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For Maleek Jones, hockey is his wife. Everything and everyone else is his mistress, an aside. When unexpected responsibilities land in his lap, the balance of his world is disrupted, changing the way he sees everything.
Trying to figure out life while recovering from trauma, Nuri Knox finds herself in desperate need of the one thing Maleek has to offer.
In each other, they discover what neither of them expects.
Love.
Trying to figure out life while recovering from trauma, Nuri Knox finds herself in desperate need of the one thing Maleek has to offer.
In each other, they discover what neither of them expects.
Love.
6 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 16, 2022
376 people are currently reading
6977 people want to read
About the author
Alexandria House
44 books4,025 followersAbout the author
A true southern girl, Alexandria House has an affinity for a good banana pudding, Neo Soul music, and tall black men in suits. When this music-loving fashionista is not shopping, she's writing steamy stories about real black love.
Verve Romance: @msalexhouse
Instagram: @msalexhouse
TikTok: @msalexhouse
Facebook: Alexandria House
A true southern girl, Alexandria House has an affinity for a good banana pudding, Neo Soul music, and tall black men in suits. When this music-loving fashionista is not shopping, she's writing steamy stories about real black love.
Verve Romance: @msalexhouse
Instagram: @msalexhouse
TikTok: @msalexhouse
Facebook: Alexandria House
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 939 reviews
September 12, 2023
DNF 32%
not the mmc still fucking his "awful" fiancée while openly flirting with the nanny (fmc). 😗
/!\ explicit scene /!\
why would i pull the receipt when it’s so.. crude because it’s not the fmc featured in the scene and we are already over 30% in the story.. but people were going feral on the comments💀
if your standards are too low to not consider this as emotional cheating, (literal cheating tbh) or if "it’s okay" because it doesn’t happen to the fmc but to the mean fiancée than woman up.
~•~
honestly, there was so much potential to the story and i don’t understand why the author chose one, to creat this ugly atmosphere with the fiancée’s toxic behavior and two, why the plot didn’t focus and explore more interesting parts of it. like, the relationship’s building between the two protagonists and the mmc’s bond with his siblings. It felt like the story was more about the mmc and his fiancée’s "couple problems" and sex scenes than anything else.
not the mmc still fucking his "awful" fiancée while openly flirting with the nanny (fmc). 😗
/!\ explicit scene /!\
"Baby,” I muttered. “Don’t stop. Shit, don’t stop.”
“Hmmmm,” she responded, but her voice didn’t sound quite right. It didn’t sound like…her. I was five seconds from calling her name when she stopped sucking, making my eyes pop open. That was when I realized it wasn’t a dream, while at the same time, it was. Tasha was home. It was her mouth on me, and now her face was hovering over mine as she straddled me.
“Tash? You’re here?” I croaked.
She smiled. “Yeah, who else would be sucking your dick?”
“I meant…weren’t you at your mom’s?”
“I was, but I missed you.”
“Oh.”
Her brows knitted together. “Oh? That’s all you have to say?”
“No, I mean…I thought I was dreaming.”
“About me?”
“Yeah,” I lied.
Grinning, she leaned in and kissed me before completely freeing my dick from my boxers and sliding down on it. Closing my eyes, I saw her face again, Nuri’s face—big, round eyes, gorgeous smile."
why would i pull the receipt when it’s so.. crude because it’s not the fmc featured in the scene and we are already over 30% in the story.. but people were going feral on the comments💀
Tash: financée.
Nuri: nanny, fmc.
if your standards are too low to not consider this as emotional cheating, (literal cheating tbh) or if "it’s okay" because it doesn’t happen to the fmc but to the mean fiancée than woman up.
~•~
honestly, there was so much potential to the story and i don’t understand why the author chose one, to creat this ugly atmosphere with the fiancée’s toxic behavior and two, why the plot didn’t focus and explore more interesting parts of it. like, the relationship’s building between the two protagonists and the mmc’s bond with his siblings. It felt like the story was more about the mmc and his fiancée’s "couple problems" and sex scenes than anything else.
February 24, 2023
Just when I think there’s no possible way Alexandria House could top Stevie and Drayveon, she gives us Nuri and Maleek. I absolutely adored these characters! Nuri and Maleek were two very flawed individuals that were instantly drawn to each other from the moment they met. Their chemistry was intense and their attraction was raw. Maleek and his girlfriend are celebrating their engagement when he gets the news that not only has his estranged father passed away but, he’s now the guardian of his 10 and 7 year old siblings who he’s never met. When he agrees to take them in, Tasha has a complete meltdown and shows her azz and her true colors. Maleek must’ve been living with her representative for the last seven years because, chiiiiiiiiiile, the real Tasha showed up and showed TF out. That heffa did everything she could to get Maleek to leave those babies in foster care. When she finally realized Adam and Jules were there to stay, Tasha demanded Maleek hire a nanny because, she wasn’t taking care of no damn kids. Her words; not mine. Enter Ms. Nuri Knox. Nuri has fallen on hard times since resigning from her job as a third grade teacher after a school shooting. The school shooting is residing rent free in her head and this is causing her some serious distress and PTSD. Girlfriend was down to her last few hundred dollars, living pillar to post, and taking heaux baths in her car so, the ad for a full-time nanny came right on time. Y’all know we stan an unproblematic couple on this side of Goodreads and Nuri and Maleek gave me all the angst free love I could ask for. I just love how this man loved him some Nuri. Maleek is finally experiencing the love he lacked in his childhood and not only was he willing to accept it but, he was equally willing to reciprocate it and not just with Nuri. And, this was BEFORE he started going to therapy. The way he stepped up and became the parental figure Jules and Adam needed was absolutely admirable. Y’all see that?!!! That’s growth! Now, don’t get it twisted. Angst free does not equate to drama free. As long as Tasha crazy azz is a part of the equation, there was plenty of drama to be had. She came through with all the ungrateful, entitled, jealous, and petty antics and I ate it up y’all hear me?!!! Nuri gon’ to spill some hot and pipin’ secret family tea that’s gon’ have you double fisting your imaginary pearls. So, be prepared to pick your mouth up from the floor. I was totally fangirling when Big South popped his big sexy azz up for a quick second. Heyyyyyyy Everett!!! And, you already know, where’s there’s a McClain, Uncle Lee Chester is not far behind. He gave exactly what he was suppose to give. If you read the McClain series then, you know what I mean. LOL!!! I loved GOAL. I loved everything about this book. I loved the insta love storyline. I loved the characters. I loved the family bonds (some good; some bad). I loved the camaraderie Maleek had with his teammates. That Ford was a damn fool and I’m definitely looking forward to his book. I especially love the idea of an all black hockey league. We really need to make that happen. A good time was had on the Sires ice rink and I am truly looking forward to the other books in this series.
April 29, 2025
4/5
- This book was spicy and quick! If you’re looking for a novella that truly feels like a full length book, you’ll really love this one!
- Love how this book had so much drama! It kept me on the edge of my seat. It was definitely giving insta love vibes, but I really loved it!!
- So excited to continue this series and dive even deeper into the sports romance world!
- This book was spicy and quick! If you’re looking for a novella that truly feels like a full length book, you’ll really love this one!
- Love how this book had so much drama! It kept me on the edge of my seat. It was definitely giving insta love vibes, but I really loved it!!
- So excited to continue this series and dive even deeper into the sports romance world!
February 25, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Stars
I loved how loving and supportive Maleek was…he was genuinely a good person and coupled with his sex appeal and good looks it made Nuri fall hard and fast for him….the couple had a major obstacle aside from some past family issues to deal with…..support, love & therapy helped this family. Cute story….Great narration with Jakobi & Nicole Small
I loved how loving and supportive Maleek was…he was genuinely a good person and coupled with his sex appeal and good looks it made Nuri fall hard and fast for him….the couple had a major obstacle aside from some past family issues to deal with…..support, love & therapy helped this family. Cute story….Great narration with Jakobi & Nicole Small
February 8, 2023
A two-star rating through and through. I was quite bored but interested enough to see it to the end. I felt like the focus was more on the smut than the romance which is an immediate turn-off for me when reading a book marketed as romance. Truth be told, the smut was not good either 😭 I cringed so hard during some of the scenes. Also, there were entirely too many pop culture references for me to forget that I was reading and just get lost in the story.
It honestly gave 2013 Wattpad vibes, which I would've LOVED back then. But adult, spending-my-money version of me? This didn't hit the spot. I can tell this is one of those books I'd forget every single detail of within a couple of days.
It honestly gave 2013 Wattpad vibes, which I would've LOVED back then. But adult, spending-my-money version of me? This didn't hit the spot. I can tell this is one of those books I'd forget every single detail of within a couple of days.
June 7, 2025
Nuri x Maleek
Um, anybody out here claiming Maleek Jones? Because we have a problem. That man belongs to me. I rarely claim book baes. But Maleek, yeah, he's mine. He belongs to me.
I was not prepared for how SWEET this book was. Maleek was a professional hockey player. He exuded all the sexiness. But he was quiet with the most gentle soul. But he was so broken inside just from the way he grew up. From his father's abandonment to his mother's mental health issues, Maleek's childhood was rough, and it turned him into a somewhat people pleaser. But hockey saved him. He fell head over heels for the sport. It was hockey above all.
He's engaged to be married to Tasha, a woman he has been dating for the last 7 years. In the midst of celebrating his engagement, his life changed forever. He is now the legal guardian of two young kids who turned out to be his siblings that he had no knowledge of. Tasha was not having it.
Nuri was such a sweetheart. She is a former teacher who is dealing with some major anxiety from an incident that happened at her place of work. Maleek and Nuri needed one another. They were exactly what each other needed. The moment they met, you could feel the chemistry, the attraction, and the lust through the pages. It was so thick, it was almost tangible. They fell for one another fast and hard.
Maleek felt like he did not know how to love, but the way he loved those kids and Nuri, you couldn't even tell. I loved being in his head cause he never missed an opportunity to express his love and his attraction to Nury. And they could not keep their hands off each other. It was blush worthy. It had been a long while since I read an Alexandria House story, and I am extremely glad this book was how I found my way back to her. I loved, loved, LOVED this book.
Love the audio ❤️
Um, anybody out here claiming Maleek Jones? Because we have a problem. That man belongs to me. I rarely claim book baes. But Maleek, yeah, he's mine. He belongs to me.
I was not prepared for how SWEET this book was. Maleek was a professional hockey player. He exuded all the sexiness. But he was quiet with the most gentle soul. But he was so broken inside just from the way he grew up. From his father's abandonment to his mother's mental health issues, Maleek's childhood was rough, and it turned him into a somewhat people pleaser. But hockey saved him. He fell head over heels for the sport. It was hockey above all.
He's engaged to be married to Tasha, a woman he has been dating for the last 7 years. In the midst of celebrating his engagement, his life changed forever. He is now the legal guardian of two young kids who turned out to be his siblings that he had no knowledge of. Tasha was not having it.
Nuri was such a sweetheart. She is a former teacher who is dealing with some major anxiety from an incident that happened at her place of work. Maleek and Nuri needed one another. They were exactly what each other needed. The moment they met, you could feel the chemistry, the attraction, and the lust through the pages. It was so thick, it was almost tangible. They fell for one another fast and hard.
Maleek felt like he did not know how to love, but the way he loved those kids and Nuri, you couldn't even tell. I loved being in his head cause he never missed an opportunity to express his love and his attraction to Nury. And they could not keep their hands off each other. It was blush worthy. It had been a long while since I read an Alexandria House story, and I am extremely glad this book was how I found my way back to her. I loved, loved, LOVED this book.
Love the audio ❤️
November 17, 2025
This was gooood. When it comes to a NANNY romance I’m sold every time. Nuri entered Maleeks life and he didn’t know what hit him. Tasha … trifling. She tricked herself out of her own spot.
May 3, 2023
Dnf immediately after she lost her virginity to this man for being a “good black man” because ain’t no way girl
March 21, 2023
Maleek is a young professional hockey player that is finding his way. His mother suffers from mental illness and his father was trash. He was nothing more than a sperm donor that not only fkd him over in life but gave him a double whammy after death. Even though he struggled with finding his voice and seemed to make those around him happy at the expense of his own, one thing you couldn’t deny was his need to provide for those he loved. Finally getting his life off the ground he’s hit full force when he was left to care for his 7 & 10 year old siblings that he never met. Talk about a life changing experience. And yo make matters worse his fiancé Tasha wanted no parts of the kids. I mean sis did a complete 180 and left Maleek hanging oh BUT GOD!!! Nuri came and made Maleek’s house a home as she nannies for the children and creates a safe environment for all. Maleek was head over heels for Nuri and they all got the HEA they deserved!
July 5, 2023
I am loving the black girls and black hockey players who fall in love trope!!!!!
September 1, 2023
Nuri & Maleek were too stinking cute. I loved Maleek stepping up & taking care of his siblings despite not knowing them. Tasha 😒😒 idk why her delusional ass thought Maleek was going to take her back after rejecting his siblings. I loved this story 🥰🥰
May 15, 2023
A black hockey romance? YES PLEASE.
Maleek is a hockey player whose life is turned upside down when he finds himself with custody of his younger half-siblings, Junior and Jules. Maleek didn't have a great relationship with his father, but it doesn't stop him from stepping up to the plate to avoid them being placed in the system. Maleek's toxic girlfriend, Tasha, has made it no secret that she's not trying to care for the kids, so a full-time nanny is needed.
Nuri Knox's passion for teaching has waned after a school shooting took place at her school. She's desperate for a new position with kids, and the nanny position for Maleek couldn't have come at a better time. The kids take to her immediately. I loved seeing how much she cared for them, and how much she put into making sure they were adjusting well, despite some of the personal issues Nuri was experiencing. She was the mother figure the kids needed because Tasha was NOT it.
Maleek and Nuri were so good together. I couldn't clap loud enough once Tasha was out of the scene. Even before Nuri entered the picture, Maleek and Tasha weren't a good fit. I'm glad Maleek finally realized that and went after who he truly wanted, which was Nuri. And it's Alexandria House, so y'all KNOW their chemistry was on FIRE.
This book had so many good parts to it. Nuri and Maleek deserved and worked for the HEA they got! I cannot wait to see which player's book is next!
TROPES: black romance/OWN voices/BIPOC; sports romance (hockey hero); single dad/guardian; rich hero; nanny; forced proximity; virgin heroine; mental health rep (depression/anxiety)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: miscarriage; mentions of childhood rape/teen pregnancy; fat shaming (not between H/h); childhood abandonment; mentions of suicidal attempts (not H/h)
Maleek is a hockey player whose life is turned upside down when he finds himself with custody of his younger half-siblings, Junior and Jules. Maleek didn't have a great relationship with his father, but it doesn't stop him from stepping up to the plate to avoid them being placed in the system. Maleek's toxic girlfriend, Tasha, has made it no secret that she's not trying to care for the kids, so a full-time nanny is needed.
Nuri Knox's passion for teaching has waned after a school shooting took place at her school. She's desperate for a new position with kids, and the nanny position for Maleek couldn't have come at a better time. The kids take to her immediately. I loved seeing how much she cared for them, and how much she put into making sure they were adjusting well, despite some of the personal issues Nuri was experiencing. She was the mother figure the kids needed because Tasha was NOT it.
Maleek and Nuri were so good together. I couldn't clap loud enough once Tasha was out of the scene. Even before Nuri entered the picture, Maleek and Tasha weren't a good fit. I'm glad Maleek finally realized that and went after who he truly wanted, which was Nuri. And it's Alexandria House, so y'all KNOW their chemistry was on FIRE.
This book had so many good parts to it. Nuri and Maleek deserved and worked for the HEA they got! I cannot wait to see which player's book is next!
TROPES: black romance/OWN voices/BIPOC; sports romance (hockey hero); single dad/guardian; rich hero; nanny; forced proximity; virgin heroine; mental health rep (depression/anxiety)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: miscarriage; mentions of childhood rape/teen pregnancy; fat shaming (not between H/h); childhood abandonment; mentions of suicidal attempts (not H/h)
December 17, 2022
I’m confused on how I want to rate this because this book feels different from all of Houses other books! At a min it’s 4 ⭐️ for me. Like I want to reread it to maybe catch the vibe better. There is something unique about this book that I can’t put my finger on. It reminds me of Technical where the love is easy and happens out of no where. Kismet I think, but idk 😩! Overall I definitely enjoyed this book! May be rereading and back with another review but I say go into this book with an open mind because the style is a little different but story is good! Nuri and Maleek definitely have insta love but how they meet is due to life changing events for both of them. Maleek definitely needed a shift in his life and Junior and Jules did that for him. Nuri needed a change and funny enough because of Junior and Jules she got that too. I don’t know how to describe Tasha but as someone who plotted early on a moneybag and failed. Also these teammates I want to hear more about especially Ford and Rapp! Overall this was different, and though I wished it was a little more hockey I’m enjoyed this book! Please note that there is a miscarriage (on page not graphic), a shooting (discussion of event and aftermath) , child endangerment, and sexual assault of a teenager implied in this book. Be safe while reading!
September 8, 2023
*2.5 Stars*
Goal by Alexandria House is my first book from this author and even though this wasn’t my favorite I’ll still try another book of hers. The writing was easy to read. Goal is a friends to lovers, nanny/employer romance. It’s fast paced and for the first 50% I didn’t mind it. The introduction of Nuri and Maleek was great and their chemistry good. For some reason the pace was cranked up another level for the last 50%. It sadly didn’t work for me. It was too much and a lot happened. It all was very surface level. Now I enjoy sex in a story but here there was too much. Every thought or conversation revolved around sex. I needed more depth on a personal level. The drama with Maleek’s ex was over the top and not for me.
The side characters, Maleek’s team mates were great so I might check out book 2.
2.5 Stars
Goal by Alexandria House is my first book from this author and even though this wasn’t my favorite I’ll still try another book of hers. The writing was easy to read. Goal is a friends to lovers, nanny/employer romance. It’s fast paced and for the first 50% I didn’t mind it. The introduction of Nuri and Maleek was great and their chemistry good. For some reason the pace was cranked up another level for the last 50%. It sadly didn’t work for me. It was too much and a lot happened. It all was very surface level. Now I enjoy sex in a story but here there was too much. Every thought or conversation revolved around sex. I needed more depth on a personal level. The drama with Maleek’s ex was over the top and not for me.
The side characters, Maleek’s team mates were great so I might check out book 2.
2.5 Stars
February 26, 2023
2/2023 Audio review: I loved this story even more after listening to the audio. Jakobi and Nicole are too good at this. I wish more authors picked narrators that would bring the characters out the best.
1/2023 I enjoyed this book. Maleek and Nuri were a cute couple. When you know, you know. I wish we could have gotten more. Felt kinda rushed at times. But because this is a series, I’m guessing we’ll get updates on this family in the order books.
1/2023 I enjoyed this book. Maleek and Nuri were a cute couple. When you know, you know. I wish we could have gotten more. Felt kinda rushed at times. But because this is a series, I’m guessing we’ll get updates on this family in the order books.
March 31, 2023
Glad to see Maleek step up for not only his siblings but himself. This was a very cute story Nuri and Maleek were inlove and through it all I was glad they both got their happy ending. Also the nerve of Tasha thinking she just comeback when she didn’t stay when Maleek needed her the most.
January 15, 2024
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
I don't like this book.
A few biases out of the way: I don't read a ton of contemporary because I'm too lazy to try new authors, lol, and I tend to stick to historical romances. But one of my favorite contemporary genres is a good sports romances. Thinking of Susan Elizabeth Phillips's Chicago Stars, Rachel Gibsons's Seattle Chinooks, and Catherine Gayle's Portland Storm and Tulsa Thunder. (BTW anyone know what happened to Catherine Gayle? Girl just straight up and disappeared.) ANYWAY.
I voted for this book in my reading group because I'm an easy bitch. You put hockey in the description, and I'm gonna read it. Not really a good thing because what this author knows about hockey could fit on the head of a pin. Which is to say -- almost nothing.
So what's wrong with this book? Outside the fact that this could have been a golf book for how much the sport actually matters, the characters are barely interesting, the plot is non-existent, and the pacing is faster than the speed of light for no reason whatsoever. The romance such as it is mostly a bunch of cringe-worthy sex scenes strewn together. The only characters I was invested in were the younger siblings, Jules and Junior, but they're just there to facilitate the main characters getting together.
I don't know. I'm sure people can find enjoyment in it. It's a quick read, especially if you skip the badly-written sex scenes (which I did after about Chapter 20) because they don't move the plot forward. They just take up space. The writing is just...superficial. Everything skims the surface -- we hint at a few deeper issues that were almost interesting, but it goes nowhere.
But the cover is cute, so there's that.
SPOILERS AHEAD BEWARE
The moment I knew that I was going to dread every single page I had left was right in the middle of the first, uh, love scene. Maleek finds out Nuri is a virgin. And she's waited all this time (she's 31, he's 26) for the "right" person. Maleek's her "right" person.
Mind you, at this point, all this chick knows is that he broke up with his fiancée five minutes ago after seven years and he took in his younger siblings after his father died -- siblings he'd never met and was unaware of. And all Maleek knows about Nuri for almost the entire book is that she's homeless and the perfect mother-figure. They talk about zero percent of their backstory (including the fact Nuri's a school shooting survivor and had so much anxiety that she quit her job and her life derailed).
I was prepared to really relate to Nuri. The first time we meet her, we get that backstory, and I was like -- yes, I completely understand that. As a teacher, I've had the anxiety of the drills, the worry over real shelters in place (we had a shooting in an apartment complex right behind our school, so they locked us down for 40 minutes on a Friday afternoon -- we didn't get out of school until like 3:30). So yeah, an actual school shooting when you're literally forced to think about being a human shield for the tiny humans? It could really fuck you up. And she didn't seem to have a lot of support or understanding from her family. There's some hint of problems with the aunt.
Like, Nuri and Maleek are introduced as two fascinating characters with damage that could make for a complex and beautiful romance. Maleek was mostly abandoned by his father, and then when his father did send for him, he immediately sent him right back. Maleek focuses on hockey as the only stable thing in his life (we get hints that things aren't good with his mother, but nothing pans out). Imagine the possibilities! Maleek is closed off, only focusing on the career because it's always been there for him. Nuri is traumatized, but clearly has a lot of love to give and is desperate to receive it since she's not getting it from her family. And we get them in a family situation -- she becomes nanny to two kids who'd lost their parents and don't know their brother. (And their story continues to be the best part -- I really wanted so much more. When they tell Maleek later that they know their parents regretted them, it's sad).
But we don't get that love story, and okay, that's on me. You gave me two damaged characters who could find healing through love and understanding and I got my hopes up.
What I got was the two-dimensional other woman as the interloper. Tasha, Maleek's girlfriend, is a materialistic bitch who doesn't have one ounce of empathy for Maleek's siblings. And sure, I could understand being thrown for how different life is -- but honestly? They barely affect her life. Tasha accuses Maleek of hiding two biracial kids and passing them off as his father's (like what?) and breaks up with him for not tossing the kids to the wolves. Like, she's immediately evil and horrible, and only exists to put off Maleek and Nuri getting together until Chapter 16 or whenever it happens. As soon as Tasha leaves? Maleek immediately hits on Nuri. Like -- maybe a few days.
The author chose a cheap villain antagonist as an external obstacle, and you could tell she didn't know how to fill the rest of the plot without bringing Tasha back over and over again to be a two-dimensional bitch. Because Maleek and Nuri? Nope, that's easy street. They trade traumatic backstories like they're exchanging business cards (she doesn't tell him about the shooting until like two chapters from the end). He signs up for therapy to deal with his abandonment issues, no worries. In this book, the print copy has just over 200 pages. We had time for the setup, disgruntled fiancée sticking around for half the book, a quick relationship, marriage, miscarriage, and another pregnancy -- I got whiplash.
I don't know. It's just not for me. If it's for you, good. But don't give me interesting characters and do nothing with them except cringey sex scenes for 80% of their relationship.
Oh, and the interesting Nuri-aunt situation? It gets resolved in a WTF argument that is never hinted at all in the first 150 pages. We don't hear about the aunt except for the one conversation at the beginning of the book and the confrontation. So...I hope you're ready for....NOTHING. Because that's what you're going to get.
I don't like this book.
A few biases out of the way: I don't read a ton of contemporary because I'm too lazy to try new authors, lol, and I tend to stick to historical romances. But one of my favorite contemporary genres is a good sports romances. Thinking of Susan Elizabeth Phillips's Chicago Stars, Rachel Gibsons's Seattle Chinooks, and Catherine Gayle's Portland Storm and Tulsa Thunder. (BTW anyone know what happened to Catherine Gayle? Girl just straight up and disappeared.) ANYWAY.
I voted for this book in my reading group because I'm an easy bitch. You put hockey in the description, and I'm gonna read it. Not really a good thing because what this author knows about hockey could fit on the head of a pin. Which is to say -- almost nothing.
So what's wrong with this book? Outside the fact that this could have been a golf book for how much the sport actually matters, the characters are barely interesting, the plot is non-existent, and the pacing is faster than the speed of light for no reason whatsoever. The romance such as it is mostly a bunch of cringe-worthy sex scenes strewn together. The only characters I was invested in were the younger siblings, Jules and Junior, but they're just there to facilitate the main characters getting together.
I don't know. I'm sure people can find enjoyment in it. It's a quick read, especially if you skip the badly-written sex scenes (which I did after about Chapter 20) because they don't move the plot forward. They just take up space. The writing is just...superficial. Everything skims the surface -- we hint at a few deeper issues that were almost interesting, but it goes nowhere.
But the cover is cute, so there's that.
SPOILERS AHEAD BEWARE
The moment I knew that I was going to dread every single page I had left was right in the middle of the first, uh, love scene. Maleek finds out Nuri is a virgin. And she's waited all this time (she's 31, he's 26) for the "right" person. Maleek's her "right" person.
Mind you, at this point, all this chick knows is that he broke up with his fiancée five minutes ago after seven years and he took in his younger siblings after his father died -- siblings he'd never met and was unaware of. And all Maleek knows about Nuri for almost the entire book is that she's homeless and the perfect mother-figure. They talk about zero percent of their backstory (including the fact Nuri's a school shooting survivor and had so much anxiety that she quit her job and her life derailed).
I was prepared to really relate to Nuri. The first time we meet her, we get that backstory, and I was like -- yes, I completely understand that. As a teacher, I've had the anxiety of the drills, the worry over real shelters in place (we had a shooting in an apartment complex right behind our school, so they locked us down for 40 minutes on a Friday afternoon -- we didn't get out of school until like 3:30). So yeah, an actual school shooting when you're literally forced to think about being a human shield for the tiny humans? It could really fuck you up. And she didn't seem to have a lot of support or understanding from her family. There's some hint of problems with the aunt.
Like, Nuri and Maleek are introduced as two fascinating characters with damage that could make for a complex and beautiful romance. Maleek was mostly abandoned by his father, and then when his father did send for him, he immediately sent him right back. Maleek focuses on hockey as the only stable thing in his life (we get hints that things aren't good with his mother, but nothing pans out). Imagine the possibilities! Maleek is closed off, only focusing on the career because it's always been there for him. Nuri is traumatized, but clearly has a lot of love to give and is desperate to receive it since she's not getting it from her family. And we get them in a family situation -- she becomes nanny to two kids who'd lost their parents and don't know their brother. (And their story continues to be the best part -- I really wanted so much more. When they tell Maleek later that they know their parents regretted them, it's sad).
But we don't get that love story, and okay, that's on me. You gave me two damaged characters who could find healing through love and understanding and I got my hopes up.
What I got was the two-dimensional other woman as the interloper. Tasha, Maleek's girlfriend, is a materialistic bitch who doesn't have one ounce of empathy for Maleek's siblings. And sure, I could understand being thrown for how different life is -- but honestly? They barely affect her life. Tasha accuses Maleek of hiding two biracial kids and passing them off as his father's (like what?) and breaks up with him for not tossing the kids to the wolves. Like, she's immediately evil and horrible, and only exists to put off Maleek and Nuri getting together until Chapter 16 or whenever it happens. As soon as Tasha leaves? Maleek immediately hits on Nuri. Like -- maybe a few days.
The author chose a cheap villain antagonist as an external obstacle, and you could tell she didn't know how to fill the rest of the plot without bringing Tasha back over and over again to be a two-dimensional bitch. Because Maleek and Nuri? Nope, that's easy street. They trade traumatic backstories like they're exchanging business cards (she doesn't tell him about the shooting until like two chapters from the end). He signs up for therapy to deal with his abandonment issues, no worries. In this book, the print copy has just over 200 pages. We had time for the setup, disgruntled fiancée sticking around for half the book, a quick relationship, marriage, miscarriage, and another pregnancy -- I got whiplash.
I don't know. It's just not for me. If it's for you, good. But don't give me interesting characters and do nothing with them except cringey sex scenes for 80% of their relationship.
Oh, and the interesting Nuri-aunt situation? It gets resolved in a WTF argument that is never hinted at all in the first 150 pages. We don't hear about the aunt except for the one conversation at the beginning of the book and the confrontation. So...I hope you're ready for....NOTHING. Because that's what you're going to get.
January 2, 2023
Could've been better.
Before they got together it was so good, the tension immaculate, but after, there was no real connection between them. Yeah, they loved each other blah blah blah but I didn't see any development. No real discussions about each other, about their pasts, no nothing. Just "I love you"s and sleeping together.
Had a good start but, in the end, GOAL was pretty disappointing.
Before they got together it was so good, the tension immaculate, but after, there was no real connection between them. Yeah, they loved each other blah blah blah but I didn't see any development. No real discussions about each other, about their pasts, no nothing. Just "I love you"s and sleeping together.
Had a good start but, in the end, GOAL was pretty disappointing.
May 5, 2023
I ate this shit up! Maleek and Nuri were adorable! I loved their instant chemistry. Maleek was so incredibly inked to step up and be a guardian to his siblings even though his father wasn’t the greatest and kept them from him. Nuri was the perfect nanny and addition to their family unit.
The sex scenes in this book had me all sorts of hot and bothered 😏
Side note: I wanted to throw Tasha into a damn volcano.
The sex scenes in this book had me all sorts of hot and bothered 😏
Side note: I wanted to throw Tasha into a damn volcano.
April 15, 2024
this traumatized me more than a coho book.
April 1, 2023
I wish I loved this book as much as I love the rest of the A House books I've read but this one fell a little flat to me. Some of the chapter felt abrupt while others felt entirely too short. The pacing felt off and it made it hard for me to get into the groove of the story. While Maleek and Nuri's love story was beautiful, I wanted more.
I will say, I enjoyed the care and love that was poured into Maleek's siblings. They were placed in an impossible decision and Maleek could have easily walked away but he didn't. I love that he didn't let Tasha's constant nagging and his non existent relationship with his father deter him from stepping up for the kids.
Like always, Jakobi Diem and Nicole Smalls did a beautiful job and I do recommend the audiobook for those who don't feel like reading with their eyes.
I will say, I enjoyed the care and love that was poured into Maleek's siblings. They were placed in an impossible decision and Maleek could have easily walked away but he didn't. I love that he didn't let Tasha's constant nagging and his non existent relationship with his father deter him from stepping up for the kids.
Like always, Jakobi Diem and Nicole Smalls did a beautiful job and I do recommend the audiobook for those who don't feel like reading with their eyes.
December 19, 2022
Uncle Lee Chester is always the highlight in every book by this author. There is quite a bit of trauma in this book. It was rushed through. One traumatic event I had actually forgotten about. A solid read though. I applaud the author for doing something a little different from her usual.
May 1, 2023
What a great story this is!!! I swear author Alexandria House has folks in a chokehold with her stories LOL!!!
Maleek Jones is a Black professional hockey player for the St. Louis Sires. Anyone that knows him understands that hockey is his true love. Maleek is now engaged to his long time girlfriend Tasha and from the outside all looks well but internally Maleek is struggling with how his life outside of hockey.
Nuri Knox was a school teacher, she quit her job after the school she worked at was attacked by a gunman. Beleaguered my nightmares, she makes the decision to quit and now that her her funds are running low, she needs a job and a place to stay quickly.
Two people from opposite sides of the spectrum unexpectedly come together, brought together by happenstance in bringing Maleek's two younger siblings into the picture (which he never knew about from his father's side). Nuri is hired to be their nanny and what happens next is the beginning of lives being changed forever.
I really loved this story because it touches on abandonment issues, mental illness, being a people pleaser, feeling stuck, therapy and miscarriage. All of the things needed to make this an incredible read. I am looking forward to the other books in this series once they are released.
Well Until My Next Review...Ciao!
Maleek Jones is a Black professional hockey player for the St. Louis Sires. Anyone that knows him understands that hockey is his true love. Maleek is now engaged to his long time girlfriend Tasha and from the outside all looks well but internally Maleek is struggling with how his life outside of hockey.
Nuri Knox was a school teacher, she quit her job after the school she worked at was attacked by a gunman. Beleaguered my nightmares, she makes the decision to quit and now that her her funds are running low, she needs a job and a place to stay quickly.
Two people from opposite sides of the spectrum unexpectedly come together, brought together by happenstance in bringing Maleek's two younger siblings into the picture (which he never knew about from his father's side). Nuri is hired to be their nanny and what happens next is the beginning of lives being changed forever.
I really loved this story because it touches on abandonment issues, mental illness, being a people pleaser, feeling stuck, therapy and miscarriage. All of the things needed to make this an incredible read. I am looking forward to the other books in this series once they are released.
Well Until My Next Review...Ciao!
February 16, 2023
Storyline was okay and the mcs weren’t bad but the writing felt more like a draft.
Also it was very rushed and their relationship made no sense to me.
So many open plot lines and for what?
Also it was very rushed and their relationship made no sense to me.
So many open plot lines and for what?
February 28, 2024
This story was a lot more emotional than I was anticipating. It was probably 4+ stars until my main men Big South and Uncle Lee showed up. They pushed it right up to 5 stars. AH really doesn't miss for me. Happy reading!
CW
CW
May 21, 2023
I thought it would be a cute little book, which it was! But why was I crying? Who cut the onions and placed them directly on my eyeballs??? Where can I find this type of unconditional love? If not that point me to someone who can make my toes “throw up gang signs” 😭😭.
But really this book is excellent! I loved reading every single word! Nuri was truly Maleek’s Light! He needed her and she showed him to love and be loved! That’s what I call destiny!
Ps.
I love meeting characters from other books. Unc is always acting a fool and I am always here for it. Can’t wait for more Sires to fall gracefully in love!!
Thank you for writing such a wonderful story!
But really this book is excellent! I loved reading every single word! Nuri was truly Maleek’s Light! He needed her and she showed him to love and be loved! That’s what I call destiny!
Ps.
I love meeting characters from other books. Unc is always acting a fool and I am always here for it. Can’t wait for more Sires to fall gracefully in love!!
Thank you for writing such a wonderful story!
May 13, 2023
Like a lot of book girlies I’m in my hockey romance era and it is a testament to how Black Indie authors are doing their thing that one exists with an all Black cast and Robin Stick lol. This was everything I needed. Hockey and a happily fat Black female lead, undefeated!! I think what I loved must was the humor and how absolutely addicted Maleek was to Nuri. This was such a fun and interesting read. And Nuri’ first interaction with that rose was relatable as hell lol!!
March 23, 2023
Whew! Loved loved this book… I knew Maleek was everything from day one. I loved how he loved Nuri out the gate holding nothing back. Chile where do I find a love like this… I loved the growth with Maleek and Nuri and how they evolved into a beautiful family with the siblings and mama. Alexandria never misses a beat when she puts pen to paper and always delivers the most amazing reads ever always in my top 5 authors and I can’t wait to read what’s next
January 2, 2025
Really disappointed.
The writing was really choppy. A lot of dialogue but almost zero internal dialogue.
I get the ex-finance needed to be the villain but are we forgetting that he didn’t even like her and stayed with her for seven years. Then was lusting after another woman while he was still engaged!
**“Can I have that pvssy?” Asked the MMC.
He can smell her?? This ain’t a werewolf novel!
DNF at 48%
Warning:
N word is used multiple times.
The writing was really choppy. A lot of dialogue but almost zero internal dialogue.
I get the ex-finance needed to be the villain but are we forgetting that he didn’t even like her and stayed with her for seven years. Then was lusting after another woman while he was still engaged!
**“Can I have that pvssy?” Asked the MMC.
He can smell her?? This ain’t a werewolf novel!
DNF at 48%
Warning:
N word is used multiple times.
September 8, 2025
Cute, predictable, fun. It’s a romance about a rising football star who falls for a woman who challenges him in ways he never expected.
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