Best for Last

by Baleigh Jayne

Charlie Cade has spent his life on the ice, but with his contract up for renewal with the New York Rangers, the one thing he’s not prepared for is the spotlight. After years in the shadows, his agent insists he needs a picture-perfect relationship to keep his place on the team. Enter Cami Slate, his sister's best friend and the last person he ever imagined as his solution.

Cami’s life is in constant always changing, always in flux. Whether it's shoes, men, or her latest obsession, commitment isn't her strong suit. When her mom corners her about her love life and constantly asks if she's bringing a date to her sister’s wedding, Cami needs a quick fix. So, when Charlie asks her to fake-date him, it seems like the perfect (if not completely ridiculous) solution to their problems.

But as the two of them navigate the world of fake romance, they start discovering a few things they didn’t like how much they’ve always meant to each other, how much they want to mean to each other, and how hard it is to pretend when the chemistry is all too real.

Will Charlie and Cami’s love survive the pressure of pretending, or will they find that the real thing was right in front of them all along?

Genres: Sports Romance, Friends To Lovers, Fake Dating, Romance, Hockey Romance, Clean Romance, He Falls First

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 9, 2025

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ 📖 𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙅𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙚

“𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭?”
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭, 𝘊𝘢𝘮. 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

This was such a sweet read! I freaking adore a ‘friends to lovers’ romance. There’s just something about two best friends finally giving in to the chemistry between them. It’s also so cute when the guy knows allllll of her favorite things because they’ve known her for so long!

Charlie is our grumpy NHL playing MMC. An incident in high school changed his whole outgoing personality into a closed off version of himself. Years later he’s facing the fear of being traded from his team if he can’t start opening himself up to his team and his fans.

“𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤. 𝘔𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦.”

Cami, our sunshine FMC is struggling to find someone to settle down with. Everyone that she dates doesn’t hold her attention for long and her family is pressuring her to have a date for her sister’s wedding. When Charlie & Cami decide to fake date to solve all their problems, real feelings emerge.

I loved Cami and Charlie together. Cami helped Charlie open his heart again and make friends, and Charlie helped her to realize she’s perfect just the way she is! I thought their ‘hobby’ dates were so dang cute and fun! I wanted to be with them trying all the fun things out!

This is a closed door romance with plenty of passionate & sweet moments between the leads.

If you love fake dating stories, add this one to your TBR today!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
⛸️ 𝘏𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
🫦 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨
🤭 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥’𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
💋 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
✨ 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
❤️‍🩹 𝘔𝘔𝘊 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢
🫶🏼 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺

[mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Baleigh Jayne and Booked With Rae for this advanced reader’s copy of Best for Last.

This was a good book and I always enjoy the friends to lovers trope. I enjoyed the characters throughout the story, especially Charlie, Cami, and the knitting club ladies. I thought it was a cute story but wasn’t my favorite and I won’t be including any negative opinions on this post. That’s just a personal preference and would still recommend others to give it a read!

[Lisa Hambridge (lisamareebooks1109) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first book written by baleigh that I have read, and I enjoyed this book. Charlie and Cami were the perfect main characters, and I enjoyed reading their journey, which was perfectly written.

Thank you for the ARC.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake dating + no third act breakup + he falls first!

Charlie's hockey contract is up for renewal and his agent highly recommends he up his image for him to be re-signed.

Cami is cornered by her mother about a date for her sister's wedding.

Enter: a fake dating arrangement between best friends.

Read if you love...
✨best friend's brother / sister's best friend
🫶🏼dual perspective
✨fake dating
💬texts on page
✨he falls first
👏🏼no third act breakup
✨childhood friends to lovers
🏒MMC hockey player
✨FMC magazine editor
🧶knitting club with grandmas
✨closed door

To no one's surprise, I loved this one!

Okay, yes, this absolutely can be read as a standalone. However, because it happens on an overlapping timeline as the first book in the duology, I personally think they're better read in order!

Love love love the mix of tropes. Fake dating + best friend's brother + friends to lovers + no third act breakup? YES PLEASE!

I absolutely adored the character growth both Charlie & Cami needed to go through. They both have strained & toxic relationships with their parents, both of which believe things about themselves because of that, and both need the character growth in order to thrive in a relationship.

I love the cameos from book one's MCs!
The hobby day is 10/10!
The knitting club ladies are just wonderful!

