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Breaking Away
As the coach’s curvy daughter, I shouldn’t fake-date the rival team’s hot, tattooed, grumpy defenseman, even if I used to have a crush on him back in high school.
My dad, the coach, spent months training our guys to take down Dmitri Lokhov.
He’s the hottest, fastest, and grumpiest defenseman on the rink. No one’s seen him smile, let alone mutter more than a few broody words.
But when Dmitri loses his calm, knocking out our best player who happens to be my fiancé, everyone is shocked.
With a little liquid courage, I break into Dmitri’s cushy five-star hotel suite. After all, we knew each other as teenagers, so I need to give Mr. Grumpy Superstar a piece of my mind.
What I’m not supposed to learn is why he lost his cool in the first place. It was over a nasty comment about me. Made by my fiancé.
I break the wedding off, but the best way to get revenge?
Fake date his rival.
My dad, the coach, spent months training our guys to take down Dmitri Lokhov.
He’s the hottest, fastest, and grumpiest defenseman on the rink. No one’s seen him smile, let alone mutter more than a few broody words.
But when Dmitri loses his calm, knocking out our best player who happens to be my fiancé, everyone is shocked.
With a little liquid courage, I break into Dmitri’s cushy five-star hotel suite. After all, we knew each other as teenagers, so I need to give Mr. Grumpy Superstar a piece of my mind.
What I’m not supposed to learn is why he lost his cool in the first place. It was over a nasty comment about me. Made by my fiancé.
I break the wedding off, but the best way to get revenge?
Fake date his rival.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2024
738 people are currently reading
1784 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
November 18, 2024
The FMC was an insufferable doormat and the MMC was one dimensional. The big confrontations at the end when the MCs were standing up for themselves was stupid and anti-climactic across the board. The writing was poor and I just wanted it to be over.
This is advertised as fake dating but it isn't. It's more like forced proximity, except they don't even live together until halfway through the book. All around disappointment on this one.
This is advertised as fake dating but it isn't. It's more like forced proximity, except they don't even live together until halfway through the book. All around disappointment on this one.
October 23, 2024
📚𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 - 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ♾️🌟 | 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝟯🌶️
💙𝙷𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🏒𝙴𝚡’𝚜 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕
💙𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢/𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
📸𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
💙𝙵𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐-𝚒𝚜𝚑
💓𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀👑
💭𝐈 𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓!
Dmitri is definitely making his way to the top of my book boyfriend list. The way he loves Kavi is just swoon-worthy! He keeps saying she deserves better and that he needs to focus on hockey, but he never actually hurts her. (only that one night, but he can't help it and he apologized like a MAN). The man admitted he f*cked up, for something that was beyond his control, my gawddd🫠Ugh, it drives me nuts when the MMC pushes the girl away and ends up hurting her, but Dmitri didn’t do that at all! He was always there for her, always put her first.
➡️Let's talk about character development! This is seriously one of the best transformations I've ever seen. Initially, I was surprised to see Kavi being such a pushover since Sookh usually writes kick-ass female leads. Watching her grow from someone who just went along with everything to a strong, confident woman by the end of the story. I've already gushed enough about Dmitri. He was awesome from the start, but the healing he goes through with Kavi's help makes him an even better man.
🔥The spice, my lawddd, what I liked about Sookh’s writing is her slow burn. She is the master of chemistry, tension, and mutual pining. The naked apron scene? Chef’s kiss, give me a man to serve me food naked and I’ll die happy.
✨The resolution with their parents and Tyler was so satisfying, too! I loved how both of them started out friendless for very different reasons, and yet they ended up creating this beautiful found family together. Seriously, I can’t stop gushing about this book! It was absolutely amazing!
💕This is hands down her best work yet! You can really see how much her writing has grown, and it’s so exciting to watch her evolve with each book. The true dual POV is a game changer, I’m really hoping she sticks with this style going forward, it added so much depth and made the story even more engaging!
✅She’s a curvy Punjabi photographer
✅He’s a hunky Russian star hockey player
✅He falls first and so fuckin’ HARD, gaaahhhhhhh!
✅He’s been pining for her since high school
✅He’s a grump with a heart of GOLD
✅He grovels, even when he didnt need to!
✅Communication and Acts of Services
𝑀𝓎 𝐹𝒶𝓋𝑜𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒬𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈:
➸ I can tell that’s seasoned. Unruly. Unreasonable. I could never deal with that.” I catch her jabby finger before it lands anywhere sensitive. “You would learn how to deal with it.”
➸ “Who else is your Princess?” “No one. Only you. Always only you.”
➸ "How do I make you feel good? How do I show you I’m so fucking sorry that I couldn’t be who you needed me to be tonight? Please, Kavi. Tell me.”
➸ "Whatever Kavi Basra needs, she gets.”
➸ "What do I do for you when you’ve done so much for me?” “You exist.”
✨ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 SOOKH KAUR 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚎-𝙰𝚁𝙲, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✨
January 16, 2025
i am a little torn on this book but i'm rounding up to 4 stars because i think sookh kaur makes a valid contribution to the literature (of slutty MMCs) and she should continue to do so
the first half of the book i was rolling my eyes a lot - in some parts the writing needs an editor pretty badly. in other places it's fine, but overall it's not this book's strong suit. kavi, dmitri and their storylines both feel a little childish, a little two-dimensional, and the author does a lot of telling instead of showing. but i found this book through a reddit post about slutty MMCs so i persevered because clearly someone thought the author was cooking here and it's a quick read anyway.
it does get better around the halfway point. the stuff that annoyed me doesn't necessarily go away, but when the sex scenes came into play it became clearer to me that kaur has a vision and she. is. cooking. let her cook!!!
at first the dynamic between dmitri and kavi confused me because for the first half of the book he's giving the same energy as countless other MMCs who are commanding, protective, rich, six foot a bajillion, etc etc. but you keep getting glimpses into his attraction to her/his subservient streak and you're like, well which one is it? is he an annoying stereotypical romance mr. bossy pants or is he a slut who needs to please? he and kavi have this back-and-forth dynamic where it's like they're taking turns begging each other and it kinda gave me whiplash but after thinking about it i realized i was only getting whiplash because i was expecting dmitri to be either/or, when in reality kaur's brain is too big to restrict him to one or the other. refuse to squeeze dmitri into the usual bossy pants MMC box! he's giving heterosexual service top!
more credit where it's due for the author - the sex scenes are the highlight for me. like i said, dmitri doesn't fit into the usual het romance MMC boxes, and his sexual interests/motivations are very present. to me, that's important in a dual POV romance. i don't want to read his POV if his interest in the FMC is entirely based on how soft and curvy she is or whatever. so that's a win. in kavi's case, her sexual motivations are less present imo, but with her backstory it also makes sense for her to have a less developed sense of erotic self (not completely undeveloped, mind you!)
i did find the sex scenes a little dissonant with the tone of the rest of the book - there's a level of dirty talk i simply did not see coming when the FMC keeps referring to her "bum" and the non-sex scenes don't have much steam building.
pros:
- i like that the MCs both have a nice arc where they grow up a little and assert themselves to their respective messy families
- similarly i like that their families are flawed, stay flawed, but the characters find some kind of happy medium.
- both characters also start out with no friends and part of their character arcs is making meaningful friendships as well as finding love!
- the sex scenes are legit spicy - like actual recognizably dirty talk beyond calling her a good girl and telling her to take it or whatever (snore)
- the characters have an interesting dynamic that i found refreshing for contemporary het romance
- passes my test of "does he eat it more than once, on the page": he eats it twice in one scene and he would do it again
cons:
- it's in first person present tense, which i guess is a personal preference but oh boy do i hate it
- if you're planning on picking this up cause it's advertised as fake dating, you will probably be disappointed. it's kiiind of present in the beginning but pretty quickly just is dating lol
- overall i just get the sense that this book needs an editor. there's a lot of weird word choices (throats clogging, tears zigzaging down cheeks, weird passive voice choices, punctuation errors) that were distracting and i wasn't sure if i'd be able to finish the book lol
- i think more time spent could have been spent on each scene. it's a quick read and i think it could stand to be a little longer/fleshed out to give it a little more impact
overall verdict: i will be keeping an eye on sookh kaur!! i see the vision! i believe in the vision!
the first half of the book i was rolling my eyes a lot - in some parts the writing needs an editor pretty badly. in other places it's fine, but overall it's not this book's strong suit. kavi, dmitri and their storylines both feel a little childish, a little two-dimensional, and the author does a lot of telling instead of showing. but i found this book through a reddit post about slutty MMCs so i persevered because clearly someone thought the author was cooking here and it's a quick read anyway.
it does get better around the halfway point. the stuff that annoyed me doesn't necessarily go away, but when the sex scenes came into play it became clearer to me that kaur has a vision and she. is. cooking. let her cook!!!
at first the dynamic between dmitri and kavi confused me because for the first half of the book he's giving the same energy as countless other MMCs who are commanding, protective, rich, six foot a bajillion, etc etc. but you keep getting glimpses into his attraction to her/his subservient streak and you're like, well which one is it? is he an annoying stereotypical romance mr. bossy pants or is he a slut who needs to please? he and kavi have this back-and-forth dynamic where it's like they're taking turns begging each other and it kinda gave me whiplash but after thinking about it i realized i was only getting whiplash because i was expecting dmitri to be either/or, when in reality kaur's brain is too big to restrict him to one or the other. refuse to squeeze dmitri into the usual bossy pants MMC box! he's giving heterosexual service top!
more credit where it's due for the author - the sex scenes are the highlight for me. like i said, dmitri doesn't fit into the usual het romance MMC boxes, and his sexual interests/motivations are very present. to me, that's important in a dual POV romance. i don't want to read his POV if his interest in the FMC is entirely based on how soft and curvy she is or whatever. so that's a win. in kavi's case, her sexual motivations are less present imo, but with her backstory it also makes sense for her to have a less developed sense of erotic self (not completely undeveloped, mind you!)
i did find the sex scenes a little dissonant with the tone of the rest of the book - there's a level of dirty talk i simply did not see coming when the FMC keeps referring to her "bum" and the non-sex scenes don't have much steam building.
pros:
- i like that the MCs both have a nice arc where they grow up a little and assert themselves to their respective messy families
- similarly i like that their families are flawed, stay flawed, but the characters find some kind of happy medium.
- both characters also start out with no friends and part of their character arcs is making meaningful friendships as well as finding love!
- the sex scenes are legit spicy - like actual recognizably dirty talk beyond calling her a good girl and telling her to take it or whatever (snore)
- the characters have an interesting dynamic that i found refreshing for contemporary het romance
- passes my test of "does he eat it more than once, on the page": he eats it twice in one scene and he would do it again
cons:
- it's in first person present tense, which i guess is a personal preference but oh boy do i hate it
- if you're planning on picking this up cause it's advertised as fake dating, you will probably be disappointed. it's kiiind of present in the beginning but pretty quickly just is dating lol
- overall i just get the sense that this book needs an editor. there's a lot of weird word choices (throats clogging, tears zigzaging down cheeks, weird passive voice choices, punctuation errors) that were distracting and i wasn't sure if i'd be able to finish the book lol
- i think more time spent could have been spent on each scene. it's a quick read and i think it could stand to be a little longer/fleshed out to give it a little more impact
overall verdict: i will be keeping an eye on sookh kaur!! i see the vision! i believe in the vision!
