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The Way Love Feels
“The perfect romance or beach read, with a its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”
--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE WAY LOVE FEELS is BOOK #1 in a riveting new romance series by #1 bestselling author Sophie Love, whose books have received over 5,000 five-star reviews!
In the northern town of Riverton, hockey is not just a sport—it’s a culture. The Raptors, the hometown team, are local legends and a source of pride.
Mackenzie Avery, a talent scout, takes pride in the small town of Riverton and its local hockey team.
Yet she never expects to be the one scouted—by two of her own prospects—and to be falling in love on the job.
Forced to choose between humble and respectful Ethan, and unapologetic enforcer Damon, Mackenzie faces a tough choice….
In this small town romance, action on the ice intertwines with fiery romance, transporting you to a delightful setting imbued with witty repartee, heartfelt moments, and unexpected twists. Prepare to be smitten by charming new protagonists, ready to steal your heart. (This series has been revised and renamed from its original title, Riverton Raptors.)
Future books in the series are also available!
“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”
--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Sophie Love is an excellent writer & she keeps you entertained from beginning until end."
--Amazon reviewer (Forever and For Always)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"A good book if you like romance. Happy summer reading on the deck or at the cabin or beach."
--Amazon reviewer (Forever and For Always)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Beautifully written, a very sweet love story."
--Amazon reviewer (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Pleasantly surprising, fast paced, and just the right amount of suspense! Makes you want to start reading Book 2 right away!"
--Amazon reviewer (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE WAY LOVE FEELS is BOOK #1 in a riveting new romance series by #1 bestselling author Sophie Love, whose books have received over 5,000 five-star reviews!
In the northern town of Riverton, hockey is not just a sport—it’s a culture. The Raptors, the hometown team, are local legends and a source of pride.
Mackenzie Avery, a talent scout, takes pride in the small town of Riverton and its local hockey team.
Yet she never expects to be the one scouted—by two of her own prospects—and to be falling in love on the job.
Forced to choose between humble and respectful Ethan, and unapologetic enforcer Damon, Mackenzie faces a tough choice….
In this small town romance, action on the ice intertwines with fiery romance, transporting you to a delightful setting imbued with witty repartee, heartfelt moments, and unexpected twists. Prepare to be smitten by charming new protagonists, ready to steal your heart. (This series has been revised and renamed from its original title, Riverton Raptors.)
Future books in the series are also available!
“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”
--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Sophie Love is an excellent writer & she keeps you entertained from beginning until end."
--Amazon reviewer (Forever and For Always)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"A good book if you like romance. Happy summer reading on the deck or at the cabin or beach."
--Amazon reviewer (Forever and For Always)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Beautifully written, a very sweet love story."
--Amazon reviewer (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Pleasantly surprising, fast paced, and just the right amount of suspense! Makes you want to start reading Book 2 right away!"
--Amazon reviewer (For Now and Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
191 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2025
About the author
Sophie Love
153 books329 followersA lifelong fan of the romance genre, Sophie Love is thrilled to release her debut romance series: FOR NOW AND FOREVER (THE INN AT SUNSET HARBOR—BOOK 1). Sophie would love to hear from you, so please visit www.sophieloveauthor.com to email her, to join the mailing list, to receive free ebooks, to hear the latest news, and to stay in touch!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 16, 2025
While the story was alright, I was taken out of the audiobook version countless times for loud sounds that sounded like partial words from a poor edit of the audio. There were also mispronounced words. Overall the audiobook was subpar. The story itself was a love triangle with all the monogamous pressures to force someone to choose. Also note, this book is not listed on Fable or StoryGraph and will impact my reading logs negatively.
December 29, 2025
The Way Love Feels is a quietly compelling, emotionally charged romance that leans hard into tension, longing, and the messy reality of choice.
Sophie Love delivers a classic love-triangle setup, but what makes this story work is that it isn’t really about choosing a man—it’s about boundaries, integrity, and what it means to want someone without losing yourself in the process. Mac is a capable, goal-driven FMC whose internal conflict feels authentic, especially given the ethical complexity of her role as a hockey recruiter. Watching her navigate attraction, restraint, and self-awareness was far more engaging than a simple “who will she pick” plot.
Ethan and Damon are well-drawn contrasts. Ethan represents steadiness, warmth, and safety—the kind of presence that’s easy to underestimate until it’s threatened. Damon, on the other hand, is the definition of a well-written morally grey MMC: intense, observant, tender beneath the edge, and deeply compelling. His connection with Mac is built through quiet moments, protection without ownership, and emotional intimacy that feels earned rather than rushed. The press-conference scene and his guarded vulnerability were standout moments.
What I appreciated most is that the book doesn’t romanticize boundary-crossing without acknowledging its consequences. The tension works because Mac notices when lines blur—and because the story allows restraint to be just as powerful as action. The yearning, the almosts, the pauses that don’t resolve immediately—those choices made the eventual payoff land.
My only reason for not giving this five stars is pacing: the emotional lean toward Damon becomes quite obvious before the final stretch, and some Ethan moments feel underdeveloped in comparison. That said, the ending is satisfying, emotionally coherent, and true to the story’s core pull.
Overall, this is a strong small-town sports romance with depth, tension, and a morally grey MMC done right. If you enjoy slow burn, love triangles that actually hurt a little, and FMCs who are allowed to be complex and imperfect, this one is well worth the read.
Sophie Love delivers a classic love-triangle setup, but what makes this story work is that it isn’t really about choosing a man—it’s about boundaries, integrity, and what it means to want someone without losing yourself in the process. Mac is a capable, goal-driven FMC whose internal conflict feels authentic, especially given the ethical complexity of her role as a hockey recruiter. Watching her navigate attraction, restraint, and self-awareness was far more engaging than a simple “who will she pick” plot.
Ethan and Damon are well-drawn contrasts. Ethan represents steadiness, warmth, and safety—the kind of presence that’s easy to underestimate until it’s threatened. Damon, on the other hand, is the definition of a well-written morally grey MMC: intense, observant, tender beneath the edge, and deeply compelling. His connection with Mac is built through quiet moments, protection without ownership, and emotional intimacy that feels earned rather than rushed. The press-conference scene and his guarded vulnerability were standout moments.
What I appreciated most is that the book doesn’t romanticize boundary-crossing without acknowledging its consequences. The tension works because Mac notices when lines blur—and because the story allows restraint to be just as powerful as action. The yearning, the almosts, the pauses that don’t resolve immediately—those choices made the eventual payoff land.
My only reason for not giving this five stars is pacing: the emotional lean toward Damon becomes quite obvious before the final stretch, and some Ethan moments feel underdeveloped in comparison. That said, the ending is satisfying, emotionally coherent, and true to the story’s core pull.
Overall, this is a strong small-town sports romance with depth, tension, and a morally grey MMC done right. If you enjoy slow burn, love triangles that actually hurt a little, and FMCs who are allowed to be complex and imperfect, this one is well worth the read.
March 15, 2026
This was a long, drawn-out hockey story about FMC Mackenzie Avery, who is in a love triangle. It's between the unpretentious, always respectful Ethan, and the unrepentant eliminator Damon. She never expected to ever catch the eye of two of her gorgeous prospects in her lineup. She had always been a no-nonsense by-the-book scout. But she had been dogged by another female scout Charlie from another team and was feeling it this year.
She knew she was good at her job and so did her bosses and team she had never failed to deliver. She was a numbers' girl she had learned from her dad, but she could also see it in the way they played. This was the first time she had found any of the players remotely attractive and unfortunately for them, they too felt the same way.
Each one started to act on it in small ways when no one noticed and in some cases not even Mac. However, she did question it later even fantasizing about it in her dreams. But then those advances became just plain signs of affection and in some cases for one's lust. For one, she felt loved, safe, and respected. With the other, she felt longing, lust, and a wanting to be near him. When she is outed by a source to be named later in the story, she finds out the team stands behind her, but she has to pick one because it's divided the team.
They don’t need the in-house fighting, and they know she deserves a life, and they all love and respect her and the job she does for their team. Who will she pick? That is the question.
She knew she was good at her job and so did her bosses and team she had never failed to deliver. She was a numbers' girl she had learned from her dad, but she could also see it in the way they played. This was the first time she had found any of the players remotely attractive and unfortunately for them, they too felt the same way.
Each one started to act on it in small ways when no one noticed and in some cases not even Mac. However, she did question it later even fantasizing about it in her dreams. But then those advances became just plain signs of affection and in some cases for one's lust. For one, she felt loved, safe, and respected. With the other, she felt longing, lust, and a wanting to be near him. When she is outed by a source to be named later in the story, she finds out the team stands behind her, but she has to pick one because it's divided the team.
They don’t need the in-house fighting, and they know she deserves a life, and they all love and respect her and the job she does for their team. Who will she pick? That is the question.
March 10, 2026
All Talk, No Action
The entire book was thoughts in her head about what decision she should make between two men. The ENTIRE book. There is very little dialogue between two people and absolutely no action at all. I was so bored; I considered not finishing it, but kept, on hoping it would get better. It did not.
The entire book was thoughts in her head about what decision she should make between two men. The ENTIRE book. There is very little dialogue between two people and absolutely no action at all. I was so bored; I considered not finishing it, but kept, on hoping it would get better. It did not.
March 8, 2026
I found this story to be over dramatic. Every paragraph was written with this style. The story seemed to drag on and on. I guessed early on who she would choose. Does not make me want to read more in this series.
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March 19, 2026DNF. Really no dialogue outside the FMC’s head. Way too descriptive on things that just… didn’t matter. How cold the ice is, the cold breaths over the ice. Idk I was just soooo bored and when I looked down hoping I was halfway through such a short read I was on page 25.
September 17, 2025
Nao eh um romance, mas sim um drama com triangulo amoroso...
March 22, 2026
This was a tough one to finish. A love triangle that didn’t have any depth to it. I felt as though you didn’t get any real information on a bond between Mack and either Damon or Ethan. Yes she scouted them and kissed Ethan, then helped with his injury but they didn’t spend a lot of time together beyond that and there was no real relationship growth. Similar to Damon she talked to him, was attracted to him, saw the drawn picture of her he made, but there wasn’t a lot of anything else. She didn’t spend time with either outside of the hockey team and the whole book was about her career with the team. This book was mostly about the game, she was torn but never really shown through the writing why she was torn. This book others will probably love but it just wasn’t for me. I am sorry but I will not be reading any other books in this series.
April 30, 2026
A cute quick love story
June 30, 2026
Way too wordy, no need to say cacophony or belied that much…
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews