Forechecked by Forever

Montreal Triumph Hockey #2

by Ariana St. Claire

I’m not the ‘damsel in distress’ any longer, but I love being a brat to my childhood crush turned boy I love to hate.

Once upon a time, Theo Gerard, my big brother’s best friend, rescued me. Or more accurately, put a band-aid on my skinned knee and promised to marry me if he wasn’t by the time he turned thirty when I was eight years old.

When I needed him most my freshman year in college, he treated me like I didn’t matter and ever since, I’ve hated him. Six years later, he’s playing for the Montreal Triumph, needs a nanny and an image makeover. So, I agree to be his fake fiancée if he helps promote Book Boyfriends & Lattes with his hockey-player-who-reads-romance followers.

That doesn’t mean I planned on making it easy for him. And I loved to push his buttons every chance I got. But then, he showed me what happens when I let my brat out a little too often.

Is the way he looks at me just for show, or has the boy I once loved showed up again when I least expected it and become the perfect book boyfriend?

Forechecked by Forever is an enemies to lovers, single dad/nanny, older brother’s best friend hockey romance that will make you blush and kick your feet.

Genres: Sports, Novella, Hockey, Hockey Romance, Enemies To Lovers

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Ariana can be found getting her Zen on while doing yoga, going for a run, or having a bourbon on Saturday nights while plotting the lives of her characters as they whisper and sometimes yell in her ear.

She lives her own Happily Ever After with her amazing husband, who shares her love of racing, comic books, and Firefly, along with her two spirited also amazing boys who love reading books under a blanket just as much as she does!

Reviews

[Isabella Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀.”

#GHOSTHOCKEYDADDY !!!!! The way I was screaming this throughout the book!! This is my first time reading Ariana St. Claire and I am officially OBSESSED!!! If you haven’t read Ariana before, this novella is the PERFECT place to start!!

There’s nothing I love more than a hockey romance with , brothers best friend, single dad, age gap, enemies to lovers AND a daddy kink?!?! Gimmie gimmie 😍😍😍

Theo and Indie have known each other FOREVER! He’s the best friend of her older brother, and she has been crushing on him since she was 14…but Theo has always seen her like a little sister. When she’s 18 and he’s 28, an incident happens where she’s in a vulnerable position and tries to make a move on Theo…but he rejects her. Not because he doesn’t like her, but because he’s trying to keep her from doing something she’ll regret when she’s clearly in a position that is compromising. Indie takes it as a rejection and her crush becomes her enemy.

Fast forward 6 years and Indie and Theo find themselves working for the same hockey team. Indie still hates him. Or at least she tries to. The banter and back and forth with these two is filled with THICK tension and dripping with secret desire.

Theo’s life gets thrown a curve ball when he finds out he’s a dad to a five year old boy…he’s now a single dad with full custody after the boys mom dies. This puts a big damper on his playboy lifestyle but he’s fully committed to his son. Indie becomes a nanny for Theo’s little boy and they end up spending more time than usual together. Which wouldn’t be a problem , except Theo is already in the tabloids for becoming a dad from a one night stand and his womanising ways. Now he’s being photographed with Indie and rumours go flying. His PR team tries to do damage control by suggesting he fake date Indie to get things under control. And we all know what happens with fake dating 😉

Fake becomes real very fast and the best between these two is off the charts! Old feelings and desires come bubbling up and past wounds get healed. These two fought it HARD but the chemistry between them is undeniable. The both realise that it was always the other for them and make up for lost time. What I love love LOVED was how bratty Indie was…pushing his buttons…but Theo let his alpha dom side out and showed him EXACTLY how he tames a brat like her 🤭

A quick, spicy , heartfelt read that will having you screaming for your own Ghost Hockey Daddy 😉🩷

Thank you so much to Ariana St Claire and Naughty Nook PR for the opportunity to ARC read this book 🩷


🏒Hockey Romance
🩷Enemies to Lovers
🏒Second Chance
🩷Age Gap (10 years)
🏒Brother’s Best Friend
🩷Bratty FMC
🏒Dom MMC
🩷Fake Engagement
🏒Single Dad x Nanny
🩷Impact Play
🏒Daddy K!nk
🩷Breeding K!nk
🏒Secret Dating
🩷Forced Proximity
🏒He Reads Romance
🩷Dual POV

[Crystal Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was such a quick and spicy read! I devoured it in no time and it left me wanting even more. Your classic brother’s best friend, but she’s off limits romance.