October 13, 2024
ARC Review⭐️
Let me just say, if you love fake dating like I do, Breaking Away by Sookh Kaur is an absolute treat! Dmitri has had a crush on Kavi forever, and when she moves in, he finally gets to fake date her! I ate this up. The writing had me flipping pages, and now I just need more of Kavi and Dmitri.
Even though it’s a slow burn, it didn’t feel like it at all. I was hooked from page one. It’s packed with so many of my favorite tropes: found family, hockey rivals, and friends who become family! Kavi is so relatable, especially as a Punjabi woman navigating the world today. Dmitri, His broodiness is top-tier, 100% hardcore broodiness, and I loved every bit of it. He’s this antisocial, shy hockey star, which makes him even more endearing.
The balance of hockey, spice, and real talk about toxic relationships with both partners and family members made this book so well-rounded. The character growth for both Dmitri and Kavi was off the charts. The found family aspect through friends added so much warmth to the story. Honestly, I couldn’t get enough! If you’re a fan of slow-burn, fake dating, found family, and hockey rivals with a side of emotional depth, you need to pick this one up!
Let me just say, if you love fake dating like I do, Breaking Away by Sookh Kaur is an absolute treat! Dmitri has had a crush on Kavi forever, and when she moves in, he finally gets to fake date her! I ate this up. The writing had me flipping pages, and now I just need more of Kavi and Dmitri.
Even though it’s a slow burn, it didn’t feel like it at all. I was hooked from page one. It’s packed with so many of my favorite tropes: found family, hockey rivals, and friends who become family! Kavi is so relatable, especially as a Punjabi woman navigating the world today. Dmitri, His broodiness is top-tier, 100% hardcore broodiness, and I loved every bit of it. He’s this antisocial, shy hockey star, which makes him even more endearing.
The balance of hockey, spice, and real talk about toxic relationships with both partners and family members made this book so well-rounded. The character growth for both Dmitri and Kavi was off the charts. The found family aspect through friends added so much warmth to the story. Honestly, I couldn’t get enough! If you’re a fan of slow-burn, fake dating, found family, and hockey rivals with a side of emotional depth, you need to pick this one up!
November 1, 2024
📚𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 - 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ♾️🌟 | 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝟯🌶️
💙𝙷𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🏒𝙴𝚡’𝚜 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚕
💙𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢/𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
📸𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
💙𝙵𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐-𝚒𝚜𝚑
💓𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀👑
💭𝐈 𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓!
Dmitri is definitely making his way to the top of my book boyfriend list. The way he loves Kavi is just swoon-worthy! He keeps saying she deserves better and that he needs to focus on hockey, but he never actually hurts her. (only that one night, but he can't help it and he apologized like a MAN). The man admitted he f*cked up, for something that was beyond his control, my gawddd🫠Ugh, it drives me nuts when the MMC pushes the girl away and ends up hurting her, but Dmitri didn’t do that at all! He was always there for her, always put her first.
➡️Let's talk about character development! This is seriously one of the best transformations I've ever seen. Initially, I was surprised to see Kavi being such a pushover since Sookh usually writes kick-ass female leads. Watching her grow from someone who just went along with everything to a strong, confident woman by the end of the story. I've already gushed enough about Dmitri. He was awesome from the start, but the healing he goes through with Kavi's help makes him an even better man.
🔥The spice, my lawddd, what I liked about Sookh’s writing is her slow burn. She is the master of chemistry, tension, and mutual pining. The naked apron scene? Chef’s kiss, give me a man to serve me food naked and I’ll die happy.
✨The resolution with their parents and Tyler was so satisfying, too! I loved how both of them started out friendless for very different reasons, and yet they ended up creating this beautiful found family together. Seriously, I can’t stop gushing about this book! It was absolutely amazing!
💕This is hands down her best work yet! You can really see how much her writing has grown, and it’s so exciting to watch her evolve with each book. The true dual POV is a game changer, I’m really hoping she sticks with this style going forward, it added so much depth and made the story even more engaging!
✅She’s a curvy Punjabi photographer
✅He’s a hunky Russian star hockey player
✅He falls first and so fuckin’ HARD, gaaahhhhhhh!
✅He’s been pining for her since high school
✅He’s a grump with a heart of GOLD
✅He grovels, even when he didnt need to!
✅Communication and Acts of Services
𝑀𝓎 𝐹𝒶𝓋𝑜𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒬𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈:
➸ I can tell that’s seasoned. Unruly. Unreasonable. I could never deal with that.” I catch her jabby finger before it lands anywhere sensitive. “You would learn how to deal with it.”
➸ “Who else is your Princess?” “No one. Only you. Always only you.”
➸ "How do I make you feel good? How do I show you I’m so fucking sorry that I couldn’t be who you needed me to be tonight? Please, Kavi. Tell me.”
➸ "Whatever Kavi Basra needs, she gets.”
➸ "What do I do for you when you’ve done so much for me?” “You exist.”
✨ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 SOOKH KAUR 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚎-𝙰𝚁𝙲, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✨
November 17, 2024
Found this indie author on Kindle and wow this was excellent! Love the representation and the tropes (he falls first, slow burn, fake dating). Definitely way too spicy for me but the character arcs were nuanced and the relationship well-developed!
May 11, 2025
she was basically functioning as a doormat and bro was a lil crunchy and babygirl coded
October 11, 2024
ARC Review
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me first say- Sookh’s writing is INCREDIBLE. This is a totally different kind of hockey romance. About more than just love (although the love is incredible). The way you can’t just read “1 more chapter”😂😂
Plot:
Kavi, our curvy FMC, is engaged to Tyler, the captain of an NHL team- the same team her father is the coach of. Her father is the first Punjabi head coach in the NHL and he makes sure Kavi and his wife know how hard he has to work to keep this image. This creates some family dynamics that really mess with Kavi. Kavi is basically jobless, just assisting her father and her fiancé and she is feeling unmoored. And she has no friends. (I usually HATE a friendless FMC trope, but Kavi's way of finding herself and bettering herself made this still a 5 star read for me.)
Kavi finds out some bad things about her fiancé and breaks off the engagement. She decides to move in and fake date Dmitri, the rival player on the NHL team The Wings, and a former classmate from high school who saved her one night.
Dmitri is the son of a former NHL player who is now an alcoholic. There are family dynamic issues on Dmitri's side as well. Dmitri has always had a crush on Kavi. And now she moves in and he gets to fake date her! Also Dmitri has no friends and does not connect with anyone in his life but his father.
Well what I loved so much about this story is that it was not just about the romance. It was about 2 characters lost and stuck in their world, finding themselves. Pushing each other to be confident and open and live their best life. OH and there is a rescue pup!
I absolutely adored their growth. I adored the Wings team and Sonya. I love that they both got friends, REAL friends who love and accept them. I LOVEEEEEE how Dmitri was such a giving person to his teammates for no recognition. I cried.
This is a slow burn so the tension build up is great!!! And when the spice finally came, it was amazing!
In this book:
High School Classmates
Fake Dating
Helping each other find themselves
Slow Burn
Family Dynamics
Found Family through friends
Hockey Rivals
Creative and Curvy Punjabi American FMC
Grumpy MMC with a mushy heart
Thank you for this ARC! All opinions are my own.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me first say- Sookh’s writing is INCREDIBLE. This is a totally different kind of hockey romance. About more than just love (although the love is incredible). The way you can’t just read “1 more chapter”😂😂
Plot:
Kavi, our curvy FMC, is engaged to Tyler, the captain of an NHL team- the same team her father is the coach of. Her father is the first Punjabi head coach in the NHL and he makes sure Kavi and his wife know how hard he has to work to keep this image. This creates some family dynamics that really mess with Kavi. Kavi is basically jobless, just assisting her father and her fiancé and she is feeling unmoored. And she has no friends. (I usually HATE a friendless FMC trope, but Kavi's way of finding herself and bettering herself made this still a 5 star read for me.)
Kavi finds out some bad things about her fiancé and breaks off the engagement. She decides to move in and fake date Dmitri, the rival player on the NHL team The Wings, and a former classmate from high school who saved her one night.
Dmitri is the son of a former NHL player who is now an alcoholic. There are family dynamic issues on Dmitri's side as well. Dmitri has always had a crush on Kavi. And now she moves in and he gets to fake date her! Also Dmitri has no friends and does not connect with anyone in his life but his father.
Well what I loved so much about this story is that it was not just about the romance. It was about 2 characters lost and stuck in their world, finding themselves. Pushing each other to be confident and open and live their best life. OH and there is a rescue pup!
I absolutely adored their growth. I adored the Wings team and Sonya. I love that they both got friends, REAL friends who love and accept them. I LOVEEEEEE how Dmitri was such a giving person to his teammates for no recognition. I cried.
This is a slow burn so the tension build up is great!!! And when the spice finally came, it was amazing!
In this book:
High School Classmates
Fake Dating
Helping each other find themselves
Slow Burn
Family Dynamics
Found Family through friends
Hockey Rivals
Creative and Curvy Punjabi American FMC
Grumpy MMC with a mushy heart
Thank you for this ARC! All opinions are my own.
October 26, 2024
3.5 stars 🫰
The book started off slow and it took me a while to get into it - the short chapters sometimes cut off my flow tbh, but by the end, you can't help but sequal and cheer for the characters - Kavi and Dimitri and the Vancouver team. Kavi breaking out of her shell and standing up for herself to her mom, dad and Tyler was everything. Dimitri realising people can love him for him - his team, Kavi, the dog and eventually his dad was beautiful.
Also, I have been so bored of the repeated writing of smut these days but this book was refreshing in its way that I didn't need to skip it. The apron scene was HOT and how.
I would have loved it better if the chapters were longer with their flow. Somethings did feel like all tell and not showing.
All in all, it was a good read. If you enjoy sports romance, you can definitely try this.
The book started off slow and it took me a while to get into it - the short chapters sometimes cut off my flow tbh, but by the end, you can't help but sequal and cheer for the characters - Kavi and Dimitri and the Vancouver team. Kavi breaking out of her shell and standing up for herself to her mom, dad and Tyler was everything. Dimitri realising people can love him for him - his team, Kavi, the dog and eventually his dad was beautiful.
Also, I have been so bored of the repeated writing of smut these days but this book was refreshing in its way that I didn't need to skip it. The apron scene was HOT and how.
I would have loved it better if the chapters were longer with their flow. Somethings did feel like all tell and not showing.
All in all, it was a good read. If you enjoy sports romance, you can definitely try this.
October 17, 2024
i’m very thankful to have received an ARC copy of this book and let’s just say, i did not want to put it down! following our main love interests (in a dual pov) battle with inner struggles and challenging family influence, watching them grow as individuals as well as together was really sweet. i’m one for spice, and let me tell you, this book has GREAT spice. its not overdone, its tasteful and a good slow burn. this book has passion. passion for one to succeed in their own goals and dreams in life… passion to love fiercely. you can tell this author loves what they do. i thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book and could not recommend it more ♥️
October 20, 2024
I’m so grateful to have been given an ARC copy of this gem. I love Kaur’s style and this one definitely lives up to her recent successes in the Bodyguard Proposal and The Fake Dating War. I have a newborn and I was actually looking forward to middle of the night feeds so I could have more time to read Breaking Away. Kavi is so relatable and I love her growth journey. Dmitri is shockingly endearing. I swear Kaur is making grump my type. Kaur gives such a balanced story with romance, family drama, soul searching, friendship, and of course some spice! Loved this story so much.
November 12, 2024
Not often will I rate a book 5/5 but this one deserved it! It was heartwarming and made me kick my feet and squeal like a teenager!
I love how Kavi and Dmitri evolved throughout this story! They started off this book seemingly alone and not trusting anyone with their constant struggles of feeling not enough. They constantly pushed each other to be better & work through both of their daddy issues!
Also I was given this book as an ARC! This may be my favourite ARC book of the year!
I absolutely found a new fav author!!
I love how Kavi and Dmitri evolved throughout this story! They started off this book seemingly alone and not trusting anyone with their constant struggles of feeling not enough. They constantly pushed each other to be better & work through both of their daddy issues!
Also I was given this book as an ARC! This may be my favourite ARC book of the year!
I absolutely found a new fav author!!
October 13, 2024
This book will have you giggling and throwing your feet.
Not a spoiler because everyone knows it’s going to be steamy, but bro what was that apron thing! Soo good!
The only thing i didn’t like was the nickname, it was as if it was forced in this book. “Princess”, it had me cringe over, every-time i read it.
Overall, this book exceeded my expectations. It needs to be hyped by the Instagram book community.
Not a spoiler because everyone knows it’s going to be steamy, but bro what was that apron thing! Soo good!
The only thing i didn’t like was the nickname, it was as if it was forced in this book. “Princess”, it had me cringe over, every-time i read it.
Overall, this book exceeded my expectations. It needs to be hyped by the Instagram book community.
November 19, 2024
DNF’d at 25%. I genuinely just couldn’t keep up. It just felt way too whiplash-y and I was too confused. The FMC was made out to be an uneducated idiot who is only good because her dad is a hockey coach. If she could just lay down and take it some more, she would
November 4, 2025
I quite liked this. I got fed up pretty soon with the way Kavi's family and boyfriend was treating her, so seeing her moving away from all of that was nice.
Especially if there was a grumpy hockey player who has loved you for the past 15 years is on the other side!
Can't wait to read about Adrian and Sonya next!
Especially if there was a grumpy hockey player who has loved you for the past 15 years is on the other side!
Can't wait to read about Adrian and Sonya next!
February 25, 2025
♾️ 🌟♾️
🏒Hockey Sportsmance
📸RomCom
🏒Dual POV
📸Curvy, Punjabi FMC
🏒Grumpy, Obsessed MMC
📸High School Classmates
🏒Ex’s Rival
📸Banter
🏒Family Dynamics
📸Roommates
🏒He Falls First
📸It Was Always You
OMG! I can confidently say this is one of my favorite books of all time! Not just my fave of SK, the month or the year. But one of my favorites EVER!!!! I was basically kicking and screaming the entire book.
I want to burn the world down for Kavi!!!! Her father, Tyler and even her mom are the worst! Gaslighting and emotionally manipulative! 🤬 But OMG, I was so proud of her for taking a stand for herself! Her growth was amazing and beautiful, she blossomed with the support and encouragement Dmitri gave unequivocally. She was so strong and determined, she was sweet and sassy and sarcastic.
Dmitri is PERFECTION and is also on my all time fave MMCs list. I was completely swooning and gone for Dmitri from chapter 1! My heart hurt for him too. He’s lonely and grumpy and the pressure his dad put on him was so unfair! But the way he believed and supported Kavi 100%. He didn’t think he was enough for but refused to do anything to hurt her or influence her. 🫠 Dmitri was different with Kavi, softer and unable to not do things that made her happy. His growth was so rewarding to see as well. So I loved seeing him open up to his team, and OMG they are hilarious! Just a pack of wild golden retrievers 😂. The team/friend/found family dynamics is one of the best things with sportsmances.
Now let me get to the spice! It was a slow burn but of the best kind with all the chemistry and tension and wanting and angst! Gah!!!! The desire could be FELT!!!! It was so thrilling! And when it finally hit…so sexy and seductive and hot! 🥵 I was panting for Dmitri and his mouth and everything he did. He is my fantasy written on the page.
This book is Sookh’s best work! Her growth as an author is so amazing to see. She’s always done a fabulous job of building dimension in her characters and their personal growth. But everything felt cleaner and sharper and so excellently executed! This also felt like her first true dual POV, and that only elevated the storytelling!
________________________________________________
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🏒Hockey Sportsmance
📸RomCom
🏒Dual POV
📸Curvy, Punjabi FMC
🏒Grumpy, Obsessed MMC
📸High School Classmates
🏒Ex’s Rival
📸Banter
🏒Family Dynamics
📸Roommates
🏒He Falls First
📸It Was Always You
OMG! I can confidently say this is one of my favorite books of all time! Not just my fave of SK, the month or the year. But one of my favorites EVER!!!! I was basically kicking and screaming the entire book.
I want to burn the world down for Kavi!!!! Her father, Tyler and even her mom are the worst! Gaslighting and emotionally manipulative! 🤬 But OMG, I was so proud of her for taking a stand for herself! Her growth was amazing and beautiful, she blossomed with the support and encouragement Dmitri gave unequivocally. She was so strong and determined, she was sweet and sassy and sarcastic.
Dmitri is PERFECTION and is also on my all time fave MMCs list. I was completely swooning and gone for Dmitri from chapter 1! My heart hurt for him too. He’s lonely and grumpy and the pressure his dad put on him was so unfair! But the way he believed and supported Kavi 100%. He didn’t think he was enough for but refused to do anything to hurt her or influence her. 🫠 Dmitri was different with Kavi, softer and unable to not do things that made her happy. His growth was so rewarding to see as well. So I loved seeing him open up to his team, and OMG they are hilarious! Just a pack of wild golden retrievers 😂. The team/friend/found family dynamics is one of the best things with sportsmances.
