A Scoring Chance: A Small Town Hockey Romance

Portland Timberwolves #1

by A.J. Alexander

A brand new small town single mom pro hockey player stand-alone from USA Today bestselling author AJ Alexander

After a devastating knee injury puts my professional hockey career on ice, I find myself in the last place I want to be—back in my small hometown, coaching peewee hockey. I’m determined to focus on my comeback—until Ramona King shows up at my first practice.

Just one smile from her sets my entire world ablaze. I want to know everything about her. But there’s a problem. She’s the mother of one of my players and my sister-from-another-mister’s best friend, making her completely off-limits.

I should focus on getting back to my team. I should remember I have no time for anything besides hockey. But the more time I spend with Ramona and her son, the more the lines between what I should do and what I want start to blur.

Hockey has always been my life, but now, all I know for certain is the one thing I won’t do is walk away from her.

Genres: Sports, Sports Romance, Friends To Lovers, Hockey Romance, Small Town Romance, Contemporary, Hockey

630 pages, Paperback

Published February 17, 2025

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author AJ Alexander has been writing romance since 2018. She loves writing small town romances with found families and all the nosey nellies that help her characters find their happily ever afters! She lives in Arizona, otherwise known as the surface of the sun, with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a lovable golden retriever.

When she isn't writing you can find AJ reading, binging the latest true crime documentary on Netflix, or binging the latest Korean Drama or Anime that's released. AJ is a cynical hopeless romantic that believes in love at first sight, that bigger is always better, and everything should be put off for a nap.

Come find her in the wild! There's nothing she loves more than connecting with my readers.


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Reviews

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a heartfelt and emotional hockey romance that brings the steam and the emotions. The fmc is a hard-working single mother, while the mmc is a hockey player who gets injured and has to coach a hockey game while his ACL is healing. The romance is an instant attraction, but it does take a while before they are fully all in. There is a lot of the mmc showing that he cares and wants to be with the fmc despite all the traumas they have been through. Both mcs have been through loss and are still grieving in many ways. I liked the hockey aspect. It wasn't too overpowering and contributed to the main plot for the mmc. There is also a little bit of action in some parts, and I loved the mental health rep and therapy in this. Overall, it was a good read, thanks to the publisher for a free copy. I loved seeing AJ's book club in the acknowledgments as well. Go Alise!!

Read for:
- Interracial romance
- Healing from grief
- Steamy
- Hockey romance
- Single mon
- Mental health rep

4.5/5

[Nicole Scarborough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great start to a new series. I loved Cooper and Ramona's story. They each have their own demons but having each other helped. The chemistry was good and it was well written.

[Amy [Book Addict Reviews] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely fell in love with Cooper and Ramona from the very start. I fell head over skates for these two, their families, and the small town of Redwood Falls.

Cooper is a star NHL player who is out due to an injury and now forced to return to his hometown to coach a youth hockey league. Ramona is hardworking and after a tragic accident her priorities in life change. She would do anything for her family. The moment that these two meet there is a connection and there is fiery chemistry. However, there are also things that haunt them.

Cooper is swoony, he is caring, he is loving, and he is super protective. He will do anything to make people happy, especially Ramona. I love how hard these two fell for each other. I love how as things came out about what happened in the past they didn’t give up on each other, they found comfort and help in each other.

I can’t wait to return to this series, because I have fallen in love with this world.

If you’re looking for a sports, small town, single mom, age gap, found family romance check this one out.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and emotional romance.

When injured NHL star Cooper is sent home to coach a pre-teen hockey team while recovering, he meets Ramona who just happens to be the guardian to her niece who is on Cooper’s team. They’re pretty enamored with each other from the beginning, and with meddling family and friends, they get their HEA.

This was a sweet story. Both Ramona and Cooper are loving people dealing with heavy trauma and guilt. This is a story of love, loss, and mental health. The best part is although they both don’t think they deserve each other, they work through their struggles together.

My only complaint is Annamarie didn’t really get what was coming to her.

