey culture in a hockey community. It’s just a feeling that exists in a story. I immediately felt like this author got it and must have personal experience. I was not at all surprised to learn that the author is originally from Canada. I would consider this one of the more successful hockey romances that I have read in immersing the reader into the hockey culture. I look forward to more books in this series. This is a detailed open door romance with innuendo and strong harsh language throughout.

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

[Fruzsina Bagin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kim Findlay's novel "Playing to Win" is a fascinating journey into the world of professional hockey, made all the more memorable by the story of two exceptional characters, Jayna and Braydon. The story captivates you from the very first moment and takes you on a heartwarming journey of challenges and unexpected twists on the road to success.

Braydon, a goalie making his debut in the NHL, and Jayna, an Olympic gold medal-winning ice hockey player, are undoubtedly compelling characters who made their way deep into my heart while reading. The way the writer has molded them and told their story, the depth and diversity of the characters allowed me to easily identify with them and feel with them through all their successes and failures.

The novel is not just a romantic sports novel, it is much more than that. Kim Findlay presents Jayna and Braydon's story with such sensitivity and empathy, while also giving insight into the disadvantaged situation of women hockey players. The issues and challenges highlighted in the book are not confined to the rinks, but shed light on the challenges faced by female athletes in general and the difficulties they face in making it in the industry. In addition, the deeper layers of the book draw attention to the importance of fighting for women athletes and the commitment to equality.

The story beautifully depicts how, despite the individual struggles of the two main characters, they can be supportive partners to each other both on and off the ice. The book is not only about how to win, but also about how to be better people and good partners for each other. The story also shows that it is not who we share DNA with that matters, but who we call family, from whom we receive genuine love and care.

Every page turn is gripping and exciting, and it's impossible to put the book down without knowing what happens on the next page. The author skilfully interweaves the characters' fates and leads them through the story in an incredibly exciting way.

Ultimately, "Playing to Win" is not just a novel; it's an adventure of a lifetime that every sports fan and reader with a passion for equality needs. However, it can also be a perfect read for those who just want to immerse themselves in a romantic story with lovely characters, as Kim Findlay did an amazing job in creating the characters and writing their story, which was a pleasure to read. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get an insight into the world of hockey and at the same time reflect on the importance of equality in sport and in life.

I received a free ARC copy of "Playing to Win" by Kim Findlay, the first book in the "Toronto Blaze" series, via Booksprout.

[Marea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Braydon didn’t have an easy hockey life, he to work hard and play harder in order to make it to college and then the AHL. His parents struggled at times as well, taking second jobs to make sure that he could play. So when he is called up from his AHL team to play for the Toronto Blaze NHL team he knows it his one and only chance to make it. But a few hours later he can blow his chance when he is filmed getting drunk and saying some harsh comments about the other back up goalie…who just happens to be the first woman playing in the NHL and the half-sister he didn’t know about until after the game. In order to repair those words he needs to do whatever the team tells him to do. Right now that is have a fake relationship with another hockey player Jayna. When he sees the struggles she goes through, as well as other women, he gives 150%. Will it last or is just something he needs at the moment.

Jayna is living a dream, she won the Olympic gold medal and is playing hockey for a great woman’s team. Well she was playing until she injured her knee and is now on the sidelines working for the Blaze and struggling. When she is offered extra money to have a fake relationship she takes it, but she doesn’t expect for that fake to soon become real. Braydon might be the answer she has been looking for the whole time, full support and love. Will he still feel the same when she can’t play anymore or will it end as quickly as it started.

This is the first book in the series and it was awesome!! I was hooked right from the start because it touched on a lot of things. First one was how hard it is for women and sports, from the pay to the publicity to the places they play and more. The second was that it showed that not every player has it easy financially, physically or mentally. It even talked about how Braydon wasn’t going to buy a new car, struggled with his first suit and more.

The only thing I wish in the book was that there was a note in the back that the first and only female to play in the NHL was Manon Rheaume in 1992 when she played for the Tampa Bay Lighting in a preseason game. That actually made her the first woman to play in an exhibition game in any of the major North American pro leagues. She kept playing for several more years playing in the pro minor leagues. She now works for the LA Kings.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the standouts of Sarina Bowen’s Moo U expanded universe was Kim’s ‘Halftime’, featuring not just a male hockey player, but a female hockey player too. To my delight, Kim has expanded on this book to show what happened after the epilogue of that book. (So lovely to see Faith, Seb and Cooper again.)

Even more delightful is Kim has also kept her heroine a hockey player too. With a now over saturated hockey romance market which is a huge seller thanks to BookTok, I am still perplexed the vast majority only write about male professional athletes and none of their love interests are female professional athletes. More of these please! Hell can we have series of just a women’s team?