I absolutely recommend this one!

PUB day: May 9th!

📍New York
‼️Content: toxic relationship with parents; bullying, past

[Heather Mock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best for Last is a super sweet dual POV, friends-to-lovers, fake dating, best friend's brother, found family, grumpy/sunshine, closed-door romance novel. I read the majority of this slow-burn in one sitting and finished it at 3am <3
I am a fellow fiber artist (crochet & knitting) so it was super exciting to read a FMC who also had "grandma hobbies" and found community with old ladies. Add in the fact that the MMC is a pro hockey player and I'm SAT (I started ice skating this year).

My EPICS rating system:

Enjoyment: 9/10; this story was so sweet and I found myself really emotionally invested in the characters, their family dynamics, the romance, the hockey team, etc.

Plot: 8/10; the first 20% of the book felt a little choppy but then I ate up the remainder in essentially one sitting so I obviously loved the story. The writing itself definitely got stronger as the book progressed.

Investment: 10/10; this was totally worth staying up until 3am to finish :')

Characters: 9/10; Charlie is 100% a MMC written by a woman *for* women. Alexa, play Man Who Stays by Jake Scott. Charlie is a broody hockey player who isn't afraid to protect those he cares about - he just needed to learn how to let some walls down. Cami is a bubbly hobby girlie who will do anything for her bestfriends (Charlie & Alana) but struggles with permanency and admitting she's been crushing on Charlie.

Spice: 6/10; not very applicable since this was a closed-door romance. Most of the intimacy is portrayed in brief touches and tension. Although I personally would've preferred more open-door, the intimacy still had me kicking my feet and smiling.

Overall score: 8.4/10
Star conversion: ☆☆☆☆

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a reader who loves a good friends-to-lovers story Best for Last by Baleigh Jayne absolutely hit the mark for me. It follows Charlie Cade, a professional hockey player trying to clean up his image, and Cami Slate, his sister’s best friend. When they agree to a fake relationship, it’s only a matter of time before real feelings start to grow—and watching that slow, genuine build-up was so satisfying.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book was how grounded it felt. Charlie and Cami’s relationship was steady and believable, just two adults figuring things out together. It felt refreshingly mature, but still full of warmth and chemistry.

And for anyone wondering—this is a closed-door romance. If you’re in the mood for a heartfelt, comforting romance with characters you’ll genuinely root for, I’d absolutely recommend Best for Last.

Thank you to the BWR Team for the E-ARC!

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, The Booked With Rae Team, for the ARC! It made me so happy having this opportunity!

This book was everything! Since the very first page, Cami and Charlie’s story captured my attention, it was really impossible to put the book down!

Friends to lovers is one of my fav trope and in this story was so perfectly executed.
Charlie is calm, focused mind while Cami is a bubbly and energetic sunshine. They fit perfectly together because they complete each other. They are the best supporter of the other, always standing by the other side.

Can we also talk about the romanticism? You can practically taste it! The care and the sweetness pours out the pages and slip in your heart, cocooning you with warm and gooey feelings.

Just wow! The best reading of this month!! Perfect and smooth like satin!!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and Charlie and Cami and their found family. I’m always down for some fake dating with the best friend’s brother! It also didn’t hurt that Charlie was a hockey player since I’ve been loving hockey romances lately. I was a little surprised when I realized in the middle of the book that it was closed door/clean romance but that didn’t take anything away from it because the characters and love story were so well written. I also appreciated the author sharing the bullying trigger warning because that can trigger me but I had a good feeling about this book and the author handled the bullying and the trauma caused by it in such a thoughtful and kind way. Thank you to Baleigh Jayne and Booked with Rae Author Services for the opportunity to read Best for Last early.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge congrats to Baleigh on the release of her second book! It can totally be read as a standalone, but I loved seeing some familiar faces from the first book pop in. The friends-to-lovers storyline was so sweet, and I had the best time watching the characters work through their fears and finally take the leap into something more. This book was such a fun, feel-good read with all the perfect romcom vibes. Plus, the little text messages in each chapter were the cutest touch!

Thank you so much to Baleigh for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. “Best for Last” is available now on Kindle Unlimited and her website!

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
Thank you to the author, Baleigh Jane for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was an adorable and heartfelt friends-to-lovers, fake dating romance that completely stole my heart. The main characters were so cute together, and their relationship felt incredibly real and genuine. I loved how they supported each other’s growth throughout the story, it was so wholesome and beautifully done. This book had me giggling, kicking my feet, and feeling all the emotions. It was a beautiful read.

[Lark _thebookchamber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series, these characters, ughhh. I am in loveeeee. Baleigh’s writing has quickly become my favorite. I adore her characters SO much and Cami + Charlie won over my heart rather quickly! I loved how easy going and somewhat chaotic Cami is- she doesn’t have a set plan for her life and I absolutely adore that. Charlie is kind of a mystery to us. We know SOMETHING has happened in the past to make him closed off and I just loved how caring Cami was with him while navigating how to open up more with his team and with his life. The growth with both of these characters was one for the books. I loved their playful chemistry and the communication between them throughout everything they went through! Overall, beautiful writing, beautiful characters, and amazing cameos from book 1! 💗

[meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

a super cute brother's best friend, fake dating romance. i enjoyed this one! a quick, palette cleanser for me but it truly did its job!

[Taylor&#x1f9f8; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not wait to post a review so here we are, happy almost release day!!!🏒

5 stars for Baleighs newest book! The second book in the Cade Siblings Duology ✨

Overall synopsis, Charlie and Alana have been best friends with Cami forever! Its always been the 3 of them against the world. While Alana is off in paris working (which you know if you read Tied Together for her and Alex's story WHICH YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD) Cami and Charlie are back home in New York living life. Charlie playing for the Rangers Hockey team and Cami working at the magazine with Alana and knitting in her free time. With a contract year coming up for Charlie, his agent suggests spicing up his image, what better way to do that than with a fake girlfriend? And who's the most obvious choice, but his best friend Cami of forever?

Yall this book will make you giggle, smile, swoon and kick your feet. The character growth is amazing, I love seeing the references to tied together and you overall get to know these characters even better. I love hockey so having it as part of the story line was so fun! And it was obviously researched well by Baleigh! Cami pulls Charlie out of his shell and we see the most growth in his character which I loved!

Highly highly recommend this book! Although there is no spice, the slow burning tension is SO SO good and grips you in!

Some of my favorite quotes below... and theres a lot more where this came from :)

“Have you seen the current dating scene?” I just stare at her. She knows how long it’s been since I’ve tried to date. “Here look at this.” She shoves her phone at me, a screenshot of a guy’s profile lighting it up. The man is in his late thirties and standing in one of the dirtiest bathrooms I’ve ever seen. There are stains all over part of the countertop and behind him the sheetrock in the wall is completely torn apart, so there is a gaping hole in the wall. The shower curtain is pulled back to reveal a grimy tiled tub and a broken shelf. The guy himself has one arm out of his shirt, leaving that side bunched up around his shoulder. He’s flexing his (imaginary) muscle, but really it just looks like he got caught in the middle of taking off his shirt. His bio says he’s married. -- this made me LOL because its so real

My phone buzzes on the table, distracting me from what Olivia is saying, but I see the name Charles on my screen and I can’t ignore it. Charles Thought you might be interested in this. Attached is a link to a TikTok about different knitting stitches, which showed up on my feed earlier this morning.- what a guy

He’s quickly becoming my person in more ways than just how I spend my time and while that’s terrifying, it’s also exciting.


Charlie grounds me in a way that I desperately need. He’s steady where I’m wobbly and calm where I’m chaotic. My perfect puzzle piece.”

Hopefully I have convinced you, go read it :)

[Brittany Rolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ✨

After reading Tied Together last year and falling in love with it— I immediately wanted to read her next one. And let me tell you, Best for Last didn't disappoint!

What you can expect:
✨ Best Friends Brother
✨ Best Friends to More
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Hockey Romance
✨ Tender moments that will tug on your heart strings.

Charlie and Cami were incredibly sweet. Cami is best friends with Alana, Charlie's sister and after an incident happened in high school Charlie joins their group and becomes best friends with Cami as well. The three of them do everything together, and are basically inseparable.

When Charlie is up for a contract renewal, his agent says he needs to change up his image a bit and stop being so closed off. He needs to try and bond with his team & she suggests fake dating someone as well for good publicity. As he thinks about it, he realized Cami would the perfect girl since they are already comfortable with each other. Cami says yes to doing this, but with rules in place of course! As they begin to fake date, lines start to get blurred quickly. They both start opening up to each other more and realizing there may be some real feelings here they've never noticed before.

Charlie went through really difficult things in high school that has made him closed off to friends. He fears getting hurt again. He has a difficult relationship with his parents, and it gets to a point where he has to make a decision about them. With Cami by his side he begins to open up about his past, and allow others in. She starts to bring out the old Charlie again.

Cami has been known as someone who "quits" easily, takes up too many hobbies and is constantly changing her mind about what she wants. Her mother has drilled into her head that she can't do anything right, and that she should be the one settling down first -- not her younger sister. Because of this she has a hard time letting Charlie in completely. She has commitment issues, and fears she will get bored with him if she makes this real.

Seeing the two of them let each other in, and slowly heal their past traumas together was beautiful to read. Charlie showed Cami that her little quirks that others may think are bad, are things she should be proud of. She should embrace who she is and be okay with it. Cami shows Charlie he can trust others, and not everyone will cause the pain his friends in high school did. They show each other what real love is and it is so incredibly heart warming. 😊

[Lindsey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️

Although you can absolutely read this as a standalone, it is highly recommended to read book one first in this series. The storylines in each book overlap in timelines and it brings so much to the story reading them in order. Baleigh Jayne’s Best for Last is a super sweet, closed door romance between childhood friends. I am a total sucker for friends to lovers as I believe fully the best romances spawn from the best friendships. Being friends as well as partners, brings something so special to the dynamic and this is beyond evident in this book.

Charlie Cade is needing to spice up his image. He is a great player, but with his contract up for renewal, his agent thinks he needs to bring more to the table. Does anything bring better spice than a fake relationship? A fake relationship where feelings already exist, even if both parties won’t admit it.

Cami Slate works at the same magazine as her best friend, Alana. Yes, Alana from book one of the Cade Siblings series. She also loves knitting in her spare time. I adored this fun hobby Balegh gave our young FMC, as this hobby is back in full force and it was a great nod to current pop culture. When Alana’s brother, one of her best friends, comes to her with a fake relationship, she agrees. Let the fun begin!

Watching these two grow throughout this story was amazing. Both of these characters have had to deal with toxicity in relationships, both romantic and family based. The journey they go on together is refreshing and full of hope. I loved how mature these two were, leading to no miscommunication or third act breakup. Baleigh proves that a good story can have no red flags but still have drama and tension. When these two were finally honest about feelings that had been buried for a long time, their fireworks caused for a beautiful show.

As always, review any author notes before reading.

What to Expect:
💘Fake Dating
🏒He Falls First
💘Childhood Friends to Lovers
🏒Best Friend’s Brother
💘Hockey Player MMC
🏒Magazine Editor FMC
💘Closed Door

[NattyMoMo · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the best friend’s older brother trope, fake dating, and emotionally grounded love stories with no third act breakup (bless!), Best for Last will absolutely hit the spot.

Charlie Cade is a professional hockey player who needs a squeaky-clean image to secure his contract. Enter Cami Slate—his sister’s best friend, the queen of change, and the girl he never expected to fall for. What starts as a mutually beneficial fake relationship slowly evolves into something real, and watching these two fumble their way into love is pure joy.

What I loved most was how steady their relationship felt. There were bumps, sure, but no messy miscommunication or artificial drama. The relationship was built on friendship and genuine chemistry. I also really appreciated how this book explored adult friendship, self-worth, and the lingering need for parental validation. It didn’t shy away from harder topics—like bullying and its lasting effects—and even if that piece of the character arc wasn’t the strongest, it still added important context to both Charlie and Cami’s emotional journey.

The book also gets bonus points for cozy details like knitting (love a character with a hobby), strong open communication, and being completely closed door—no spice, and minimal cursing. It was refreshing and sweet without being saccharine.

