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Canadian Played #7
Drop the Mitts
He’s a bad idea wrapped in a smirk. And I’ve already made that mistake once.
I came back to Calgary for business, not pleasure. Settling my ex-husband’s estate was supposed to be a simple, temporary detour—deal with the mess Troy Bowen left behind, finalize the paperwork, and leave.
Then I met André Leclerc.
Cocky. Infuriating. Too young by at least eight years. He’s everything I should avoid with a reckless charm that reminds me too much of my past mistakes. He flirts like it’s a game, makes ridiculous promises, and then shows up at my door with tacos like I didn’t tell him twice to back the hell off.
Except—not everything about Andre adds up.
The way he drives a beat-up Chevy but then covers his teammate's fees without a word. The way he shows up when no one else is watching. The way he works a blue-collar job but then understands the ins and outs of real estate as well as I do, even though I’ve built my career in corporate and property law.
And the way he looks at me—like he’s addicted to pantsuits. Like he knows exactly how to get me to let loose . . .
I don’t do reckless anymore. I don’t do charming. But when we’re forced to work on the same charity game together, I can’t seem to get him and his damn tacos out of my head.
Six weeks and then I can go back to my quiet, structured life. I can hold my ground until then, can’t I?
One Click and buy if you Age gapOpposites attractHe falls firstBanter so sharp it draws bloodForced proximitySlow burn heat
I came back to Calgary for business, not pleasure. Settling my ex-husband’s estate was supposed to be a simple, temporary detour—deal with the mess Troy Bowen left behind, finalize the paperwork, and leave.
Then I met André Leclerc.
Cocky. Infuriating. Too young by at least eight years. He’s everything I should avoid with a reckless charm that reminds me too much of my past mistakes. He flirts like it’s a game, makes ridiculous promises, and then shows up at my door with tacos like I didn’t tell him twice to back the hell off.
Except—not everything about Andre adds up.
The way he drives a beat-up Chevy but then covers his teammate's fees without a word. The way he shows up when no one else is watching. The way he works a blue-collar job but then understands the ins and outs of real estate as well as I do, even though I’ve built my career in corporate and property law.
And the way he looks at me—like he’s addicted to pantsuits. Like he knows exactly how to get me to let loose . . .
I don’t do reckless anymore. I don’t do charming. But when we’re forced to work on the same charity game together, I can’t seem to get him and his damn tacos out of my head.
Six weeks and then I can go back to my quiet, structured life. I can hold my ground until then, can’t I?
One Click and buy if you Age gapOpposites attractHe falls firstBanter so sharp it draws bloodForced proximitySlow burn heat
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
October 5, 2025
Jarring
The story started off too abrupt for me—it felt like we jumped straight into the action as if we’d walked in halfway through a movie. There was no smooth transition at the beginning, and we didn’t get a clear description of the characters or their personalities. The first interaction between the two leads came across as sharp, aggressive, vulgar, and borderline rude—especially for people meeting for the first time. Who tells a woman he just met that he wants to sleep with her?
The back-and-forth between them wasn’t sweet or playful—it felt like razor-sharp banter that leaned more toward vulgar than flirty. Maybe this just isn’t my taste, but it didn’t sit well with me. The rushed introduction made it hard to connect.
I gave it a second chance because of the high reviews and praise from others. Some moments were decent, but a lot of it was just bizarre. For example, the way he tried to comfort her when she was stressed—by giving her commands as if she were a puppy—was awkward and off-putting. Then he left without saying goodbye, knowing she was struggling. Even their first time together felt poorly timed—it came off as her wanting to feel good about herself while her world was falling apart, which made the moment feel unhealthy and borderline toxic.
And don’t get me started on how they both acted after their first time. I don’t even understand what happened—it almost felt like we missed a scene or there was a gap somewhere. The way they both processed their emotions was so poorly handled that it was absurd. For supposed adults, their behavior was irrational, illogical, and downright frustrating to read.
The pacing zig-zagged, and what was framed as flirtation often felt vulgar, over-sexualized, and in poor taste—especially considering the characters barely knew each other. On top of that, the emotional rhythm of the story was uneven—we’d go through something very dramatic and heavy, only for the next chapter to completely shut that down and shift into a totally different mood. This made it hard to stay pulled into the narrative.
Even as the story progressed and the characters supposedly grew closer, their behavior stayed childish. This might have worked if they were teenagers, but these were full-grown adults acting in irrational, often ludicrous ways. Then there was the family drama—he hadn’t seen his sister in years, and the first time he does, he brings the woman he’s trying to impress, only to argue with his sister and unload personal trauma in front of her. Who does that?
On top of it all, the endless fights between the leads were filled with unnecessary blunt criticism that quickly grew tiring. While there were a few enjoyable moments, most of the story was bogged down by these issues, which stripped away from its potential.
The story started off too abrupt for me—it felt like we jumped straight into the action as if we’d walked in halfway through a movie. There was no smooth transition at the beginning, and we didn’t get a clear description of the characters or their personalities. The first interaction between the two leads came across as sharp, aggressive, vulgar, and borderline rude—especially for people meeting for the first time. Who tells a woman he just met that he wants to sleep with her?
The back-and-forth between them wasn’t sweet or playful—it felt like razor-sharp banter that leaned more toward vulgar than flirty. Maybe this just isn’t my taste, but it didn’t sit well with me. The rushed introduction made it hard to connect.
I gave it a second chance because of the high reviews and praise from others. Some moments were decent, but a lot of it was just bizarre. For example, the way he tried to comfort her when she was stressed—by giving her commands as if she were a puppy—was awkward and off-putting. Then he left without saying goodbye, knowing she was struggling. Even their first time together felt poorly timed—it came off as her wanting to feel good about herself while her world was falling apart, which made the moment feel unhealthy and borderline toxic.
And don’t get me started on how they both acted after their first time. I don’t even understand what happened—it almost felt like we missed a scene or there was a gap somewhere. The way they both processed their emotions was so poorly handled that it was absurd. For supposed adults, their behavior was irrational, illogical, and downright frustrating to read.
The pacing zig-zagged, and what was framed as flirtation often felt vulgar, over-sexualized, and in poor taste—especially considering the characters barely knew each other. On top of that, the emotional rhythm of the story was uneven—we’d go through something very dramatic and heavy, only for the next chapter to completely shut that down and shift into a totally different mood. This made it hard to stay pulled into the narrative.
Even as the story progressed and the characters supposedly grew closer, their behavior stayed childish. This might have worked if they were teenagers, but these were full-grown adults acting in irrational, often ludicrous ways. Then there was the family drama—he hadn’t seen his sister in years, and the first time he does, he brings the woman he’s trying to impress, only to argue with his sister and unload personal trauma in front of her. Who does that?
On top of it all, the endless fights between the leads were filled with unnecessary blunt criticism that quickly grew tiring. While there were a few enjoyable moments, most of the story was bogged down by these issues, which stripped away from its potential.
November 10, 2025
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 2.5 stars
very mixed feelings sooo.... here's the stuff i enjoyed
this was a nice romance with touches of found family and rediscovering love after a horrible divorce. grace is a property lawyer currently helping her friends with their custody case and meets a mutual friend - andré who's obsessed with her from the start. she isn't looking for a relationship but he keeps pushing her buttons and bringing her walls down.
i liked the banter between them and found it entertaining, her wanting to deny him but secretly pining after him was wholesome. i think they were a perfect match and seeing her grow soft was really nice!
i feel SO bad that i didn't particularly vibe with this one 😭 especially receiving the alc & arc through the author 🥲
so first off the plot made no sense, if you'd like to call it that. the characters felt so one dimensional and i just didnt feel drawn to the this story.
✧˖°🤍 ⋆｡˚꩜ tropes
⤷ opposites attract
⤷ age gap (she's older)
⤷ he falls first
⤷ banter
⤷ forced proximity
⤷ slow burn
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
this looks so sweet and im itching to start an audiobook!!! love this cover <3
thank you to cynthia for the digital arc/alc
⤷ started oct 24
very mixed feelings sooo.... here's the stuff i enjoyed
this was a nice romance with touches of found family and rediscovering love after a horrible divorce. grace is a property lawyer currently helping her friends with their custody case and meets a mutual friend - andré who's obsessed with her from the start. she isn't looking for a relationship but he keeps pushing her buttons and bringing her walls down.
i liked the banter between them and found it entertaining, her wanting to deny him but secretly pining after him was wholesome. i think they were a perfect match and seeing her grow soft was really nice!
i feel SO bad that i didn't particularly vibe with this one 😭 especially receiving the alc & arc through the author 🥲
so first off the plot made no sense, if you'd like to call it that. the characters felt so one dimensional and i just didnt feel drawn to the this story.
✧˖°🤍 ⋆｡˚꩜ tropes
⤷ opposites attract
⤷ age gap (she's older)
⤷ he falls first
⤷ banter
⤷ forced proximity
⤷ slow burn
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
this looks so sweet and im itching to start an audiobook!!! love this cover <3
thank you to cynthia for the digital arc/alc
⤷ started oct 24
May 28, 2026
Short-contemporary, hockey romance set in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Romance tropes in this story:
Disillusioned divorcee
Forced proximity
Only one bed
He falls first
FMC older than the MMC
Hockey player romance
Opposites attract: sociable extrovert + alienated introvert; high school diploma craftsman + doctoral degree attorney
Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine, with FMC as the Grump
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Slow burn
PG closed bedroom door
Addicted smoker quits for true love
Grace Fairbanks is a 36-year-old corporate attorney. She has temporarily returned to her former home city, Calgary, to prepare for sale a valuable, rundown apartment building. She inherited it from her recently deceased ex-husband, Troy Bowen, who died at age 64 from pancreatic cancer. He was a wealthy real estate developer and the father of Tyler Bowen, the 33-year-old MMC of book 1 in this series.