Indie was stubborn and strong willed. She also had fun being a brat, pushing the limits, and testing a certain someone. He hurt her all those years ago and now she hated him. But she had a big heart also and wanted to help his son and her bookstore.

Theo was a grumpy single father. Only just finding out he had a 5 year old when the mother passed away. He would do whatever it took to give him a good life and make him happy. Even if it meant having Indie around more and fake dating/getting engaged to her to clean up his image.

The push and pull between these two was intense and delicious. She knew how to push his buttons and loved it. But he also knew how to handle her and tame her brattiness. It was so spicy and these two were just meant to be.

4⭐️
3.5🌶️

[Torey · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a good quick read that with a bit of editing will be a great story. fake relationships, single dad with nanny, and brothers best friend are some great tropes. there are a couple spicy scenes but nothing excessive.

[Emmy Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! I love the brothers best friends trope and paired with hockey romance it’s perfection. So the bad boy hockey player suddenly has a kid and then gets into a scandal for being an a-hole player in more than just hockey. So he fake dates, or gets fakely engaged to the girl whose heart he broke 8 years ago. At the start all the time skips has me confused and the way things are ordered was weird but the plot had me hooked, it wasn’t a long book but it was adorable yet tense. It’s a hate to love kind of thing, but is it really, if Theo never hated Indie in the first place? Anyways I adored their banter and the way her “bratiness” makes him lose control. But that one scene where he just spanks her out of nowhere was uncalled for… And I love “contracts” in fake dating, they’re so cute!!! And the drawing on each other's hands is adorable. They have amazing chemistry. Indie works in a romance bookstore called book boyfriends and lattes! I need to work there! She’s a girl who’s grown from her past experiences and became a strong confident woman. Yes I love when the guy finds her weak and helps her grow stronger, but there’s just something I love about the fmc finding her own way. Theo is grumpy a-hole at the start but he’s a softie at heart! His feelings for Indie can't be matched! I loved this book and give it a 4.5/5

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theo and Indie.

This was a quick read. Theo needs help re-vamping his image now that he is a father of a 5 year old boy named Travis. Enter Indie the best friends little sister is all grown up. He was tasked with keeping her safe all these years and now he wants her in a way that her brother might not be okay with. My only gripe is there wasn't more pages to this (I always want more) and the intimate scenes felt a bit much for the main male character. There were no hints of his kinks until we go there. Not that I am opposed but sometimes authors will drip feed us kinks before a scene. That didn't happen with this book.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick read

Indie and Theo are your classic older brother's best friend trope with a dash of enemies to lovers after Theo broke 18yo Indie's heart by refusing to take advantage of her in a vulnerable moment. That being said, it's still an entertaining read. We still see plenty of secondary character action from Noah (possibly my favorite character in the series). Indie and Theo push each other's buttons and the "will they, won't they" push and pull is fun to read. 🤷🏻‍♀️
 
I received a free advance copy of this book from the author, and also borrowed on KU.

[Lindsey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I am a total sucker for a good brother’s best friend to more story! Ariana St. Claire provided me with everything I love about this trope in Forechecked by Forever. This second chance, heat filled novella is the perfect escape that you can read in one sitting if you want. It can be read as as standalone, but for full character development I highly recommend reading book one in Ariana’s Montreal Triumph series.

Theo and Indie have known each other for sometime. Indie has had feelings for Theo for almost as long as they have known each other, but him being her brother’s best friend and older makes her somewhat off limits. Due to a vulnerable situation where Indie feels like Theo rejected her, her crush turned to crushed and she had despised him ever since. Theo knew it would cause problems if he gave into her requests and to keep her safe he was ok with her disliking him.

Now they are back together working for the same hockey team. When Theo discovers he is a single father, his agent steps in and demands he clean up his playboy act. Fatherhood fits Theo and he is instantly protective of his five year old son. Needing a nanny, he is extremely picky, and thankfully Indie offers to help where able. Que the fake relationship for Theo’s image, while the feelings between them are not so fake.

I loved watching these two interact with each other. Ariana writes some amazing banter between the two of them and when the spice heats, it was well worth the build up. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about these two finding their way back to each other and realizing how much time they had missed out on. I am excited for more of Ariana’s stories in this series too. So many wonderful side characters who deserve their own stories! Highly recommend this short, hot read!!

As always, review any author notes before reading.

What to Expect:
🏒Single Dad x Nanny
💜Age Gap
🏒Fake Engagement
💜Brother’s Best Friend
🏒Enemies to Lovers
💜Breeding K!nk
🏒Impact Play
💜Hockey Romance

[Neia Quaintance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in the series, which it can be read as a standalone, but for full character experience, ur gonna wanna read in order

Theo is Indie's brother Isaac's best friend and hockey teammate, but he has always been Indie's protector. Indie's 18 and has had a crush on Theo since she was 14. But Theo looks at her like a sister, and he is much older he is 28. Theo had a one night stand that led him to havin a son Travis. And when Travis mom passed and Theo has custody now that made him a single dad of a 5 year old, and now he is lookin for a nanny to watch Travis while Theo is away for games Ever since Theo walked away from Indie when she needed him most 6 years ago, she hasn't talked to him since until the masked haunted house Halloween event. Indie's been helpin with watchin Travis here and there, and when Theo and Indie were kids, he made a promise to her that if she hadn't married by thirty, he would marry her. Indie's Travis's part-time nanny she is helpin Laney out for Theo. But when Theo's PR team proposed a suggestion to him, he had to Indie on board but at what cost. This book is fast-paced and really good and the banter between the players and Theo and Indie is funny. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

[Kristina Brutsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

What to expect:
❤️ Age Gap
🏒 Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Single Dad
🏒 Hockey Romance
❤️ Fake relationship
🏒 Dom MMC
❤️ Sub FMC

Theo and Indie have known each other since they were young. Theo is 10 years older than Indie and is best friends with her brother Isaac. When her brother leaves, he makes Theo promise to watch over Indie. He kept that promise and ended up breaking her heart when she wanted something more.

For years, Indie hated Theo for rejecting her but when he became a father to a little boy named Travis. She somehow got roped into babysitting the kid. Eventually, they had to be around one another but that didn't help Theo's image, since he was such a playboy in the public's eye.

Theo is a professional hockey player and his publicist came up with the idea that they fake-date to help soften his image. What started as fake ended up becoming something more. The sexual tension between one another became something other than hate.

Can Indie forgive Theo for the past because he was just honoring her brother’s wishes? Will she continue this charade or will she oust him in public and leave him humiliated, just like he left her? Can Theo keep his promise to Isaac especially since he is so much older and has a kid? Let's find out!

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to order a hockey player boyfriend, please. Seriously.

Indie has always had feelings for her older brother's best friend, Theo. However, after a less than smoothly handled night, she set her mind to hating him. Years later, Theo has a terrible reputation the NHL is less than pleased with, and he's suddenly a dad to a little boy he didn't know about. His plan to rehab it? Indie.

For a sub-200 page book, this is a scorcher. Theo has a filthy mouth and Indie is very much a brat that he is all too happy to try and tame. Both of the characters are flawed in a way that makes them very easy to emphasize with. My only criticism is that it took Indie as long as it did to figure out how Theo felt. Come on, girl! I read this in one sitting and definitely plan to read the other books in this series.

If you're looking for a quick read with an endearingly cocky hockey player and a woman who loves him just as much as she lies to herself about hating him, this is for you.

4🌟


Thank you so much to the author and @naughtynookpr for providing me with a copy of this book for the purposes of review. My thoughts are, as always, my own and honest.

[Jocelynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review - Thank You!