Thank you so much to the Booked with Rae Team for the ARC! I so thoroughly enjoyed this read. :)

⸻

Metadata:

Start Date: 4/29/2025
End Date: 5/2/2025
Star Rating: 4⭐️
Format: Kindle
Spice Rating: 1🌶️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Setting: New York, USA
Publication Date: 5/9/2025
Publishing House: Self-Published
Est Page Count: 300
Audio Publisher: n/a
Audio Pub Date: n/a
Audio Length: n/a
Audio Speed: n/a
Narrator: n/a
Narrator Rating: n/a
POV: Dual, first person
Tags: Fake dating, best friend’s brother, hockey romance, adult friendship, emotional growth, closed door romance

[•Cici• Theory of A Dreamer Book Blog♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars! 💗🏒🧶

The blurb for this book caught my eye and I started looking forward to it right away. Being new to this author's work had me wanting to read it even more. I picked it up and got right into The Cade Siblings world! I really enjoyed this story so very much!

Charlie and Cami's journey pulled me in so quickly! Cami is a beauty assistant editor at Impress Magazine and Charlie is a professional hockey player on the New York Rangers team. These two have been in each other's lives for years since Cami is best friends with Charlie's sister, Alana. Certain circumstances lead Cami and Charlie to fake dating. Can they help each other out and then go back to the way things were before? or could this be the realest thing of all for both of their hearts?

Both Charlie and Cami had my full attention right from the get go! I so enjoyed the way these two were brought even closer together with their fake relationship. I loved the fact that Cami and Charlie had such a great friendship of their own. From fake dating, personal stuff, their jobs, and the feelings between them, I couldn't wait to see how things would play out for these two.

I found Charlie and Cami to both be so relatable and I connected with them throughout. They were both dealing with things in their lives and I felt for both of them. The chemistry between these two was so good! Cami and Charlie got right into my heart and had me feeling so much with them throughout! They truly got each other which I absolutely adored.

With Best for Last, Ms.Jayne has created such a wonderful fake dating romance that brought best friend's brother, hockey, a fashion magazine, friendship, knitting, heart, depth, and many feels! I am so looking forward to picking up more of this author's work! I'll definitely be going back and reading Tied Together. 💗🏒🧶

Check out the author's note about the content.


*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Booked With Rae / the author*

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
friends to lovers
closed door romance
fake dating
best friend's brother
hockey player MMC
Dual POV

Best for Last was adorable. I first met Charlie and Cami in book one, Tied Together, and was excited for them to get their own love story. Best for Last is part of the Cade Siblings Duology, but you definitely could read it as a standalone-- but I recommend reading Tied Together! What was fun about Charlie and Cami's story, is the timeline begins and runs parallel to Tied Together. We get to see

MMC Charlie is Alana's brother and by default over the years, one of Cami's best friends. He's a NHL player in New York, very reserved due to past trauma, and his agent is worried about Charlie being traded this year. Charlie and his agent come to a plan to boost Charlie's popularity to keep him on the team- befriend his teammates and find a fake girlfriend for social media. Well... since Charlie is weary of anyone except his sister and her bff, he asks Cami to fake date him until trading season is over.

FMC Cami is best friends with siblings Alana and Charlie. While Alana is in Paris for work, Charlie confides in Cami his concerns about being traded and she agrees to fake date him until he signs a new contract with his team. Only, the more time they spend together, the more they realize that maybe they were meant to be.

I thought this story was super cute. Both Charlie and Cami have family issues that they bond over but where Charlie is suspicious of everyone's intentions, Cami is bubbly and friendly with everyone. They balance each other perfectly. I loved getting to know Charlie's teammates too- kinda hope we get a spinoff of Charlie's team now lol. Check out both Alana and Charlie's stories with the Cade Siblings Duology!

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so incredibly grateful to have received an advanced copy of Best for Last from the author! 🫶

“Your heart is perfect. It’s kind and loving and sees the good in people. It seeks for ways to help others and meet needs.”

Best for Last is one of the cutest stories I have ever read and it touched my heart in so many ways! 🥹💕 It basically was the equivalency of being given a huge hug and I loved every single second of reading this beautiful story! 🫶

Cami is such an incredible FMC and I just loved her so much! ❤️ I related to her so much with her struggles that she went through in the story and I truly think that is such a beautiful experience as a reader to be able to relate to the main character in that way! 🥹 Charlie on the other hand is an amazing MMC and I thought it was so wonderful being able to additionally have his POV throughout the story along with Cami. He has been through so much in his life and it has had him shutting himself off from others and wanting to make friends with anyone on his hockey team. It truly was wonderful getting to see his journey in slowly opening up his heart in more ways than one. Lastly, Charlie and Cami’s friendship with one another is simply beautiful! 💕 I love that they are always there for each other and I thought it was the cutest thing ever getting to see their relationship develop especially as they started fake dating each other! 🤭