Check this out.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕀 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜: ARC E-Book
𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖: Medium
ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: Medium
𝔼𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕪𝕡𝕖: Happily Ever After
•
𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: This was a perfect hockey, small town, romance story! AJ blends romance and sports flawlessly having me hooked into the story and characters the entire time(even the side characters!)
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤: “Fuck, he has dimples. Dimples are my goddamn kryptonite.”
& “That is probably the worst part about my episodes. It’s the feeling of embarrassment afterward.”
& “Take me, Cooper. Make me yours.”
& “He may be too good for me, but he is mine.”
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤: 14 & 17 & 24
𝔽𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣: Cooper Hendrix: This man is SO fine, caring and my heart melting over him too many times during the story!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: AJ masterfully blends, romance, sports, and a small town setting in A Scoring Chance. This is a story about overcoming self hate, bullies, and accepting the love we deserve. I absolutely adored the main characters and going through the journey with them and the side characters were a great addition making me eager to see where the series goes next.

[Katherine Dougherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scoring Chance

Loved this story. Ramona and Cooper great together. They both battle the same demons and together they will help each other over come them. Family is always their priority and they put them before themselves. So for their relationship to grow strong they must put themselves first and trust in love.

[Hope]

dnf - i just can't get over his nickname for her, it's "beauty" and i cringed every time he used it, it's a me thing 🫣

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
2.75 🌶

🏒 Hockey Romance
💚 Single Guardian
🏒 Age Gap
💚 Interracial Romance
🏒 Small Town
💚 Found Family


⚠️ Please Check Your Trigger Warnings ⚠️

Ramona and Cooper are two people who have dealt with some serious trauma in their lives but have found each other in the least expected time. The good saying of it shows up when you stop looking and lest expect it is definitely true in this book! I loved that they had a kismet meeting! There is nothing that can compare to that meeting when you realize that no one will ever measure up to that person.

Ramona had her trauma that she struggled to deal with even though she had been in therapy for years. I felt so much for her because I knew her feelings. I wanted to give her a huge hug 🫂 . She had such a supportive immediate family and I can't help but love them even more for being there for her and Darius. I loved that she had Alise by her side throughout everything. Alise was such a fun, Sassy character, even though she definitely dealt with her own anxiety issues. She was such a integral part of Ramona's life and also Cooper's life.

Cooper was the Hockey God everyone dreams about. He was the Captain of the team and knew everything there was to know about hockey. He loved the game so much it was in his blood. So much so his 3 other brothers played. I loved Cooper and his love for Ramona. That instalove connection was priceless! He was the balm to her wounds when she struggled, and she was his as well. Cooper struggled with the death of his father and I felt so deeply for him. He felt so deeply and so hard about everything surrounding his father's death. His guilt was essentially eating him alive. He always looked put for everyone else but not himself.

I loved 😍 how much these two characters came together and made their families complete. Being able to love Darius and make sure that he knew that he was loved at every turn was fantastic. I lived those moments that they had together with their names and when they were talking about anything just between them. I was so happy to see that they were able to overcome the heresy of other family members.

🔥 Let's Talk About Sex Baby 🥵: 🌶️🌶️.75 /5

These two were quick to connect but slower to have sex. But they weren't scared of a 💦👖 moment, sex in the ice rink, or other scenarios throughout the book!


I received a complimentary copy via AJ Alexander and Literally Yours PR. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.

[Brandy Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hockey romance brings all the feels. Ramona and Cooper come together to help each other heal past trauma. They story is filled with passion, chemistry, witty banter and plenty of steam. The hockey scenes were great and really added to the story. I really enjoyed this story and can't wait for more from this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously, I couldn't put it down!
With the release of her new sports romance, SCORING A CHANCE, Author AJ Alexander has hit one into the net with her first foray into the world of professional hockey and seriously, I couldn't put it down.

Ms Alexander wrote a beautifully perfect relationship between two people who struggled to hide past trauma and the anxiety that came with it. Life is messy and families break apart, and Ms Alexander went to great pains in doing a justice to her characters, that I believe showed how much she loved them in her writing. The personalities of the families were wide ranging and I absolutely adored the Mamas.