This made my inner brat kick her feet! Lol

🖤 Age gap
🖤 Daddy Kink
🖤 BRAT
🖤 Brother's Best Friend
🖤 Single Dad
🖤 Second Chance Romance
🖤 Friends - Enemies - Lovers
🖤 Fake Engagement

YES!!! This book was HOT AF! Indie and Theo literally grew up together. Theo has always had Indie's back and been her protector and she has always looked up to him and loved him. Theo saves her from an incident when she's 18 and she makes a move and gets shot down. Theo's rejection broke her heart because he left her at the most vulnerable she's ever been. Indie lets that heartbreak turn into hate and it ruins their relationship.

6 years later they find themselves in the same social circle when Theo, the now playboy, gets traded to the local hockey team Indie works with. Theo finds out he has a 5 year old son when the mother dies and now finds himself a single dad that can't hold a reliable nanny. Indie finds herself helping take care of his little boy and discovers just how much she enjoys pushing Theo's buttons.

She lets her inner brat out and loves her punishments! Their banter is top notch and they find that love and hate really are a thin line.

[Andrea Mehalco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forechecked by Forever is another fun installment in the Triumph hockey series. This book follows two familiar characters from earlier reads—Theo and Indie. Theo is Indie’s older brother’s best friend, and she’s secretly had feelings for him for years. Long ago, during a tough moment in her life, she called Theo for help. He came to her rescue, but when she made a move, he turned her down. Ever since, Indie’s carried some resentment.

Now, they both work for the same team, and thanks to some big life changes, they’re spending more time together—especially since Theo recently found out he’s a dad, and Indie steps in as a nanny when needed. To help clean up his public image, they start fake dating…but of course, there’s nothing fake about their chemistry.

The story is sweet with a healthy dose of spice. I mean, who doesn’t love a hotshot hockey-playing single dad falling hard? The writing felt a bit choppy at times, but honestly, I’ll always read whatever Arianna writes.

[Holly Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so in love with the #ghostdaddy group of hockey men! Ariana does quick and dirty soooo well. Through reading the others in this novella series I have been watching Theo and waiting to see what this grumpy single father has hiding behind his doors and I was not disappointed!

This is a quick read that will leave you begging for more. Theo and Indie have a story that could have been developed into a larger book but even as a novella their story hits all the right parts. Indie is 10 years younger than Theo he was the extra older brother she never asked for but after a unfortunate and vulnerable moment in their youth their relationship is torn apart and filled with anger and hostility. Until they are forced upon each other one as a single dad struggling with his bad boy rap and one trying to help boost her best friends bookstore profits.

We all love a good age gap but pair that with hockey, brooding men, masks, & a second chance and its just all perfection. Ooooh and the text banter (hehe)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

🏒Hockey Romance
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🏒Second Chance
🖤Age Gap (10 years)
🏒Brother’s Best Friend
🖤Bratty FMC
🏒Dom MMC
🖤Fake Engagement
🏒Single Dad x Nanny
🖤Impact Play
🏒Daddy K!nk
🖤Breeding K!nk
🏒Secret Dating
🖤Forced Proximity
🏒He Reads Romance
🖤Dual POV

[Nadia Hinojosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of the Montreal Triumph Hockey series. I love all the characters on the Triumph Hockey team!! The characters are so hilarious and fun to read. I definitely need to check out the previous books in this series! The writing, and the story just draw you in.
I love how rebellious and snarky the FMC is. She is definitely one of my heroes! She is just so sassy and bratty and I am loving it! And I am totally digging on #HockeyDaddy!! I am not sure if I have a daddy kink but he makes me want to try it! I love the nuances in their relationship as well as the sparks that fly when they are together. I’m reading this book on my lunch break and I hate that my break is over! Mayne I need to take an extra long bathroom break…I’m sure nobody will notice…LOL
Thank you, Ariana St. Claire, for another snarky, sarcastic and bratty read! I am loving it and I hate putting this book down. You have gained a stalker…I mean a fan in me!!

[Victoria Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter Brat Season..

Indie and Theo have known each other their whole life, she is the little sister of his best friend. You get to see time jumps back throughout the book to see how their relationship now came to be. After Theo finding out he had a son, he is extremely picky on picking a nanny but between the teams PR team and Indie his son is took care of. Their back and forth banter is HOT. Classic tales of love hate relationships with a splash of brattiness that makes everyone else hot.

Each one of them tries to fight their feelings for different reasons but when his Agent comes to him and tell hims that because of his “playboy” ways he needs to look like a relationship with Indie since she is always around. The ending of this book will make your heart melt..

Brattiness is back!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying, this story had me invested. The premise pulled me in right away: enemies-to-lovers? Yes, please. Hockey player that reads romance novels. Even better. Throw in a single dad, age gap, and some serious emotional flashbacks, and you’ve got my attention.

Theo and Indie’s dynamic was layered, messy, and full of that “I hate but I want you” tension that I devour.

Now for the honest part: the story had so much potential, but I personally felt it wrapped up too soon. There was room to explore more and dig deeper into the emotions, slow down the pacing, and really let the characters breathe.

As for spice? I’d give it a solid 3 🌶🌶🌶.

Overall, this is a promising read from an author I’ll be watching. If you like Hockey Daddies with a sassy, Forechecked by Forever might just be for you.

[Sara Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there’s a few things about this.. firstly it’s in a series and although you could read it as a standalone, things might get a bit confusing. The series is great so if you haven’t read the others you might want to start there!

Secondly.. I absolutely ADORED the chemistry between Indie and Travis. It’s dual POV so you get the full push and pull experience and it’s also a forced proximity which is one of my favourite tropes.

Indie’s character is fantastic! She’s witty, feisty, loyal and so very very stubborn and her character makes you want to read more and more. The spice is fantastic throughout with drops of dark romance sprinkled in although not overly spicy.

I will say that the ending is a bit blunt but I also do appreciate that this is a short. Overall, very in keeping with the series and a good read!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Jordan Fiest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forechecked by Forever is part of the Montreal Triumph Hockey Series.

This was a great semi second chance, hockey romance. Theo makes a bit of an error in judgement years previously and now Indie despises him. He also has an image problem and has to fix it quickly. This leads to Theo and Indie making an agreement, even though they are enemies. I found it amusing that events led it for Indie to be the obvious choice for this agreement. Clearly Theo had some ulterior motives when he agreed to this plan. I love the big revelations you see by the end of the book. Seeing the true character of Theo really made me love him and want to reread this just to experience it all over again.

This was a mesmerizing read from start to finish.

[Iqra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was soooo good and reminded me of other movies and books. I absolutely loved it and I loved the trope sooo much. It’s a brother’s best friend/enemies to lover’s trope and it’s honestly soo good and spicy.
This book is a classic enemies-to-lovers hockey romance with a twist! It centers on a woman whose brother's best friend, a hockey "bad boy," was her secret crush. He once made a marriage pact with her, only to later break her heart, leaving her unable to even look at him. Now, facing a need to clean up his image after discovering he's a father, he's bringing up that old promise. The central question is whether his renewed interest is a genuine change of heart or just a public relations stunt.

[Tara Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 😍🥵 I loveeeee hockey romance, throw in an age gap and Daddy kink and ughhh I’m cooked 🥵🥵 I couldn’t put this book down! Theo was just 😘 chef’s kiss! Hockey player, single dad, dominant, book influencer?!! I mean yes please! New book boyfriend unlocked 😍 And Indie, badass, sassy, bratty 😏 Indie! I absolutely loved her. I was invested from the beginning because who doesn’t want to see how a childhood crush, secondish chance romance pans out? I could have read their story forever! Don’t sleep on this one! Thank you @authorarianastclaire for the opportunity to read your book! I can’t wait to read more 🥰

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do guys always have to break our hearts "for your own good" as if they know what's good for us?

Indie had her heart broken by Theo years ago and at a moment when she really needed him.
Years later, she's helping him out by being a part time nanny for his five year old son.
And of course, because he can't seem to stay away from her (even though she nows hates him), photos of the two of them surface.
Now for damage control, it's suggested that they fake date so it doesn't become a huge scandal.