Now let me get to the spice! It was a slow burn but of the best kind with all the chemistry and tension and wanting and angst! Gah!!!! The desire could be FELT!!!! It was so thrilling! And when it finally hit…so sexy and seductive and hot! 🥵 I was panting for Dmitri and his mouth and everything he did. He is my fantasy written on the page.
This book is Sookh’s best work! Her growth as an author is so amazing to see. She’s always done a fabulous job of building dimension in her characters and their personal growth. But everything felt cleaner and sharper and so excellently executed! This also felt like her first true dual POV, and that only elevated the storytelling!
________________________________________________
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 10, 2024
If I were stuck on an island completely alone and was told that I'd only have access to one author's books for the rest of my life, I would hands-down pick @sookhkaur to be that author. I love her, I love her books, her characters, her humour, her writing style and there is no other person's books I'd rather read every single day for the rest of my life!!! I swear, almost every single line makes me fall over with laughter, the relationships she creates are the cutest, sweetest I have ever read and her men are always perfectly grumpy.
I love that all of Sookh's FMC's are Punjabi and that she clearly shows the difficulties of being a female person of colour in today world, whether they are privileged or underprivileged! I love Kavi Basar, she is so relatable as a woman but also, as an individual person trying to navigate this world. She is awkward, she is a people pleaser, has no idea what to do with her life, has made incredibly bad choices and she has never had someone put herself first - not even herself. She also has a really hard time making friends which I, myself, relate to the most because for most of my life, this was me! Kavi is also; super mean (me), incredibly particular (also me) and just absolutely, goddammed hilarious (probably not me) and I want nothing more than to be her when I grow up!
As for Dmitri? Perfection, obviously. I loved that his broodiness was 100% hardcore broodiness. He is the epitome of antisocial and shy, even though he is this big hockey star, he struggles with socializing and emotional situations so you know what he does? Nothing. And I relate to him in this level too! These two are the most weirdest, quirkiest characters I have ever read and I just loved how much they supported and let each other grow. I absolutely loved the side characters too, especially Dmitri's team mates (you know I'm talking about Hughes!), who were hilarious and made this book feel like a family!
I love that all of Sookh's FMC's are Punjabi and that she clearly shows the difficulties of being a female person of colour in today world, whether they are privileged or underprivileged! I love Kavi Basar, she is so relatable as a woman but also, as an individual person trying to navigate this world. She is awkward, she is a people pleaser, has no idea what to do with her life, has made incredibly bad choices and she has never had someone put herself first - not even herself. She also has a really hard time making friends which I, myself, relate to the most because for most of my life, this was me! Kavi is also; super mean (me), incredibly particular (also me) and just absolutely, goddammed hilarious (probably not me) and I want nothing more than to be her when I grow up!
As for Dmitri? Perfection, obviously. I loved that his broodiness was 100% hardcore broodiness. He is the epitome of antisocial and shy, even though he is this big hockey star, he struggles with socializing and emotional situations so you know what he does? Nothing. And I relate to him in this level too! These two are the most weirdest, quirkiest characters I have ever read and I just loved how much they supported and let each other grow. I absolutely loved the side characters too, especially Dmitri's team mates (you know I'm talking about Hughes!), who were hilarious and made this book feel like a family!
October 30, 2024
I'd give this 10 stars if I could
October 14, 2024
DISCLAIMER: this novel was received as an ARC (advanced reader copy) in exchange for an honest review.
this was my second hockey-themed romance, and honestly, i wasn't sure what to expect. what i did not expect was to fall for, dmitri, the male main character (MMC) if the first 20 pages of the book and to relate so much to kavi, the female main character (FMC). i just wanted to give kavi a massive hug and tell her everything was going to be okay!
this is as much as self-growth and self-love book as it is a romance book, with massive amounts of diversity in ethnicities. both main characters faced challenges and pressure that have been shadowing them their entire lives, and learn valuable life lessons. at sometimes the writing was a bit hard to follow, specifically around the dialogue, but this was such a fun read. i wasn't expecting much, but i had such a great time with these characters and couldn't wait to get back to reading! i would love to hang out with the vancouver wings and be apart of their chosen family, to be honest.
this e-book will launch on october 20th, and i highly recommend marking your calendars and not missing this one!
this was my second hockey-themed romance, and honestly, i wasn't sure what to expect. what i did not expect was to fall for, dmitri, the male main character (MMC) if the first 20 pages of the book and to relate so much to kavi, the female main character (FMC). i just wanted to give kavi a massive hug and tell her everything was going to be okay!
this is as much as self-growth and self-love book as it is a romance book, with massive amounts of diversity in ethnicities. both main characters faced challenges and pressure that have been shadowing them their entire lives, and learn valuable life lessons. at sometimes the writing was a bit hard to follow, specifically around the dialogue, but this was such a fun read. i wasn't expecting much, but i had such a great time with these characters and couldn't wait to get back to reading! i would love to hang out with the vancouver wings and be apart of their chosen family, to be honest.
this e-book will launch on october 20th, and i highly recommend marking your calendars and not missing this one!
October 22, 2024
I think I might have an unhealthy obsession with Dmitri Lokhov, but then again, it's hard not to be totally obsessed with a massive, tattooed, star Hockey player who's incredibly protective and unapologetically in love with you. I see so much of myself in Kavi and I really loved seeing her come to love and value herself as she gets away from her toxic ex and unfortunately her toxic family.
Though without a doubt my favorite part of this book was the aspect of Found Family within the team and support crew for the Vancouver Wings! Hughes and Quinn and Sonya (along with the rest of the team) didn't hesitate to adopt Kavi as a member of their family and I just had the biggest smile on my face every time there was a team scene!
Thank you to the Author for providing me a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🏒
Though without a doubt my favorite part of this book was the aspect of Found Family within the team and support crew for the Vancouver Wings! Hughes and Quinn and Sonya (along with the rest of the team) didn't hesitate to adopt Kavi as a member of their family and I just had the biggest smile on my face every time there was a team scene!
