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Lucky Strikers Hockey Romance #1
Ice Mechanic
Fake dating a disgraced pro hockey player wasn’t in the cards. Neither was falling in love with him for real.
Being a female mechanic has it’s flaws. The sweet-talking hockey player who thinks I’m here to flirt with him instead of fix his car is proof.
Thanks to my broken heart, Chance McLanely’s crystal blue eyes and charming smiles don’t—ahem—barely affect me.
I fix his flashy Lamborghini, drop him off and expect to never see him again.
Except he’s at my garage the next day, asking me to jumpstart his career instead of his car.
And what do I get in exchange for our little ruse?
Publicity for my new garage and the sweet, sweet taste of revenge… as my cheating ex sees me getting fawned over by his favorite hockey player.
But Chance is a little too good at fake-fawning.
And fake dating.
And fake kissing.
A star athlete like him could never like a woman like me, so why is he looking at me like I’m more than just his mechanic?
Being a female mechanic has it’s flaws. The sweet-talking hockey player who thinks I’m here to flirt with him instead of fix his car is proof.
Thanks to my broken heart, Chance McLanely’s crystal blue eyes and charming smiles don’t—ahem—barely affect me.
I fix his flashy Lamborghini, drop him off and expect to never see him again.
Except he’s at my garage the next day, asking me to jumpstart his career instead of his car.
And what do I get in exchange for our little ruse?
Publicity for my new garage and the sweet, sweet taste of revenge… as my cheating ex sees me getting fawned over by his favorite hockey player.
But Chance is a little too good at fake-fawning.
And fake dating.
And fake kissing.
A star athlete like him could never like a woman like me, so why is he looking at me like I’m more than just his mechanic?
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2024
2560 people are currently reading
6303 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
January 16, 2025
I can’t. This girl wore a RED FLOOR LENGTH GOWN to a minor league hockey game. I’m out.
June 12, 2025
yes i did read this in pretty much 1 sitting and yes i did kick my little feet at “i chose you” I AM LITERALLY JUST A GIRL unfortunately i didn’t realize there was not a drop of spice until i was almost done and it felt like something inside me chipped off a little bit because they would’ve had some crazy sex
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2025
The guy became obsessed way too quickly and they really milked the “women can be mechanics too.” Luna and the lie by MZ would never make it this cringy
January 16, 2025
DNF 83 percent in.
I could not TAKE Aprils character anymore. This girl could not stop getting angry and crying. And this is coming from somebody who regularly cries at IG clips of cute dogs.
I don’t know what more Chance had to do to prove himself. I know she was traumatized and healing from her trifling ex, but it was exasperating to see chance constantly apologize and speak to her insecurities.
No matter what he did, she seemed offended or took it personal.
April didn’t need a relationship, she needed therapy.
I volunteer as tribute to take Chance though. He had some amazing liners and was the only reason I made it that far. But when I got to the hospital scene and she was mad because Chance couldn’t get to her right away and she agreed with Evan, I realized I was over it.
April without therapy is not something I can read.
I could not TAKE Aprils character anymore. This girl could not stop getting angry and crying. And this is coming from somebody who regularly cries at IG clips of cute dogs.
I don’t know what more Chance had to do to prove himself. I know she was traumatized and healing from her trifling ex, but it was exasperating to see chance constantly apologize and speak to her insecurities.
No matter what he did, she seemed offended or took it personal.
April didn’t need a relationship, she needed therapy.
I volunteer as tribute to take Chance though. He had some amazing liners and was the only reason I made it that far. But when I got to the hospital scene and she was mad because Chance couldn’t get to her right away and she agreed with Evan, I realized I was over it.
April without therapy is not something I can read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2025
If you are going to write about someone being a mechanic, you need to get the details right. I was thrown out of the story from the beginning when and “ocb scanner” was used. It’s obd and it’s super common. The amount of times “diagnostic tools” was used… just nooooo. Please research the trade if you are going to write about it.
April 6, 2025
I sadly added this to my DNF list not even halfway through the book. I thought it sounded cute - female mechanic with a down & out hockey player, but ...
It's hard to like a character like April. She's so grumpy, so reactionary and has zero self-confidence. She is a walking pity party, and her attitude turned me off from the start.
Chance seems like a genuinely good guy, to be honest. From what I read, it's obvious he truly does like April, but she's so self-sabotaging ... the plot got old really quick, and I couldn't waste time to finish the book.
It's hard to like a character like April. She's so grumpy, so reactionary and has zero self-confidence. She is a walking pity party, and her attitude turned me off from the start.
Chance seems like a genuinely good guy, to be honest. From what I read, it's obvious he truly does like April, but she's so self-sabotaging ... the plot got old really quick, and I couldn't waste time to finish the book.
March 4, 2025
“You, Chance,” April’s green eyes sparkle at me as if she can read my thoughts, “you take great care of the car.”
This book is incredibly cheesy, but I love it hahaha Chance quite literally might be the most romantic softie I have ever read. April's character was so amazingly nuanced. I loved how her insecurities, strength and softness crafted such a loveable girl!
Ice Mechanic proves that you can have painful plot points, if you are also willing to have characters who are great communicators and ACTUALLY like each other.
I honestly loved how in love these characters were hahaha There were situations that happen later in the book, that I just KNEW would cause chaos, but they had such faith in their relationship. It was wild to experience.
Such a sweet read! I cannot even imagine the angst sequel that is planned. I do adore Rebel though, so I'm intrigued for sure!
This book is incredibly cheesy, but I love it hahaha Chance quite literally might be the most romantic softie I have ever read. April's character was so amazingly nuanced. I loved how her insecurities, strength and softness crafted such a loveable girl!
Ice Mechanic proves that you can have painful plot points, if you are also willing to have characters who are great communicators and ACTUALLY like each other.
I honestly loved how in love these characters were hahaha There were situations that happen later in the book, that I just KNEW would cause chaos, but they had such faith in their relationship. It was wild to experience.
Such a sweet read! I cannot even imagine the angst sequel that is planned. I do adore Rebel though, so I'm intrigued for sure!
April 27, 2025
From seeing reviews, I think I have a lot of the same critiques.
The FMC April starts out really sassy, rude, black cat energy, etc., and I am for a beat-down, angsty and angry hero, really. Yet, she had absolutely zero character development through the whole story. Yes, towards the end, you can argue that she gained “confidence”, but she always had confidence, ESPECIALLY in her field. Yes, she is a woman in a male-dominated workspace, which is great(!), but she never changed her attitude in that regard (thankfully), so I don’t see why her continuing to spearhead that attitude there was supposed to be our character growth. A confident (in her career) woman continued to be confident in her career? Okay, cool, but why is she still acting like an asshole?
I can’t forgive this author for making me argue on behalf of a man. Really, thanks for that.
She’s honestly rude to her love interest, shows no real intrigue or romantic feelings towards him, and she’s incredibly SELFISH towards him and his dreams. Did Chance (MMC) choose to give up his ‘dreams’ in the league, yes. But, this was AFTER she practically dumped him for even (continually) pursuing the career she KNEW he was interested in.
And the love interest…? Boring. No complex backstory, no real “character flaws”. Like, yes, throw me another dark-haired, “HUGE” (her incessant wording, not mine), and goody-two-shoes hockey player. That will totally suffice for lack of personality and background. We don’t even really get the reason as to WHY he is kicked out of the league to begin with?? Sure, it’s implied but isn’t it sort of important? We had the lamest third-act semi-breakup that didn’t even relate to the most interesting part of his backstory? And we also had ZERO resolution with April’s crazy ex?
And, I really was liking the subplot with April’s Dad and his dementia. I love seeing raw and real life things in stories, and I felt like there wasn’t really anything real to this.. just raw… for what purpose? There isn’t any conflict resolution to be had with dementia as an illness, yes, but there was just a lot of weird things going on. Her dad can’t remember April, his own daughter, but he can recognize and keep up with a fresh and up-and-coming hockey player not of his generation? Come on.
There was so much potential from the FMC’s career, the town, the side characters, the subplots, and it all fell short. I would recommend almost any other sports romance and almost any other female mechanic romance. This was a complete waste of time and energy, and the book itself needs editing for the several errors, misspellings, and grammar mistakes (Yes, sorry, that was petty).
The FMC April starts out really sassy, rude, black cat energy, etc., and I am for a beat-down, angsty and angry hero, really. Yet, she had absolutely zero character development through the whole story. Yes, towards the end, you can argue that she gained “confidence”, but she always had confidence, ESPECIALLY in her field. Yes, she is a woman in a male-dominated workspace, which is great(!), but she never changed her attitude in that regard (thankfully), so I don’t see why her continuing to spearhead that attitude there was supposed to be our character growth. A confident (in her career) woman continued to be confident in her career? Okay, cool, but why is she still acting like an asshole?
I can’t forgive this author for making me argue on behalf of a man. Really, thanks for that.
