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Varsity #1
Heart Check
A star hockey player and his biggest critic must reexamine their assumptions about each other when forced to work together at an after-school job in this feel-good young adult rom-com debut about breaking the ice.
Luke Dawson and Harper Braedon could have been friends. They trade shifts at the same diner, share classes at school, and are driven by their greatest hockey for Dawson and jewelry-making for Harper. But some things aren't meant to be. Dawson thinks Harper is stuck-up, too good for anything resembling school spirit. Harper thinks Dawson is a self-centered jock, a perfect fit for a hockey team that seems to absorb all the budget away from the arts departments.
When his beloved hockey coach gets fired for misallocation of funds, Dawson is terrified that all his plans for impressing scouts are vanishing before his eyes. A rumor goes around that Harper was the one who got him fired, and suddenly she’s public enemy number one.
But even with their mutual dislike at an all-time high, Harper and Dawson can’t escape splitting shifts forever. Can forced proximity help them find some common ground, or will long-held grudges finally succeed in bringing them both down?
Luke Dawson and Harper Braedon could have been friends. They trade shifts at the same diner, share classes at school, and are driven by their greatest hockey for Dawson and jewelry-making for Harper. But some things aren't meant to be. Dawson thinks Harper is stuck-up, too good for anything resembling school spirit. Harper thinks Dawson is a self-centered jock, a perfect fit for a hockey team that seems to absorb all the budget away from the arts departments.
When his beloved hockey coach gets fired for misallocation of funds, Dawson is terrified that all his plans for impressing scouts are vanishing before his eyes. A rumor goes around that Harper was the one who got him fired, and suddenly she’s public enemy number one.
But even with their mutual dislike at an all-time high, Harper and Dawson can’t escape splitting shifts forever. Can forced proximity help them find some common ground, or will long-held grudges finally succeed in bringing them both down?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2025
264 people are currently reading
9937 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 585 reviews
November 22, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
Nothing irritates Harper more than seeing the entire school drool all over the hockey team, especially when they’d rather spend most of their funding on the team rather than a program for young entrepreneurs like herself. Harper is known for being the hockey team’s biggest critic, so when the head coach is fired, all fingers point to her. Not only will people not take her small business seriously, but now they think she’s the one who screwed their hockey team over. What makes matters worse is that she has to work alongside Dawson at the diner, a player on the team who believes the lie. Fine. They can believe what they want, even though it isn’t true. If only she would stop feeling attracted to Dawson and his kind gestures that seem to prove her theories wrong about jocks and their ego…
Dawson wants nothing more than to get a hockey scholarship so he can get out of town and stop working at his parents’ diner, maybe even play pro someday. He’s one of the best players on the team, and if things keep looking up, then his dreams might just come true. But when their coach is fired, all his dreams vanish into thin air, and he turns his anger toward the one girl who annoys him and has made it clear she hates their guts: Harper. It’s petty since she denies the allegation, but Dawson feels like he doesn’t have a chance of making his dreams come true. But as he spends more time around Harper, he not only admires her hard work ethic, but he also finds her very attractive and fun to be around. If only she didn’t hate him so much…
This was fun! 🤩 The more and more I read hockey romances, the more and more I realize I need them in my life. 🏒🥅
I’m not a big sports fan, so I agreed with Harper that worshipping the ground the team walked on was ridiculous, but I’m not an idiot, and I know that sports boost team spirit, unite communities, and can even help raise money…for…stuff. See what I mean? I know nothing. 😂 But! I’ve always enjoyed watching games with my family, so I eventually grew tired of Harper hating on the hockey team because, clearly, she was judging a group of guys she didn’t know to fuel her anger. Like, relax, girl. It’s just a game, and they're literally teenage boys. They’ll learn eventually that there’s more to life than sports. Let them do what they love.
As always, I loved the friendship between Dawson and his teammates, especially when he’s around Ryan and Alex. 😂 Those three are so funny, and I couldn’t stop smiling whenever they were together. I love it when guys pick on each other (probably because they remind me of me and my siblings when we pick on each other), so that was fun.
And then there’s the character development/romance between Harper and Dawson. I’m glad they both realized that they were being judgmental, proud, and low-key kinda dumb for harboring this resentment and anger towards each other without knowing who the other person was. And that’s a valuable lesson: “Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.” It’s easy to be angry at someone we don’t even know for who they are, where they come from, or what they do, but when you get to know that person, you realize that they’re human like you and me with fears, desires, and dreams for a better, happier life. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” ❤
Harper was pretty cool; Dawson was sweet. That’s a pretty good estimation of what the two main characters are like in this book, if you want a quick overview. 😉👍🏼
All in all, if you want to read a sweet hockey, rivals-to-lovers(?) romance, then I definitely recommend it. 🫶🏼
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Mild violence between players.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No–just kissing. (🌶/5)
Nothing irritates Harper more than seeing the entire school drool all over the hockey team, especially when they’d rather spend most of their funding on the team rather than a program for young entrepreneurs like herself. Harper is known for being the hockey team’s biggest critic, so when the head coach is fired, all fingers point to her. Not only will people not take her small business seriously, but now they think she’s the one who screwed their hockey team over. What makes matters worse is that she has to work alongside Dawson at the diner, a player on the team who believes the lie. Fine. They can believe what they want, even though it isn’t true. If only she would stop feeling attracted to Dawson and his kind gestures that seem to prove her theories wrong about jocks and their ego…
Dawson wants nothing more than to get a hockey scholarship so he can get out of town and stop working at his parents’ diner, maybe even play pro someday. He’s one of the best players on the team, and if things keep looking up, then his dreams might just come true. But when their coach is fired, all his dreams vanish into thin air, and he turns his anger toward the one girl who annoys him and has made it clear she hates their guts: Harper. It’s petty since she denies the allegation, but Dawson feels like he doesn’t have a chance of making his dreams come true. But as he spends more time around Harper, he not only admires her hard work ethic, but he also finds her very attractive and fun to be around. If only she didn’t hate him so much…
This was fun! 🤩 The more and more I read hockey romances, the more and more I realize I need them in my life. 🏒🥅
I’m not a big sports fan, so I agreed with Harper that worshipping the ground the team walked on was ridiculous, but I’m not an idiot, and I know that sports boost team spirit, unite communities, and can even help raise money…for…stuff. See what I mean? I know nothing. 😂 But! I’ve always enjoyed watching games with my family, so I eventually grew tired of Harper hating on the hockey team because, clearly, she was judging a group of guys she didn’t know to fuel her anger. Like, relax, girl. It’s just a game, and they're literally teenage boys. They’ll learn eventually that there’s more to life than sports. Let them do what they love.
As always, I loved the friendship between Dawson and his teammates, especially when he’s around Ryan and Alex. 😂 Those three are so funny, and I couldn’t stop smiling whenever they were together. I love it when guys pick on each other (probably because they remind me of me and my siblings when we pick on each other), so that was fun.
And then there’s the character development/romance between Harper and Dawson. I’m glad they both realized that they were being judgmental, proud, and low-key kinda dumb for harboring this resentment and anger towards each other without knowing who the other person was. And that’s a valuable lesson: “Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.” It’s easy to be angry at someone we don’t even know for who they are, where they come from, or what they do, but when you get to know that person, you realize that they’re human like you and me with fears, desires, and dreams for a better, happier life. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” ❤
Harper was pretty cool; Dawson was sweet. That’s a pretty good estimation of what the two main characters are like in this book, if you want a quick overview. 😉👍🏼
All in all, if you want to read a sweet hockey, rivals-to-lovers(?) romance, then I definitely recommend it. 🫶🏼
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Mild violence between players.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No–just kissing. (🌶/5)
Currently reading
December 2, 2025𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
im SOOOO excited for this one!!! ya hockey romance remains my fav like the tension 🤭 yes pls !!! the author is sooo sweet & sent me a physical arc so im very excited to get into this one!!! the cover is stunning and the overall plot/synopsis sounds right up my alley!
release date : nov 18 💌
↪ started nov 9
im SOOOO excited for this one!!! ya hockey romance remains my fav like the tension 🤭 yes pls !!! the author is sooo sweet & sent me a physical arc so im very excited to get into this one!!! the cover is stunning and the overall plot/synopsis sounds right up my alley!
release date : nov 18 💌
↪ started nov 9
October 18, 2025
genuinely one of the best debuts i’ve ever read. i was drawn to this book in an instant after reading the blurb and i’m so happy it delivered 🥹 the tension between harper and luke, and that push and pull of will they or won’t they? god i loved it so much. the whole party scene lives rent free in my mind. emily charlotte is such a promising new author and her writing brings so much life to the story and characters. soo excited for this to come out into the world <3
ⓘ thank you to netgalley + simon & schuster for the arc!
ⓘ thank you to netgalley + simon & schuster for the arc!