But will it work? Friends to enemies to lovers, but can she even trust him?
Totally claiming this book boyfriend 😏

[Dara Wasalino Tremblay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
Best friends little sister
Second Chance
Enemies to lovers
Single Dad
Secret dating
Fake Relationship
Forced Proximity
“Daddy” X Brat
Hockey Romance

This book is the story of hockey playing, single dad, MMC Theo, and FMC Indie, who is the little sister of Theo’s best friend and Theo’s part time nanny. Indie and Theo have history. Indie’s been in love with him for years and made a move long ago, but was shot down. She’s still hurt and embarrassed. To help clean up Theo’s playboy image, they start fake dating. This book was great! Could have been a bit longer to give more detail and history, but I’m not mad at it!

[Francheska · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOCKEY ROMANCE
SINGLE DAD
ENEMIES TO LOVERS
BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND
AGE GAP
DOM/BRAT
DADDY KINK

INDIE has known THEO for what seems like forever... He is her brother's best friend . She has been crushing on him since she was 14. A situation happens where she tries to make a move on him but he rejects her. 6 years later they find themselves working for the same hockey team . Theo finds out he is the father of a 5 year old boy .. he becomes a single father with full custody overnight . Indie becomes a nanny to his little boy . His life is becoming a PR nightmare so administration recommends a fake relationship once they are seem together

[Pà · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one a lot. The tension between Indie and Theo was strong and the banter kept me interested the whole time. They both have history and it shows,
There’s good chemistry, a bit of emotional drama, and some funny moments too. I liked the side characters a lot. The spice was there but not overdone.
Some parts felt a bit fast or predictable, but overall it was an enjoyable read. Thank you so much to the author and Naughty Nook PR for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

[TarynLA · Rating 4 out of 5]

MF Taboo Hockey Romance Novella

Quick and easy read. There were a lot of side character I would have understood better if I read the previous books in this series, it didn’t bother me much but it may matter to other readers who like to read series in order.
I would recommend for anyone wanting a super short, easy read with a bit more plot than spice.
No OWD, no cheating with a HEA

Tropes:
-Brother’s Best Friend
-Protector
-Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
-Age Gap
-Fake Relationship
-Marriage Pact
-Nanny/Single Dad
-He Falls First

[whatinthehea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brat wearing fishnets?! yeeees

Oooops, Ariana did it again!

Forechecked by Forever is a…

Best friends little sister
Second Chance
Enemies to lovers
Single Dad
Secret dating
Fake Relationship
Forced Proximity
“Daddy” X Brat
Hockey Romance

…fun read!

The entire series has our # ghostdaddies all falling in love and falling hard. And let me tell you, you do not want to skip this story!! 😍

[Jessica Sexton · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️
4/5🌶️

Seriously I’m sure the world I sick of hearing from me when it comes to Ari’s books but she has done it again. There is nothing better than #GHOSTHOCKEYDADDIES, at least the ones she writes! Theo is the perfect amount of grumpy, protective and 🔥. It’s a little Age Gap, brothers best friend, fake dating, single dad/nanny vibe! If you have never heard of Ari before this is your sign to find out why the Triumph Haunted House sparks all kinds of 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Alisha Pascual · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fast paced, skipped some scenes that were talked about but not put in, but it was still a pretty good book. Indie loving Theo all those years even after Theo broke her heart & she thought she hated him. Theo loving Indie all those years, secretly, was so heartwarming. Of course a situation comes along to bring these two together for them to admit their feelings. Oh and Theos dirty talk, 💯💕

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ariana has given another fun and red-hot addition to the Montreal Triumph series. Indie and Theo have known each other for years and she holds a past incident against him. Talk about enemies to lovers…and many other tropes! I loved all the team banter/texts, the hot sizzle tension to passion explosion between Indie and Theo, friends/found family input and everything in between. The ending was swoonworthy. Can’t wait for the next in this series!

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick read. About 160ish pages. Indie has always loved Theo, her older brothers best friend. She felt she could always turn to Theo until the one night he turned her down breaking her heart in the process. 8 years later we see a push and pull between them two while “fake dating” to help Theo’s image as a famous hockey player. There’s some spice as well but nothing crazy.

Not a bad book just for some reason I couldn’t connect to any of the characters.