I adored Jayna and Braydon. Both of them come to rely upon each other after being singularly focused on their careers. This book really captures the highs and lows, including Jayna’s horrible sexist family and her struggles with her athleticism being stripped from her identity to be seen as a WAG. I also really loved that Kim doesn’t shy away from the realities of being a professional woman athlete and how the men need to step up and support their female colleagues. The gender pay gap is real and it’s a huge injustice that women have to work other jobs while playing a pro career. I was also really annoyed with the inappropriateness of Blaze management essentially pimping out an Olympic gold medal player to make a male player look good so, so I’m glad that this was also dealt with. Too often books will put in outlandish fake dating deals that are workplace related and I just cannot suspend disbelief for the HR nightmare such a deal would be.

If you like sports romance, Playing to Win is heads above a lot of the books out there right now. This book is a real delight. I breezed right through it because I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for Cooper’s book (hoping he also ends up with a female hockey player *fingers crossed*).

[Liz M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two hockey players butt heads in this enemies to lovers, fake dating story. Emotions are in play as we navigate the disparities between men's and women's hockey.
Braydon's dream seems to be coming true as he's called from the AHL to NHL. He is starting goalie for the Blaze in his first game, while the third period is played by a female goalie. It's a first in the NHL, a history-making event.
Jayna is a player on the women's team, the Bonfire. She's injured, and currently working in the PR department, supporting both teams.
After the game, Braydon finds out some family information that turns his world upside down. He ends up getting drunk in a bar, bad-mouthing the female goalie, which of course, ends up in an online viral video. A PR nightmare!
That's where Jayna comes in. She gets roped into fake dating Braydon to rehab his image. The problem is, the female goalie he ranted about is her teammate and good friend, Faith, so Jayna's not sure how she's going to be able to work with this guy when she already hates his guts. Not to mention - she's a player, not a WAG.
Then Braydon explains that his rant wasn't about Faith as a player or goalie, but that he just found out that she was his half sister. He had always known that his mother's husband adopted him, but he never knew who his biological father was, until that night. So now Jayna is a little more invested in the scheme to help Braydon, especially if it means not hurting Faith.
Ooh - this one takes some unwrapping! There's plenty of family drama and secrets to work through, not to mention how the female hockey players are treated compared to their male counterparts, sometimes even by their own families.
It's a good story with a lot of facets, and the way it all plays out is very satisfying.
I can't wait to read Cooper's story next!.

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

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of sports romance with a hockey twist, “Playing to Win” might be a delightful addition to your reading list! 📚🏒

Braydon Kane:
Occupation: NHL player.
Personality Traits: Determined, passionate about hockey, and fiercely protective of his family.
Background: Braydon faces a career crisis after a viral drunken rant about a female goalie who shared his NHL debut. He discovers she’s his secret half-sister, leading him to reevaluate his life choices.
Conflict: Balancing his professional reputation, family dynamics, and personal growth.
Relationships: Forms a pretend relationship with Jayna, an Olympic champion hockey player.

Jayna Hebert:
Occupation: Olympic champion hockey player.
Personality Traits: Strong-willed, independent, and determined.
Background: Jayna refuses to be just a hockey player’s girlfriend. She’s passionate about her sport and strives for equality in women’s hockey.
Conflict: Navigating her feelings for Braydon while maintaining her identity as a successful athlete.
Relationships: Enters into a fake relationship with Braydon, which gradually becomes more complex.

“Playing to Win” weaves together hockey, romance, and family drama, making it an engaging read for fans of sports romance. As the characters grapple with their pasts and futures, their journey promises both heartwarming moments and unexpected twists. Enjoy the game on and off the ice! 🏒❤️

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars – Playing to Win is the start of a new series by Kim Findlay, a new author to me. This is a wonderful new hockey series about the Toronto Blaze, specifically Braydon, an AHL goalie who is called up to the NHL in an emergency. The story unfolds with the focus on Braydon’s family as new details about his parentage come to light. The ramifications of his reaction causes Braydon to enter a fake relationship with FMC Jayna. Jayna has her own situation as she rehabs an injury and focuses on her “temporary” career and disappointing her unsupportive parents. Both main characters are dealing with their own issues along with their fake relationship becoming a real one.

The book does highlight the disparity of women’s hockey and sadly, how far behind it is in terms of players pay, quality of facilities as well as news/fan coverage.

I’m really looking forward to Cooper’s story next! Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy.

[Catherine Tripp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Braydon and Jayna are both hockey players. She is out with an injury, working for the teams PR department. He is a new goalie called up from the farm team. His irate night playing in the NHL is also the debut of one of her teammates (who is also connected to Braydon). Anyway, he gets drunk after the game and a video of him complaining about the female goalie makes the news. So of course the team says - Jayna you two should fake date, to show he is not a misogynist (which he isn’t of course). I really liked this book. It had something to say about the disparity in women’s sports. And these two are great together. The characters learn and grow together. And the forced dating aside, they draw lines regarding what they are willing to do. It’s pretty awesome. It’s a fun (and steamy) fake dating book. Worth a read. (I received an ARC)