December 7, 2025
˖ ⁺ ౿ 🏒 ┆1.75 stars.
i’m so disappointed and dissatisfied with this book. it pains me to rate a debut novel this low, but i really did not enjoy it. and since i try to be as honest with you guys, this was just not it for me unfortunately.
heart check is perfect for fans of lynn painter, naley from one tree hill & ann liang.
this book follows Harper, a seventeen year old jewellery small business owner who has a huge hatred for the schools local hockey team. in comes in Luke, the golden boy of the school and also, the star of the hockey team. he’s everything she hates, arrogant, rude, sarcastic, but when forced to work together in such close proximity, will they be able to hold their grudge against each other?
⊹ my thoughts
i was surprised by how much they were enemies at the start- normally, in a YA romance book, the main characters usually “hate each other” (but secretly they’ve been in love with one another for years and the only reason they are “enemies” is because of a silly misunderstanding) - in this book they ACTUALLY hated each other.
harper DESPISED luke, it was empowering. everything he did, she would judge and call him annoying. and for a good reason!
list of reasons why harper got mad at luke (in the first 100 pages)
- being annoying
- being entitled
- having a shitty coach
- having shitty friends
- making everyone indirectly bully her
- sabotaging her bracelet business
- making the school give the hockey team all the funds
jesus! i would be FUMING TOO
[ especially as an avid sports hater- crazy thing to admit since i basically only read sports romances]
basically, the enemies was ENEMEING.
this book was horribly slow though,
i would say i wasn’t fully invested until the 10-15% mark the pacing was definitely not the best especially at the start.
as i mentioned, i didn’t really care about the characters and the plot until 1/4s in, since there was quite a lot of info dumping and i was slightly confused and unfocused with the whole book at first. it didn’t really grasp my attention. so if you want a book that immediately pulls you in, this would, unfortunately, not be it for you.
the middle also, slowed down, i didn’t have the urge to pick it up the way i did at the start and at the end- and i found myself to even be bored at some parts. the whole tension and drama kind of died down, and i wasn’t gravitating towards it or thinking about it.
since heart check is a young adult romance, it is made for a younger audience- and i felt it at times. there were some passages that were said that made me cringe, and the things that the main characters did slightly came off as “corny.” the jokes were also hit or miss for me, they would either make me cackle or just make me internally wince. if you do love references to pop culture in books, i would recommend picking this up!!
˖ ⁺ ౿ 💍┆ harper
one of the only saving points of this book to be honest 😭 she was such a fun character to read about & i really enjoyed being in her mind! she was strong and fierce and spoke her mind, everything i love in a female main character. she was really disciplined in everything she did, and i really enjoyed reading about the small business aspect of her life. whenever someone was rude to her she would immediately clap back, and actually had a backbone for once.
˖ ⁺ ౿ 🏒 ┆luke
i REALLY did not like luke in this book, for many different reasons. he felt childish, rude & impulsive: and i did not like the way he treated harper + (the way he let everyone else treat her.) he was also slightly un memorable in my opinion.
in conclusion, i would not go out of my way to recommend this book- but i also think it wasn’t completely bad either. if you like lynn painter i really recommend you pick this up, the vibes were very similar & the characters as well.
── pre-read ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
a few of my mutuals on instagram have been raving about this, claiming its one of the best young adult romances they have read. intriguing. the cover is absolutely adorable and im a sucker for cute ya romances....
start date: nov 30
prediction; 3.75
i’m so disappointed and dissatisfied with this book. it pains me to rate a debut novel this low, but i really did not enjoy it. and since i try to be as honest with you guys, this was just not it for me unfortunately.
heart check is perfect for fans of lynn painter, naley from one tree hill & ann liang.
this book follows Harper, a seventeen year old jewellery small business owner who has a huge hatred for the schools local hockey team. in comes in Luke, the golden boy of the school and also, the star of the hockey team. he’s everything she hates, arrogant, rude, sarcastic, but when forced to work together in such close proximity, will they be able to hold their grudge against each other?
⊹ my thoughts
i was surprised by how much they were enemies at the start- normally, in a YA romance book, the main characters usually “hate each other” (but secretly they’ve been in love with one another for years and the only reason they are “enemies” is because of a silly misunderstanding) - in this book they ACTUALLY hated each other.
harper DESPISED luke, it was empowering. everything he did, she would judge and call him annoying. and for a good reason!
list of reasons why harper got mad at luke (in the first 100 pages)
- being annoying
- being entitled
- having a shitty coach
- having shitty friends
- making everyone indirectly bully her
- sabotaging her bracelet business
- making the school give the hockey team all the funds
jesus! i would be FUMING TOO
[ especially as an avid sports hater- crazy thing to admit since i basically only read sports romances]
basically, the enemies was ENEMEING.
this book was horribly slow though,
i would say i wasn’t fully invested until the 10-15% mark the pacing was definitely not the best especially at the start.
as i mentioned, i didn’t really care about the characters and the plot until 1/4s in, since there was quite a lot of info dumping and i was slightly confused and unfocused with the whole book at first. it didn’t really grasp my attention. so if you want a book that immediately pulls you in, this would, unfortunately, not be it for you.
the middle also, slowed down, i didn’t have the urge to pick it up the way i did at the start and at the end- and i found myself to even be bored at some parts. the whole tension and drama kind of died down, and i wasn’t gravitating towards it or thinking about it.
since heart check is a young adult romance, it is made for a younger audience- and i felt it at times. there were some passages that were said that made me cringe, and the things that the main characters did slightly came off as “corny.” the jokes were also hit or miss for me, they would either make me cackle or just make me internally wince. if you do love references to pop culture in books, i would recommend picking this up!!
˖ ⁺ ౿ 💍┆ harper
one of the only saving points of this book to be honest 😭 she was such a fun character to read about & i really enjoyed being in her mind! she was strong and fierce and spoke her mind, everything i love in a female main character. she was really disciplined in everything she did, and i really enjoyed reading about the small business aspect of her life. whenever someone was rude to her she would immediately clap back, and actually had a backbone for once.
˖ ⁺ ౿ 🏒 ┆luke
i REALLY did not like luke in this book, for many different reasons. he felt childish, rude & impulsive: and i did not like the way he treated harper + (the way he let everyone else treat her.) he was also slightly un memorable in my opinion.
in conclusion, i would not go out of my way to recommend this book- but i also think it wasn’t completely bad either. if you like lynn painter i really recommend you pick this up, the vibes were very similar & the characters as well.
── pre-read ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
a few of my mutuals on instagram have been raving about this, claiming its one of the best young adult romances they have read. intriguing. the cover is absolutely adorable and im a sucker for cute ya romances....
start date: nov 30
prediction; 3.75
February 3, 2026
━━━ઇଓㅤ⤸
꒰ 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫 + 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ꒱
𝟐.𝟓 ✩
𝐹𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉, 𝒽𝑒’𝓈 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓃𝑔𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑒
𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓌𝒽𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝒹𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈.
꒰ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ꒱
I was severely disappointed with this, and I’m really mad because the cover was cute so I thought inside would be just as good. It was not, in any way. So much for a good start to my February.
First off, I want to say how I absolutely hate when books are advertised as ‘enemies to lovers’ because frankly, this was the complete opposite. Harper and Luke have hated each other for a year? More? I don’t know and don’t care. Anyways, she hates him because he ‘thinks he’s better than everyone else’ while he hates her because she’s ‘annoying’. Then suddenly, when they’re closing up the diner they both work at, they get locked in the walk-in. So naturally, while they’re freezing their asses off, they decide to cuddle up on the floor to ‘keep themselves warm’. Their bodies are touching. Oooh, and now they’re leaning in…but before they can kiss, they’re interrupted. Fast forward to later than night when Harper offers to give Luke a ride to the party he was going to, he obviously says yes. Because it’s so normal to accept a ride from your enemy *insert eye roll*. And then he invites her in and she also says yes despite literally HATING THE HOCKEY TEAM! They play games and she ends up getting drunk, so she stays over and they talk about hockey and her jewellery business. Oh, and they cuddle again. Mhm, falling asleep on the couch, in each other’s arms… After that night, Luke is suddenly obsessed with her; wanting to hang out and touch her. And Harper also suddenly likes him and hockey and everything she’s sworn to hate for years. And guess what the ‘best’ part is? They kiss only days later. I was surprised I wasn't fucking hit me with an ‘I love you’, my goodness. This was in the span of days or weeks, I don’t know. All I’m trying to say is that it was super rushed. It seriously pissed me off that after years of so called ‘hatred’ they suddenly had feelings for each other? No thank you. Respectfully, if you’re going to write an enemies to lovers, please do it properly. Can I also share a quote that made me cackle like a fucking maniac? [ After all this time of carefully winning her over, I’ve ruined everything in one dumb conversation. Proved all her worst fears right. ] What do you mean ‘after all this time’? All you did was avoid each other for days. And ‘carefully winning her over’? Yeah right.
Thank you for reading my rant, I hope you liked it!! Now, moving on. ⤸
Heart Check is about finding your place in the community. It’s about fitting in after being an outsider. For someone who hates hockey, being surrounded by a school that worships the sport can make joining in difficult. You don’t watch the games, don’t fangirl over the players, don’t care about what everyone else does. Harper is the perfect example of that. But after giving it a chance–making friends and experiencing what it was like to be on the inside–she found that she liked the atmosphere and crowd. She wanted to have a place in the community after all. Although it was rushed and I seriously had no care for the characters, it was nice to see her accepted.
Before I wrap it up, I also wanted to add that the ending felt unfinished. I thought there’d at least be another chapter or an epilogue because honestly, Luke and Harper needed to talk things out. Not a simple 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said', but actually sit down and talk in private, where fans weren’t surrounding them… When I saw the acknowledgements, I was both relieved that it was finally done, but also surprised that there wasn’t more. Why did it feel like there was something missing? No hate to the author, but when you're writing a book–unless there’s another one about the same characters–you want to clear the air and resolve all the problems before it ends.
1 star to Alex, 1 star to Ryan, and .5 because there were a few somewhat, not really, maybe enjoyable scenes.
꒰ 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: ꒱
Talent is nothing without good luck and hard work.
That’s the thing I always love most about making jewlery–the way it helps people connect with the ones they love. Helping people do that is such an honor.
“You’re so pretty,” he whispers.
Talent is nothing without your team.
I don’t want to hang out with just anyone. I want to hang out with Harper.
━━━
ᰔᩚ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: ꒱
enemies to lovers? check.
forced proximity? check.
hockey romance? check.
adorable cover? check.
cute and relatable dedication? check.
mhm, this sounds like the perfect read to start my february. i only just added this book recently, but picking up anything but your physical tbr is what makes us readers. sooo... 🤷♀️
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝: 1/2/2026
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 3/2/2026
-𝓖
꒰ 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫 + 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ꒱
𝟐.𝟓 ✩
𝐹𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉, 𝒽𝑒’𝓈 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓃𝑔𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑒
𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓌𝒽𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝒹𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈.
꒰ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ꒱
I was severely disappointed with this, and I’m really mad because the cover was cute so I thought inside would be just as good. It was not, in any way. So much for a good start to my February.
First off, I want to say how I absolutely hate when books are advertised as ‘enemies to lovers’ because frankly, this was the complete opposite. Harper and Luke have hated each other for a year? More? I don’t know and don’t care. Anyways, she hates him because he ‘thinks he’s better than everyone else’ while he hates her because she’s ‘annoying’. Then suddenly, when they’re closing up the diner they both work at, they get locked in the walk-in. So naturally, while they’re freezing their asses off, they decide to cuddle up on the floor to ‘keep themselves warm’. Their bodies are touching. Oooh, and now they’re leaning in…but before they can kiss, they’re interrupted. Fast forward to later than night when Harper offers to give Luke a ride to the party he was going to, he obviously says yes. Because it’s so normal to accept a ride from your enemy *insert eye roll*. And then he invites her in and she also says yes despite literally HATING THE HOCKEY TEAM! They play games and she ends up getting drunk, so she stays over and they talk about hockey and her jewellery business. Oh, and they cuddle again. Mhm, falling asleep on the couch, in each other’s arms… After that night, Luke is suddenly obsessed with her; wanting to hang out and touch her. And Harper also suddenly likes him and hockey and everything she’s sworn to hate for years. And guess what the ‘best’ part is? They kiss only days later. I was surprised I wasn't fucking hit me with an ‘I love you’, my goodness. This was in the span of days or weeks, I don’t know. All I’m trying to say is that it was super rushed. It seriously pissed me off that after years of so called ‘hatred’ they suddenly had feelings for each other? No thank you. Respectfully, if you’re going to write an enemies to lovers, please do it properly. Can I also share a quote that made me cackle like a fucking maniac? [ After all this time of carefully winning her over, I’ve ruined everything in one dumb conversation. Proved all her worst fears right. ] What do you mean ‘after all this time’? All you did was avoid each other for days. And ‘carefully winning her over’? Yeah right.
Thank you for reading my rant, I hope you liked it!! Now, moving on. ⤸
Heart Check is about finding your place in the community. It’s about fitting in after being an outsider. For someone who hates hockey, being surrounded by a school that worships the sport can make joining in difficult. You don’t watch the games, don’t fangirl over the players, don’t care about what everyone else does. Harper is the perfect example of that. But after giving it a chance–making friends and experiencing what it was like to be on the inside–she found that she liked the atmosphere and crowd. She wanted to have a place in the community after all. Although it was rushed and I seriously had no care for the characters, it was nice to see her accepted.
Before I wrap it up, I also wanted to add that the ending felt unfinished. I thought there’d at least be another chapter or an epilogue because honestly, Luke and Harper needed to talk things out. Not a simple 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said', but actually sit down and talk in private, where fans weren’t surrounding them… When I saw the acknowledgements, I was both relieved that it was finally done, but also surprised that there wasn’t more. Why did it feel like there was something missing? No hate to the author, but when you're writing a book–unless there’s another one about the same characters–you want to clear the air and resolve all the problems before it ends.
1 star to Alex, 1 star to Ryan, and .5 because there were a few somewhat, not really, maybe enjoyable scenes.
꒰ 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: ꒱
Talent is nothing without good luck and hard work.
That’s the thing I always love most about making jewlery–the way it helps people connect with the ones they love. Helping people do that is such an honor.
“You’re so pretty,” he whispers.
Talent is nothing without your team.
I don’t want to hang out with just anyone. I want to hang out with Harper.
━━━
ᰔᩚ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: ꒱
enemies to lovers? check.
forced proximity? check.
hockey romance? check.
adorable cover? check.
cute and relatable dedication? check.
mhm, this sounds like the perfect read to start my february. i only just added this book recently, but picking up anything but your physical tbr is what makes us readers. sooo... 🤷♀️
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝: 1/2/2026
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 3/2/2026
-𝓖
January 12, 2026
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚༉‧₊˚✧˚₊⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
ੈ♡˳ rating: 5/5 stars
ੈ♡˳ spice rating: 🌶️ (very limited)
ੈ♡˳ summary:
harper braedon does not like the hockey team. she thinks all the money and attention goes to the players while other clubs struggle and she is not shy about saying it. luke dawson is the star hockey player who everyone loves except harper. when they are forced to work together at an after school job and spend more time in each other’s orbit, their assumptions soften, secrets unravel, and both of them start to see each other in a totally different light as they explore their feelings amidst school life and personal growth. 
ੈ♡˳ thoughts:
i absolutely loved this book so much more than i expected to. i normally do not read YA books with minimal spice, but heart check had such a pulled-in, immersive feel that i could not stop reading. even though the book includes the classic miscommunication trope, it never bothered me the way it does in other books because the characters felt real and layered enough that their frustrations and misunderstandings made emotional sense.
both harper and luke had way more depth than i anticipated. harper is fierce and passionate about what she cares for, and luke is more than just the popular hockey player stereotype. the way they push against each other at first and slowly figure out they are more alike than they thought gave me all the cozy, small town hockey romance vibes. it felt like watching two best friends slowly realize that what they feel is deeper than annoyance or rivalry.
the enemies to lovers dynamic was chef’s kiss because it wasn’t over the top drama just for drama’s sake, it felt like two people genuinely learning about each other. the pacing was great, the emotional beats landed for me, and i loved that i could connect to both characters’ journeys even though i do not normally read YA hockey romance. the story kept me turning pages into the late hours, and i found myself rooting for them so hard.
overall, this was such a delightful and heartwarming debut, and i really hope this becomes a series because i would absolutely read more books by emily charlotte.
ੈ♡˳ tropes:
ꕥ enemies to lovers
ꕥ young adult sports romance
ꕥ small town vibes
ꕥ rivals to lovers
ꕥ character growth
ੈ♡˳ rating: 5/5 stars
ੈ♡˳ spice rating: 🌶️ (very limited)
ੈ♡˳ summary:
harper braedon does not like the hockey team. she thinks all the money and attention goes to the players while other clubs struggle and she is not shy about saying it. luke dawson is the star hockey player who everyone loves except harper. when they are forced to work together at an after school job and spend more time in each other’s orbit, their assumptions soften, secrets unravel, and both of them start to see each other in a totally different light as they explore their feelings amidst school life and personal growth. 
ੈ♡˳ thoughts:
i absolutely loved this book so much more than i expected to. i normally do not read YA books with minimal spice, but heart check had such a pulled-in, immersive feel that i could not stop reading. even though the book includes the classic miscommunication trope, it never bothered me the way it does in other books because the characters felt real and layered enough that their frustrations and misunderstandings made emotional sense.
both harper and luke had way more depth than i anticipated. harper is fierce and passionate about what she cares for, and luke is more than just the popular hockey player stereotype. the way they push against each other at first and slowly figure out they are more alike than they thought gave me all the cozy, small town hockey romance vibes. it felt like watching two best friends slowly realize that what they feel is deeper than annoyance or rivalry.
the enemies to lovers dynamic was chef’s kiss because it wasn’t over the top drama just for drama’s sake, it felt like two people genuinely learning about each other. the pacing was great, the emotional beats landed for me, and i loved that i could connect to both characters’ journeys even though i do not normally read YA hockey romance. the story kept me turning pages into the late hours, and i found myself rooting for them so hard.
overall, this was such a delightful and heartwarming debut, and i really hope this becomes a series because i would absolutely read more books by emily charlotte.
ੈ♡˳ tropes:
ꕥ enemies to lovers
ꕥ young adult sports romance
ꕥ small town vibes
ꕥ rivals to lovers
ꕥ character growth
October 21, 2025
Luke and Harper work together at a diner, go to the same school, and share some classes. Harper hates all hockey players, including Luke, and he also once turned down her friend. When the hockey team’s coach gets fired, Harper is blamed for it, and suddenly everyone starts hating her.
It’s a cute and sweet story, but I do have a few notes. I don’t understand why everyone is mad at Harper for the coach being fired when he’s the one actually guilty of misusing school funds. Also, Harper suddenly stops hating Luke, and I didn’t even understand why that happened.
I liked that the characters are so driven, but the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, I think the target audience will enjoy this book more than I did—they probably won’t be as picky.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing (Margaret K. McElderry Books) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
It’s a cute and sweet story, but I do have a few notes. I don’t understand why everyone is mad at Harper for the coach being fired when he’s the one actually guilty of misusing school funds. Also, Harper suddenly stops hating Luke, and I didn’t even understand why that happened.
I liked that the characters are so driven, but the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, I think the target audience will enjoy this book more than I did—they probably won’t be as picky.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing (Margaret K. McElderry Books) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
November 12, 2025
જ⁀➴ 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)
⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆
I don't know how two 17-year-olds had me out here giggling and kicking my feet at the ripe old age of 25, but Harper and Luke did somehow! I think a lot of people are going to love Harper and Luke's story not only for their romance, but for their backstories and the larger topics and storyline that occur throughout as well. This isn't just a cutesy, heartwarming hockey romance between a hockey player and his biggest hater. This is also a story about pushing through adversity, standing up for what's right, fighting for what you believe in, and realizing that love doesn't work on a schedule; it comes up in the most unexpected of ways in the most unexpected people.
I know that all probably sounds like it could be themes that show up in a regular adult romance–and they do!–but I think Heart Check was a mature YA romance book that was able to touch on those themes in a way that was made accessible to a YA audience who is still relatively young and may not have had to deal with a lot of crazy life-changing experiences yet, while still having enough life experiences that they could relate to Harper and Luke's stories. I don't think I'd recommend this to a SUPER young YA audience (I'd say around 12-14, MAYBE 15 at most but that's pushing it), given that there is a good amount of swearing in here and a scene that could've turned into a fade-to-black/closed-door situation if it escalated any further, but I think a lot of YA romance readers will absolutely love this! I know if I were still a teenager, I'd absolutely love this.
✎𓂃Full review to come soon!
⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: As some of you may know, YA contemporary/YA romance isn't my thing these days- I simply grew out of the genre as a 25-year-old. However, I saw this debut on NetGalley and I couldn't pass it up; it sounded cute, so I knew I had to request it!🏒💙♥️ With the NHL season in full swing now, I figured I'd dive into a YA hockey romance for a change to give the genre a chance. I'll be heading into this story with a different perspective since this is for a YA readers, so my rating by the time I finish this will be based on whether or not I think a YA audience would enjoy this!
Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Charlotte, and Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Heart Check will be officially published on November 18th, 2025!
"I want him to get everything he dreams of. And I want to be by his side when he does."
⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆
I don't know how two 17-year-olds had me out here giggling and kicking my feet at the ripe old age of 25, but Harper and Luke did somehow! I think a lot of people are going to love Harper and Luke's story not only for their romance, but for their backstories and the larger topics and storyline that occur throughout as well. This isn't just a cutesy, heartwarming hockey romance between a hockey player and his biggest hater. This is also a story about pushing through adversity, standing up for what's right, fighting for what you believe in, and realizing that love doesn't work on a schedule; it comes up in the most unexpected of ways in the most unexpected people.
I know that all probably sounds like it could be themes that show up in a regular adult romance–and they do!–but I think Heart Check was a mature YA romance book that was able to touch on those themes in a way that was made accessible to a YA audience who is still relatively young and may not have had to deal with a lot of crazy life-changing experiences yet, while still having enough life experiences that they could relate to Harper and Luke's stories. I don't think I'd recommend this to a SUPER young YA audience (I'd say around 12-14, MAYBE 15 at most but that's pushing it), given that there is a good amount of swearing in here and a scene that could've turned into a fade-to-black/closed-door situation if it escalated any further, but I think a lot of YA romance readers will absolutely love this! I know if I were still a teenager, I'd absolutely love this.
✎𓂃Full review to come soon!
⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆ ⋆❆˚｡₊⊹❅⋆
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: As some of you may know, YA contemporary/YA romance isn't my thing these days- I simply grew out of the genre as a 25-year-old. However, I saw this debut on NetGalley and I couldn't pass it up; it sounded cute, so I knew I had to request it!🏒💙♥️ With the NHL season in full swing now, I figured I'd dive into a YA hockey romance for a change to give the genre a chance. I'll be heading into this story with a different perspective since this is for a YA readers, so my rating by the time I finish this will be based on whether or not I think a YA audience would enjoy this!
Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Charlotte, and Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Heart Check will be officially published on November 18th, 2025!
October 14, 2025
The premise of this book sounded interesting, but the author’s writing style really killed the book for me. If we removed the swearing, it read more like a middle grade book than a young adult book. I don’t think I was the target audience and it was hard to enjoy the story because of that.
*** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review ***
*** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review ***
November 19, 2025
3★
｛very minor spoilers﹜
𓂃 .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ˚❄️.₊ ⊹. 𓂃
⌯⌲ Genre: YA romance
⌯⌲ POV: dual first person, present tense
⌯⌲ Tropes: hockey, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, miscommunication
✽ ♡ ✽ What I liked ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ how the fmc had jewelry making as her hobby!!
⤷ I love love loved how the fmc had her own small business, I feel like this part of the story could be really inspirational to future entrepreneurs!
⤷ the character growth
⤷ is was a quick and easy read
✽ ♡ ✽ What I didn’t like ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ sometimes I got confused as to who was narrating because Luke and Harper’s narration styles are the SAME
⤷ all rom, no com 😔
⤷ the narration! (the main characters got really annoying and their inner thoughts seemed very unrealistic to me)
⤷ most of the characters are either one-dimensional, stereotypical, or both
⤷ the characters felt a bit too immature for their age (note: despite the characters being in 11th grade, I’d recommend this book to those in 7th to 10th grade)
✽ ♡ ✽ Plot ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ plot? What plot? To me it just seemed like a bunch of random events thrown together to make a story
✽ ♡ ✽ Setting ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ most of the story takes place at school or at the restaurant where the main characters work, just a really basic setting, nothing special. There was this one scene that I really enjoyed that took place at a holiday market; I wish there were more fun wintry things like that in the story
✽ ♡ ✽ Characters ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ Harper: I was very annoyed with her throughout most of the book, but I really appreciated her character growth at the end
⤷ Luke “Dawson”: just the stereotypical cocky sports guy who, you guessed it, has a soft side. Also, the way he idolized his coach was sooo annoying
⤷ Marissa: ugh, I really didn’t like her to be honest. She felt like a bad best friend and was just a very one-dimensional character in general
⤷ Sabrina: as far as side characters go, I really liked her! She was that cheerful and motivational friend that I think all of us need in our lives
⌯⌲ Age Rating: 13+
✽ ♡ ✽ Content breakdown ✽ ♡ ✽
➔ Violence: a fight breaks out on the ice between two characters
➔ Spice: none
➔ Romance: 1 descriptive kiss, 3 semi-descriptive kisses, the main characters fall asleep on a couch together after a party (nothing romantic happens and they’re just friends at the point in the story)
➔ Drinking/drugs/smoking: partying; a main character gets drunk off of hard seltzer at said party and is hungover the next day
➔ Language: 21 f**k, 3 b*llsh*t, 23 sh*t, 1 d*ck, 3 pr*ck, 1 b*tch, 5 a**hole, 9 a**, 5 hell, 9 damn, some uses of the Lord’s name in vain
➔ LGBTQ+: gay side characters that are in a relationship with each other; a main character’s older sister is lesbian
➔ Religious Content: a side character is very superstitious and does things for good luck (such as wearing an evil eye bracelet)
➔ Magic: none
➔ Trigger Warnings: none
𓂃 .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ˚❄️.₊ ⊹. 𓂃
⌯⌲ Publish date: 18 November 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
｛very minor spoilers﹜
𓂃 .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ˚❄️.₊ ⊹. 𓂃
⌯⌲ Genre: YA romance
⌯⌲ POV: dual first person, present tense
⌯⌲ Tropes: hockey, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, miscommunication
✽ ♡ ✽ What I liked ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ how the fmc had jewelry making as her hobby!!
⤷ I love love loved how the fmc had her own small business, I feel like this part of the story could be really inspirational to future entrepreneurs!
⤷ the character growth
⤷ is was a quick and easy read
✽ ♡ ✽ What I didn’t like ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ sometimes I got confused as to who was narrating because Luke and Harper’s narration styles are the SAME
⤷ all rom, no com 😔
⤷ the narration! (the main characters got really annoying and their inner thoughts seemed very unrealistic to me)
⤷ most of the characters are either one-dimensional, stereotypical, or both
⤷ the characters felt a bit too immature for their age (note: despite the characters being in 11th grade, I’d recommend this book to those in 7th to 10th grade)
✽ ♡ ✽ Plot ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ plot? What plot? To me it just seemed like a bunch of random events thrown together to make a story
✽ ♡ ✽ Setting ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ most of the story takes place at school or at the restaurant where the main characters work, just a really basic setting, nothing special. There was this one scene that I really enjoyed that took place at a holiday market; I wish there were more fun wintry things like that in the story
✽ ♡ ✽ Characters ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ Harper: I was very annoyed with her throughout most of the book, but I really appreciated her character growth at the end
⤷ Luke “Dawson”: just the stereotypical cocky sports guy who, you guessed it, has a soft side. Also, the way he idolized his coach was sooo annoying
⤷ Marissa: ugh, I really didn’t like her to be honest. She felt like a bad best friend and was just a very one-dimensional character in general
⤷ Sabrina: as far as side characters go, I really liked her! She was that cheerful and motivational friend that I think all of us need in our lives
⌯⌲ Age Rating: 13+
✽ ♡ ✽ Content breakdown ✽ ♡ ✽
➔ Violence: a fight breaks out on the ice between two characters
➔ Spice: none
➔ Romance: 1 descriptive kiss, 3 semi-descriptive kisses, the main characters fall asleep on a couch together after a party (nothing romantic happens and they’re just friends at the point in the story)
➔ Drinking/drugs/smoking: partying; a main character gets drunk off of hard seltzer at said party and is hungover the next day
➔ Language: 21 f**k, 3 b*llsh*t, 23 sh*t, 1 d*ck, 3 pr*ck, 1 b*tch, 5 a**hole, 9 a**, 5 hell, 9 damn, some uses of the Lord’s name in vain
➔ LGBTQ+: gay side characters that are in a relationship with each other; a main character’s older sister is lesbian
➔ Religious Content: a side character is very superstitious and does things for good luck (such as wearing an evil eye bracelet)
➔ Magic: none
➔ Trigger Warnings: none
𓂃 .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ˚❄️.₊ ⊹. 𓂃
⌯⌲ Publish date: 18 November 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2025
unfortunately this arc was a dnf
I had high hopes for this too 😓
I had high hopes for this too 😓
November 10, 2025
dawson having troy bolton level anxiety crashouts versus harper crashing out over a crush because he signaled before turning (a green flag). that’s a couple fr
Bookstagram | Blog
Bookstagram | Blog
December 22, 2025
4.5⭐️
This was so cute🥹 a really good debut novel. I wasn’t sure about halfway through but it was adorable. I also really liked it because it had a good amount of hockey scenes, I love when sports romances actually have quite a few of the sports scenes. I adored that this was a YA romance. I get so tired of spice some times. I loved the character dynamics and growth. Enemies to lovers😩. Love Dawson so much. However, I wis they would actually call him Luke. Like I know sports people usually go by last name but I swear no one ever called him Luke. I kept forgetting his name was actually Luke. I am falling in love with hockey romances. I can��t wait to read more of this authors books as well!
This was so cute🥹 a really good debut novel. I wasn’t sure about halfway through but it was adorable. I also really liked it because it had a good amount of hockey scenes, I love when sports romances actually have quite a few of the sports scenes. I adored that this was a YA romance. I get so tired of spice some times. I loved the character dynamics and growth. Enemies to lovers😩. Love Dawson so much. However, I wis they would actually call him Luke. Like I know sports people usually go by last name but I swear no one ever called him Luke. I kept forgetting his name was actually Luke. I am falling in love with hockey romances. I can��t wait to read more of this authors books as well!
April 16, 2025
This was just SO much fun!!!!! I love a hockey romance and this was my first YA one and I loved it so so much!!!! I read it in less than 24 hours I could not put it down!!! The enemies to lovers was so good, the hockey scenes were so good — since going to a couple hockey games I feel like I understand the game way more so it’s so fun to read! I was on the edge of my seat when they were playing!! The romance 🥲🥲🥲 it was so tender and sweet! so high school by Taylor Swift coded! There’s nothing like first love <3
this does not have spice but there is a good bit of language!
Thank you to edelweiss and Simon teen for the arc 🫶🏼
this does not have spice but there is a good bit of language!
Thank you to edelweiss and Simon teen for the arc 🫶🏼
January 30, 2026
2½★, i fear this one wasn’t for me... the “enemies” part barely existed, the romance felt rushed, and the high school setting just didn’t work for me. finishing this took way more effort than it needed to
November 4, 2025
Got the Arc. The cover is so pretty!
December 2, 2025
This was just OK. I did enjoy the ending especially, but I think it contains a lot of the issues I’m seeing in romance books that are currently being published. RTC
September 17, 2025
ENDEARING AND SWEET AND CUTE AND I LOVE HOCKEY ROMANCES
February 9, 2026
This is a cute little hockey romance book, but felt “young” even for being YA. Ultimate the pacing and storytelling aspects left a lot to be desired.
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader
Thank you to my friend @cobrastargasm for doing this as a buddy read with me!)
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– About: Luke Dawson and Harper Braedon do NOT see eye to eye on anything. Both are driven—Harper is starting her own jewelry business to make her college apps for business school look good and Luke is a star hockey player. But when the hockey coach is fired for embezzlement, Luke blames Harper, who has never been shy about her disdain for school budgets favoring jocks. But working together at his family’s diner forces them into each other’s orbits, and when they start seeing it from each other’s perspectives, it starts changing their own perspective. But how will their friends handle their newfound appreciation?
– Location: Michigan (I think? It wasn’t clear to me)
– POV: Dual first-person
– Spice: Kissing only (straddled make-out session but nothing explicit)
– Tropes: rivals to lovers, high school, sports romance (hockey), school dynamics, forced proximity, she’s not wealthy (but not “poor”) / his family is well off, he’s protective of her
– Content warning: cursing, underage drinking, online harassment (nothing major, just tanking someone’s reviews)
– Representation: LGBTQ+ side characters, BIPOC side characters
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: Bittersweet 16 by Mckenna Grace
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven———✧————————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet—✧——————————Spicy
Light/Fluffy——✧—————————Heavy/Emotional
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
This would be a very cute intro to hockey romances for, say, a 13–16-year-old that is interested in romance books but still is angsty. It had all of the components (minus the spice).
What stood out the most to me while reading was the diversity and message of the book, which basically is “take a walk in someone else’s shoes.” It’s an important message, especially to high schoolers. Harper’s friendships, her financial situation, her yearning to leave her hometown behind. Dawson’s family pressure, his love of his sport and team, his popularity. All things that, taken out of context, can be seen as a fault but when put in the right context are seen as strengths.
But what ultimately left me unhappy was the pacing and the storytelling.
The pacing: 50% of the book is a build up foundation to why Harper and Dawson hate each other. Then they suddenly start liking each other but are too shy about it to talk to each other, then they finally go on a date, only to break up at 75% and not “get back together” until the very end. I wished there were more moments of them enjoying each other’s company, but then again, they are teenagers who don’t understand the importance of communication (lol, cause adults do it so much better…but hopefully you know what I mean).
The storytelling: So much felt that it happened OFF page that I feel like something is missing. We meet their parents near the beginning, but in Harper’s case, we suddenly don’t see them again until the end when they’re like “oh we’re here to cheer on Dawson since you talk about him so much!” when? We never saw that. Or with Dawson’s dad, who apparently is a hockey hard-ass and puts a lot of pressure on Dawson during one scene (which is mentioned again throughout the book), but there is no resolution. These are just two examples, but it overall felt like there was a disconnect between the plotlines
Would I Recommend:? If you have young adults that are interested in reading romance, this is a good starter story. Is it the best YA story I’ve read in all my years? Not in my opinion, but it’s still cute and has a good message.
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader
Thank you to my friend @cobrastargasm for doing this as a buddy read with me!)
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– About: Luke Dawson and Harper Braedon do NOT see eye to eye on anything. Both are driven—Harper is starting her own jewelry business to make her college apps for business school look good and Luke is a star hockey player. But when the hockey coach is fired for embezzlement, Luke blames Harper, who has never been shy about her disdain for school budgets favoring jocks. But working together at his family’s diner forces them into each other’s orbits, and when they start seeing it from each other’s perspectives, it starts changing their own perspective. But how will their friends handle their newfound appreciation?
– Location: Michigan (I think? It wasn’t clear to me)
– POV: Dual first-person
– Spice: Kissing only (straddled make-out session but nothing explicit)
– Tropes: rivals to lovers, high school, sports romance (hockey), school dynamics, forced proximity, she’s not wealthy (but not “poor”) / his family is well off, he’s protective of her
– Content warning: cursing, underage drinking, online harassment (nothing major, just tanking someone’s reviews)
– Representation: LGBTQ+ side characters, BIPOC side characters
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: Bittersweet 16 by Mckenna Grace
╰┈➤ ❝By now, I thought that I’d checked off some boxes, keep kickin’ my bucket list right down the street, they say I’m too young to think about love but without it, I feel incomplete.❞
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven———✧————————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet—✧——————————Spicy
Light/Fluffy——✧—————————Heavy/Emotional
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
This would be a very cute intro to hockey romances for, say, a 13–16-year-old that is interested in romance books but still is angsty. It had all of the components (minus the spice).
What stood out the most to me while reading was the diversity and message of the book, which basically is “take a walk in someone else’s shoes.” It’s an important message, especially to high schoolers. Harper’s friendships, her financial situation, her yearning to leave her hometown behind. Dawson’s family pressure, his love of his sport and team, his popularity. All things that, taken out of context, can be seen as a fault but when put in the right context are seen as strengths.
But what ultimately left me unhappy was the pacing and the storytelling.
The pacing: 50% of the book is a build up foundation to why Harper and Dawson hate each other. Then they suddenly start liking each other but are too shy about it to talk to each other, then they finally go on a date, only to break up at 75% and not “get back together” until the very end. I wished there were more moments of them enjoying each other’s company, but then again, they are teenagers who don’t understand the importance of communication (lol, cause adults do it so much better…but hopefully you know what I mean).
The storytelling: So much felt that it happened OFF page that I feel like something is missing. We meet their parents near the beginning, but in Harper’s case, we suddenly don’t see them again until the end when they’re like “oh we’re here to cheer on Dawson since you talk about him so much!” when? We never saw that. Or with Dawson’s dad, who apparently is a hockey hard-ass and puts a lot of pressure on Dawson during one scene (which is mentioned again throughout the book), but there is no resolution. These are just two examples, but it overall felt like there was a disconnect between the plotlines
Would I Recommend:? If you have young adults that are interested in reading romance, this is a good starter story. Is it the best YA story I’ve read in all my years? Not in my opinion, but it’s still cute and has a good message.
January 30, 2026
"The first time we kissed, it was impulsive and life-changing. The second time, I knew it would be impossible to get him out of my system.
And this one – the third – has all the softness of a promise."
Harper Braedon hates her school's hockey team. It seems like the whole world focuses just on them and spends no time on the departments that actually matter. It doesn't help that the boy at the center of it, Luke Dawson, is also her coworker and he's her bosses' son. Harper and Luke have always butted heads, considering he's self-centered and his ego is as tall as he is, but when rumors go around that Harper is the reason their NHL-making coach got fired for allocating funds, all eyes are on Harper. The banter Harper and Dawson have shared has always been silly, but when Coach Red got fired, he took all his connections with it, and now, how the Hell is Dawson supposed to get out of Hamilton Lakes if he can't get a hockey scholarship? To both of them, each other is ruining their only hopes for getting out of their small town and their future careers, but they spend one night together just talking, and they realize there is so much more to be discovered.
I'm not going to lie to you, I saw this cover on Edelweiss months ago and immediately downloaded it because C'MON the art is SO GOOD!!! It also helps that this is the same imprint that published one of my favorite books of last year, Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson, so I was already set for a good ol' young adult hockey romance.
I practically binged this in one sitting: I read four pages one night, up to page 12 the next, and then read the last 284 pages until 4:30 in the morning. Bliss. This story is not perfect, and when it comes to debut novels, I can't have any expectations, but I at least expect something to be brought to the table. I found that throughout the majority of this story, it was lackluster. A lot of scenes lacked depth and felt like we were telling a lot more than we were showing. Chapters would end, and the next chapter almost felt like an abrupt start, and if you're not a fan of insta-love, or in this instance, insta-crush, then definitely skip out on this book. But what did you really expect for a less than 300-page young adult romance?
I loved Harper and Dawson, and I'm so glad this was dual-POV because the way they see each other in their eyes is SO cute. They honestly felt like teenagers with Earth-shattering crushes on each other, and while I've been removed from teenagehood for a few years (thank God), I can tell this author is familiar with how teenagers actually speak. They cuss the perfect amount, and it's not replaced with stupid words; they have dumb arguments, she used current jargon (BookTok and flow state, to name a few), and my FAVORITE detail, unaware if it is intentional, when they're texting he has autocaps on (the setting on your phone that capitalizes the first letter of every sentence and the I's) and she doesn't. CLAP BECAUSE THERE'S A YA AUTHOR THAT IS OBSERVANT!
While I do think every possible argument these two had with each other and their friends was ridiculous, it is soooo highschool. The rumor mills, the miscommunications because your friend said 'that she said that he said, that she said.' PERFECTION! Even the stupid things they'd say to each other in moments of hurt, ugh, teen love and drama, I do not miss you. I think the thing that annoyed me the most was Harper hiding it from her bestie, Marissa, just because their favorite thing to do is talk shit about the hockey team, lmao. Me FR, I LOVE TO GOSSIP!!! These two had no valid reasons to be idiots and not date, but 1) we have to forward the plot (although there isn't really one) and 2) they are teenagers.
As mentioned, there isn't really a plot. The plot is when will these two characters stop thinking about others, even though both claim to be very selfish, and start thinking of themselves! I think with time and improvement, since this is a debut, this series could be killer.
I know that was a lot of negatives, but I promise you I almost gave this four stars! I had so much fun with it, I mean, I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, here. I thought they were so cute, and seeing Harper make new friends without needing to put people down was so sweet, particularly how protective they all got over her. I'm a little sad that there wasn't anything more to their story, though. It just ends with a kiss, and I don't really get a cute love profession or some drama, but that's how a lot of young adult romances roll, so I can't say I'm surprised. Especially since this is going to be an interconnected series, I'm sure they'll be around.
I don't read pretty much ANY YA contemporary anymore, so when I do pick it up, it's because I really wanted to, and I'm so glad I finally got around to it!
My review is based on the advanced copy I read on my Kindle, thanks to McElderry Books, btw! This title already released last year, and the quote to open my review is directly from the finished copy.
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December 26, 2025
♡ˎˊ˗ ''The first time we kissed, it was impulsive and lifechanging. The second time, I knew it would be impossible to get him out of my system.''
- Valid debut, cute hockey romanceˎˊ˗
- Valid debut, cute hockey romanceˎˊ˗
November 7, 2025
I truly could not put this book down! I was fully invested in the characters and their (potential!) romance from the beginning, when they clashed over diner shifts and that shady hockey coach’s antics. I don’t always love a dual POV because often one character is well developed while the other’s POV just doesn’t quite hit — but this was the rare occasion where both POVs were essential and kept me hooked. I’d read Harper’s POV and think, “ok, Luke Dawson, now what do YOU have to say for yourself huh??” and vice versa. I felt like I understood each of their stresses and struggles and the ways they would need to grow in order to get each other. (And, honestly, I just love a YA romance that respects that teens have complex inner worlds just as adults do, and that romance is often the most prominent mirror for one’s inner struggles… I want a good romance book to be lighthearted while also respecting that dynamic. Emily Charlotte gets it!)
Overall, this book does slow burn enemies-to-lovers right, in that you get to see why the burning in question needs to be slow, and the de-enemy-ifying (for sure a real word) is a result of the characters’ individual growth so it’s actually satisfying. Also, it is just so cute. Real “kicking my feet” reading experience for me!! I now want an update about how Harper and Dawson are doing in 3-5 business years please.
I highly recommend this one for fellow romance-loving readers and/or anyone who just wants to have a good time reading a beautifully written little slice of joy! It’s particularly great if you want some cozy fall/winter vibes. Also, I didn’t go into this book a sports fan but apparently I like hockey now.
Overall, this book does slow burn enemies-to-lovers right, in that you get to see why the burning in question needs to be slow, and the de-enemy-ifying (for sure a real word) is a result of the characters’ individual growth so it’s actually satisfying. Also, it is just so cute. Real “kicking my feet” reading experience for me!! I now want an update about how Harper and Dawson are doing in 3-5 business years please.
I highly recommend this one for fellow romance-loving readers and/or anyone who just wants to have a good time reading a beautifully written little slice of joy! It’s particularly great if you want some cozy fall/winter vibes. Also, I didn’t go into this book a sports fan but apparently I like hockey now.
November 10, 2025
Thank you @simonteen for the advance copy to review!
I had such a blast with this book. Harper and Luke work together at the same diner big there is a lot of animosity between them. Harper’s stems from a grudge after his friend was mistreated by Luke and Luke’s us due to suspecting Harper it getting his coach fired during his pivotal season of hockey.
When everyone accused Harper of getting the coach fired, I was upset for her. Wanting to have funds spread throughout programs is not a wild take, and it’s a real problem. I also felt for her with her business and she was really ambitious! I don’t recall having that much drive in high school, lol.
Luke’s focus on his future was intense too. His dad certainly didn’t help with the pressure. I loved seeing the Michigan vibes here though (go blue!). I liked that Harper helped him relax and unwind.
These two had crackling chemistry and it was so fun watching them dance around it. I loved how their friendship grew and how they slowly started to trust each other. Also - the party at Ryan’s was so cuteeeee oh my gosh. Then! Their first kiss! And date! And second kiss! And misunderstanding! Ahhh!!
The third act was really good and I found myself grinning at the resolution. Side note - Noah had it coming. And I LOVED Alex and Ryan and also Alex’s being casually queer. 🥹
I had such a blast with this book. Harper and Luke work together at the same diner big there is a lot of animosity between them. Harper’s stems from a grudge after his friend was mistreated by Luke and Luke’s us due to suspecting Harper it getting his coach fired during his pivotal season of hockey.
When everyone accused Harper of getting the coach fired, I was upset for her. Wanting to have funds spread throughout programs is not a wild take, and it’s a real problem. I also felt for her with her business and she was really ambitious! I don’t recall having that much drive in high school, lol.
Luke’s focus on his future was intense too. His dad certainly didn’t help with the pressure. I loved seeing the Michigan vibes here though (go blue!). I liked that Harper helped him relax and unwind.
These two had crackling chemistry and it was so fun watching them dance around it. I loved how their friendship grew and how they slowly started to trust each other. Also - the party at Ryan’s was so cuteeeee oh my gosh. Then! Their first kiss! And date! And second kiss! And misunderstanding! Ahhh!!
The third act was really good and I found myself grinning at the resolution. Side note - Noah had it coming. And I LOVED Alex and Ryan and also Alex’s being casually queer. 🥹
November 15, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was a quick, cute read that was just to Young on the Young Adult scale for me.
I think this is a perfect read for younger readers who want to dip into sports romances. But if you're more into the Adult side of Young Adult, this one is a little too juvenile.
There was a large number of annoying/semi-annoying characters, and even the main characters I had issues with throughout, and most of these characters are juniors, so REALLY young.
And I think this book really shows the difference in how certain authors write the Young Adult genre. Lynn Painter just came out with Fake Skating that is also Young Adult, but they're seniors, and they level of writing and the maturity is just levels about this one.
But again, I'm much more drawn to adult stories so my YA days are starting to dwindle unless it has a proven maturity level. Either way, this is a good debut book for YA.
This was a quick, cute read that was just to Young on the Young Adult scale for me.
I think this is a perfect read for younger readers who want to dip into sports romances. But if you're more into the Adult side of Young Adult, this one is a little too juvenile.
There was a large number of annoying/semi-annoying characters, and even the main characters I had issues with throughout, and most of these characters are juniors, so REALLY young.
And I think this book really shows the difference in how certain authors write the Young Adult genre. Lynn Painter just came out with Fake Skating that is also Young Adult, but they're seniors, and they level of writing and the maturity is just levels about this one.
But again, I'm much more drawn to adult stories so my YA days are starting to dwindle unless it has a proven maturity level. Either way, this is a good debut book for YA.
August 20, 2025
Thank you Simon Teen for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
• My Reading Experience: So cute! Really liked!!
• Book Spice: None - kissing
• Content Thoughts:
This was such a cutesy YA romance, and I’m always a sucker for a good bicker-to-love story (especially when the banter really delivers). This book had all of that, and it made the relationship feel fun and playful.
One of my favorite elements was the Interludes. The sections written entirely in text messages between the main characters added a unique touch and broke up the story in a way that felt fresh. I can’t wait to see how those look in the physical book—hopefully in actual text bubble format, because that would make it even more fun.
The setting felt believable and grounded, and I enjoyed following each character as they worked toward their individual goals. That said, there were times the story felt a little rushed. Some moments of higher emotional impact wrapped up quickly, which kept the pacing light and fast but also left me wanting more tension and depth.
The romance itself was sweet and well-paced at first, with small, meaningful moments that made the build-up satisfying. But as things moved along, the connection between the main characters started to feel a bit surface level since those deeper moments weren’t fully explored.
I will say, the assumption I had (trying to be a little detective and whatnot) was wrong. I like that!! 🤣
Even with the minor disappointments I mentioned, this was still a very cute and enjoyable read overall—perfect if you’re looking for a light, fun YA romance with great banter.
• My Reading Experience: So cute! Really liked!!
• Book Spice: None - kissing
• Content Thoughts:
This was such a cutesy YA romance, and I’m always a sucker for a good bicker-to-love story (especially when the banter really delivers). This book had all of that, and it made the relationship feel fun and playful.
One of my favorite elements was the Interludes. The sections written entirely in text messages between the main characters added a unique touch and broke up the story in a way that felt fresh. I can’t wait to see how those look in the physical book—hopefully in actual text bubble format, because that would make it even more fun.
The setting felt believable and grounded, and I enjoyed following each character as they worked toward their individual goals. That said, there were times the story felt a little rushed. Some moments of higher emotional impact wrapped up quickly, which kept the pacing light and fast but also left me wanting more tension and depth.
The romance itself was sweet and well-paced at first, with small, meaningful moments that made the build-up satisfying. But as things moved along, the connection between the main characters started to feel a bit surface level since those deeper moments weren’t fully explored.
I will say, the assumption I had (trying to be a little detective and whatnot) was wrong. I like that!! 🤣
Even with the minor disappointments I mentioned, this was still a very cute and enjoyable read overall—perfect if you’re looking for a light, fun YA romance with great banter.
December 26, 2025
Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone.
November 11, 2025
4⭐️ loveddd the cover it was absolutely adorable. the romance was great honestly it wasn’t super special to me but i still loved it. harper was honestly so inspiring to me with her jewelry business and her and dawson were so cuteee
August 23, 2025
4 ☆
Thank you Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am newer to the YA romance genre, I typically read adult romance novels, but I’ve wanted to expand my reading horizons a bit and honestly Emily Charlotte is the place to start because WOW this is such a heartwarming, cozy, and engaging debut.
I absolutely LOVED everything these two characters put out. The enemies to lovers was full force and it had me enthralled from start to finish. He is the star hockey player, and she’s the entrepreneur with her own jewelry business. Going to a school where most of the funding, and all of the attention, goes into sports leaves Harper feeling bitter about the lack of opportunities her, and other students, have due to the clear priority of sports. Her resentment trickles into her and Luke’s dynamic not only as schoolmates, but coworkers (FORCED PROXIMITY🤌!)
From the opening page of Heart Check, I knew we were in for a treat. Harper is the perfect example of a determined, willful, and dedicated individual. She leads with fierce heart but a thorough sense of her known purpose which I adored. She loves hard, but is so very protective of who she shows that too.
Luke is the golden boy who everyone knows and loves (except Harper🤭). He is a passionate, observant, and driven person. A natural born leader, who needs just a bit of reassurance to showcase those qualities. He deep down knows what he aspires, but is learning to trust his instincts a bit more.
When I tell you these two are the sweetest thing!! Watching their trust for each other grow, the protectiveness kick in, and the pre conceived ideas they had about each other disappear was a whirlwind in the best way. Luke and Harper had such soft moments that made you feel so fuzzy and warm. The small town feel made this book turn into a nice snug hug…perfect for the late fall time when this debut book enters the world.
Prepare yourselves for Heart Check because you will need this book in your hands imminently!
Thank you Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am newer to the YA romance genre, I typically read adult romance novels, but I’ve wanted to expand my reading horizons a bit and honestly Emily Charlotte is the place to start because WOW this is such a heartwarming, cozy, and engaging debut.
I absolutely LOVED everything these two characters put out. The enemies to lovers was full force and it had me enthralled from start to finish. He is the star hockey player, and she’s the entrepreneur with her own jewelry business. Going to a school where most of the funding, and all of the attention, goes into sports leaves Harper feeling bitter about the lack of opportunities her, and other students, have due to the clear priority of sports. Her resentment trickles into her and Luke’s dynamic not only as schoolmates, but coworkers (FORCED PROXIMITY🤌!)
From the opening page of Heart Check, I knew we were in for a treat. Harper is the perfect example of a determined, willful, and dedicated individual. She leads with fierce heart but a thorough sense of her known purpose which I adored. She loves hard, but is so very protective of who she shows that too.
Luke is the golden boy who everyone knows and loves (except Harper🤭). He is a passionate, observant, and driven person. A natural born leader, who needs just a bit of reassurance to showcase those qualities. He deep down knows what he aspires, but is learning to trust his instincts a bit more.
When I tell you these two are the sweetest thing!! Watching their trust for each other grow, the protectiveness kick in, and the pre conceived ideas they had about each other disappear was a whirlwind in the best way. Luke and Harper had such soft moments that made you feel so fuzzy and warm. The small town feel made this book turn into a nice snug hug…perfect for the late fall time when this debut book enters the world.
Prepare yourselves for Heart Check because you will need this book in your hands imminently!
November 21, 2025
3 stars!!
for a debut, i’m so impressed. heart check is a young adult hockey rom com that follows harper braedon and luke dawson in their junior year of high school. because of the hockey team and their expansive new facility at hamilton lakes, funds for other groups (such as harper’s beloved young entrepreneurs program) are severely low. this injustice plus dawson’s cocky jock persona spark harper’s vendetta against the hamilton lakes hawks and all their players. although when the hawks stellar coach gets fired for withholding funds for the hockey team, all eyes point to harper since it’s no secret she has her issues with the hawks. as soon as this rumor reaches students, no one wants to support harper’s bracelet making business. not only that, but her website suddenly gets flooded with poor reviews. suffice it to say, this dilemma turns harper and dawson’s rocky relationship even weaker.
this premise sets up for such a fun story and even though it has its faults, i really enjoyed reading this. the writing was wonderful and i noticed a ton of descriptions that were fairly uncommon, which are always fun to read. despite the fact that heart check has a very typical and predictable plot, the writing didn’t feel as formulaic as other rom coms, which i appreciated greatly especially because i find it rare to come by in YA novels. the pacing and flow of things was probably my biggest peeve in this book. personally, i thought that harper and dawson’s relationship progressed from rivals to romance too quickly. although the rapid progression makes sense for a 300 page book, i’d loved to have seen a couple more chapters where harper and dawson started to question their feelings for each other before jumping straight into infatuation. along with that, i also feel the ending was a bit rushed. another chapter at the end to tie things together would have been nice, or perhaps even a well thought out prologue would have served well.
moving on to the characters, i’ll start with harper braedon! listen, one thing about me is that i’ll always eat up the quiet, bitter girl trope, and i found that charlotte executed that really well! harper was disagreeable and sharp-toned when she needed to be, but never boarded into unlikeable territories. i also thought it was so interesting to read about a character whose main interest is jewelry making because i’ve never seen that done in a book before. i admired the fact that her passion didn’t feel childish or immature, but instead it felt authentic, which seems like a hard line to toe for any author. something that could’ve been explored or talked about a little more was her family. this is a very small complaint because it didn’t take me out of the book and i don’t think it would’ve made a huge difference, but i could see how others might find her home life a little flat as a result. harper was fun though, and i was thoroughly entertained while reading her POV.
the second main character is luke dawson and while i liked him, i don’t have much to say about his character. dawson is your typical misunderstood hockey player who has a soft heart and a need to flourish in his sport. he’s cute for sure, but adding a competitive strive felt like a lazy attempt at adding depth to his character. maybe with some more pages his personality could have been embellished a little more, however not having that simply makes him a monotonous character, not a bad one. in addition to that, his words in chapter twenty felt a little odd and implausible for him, like a flimsy attempt at adding a third-act breakup solely for the purpose of adding a third-act breakup. i don’t mind having a conflict like this in a romance book but if it’s there, it should feel true to the characters and not sloppy or out of the blue.
harper and dawson’s relationship was honestly super cute. i loved their spites in class and the fact that they worked alongside each other at dawson’s family restaurant. also, the walk-in fridge scene + the car scene were to die for!!
the side characters in this book surprised me in the best way. they had personality but didn’t steal the spotlight from harper and braedon, which is an impressive thing to write correctly. alex, ryan, marrisa, and sabrina all made for very amusing supporting characters and i would KILL for emily to write a book on either ryan and marrisa, or sabrina and her future love-interest.
even if my review sounds harsh, don’t let that fool you from how much giggling and feet-kicking occurred while reading this. all of my minor issues with this novel feel very overlookable to me, not just because this is a debut, but more importantly because i had so much fun reading this. it was silly and enjoyable, and sometimes that’s all a rom com really needs to be. if you’re a fan of lynn painter or alexene farol follmuth, you’ll probably love this. overall, i’m really excited to see what emily charlotte puts out next because if it’s anything like heart check, i’ll definitely be reading it!!
as always, huge thanks to netgalley for this arc! <33
pre-read | i know this comes out very soon, but i got the arc a bit ago!! SOOO excited for this one omg 🤍🏒
for a debut, i’m so impressed. heart check is a young adult hockey rom com that follows harper braedon and luke dawson in their junior year of high school. because of the hockey team and their expansive new facility at hamilton lakes, funds for other groups (such as harper’s beloved young entrepreneurs program) are severely low. this injustice plus dawson’s cocky jock persona spark harper’s vendetta against the hamilton lakes hawks and all their players. although when the hawks stellar coach gets fired for withholding funds for the hockey team, all eyes point to harper since it’s no secret she has her issues with the hawks. as soon as this rumor reaches students, no one wants to support harper’s bracelet making business. not only that, but her website suddenly gets flooded with poor reviews. suffice it to say, this dilemma turns harper and dawson’s rocky relationship even weaker.
this premise sets up for such a fun story and even though it has its faults, i really enjoyed reading this. the writing was wonderful and i noticed a ton of descriptions that were fairly uncommon, which are always fun to read. despite the fact that heart check has a very typical and predictable plot, the writing didn’t feel as formulaic as other rom coms, which i appreciated greatly especially because i find it rare to come by in YA novels. the pacing and flow of things was probably my biggest peeve in this book. personally, i thought that harper and dawson’s relationship progressed from rivals to romance too quickly. although the rapid progression makes sense for a 300 page book, i’d loved to have seen a couple more chapters where harper and dawson started to question their feelings for each other before jumping straight into infatuation. along with that, i also feel the ending was a bit rushed. another chapter at the end to tie things together would have been nice, or perhaps even a well thought out prologue would have served well.
moving on to the characters, i’ll start with harper braedon! listen, one thing about me is that i’ll always eat up the quiet, bitter girl trope, and i found that charlotte executed that really well! harper was disagreeable and sharp-toned when she needed to be, but never boarded into unlikeable territories. i also thought it was so interesting to read about a character whose main interest is jewelry making because i’ve never seen that done in a book before. i admired the fact that her passion didn’t feel childish or immature, but instead it felt authentic, which seems like a hard line to toe for any author. something that could’ve been explored or talked about a little more was her family. this is a very small complaint because it didn’t take me out of the book and i don’t think it would’ve made a huge difference, but i could see how others might find her home life a little flat as a result. harper was fun though, and i was thoroughly entertained while reading her POV.
the second main character is luke dawson and while i liked him, i don’t have much to say about his character. dawson is your typical misunderstood hockey player who has a soft heart and a need to flourish in his sport. he’s cute for sure, but adding a competitive strive felt like a lazy attempt at adding depth to his character. maybe with some more pages his personality could have been embellished a little more, however not having that simply makes him a monotonous character, not a bad one. in addition to that, his words in chapter twenty felt a little odd and implausible for him, like a flimsy attempt at adding a third-act breakup solely for the purpose of adding a third-act breakup. i don’t mind having a conflict like this in a romance book but if it’s there, it should feel true to the characters and not sloppy or out of the blue.
harper and dawson’s relationship was honestly super cute. i loved their spites in class and the fact that they worked alongside each other at dawson’s family restaurant. also, the walk-in fridge scene + the car scene were to die for!!
the side characters in this book surprised me in the best way. they had personality but didn’t steal the spotlight from harper and braedon, which is an impressive thing to write correctly. alex, ryan, marrisa, and sabrina all made for very amusing supporting characters and i would KILL for emily to write a book on either ryan and marrisa, or sabrina and her future love-interest.
even if my review sounds harsh, don’t let that fool you from how much giggling and feet-kicking occurred while reading this. all of my minor issues with this novel feel very overlookable to me, not just because this is a debut, but more importantly because i had so much fun reading this. it was silly and enjoyable, and sometimes that’s all a rom com really needs to be. if you’re a fan of lynn painter or alexene farol follmuth, you’ll probably love this. overall, i’m really excited to see what emily charlotte puts out next because if it’s anything like heart check, i’ll definitely be reading it!!
as always, huge thanks to netgalley for this arc! <33
pre-read | i know this comes out very soon, but i got the arc a bit ago!! SOOO excited for this one omg 🤍🏒
November 3, 2025
i could NOT STOP giggling and the amount of times ive slapped my bed because this was such a cute and wholesome read 😩 i am a SUCKER for YA romance + sports and this book made me so so happy. the slow burn??? the enemies to lovers???? FORCED PROXIMITY???? chefs kiss for every trope i love to read 👨🏻🍳 i genuinely had the best time reading this book and i fell in love with every single character (SABRINA IS MY FAVE 🤭) and i cant believe i got the chance to read this early and LOVED EVERY MOMENT I SPENT WITH IT (i miss hamilton lakes sigh)
biggest thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for the e-ARC 🫶🏻🫶🏻
biggest thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for the e-ARC 🫶🏻🫶🏻
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