If you love romance books, hockey player x magazine editor, fake dating, best friend’s brother, no third act breakup, friends to lovers, texts on page, he falls first, and a book that will put a huge smile on your face then this is the book for you! 🫶

[EVANGELIA MARAGKOPOULOU · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book by a new author . Charlie and Cami are best friends since high school since he is the brother of her best friend Alana . Now he is professional hockey player for the New York Rangers and after 7 years in the team his contract is for ending , so his manager tells him that if he wants for the team to renewal his contract he must be more social , start being more friendly with his teammates and have a girlfriend . Cami's younger sister getting married in few months and her mother is always asking her about her dating life or her life choices and then she tell them that she is dating a guy . When Charlie is considering who could pretend to be his fake girlfriend his only thought is Cami and they both agree to fake dating until her sister wedding . With her help and support he opens up and creates bonds with lots of his teammates and with her list of hobbies and outings he makes himself more familiar to the fans . All that fake dating makes both of them realize that they are in love in real . Will Charlie make Cami feel that what they have is worthy and she is everything to him ?
I loved that after what he has been through from his teammates at high school he never stopped playing hockey and he became closer with his younger sister but I hated the way his parents where treating both their children . Cami's love and support gave him the courage to open up and share his pain .
I received this book from the author and the publisher as an ARC . Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own .

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best for Last by Baleigh Jayne was everything I adore in a romance—sweet, emotional, and full of heart. From the very first page, I was completely drawn into Cami and Charlie’s story.

Cami, who works for a top fashion magazine, agrees to fake date Charlie, her best friend’s brother and a hockey player for the New York Rangers. Charlie’s trying to repair his public image, but it’s so clear early on that there’s so much more beneath the surface. And Cami? She sees all of it.

What made this book truly special for me was the depth of their connection. Watching them slowly move from friends to something so much more felt incredibly real and tender. There’s something so beautiful about falling in love with someone you’ve known forever, and Baleigh Jane captured that perfectly.

And Charlie… oh, Charlie. There are no words for how much I loved him. His growth, his vulnerability, and the way he let himself be fully seen by Cami—it broke me in the most gentle way. His line to her—
“Your heart is perfect. It’s kind and loving and sees the good in people…”
It made me tear up. He’s the kind of fictional man who sets the bar impossibly high.

With some of my favorite tropes—fake dating, best friend’s brother, childhood friends to lovers, he falls first, and no third act breakup—this book hit every sweet spot in my romance-loving heart.

The Best for Last is a love story full of warmth, healing, and finding someone who sees and loves every part of you. It’s one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

[Jenn Ann H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will forever be a sucker for fake dating and then add in friends to lovers? Absolutely yes! This was such a sweet read that I enjoyed cover to cover.

This book gives us Charlie Cade, a professional hockey player trying to improve his image, and Cami Slate, his sister’s best friend. Cami is an energetic ball of sunshine and Charlie is a quiet and reserved guy. I enjoyed how believable these two were, both together as a couple, and separate as adult characters in general. I loved the amount of character growth we were able to see from both our main characters. Not only are Charlie and Cami so sweet together, they help each other on their journey immensely. I loved how Cami was able to help Charlie open up his heart and his inner circle again while he made her feel grounded and perfect with all her different hobbies, despite what anyone else says.

The knitting club ladies were so fun! I too, think I would love a weekly meet up with some older gals at the local home. The side characters were great in this story and their adventures, like hobby day, added a new level of fun!

If you’re a fan of fake dating, closed door romance, or friends to lovers, I definitely recommend grabbing this book! This book can absolutely be read as a standalone but it is the 2nd in a duology with overlapping timelines so you should think about grabbing the first one too. Thank you to Booked with Rae and author Baleigh Jayne for the opportunity to read this ARC! All feedback is my own.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as an ARC and really liked it.

I loved Charlie (Cade) and Cami and their story. Friends to faking dating to lovers
The little push they needed was Cami telling her mom she had a date to her sister’s wedding and Cade’s contract being up for renewal and needing a fake girlfriend to become more likable to the public.

The only problem is he’s her best friend’s brother and a really good friend of hers as well. What do you do when something is there (attraction) but you don’t want to possibly ruin your friendship with him and his sister?

I love the he falls first trope and it is definitely in this book because “even though I know she’s hesitant, I am on cloud nine” is a line I was going aww too. I absolutely loved the epilogue and felt that it was the perfect ending to their story.

I loved them together and how they helped each other grow into the person they were meant to be. There were so many scenes that had me going aww and made me love the characters even more. I loved when they finally said the three little words especially because of what happened right before and how emotional it was for them especially him.


“Charlie grounds me in a way that I desperately need. He’s steady where I’m wobbly and calm where I’m chaotic. My perfect puzzle piece.” -Cami

I hate we can’t give half stars because I would give this book 4.5/5 if I could because while I loved it there were a few really small things so I’d give it either 4.5 or 4.75 out of 5.

[Randi Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best for Last is the second book in the Cade Siblings Duology. I have not personally read the first book yet, and I found I was able to enjoy it just fine as a standalone. That said, it does seem like the books follow the same basic timeline, so I definitely found myself wanting to go back and read book one to see how everything goes down!

This was such a sweet read! Right away I was drawn into Charlie and Cami's friendship. The two had been best friends since high school, but when they both find themselves needing a significant other (him to create some good PR to stay on his current hockey team and her to take to her younger sister's wedding), fake dating seems the ideal option. All that time together has them seeing each other in a new light. They had such an effortless transition from friends to more that felt just right for these two. I absolutely loved these two together--- as well as the other relationships within the story. I really enjoyed seeing Charlie's history, which I thought took on bullying and its long-lasting effects really well. With knitting grandma's, a fantastic team that felt like family and some super swoon worthy kisses, there was a lot to love in this story!

Best for Last is a closed-door romance with kisses only. It does have some language throughout.


**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Lemonnyyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

💗Best For Last by Baleigh Jayne💗

377 Pages

Cade Siblings Book 2 

What a cute little romantic tale, I did not want to put it down, I just want to wrap both Charlie and Cami in bubble wrap.

This follows New York Rangers star center forward, Charlie, in his attempt at making himself more likeable for the public in hopes of extending his contract, it's suggested that he starts dating, not wanting to scour through apps he eventually asks his Best friend Cami, in exchange for him being her date for her sisters wedding, but when the lines between what is real and what is fake blur, can they give in.

I enjoyed this book and found myself kicking my legs in excitement when Charlie and Cami gave into what they truly wanted, admittedly I did go into this without reading book 1 first but I didn't feel lost, Best for Last flowed perfectly and leaves you wanting to know more, as well as introducing side characters whom you would love to see again. 

I would recommend that you give this a read, I will certainly be going back to read Tied Together to experience Alana and Alexs' story in full! For fans of Childhood Friends to Lovers, Hockey Romance, Fake Dating, Best Friends Brother, and boy does he fall first.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dedication: To the people who haven’t quite found their place, you are worthy as you are. As the great Hannah Montana once said, “life is just a party so come as you are.”

Tropes:
🏒 Magazine Editor x NHL Hockey Player
🧶 Fake Dating
🏒 Brother’s Best Friend
🧶 Hockey Romance
🏒 Text Conversations
🧶 He Falls First
🏒 No Third Act Breakup
🧶 Knitting Club Grannys
🏒 Cameos From Book 1
🧶 Hobby Day
🏒 Grumpy x Sunshine
🧶 Team Shenanigans

Rating: (3.5⭐️)
Spice: 🫑 Closed Door
T/W: controlling parents (on page), high school bullying (referenced), panic attacks (on page) and parental neglect in childhood and adulthood (referenced)

Cami needs a date, Charlie needs a wholesome image upgrade cue the fake dating between a magazine editor with mom issues and a hockey player with PR problems. The best friend’s brother trope brings the cozy swoon, plus bonus points for knitting grandmas, friendship goals, and no third act breakup drama (ty Baleigh). I liked this one—great setup, charming leads but something just didn’t quite score a hat trick for me. Still, a sweet, closed-door romance for fans of soft hockey heroes and steady love arcs.

I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.

[Riley Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baleigh knows how to write a swoony book boyfriend!!

