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One Shot: Wyverns Hockey Book One
Lauren “Chip” Bellinger—Laur—and her hockey star brother, Nick, were inseparable until a devastating tragedy changes everything. She loses not only herself but her love for hockey.
Nine months later, Laur receives an amazing opportunity to join the marketing and PR program at West Michigan University supporting their stellar hockey team—the Wyverns. Except she never applied.
Despite her hesitancy to dive back into normal life, Laur decides to accept.
Her eyes instantly lock with Lucas Donato’s, the new captain of the Wyverns, but Laur has zero interest in getting involved with anyone romantically. Ever.
Lucas is dead set on bringing the team to the Frozen Four this year, while also hoping to make an early impression on NHL scouts. He can’t lose sight of his one shot at his first season as captain.
Despite their best efforts, Laur and Lucas find themselves constantly together. Sparks fly between them. Laur refuses to let her heart dictate her decisions while Lucas tries his best to push his feelings aside.
But the universe has other plans for Lucas and Laur this hockey season.
Does Lucas let the sparks between him and Laur turn into an ice melting flame?
Can Laur keep her promise to herself to swear off love and avoid falling for the captain?
Will Lucas bring the team to victory?
Find out in One Shot.
Nine months later, Laur receives an amazing opportunity to join the marketing and PR program at West Michigan University supporting their stellar hockey team—the Wyverns. Except she never applied.
Despite her hesitancy to dive back into normal life, Laur decides to accept.
Her eyes instantly lock with Lucas Donato’s, the new captain of the Wyverns, but Laur has zero interest in getting involved with anyone romantically. Ever.
Lucas is dead set on bringing the team to the Frozen Four this year, while also hoping to make an early impression on NHL scouts. He can’t lose sight of his one shot at his first season as captain.
Despite their best efforts, Laur and Lucas find themselves constantly together. Sparks fly between them. Laur refuses to let her heart dictate her decisions while Lucas tries his best to push his feelings aside.
But the universe has other plans for Lucas and Laur this hockey season.
Does Lucas let the sparks between him and Laur turn into an ice melting flame?
Can Laur keep her promise to herself to swear off love and avoid falling for the captain?
Will Lucas bring the team to victory?
Find out in One Shot.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2025
65 people are currently reading
787 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Wonderland
2 books74 followersA.C. Wonderland has always loved telling stories for as long as she can remember. When she was eight, she wrote and drew an entire twenty-page book for school… even though the assignment was to write one page.
The reality is life isn’t always easy. Sometimes you need an escape from everyday life. A.C. thrives on writing novels that let a reader get lost in a whirlwind romance.
A.C never thought she would be an author. But, in July 2024, her first book came pouring out of her. She created a thirty six chapter outline and wrote the first three chapters of One Shot, her debut novel, in less than two hours. It was evident that she had a story that was begging to be shared.
You only have one life to live—A.C is taking her “one shot” to pursue her dreams of becoming an author.
When she’s not writing, A.C. loves traveling the country, frequenting country music concerts, and, of course, going to hockey games. She lives in Nashville with her dog, Guinness, but is originally from the suburbs of Chicago.
The reality is life isn’t always easy. Sometimes you need an escape from everyday life. A.C. thrives on writing novels that let a reader get lost in a whirlwind romance.
A.C never thought she would be an author. But, in July 2024, her first book came pouring out of her. She created a thirty six chapter outline and wrote the first three chapters of One Shot, her debut novel, in less than two hours. It was evident that she had a story that was begging to be shared.
You only have one life to live—A.C is taking her “one shot” to pursue her dreams of becoming an author.
When she’s not writing, A.C. loves traveling the country, frequenting country music concerts, and, of course, going to hockey games. She lives in Nashville with her dog, Guinness, but is originally from the suburbs of Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
February 17, 2025
Thank you to Inkspire & A.C. Wonderland for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 2.25 - 2.5 ★
This was a fast and easy read. I finished it in a day. At times, I found myself really invested because the characters had depth and layers that gave me hope from the start. But at the same time, there were a few things that kept throwing me off.
I was genuinely interested in Laur's story and I enjoyed her character development. I also loved Lucas as the MMC absolute sweetheart and warms your heart (unless he is flirting because he gives 14 year old teenager). Overall I genuinely think this book had a lot of potential and it was the inconsistencies of it feeling like it was a coming of age middle school story, but also awkwardly sexual that kept throwing me off.
The smut didn’t really work for me. It didn't feel natural and was overplayed that it felt cringe so after reading it the first time I skipped the other chapters that had it. Also, while I appreciate books that explore different sexual orientations, this one felt like it was trying to be progressive without actually saying much beyond anything surface level. It came off as kind of performative, like it was checking a box rather than adding real depth. I understand that it was a form of bonding between the FMC & the secondary characters in regards to their struggles, but the way it was written felt like it would be perfect for YA and would resonate with coming of age teenagers. Which felt out of place when paired with very dirty talk vocal smut.
I did really love Laur & Lucas and would read more of this authors work as this is only their debut novel!
Rating: 2.25 - 2.5 ★
This was a fast and easy read. I finished it in a day. At times, I found myself really invested because the characters had depth and layers that gave me hope from the start. But at the same time, there were a few things that kept throwing me off.
I was genuinely interested in Laur's story and I enjoyed her character development. I also loved Lucas as the MMC absolute sweetheart and warms your heart (unless he is flirting because he gives 14 year old teenager). Overall I genuinely think this book had a lot of potential and it was the inconsistencies of it feeling like it was a coming of age middle school story, but also awkwardly sexual that kept throwing me off.
The smut didn’t really work for me. It didn't feel natural and was overplayed that it felt cringe so after reading it the first time I skipped the other chapters that had it. Also, while I appreciate books that explore different sexual orientations, this one felt like it was trying to be progressive without actually saying much beyond anything surface level. It came off as kind of performative, like it was checking a box rather than adding real depth. I understand that it was a form of bonding between the FMC & the secondary characters in regards to their struggles, but the way it was written felt like it would be perfect for YA and would resonate with coming of age teenagers. Which felt out of place when paired with very dirty talk vocal smut.
I did really love Laur & Lucas and would read more of this authors work as this is only their debut novel!
August 25, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Hockey trope lovers, here’s something new for you to love!
We got a nice blend of both light and heavy topics, respectfully written. The overall story felt exciting and I did enjoy it.
The one thing that I had a harder time with was the MC’s chemistry. It went from insta-lust (which tbh isn’t my personal favorite), unnecessary miscommunication, then straight to what felt like insta-love. While their relationship did grow more on me in the second half, I still struggled to completely relate to them because that initial foundation was lost.
Thank you so much to Hambright for the ARC!
Hockey trope lovers, here’s something new for you to love!
We got a nice blend of both light and heavy topics, respectfully written. The overall story felt exciting and I did enjoy it.
The one thing that I had a harder time with was the MC’s chemistry. It went from insta-lust (which tbh isn’t my personal favorite), unnecessary miscommunication, then straight to what felt like insta-love. While their relationship did grow more on me in the second half, I still struggled to completely relate to them because that initial foundation was lost.
Thank you so much to Hambright for the ARC!
January 20, 2025
If you love hockey romances that deliver a perfect mix of emotional depth, sizzling chemistry, and unforgettable characters, One Shot by A.C. Wonderland is a must-read! This stunning debut had me hooked from the first page, blending humor, heartache, and healing into a beautifully crafted story.
Lauren “Chip” Bellinger is a PR prodigy recovering from devastating loss, rebuilding her life with grit and resilience. Enter Lucas Donato, the college hockey captain chasing Frozen Four glory and totally oblivious to his own playboy reputation. From their witty banter to their undeniable connection, Lauren and Lucas had me swooning, laughing, and tearing up in equal measure.
This book isn’t just about romance—it’s about overcoming grief, opening yourself up to love, and leaning on the people who see you for who you truly are. Lauren’s character growth was so raw and inspiring, while Lucas’ heartfelt support and vulnerability made him the kind of MMC you can’t help but adore. Oh, and the spice? Let’s just say it brought the heat, both on and off the ice.
With a fabulous cast of chaotic, supportive friends and plenty of hockey action, One Shot combines lighthearted fun with emotional moments that hit you right in the feels. A.C. Wonderland knocked this one out of the rink, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series!
Lauren “Chip” Bellinger is a PR prodigy recovering from devastating loss, rebuilding her life with grit and resilience. Enter Lucas Donato, the college hockey captain chasing Frozen Four glory and totally oblivious to his own playboy reputation. From their witty banter to their undeniable connection, Lauren and Lucas had me swooning, laughing, and tearing up in equal measure.
This book isn’t just about romance—it’s about overcoming grief, opening yourself up to love, and leaning on the people who see you for who you truly are. Lauren’s character growth was so raw and inspiring, while Lucas’ heartfelt support and vulnerability made him the kind of MMC you can’t help but adore. Oh, and the spice? Let’s just say it brought the heat, both on and off the ice.
With a fabulous cast of chaotic, supportive friends and plenty of hockey action, One Shot combines lighthearted fun with emotional moments that hit you right in the feels. A.C. Wonderland knocked this one out of the rink, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series!
August 17, 2025
TROPES
Hockey romance
Slow burn
Former teammate's sister
Dark secret
Golden retriever MMC
He falls first
She’s sworn off love
Crazy cute banter
“This is our one shot at something real. It all makes sense—you make sense.”
✨️Thank you to AC & Hambright PR for this ARC for my honest review. This book really put me on emotional rollercoaster. My heart broke for what Laur went through. She is so strong for being able to get back to her life after the tragedy that she goes through. I absolutely loved Lucas in this book. He was the perfect golden retriever boy but also so protective over Laur. The friendship that they built was so sweet but I also enjoyed the banter they shared. It made the slow-burn delicious. I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend, but be prepared to cry!
Hockey romance
Slow burn
Former teammate's sister
Dark secret
Golden retriever MMC
He falls first
She’s sworn off love
Crazy cute banter
“This is our one shot at something real. It all makes sense—you make sense.”
✨️Thank you to AC & Hambright PR for this ARC for my honest review. This book really put me on emotional rollercoaster. My heart broke for what Laur went through. She is so strong for being able to get back to her life after the tragedy that she goes through. I absolutely loved Lucas in this book. He was the perfect golden retriever boy but also so protective over Laur. The friendship that they built was so sweet but I also enjoyed the banter they shared. It made the slow-burn delicious. I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend, but be prepared to cry!
Read
January 13, 2025I’m a sucker for tragedies that end happily. I love the angst, pain, character growth and development, and the happiness at the end. Add in romance and I fall harder. Throw in some hockey and I’ll eat it up! 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥 by A.C. Wonderland boasts all of these and more, and I’m honored to have arc read it.
𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥 focuses on Laur (Lauren or Chip) as she attempts to adjust and recover following two very major tragedies, both of which leave deep emotional, mental, and physical wounds. After the incidents, we follow her to West Michigan College, where she’s been accepted into the Wyverns Hockey Marketing program to work in PR, marketing and social media. There, she meets Lucas (Luc), the captain of the Wyverns college hockey team. Luc’s main priority is hockey and he has no intentions of getting mixed up in relationships; Laur only wants to focus on herself, her education, and career. Sparks immediately fly between the two and, as they’re forced together, they must either fight their attraction or give in and take their One Shot at a relationship.
What I loved most about 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥 was the themes and character development. While I would consider it to be on the lighter side in terms of literary genre, there are heavy, driving plot points, like domestic violence and death of family members, that are explored very thoroughly. 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥 shows the reality of what it’s like to experience this type of darkness and not just survive, but thrive. It shows the difficulties of living with that heaviness, but also the possibilities for those who survive. It’s a story of survival at its core, and it’s lovely to see that represented in contemporary sports romance.
𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥 focuses on Laur (Lauren or Chip) as she attempts to adjust and recover following two very major tragedies, both of which leave deep emotional, mental, and physical wounds. After the incidents, we follow her to West Michigan College, where she’s been accepted into the Wyverns Hockey Marketing program to work in PR, marketing and social media. There, she meets Lucas (Luc), the captain of the Wyverns college hockey team. Luc’s main priority is hockey and he has no intentions of getting mixed up in relationships; Laur only wants to focus on herself, her education, and career. Sparks immediately fly between the two and, as they’re forced together, they must either fight their attraction or give in and take their One Shot at a relationship.
What I loved most about 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥 was the themes and character development. While I would consider it to be on the lighter side in terms of literary genre, there are heavy, driving plot points, like domestic violence and death of family members, that are explored very thoroughly. 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥 shows the reality of what it’s like to experience this type of darkness and not just survive, but thrive. It shows the difficulties of living with that heaviness, but also the possibilities for those who survive. It’s a story of survival at its core, and it’s lovely to see that represented in contemporary sports romance.
January 21, 2025
This was such a great debut novel! This hockey romance had a little bit of everything - a cute and swoon-worthy romance with spice, emotional depth, personal growth and healing, and a great supportive friend group.
This story was emotionally gripping story, and the sensitive topics were handled with care (including mention of previous domestic abuse). Right from the start, Laur is grieving the loss of her brother, and I loved the connections to her brother throughout the story. There were so many touching moments that I loved. I also loved Laur’s personal growth of healing and how strong she was. She’s an amazing young woman.
Laur and Lucas were perfect together. I love a good, golden retriever MMC and Lucas fit the description perfectly. Even though they had instant chemistry, Laur wasn’t ready to be anything more than friends, and Lucas was understanding even when he didn’t know her reasons. The pair become friends instead and form such a special bond while eventually becoming a beautiful couple.
The story will continue with the next book in the series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
50% of proceeds from January preorders will be donated to Futures Without Violence. 🔗 https://www.acwonderlandwrites.com/ca...
Read if you enjoy:
✔️Hockey romance
✔️Former teammates sister
✔️He falls first
✔️Friends to lovers
✔️Slow burn
✔️Golden retriever MMC
✔️She’s sworn off love
“All it takes is one shot to change your life. You could be one shot away from your dreams. Why not take it?”
This story was emotionally gripping story, and the sensitive topics were handled with care (including mention of previous domestic abuse). Right from the start, Laur is grieving the loss of her brother, and I loved the connections to her brother throughout the story. There were so many touching moments that I loved. I also loved Laur’s personal growth of healing and how strong she was. She’s an amazing young woman.
Laur and Lucas were perfect together. I love a good, golden retriever MMC and Lucas fit the description perfectly. Even though they had instant chemistry, Laur wasn’t ready to be anything more than friends, and Lucas was understanding even when he didn’t know her reasons. The pair become friends instead and form such a special bond while eventually becoming a beautiful couple.
The story will continue with the next book in the series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
50% of proceeds from January preorders will be donated to Futures Without Violence. 🔗 https://www.acwonderlandwrites.com/ca...
Read if you enjoy:
✔️Hockey romance
✔️Former teammates sister
✔️He falls first
✔️Friends to lovers
✔️Slow burn
✔️Golden retriever MMC
✔️She’s sworn off love
“All it takes is one shot to change your life. You could be one shot away from your dreams. Why not take it?”
January 10, 2025
Y'all know by now that I love myself a good hockey romance. But this one? Perfection.
One shot by AC Wondeland follows Lucas and Lauren on their journey from working together in their dream jobs to following their dreams together. And their passion for ice hockey is obvious in every single line.
The girls Lauren works with for the PR team can barely be described that way. Those aren't her coworkers, these are some of the most chaotic and perfect friends one could wish for.
And the hockey boys. While we usually see them on the ice, they have the best advice when Lucas can't see what's clear to everyone.
And that's not even talking about the relationship between Lauren and Lucas. The way they understand each other and are there for eachother. They were made for each other.
And even when they make mistakes, they see them and work on themself, they try to do better. These two are perfect.
It's an amazing book. It has a ton of lighthearted, fun and flirty scenes and time flew while I read it.
But it also covers a lot of serious topics and Lauren just deserves a really big hug.
So this is defiently a 5 star read for me and I hope you love it just as much when you get to read it in march!
One shot by AC Wondeland follows Lucas and Lauren on their journey from working together in their dream jobs to following their dreams together. And their passion for ice hockey is obvious in every single line.
The girls Lauren works with for the PR team can barely be described that way. Those aren't her coworkers, these are some of the most chaotic and perfect friends one could wish for.
And the hockey boys. While we usually see them on the ice, they have the best advice when Lucas can't see what's clear to everyone.
And that's not even talking about the relationship between Lauren and Lucas. The way they understand each other and are there for eachother. They were made for each other.
And even when they make mistakes, they see them and work on themself, they try to do better. These two are perfect.
It's an amazing book. It has a ton of lighthearted, fun and flirty scenes and time flew while I read it.
But it also covers a lot of serious topics and Lauren just deserves a really big hug.
So this is defiently a 5 star read for me and I hope you love it just as much when you get to read it in march!
January 13, 2025
One shot ARC REVIEW
By: @acwonderlandwrites
I was drawn to the characters since the very beginning.
I absolutely devoured this book. It was such a wholesome and heartwarming story.
Laur and her brother Nick were inseparable until a tragic event. She loses not only herself but her love for hockey. Nine months later, she receives an opportunity for Marking program with her brother’s former hockey team.
Lucas is the captain of the team and when he meets Lauren, he is very intrigued. Throughout the book, I loved the way Lucas becames protected of Laur and their growing friendships is amazing.
The side characters were also very lovable. I loved how it felt more like a family. This is the author’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from her.
Thank you @acwonderlandwrites for letting be part of your Arc team. You are amazing!!
By: @acwonderlandwrites
I was drawn to the characters since the very beginning.
I absolutely devoured this book. It was such a wholesome and heartwarming story.
Laur and her brother Nick were inseparable until a tragic event. She loses not only herself but her love for hockey. Nine months later, she receives an opportunity for Marking program with her brother’s former hockey team.
Lucas is the captain of the team and when he meets Lauren, he is very intrigued. Throughout the book, I loved the way Lucas becames protected of Laur and their growing friendships is amazing.
The side characters were also very lovable. I loved how it felt more like a family. This is the author’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from her.
Thank you @acwonderlandwrites for letting be part of your Arc team. You are amazing!!
January 21, 2025
Loved working with AC on this one. Chip and Lucas are so close to my heart now.
January 10, 2025
✨𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆✨
ʟᴀᴜʀᴇɴ “ᴄʜɪᴘ” ʙᴇʟʟɪɴɢᴇʀ—ʟᴀᴜʀ—ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ꜱᴛᴀʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ɴɪᴄᴋ, ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪɴꜱᴇᴘᴀʀᴀʙʟᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴠᴀꜱᴛᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ꜱʜᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ʜᴇʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ.
ɴɪɴᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜꜱ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ, ʟᴀᴜʀ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴊᴏɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀ ᴘʀᴏɢʀᴀᴍ ᴀᴛ ᴡᴇꜱᴛ ᴍɪᴄʜɪɢᴀɴ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜱᴛᴇʟʟᴀʀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ—ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʏᴠᴇʀɴꜱ. ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴇᴅ.
ᴅᴇꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇꜱɪᴛᴀɴᴄʏ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴠᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴᴛᴏ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ʟɪꜰᴇ, ʟᴀᴜʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪꜱ, ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ʟᴜᴄᴀꜱ ᴅᴏɴᴀᴛᴏ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʏᴠᴇʀɴꜱ.
ᴄᴀɴ ʟᴀᴜʀ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʜᴇʀ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪꜱᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴏꜰꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ꜰᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ?
𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘉����𝘰𝘬 1 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘺𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘈.𝘊. 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦.
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
ʟᴀᴜʀᴇɴ “ᴄʜɪᴘ” ʙᴇʟʟɪɴɢᴇʀ—ʟᴀᴜʀ—ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ꜱᴛᴀʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ɴɪᴄᴋ, ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪɴꜱᴇᴘᴀʀᴀʙʟᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴠᴀꜱᴛᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ꜱʜᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ʜᴇʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ.
ɴɪɴᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜꜱ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ, ʟᴀᴜʀ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴊᴏɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀ ᴘʀᴏɢʀᴀᴍ ᴀᴛ ᴡᴇꜱᴛ ᴍɪᴄʜɪɢᴀɴ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜱᴛᴇʟʟᴀʀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ—ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʏᴠᴇʀɴꜱ. ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴇᴅ.
ᴅᴇꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇꜱɪᴛᴀɴᴄʏ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴠᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴᴛᴏ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ʟɪꜰᴇ, ʟᴀᴜʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪꜱ, ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ʟᴜᴄᴀꜱ ᴅᴏɴᴀᴛᴏ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʏᴠᴇʀɴꜱ.
ᴄᴀɴ ʟᴀᴜʀ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʜᴇʀ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪꜱᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴏꜰꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ꜰᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ?
𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘉����𝘰𝘬 1 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘺𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘈.𝘊. 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦.
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
January 17, 2025
BOOK REVIEW: One Shot by @acwonderlandwrites
Genre: Hockey Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SYNOPSIS: Nine months after a devastating tragedy, Laur Bellinger receives an amazing opportunity to join the marketing and PR program at West Michigan University supporting their stellar hockey team, the Wyverns.
Except she never applied. Despite her hesitancy to dive back into normal life, Laur decides to accept. On her first day, her eyes instantly lock with the team Captain Lucas Donato’s. Laur has zero interest in getting involved with anyone romantically. Ever. Lucas is dead set on bringing the team to the Frozen Four this year, while also hoping to make an early impression on NHL scouts. He can’t lose sight of his goals. Despite their best efforts, Laur and Lucas find themselves constantly together and sparks fly between them. Laur refuses to let her heart dictate her decisions while Lucas tries his best to push his feelings aside. But the universe has other plans for Lucas and Laur this hockey season.
MY THOUGHTS: I had the opportunity to Beta read this book last year and I have not stopped thinking about it since!
I loved the relationship between Laur and Lucas! I was rooting for them from the very beginning. I also enjoyed learning more about hockey through this book!
This book deals with some heavy topics, such as grief and abuse. The topics were handled with such care. In particular, I appreciated the portrayal of grief. Grief is something we will all face at some point, but the experience is different for everyone. This book does such a great job of showing grief realistically. It also shows that in the midst of grief, there can also be happiness.
Genre: Hockey Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SYNOPSIS: Nine months after a devastating tragedy, Laur Bellinger receives an amazing opportunity to join the marketing and PR program at West Michigan University supporting their stellar hockey team, the Wyverns.
Except she never applied. Despite her hesitancy to dive back into normal life, Laur decides to accept. On her first day, her eyes instantly lock with the team Captain Lucas Donato’s. Laur has zero interest in getting involved with anyone romantically. Ever. Lucas is dead set on bringing the team to the Frozen Four this year, while also hoping to make an early impression on NHL scouts. He can’t lose sight of his goals. Despite their best efforts, Laur and Lucas find themselves constantly together and sparks fly between them. Laur refuses to let her heart dictate her decisions while Lucas tries his best to push his feelings aside. But the universe has other plans for Lucas and Laur this hockey season.
MY THOUGHTS: I had the opportunity to Beta read this book last year and I have not stopped thinking about it since!
I loved the relationship between Laur and Lucas! I was rooting for them from the very beginning. I also enjoyed learning more about hockey through this book!
This book deals with some heavy topics, such as grief and abuse. The topics were handled with such care. In particular, I appreciated the portrayal of grief. Grief is something we will all face at some point, but the experience is different for everyone. This book does such a great job of showing grief realistically. It also shows that in the midst of grief, there can also be happiness.
January 19, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book follows Lucas and Laur as they navigate their freshman year of college. Lucas is the star hockey captain and the youngest captain since Laur’s brother who was the captain during his freshman year. Laur has been going through a rough year due to an unexpected death in the family and accepts a marketing position with the Hockey team to help her start living again. This book definitely knows how to deliver the results of trauma and heartbreak with how to heal from them. I love how much Lucas shows Laur his love and how much she deserves that love. I do think it would have been nice to see more of her brother and their relationship in the story but having his journal definitely helped us get to know him. Overall I think the characters were likeable and the story was captivating! I couldn’t put the book down once I started it! Definitely check this one out if you enjoy hockey romance or sports romance! I’m excited to read the next installment in this series 🫶🏻
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book follows Lucas and Laur as they navigate their freshman year of college. Lucas is the star hockey captain and the youngest captain since Laur’s brother who was the captain during his freshman year. Laur has been going through a rough year due to an unexpected death in the family and accepts a marketing position with the Hockey team to help her start living again. This book definitely knows how to deliver the results of trauma and heartbreak with how to heal from them. I love how much Lucas shows Laur his love and how much she deserves that love. I do think it would have been nice to see more of her brother and their relationship in the story but having his journal definitely helped us get to know him. Overall I think the characters were likeable and the story was captivating! I couldn’t put the book down once I started it! Definitely check this one out if you enjoy hockey romance or sports romance! I’m excited to read the next installment in this series 🫶🏻
January 8, 2025
This is a cute university hockey, overcoming hurdles, romance that I can get behind.
Laur has a backstory that would pull at anyone’s heart strings. That she still goes on to accomplish all she does is wonderful. Lucas is a MMC we book girls love to root for. The team and friendships that are explored as well allow for a large avenue of future novels to come.
I enjoyed my time reading this. Great job on a debut novel!
Laur has a backstory that would pull at anyone’s heart strings. That she still goes on to accomplish all she does is wonderful. Lucas is a MMC we book girls love to root for. The team and friendships that are explored as well allow for a large avenue of future novels to come.
I enjoyed my time reading this. Great job on a debut novel!
January 2, 2025
Im so excited for everyone to read this one!
March 17, 2025
thank you inkpsire and a.c. wonderland for gifting me an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
this book was cute! i really loved the emotional depth we had with the main characters and tension in this was crazy! i just didn't really connect with any of the characters and i thought Laur was a bit much but could understand since she loses her brother in a terrible accident. i did really love the way lucas loved laurie but just didn't love it as much as i wanted to! for this being a debut novel i really enjoyed it!
one shot will be available on march 7th 2025!
this book was cute! i really loved the emotional depth we had with the main characters and tension in this was crazy! i just didn't really connect with any of the characters and i thought Laur was a bit much but could understand since she loses her brother in a terrible accident. i did really love the way lucas loved laurie but just didn't love it as much as i wanted to! for this being a debut novel i really enjoyed it!
one shot will be available on march 7th 2025!
March 8, 2025
This is A.C. Wonderlands DEBUT book and let me tell you, she knocked it out of the rink! I felt all of the emotions with the characters of the book. It’s not secret, I love hockey romance and this book has EASILY climbed to the top 5 for me. I can’t shot it out loud enough, read this book!
Laur (Lauren or Chip) is such an incredible young woman. At such a young age she has endured so much loss and hurt in her life. All of this lead to emotional, physical, and mental wounds that had her closed off. My heart broke for her so many times as I was reading. But also, the character growth she made, so impressive. Laur was in a dark place before getting into West Michigan University. There she was able to open her heart and mind to friends, her future, and possibly even love.
Lucas, I always love me a hockey player MMC. Lucas is a very focused and talented player. Even though he has the playboy look and reputation around campus, he isn’t interested in dating. But will all of that change when he lays his eyes on Laur?
The connection Lucas had to Laur’s brother…I was in tears reading his speech. Just one of the many times I cried. I was also fist pumping in the air when I thought Laur got brave and decided to take charge of the chemistry between Laur and Lucas…until he woke up and it was a dream. Then I was stunned and shocked. The banter between the two was great also. Laur has a way from going from witty/funny to flirty and sexy. The spicy seems will have you squirming in your seat.
I can’t wait for book 2! I need to see where life takes the two of them and which NFL team Lucas is offered and accepts.
5⭐️
3🌶️
Laur (Lauren or Chip) is such an incredible young woman. At such a young age she has endured so much loss and hurt in her life. All of this lead to emotional, physical, and mental wounds that had her closed off. My heart broke for her so many times as I was reading. But also, the character growth she made, so impressive. Laur was in a dark place before getting into West Michigan University. There she was able to open her heart and mind to friends, her future, and possibly even love.
Lucas, I always love me a hockey player MMC. Lucas is a very focused and talented player. Even though he has the playboy look and reputation around campus, he isn’t interested in dating. But will all of that change when he lays his eyes on Laur?
The connection Lucas had to Laur’s brother…I was in tears reading his speech. Just one of the many times I cried. I was also fist pumping in the air when I thought Laur got brave and decided to take charge of the chemistry between Laur and Lucas…until he woke up and it was a dream. Then I was stunned and shocked. The banter between the two was great also. Laur has a way from going from witty/funny to flirty and sexy. The spicy seems will have you squirming in your seat.
I can’t wait for book 2! I need to see where life takes the two of them and which NFL team Lucas is offered and accepts.
5⭐️
3🌶️
September 27, 2025
5/5 Stars
2/5 Spice
One Shot by AC Wonderland
Tropes:
College Romance
Former Teammate's Sister
Golden Retriever MMC
Hockey Romance
I really enjoyed this book. The character development of our FMC, Laur, was so incredible to watch. She deals with heartbreaking loss and past trauma so elegantly, even though she almost drowns keeping it all to herself for so long. I knew it wouldn't take long for her to let Lucas in. Lucas is the perfect golden retriever MMC, he is so caring, kind, playfully cocky, and loving. Watching him wait so patiently for Laur to come around and realize that they are inevitable was such a nice change of pace from a lot of other romance books I read, especially because he didn't know everything that Laur was going through. My only negatives were there was quite a bit of immature miscommunication that really made this feel like a true college romance, but most college romances have a similar miscommunication theme, I'm just not the biggest fan. The spice was sprinkled throughout at just the right amount and time, which felt super realistic. I loved the balance of the romance plot with the hockey portion of the plot, there are a lot of 'hockey romances' nowadays that there is like one mention of hockey in the whole book and tries to call itself a 'hockey romance' but this was very well done in that aspect.
Thank you to AC Wonderland for allowing me to read and leave my feedback. I can't wait to read book 2. Highly recommend! Check this book out when it releases!
Editing my review 9/21/25: I just did a reread of this book before reading Summer Shot and I love this book more than I remembered after my first read. Definitely bumping it up to 5/5 stars.
2/5 Spice
One Shot by AC Wonderland
Tropes:
College Romance
Former Teammate's Sister
Golden Retriever MMC
Hockey Romance
I really enjoyed this book. The character development of our FMC, Laur, was so incredible to watch. She deals with heartbreaking loss and past trauma so elegantly, even though she almost drowns keeping it all to herself for so long. I knew it wouldn't take long for her to let Lucas in. Lucas is the perfect golden retriever MMC, he is so caring, kind, playfully cocky, and loving. Watching him wait so patiently for Laur to come around and realize that they are inevitable was such a nice change of pace from a lot of other romance books I read, especially because he didn't know everything that Laur was going through. My only negatives were there was quite a bit of immature miscommunication that really made this feel like a true college romance, but most college romances have a similar miscommunication theme, I'm just not the biggest fan. The spice was sprinkled throughout at just the right amount and time, which felt super realistic. I loved the balance of the romance plot with the hockey portion of the plot, there are a lot of 'hockey romances' nowadays that there is like one mention of hockey in the whole book and tries to call itself a 'hockey romance' but this was very well done in that aspect.
Thank you to AC Wonderland for allowing me to read and leave my feedback. I can't wait to read book 2. Highly recommend! Check this book out when it releases!
Editing my review 9/21/25: I just did a reread of this book before reading Summer Shot and I love this book more than I remembered after my first read. Definitely bumping it up to 5/5 stars.
September 28, 2025
I absolutely adored this debut novel from AC Wonderland. I cried, laughed, and wanted to throw my kindle. Lauren and Lucas are beyond perfect for each other. They overcame miscommunication, heartbreak, loss, and abuse. This story was beautifully written and I can’t wait until the next book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
March 13, 2025
One of the best hockey romances I've read in a while. I loved Lucas and Laur's story and am excited to continue the series. As a MI girlie I was also excited to read a MI based story. Hopefully we get more couples stories in the series. Lucas is definitely a top tier book boyfriend.
January 21, 2025
This is a cute, but emotional Hockey Romance!
The way this author approached mental health and difficult topics was well-executed and heartwarming.
Lauren & Lucas's relationship was a push and pull, they fought hard to admit that they were in love, the struggles and trauma from the past were huge obstacles, but love always wins.
Lucas was charismatic, dreamy, and swoony! The perfect book boyfriend right there!
Lauren was so strong, dealing with grief and past trauma, and seeing her bloom was amazing.
Overall, this is a good book! I can’t wait for the next one.
The way this author approached mental health and difficult topics was well-executed and heartwarming.
Lauren & Lucas's relationship was a push and pull, they fought hard to admit that they were in love, the struggles and trauma from the past were huge obstacles, but love always wins.
Lucas was charismatic, dreamy, and swoony! The perfect book boyfriend right there!
Lauren was so strong, dealing with grief and past trauma, and seeing her bloom was amazing.
Overall, this is a good book! I can’t wait for the next one.
April 11, 2025
This is my best friend's debut novel and to say I'm proud would be a massive understatement. While this story addresses heavy topics, it also shows there is hope and healing in leaning on your support system. Watching Laur navigate grief and past trauma while slowly learning to trust again is powerful, raw, and beautifully done. Overall, this was a deliciously fun read with exceptional one-liners and LOL moments. Counting the days until her next book drops.
February 17, 2025
BOOK REVIEW: One Shot by @acwonderlandwrites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
🔥💙 Read if you love:
✔️ Sports romance
✔️ Golden retriever MMCs who worship their girl
✔️ SLOW BURN PAIN
✔️ Banter + butterflies
Listen, if a golden retriever of a man with touch her and die energy doesn’t get you immediately invested, then I don’t know what to tell you. One Shot had me hooked from the moment Laur locked eyes with Lucas Donato—and denied every single feeling screaming in her heart.
🏒 The Rundown:
Laur Bellinger has been drowning in grief since tragedy ripped her apart from her hockey-loving past. But when she (mysteriously) lands a spot in the PR program for West Michigan University’s hockey team, she finds herself back in the world she swore to leave behind. And standing right there is Lucas Donato—team captain, NHL hopeful, and human embodiment of sunshine who takes one look at Laur and just knows. Too bad Laur wants nothing to do with romance.
Lucas, however? Oh, he’s down bad. And the universe? It’s got other plans.
🏒 What I Loved:
✅ He Falls First? Lucas doesn’t just fall, he face-plants into his feelings. Hard.
✅ Witty Banter? Laur gives as good as she gets, and Lucas loves it.
✅ Slow Burn Torture? The longing, the tension, the moments that had me screaming—perfection.
✅ Dark Secret? Oh, it hurts.
Laur is strong, guarded, and completely justified in keeping her heart locked up. But watching Lucas chip away at her walls with sheer golden retriever determination?? Painful. Beautiful. Frustrating. Delicious.
🔥 The Vibe:
• Lucas Donato? Protective. Patient. Puppy-eyed but deadly on the ice.
• Laur? A queen who holds her own, even when her past tries to crush her.
• Chemistry? TENSION. The kind that has you flipping pages like your life depends on it.
🏒 Final Thoughts:
If you love hockey romance with friends to lovers, forbidden vibes, and a slow burn that burns, One Shot delivers. It’s got angst, healing, and a romance that sneaks up and wrecks you. Lucas Donato, sir, you win.
Someone get me a jersey with Donato on the back—I’m in love. 🥹🏒🥅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
🔥💙 Read if you love:
✔️ Sports romance
✔️ Golden retriever MMCs who worship their girl
✔️ SLOW BURN PAIN
✔️ Banter + butterflies
Listen, if a golden retriever of a man with touch her and die energy doesn’t get you immediately invested, then I don’t know what to tell you. One Shot had me hooked from the moment Laur locked eyes with Lucas Donato—and denied every single feeling screaming in her heart.
🏒 The Rundown:
Laur Bellinger has been drowning in grief since tragedy ripped her apart from her hockey-loving past. But when she (mysteriously) lands a spot in the PR program for West Michigan University’s hockey team, she finds herself back in the world she swore to leave behind. And standing right there is Lucas Donato—team captain, NHL hopeful, and human embodiment of sunshine who takes one look at Laur and just knows. Too bad Laur wants nothing to do with romance.
Lucas, however? Oh, he’s down bad. And the universe? It’s got other plans.
🏒 What I Loved:
✅ He Falls First? Lucas doesn’t just fall, he face-plants into his feelings. Hard.
✅ Witty Banter? Laur gives as good as she gets, and Lucas loves it.
✅ Slow Burn Torture? The longing, the tension, the moments that had me screaming—perfection.
✅ Dark Secret? Oh, it hurts.
Laur is strong, guarded, and completely justified in keeping her heart locked up. But watching Lucas chip away at her walls with sheer golden retriever determination?? Painful. Beautiful. Frustrating. Delicious.
🔥 The Vibe:
• Lucas Donato? Protective. Patient. Puppy-eyed but deadly on the ice.
• Laur? A queen who holds her own, even when her past tries to crush her.
• Chemistry? TENSION. The kind that has you flipping pages like your life depends on it.
🏒 Final Thoughts:
If you love hockey romance with friends to lovers, forbidden vibes, and a slow burn that burns, One Shot delivers. It’s got angst, healing, and a romance that sneaks up and wrecks you. Lucas Donato, sir, you win.
Someone get me a jersey with Donato on the back—I’m in love. 🥹🏒🥅
September 1, 2025
✨ARC REVIEW✨
⭐️: 2/5
Tropes:
🏒 College Sports Romance
🏒 Insta-Love
🏒 Tragedy/Grief Backstory
🏒 Found Family / Team Vibes
That first chapter? Whoa. It was heartbreaking and so intense. Laur has already lost so much at such a young age, and the detail about her brother applying to college for her before he died actually made me tear up. I thought I was about to be wrecked in the best way.
But… this one just didn’t work for me. Laur spends a lot of time being rude (the whole “Barbie” nickname thing drove me nuts), and Lucas’s flirting honestly read like a 14-year-old boy. Instead of swoony banter or slow-burn tension, it felt insta-love and kind of awkward. By the halfway mark, I was mostly frustrated with both of them, Laur constantly pushing away, Lucas getting whiny about her missing a game, it was just too much.
And the smut… yikes. It felt way more cringe than steamy, which didn’t help me connect to their romance.
I really wanted to love this one because the premise had so much emotional potential, but sadly it just wasn’t for me. That said, if you don’t mind insta-love and like a mix of grief + sports romance, you might enjoy it more than I did.
Big thanks to Hambright PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
⭐️: 2/5
Tropes:
🏒 College Sports Romance
🏒 Insta-Love
🏒 Tragedy/Grief Backstory
🏒 Found Family / Team Vibes
That first chapter? Whoa. It was heartbreaking and so intense. Laur has already lost so much at such a young age, and the detail about her brother applying to college for her before he died actually made me tear up. I thought I was about to be wrecked in the best way.
But… this one just didn’t work for me. Laur spends a lot of time being rude (the whole “Barbie” nickname thing drove me nuts), and Lucas’s flirting honestly read like a 14-year-old boy. Instead of swoony banter or slow-burn tension, it felt insta-love and kind of awkward. By the halfway mark, I was mostly frustrated with both of them, Laur constantly pushing away, Lucas getting whiny about her missing a game, it was just too much.
And the smut… yikes. It felt way more cringe than steamy, which didn’t help me connect to their romance.
I really wanted to love this one because the premise had so much emotional potential, but sadly it just wasn’t for me. That said, if you don’t mind insta-love and like a mix of grief + sports romance, you might enjoy it more than I did.
Big thanks to Hambright PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
April 23, 2025
Such a great debut novel from AC! I haven’t flown through a book this quickly in a while! Can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve for book 2 📕 ♥️ 🤩
March 5, 2025
ONE SHOT BY A.C. Wonderland (Wyverns Hockey Book 1)
ARC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is @acwonderlandwrites debut novel and it was SO good! I started putting tabs for notes on the side but I got invested and forgot to continue (so now I’ll do a reread!) I am absolutely obsessed and invested in this series now and I cannot wait for more from this author! The characters were well written and the dialogue (both inner and outer) was funny and emotional (trigger warning for grief) I definitely recommend checking this out!
Publication Date: March 7, 2025!
ARC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is @acwonderlandwrites debut novel and it was SO good! I started putting tabs for notes on the side but I got invested and forgot to continue (so now I’ll do a reread!) I am absolutely obsessed and invested in this series now and I cannot wait for more from this author! The characters were well written and the dialogue (both inner and outer) was funny and emotional (trigger warning for grief) I definitely recommend checking this out!
Publication Date: March 7, 2025!
March 7, 2025
This hockey romance debut hooked me from the very beginning, and I ended up staying up all night to finish!
This is a true hockey romance, with the sport woven throughout the story. The author’s love for hockey shines through, making this a fantastic debut. I could truly feel the author’s personality and hard work in these pages.
Lauren is on a journey of resilience, working to overcome grief and move forward after being offered a dream opportunity, helping with the PR and marketing for her late brother’s former team, something they both once dreamed of. Lucas, the team captain, is drawn to her instantly, and fate keeps bringing them together. But Lauren is focused on healing and carrying a secret trauma that makes her hesitant to open her heart. She’s sworn off love, and a relationship is the last thing on her mind.
Lucas falls hard and fast, total book boyfriend material. He’s patient, understanding, protective, a little possessive, devoted, and loyal. A true golden retriever hero. I might have fallen for him just as hard.
This is a slowburn romance in the style of Mariana Zapata, with a strong focus on Lauren’s character development and healing. The college setting feels realistic, with language, miscommunication, and emotional depth authentic to a college setting. There’s tons of chemistry, deep emotional themes, and strong friendships and connections. I fell in love with the entire cast of characters, both main and supporting.
This ends with a HFN, and another book is planned… I can’t wait!
Tropes & Themes:
✔️ College hockey romance
✔️ Friends to lovers
✔️ He falls first
✔️ She’s sworn off love
✔️ Grief and healing
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Open-door spice
✔️ Former teammate’s sister
✔️ Golden retriever hero
This is a true hockey romance, with the sport woven throughout the story. The author’s love for hockey shines through, making this a fantastic debut. I could truly feel the author’s personality and hard work in these pages.
Lauren is on a journey of resilience, working to overcome grief and move forward after being offered a dream opportunity, helping with the PR and marketing for her late brother’s former team, something they both once dreamed of. Lucas, the team captain, is drawn to her instantly, and fate keeps bringing them together. But Lauren is focused on healing and carrying a secret trauma that makes her hesitant to open her heart. She’s sworn off love, and a relationship is the last thing on her mind.
Lucas falls hard and fast, total book boyfriend material. He’s patient, understanding, protective, a little possessive, devoted, and loyal. A true golden retriever hero. I might have fallen for him just as hard.
This is a slowburn romance in the style of Mariana Zapata, with a strong focus on Lauren’s character development and healing. The college setting feels realistic, with language, miscommunication, and emotional depth authentic to a college setting. There’s tons of chemistry, deep emotional themes, and strong friendships and connections. I fell in love with the entire cast of characters, both main and supporting.
This ends with a HFN, and another book is planned… I can’t wait!
Tropes & Themes:
✔️ College hockey romance
✔️ Friends to lovers
✔️ He falls first
✔️ She’s sworn off love
✔️ Grief and healing
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Open-door spice
✔️ Former teammate’s sister
✔️ Golden retriever hero
March 19, 2025
This was such a great debut! I loved this hockey romance but wow this book really put me through it with my emotions! It had me sobbing from the start but then some parts had me laughing and others had me giggling and swooning.
From the start the chemistry between Lauren and Lucas was fire!
Both Lauren and Lucas had so much depth to them. I really felt for Lauren, my heart really broke for her but I thought the author did a great job tackling the grief topic. I loved seeing Lauren’s growth and watching her open her heart up to love again.
I absolutely loved Lucas and how he fell first and hard. He was all in with Lauren from the start. He was so understanding and supportive of Laur
The spice was hot.
I also really enjoyed the side characters. They were such a great group of friends and there for Laur when she needed them.
I cannot wait for the next book!
Rating ⭐️: 5/5
Spice 🌶️: 2/5
Dual POV
🏒 Sports romance
💚 College romance
🏒 Golden retriever MMC
💚 Friends to lovers
🏒 He falls first
💚 Slow burn
“𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒕. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑰’𝒎 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.”
Thank you so much to A.C. Wonderland for the arc!
From the start the chemistry between Lauren and Lucas was fire!
Both Lauren and Lucas had so much depth to them. I really felt for Lauren, my heart really broke for her but I thought the author did a great job tackling the grief topic. I loved seeing Lauren’s growth and watching her open her heart up to love again.
I absolutely loved Lucas and how he fell first and hard. He was all in with Lauren from the start. He was so understanding and supportive of Laur
The spice was hot.
I also really enjoyed the side characters. They were such a great group of friends and there for Laur when she needed them.
I cannot wait for the next book!
Rating ⭐️: 5/5
Spice 🌶️: 2/5
Dual POV
🏒 Sports romance
💚 College romance
🏒 Golden retriever MMC
💚 Friends to lovers
🏒 He falls first
💚 Slow burn
“𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒕. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑰’𝒎 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.”
Thank you so much to A.C. Wonderland for the arc!
August 19, 2025
If you’re a hockey romance lover, this HAS to be your next read! It got me out of my month long slump. It had me crying by the first chapter, I was instantly invested in the characters and I couldn’t put it down! I loved the side characters as much as the main ones! One of them had an amazing redemption at the end and it made my heart so happy! Bren is absolutely hilarious and the best bestie you could ever ask for, I adore her! Lucas.. oh Lucas 😍 the most kind, understanding man ever. The banter with him and Laur was top tier and the sexual tension was delicious!!!! I was smiling and blushing the whole time y’all! I loved it so much that I bough a special edition before even finishing the book! I knew I had to have it on my shelf 🩷 Book 2 is out next month and I CANT WAIT!!!!! I miss Laur and Lucas already 🥹
March 10, 2025
while 'One Shot' is categorized as a hockey romance, it delves much deeper. A.C. has crafted a charming and healing story of grief, self-rediscovery, and resilience.
this was a solid read with a cool hockey backdrop and a main character, Lauren, who's dealing with some real stuff. i liked how it wasn't just a straight-up romance, and handled topics such as loss, grief and domestic violence with care. there were some sweet (and spicy) moments between Lauren and Lucas, and it was a nice, easy read. while it didn't completely blow me away, it was definitely enjoyable if you’re looking for some heartfelt found family moments while facing dark challenges. if you're into sports romance and stories about finding yourself, give it a shot! (pun intended).
TROPES:
🖤slow burn
🏒hockey romance
🖤dark secret
🏒former teammate’s sister
🖤witty banter
🏒golden retriever MMC
thank you to the author, A. C., and Inkspire PR for the opportunity to ARC read One Shot!
this was a solid read with a cool hockey backdrop and a main character, Lauren, who's dealing with some real stuff. i liked how it wasn't just a straight-up romance, and handled topics such as loss, grief and domestic violence with care. there were some sweet (and spicy) moments between Lauren and Lucas, and it was a nice, easy read. while it didn't completely blow me away, it was definitely enjoyable if you’re looking for some heartfelt found family moments while facing dark challenges. if you're into sports romance and stories about finding yourself, give it a shot! (pun intended).
TROPES:
🖤slow burn
🏒hockey romance
🖤dark secret
🏒former teammate’s sister
🖤witty banter
🏒golden retriever MMC
thank you to the author, A. C., and Inkspire PR for the opportunity to ARC read One Shot!
September 14, 2025
I am a bit new to the sport romance genre, but really liked this one. I was hooked from the start and made me allready cry 5% in. Loved the fact that Lauren the FMC had some healing to do after a traumatic accident and past relationship. It gave the book and characters more depth. Lucas the MMC is such a sweet and good guy exactly what she needs.
📚 Slowburn
📚 Trauma and healing
📚 Spice
📚 Icehockey
📚 Friendship
Favorite quotes⬇️📖
"If I could make a sound, my scream would shatter the glass fragments scattered along the highway into pieces so small you wouldn't be able to see them."
"I will never be able to get the sound of her laughter out of my mind. And I never want to. I hope it plays on repeat forever."
"I got my one shot this season, Lauren Chip Bellinger. It was always going to be you. I wouldn't change that for anything."
📚 Slowburn
📚 Trauma and healing
📚 Spice
📚 Icehockey
📚 Friendship
Favorite quotes⬇️📖
"If I could make a sound, my scream would shatter the glass fragments scattered along the highway into pieces so small you wouldn't be able to see them."
"I will never be able to get the sound of her laughter out of my mind. And I never want to. I hope it plays on repeat forever."
"I got my one shot this season, Lauren Chip Bellinger. It was always going to be you. I wouldn't change that for anything."
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