Thank you to the Author for providing me a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🏒
October 16, 2024
⤷ 5 ⭐️
The way I devoured this book in one day??? Sookh is just.. WOW and I just.. OH MY IDK WHAT TO SAY BUT WOW. I'm SPEECHLESS AND THIS BOOK IS THE REASON WHY! I love how it isn't like any other hockey romance book, it has real and raw emotions.
Sookh is GENUINELY so talented and I think she already made it to my auto-buy authors list!
I absolutely and wholeheartedly adore this book and it easily made it to my 2024 favorite reads!
✿ A huge thank you to the beautiful and absolutely talented author, Sookh Kaur, for sending me an ARC of this book that instantly became one of my comfort books! 🥹
The way I devoured this book in one day??? Sookh is just.. WOW and I just.. OH MY IDK WHAT TO SAY BUT WOW. I'm SPEECHLESS AND THIS BOOK IS THE REASON WHY! I love how it isn't like any other hockey romance book, it has real and raw emotions.
Sookh is GENUINELY so talented and I think she already made it to my auto-buy authors list!
I absolutely and wholeheartedly adore this book and it easily made it to my 2024 favorite reads!
✿ A huge thank you to the beautiful and absolutely talented author, Sookh Kaur, for sending me an ARC of this book that instantly became one of my comfort books! 🥹
October 8, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
This is my first time reading a book written by Sookh Kaur, thank you to the author for gifting me an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
This book handles the topics of a toxic relationship with love intrest and family really well, we got a good amount of depth between the two main characters Kavi & Dmitri.
I especially liked the parts where Kavi talked about her insecurities, feeling & issues. It was great to see her personality grow during the book.
Tropes:
🏒 fake dating
🏒 dual pov
🏒 found family
🏒 romcom
🏒 grumpy but protective mmc
This is my first time reading a book written by Sookh Kaur, thank you to the author for gifting me an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
This book handles the topics of a toxic relationship with love intrest and family really well, we got a good amount of depth between the two main characters Kavi & Dmitri.
I especially liked the parts where Kavi talked about her insecurities, feeling & issues. It was great to see her personality grow during the book.
Tropes:
🏒 fake dating
🏒 dual pov
🏒 found family
🏒 romcom
🏒 grumpy but protective mmc
October 18, 2024
ARC review - copy sent in exchange for an honest review!
I'll start my review by saying this story was so heartwarming, watching the characters develop and grow throughout was lovely to read.
The book did touch on topics that some may find slightly upsetting but I do not feel this took away from the plot at all, it felt like the issues were highlighted with purpose rather than for additional drama - adding depth to the characters and their stories.
I love reading dual POV so bonus points there!
Definitely one to read ❤️
I'll start my review by saying this story was so heartwarming, watching the characters develop and grow throughout was lovely to read.
The book did touch on topics that some may find slightly upsetting but I do not feel this took away from the plot at all, it felt like the issues were highlighted with purpose rather than for additional drama - adding depth to the characters and their stories.
I love reading dual POV so bonus points there!
Definitely one to read ❤️
December 16, 2024
I cannot think of a single thing I hated about this book or didn’t even like.
I started it at one am. And I stayed up until 4 am reading it.
I am desperate for more of this world. Foaming at the mouth for it
Idk if ur married or not but Ms.Kaur this book filled something in me I had been searching for for weeks. I loved this book so much. If you ever write a second one I beg for it.
I could cry this book was so good.
The representation, the healing, the beauty of it all. I loved it.
Oh my god.
I started it at one am. And I stayed up until 4 am reading it.
I am desperate for more of this world. Foaming at the mouth for it
Idk if ur married or not but Ms.Kaur this book filled something in me I had been searching for for weeks. I loved this book so much. If you ever write a second one I beg for it.
I could cry this book was so good.
The representation, the healing, the beauty of it all. I loved it.
Oh my god.
November 6, 2025
Thank you to Sookh Kaur for the gifted ARC!
I’ll be honest, this took me a little while to get into but it was so worth persevering! Both of the MCs had so much trauma they had to work through but I loved how they helped each other grow. I absolutely LOVED their friendship and their eventual relationship. The way Dmitri treated Kavi was EVERYTHING 🥹🥹🥹
I really hope there are more books to follow this team because I want to read about the rest of the players immediately!!!
I’ll be honest, this took me a little while to get into but it was so worth persevering! Both of the MCs had so much trauma they had to work through but I loved how they helped each other grow. I absolutely LOVED their friendship and their eventual relationship. The way Dmitri treated Kavi was EVERYTHING 🥹🥹🥹
I really hope there are more books to follow this team because I want to read about the rest of the players immediately!!!
October 21, 2024
ARC Review: WOW! An ARC I actually enjoyed! Super cute love story with lovable characters and good writing! Has some spice and a good plot that stands well on its own. Hockey romances can be cheesy sometimes but this one was well done!
October 29, 2024
4.5 i loved it! It was a super cute wholesome little romance story. Grumpy sunshine hockey. Super cute.
December 23, 2025
Tropes & Themes:
* Dual POV
* Found family
* HEA
* Hockey romance
* Indian FMC
* Secret crush
This was a fantastic read! I love them both and the personal growth that both of them have through the story.
At the beginning, Kavi is treated really poorly by everyone in her life, so she lacks confidence and belief in herself. It’s heartbreaking but she slowly learns her true worth and what she’s capable of. However about 60% into the book her self doubt was getting a bit repetitive.
Dmitri starts off convinced that if anyone finds out about his old injury, then hockey is over for him. He also thinks if he lets anyone in they’ll just cause him to get hurt, physically and mentally, because of his past. Slowly he starts to let both Kavi and his teammates in and he sees that his father was wrong. Both MCs learn that the way they’re living, the way they were raised, doesn’t have to be their lives. They help each other grow and create a life they love, together.
I loved that Kavi was able to start to repair her relationship with her mom after how awful she was treated in the beginning. And I love that the process of them working it out helped Kavi’s mom realize that she deserves more too. It was great to see Dmitri improve his relationship with his dad too, after finally putting his foot down.
Their love story is a great example of “good things come to those who wait”. The way he treated her is amazing, even when they’re barely even friends yet. The respect he shows her, that’s she’s never experienced before, is perfection. He truly treats her like his queen by the end, and I love their relationship so much.
I’m a hockey fan and although it wasn’t 100% accurate, I enjoyed the gameplay details. The entire Vancouver team were good men and a great change from the Seattle team and the stereotypes about hockey players in general. I loved how they became a family and backed both Dmitri and Kavi up when they each faced conflict.
In summary, Dmitri Lokhov has my heart. 😍
2/5🌶️
* Dual POV
* Found family
* HEA
* Hockey romance
* Indian FMC
* Secret crush
This was a fantastic read! I love them both and the personal growth that both of them have through the story.
At the beginning, Kavi is treated really poorly by everyone in her life, so she lacks confidence and belief in herself. It’s heartbreaking but she slowly learns her true worth and what she’s capable of. However about 60% into the book her self doubt was getting a bit repetitive.
Dmitri starts off convinced that if anyone finds out about his old injury, then hockey is over for him. He also thinks if he lets anyone in they’ll just cause him to get hurt, physically and mentally, because of his past. Slowly he starts to let both Kavi and his teammates in and he sees that his father was wrong. Both MCs learn that the way they’re living, the way they were raised, doesn’t have to be their lives. They help each other grow and create a life they love, together.
I loved that Kavi was able to start to repair her relationship with her mom after how awful she was treated in the beginning. And I love that the process of them working it out helped Kavi’s mom realize that she deserves more too. It was great to see Dmitri improve his relationship with his dad too, after finally putting his foot down.
Their love story is a great example of “good things come to those who wait”. The way he treated her is amazing, even when they’re barely even friends yet. The respect he shows her, that’s she’s never experienced before, is perfection. He truly treats her like his queen by the end, and I love their relationship so much.
I’m a hockey fan and although it wasn’t 100% accurate, I enjoyed the gameplay details. The entire Vancouver team were good men and a great change from the Seattle team and the stereotypes about hockey players in general. I loved how they became a family and backed both Dmitri and Kavi up when they each faced conflict.
In summary, Dmitri Lokhov has my heart. 😍
2/5🌶️
September 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // 4 stars
When I picked up Breaking Away by Sookh Kaur, I was searching for something that gave me the same cozy, slow-burn feeling as The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata—and I definitely saw some similarities! He’s even called “the wall,” and our main girl has colored hair like Vanessa, so it felt like a fun nod. 😂
What I really loved was how real this couple felt. Their relationship isn’t full of unnecessary drama or forced conflict. Instead, they face real-life struggles and still actively choose one another, which made their love story feel so grounded and refreshing. The pacing of their development was perfect—nothing rushed, everything felt true to who they were and the lives they’d lived. The writing pulled me in and kept me intrigued the whole time (which is not easy to do!).
If I had one wish, it would be for a little more depth. I wanted more time with the side characters because they had so much potential, and the conflict with her dad could have been fleshed out a bit more. Those threads felt like they could have added even more richness to the story.
Still, this was a fast, lovely read that gave me the vibe I was hoping for without feeling like a copy.
When I picked up Breaking Away by Sookh Kaur, I was searching for something that gave me the same cozy, slow-burn feeling as The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata—and I definitely saw some similarities! He’s even called “the wall,” and our main girl has colored hair like Vanessa, so it felt like a fun nod. 😂
What I really loved was how real this couple felt. Their relationship isn’t full of unnecessary drama or forced conflict. Instead, they face real-life struggles and still actively choose one another, which made their love story feel so grounded and refreshing. The pacing of their development was perfect—nothing rushed, everything felt true to who they were and the lives they’d lived. The writing pulled me in and kept me intrigued the whole time (which is not easy to do!).
If I had one wish, it would be for a little more depth. I wanted more time with the side characters because they had so much potential, and the conflict with her dad could have been fleshed out a bit more. Those threads felt like they could have added even more richness to the story.
Still, this was a fast, lovely read that gave me the vibe I was hoping for without feeling like a copy.
December 9, 2025
The first half or first 110 pages made me roll my eyes a lot and say oh boy.. however this is part of a annotation circle and I'm glad I pushed through it. Because I really did write in it alot!
Is the fmc a doormat? yes lol, her parents and ex really grinded my gears, but the growth her and dmitri had was really cute. The storyline and plot idea was good, there was alot of oh my God ew can't stand that moments lol, and alot of giggles that also happened.
The maid scene? 🤣🤣 so good. or the way she was there for him jn the bath? so good. Love Hughes, Quinn and Matt... also if you know the Vancouver Canucks you know where the author got alot of inspo from 😆😆
If hockey romances are for you, and you like to support indie authors, then I'd give this one a shot. Just know the parents and ex really make you want to stab them with a spoon, they are insufferable. LOL
Is the fmc a doormat? yes lol, her parents and ex really grinded my gears, but the growth her and dmitri had was really cute. The storyline and plot idea was good, there was alot of oh my God ew can't stand that moments lol, and alot of giggles that also happened.
The maid scene? 🤣🤣 so good. or the way she was there for him jn the bath? so good. Love Hughes, Quinn and Matt... also if you know the Vancouver Canucks you know where the author got alot of inspo from 😆😆
If hockey romances are for you, and you like to support indie authors, then I'd give this one a shot. Just know the parents and ex really make you want to stab them with a spoon, they are insufferable. LOL
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