Best For Last is a swoony best friends, brother, romance with fake dating, forced proximity, no third act break up, and all the sweet moments you could want in a romance! The story follows Cami and Charlie as they go from a mutually beneficial fake dating relationship to wanting the exact opposite.

Cami Slate is our dynamic and fluid FMC. Cami is beautifully chaotic and is always changing up her favorite hobbies and activities. Though she loves to change, she finds stability in her friendships and those she loves. I absolutely loved her ARC through the story and seeing her learn to trust her relationship with Charlie. He was so sweet and reassuring to her and I loved every moment of it.

Charlie Cade is our closed off MMC with a past that he doesn’t talk about. Though he’s quiet and closed off to most, he’s open with those he cares about which includes Cami. He had a very satisfying arc in seeing him open up to those around him and trust that history won’t repeat itself. Seeing the communication between him and Cami become stronger through the story was very heartwarming! They were the sweetest couple and I loved their book so much.

The biggest thank you to Baleigh and her team for allowing me to be in an ARC for Best For Last and also Tied Together. I’ve loved my time with the Cade siblings and though I’m sad to see this duology end I cannot wait to see what comes next💗

[Kiara Sepulveda · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨️ARC Reveiw✨️

Another wonderful hockey romance at success ☺️

Best For Last was so beautifully written. Everythime I read a hockey romance, I just know that it will be amazing and beautiful and just perfect. I love that it had no spice as well!!! Sometimes it works well to have spice, BUT this one was so perfect without it, it was just full of smitten 🥰🥰 I Love It.

Charlie had an amazing character growth since the beginning. From his troubles in the past. and his anxiety becasue of that, I am so happy that he finally worked through it and found his place. No one deserves it more than Charlie. AND he is super loveable, the grandma's at the retirement home approve 😅

And Cami. I love her so much for supporting Charlie from the beginning. Cami stuck through his side every step of the way, even without knowing what had happened to him when they were younger. She's been his number 1 fan since the start, they just needed a little push for them to figure out the rest.

I definitely recommend this books to everyone who is starting hockey romance, or who already love it. Im definitely going to read Alex and Lana's story next!

Best For Last released May 9, 2025!!!

[Michaela Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two of my favorite tropes are the friends-to-lovers trope and the fake dating trope... So you can imagine how sat I was with this book.

As the trade deadline comes up, Charlie fears leaving the team he's been on for years. He knows he needs to change his image and become more integrated to the teams brand, but an incident in high school holds him back from being able to open up to people.

Now, with limited time and luck on his side, he has to fake date him and his sisters best friend, Cami, and hope they can make it out unscathed by the end.

This book was so sweet and romantic. Even though all the spicy scenes were closed door, the tension and heat between Charlie and Cami was obvious.

Hockey romance has become a very saturated market right now, but I thought Baleigh did a wonderful job making this book stand out.

If you love a quiet, obsessed MMC that will do anything for his girl and a book with no third act break up scene, this one is definitely for you!!

Thank you to Booked with Rae PR and Baleigh for this ARC. I really enjoyed it and now really want to go back and read book one with Alana.

Book Rating: 3/5

[Ricki Treleaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is considered a hockey romance, and it is an immensely popular sub-genre. Charlie plays for the New York Rangers, and he really wants a contract renewal so he can remain in the city because his sister and close friend Cami live there. His agent's solution is to appear more likable by being more social with his teammates, dating, and community involvement. Cami agrees to "date" Charlie, and this storyline begins during December while Charlie's sister Alana and Alex are falling in love in Paris. Readers got a little bit of a hint that something was up with Charlie and Cami in Alana and Alex's book, Tied Together.

I do like the tropes in this one: friends to lovers; fake dating; opposites attract; best friend's brother; his grumpy to her sunshine; and a dual POV. Charlie's character is one of my favorite romance heroes I've read in a very long time. He has an interesting backstory, and there's a very good reason why his circle is so small. Cami is equally as likable because she is so kind, adventurous, and loyal to her friends. One of the very cutest hobby day and community service montages ever is featured in this book. Just picturing Charlie trying one of Cami's many tried-yet-abandoned hobbies was too much fun for me.

I was also pleasantly surprised because this is the first hockey romance I've ever read, and I really liked it. I know nothing about hockey: I'm Southern, y'all! But it was a lot of fun, and I think this book along with its sister book would be great additions to your beach or lake bag this summer. You are welcome!