She’s honestly rude to her love interest, shows no real intrigue or romantic feelings towards him, and she’s incredibly SELFISH towards him and his dreams. Did Chance (MMC) choose to give up his ‘dreams’ in the league, yes. But, this was AFTER she practically dumped him for even (continually) pursuing the career she KNEW he was interested in.
And the love interest…? Boring. No complex backstory, no real “character flaws”. Like, yes, throw me another dark-haired, “HUGE” (her incessant wording, not mine), and goody-two-shoes hockey player. That will totally suffice for lack of personality and background. We don’t even really get the reason as to WHY he is kicked out of the league to begin with?? Sure, it’s implied but isn’t it sort of important? We had the lamest third-act semi-breakup that didn’t even relate to the most interesting part of his backstory? And we also had ZERO resolution with April’s crazy ex?
And, I really was liking the subplot with April’s Dad and his dementia. I love seeing raw and real life things in stories, and I felt like there wasn’t really anything real to this.. just raw… for what purpose? There isn’t any conflict resolution to be had with dementia as an illness, yes, but there was just a lot of weird things going on. Her dad can’t remember April, his own daughter, but he can recognize and keep up with a fresh and up-and-coming hockey player not of his generation? Come on.
There was so much potential from the FMC’s career, the town, the side characters, the subplots, and it all fell short. I would recommend almost any other sports romance and almost any other female mechanic romance. This was a complete waste of time and energy, and the book itself needs editing for the several errors, misspellings, and grammar mistakes (Yes, sorry, that was petty).
June 27, 2025
There were some moments where I was charmed by the cuteness. Then there were moments where I was cringing.
And I'm still not over her wearing a FLOOR LENGTH GOWN TO A HOCKEY GAME??? WHAT ARE WE DOING PEOPLE?
February 5, 2025
I’m gonna be honest. I didn’t finish this book. I just felt like it was longer than it should be. And I was just bored from the start. But I might try and give it a second chance.
February 15, 2025
I mean not a horrible story but seriously lacking development in every way
February 17, 2025
Sometimes all I need to cope with life’s cruel existence is a fake dating hockey romance book with the same general plot and characters as 45 other books I’ve already read. And this isn’t a drag on the trope being done too many times. I will eat it up every time. Every single time. I can’t even be annoyed when I know what’s going to happen next. Is the story predictable or am I just predictable in what I choose to read? This was some great escapism into a happy-ending world except for the part with her dad having dementia, that hit a little too close to home for me. I also wish they had fake dated longer as that’s my favorite trope and as soon as they became real, I lost some significant interest. But I didn’t lose enough interest to stop reading or to slow down. I did in fact devour this book. I also am not a huge fan of the cover.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2025
There were some glaring issues with this. First of all, we get it. April is girl mechanic. She's not like other girls. She has dirt under her fingernails and she doesn't like dresses. My goodness, this sentiment was absolutely jammed down our throats on every page. I mean, at one point, because April has had an attack of self-esteem issues, she wears a red floor-length gown to a minor league hockey game. What the actual fuck is that?
Then there was just April's personality in general. I love a black cat character any day. But April was reactionary, mean, and just miserable. She wasn't pleasant at all. I didn't even want to root for the relationship with Chance. Honestly, with the way April treated Chance throughout all of this, I actively rooted against the relationship.
And any review that says they had good communication was written by a crazy person. April was constantly attempting to ghost Chance. She'd go radio silent almost every time some obstacle came up. And if she didn't go. silent, then she'd play the ice queen and say shitty things to him. This wasn't the cute read it claimed to be.
Then there was just April's personality in general. I love a black cat character any day. But April was reactionary, mean, and just miserable. She wasn't pleasant at all. I didn't even want to root for the relationship with Chance. Honestly, with the way April treated Chance throughout all of this, I actively rooted against the relationship.
And any review that says they had good communication was written by a crazy person. April was constantly attempting to ghost Chance. She'd go radio silent almost every time some obstacle came up. And if she didn't go. silent, then she'd play the ice queen and say shitty things to him. This wasn't the cute read it claimed to be.
March 11, 2025
Overall a cute book! However, there were a few things I just couldn’t get behind. One being wearing a red gown to a minor league hockey game was crazyyyy. Also shocked that this is all over booktok and not a drop of spice. Honestly I think this book could have done with just a little more description of that sort of stuff. I think I can count on one hand how many times they pecked. However, I think this would be a great read for some kid that heard of icebreaker or the deal on tiktok and wants to read a hockey romance but this is wayyyyyy more appropriate.
January 6, 2025
Ice Mechanic
This was a simple and sweet romance book.
It was on the longer side but will keep you interested.
Clean romance book.