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love my hockey so this was right up my ice-pad. I’m also female and relate. What starts out as a reputation salvage for a cocky hockey player who disses a fellow female who turns out is his half sister sharing his NHL debut , spins to something else entirely . Jayna is an Olympian , a champion in her own right in the world of IceHockey,she’s asked to fake date Braydon to prove he’s pro - women’s hockey. But when fake turns to real feels , she refuses to lose her identity. He becomes so much more and her protector but…She’s no Wag ,period! I loved all aspects of this great story. Couldn’t put down .A good lose yourself romance with bite. Well written , good solid backgrounds and the characters shine. Cool descriptors and dialogue. I was forwarded this book and my review is given voluntarily in my own thoughts.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Braydon and Jayna are put into an impossible situation after Braydon goes viral and the best way the PR department can rehab his image is a female hockey player as a (fake) girlfriend! Jayna is a strong woman who is recovering from an injury. She doesn't take any crap from anyone and does not tolerate disrespect for her teammates, women's hockey or herself. Her character is well written and has depth. Braydon's character may come off as spoiled and childish in the beginning, but he really is a nice guy with tunnel vision only for men's hockey. The struggles that they have create adequate drama and there is enough hockey in the romance to pull the reader into the team's push for the cup. Overall it was a good start to a promising new hockey romance series!

[S d V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I liked the subjects that were covered. I have a soft spot for fake dating and I absolutely love hockey.

I loved that the booked dipped into the difficulties of living a life in professional sports and not glossing over the difficult parts of that life. I could also relate to the female character and losing her beloved sport and passion due to injury. That is bleeping hard to deal with.

The characters were also very respectful of each other. That is always a plus in my books. The only reason that I didn't give 5 stars is because I am not an easy star giver and I have to have absolutely bawl my eyes out when reading (because of the book itself or the memories it brings up).

I will definitely read more from this author.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Braydon & Jayna’s story is an inspiring hockey romance with a fake dating trope. Jayna’s family perfectly explains the struggle that being a woman playing hockey face. She is one of the top women playing hockey & even won an Olympic gold medal. Her parents still consider her brother a bigger success even though he is playing in Europe (obviously not a top player). Fake dating turns real, and Braydon shows Jayna the love and support she needs. Excited for more from this author and this series!.

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

[Helen Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superbly written page-turner of a story with two very strong and very believable characters. I'm not a sports fan and have never watched an ice hockey match in my life. However, Kim Findlay's writing is so skilful that my ignorance didn't matter and I liked Braydon and Jayna so much that I had to keep on reading right to the very satisfying end. And, as a bonus, I ended up learning a bit about ice hockey along the way. Highly recommended.

[Nevs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this may have been my first Kim Findlay read but it definitely has me interested in checking out her other books! I've read a lot of M/F young adult sports romances and I LOVED that this one had the dynamic with BOTH MCs playing professional hockey. I also really liked both of main characters and felt like their behaviors were more believable and relatable than some other stories, which I really enjoyed.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series, and this is Braydon and Jayna’s story.
This is a well written story which is action packed, and easy to read, with family friendships. secrets, fake relationships. Emotions, romance, redemption, and love, which leads to an entertaining and steamy addictive page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dominique - · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I wanted! Findlay did an incredible job with the characters in this book, they felt really realized. The hockey was also so swoony! I could not get enough of this book until I was at the end!.

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

[Crystal Lobetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Braydon starts off as not very likeable but he does get better and more likeable as the book goes on. He goes on a drunken rant about a female goalie and it makes his reputation as a jerk for what he said. To repair his reputation he pretend dates a female hockey player and sparks fly. Really good book.

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

[BusyM3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read in this series Toronto Blaze. This is a new author for me and I am looking forward to reading more from them. The story flows well, easy to follow. The characters are likeable and fit well together. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenny Harden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! I loved the angst romance between Jayna and Braydon. It brought the views of the masses about women's hockey to light and a lot of the enequility while still being a steamy passion filled romance! Definitely recommending this book to all my hockey romance girlies!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good story. It had a unique storyline and interesting characters. It kept my attention easily. I was entertained.

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

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great start to a new series. The character work and story line were well written and I was entertained from start to finish. I look forward to seeing what Kim Findlay has in store for us next.

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

[Mechelle Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to a new series. This is my first book by Kim Findlay and I loved it. Thank you for representing women in hockey and showing the disparity in support and resources between men's and women's sports. The scene with Faith (one of Jayna's teammates) being put in as goalie in an NHL game and kicking butt was epic!

I loved that Jayna was all in for women's hockey and wouldn't let anyone reduce her to a WAG. Watching Braydon's epiphany about the unfairness of women in the sport of hockey was magical. And I loved how he was always super supportive of Jayna and her teammates.

I can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look at Women’s Hockey

The perspective of this book is a wonderful break from typical hockey romances. I loved the author’s knowledge of hockey and PR…and liked both main characters. Would love to see a book about Cooper.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

okay read

An okay read that focuses on the inequities within make and female hockey, dysfunctional families and two young people trying to make the best of a situation that leads to a hea. Was an okay read.

[Josie McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaydon

The back and forth between Braydon and Jayna is addicting. Their passion for hockey, life, and each othet is well written into this story and draws you in. Worth adding to your tbr.