Cooper’s hockey reputation was stellar and he was the “longest-serving captain in the Portland Timberwolves’ history”, responsible for bringing home the Stanley Cup multiple times and many other accolades. As the oldest Hendrix brother, he carried a huge burden, and a responsibility that wasn't his. Yet the love for his brothers and Ma shone throughout the book, and into the way he treated Ramona as someone truly special. I also loved the way the Hendrix family embraced her and 12-year-old hockey playing Darius, or Big D as he was nicknamed by his teammates.

I'm glad that Ms Alexander put the most amazing characters in Ramona's corner. Her Mama was hilarious as was her best friend Alisa who had grown up alongside the Hendrix boys. They had no problem in putting her in Cooper's way, even in the most underhanded manner, in a way that I couldn't help but laugh at. She was a true gem but failed to see her own value, so having the best champions who understood her and recognised her strengths was vital to her ability to remain in Cooper's public orbit. Most importantly though, when he needed her, she didn't back off.

The banter between our main and secondary characters not only carried a heavy emotional meaning at times, but was also witty and laugh-out-loud. To me it is the secondary characters who can truly make a book shine and along with the lively writing, they truly made for a deep and well-rounded reading experience. I loooooved everything about this book.

I also have to add that SCORING A CHANCE contained the best description of a hockey scene I've ever read. Now I don't know anything about Ice Hockey but I could almost see the chaotic scene play out in my head as if watching a video, and not only that, Ms Alexander has peppered many technical aspects of the sport throughout SCORING A CHANCE that made it the most Hockey centric romance that I'm pretty sure I've laid my proverbial hands on.

Yep, SCORING A CHANCE fits well and truly within the hockey romance trope.

There was so much to love about this book and Ms Alexander has set up the next in the series in such a way that her readers will be highly anticipating it. Well I am anyway!!! Meanwhile, SCORING A CHANCE deserves all of its 5-full-on-hockey-romance-Stars 🖤💚🏒✦

#fbombromancereads #mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #marnsreads #marnsj

[Ria Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper and his Beauty

Where do I begin? AJ Alexander's A SCORING CHANCE, book #1 in her new series Portland Timberwolves , was pure emotion from beginning to end. Never have I wanted two characters to find love and begin to heal the pain they have been living with due to circumstances beyond their control. This is a slowburn story which really hits in the heart and had me constantly wiping my eyes.

Cooper Hendrix is a top NHL player who is recovering from an injury. He's been sent to his hometown to coach peewee hockey as part of his recovery. Since his fifteenth birthday Cooper has carried the guilt of a family member's death, a burden that was never his. At first, he was not happy about his situation, but his outlook soon changed. Ramona King is helping to raise her nephew after a terrible accident broke her family. She carries a lot of guilt in her heart, but it is the love for her family that really shines through. When Cooper arrives in his hometown he sees Ramona and knows in that moment that she's "the one".

The chemistry between Cooper and Ramona (his Beauty) sizzled from the moment they met. He would do anything for her, his care went beyond the norm, he couldn't get enough of her. Ramona though, couldn't understand how someone like Cooper could be interested in her, she constantly worried he would discover her secret, while Cooper also worried she would reject him because of his own secret. I adored the friendship/relationship that grew between them, there was genuine care, fear of the unknown, and understanding. It was obvious they were destined for each other, but would their pasts destroy their hopes for the future?

In A SCORING CHANCE AJ Alexander has delivered a beautiful, though provoking story. While it is as sports romance at its foundation, it also focuses on the mental health issues of Cooper and Ramona. AJ Alexander delivers these issues with such deep understanding and empathy. I cannot give this story enough praise, my heart was won from the beginning and my love for these characters only grew as the story progressed. The involvement of both families played a vital role in the relationship of Cooper and Ramona, they provided the sounding-boards this couple really needed, I also enjoyed watching them meddle and interfere as only families can. There is one character who I absolutely abhorred, but I'm not even going to give them the time of day, let's just say karma has a way of getting its own back.

The Hendrix brothers have intrigued me, and I can't wait to get all their stories. While Beau and Cole are featured in this story, the youngest, Kyle, is yet to be met. I want to know just what is going on between Beau and Alise. Then there's Cole, will he become a Timberwolf? I guess we'll find out in Cheap Shot. I need their stories now!!!

A SCORING CHANCE is a highly recommended read.

Read and Reviewed for Reading Is Our Satisfaction

✨✨✨✨✨ FIVE STARS

[Caffeinated.BookQueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏒✨ NEW HOCKEY ROMANCE OBSESSION ALERT! ✨🏒

Listen, I don’t know what I expected going into A Scoring Chance by AJ Alexander, but I can confidently say this: I. AM. OBSESSED. If you love sports romance, small-town vibes, found family, and golden retriever energy in a swoony, protective, hockey-playing hero… you need this book immediately.

Cooper Hendrix is everything. A star NHL player sidelined by a devastating injury, forced to return to Redwood Falls to coach a youth hockey team—a place he never wanted to be again. He’s lost, angry, and questioning who he even is without the sport that defined him. But then… he meets Ramona King. And let me tell you, that man was a goner the second he laid eyes on her.

Ramona is resilient, selfless, and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She’s a single guardian to her nephew, putting her family above all else after a tragic accident changed her life forever. When a ridiculously hot pro hockey player starts showing interest in her, she thinks it can’t be real. But try as she might, she cannot get him out of her head. And neither can he. The chemistry? Off. The. Charts.

What I loved about this book:
🏒 Cooper is the ultimate cinnamon roll hero—sweet, protective, and will do anything to make Ramona happy. That man worships the ground she walks on, and honestly? We love to see it.
🔥 The tension and slow burn had me screaming. You know that moment when the characters are fighting their feelings, but everyone else around them is already placing bets on when they’ll finally admit it? Yeah, that’s this book.
🤍 The emotional depth—both Cooper and Ramona are healing from their pasts, and the way they support each other through it all? Heart-melting. They didn’t run when things got hard. They held on.
😂 The banter is top-tier. Cooper’s teammates, their friends, and the meddling mamas were everything. I need these side characters to get their own books ASAP.
🥅 The hockey scenes were so well written! I don’t know much about the sport, but I could see the action playing out in my head. This is one of the most authentic hockey romances I’ve ever read!

If you’re in your hockey romance era like I am, this is a must-read. I’ve completely fallen in love with Redwood Falls and the Portland Timberwolves, and I need the next book ASAP. AJ Alexander, you have a fan for life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 FULL-ON-HOCKEY-ROMANCE STARS 🏒💚

[Jay B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, I don’t know what I expected going into A Scoring Chance by AJ Alexander, but I can confidently say this: I. AM. OBSESSED. If you love sports romance, small-town vibes, found family, and golden retriever energy in a swoony, protective, hockey-playing hero… you need this book immediately.

Cooper Hendrix is everything. A star NHL player sidelined by a devastating injury, forced to return to Redwood Falls to coach a youth hockey team—a place he never wanted to be again. He’s lost, angry, and questioning who he even is without the sport that defined him. But then… he meets Ramona King. And let me tell you, that man was a goner the second he laid eyes on her.

Ramona is resilient, selfless, and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She’s a single guardian to her nephew, putting her family above all else after a tragic accident changed her life forever. When a ridiculously hot pro hockey player starts showing interest in her, she thinks it can’t be real. But try as she might, she cannot get him out of her head. And neither can he. The chemistry? Off. The. Charts.

What I loved about this book:

🏒 Cooper is the ultimate cinnamon roll hero—sweet, protective, and will do anything to make Ramona happy. That man worships the ground she walks on, and honestly? We love to see it.

🔥 The tension and slow burn had me screaming. You know that moment when the characters are fighting their feelings, but everyone else around them is already placing bets on when they’ll finally admit it? Yeah, that’s this book.

🤍 The emotional depth—both Cooper and Ramona are healing from their pasts, and the way they support each other through it all? Heart-melting. They didn’t run when things got hard. They held on.

😂 The banter is top-tier. Cooper’s teammates, their friends, and the meddling mamas were everything. I need these side characters to get their own books ASAP.

🥅 The hockey scenes were so well written! I don’t know much about the sport, but I could see the action playing out in my head. This is one of the most authentic hockey romances I’ve ever read!

If you’re in your hockey romance era like I am, this is a must-read. I’ve completely fallen in love with Redwood Falls and the Portland Timberwolves, and I need the next book ASAP. AJ Alexander, you have a fan for life.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the women (especially Alise) in this book are extremely annoying with the exception of Ramona's mother and Aunt Peggy.

Cooper sustains a life-altering injury during his hockey game and after surgery he's sent back to his hometown of Redwood Falls to convalesce and to coach 12-year-old hockey players. On his way to visit his mom, he's waylaid by a herd of cows and a beautiful woman on a horse. They flirt a little and they move on.

Fate brings them together again with the help of Cooper's play sister, Alise—she's a lot and she's quirky. She thinks she's doing something when she introduces Ramona to Cooper, but they've met so she deems it—fate.

They both aren't looking for anything until they are and their first date doesn't quite go as planned and neither does their makeout session. They both have baggage and suffer from guilt weighing them down, but they've both sought therapy and each had their own way of coping with anxiety which showed they still needed ongoing therapy.

When Ramona's age (I did the math) was revealed, I immediately figured out she wasn't Darius' mother. I don't know why the author waited so long to reveal this fact to the hero because readers already knew. I don't see how it was possible for her to celebrate her birthday and not mention her age or for Cooper not to ask her.

The other reveals that took way too long, their respective tragedies. How are you talking on the phone for hours and it doesn't come up?!

The rift between Cooper and Cole is hinted at but not revealed, and Cooper and I can't imagine what exactly happened that Cole doesn't want to see or talk to Cooper. Cooper experiences a very bad episode and Cole doesn't come running?! He doesn't set aside his anger to check on his brother? There is a code among men, and it's very real and a very large population of men just don't act this way, this is female territory. Lastly, we're supposed to believe that their mom hasn't tried to get them to repair their rift. Still, I recommend you read this book, your opinion may differ.

[Melissa Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper & Ramona are goals.

AJ Alexander entered her hockey era in a major way! I could not put down A Scoring Chance once I started. Bed time? What is that?

Cooper's coming off a potential career ending injury as he heads to Redwood Falls to coach a youth hockey team when he crosses paths with Ramona. He's lost and angry at the thought of his hockey career being over because that's all he's ever known. The last place he wants to be is Redwood Falls, that is until a beauty he can't get out of his head crosses his path. That man was a goner the moment he laid eyes on Ramona.

Ramona is a single guardian to her nephew, who's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. When the hot hockey player shows interest in her, she thinks it can't possibly be real and try as she may, she can't stop thinking about him either.

Cooper and Ramona both have a lot of baggage, hurt and emotional scars they're holding onto. As they get to know one another, and start opening up, they realize there's a deep connection and something special brewing below the surface.

With friends and family and the mamma's in their corner, and conspiring to put them in eachothers paths every chance they got, these two didn't stand a chance. Cooper gave off that golden retriever energy that Ramona didn't know she needed, and the way that man cherished her...let the swooning commence. When they fell, they fell hard and those blurry lines were obliterated. I adored the way everyone in Cooper's life welcomed and supported Ramona and Darius. This was definitely a feel good read and I can't wait to see what more is coming in this series.

AJ Alexander is an auto read author for me because I love that she's not afraid to represent interracial romances that I find so rare in the romance community. She touches on sensitive topics and real life struggles and experiences in such an authentic way that you can always connect with. I know I'm going to fall in love with the stories she creates and the characters she brings together.

Excited for more of the Portland Timberwolves!

[Elena (Taylor's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶/5

What to say about this book? I absolutely loved it. AJ Alexander made the perfect book to read in one go. I sat down with this book and, without even realising it, I binged it.

I fell in love with Cooper and Ramona from their first encounter and the more I learned about them the more I didn't want the book to end. And you cannot fall in love with this two without falling hard for the small town of Redwood Falls and their families. Indeed, when I finished the book, I immediately went on the hunt for others books from AJ.

Cooper is one of the best NHL player but, due to an injury, is forced to go back to his hometown and coach the 12u hockey team.
Ramona works two jobs, trying her hardest to make up for past mistakes. Both of them will do anything for the ones they love the most but will they do something for themselves once in their lifetimes?

Coop is an amzing boy that wil sacrifice everything to make his loved ones happy, expecially Ramona. And I love how they faced together the ghost of their past without losing hope.

The story is fast-paced but it's really well written. The development of Mona and Coop was amazing. I've always been a fan of small town and hockey romances so this book was a dream coming true. Nothing was left behind into the story and it gave me the perfect ambience to exit from my reading slump. I have to tell you, if you ever get into a slump so bad that it's been months since you picked up a book than this is the story for you: it will make you get out of it in a day!

I will definitely be reading more about AJ Alexander and you should definetly read this book! Can't wait for the rest of the series to be published!
A big thank you goes to the Literally Yours PR team for giving the chance to read this book as an ARC.

[The Bosnian · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙄𝘾 𝘽𝙊𝙎𝙉𝙄𝘼𝙉 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨
*𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 & 𝙽𝙴𝚆 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛*

This is a NEW to me author but when I saw the cover I screamed and of course wanted to give this a try and dive in. I'm a fan of sports romance especially hockey. I am a MOOD reader and tend to get a little dramatic in my reviews to heads up, but mostly like to review as I read. SPOILER FREE always!

These two were the cutest. We have the NHL MMC who injured himself and is assigned to coach the small hockey league at his old high school. The heroine is a beautiful woman who works very hard and has the whole world on her shoulder. Both of these characters have something they went through in life that prevents them from living fully. Now when they first meet, there are highlander cows in the mix ;) but small world when the MFC best friend also happens to be the MMC best friend. The trauma of their past is heartbreaking but together, they truly are there for one another. The transition from getting to know one another to being together threw me off a little, felt like a whip lash because the MFC also suddenly is very upfront and just seems very different than what she was build up for up until then. I don't know if that makes sense but that threw me off. Therefore the spicy scenes were a little needed adjustment by my brain to focus on if you will. But I am happy to see the MFC & MMC connect so well and be so into one another. There are secrets and things that need to be said between then and their road was a hard one to get to the end. I really enjoyed the side characters as well and glad I got the chance to ARC read this book. Also a 3 on the spice level!

For more on this book & teasers visit me on my 🅱🅾🅾🅺🆂🆃🅰🅶🆁🅰🅼 page @𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚋𝚘𝚜𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚗

[Luv 2 Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story of trauma and the aftermath of tragedy in their lives.

This is my first book by AJ Alexander, and I am hooked.

This is a beautiful story of trauma and the aftermath of tragedy in their lives.

Ramona King has taken care of her family since her father and sister died.
She works hard to provide for her ma and Darius.
When a chance meeting with one of the town's hockey gods, she can't figure out why she is so drawn to this man.


Cooper Hendrick’s has loved hockey since he was a little boy.
He and his three brothers play, with three in the NHL and one in college working way up the ranks.
He has demons of his own that have caused him to feel like he is responsible for taking care of his family.
They'll aways come first, even before himself.

When he's put on the injured reserve list for a torn ACL injury, the owner decides to send him home to coach pee-we hockey.

Darius just so happens to play on the team he's coaching.

Things are set in motion that neither of them understand.
With a little meddling from both of their families and the fact that they can't seem to fight the attraction they feel for each other, they developed a friendship.

They both suffer from great losses in their lives, and that trauma causes extreme anxiety and panic attacks in both of their lives.

It becomes clear that they seem to assist each other in handling their trauma better together.

This story can have some triggers, so please read the description to see if it's right for you.

I look forward to reading the rest of this series. If you love hockey romance, you will too.

[Marni Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Scoring Chance ( Portland Timberwolves Series Book 1 ) well just as she always does AJ Alexander has not only delivered another home run right outta the ballpark!!!! But all my expectations have once again been exceeded. To be completely honest, I’ve been on quite the dark romance binge lately, so it’s been a while that I had the pleasure of picking up a romance with all the feels . A romance that had the ability to make me smile, make me laugh out loud , make me cry all while cheering so freaking hard the whole way through. But that’s exactly what A Scoring Chance did in spades . I mean who doesn’t love a wonderfully written and emotionally charged, single mom , small town and hockey love story with some of the most wonderfully written, likable and relatable characters you’ll ever want to meet !!! Being a single mom myself made Ramona such an easy character for me to connect with and relate to . I really did adore every single thing about her . And Cooper well let me just say my heart truly went out to him . Getting hurt as badly as he did . A injury that ended his dream and career of being a pro hockey player . The emotional toll that took on his life . But everything changes when he sees Ramona . He starts to feel hopeful again and sees light at the end of the tunnel . Maybe even love and a happily ever after . These two do not have it easy . Both have baggage and hurt in their lives . But maybe just maybe they can be there for each other and learn to trust again .

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off the Ice and Onto the Heart: A Must-Read Forbidden Hockey Romance!


AJ Alexander hits the back of the net with A SCORING CHANCE, an all-new, deeply satisfying small-town, interracial hockey romance and the start of the Portland Timberwolves series! As a huge hockey fan, I loved diving into this world.

Cooper Hendricks, a professional hockey player, is grounded after a devastating knee injury, forcing him back to his small hometown to coach peewee hockey. He's determined to focus on his comeback, but fate has other plans in the form of Ramona King.

“Just one smile from her sets my entire world ablaze.”

Ramona is the mother of one of his players and, complicating things further, she's his "sister-from-another-mister's" best friend, making her completely off-limits. The internal conflict is amazing! He should focus on his career, and he should keep his distance, but the more time he spends with Ramona and her son, the more those lines blur.

I especially love how AJ Alexander crafts real-life couples and mixes cultures in her stories. This connection felt authentic and grounded, adding wonderful depth to the drama. The journey from "off-limits" to undeniable is intense and heart-melting. He realizes that while hockey has always been his life, the one thing he won't walk away from is Ramona.

If you love the forbidden romance trope, emotional depth, and watching a professional athlete find love and new purpose in a small town, then A SCORING CHANCE is the perfect game-winner!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Portland Timberwolves #1

Cooper Hendrix is 30 years old and plays hockey for the Portland Timberwolves. In his last game he suffered a knee injury that took him out of the game and he ends up back in his hometown of Redwood Falls coaching a youth hockey team while he recuperates.
Cooper runs into a young lady on a horse moving cattle and is quite taken by her. He's surprised when he sees her at the youth hockey meeting and thinks she is a mom to one of his kids.

Ramona King is 24 and a single parent to a twelve year old boy Darius who is actually her nephew. When she and Cooper meet they have an instant connection and her bestie is like his sister altho not related. The chemistry can't be denied yet they both have a lot of baggage to work through. Both are holding on to secrets but are helping each other to work through them.
The love is there but there is a force trying to pull them apart. Will they succeed?

4 stars
This is a very emotional story of shouldering all the pain but trying to heal. It has several trigger points that could be a set off so be sure and check before reading.

[Kari Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hockey has always played a starring role in Cooper’s life but now a serious injury has him returning to his hometown. While he heals he will coach the youth hockey team of which Ramona’s son Darius is on the players. He is drawn to her in a way he didn’t expect but with the challenges in his life he doesn’t believe he can give her what she needs.

After everything that Darius has been through Ramona is determined to be the person that Darius needs and needs to focus on that. She is conflicted by Cooper’s interest in her as she isn’t sure why someone like him would be interested in someone like her especially when his time in town is only temporary.

Both Cooper and Ramona bear the emotional scars of the past which they have tried to push aside to be there for those they care about. In each other they find a kindred soul as they help each other make peace with the past and find a love that will change their lives.

[Valerie Anaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start.

Coop and Mona, the people that you are!! The love that you have for each other is so special!! It was an instant connection between the two of them(even though they tried to fight it).

Cooper, NHL star being sent to Redwood Falls to coach a little league team after tearing his ACL. His main goal is to coach for the season and prove he’s ready to get back on the team.

Ramona, aunt turned mom, doing everything she can to take care of her family. She doesn’t think she deserves to be loved or have good things but cooper shows her she does and cherishes her!!

I loved that the author represented mental disorders such as anxiety, ptsd, adhd, AND going to therapy! It’s still not talked about much and it’s ‘25!!

It was a whirlwind of a book. Overall, I loved it.

[Tara Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but felt like there was a little too much repetition where certain plot points were concerned. Cooper and Ramona were so perfect together and I felt horrible for them where their guilt was concerned. Alise is great and I love that she is strong, capable, and fierce, in spite of her quirks.

Cooper is sweet and has had a weight on him since he was younger. His family is fractured and he doesn’t know how to fix it. He will stop at nothing to protect Ramona. Ramona is strong and also faces a lot of guilt. I loved the fact that they both had similar issues and both felt like they didn’t deserve the other.

This was a great way to start a new series and if each brother gets swoonier than the last, we are in trouble. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

[Mayazings Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

My ARC review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥 🔥
Omg! THIS IS A MUST READ!!! Already saying this is gonna be one of my fav reads of the year !
The book covers so many important topics and life struggles people face. The detail of everyone’s experiences feels so pure and raw.
Laughed and cried and giggled and had to read certain parts not in public.
If your vibe is single mum. Sports romance. Small town love. I want you but I shouldn’t vibe. This is a book for you!!
I want to read the other characters stories now!!! I love being an ARC reader but Damm also wish I’d discovered this when all the series was out.
This definitely was a book that made me get less sleep cause I couldn’t stop reading

OUT FROM February 20th.

[Alexandra Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow burn girlies this one is for you and it’s sooo good! Cooper and Ramona are both carrying some heavy baggage being weighed down by past events and neither one of them is looking to take on a relationship but sometimes when you know you know! This is very much a everyone knows everyone small town romance and I absolutely loved all the meddling 🤣
Ive only read a handful of AJ’s books so far but I know one thing she does very well is diversity and representation. The mental health and disability representation was also amazing and done very well. That being said with diversity comes closed minded people and that is shown in this story so please check the sensitivity warning.
I’m very excited to see where this series goes!

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series, and this is Cooper and Ramona’s story.
Cooper is a star NHL player and when he is injured he returns to his hometown to coach peewee hockey. Ramona is a single mom / guardian to her nephew, with the weight of the world on her shoulders, and a family she would do anything for. From the moment Cooper sees Ramona he knows she is the one for him. Both characters have baggage, but can they take a chances on each other?
This is a well written emotionally charged story, which has family, friendships, humor, witty banter, challenges, engaging and relatable characters, and instant love, which leads to an entertaining, spicy, and all-consuming addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Vilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are triggers in this romance, be warned. But it’s a beautifully told romance of an unlikely couple, each with their own past traumas that shape who they are today.

I loved Cooper and Ramona as a couple. They are written in a way that you know they will have to overcome issues based on their past and things they wish they had done differently. I believe that makes the story relatable as every body has those ‘wish I had done (or not done) this’ moments at some point in their life.

There’s a whole cast of important sub characters, many who you know will get a book. I want that book right now, make it happen AJ!

Coop and Beauty (his nickname for Ramona) get their hard earned happy ending, nut not before a whole lot of drama.

[Lilian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper returns to his hometown to recuperate from an injury. While at home, he is also roped in to coach the kids hockey team where he meets Ramona and Darius. From the moment he meets Ramona, there is mutual attraction. However, both of them feel that they do not deserve to be happy due to trauma from past incidents.

I loved Alise and their mothers for meddling and bringing them together. Those dates which Cooper plan for are so awesome, and it makes me envious!

Besides that, I liked how their shared experience with grief allows them to support each other unconditionally and be each other’s pillar to lean on when they feel as if they are drowning. The ending was a beautiful one which speaks of a wonderful future ahead.

[FER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pick up A SCORING CHANCE for:

Hometown romance
Single parent
Hockey family
Shared hurts
Instant connection
Dra-Ma!
Wholesomeness

Cooper and Ramona's love is the stuff of legends. You can tell though how hesitant they are to give into their intense feelings. They each carry trauma of losing loved ones and exercise caution when risking their hearts. But the kind of chemistry they have can not be denied. In each other they find passion as well as a safe space to lay they burdens down. Friends and family turn out strong to support them too. The small town hometown vibes are the coziest.

Thank you AJ Alexander for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.