Grace was divorced from Troy five years ago. In addition to being almost 30 years older than her, he had been previously married five other times. He never stayed with any of his wives once they got past 30. He wanted his wives to be young and beautiful with a tight, shapely figure.
Grace has not dated since her divorce and has dedicated her life to her career as a coldly detached corporate attorney. Before her divorce she specialized in family law in Calgary, but she did not like witnessing the suffering of broken families, which caused her to painfully empathize with tragic situations. She moved across Canada and proceeded to live the safe but empty life of an alienated loner, making a lot of money by offering her legal expertise to soulless, predatory corporations which engendered no emotion from her at all.
Through Grace's former stepson, Tyler, she met Country, a teammate of Tyler on a highly skilled, amateur hockey team in Calgary called the Snowballs, and Country's outgoing, open-hearted wife Jenna. During the process of Grace's helping Country and Jenna with the adoption of a newborn baby they have named Hope, Jenna has become Grace's only friend. The relationship survives and thrives solely because of Jenna's enthusiastic efforts to regularly connect with Grace. The implication is that friendship has never been something that has come easily for Grace. She is grateful for Jenna's embracing her at the level of closeness of a BFF.
André Leclerc is a 31-year-old former professional hockey player who now plays hockey on the Snowballs team with Country. There is no indication that he ever pursued education beyond high school because he went pro with hockey soon after graduating. He has dated and had temporary flings over the years but never been serious about anyone. It is through Country and Jenna that André encounters Grace.
From the first moment André meets Grace at Country and Jenna's celebratory party for the finalizing of Hope's adoption, he is intensely drawn to her. He persuades Country to have Jenna ask Grace to attend an unspecified type of hockey game that the Snowballs and their families will be watching from a private box at an unspecified Calgary hockey rink. (Probably not at the Scotiabank Saddledome, which would cost over $7,000.) Jenna warns André not to bug Grace with obnoxious sexualized flirting, but the moment Grace walks into the private box, André races to greet her and escorts her to sit between him and Jenna.
During the entire game André and Grace exchange a lopsided version of banter. It is cute and playful from his side but rudely critical from hers. Because he has a youthful face, Grace incorrectly assumes André is 10 years younger than her and a cliche manwhore hockey player. Using the plausible deniability of joking, Grace accuses him of being a lightweight, immature playboy, in spite of the fact that she is barely acquainted with him and doesn't know anything about him.
Even though Grace gives him nothing but grief, André is not discouraged and continues to take every opportunity, when they are at the same social gatherings, to pay her a great deal of admiring attention.
These are the things I liked about this story:
1. I appreciate that this novel is not only advertised as a romance novel but it actually is one. It is written in standard, expected, mainstream-romance format with dual POV, in third person, past tense. Offering the POV of the MMC allows the reader the possibility of getting to know André as well as we know Grace.
2. The plot with baby Hope serves to humanize Grace, who otherwise would be too robotically cold.
3. The story is slow burn. It is mostly closed bedroom door. Nothing is described in the sex scene late in the book except kissing and disrobing.
These are the things that were a problem for me as a jaded reader:
1. I do not enjoy it when the main romantic conflict in a romance novel, whether contemporary, historical or paranormal, is merely that, for no particular reason other than sheer cussedness, either the FMC is a b*tch, or the MMC is a b*st*rd, or they are equally obnoxious jerks. In the case of this novel, Grace is an unlikable shrew in her relationship with André straight through almost to the very end of the novel. I struggled to believe any man would fall in love with a woman who treats him that badly. Grace's being beautiful is not enough of a plus to overcome her offensive behavior. Especially given the fact that, with his handsome face, ripped physique, athletic prowess as a former professional hockey player who has lost none of his skill, and the prosperity he gained from his years working as a professional, Andre has access to an extensive amount of equally beautiful women. Including an abundance of women who are young, optimistic, and friendly, qualities that Grace abandoned years ago in her twenties, when she inexplicably chose to marry a congenitally unfaithful womanizer old enough to be her father.
2. The professional level, over-30, amateur hockey team that André participates in, as stated above, is called the Snowballs. This is a ridiculous name that is insulting to the claim of this book, and the entire series, about this team’s elite level of play. A squad described as near-professional, and featuring a former pro like André, would more likely have a formal club-style or sponsor-style identity than a cutesy name like Snowballs. (By the way, there is an implication in the blurb of the next book in this series that you can age out of the Snowballs. The blurb doesn't say what that age is, but if the MMC still going to be young enough to start a family, which the FMC wants him to do in that story, it's hard to imagine that the age of retirement would be higher than 40. But unfortunately, as these kind of teams go, an age limitation like that is unrealistic.)
3. André is from Montreal with a French name, and it's reasonable to assume that he might be bilingual with French and English. Not everyone in Montreal is bilingual, of course, but a very large share are. It would be nice to know this information one way or the other.
4. There are only a few settings that we experience in this novel, and none of them are the city of Calgary in general: hockey games, a VIP hospitality lounge at an unspecified ice rink, a few restaurants, a water park, the living situation of Grace and André, and a hotel room. It would have added a lot if the author could have offered some sense of Calgary itself.
5. There is such a thing as dumping in too much backstory all at once, but this novel goes to the opposite extreme. I spent a discouraging amount of time trying to figure out crucial backstory for Grace. Ultimately I had to go back and reread my notes from the first book in this series to figure out what her situation was with her ex-husband. Grace is a significant subcharacter in that novel. In addition, we are falsely led to believe that André is barely middle class in his income until almost the end of this book.
6. André is a smoker who tries to quit on behalf of Grace. She snootily informs him during the scene in the private box mentioned above that it's immature of him to ruin his health with cigarettes, and she herself heartily dislikes kissing a smoker. We are informed that he has tried multiple times over the years to quit smoking, but it was so excruciating for him due to irritability from painful cravings, he could never manage it. This time around, as for each of the other times, he goes cold turkey, and one would naturally assume it would be just as difficult for him as it has always been. But other than one passing mention of the relatively mild struggle he is going through, it is never brought up again. We are apparently supposed to assume, with no evidence to support it, that André is going to successfully and effortlessly free himself from his addiction.
7. There is a brief epilogue shortly after the last chapter which barely qualifies as an HFN. Grace and André have just begun officially dating. The closest they have come to potentially getting engaged is when Grace casually mentions to André, in a joking tone, that she was wrong about him not being husband material. But she never before said anything onstage about him in relation to marriage, so it is unclear what conversation this is supposedly relating back to. It's also not made clear whether Grace is going to stay in Calgary.
8. It is not until the very last moment of the book that we are sorta, kinda given a motivation for why André has never minded Grace's shrewish behavior toward him throughout a huge portion of this book. He says that he likes provoking her to argue with him so they can have makeup sex.
9. We are never offered a plausibly sympathetic motivation for Grace voluntarily becoming wife number six for a misogynistic serial cheater who continually replaced one trophy wife with another. It doesn't reflect well on her judgment.
10. This book includes frequent very detailed scenes of hockey games. It's obvious the author knows hockey very well, but a little goes a long way with a redundancy like that. It also becomes mere page filler when it does nothing to forward the two main plots, in this case, the romance and Grace's work on the adoption of baby Hope.
I obtained free access to this novel as an audiobook through my membership with Audible. The author narrates all her books, and she does a good job.
I rate this book 2.5 stars rounded to 3 stars.
Romance tropes in this story:
Disillusioned divorcee
Forced proximity
Only one bed
He falls first
FMC older than the MMC
Hockey player romance
Opposites attract: sociable extrovert + alienated introvert; high school diploma craftsman + doctoral degree attorney
Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine, with FMC as the Grump
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Slow burn
PG closed bedroom door
Addicted smoker quits for true love
Grace Fairbanks is a 36-year-old corporate attorney. She has temporarily returned to her former home city, Calgary, to prepare for sale a valuable, rundown apartment building. She inherited it from her recently deceased ex-husband, Troy Bowen, who died at age 64 from pancreatic cancer. He was a wealthy real estate developer and the father of Tyler Bowen, the 33-year-old MMC of book 1 in this series.
Grace was divorced from Troy five years ago. In addition to being almost 30 years older than her, he had been previously married five other times. He never stayed with any of his wives once they got past 30. He wanted his wives to be young and beautiful with a tight, shapely figure.
Grace has not dated since her divorce and has dedicated her life to her career as a coldly detached corporate attorney. Before her divorce she specialized in family law in Calgary, but she did not like witnessing the suffering of broken families, which caused her to painfully empathize with tragic situations. She moved across Canada and proceeded to live the safe but empty life of an alienated loner, making a lot of money by offering her legal expertise to soulless, predatory corporations which engendered no emotion from her at all.
Through Grace's former stepson, Tyler, she met Country, a teammate of Tyler on a highly skilled, amateur hockey team in Calgary called the Snowballs, and Country's outgoing, open-hearted wife Jenna. During the process of Grace's helping Country and Jenna with the adoption of a newborn baby they have named Hope, Jenna has become Grace's only friend. The relationship survives and thrives solely because of Jenna's enthusiastic efforts to regularly connect with Grace. The implication is that friendship has never been something that has come easily for Grace. She is grateful for Jenna's embracing her at the level of closeness of a BFF.
André Leclerc is a 31-year-old former professional hockey player who now plays hockey on the Snowballs team with Country. There is no indication that he ever pursued education beyond high school because he went pro with hockey soon after graduating. He has dated and had temporary flings over the years but never been serious about anyone. It is through Country and Jenna that André encounters Grace.
From the first moment André meets Grace at Country and Jenna's celebratory party for the finalizing of Hope's adoption, he is intensely drawn to her. He persuades Country to have Jenna ask Grace to attend an unspecified type of hockey game that the Snowballs and their families will be watching from a private box at an unspecified Calgary hockey rink. (Probably not at the Scotiabank Saddledome, which would cost over $7,000.) Jenna warns André not to bug Grace with obnoxious sexualized flirting, but the moment Grace walks into the private box, André races to greet her and escorts her to sit between him and Jenna.
During the entire game André and Grace exchange a lopsided version of banter. It is cute and playful from his side but rudely critical from hers. Because he has a youthful face, Grace incorrectly assumes André is 10 years younger than her and a cliche manwhore hockey player. Using the plausible deniability of joking, Grace accuses him of being a lightweight, immature playboy, in spite of the fact that she is barely acquainted with him and doesn't know anything about him.
Even though Grace gives him nothing but grief, André is not discouraged and continues to take every opportunity, when they are at the same social gatherings, to pay her a great deal of admiring attention.
These are the things I liked about this story:
1. I appreciate that this novel is not only advertised as a romance novel but it actually is one. It is written in standard, expected, mainstream-romance format with dual POV, in third person, past tense. Offering the POV of the MMC allows the reader the possibility of getting to know André as well as we know Grace.
2. The plot with baby Hope serves to humanize Grace, who otherwise would be too robotically cold.
3. The story is slow burn. It is mostly closed bedroom door. Nothing is described in the sex scene late in the book except kissing and disrobing.
These are the things that were a problem for me as a jaded reader:
1. I do not enjoy it when the main romantic conflict in a romance novel, whether contemporary, historical or paranormal, is merely that, for no particular reason other than sheer cussedness, either the FMC is a b*tch, or the MMC is a b*st*rd, or they are equally obnoxious jerks. In the case of this novel, Grace is an unlikable shrew in her relationship with André straight through almost to the very end of the novel. I struggled to believe any man would fall in love with a woman who treats him that badly. Grace's being beautiful is not enough of a plus to overcome her offensive behavior. Especially given the fact that, with his handsome face, ripped physique, athletic prowess as a former professional hockey player who has lost none of his skill, and the prosperity he gained from his years working as a professional, Andre has access to an extensive amount of equally beautiful women. Including an abundance of women who are young, optimistic, and friendly, qualities that Grace abandoned years ago in her twenties, when she inexplicably chose to marry a congenitally unfaithful womanizer old enough to be her father.
2. The professional level, over-30, amateur hockey team that André participates in, as stated above, is called the Snowballs. This is a ridiculous name that is insulting to the claim of this book, and the entire series, about this team’s elite level of play. A squad described as near-professional, and featuring a former pro like André, would more likely have a formal club-style or sponsor-style identity than a cutesy name like Snowballs. (By the way, there is an implication in the blurb of the next book in this series that you can age out of the Snowballs. The blurb doesn't say what that age is, but if the MMC still going to be young enough to start a family, which the FMC wants him to do in that story, it's hard to imagine that the age of retirement would be higher than 40. But unfortunately, as these kind of teams go, an age limitation like that is unrealistic.)
3. André is from Montreal with a French name, and it's reasonable to assume that he might be bilingual with French and English. Not everyone in Montreal is bilingual, of course, but a very large share are. It would be nice to know this information one way or the other.
4. There are only a few settings that we experience in this novel, and none of them are the city of Calgary in general: hockey games, a VIP hospitality lounge at an unspecified ice rink, a few restaurants, a water park, the living situation of Grace and André, and a hotel room. It would have added a lot if the author could have offered some sense of Calgary itself.
5. There is such a thing as dumping in too much backstory all at once, but this novel goes to the opposite extreme. I spent a discouraging amount of time trying to figure out crucial backstory for Grace. Ultimately I had to go back and reread my notes from the first book in this series to figure out what her situation was with her ex-husband. Grace is a significant subcharacter in that novel. In addition, we are falsely led to believe that André is barely middle class in his income until almost the end of this book.
6. André is a smoker who tries to quit on behalf of Grace. She snootily informs him during the scene in the private box mentioned above that it's immature of him to ruin his health with cigarettes, and she herself heartily dislikes kissing a smoker. We are informed that he has tried multiple times over the years to quit smoking, but it was so excruciating for him due to irritability from painful cravings, he could never manage it. This time around, as for each of the other times, he goes cold turkey, and one would naturally assume it would be just as difficult for him as it has always been. But other than one passing mention of the relatively mild struggle he is going through, it is never brought up again. We are apparently supposed to assume, with no evidence to support it, that André is going to successfully and effortlessly free himself from his addiction.
7. There is a brief epilogue shortly after the last chapter which barely qualifies as an HFN. Grace and André have just begun officially dating. The closest they have come to potentially getting engaged is when Grace casually mentions to André, in a joking tone, that she was wrong about him not being husband material. But she never before said anything onstage about him in relation to marriage, so it is unclear what conversation this is supposedly relating back to. It's also not made clear whether Grace is going to stay in Calgary.
8. It is not until the very last moment of the book that we are sorta, kinda given a motivation for why André has never minded Grace's shrewish behavior toward him throughout a huge portion of this book. He says that he likes provoking her to argue with him so they can have makeup sex.
9. We are never offered a plausibly sympathetic motivation for Grace voluntarily becoming wife number six for a misogynistic serial cheater who continually replaced one trophy wife with another. It doesn't reflect well on her judgment.
10. This book includes frequent very detailed scenes of hockey games. It's obvious the author knows hockey very well, but a little goes a long way with a redundancy like that. It also becomes mere page filler when it does nothing to forward the two main plots, in this case, the romance and Grace's work on the adoption of baby Hope.
I obtained free access to this novel as an audiobook through my membership with Audible. The author narrates all her books, and she does a good job.
I rate this book 2.5 stars rounded to 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2025
Honestly I really loved this book, to jump in at number 7, is such a daunting experience but I didn't feel lost or confused, It read like a standalone.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved the characters, the story, everything.
I will be going back and finding the other books to read, I know I'll love them just as I loved this one.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved the characters, the story, everything.
I will be going back and finding the other books to read, I know I'll love them just as I loved this one.
September 13, 2025
another mediocre read. I was vibing with it at the beginning, but then, I got bored easily. I felt like I was missing out on certain details. I dontknow if it were because it's a part of a series or not.
August 18, 2025
Listened to Audio book. This was such a sweet story. Grace is such a caring friend. Andre for the goofball he is, is so thoughtful and reflective. He is logical but fun balance to Grace's nerves! Loved the bickering
May 19, 2025
Great Slow Burn.....
Great story of André and Grace with its Slow Burn Romance - this book appealed to me for their banter and how these two are able to call each out on it if necessary. Great story, Cynthia.
Great story of André and Grace with its Slow Burn Romance - this book appealed to me for their banter and how these two are able to call each out on it if necessary. Great story, Cynthia.
July 25, 2025
dnf. super slow burn, and then pretty much fade to black. disappointed.
April 11, 2025
I just finished reading this amazing story about Grace and Andre! 🤩 She's a lawyer, and he's a caulky hockey player. He's also younger, which adds a fun dynamic. I'm totally hooked on their story! #romance #agegap #hockey
May 27, 2025
3.5 ☆
Thank you BookSirens for the ARC of Drop The Mitts by Cynthia Gunderson!
This was a cute book! My first read of this author and love that it takes place in Canada! Did I maybe yell at the screen because I wanted Grace to just give in and kiss Andre? maybe 🫢
I also loved that this book had an underlying plot about the adoption of Hope by Grace and Andre's best friends, and I think both the love story and the adoption story ended as perfectly as it could've ❤️
Thank you BookSirens for the ARC of Drop The Mitts by Cynthia Gunderson!
This was a cute book! My first read of this author and love that it takes place in Canada! Did I maybe yell at the screen because I wanted Grace to just give in and kiss Andre? maybe 🫢
I also loved that this book had an underlying plot about the adoption of Hope by Grace and Andre's best friends, and I think both the love story and the adoption story ended as perfectly as it could've ❤️
May 14, 2025
An absolutely delightful escape.
I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. I had to read it straight through. There was so much tension between the Grace and Andre. I couldn’t wait to read what would happen next. The author did a fabulous job creating the characters in this story and I was truly invested in them and their storylines. I cheered them on and worried with them when the challenges became almost too much. It was perfectly written. Highly recommend.
I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. I had to read it straight through. There was so much tension between the Grace and Andre. I couldn’t wait to read what would happen next. The author did a fabulous job creating the characters in this story and I was truly invested in them and their storylines. I cheered them on and worried with them when the challenges became almost too much. It was perfectly written. Highly recommend.
April 13, 2025
I finished this in one sitting!
I absolutely love this series and within minutes of starting a new book, I felt like I was returning home!
A page turner from start to end and love the detail that went into trying to understand some of the emotions people have going through adoption and growing their families.
Also absolutely buzzing at seeing a promo cover for the next one at the back of the book!!
I am counting down the days!!!
I absolutely love this series and within minutes of starting a new book, I felt like I was returning home!
A page turner from start to end and love the detail that went into trying to understand some of the emotions people have going through adoption and growing their families.
Also absolutely buzzing at seeing a promo cover for the next one at the back of the book!!
I am counting down the days!!!
September 8, 2025
A total treat for hockey romance fans!
It’s fun, flirty, and full of all the adrenaline that comes with sports romance. I loved the banter and slow build between the characters, and the mix of humor and heat kept me smiling all the way through.
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I received a copy from BookSirens and I'm leaving this review voluntarily
It’s fun, flirty, and full of all the adrenaline that comes with sports romance. I loved the banter and slow build between the characters, and the mix of humor and heat kept me smiling all the way through.
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I received a copy from BookSirens and I'm leaving this review voluntarily
June 10, 2025
And she’s done it again . Cynthia keeps writing these little books and holding them out in front of her and I keep eating them out of the palms of her damn hands . I go like this *nom nom nom nom nom* I love this series . They are fun and easy reads, while simultaneously having pieces of real life in there . Also Andre … so sexy hehehe hahaha sexyyyy . I love these books
June 2, 2025
This is the second book I have read in this series, and it was fun to read. The storyline was good, and the characters were relatable and distinct from other characters in the series, which I really appreciated, as sometimes you find them starting to all sound the same. A good choice for a hockey romance series if that is your thing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 23, 2025
Grace & Andre meet in a previous book in this series created by Cynthia. I have always love Grace and her work ethic. I vibe with characters that are driven, loyal, and committed to the cause. Andre is the complete opposite of Grace. Hence why this whole book kept me on the edge of my seat. I find that characters that are bought together under circumstances they normally wouldn't be work best. Dislike to Love or Enemies to Lovers.. I loved the banter and tension between these characters.
In this case, Grace doesn't want to give Andre the time of day. Overall, this book was hands down one of the best in this series and you will be hooked from the beginning. If you're looking for a closed door, slow burn book full of excellent back and forth banter this book should be on your TBR.
In this case, Grace doesn't want to give Andre the time of day. Overall, this book was hands down one of the best in this series and you will be hooked from the beginning. If you're looking for a closed door, slow burn book full of excellent back and forth banter this book should be on your TBR.
May 23, 2025
I received an advance review copy to read free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
First book by this author
Definitely feel this would be better reading the previous books in the series...
Grace is a mid-thirties lawyer while André is a hockey player/artistic welder who seems to be younger by ten years
Not a huge fan of 3rd person yet the story line of found family really drew me in
Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Would have been higher but it was more implied because behind closed doors
First book by this author
Definitely feel this would be better reading the previous books in the series...
Grace is a mid-thirties lawyer while André is a hockey player/artistic welder who seems to be younger by ten years
Not a huge fan of 3rd person yet the story line of found family really drew me in
Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Would have been higher but it was more implied because behind closed doors
May 10, 2025
‘Drop the Mitts’ was mesmerizing. Its plot involved an adoption case gone awry, settling the ex-husband’s estate, cockiness, back and forth banter, a sister’s help, interesting family dynamics, aiding a brother long distance, confiding in a mom, quitting smoking, having an epiphany, coming to an agreement, and falling in love. Moreover, André and Grace, the protagonists, smoldered in their scenes together and oozed chemistry. In addition, I liked the author’s vivid descriptions, including imagery, humor, figurative language, and scintillating word choices, such as, “What was it with men and sports events? They sprayed themselves like they were fighting off mosquitoes in the Amazon,” or “... Sean swooped in, threading the defenders like dental floss and snapping the puck home,” and “He turned back to the truck, and Grace’s heart crunched like a Christmas ornament under a boot.” Overall, I liked the heartfelt narrative.
I received a copy for free and am voluntarily giving my honest review.
I received a copy for free and am voluntarily giving my honest review.
May 13, 2025
The lady is Grace and older woman and Lawyer by profession ,Andre the younger man is a hockey player . She is only back to settle her husband’s affairs not that he ever did care. But this younger man does all he can to get under her skin and her patience and resolve is running thin…He might be getting through in his effort to woo her . Showing up to her door in a beat up Chevy with Tacos. He’s got Biden depths and he’s not quite as inept or in debt as he seems and she’s beginning to notice that all is not as it does seem especially when he helps out with money for one of his team. His mate does presage what he’s done. But all he wants is for Grace to be his hon. Great writing and inviting, the storytelling too draws you in .
May 19, 2025
Love this author and this series.
May 21, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Grace is in town on business. Andre plays hockey. Their worlds collide because of mutual friends. Grace doesn't do distractions, yet Andre can't stop thinking of Grace. He tries with all his might to get her to notice him... yes, he is younger and makes dumb choices. But he knows she is what he wants. Can he get her to see that??
Grace is in town on business. Andre plays hockey. Their worlds collide because of mutual friends. Grace doesn't do distractions, yet Andre can't stop thinking of Grace. He tries with all his might to get her to notice him... yes, he is younger and makes dumb choices. But he knows she is what he wants. Can he get her to see that??
May 14, 2025
This series introduced me to hockey romance, and I’m hooked! The main characters, the plot, everything about it had me swooning. It was the perfect example of opposites attract, and I couldn’t get enough.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 19, 2025
Listened to the audiobook, and I love the way the author narrates her own stories. I also love the found family aspect of this series, and the banter, not only between the MCs but also between the MMC and his teammates, had me grinning again and again!
May 3, 2025
Cynthia honey, can I call you Cindy? Either way, you’re killing me with these books!!
Drop the Mitts follows Andre and Grace, Andre is one of the guys who plays on the Snowballs and the previous books are about guys that play on the snowballs team as well (with the exception of Offside Attraction - rival teammate & friend of Snowballs).
This book (really all of the Canadian Played books) has the perfect amount of hockey and real life. The banter between Grace and Andre is so perfect, it perfectly toes the line of anger and desire but still maintains being a closed door romance with just the right amount of steam. I love that you are still involved with the previous characters stories, and that there’s hints of the next characters story.
Now to anxiously await the next one😍
*let me be clear - I really read this book in like 2-3 days. But I’ve been in a slump so I technically started this book back in April but didn’t really pick it back up until 2 days ago. It would definitely be classified as a “can’t put it down” type book, I’ve just been in a rough reading slump lately*
Drop the Mitts follows Andre and Grace, Andre is one of the guys who plays on the Snowballs and the previous books are about guys that play on the snowballs team as well (with the exception of Offside Attraction - rival teammate & friend of Snowballs).
This book (really all of the Canadian Played books) has the perfect amount of hockey and real life. The banter between Grace and Andre is so perfect, it perfectly toes the line of anger and desire but still maintains being a closed door romance with just the right amount of steam. I love that you are still involved with the previous characters stories, and that there’s hints of the next characters story.
Now to anxiously await the next one😍
*let me be clear - I really read this book in like 2-3 days. But I’ve been in a slump so I technically started this book back in April but didn’t really pick it back up until 2 days ago. It would definitely be classified as a “can’t put it down” type book, I’ve just been in a rough reading slump lately*
May 11, 2025
Book seven in the Canadian Played. André Leclerc and older woman Grace's story was fun to read with its banter. I found their story to be well worth reading. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 12, 2025
Great story of André and Grace with its Slow Burn Romance - this book appealed to me for their banter and how these two are able to call each out on it if necessary. Great story, Cynthia.
May 9, 2025
Omg. So freaking good. I couldn't put it down. Andre and Grace are so different and get so good together. And everything they did for their friends Jenna and County and Hope was just amazing. I have fallen in love with this series. Each book has its main couple but still had the secondary story of the whole group, and I can't wait for the next installment.
April 21, 2025
I liked it all!
The banter and the hockey sequences were great. Andrea was so real his problems, his struggles. I guess I identified more with him than I did with the female lead. The way he showed love for her it was just perfection. I'm not quite sure she showed him the love he deserved but she's trying which is hopeful.
This story was so heartfelt and emotional.
One thing, I was more distracted with Jenna and country story and whatever is going on with Sean and kelty. I was a little freaked out to hear that they weren't at the dinner at the end of the book. then I went scouring online and figured out that there is a book for them so I'm pretty excited about that.
I loved Jenna and Country story and at the end of the last book it seemed like things were looking up for them. I am glad that it worked out for them.
Country speech about Hope and Jenna had me in tears. Also there was no question in my mind that the snowballs would take the Bio dad under their wing and give him purpose and family.
The snowballs are a family I wish I had and I'm so thankful to be able to feel a part of it. so thank you Cynthia Gunderson for writing such compelling stories.
The banter and the hockey sequences were great. Andrea was so real his problems, his struggles. I guess I identified more with him than I did with the female lead. The way he showed love for her it was just perfection. I'm not quite sure she showed him the love he deserved but she's trying which is hopeful.
This story was so heartfelt and emotional.
One thing, I was more distracted with Jenna and country story and whatever is going on with Sean and kelty. I was a little freaked out to hear that they weren't at the dinner at the end of the book. then I went scouring online and figured out that there is a book for them so I'm pretty excited about that.
I loved Jenna and Country story and at the end of the last book it seemed like things were looking up for them. I am glad that it worked out for them.
Country speech about Hope and Jenna had me in tears. Also there was no question in my mind that the snowballs would take the Bio dad under their wing and give him purpose and family.
The snowballs are a family I wish I had and I'm so thankful to be able to feel a part of it. so thank you Cynthia Gunderson for writing such compelling stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2025
This is me squealing and dancing a little jig! I love another visit to Canadian Played series! This series introduced me to hockey romance. Now I own at least a dozen. Grace is a little bit of an uptight lawyer and André is a confident, relaxed, younger hockey player. Grace is kind of irritated by the cigarette smoking, cocky player. André has some moves even off the ice. How about showing up on her front porch w/ a bag of tacos?! The man steadily wears down her defenses! I read this book in 2 sittings. You just can’t beat this team of hockey players and their families who are an extended family by choice. Seriously I knew almost nothing about hockey until I started this series and now I’m in love w/ this trope and this author!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 2, 2025
7th Book in the Canadian Played series, more enjoyable if you've read previous books, but you won't feel lost if you have not read them.
Grace is a controlling lawyer and Andre is an extremely confident hockey player. He takes one look at Grace and he knows he wants her, and not just in his bed. The banter between the two as they get to know each other is witty and steamy. The support they show each other and their friends is heartwarming. I love how the other couples play a role in their budding romance.
Enjoyed this book and looking forward to Sean and Kelty's story.
Adoption issued handled compassionately. Tropes include age gap/he falls first.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Grace is a controlling lawyer and Andre is an extremely confident hockey player. He takes one look at Grace and he knows he wants her, and not just in his bed. The banter between the two as they get to know each other is witty and steamy. The support they show each other and their friends is heartwarming. I love how the other couples play a role in their budding romance.
Enjoyed this book and looking forward to Sean and Kelty's story.
Adoption issued handled compassionately. Tropes include age gap/he falls first.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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