This was a simple and sweet romance book.
It was on the longer side but will keep you interested.
Clean romance book.
January 25, 2025
Such a cute love story 😭
I love April’s healing journey throughout the entire book, and even when Chance was not sure about how she was feeling - he was still there for her.
The dynamic with Aprils sister and best friend is TOO cute, he is such a golden retriever.
His mom gives me the ick, but whatever.
I cannot wait to heat Gunner and Rebels story 🤐
I love April’s healing journey throughout the entire book, and even when Chance was not sure about how she was feeling - he was still there for her.
The dynamic with Aprils sister and best friend is TOO cute, he is such a golden retriever.
His mom gives me the ick, but whatever.
I cannot wait to heat Gunner and Rebels story 🤐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2025
Super cute easy fun hockey romance. Will admit my boy Chance fell for April immediately. I'm not a huge fan of instant love but I didn't mind it here.
Love a small town story where people help one another out and anything is possible. I need to know what's going on with the best friend Rebel so I will be reading book 2 when it comes out!
Love a small town story where people help one another out and anything is possible. I need to know what's going on with the best friend Rebel so I will be reading book 2 when it comes out!
June 5, 2025
I loved this book! I ate it up! I read the majority of it in one day! I didn’t know it wasn’t a spicy book but I didn’t care because I enjoyed the story so much!
Chance was so sweet and so patient! He did everything he could to get April to trust him, he was just such a good guy! I loved him!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🚫🌶️
Chance was so sweet and so patient! He did everything he could to get April to trust him, he was just such a good guy! I loved him!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🚫🌶️
December 14, 2024
this book is sweet
This couple was so lovely. I appreciated the authenticity of the novel from the car facts to the struggles women face in male dominated societies. This book felt real. Chance is a one of a kind man. He was so thoughtful and generous. He fell hard fast but it didn’t feel rushed. I’m glad I continued reading after his disbelief she was a mechanic. April is so precious. She is awesome character r with spunk and layers. I really enjoyed their story. Looking forward to Rebel’s.
This couple was so lovely. I appreciated the authenticity of the novel from the car facts to the struggles women face in male dominated societies. This book felt real. Chance is a one of a kind man. He was so thoughtful and generous. He fell hard fast but it didn’t feel rushed. I’m glad I continued reading after his disbelief she was a mechanic. April is so precious. She is awesome character r with spunk and layers. I really enjoyed their story. Looking forward to Rebel’s.
December 14, 2024
3.8⭐️
It was a really cute book. It was a good palette cleanser for me lol. I love small town romance, so as soon as I saw that it was a small town romance I was already grabbing it on KU lol.
It was a really cute book. It was a good palette cleanser for me lol. I love small town romance, so as soon as I saw that it was a small town romance I was already grabbing it on KU lol.
December 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
January 13, 2025
3.75✨ literally read in one sitting
February 15, 2025
i enjoyed this read!
April 17, 2025
The lightning speed at which this couple progressed baffled me…also wearing a gown to a minor league hockey game? Pop off I guess
September 20, 2025
3.5
I really liked this, cute and love-filled. New trope for me and it was interesting, little repetitive at times but despite absolutely zilch smut I enjoyed myself!
I really liked this, cute and love-filled. New trope for me and it was interesting, little repetitive at times but despite absolutely zilch smut I enjoyed myself!
January 26, 2025
currently kicking my feet, giggling and fangirling over April and Chance
such a cute fluffy book oh my god🥹🥹🥹 the bookstore date, the day when Chance hung out at the garage to help April deal with the customer overflow, the way he was smitten about her from the very beginning 😩😩😩 may this love find me, man🥹
such a cute fluffy book oh my god🥹🥹🥹 the bookstore date, the day when Chance hung out at the garage to help April deal with the customer overflow, the way he was smitten about her from the very beginning 😩😩😩 may this love find me, man🥹
May 20, 2025
I enjoyed this book.
A strong FMC who lost her way after her ex cheated on her. A wealthy hockey player who found a new obsession and fell for her HARD.
Was a cute read with some drama and learning points.
I think this is a great read for someone who wants to read a romance with zero smut. Think YA.
I could, no problem, hand this book over to my preteen or even teenager to enjoy a good and wholesome romantic read.
A strong FMC who lost her way after her ex cheated on her. A wealthy hockey player who found a new obsession and fell for her HARD.
Was a cute read with some drama and learning points.
I think this is a great read for someone who wants to read a romance with zero smut. Think YA.
I could, no problem, hand this book over to my preteen or even teenager to enjoy a good and wholesome romantic read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews