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Saints Hockey #1
Stick With Me: A Friends To Lovers, Fake Dating Romance
She’s playing it safe. He’s playing for keeps.
Hannah Clarke’s world crumbles when her fiancé announces their breakup in a headline declaring himself Hockey’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Now, she’s picking up the pieces with three simple rules: no distractions, no love, and absolutely no hockey players.
But a kiss at All-Star Weekend changes everything.
Not just any kiss. One with Ryan Logan, her best friend and her ex’s rival.
It wasn’t supposed to happen, let alone mean anything. But it does. And when Hannah needs a fake boyfriend to prove she’s moved on, Ryan steps in without hesitation. Even if it means breaking all her rules, she can’t help but take a chance.
What starts as a harmless ruse quickly feels all too real. Every touch lingers, every glance says what words can’t, and every practice date leaves her wanting more.
Falling wasn’t part of the plan. But Ryan is determined to prove he’s worth the leap. And Hannah is starting to wonder if the love she’s been running from has been right in front of her all along.
Hannah Clarke’s world crumbles when her fiancé announces their breakup in a headline declaring himself Hockey’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Now, she’s picking up the pieces with three simple rules: no distractions, no love, and absolutely no hockey players.
But a kiss at All-Star Weekend changes everything.
Not just any kiss. One with Ryan Logan, her best friend and her ex’s rival.
It wasn’t supposed to happen, let alone mean anything. But it does. And when Hannah needs a fake boyfriend to prove she’s moved on, Ryan steps in without hesitation. Even if it means breaking all her rules, she can’t help but take a chance.
What starts as a harmless ruse quickly feels all too real. Every touch lingers, every glance says what words can’t, and every practice date leaves her wanting more.
Falling wasn’t part of the plan. But Ryan is determined to prove he’s worth the leap. And Hannah is starting to wonder if the love she’s been running from has been right in front of her all along.
394 pages, Paperback
Published March 14, 2025
About the author
Nikki Callan
4 books126 followersNikki writes feel-good romance with down bad men. She believes banter is a love language, he should always fall first, and happily ever afters are better when they're hard-earned.
When she’s not crafting her next book boyfriend, she’s buried in her TBR, hanging out with her dogs, convincing herself it’s perfectly reasonable to commission more character art, or roping her partner into another DIY project.
Stay updated on her latest by following along on social media: @authornikkicallan.
When she’s not crafting her next book boyfriend, she’s buried in her TBR, hanging out with her dogs, convincing herself it’s perfectly reasonable to commission more character art, or roping her partner into another DIY project.
Stay updated on her latest by following along on social media: @authornikkicallan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 591 reviews
March 16, 2025
꩜ .ᐟ
4.25 stars
˙⋆✮
⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 march 15
⤿ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 march 15
⋆˚࿔ 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
this was a easy, fun, hockey romance!! perfect palette cleanser in between books!! i loved ryan sm, he was the sweetest and always putting everyone first. hannah not being depressed over her ex and realizing how horrible their relationship was, made sense than just her moping around. the writing style was easy and enjoyable.
thank you love notes pr for this e-arc <3
⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
🩵 best friends to lovers
🏒 hockey romance
🩵 ex's rival
🏒 roomates
🩵 fake dating
🏒 silly nicknames
🩵 years of longing
🏒 slow-burn
⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 march 15
⤿ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 march 15
⋆˚࿔ 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
this was a easy, fun, hockey romance!! perfect palette cleanser in between books!! i loved ryan sm, he was the sweetest and always putting everyone first. hannah not being depressed over her ex and realizing how horrible their relationship was, made sense than just her moping around. the writing style was easy and enjoyable.
thank you love notes pr for this e-arc <3
⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
🩵 best friends to lovers
🏒 hockey romance
🩵 ex's rival
🏒 roomates
🩵 fake dating
🏒 silly nicknames
🩵 years of longing
🏒 slow-burn
February 28, 2025
╭ ✦ •
│ ⊹ 𝟺 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 ⊹
╰ ✦ •
I really enjoyed this! I loved Ryan and Hannah's chemistry, banter and all their cute moments.
Ryan is absolutely the cutest! He’s so protective, supportive and caring.
His paper airplane notes 🥺🥺
I wish the conflict resolution didn’t feel so rushed? It seemed like something big was about to happen, and was hinted at, but nothing happened.
I liked that Jace turned a new leaf, though it felt very sudden? I hope he gets his own book, with his true love interest, I'm excited to see more of his background in future books and will most likely be in the next book as a side character
Anyways, I'm so excited for Dominic's book!! Also, I really want to know more about that thing that happened between Ilya and Natalie👀👀
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥Hockey romance with hockey
❥She’s healing from a broken heart
❥He’s been obsessed with her for years
❥College Friends
❥Long-distance friends who turn into roommates
❥Friends to lovers
❥Fake dating to get back at her ex/his rival
❥Medium-burn
❥He calls her Sunshine
❥Beach vibes at All-Star Weekend
❥But they live in Chicago
❥Text bubbles
❥They adopt a dog together
❥Found family
❥Spicy
❥No 3rd act breakup
Thank you for the ARC, Nikki Callan + LNPR!
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⁀➷𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
AHHH I GOT THE ARC!! This sounds so good! I've been wanting to read another hockey romance!
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
│ ⊹ 𝟺 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 ⊹
╰ ✦ •
I really enjoyed this! I loved Ryan and Hannah's chemistry, banter and all their cute moments.
Ryan is absolutely the cutest! He’s so protective, supportive and caring.
His paper airplane notes 🥺🥺
I wish the conflict resolution didn’t feel so rushed? It seemed like something big was about to happen, and was hinted at, but nothing happened.
I liked that Jace turned a new leaf, though it felt very sudden? I hope he gets his own book, with his true love interest, I'm excited to see more of his background in future books and will most likely be in the next book as a side character
Anyways, I'm so excited for Dominic's book!! Also, I really want to know more about that thing that happened between Ilya and Natalie👀👀
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥Hockey romance with hockey
❥She’s healing from a broken heart
❥He’s been obsessed with her for years
❥College Friends
❥Long-distance friends who turn into roommates
❥Friends to lovers
❥Fake dating to get back at her ex/his rival
❥Medium-burn
❥He calls her Sunshine
❥Beach vibes at All-Star Weekend
❥But they live in Chicago
❥Text bubbles
❥They adopt a dog together
❥Found family
❥Spicy
❥No 3rd act breakup
Thank you for the ARC, Nikki Callan + LNPR!
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⁀➷𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
AHHH I GOT THE ARC!! This sounds so good! I've been wanting to read another hockey romance!
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
September 10, 2025
This one was a doozy. We have Hannah who’s been engaged to her hockey bf for a few years letting her own work be behind her to support him. And what does she find out her bf told the media before her that they broke up. She’s confused and confronts him and he’s all chill let’s have space and go wild and get back together after… real classy. So Hannah leaves not dealing with that. On top of that she’s sorta homeless and jobless, so when she talk,s to her best friend Ryan who’s also a hockey player and has been in love with her since they met. Offers her to be roommates and helps her though her break up. Things start changing between them. Yes it was akaward because Hannah sorta friend zoned Ryan thinking he never saw her in that light but it was all her ex’s fault since Ryan and him were friends and he told the ex he had a crush on her and well you saw how that ended.
You get fake dating between the 2 turn into real dating. Adopting a dog, tv show binge watching. Hehe we get the hockey team and for once a team that loses. Yeah shocking to me to see Ryan lose and not be a cocky ass MMC.
The ex was forgaven near the end since they are going to be on the same team.. please don’t have him have a story.
Beside that it was a good book. The next book is Dom and Ryans sister Mia.. I’ll read another time.
saftey- Ryan knows she goes on one date nothing happens because dude is a jerk. Hannah meets one of Ryan's Ex. no drama beside Hannah ex
no ow/om drama, no cheating , slight secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶️🌶️
Slowinsta
Praise kink
Anxiety and panic attacks
Injury
Past parental abandonment
Emotional abuse
Narcissistic behavior
Gaslighting
No comdom
Hea
Epilogue
You get fake dating between the 2 turn into real dating. Adopting a dog, tv show binge watching. Hehe we get the hockey team and for once a team that loses. Yeah shocking to me to see Ryan lose and not be a cocky ass MMC.
The ex was forgaven near the end since they are going to be on the same team.. please don’t have him have a story.
Beside that it was a good book. The next book is Dom and Ryans sister Mia.. I’ll read another time.
saftey- Ryan knows she goes on one date nothing happens because dude is a jerk. Hannah meets one of Ryan's Ex. no drama beside Hannah ex
no ow/om drama, no cheating , slight secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶️🌶️
Slowinsta
Praise kink
Anxiety and panic attacks
Injury
Past parental abandonment
Emotional abuse
Narcissistic behavior
Gaslighting
No comdom
Hea
Epilogue
March 9, 2025
“i’m not sure i can remember a time when i didn’t love her. i’ve waited six years, and i would've waited a hundred more. just to call her mine.”
this book had super cute moments, but i did not love it overall.
the fmc, hannah, felt extremely immature to me. throughout the book, she grew increasingly insecure and jealous over little things, even though she said out loud that she wasn’t. she would worry about other women and how different they are from her (how they look and how much more pretty they are), but she would especially worry about them when they were around the mmc. she felt very “woe is me” and i just did not vibe with that at all. there’s a conversation between hannah and her friend where she’s saying that “she’s not like them”, aka her ex’s new girlfriend(s) or whatever, and her friend tries to remind her who tf she is, but it doesn’t help much. oh, and she considered giving up her literal life’s dream that she had been in the process of pursuing (and doing) because ryan’s hockey contract was up in the air…i really didn’t like that sentiment. lastly, there was a whole thing with hannah’s ex that i just did not care for in the slightest. he made some really nasty comments about her, purposely instigated a fight over her, and then had the audacity to act like he was sorry and try to make amends, and i just didn’t buy it or appreciate it.
now ryan, he’s been in love with hannah for god knows how long but he can’t be an adult and say he’s liked her? in fact, neither of them say anything about their feelings at all, until they finally do (at a point that felt way too late for me). as for the fake dating, this didn’t happen for a good portion of the book, and then when they both started to feel like it shouldn’t be fake anymore, neither of them admitted their feelings for the other, nor did they use their adult brains and do something about it. he was also a bit insecure at times, specifically when they kissed and he says “maybe i’m just not her type”, like come on, dude…
what i did like was how gone ryan was for hannah during the spicy scenes, especially one in particular, but i wont spoil it. the paper airplanes were adorable, and i would’ve read every single one as soon as i got them. ryan defended hannah like his life depended on it, and i ate up those “don’t fucking talk to/about her” moments. some of ryan’s comments during the spicy scenes were sooo good, especially the one about hannah wearing his last name across her back (lol).
thank you to love notes pr and the author for the e-arc! 💌
✈︎ slow burn
✈︎ fake dating
✈︎ found family
✈︎ friends to lovers
✈︎ it’s always been you
this book had super cute moments, but i did not love it overall.
the fmc, hannah, felt extremely immature to me. throughout the book, she grew increasingly insecure and jealous over little things, even though she said out loud that she wasn’t. she would worry about other women and how different they are from her (how they look and how much more pretty they are), but she would especially worry about them when they were around the mmc. she felt very “woe is me” and i just did not vibe with that at all. there’s a conversation between hannah and her friend where she’s saying that “she’s not like them”, aka her ex’s new girlfriend(s) or whatever, and her friend tries to remind her who tf she is, but it doesn’t help much. oh, and she considered giving up her literal life’s dream that she had been in the process of pursuing (and doing) because ryan’s hockey contract was up in the air…i really didn’t like that sentiment. lastly, there was a whole thing with hannah’s ex that i just did not care for in the slightest. he made some really nasty comments about her, purposely instigated a fight over her, and then had the audacity to act like he was sorry and try to make amends, and i just didn’t buy it or appreciate it.
now ryan, he’s been in love with hannah for god knows how long but he can’t be an adult and say he’s liked her? in fact, neither of them say anything about their feelings at all, until they finally do (at a point that felt way too late for me). as for the fake dating, this didn’t happen for a good portion of the book, and then when they both started to feel like it shouldn’t be fake anymore, neither of them admitted their feelings for the other, nor did they use their adult brains and do something about it. he was also a bit insecure at times, specifically when they kissed and he says “maybe i’m just not her type”, like come on, dude…
what i did like was how gone ryan was for hannah during the spicy scenes, especially one in particular, but i wont spoil it. the paper airplanes were adorable, and i would’ve read every single one as soon as i got them. ryan defended hannah like his life depended on it, and i ate up those “don’t fucking talk to/about her” moments. some of ryan’s comments during the spicy scenes were sooo good, especially the one about hannah wearing his last name across her back (lol).
thank you to love notes pr and the author for the e-arc! 💌
✈︎ slow burn
✈︎ fake dating
✈︎ found family
✈︎ friends to lovers
✈︎ it’s always been you
March 14, 2025
Stick With Me by Nikki Callan
4/5⭐
2/5🌶️
This book was such a delightful, sweet read! I enjoyed the chemistry between Ryan and Hannah, and their playful banter was just the best. Ryan has had feelings for Hannah since their freshman year, but before he could work up the courage to ask her out, another guy beat him to it. Fast forward six years and Hannah’s just gone through a breakup with her fiancé, so she’s ready for a fresh start. She’s spent so much time putting her dreams on the back burner to support others, and now it’s her turn to shine. She wants to return to Chicago, and Ryan is there to offer her a place to stay. He’s been hiding his feelings for her all this time while being her best friend, but now that he knows she’s not happy in her past relationship, he’s determined to be the guy who makes her smile again.
I loved how supportive and understanding Ryan is with Hannah. He wants to pursue her, but he also respects that she needs to take things at her own pace. It’s clear she’s cautious about jumping into a relationship so soon after her breakup, which I get. She tries to keep her walls up and deny her feelings for Ryan, but slowly he wins her trust. I loved the way they communicate when challenges arise. There’s a scene that tugged at my heartstrings, showing just how deep Ryan’s love for Hannah is.
The side characters, especially Fox and Volkov, were fantastic too! I loved how Ryan turns to them for advice about his love life, even though they’re not exactly relationship gurus. Some swoon-worthy and funny moments made me smile. While I wasn’t completely sold on one side character, I’m a sucker for a good redemption arc, so I wouldn’t mind if they got their book later on. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, especially if you like the friends-to-lovers trope.
4/5⭐
2/5🌶️
This book was such a delightful, sweet read! I enjoyed the chemistry between Ryan and Hannah, and their playful banter was just the best. Ryan has had feelings for Hannah since their freshman year, but before he could work up the courage to ask her out, another guy beat him to it. Fast forward six years and Hannah’s just gone through a breakup with her fiancé, so she’s ready for a fresh start. She’s spent so much time putting her dreams on the back burner to support others, and now it’s her turn to shine. She wants to return to Chicago, and Ryan is there to offer her a place to stay. He’s been hiding his feelings for her all this time while being her best friend, but now that he knows she’s not happy in her past relationship, he’s determined to be the guy who makes her smile again.
I loved how supportive and understanding Ryan is with Hannah. He wants to pursue her, but he also respects that she needs to take things at her own pace. It’s clear she’s cautious about jumping into a relationship so soon after her breakup, which I get. She tries to keep her walls up and deny her feelings for Ryan, but slowly he wins her trust. I loved the way they communicate when challenges arise. There’s a scene that tugged at my heartstrings, showing just how deep Ryan’s love for Hannah is.
The side characters, especially Fox and Volkov, were fantastic too! I loved how Ryan turns to them for advice about his love life, even though they’re not exactly relationship gurus. Some swoon-worthy and funny moments made me smile. While I wasn’t completely sold on one side character, I’m a sucker for a good redemption arc, so I wouldn’t mind if they got their book later on. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, especially if you like the friends-to-lovers trope.
August 28, 2026
— 2.5 stars 𝜗ৎ
i feel like i’ve been reading too many hockey romances that it has gotten repetitive… so maybe that’s why i rated this so low?? but also the “fake dating” trope wasn’t used properly & that’s what i was expecting. ryan & hannah DID fake date, but it was for like 2 milliseconds and 50% into the book… ok! also his nickname for her… “sunshine” was overused. otherwise, i read this book fast and it was enjoyable.
🏙️ characters ༉‧₊˚. hannah i love her but i feel as though she is unfinished as a character? like she wasn’t well rounded? there were a lot of arcs surrounding her that were disregarded? i love natalie & ada… like volkov & nat ;)
ryan such a sweetheart. he puts everyone around him first. but i don’t understand how dumb he is !!! like wdym u didn’t think she liked u omdssss haha . i love his relationship with his team already, and i can’t wait to read about them all! especially dominic & ilya !!!
i feel like i’ve been reading too many hockey romances that it has gotten repetitive… so maybe that’s why i rated this so low?? but also the “fake dating” trope wasn’t used properly & that’s what i was expecting. ryan & hannah DID fake date, but it was for like 2 milliseconds and 50% into the book… ok! also his nickname for her… “sunshine” was overused. otherwise, i read this book fast and it was enjoyable.
🏙️ characters ༉‧₊˚. hannah i love her but i feel as though she is unfinished as a character? like she wasn’t well rounded? there were a lot of arcs surrounding her that were disregarded? i love natalie & ada… like volkov & nat ;)
ryan such a sweetheart. he puts everyone around him first. but i don’t understand how dumb he is !!! like wdym u didn’t think she liked u omdssss haha . i love his relationship with his team already, and i can’t wait to read about them all! especially dominic & ilya !!!
08/27/26 - 08/28/26
March 2, 2025
If you love a friends-to-lovers romance with that it’s always been you feeling, then this one is the perfect cozy read! Hannah and Ryan’s story is filled with heart, chemistry, and the kind of slow-burn sweetness that makes you swoon.
Ryan Logan is the ultimate best friend turned boyfriend—supportive, patient, and completely smitten in the best way possible. His love for Hannah shines through in every moment, making it impossible not to root for them. The fake dating trope adds just the right amount of tension, and watching their connection deepen is pure joy.
This book is a perfect blend of warmth, longing, and love, proving that sometimes the right person has been by your side all along. A definite must-read for romance fans! 💙✨
Ryan Logan is the ultimate best friend turned boyfriend—supportive, patient, and completely smitten in the best way possible. His love for Hannah shines through in every moment, making it impossible not to root for them. The fake dating trope adds just the right amount of tension, and watching their connection deepen is pure joy.
This book is a perfect blend of warmth, longing, and love, proving that sometimes the right person has been by your side all along. A definite must-read for romance fans! 💙✨
March 6, 2025
i got the ARC for this book and i ate it UP. Nikki Callan’s debut novel was fun, flirty, dramatic, and the cutest damn thing; all the good things we want in a hockey romance. literally no notes so perfect. *chef’s kiss*
November 21, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️.5
Stick With Me is the first book in the Saints Hockey series. This was a sweet friends to lovers romance with a swoony golden retriever hockey player.
Ryan has been in love with Hannah since college, but he got stuck in the friend zone after waiting too long to make a move. One of his college teammates, Jace, jumped in and stole his girl and he had to settle for being friends. Now, 6 years later Hannah had to learn Jace wanted to end their engagement through an article and has nowhere to go. She realized she gave up on all of her dreams to support Jace and lost herself. She decides to finally go after her dream of opening an Animal Rescue and moves back to Chicago, where Ryan lives.
Ryan asks her to move in with him and jumps at the opportunity to finally make her his woman. They end up fake dating after her fiancé embarrasses her by publicly moving on with other women.
This was cute, but I did get frustrated with how insecure and clueless Hannah was. I did really love Ryan and he was such a supportive partner. I loved all the side characters and I have no idea how I will feel if her loser ex gets a book. I have no idea if he can be redeemed.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
🎤Dual narration by Lee Samuels & June Deborahae
Lee Samuels and June Deborahae did a great job showing the connection and chemistry between Ryan and Hannah.
🏒 Friends to Lovers
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 He Falls First
🏒 Fake Dating
🏒 Roommates
🏒 Forced Proximity
🏒 Golden Retriever Hero
🏒 It's Always been You
Thank you to Must Love Audio for providing the ALC.
🌶️🌶️.5
Stick With Me is the first book in the Saints Hockey series. This was a sweet friends to lovers romance with a swoony golden retriever hockey player.
Ryan has been in love with Hannah since college, but he got stuck in the friend zone after waiting too long to make a move. One of his college teammates, Jace, jumped in and stole his girl and he had to settle for being friends. Now, 6 years later Hannah had to learn Jace wanted to end their engagement through an article and has nowhere to go. She realized she gave up on all of her dreams to support Jace and lost herself. She decides to finally go after her dream of opening an Animal Rescue and moves back to Chicago, where Ryan lives.
Ryan asks her to move in with him and jumps at the opportunity to finally make her his woman. They end up fake dating after her fiancé embarrasses her by publicly moving on with other women.
This was cute, but I did get frustrated with how insecure and clueless Hannah was. I did really love Ryan and he was such a supportive partner. I loved all the side characters and I have no idea how I will feel if her loser ex gets a book. I have no idea if he can be redeemed.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
🎤Dual narration by Lee Samuels & June Deborahae
Lee Samuels and June Deborahae did a great job showing the connection and chemistry between Ryan and Hannah.
🏒 Friends to Lovers
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 He Falls First
🏒 Fake Dating
🏒 Roommates
🏒 Forced Proximity
🏒 Golden Retriever Hero
🏒 It's Always been You
Thank you to Must Love Audio for providing the ALC.
November 23, 2025
This follows Hannah, who has spent the last six years following her hockey-playing boyfriend, until everything comes crashing down when an article hits the papers before she even knew what was happening. Now, as she navigates this massive change, she’s lucky to have her best friend Ryan, who has always looked out for her and who has secretly been pining for her for years to help.
I love a good best friends to lovers romance especially when the MMC has always quietly wanted the FMC. Ryan was fantastic the kind of man who would do anything for Hannah. Their bond has always been close, and you can feel the simmering tension between them from the start. He’s such a good book boyfriend.
My heart hurt for Hannah in the beginning, but I’m so glad she stuck to her guns with her ex. Jace made me furious, and I loved that she never gave in to his games. Watching her slowly fall for Ryan without realising how long he’d been pining was so satisfying.
I really enjoyed this character driven storyline, and the audiobook was brilliant. Both narrators were new to me, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of their work!
Genre/Type: Adult Romance 18+
APK: Audiobook ALC
Audiobook Length: 10hrs 44mins
Narrators: June Deborahae and Lee Samuels - Dual
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️
Series or Standalone: Book One In The Saints Hockey Series
Tropes or Themes: Sports (Ice Hockey), Best Friends To Lovers, Fake Dating, He Falls First, Close Proximity, It’s Always Been You, Chemistry, Tension, Sexual Content, Dirty Talk, and Oral Play
Check Triggers ⚠️ 💫
All Round Romance Reader
Sienasummerrreads 💕📚
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I love a good best friends to lovers romance especially when the MMC has always quietly wanted the FMC. Ryan was fantastic the kind of man who would do anything for Hannah. Their bond has always been close, and you can feel the simmering tension between them from the start. He’s such a good book boyfriend.
My heart hurt for Hannah in the beginning, but I’m so glad she stuck to her guns with her ex. Jace made me furious, and I loved that she never gave in to his games. Watching her slowly fall for Ryan without realising how long he’d been pining was so satisfying.
I really enjoyed this character driven storyline, and the audiobook was brilliant. Both narrators were new to me, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of their work!
Genre/Type: Adult Romance 18+
APK: Audiobook ALC
Audiobook Length: 10hrs 44mins
Narrators: June Deborahae and Lee Samuels - Dual
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️
Series or Standalone: Book One In The Saints Hockey Series
Tropes or Themes: Sports (Ice Hockey), Best Friends To Lovers, Fake Dating, He Falls First, Close Proximity, It’s Always Been You, Chemistry, Tension, Sexual Content, Dirty Talk, and Oral Play
Check Triggers ⚠️ 💫
All Round Romance Reader
Sienasummerrreads 💕📚
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November 11, 2025
I absolutely loved this one. This was such a great hockey romance for a debut.
Ryan and Hannah have been friends for years and when Hannah's engagement ends Ryan is there for her when she needs someone the most. He has been hiding her feelings for her since college, putting himself in the friendzone but when a opportunity presents itself to fake date, he takes it and decides to show her what it can actually be like.
This was my first book by Nikki and I am so excited to continue this series. The audio was fantastic. Lee Samuels and June Deborahae were perfect for Ryan and Hannah. If you love friends to lovers I highly recommend.
Overall: 4
Spice: 2
Tropes:
hockey romance
friends to lovers
it's always been you
slow burn
fake dating
forced proximity
roommates
golden retriever mmc
he falls first
Ryan and Hannah have been friends for years and when Hannah's engagement ends Ryan is there for her when she needs someone the most. He has been hiding her feelings for her since college, putting himself in the friendzone but when a opportunity presents itself to fake date, he takes it and decides to show her what it can actually be like.
This was my first book by Nikki and I am so excited to continue this series. The audio was fantastic. Lee Samuels and June Deborahae were perfect for Ryan and Hannah. If you love friends to lovers I highly recommend.
Overall: 4
Spice: 2
Tropes:
hockey romance
friends to lovers
it's always been you
slow burn
fake dating
forced proximity
roommates
golden retriever mmc
he falls first
March 1, 2025
ABSOLUTE PERFECTION 😍 God this book, it was everything that a friends to lovers book should be. Their friendship, their chemistry, the spicy scenes, it was amazing.
Ryan freaking Logan was an absolute goner for Hannah from the day he met her and all he wanted was for her to be happy, even if that wasn’t with him 🥺🥺 His PoV broke my heart, he was so in love with Hannah ❤️ He is truly a swoon worthy dream boyfriend, that every reader will fall in love with and wish he was real.
The writing was impeccable and I was so engrossed in Ryan and Hannah’s story that I didn’t move for hours. I smiled, laughed, cried and swooned over it all.
I pretty much highlighted the entire book with my favourite quotes and moments.
I can’t wait for Dominic’s book 😍
Ryan freaking Logan was an absolute goner for Hannah from the day he met her and all he wanted was for her to be happy, even if that wasn’t with him 🥺🥺 His PoV broke my heart, he was so in love with Hannah ❤️ He is truly a swoon worthy dream boyfriend, that every reader will fall in love with and wish he was real.
The writing was impeccable and I was so engrossed in Ryan and Hannah’s story that I didn’t move for hours. I smiled, laughed, cried and swooned over it all.
I pretty much highlighted the entire book with my favourite quotes and moments.
I can’t wait for Dominic’s book 😍
March 11, 2025
Hannah Clarke’s world crumbles when her fiancé announces their breakup in a headline declaring himself Hockey’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Now, she’s picking up the pieces with three simple rules: no distractions, no love, and absolutely no hockey players. However, thanks to work commitments, Hannah finds herself at the NHL All-Star Weekend where a kiss changes everything. A kiss with Ryan Logan: her best friend, a hockey player and her ex’s teammate turned rival.
It wasn’t supposed to happen, let alone mean anything. But it does. And when Hannah needs a fake boyfriend to prove she’s moved on, Ryan steps in without hesitation. Even if it means breaking all her rules, she can’t help but take a chance. What starts as a harmless ruse quickly feels all too real.
••
I was conflicted with this one. I loved the premise and that first chapter leaves you instantly outraged for Hannah. But Ryan comes onto the page like a red flag and has a few, for me, “umm what” moments so it took me a minute to warm up to him. The chemistry (and spice) between them aaaaalmost makes you forget those moments. The supporting characters are amazing. I love the strong female friendships depicted and I especially loved Hannah and Ada’s friendship meet cute. I loved Ryan’s friend group and their dynamic (did someone say group chat?) and how they supported him. You get enough information about the side characters that you feel excited for what’s to come which checks a big box for me with a series. If you like the fake dating, friends to lovers, “it’s always been you” trope with a side of kickass friends - this is a good one.
It wasn’t supposed to happen, let alone mean anything. But it does. And when Hannah needs a fake boyfriend to prove she’s moved on, Ryan steps in without hesitation. Even if it means breaking all her rules, she can’t help but take a chance. What starts as a harmless ruse quickly feels all too real.
••
I was conflicted with this one. I loved the premise and that first chapter leaves you instantly outraged for Hannah. But Ryan comes onto the page like a red flag and has a few, for me, “umm what” moments so it took me a minute to warm up to him. The chemistry (and spice) between them aaaaalmost makes you forget those moments. The supporting characters are amazing. I love the strong female friendships depicted and I especially loved Hannah and Ada’s friendship meet cute. I loved Ryan’s friend group and their dynamic (did someone say group chat?) and how they supported him. You get enough information about the side characters that you feel excited for what’s to come which checks a big box for me with a series. If you like the fake dating, friends to lovers, “it’s always been you” trope with a side of kickass friends - this is a good one.
March 20, 2025
Cuteeeeee!
I received the ARC of this book and it was really a pleasant read. Romance hockey has become a source of comfort and I got involved with this book, a good fast and light reading. The story between the two protagonists developed in a really interesting way and I couldn't stop reading… literally.
I would have had a crush on the MMC too to be honest.
I received the ARC of this book and it was really a pleasant read. Romance hockey has become a source of comfort and I got involved with this book, a good fast and light reading. The story between the two protagonists developed in a really interesting way and I couldn't stop reading… literally.
I would have had a crush on the MMC too to be honest.
March 5, 2025
I’m an absolute sucker for a friends-to-lovers trope — make it best friends to lovers, and I’m all in. Stick With Me had so many elements I adore, and while I enjoyed getting to know Hannah and Ryan, something was missing that kept me from fully being invested in their story.
There were plenty of swoon-worthy moments sprinkled throughout, but I often found myself skimming through the in-between. It wasn’t until Hannah finally opened and read the paper airplanes (ahhhhhhhh) that I felt the emotional connection I had been craving the entire book. That moment captured the depth I wished had been present all along.
Overall, this was a sweet story, but for all the insecurities and internal struggles both characters faced, I wanted the writing to dig a little deeper. Still, if you're a fan of best friends to lovers and hockey romances, this might be worth picking up!
There were plenty of swoon-worthy moments sprinkled throughout, but I often found myself skimming through the in-between. It wasn’t until Hannah finally opened and read the paper airplanes (ahhhhhhhh) that I felt the emotional connection I had been craving the entire book. That moment captured the depth I wished had been present all along.
Overall, this was a sweet story, but for all the insecurities and internal struggles both characters faced, I wanted the writing to dig a little deeper. Still, if you're a fan of best friends to lovers and hockey romances, this might be worth picking up!
March 18, 2025
SIGN ME UP for the rest of this series. I’m a sucker for a hockey romance series and this book had me squealing. I was in love with Ryan and Hannah from the start, and by the end of the book I was equally obsessed with them and daydreaming about Volk, Fox, and King (and Jace…?!?!) and their potential books.
This book had some of my favorite tropes, including “it was always you,” and they were all just SO well done. I can’t wait for the next one!
Thank you to Love Notes PR for this eARC!
This book had some of my favorite tropes, including “it was always you,” and they were all just SO well done. I can’t wait for the next one!
Thank you to Love Notes PR for this eARC!
March 13, 2025
Arc review ✨
This was a cute read , I enjoyed it , there were a few frustrating parts but otherwise I'm excited for foxs book that's next , I already know it's going to be funny lol I loved the secret pining, fake dating , friends to lovers trope in this read , I'll never get over a friends to lovers 😉✨
This was a cute read , I enjoyed it , there were a few frustrating parts but otherwise I'm excited for foxs book that's next , I already know it's going to be funny lol I loved the secret pining, fake dating , friends to lovers trope in this read , I'll never get over a friends to lovers 😉✨
July 20, 2025
Protect this man at all costs. Another fictional Ryan I love. Damn.
September 27, 2025
Ryan was top tier!!!!!
March 14, 2026
enjoyed this book! super sweet love story and really entertaining! perfect vacation book as it is just fun and fluffy! the ending with the paper airplanes was also one of the sweetest things ever! loved this book:)
December 26, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
March 18, 2025
this was such a good book!!! 🥹
you know when you read the first chapter of a book and you can just tell it’s gonna be a great read? that’s how I felt about this one!! I can’t believe this was this authors debut novel because it was so incredibly well written!! 👏🏼
I love friends to lovers and this one was so sweet! Ryan and Hannah are perfection together, their relationship grew into something so beautiful! Ryan was absolutely in love with Hannah and fully obsessed with her in every way and it was honestly adorable.
my favorite thing in this book was how Hannah picked herself up, dusted herself off and took control of herself and her life, it was inspiring and honestly super relatable for someone that’s been in horrible relationships in the past! I think a lot of us have been in toxic relationships and know we deserve better but often feel stuck, I love reading about FMC’s that I can relate to!
overall this was so good and I can’t wait to read the next in the series!!
thank you so much to Love Notes PR and Nikki Callan for the ARC ❤️
you know when you read the first chapter of a book and you can just tell it’s gonna be a great read? that’s how I felt about this one!! I can’t believe this was this authors debut novel because it was so incredibly well written!! 👏🏼
I love friends to lovers and this one was so sweet! Ryan and Hannah are perfection together, their relationship grew into something so beautiful! Ryan was absolutely in love with Hannah and fully obsessed with her in every way and it was honestly adorable.
my favorite thing in this book was how Hannah picked herself up, dusted herself off and took control of herself and her life, it was inspiring and honestly super relatable for someone that’s been in horrible relationships in the past! I think a lot of us have been in toxic relationships and know we deserve better but often feel stuck, I love reading about FMC’s that I can relate to!
overall this was so good and I can’t wait to read the next in the series!!
thank you so much to Love Notes PR and Nikki Callan for the ARC ❤️
March 12, 2025
stick with me 🏑 ⠀
⠀
5🌟⠀
⠀
@authornikkicallan @lovenotes.pr ⠀
⠀
oh my gosh i fell in LOVE with this book!!! ⠀
⠀
friends to lovers is genuinely one of my favourite tropes ever and i can’t believe i forgot how much i love it - especially as it represents my real life love story 🥺⠀
⠀
this was the slOWEST burn ever but in the best way. i can’t explain how much i was screaming at this book impatiently waiting for these lovers in bloody denial. ⠀
⠀
it was a big fat he fell first - he is genuinely obsessed with this girl (sometimes when he shouldn’t and she’s being a tad toxic) and it’s stunning how in love with her he evidently is in the chapters from his POV! ⠀
⠀
and don’t get me started on the 🌶️ it was literally perfect ⠀
⠀
overall the best contemporary romance i’ve read in a long time, i honestly couldn’t fault it 😩😩😩😩🙂↕️🙂↕️
⠀
5🌟⠀
⠀
@authornikkicallan @lovenotes.pr ⠀
⠀
oh my gosh i fell in LOVE with this book!!! ⠀
⠀
friends to lovers is genuinely one of my favourite tropes ever and i can’t believe i forgot how much i love it - especially as it represents my real life love story 🥺⠀
⠀
this was the slOWEST burn ever but in the best way. i can’t explain how much i was screaming at this book impatiently waiting for these lovers in bloody denial. ⠀
⠀
it was a big fat he fell first - he is genuinely obsessed with this girl (sometimes when he shouldn’t and she’s being a tad toxic) and it’s stunning how in love with her he evidently is in the chapters from his POV! ⠀
⠀
and don’t get me started on the 🌶️ it was literally perfect ⠀
⠀
overall the best contemporary romance i’ve read in a long time, i honestly couldn’t fault it 😩😩😩😩🙂↕️🙂↕️
April 11, 2026
Too much willfully foolish
There isn't anything really awful about this book but everything is so foolish that I truly didn't enjoy it.
You start with Hannah who seems like maybe she'll show some backbone and be a decent FMC but no. A good 90% of the book is her being an indecisive, incommunicative doormat, with zero self respect or self esteem or self reliance. Despite being wholly supported by her bestie turned MMC, she can't get out of her own way long enough to stop causing drama. She never even tries to get a job and fund herself. She never tries just frickin talking honestly to the guy she's loved, even if platonically, for 6 years. She just shakes like an Italian Greyhound in the corner and tries to play dead if she isn't being fawned over.
Ryan is a decent MMC. He is completely hobbled by his idiotic FMC. While she just accepts being treated like garbage by her ex and parents, he fully devotes himself to Hannah and tries to overcome his own self doubts. Doubts that are reasonable and rational (unlike Hannah's) and which Hannah knows the backstory of. The fact she can't open her eyes for 5 seconds and actually see Ryan is rage inducing.
The antagonist storyline might as well not exist. He's a nightmare and then bing! Switch flipped and he is just an innocent nice guy who made a minor mistake? Why bother making a bad guy if you aren't going to just let him be the bad guy? Add in the vague hints of drama from him leaving his old team and it's seriously a wasted plotline. He should have disappeared after chapter one.
The friends groups are... Unsatisfactory. The guys at least are truly supportive. The women are just runaway trains of idiocy. Not a single idea from Ada or Natalie is truly good. Why write idiotic female characters in books primarily read by females? I will never understand authors like this.
Don't even get me started on her shitty parents.
The absurdity of an unemployed, newly dumped, newly relocated, basically poor person trying to start an animal rescue AS AN INCOME SOURCE is so out of touch I can't frickin deal. Go talk to a rescue or shelter manager. At best, they're barely getting paid, and that's usually the ones that are government funded. Most privately established and managed rescues sink all of their own disposable income into the rescue by working other "real" jobs. If you ain't rich, you can't afford to run a rescue, especially one that plans to have high transportation requirements at baseline. Also, anyone who has ever had or worked with dogs, especially in a rescue/shelter setting, knows that bathing a dog is not easy 90% of the time. Honestly, the entirety of Hannah's story is infuriatingly ridiculous.
There isn't anything really awful about this book but everything is so foolish that I truly didn't enjoy it.
You start with Hannah who seems like maybe she'll show some backbone and be a decent FMC but no. A good 90% of the book is her being an indecisive, incommunicative doormat, with zero self respect or self esteem or self reliance. Despite being wholly supported by her bestie turned MMC, she can't get out of her own way long enough to stop causing drama. She never even tries to get a job and fund herself. She never tries just frickin talking honestly to the guy she's loved, even if platonically, for 6 years. She just shakes like an Italian Greyhound in the corner and tries to play dead if she isn't being fawned over.
Ryan is a decent MMC. He is completely hobbled by his idiotic FMC. While she just accepts being treated like garbage by her ex and parents, he fully devotes himself to Hannah and tries to overcome his own self doubts. Doubts that are reasonable and rational (unlike Hannah's) and which Hannah knows the backstory of. The fact she can't open her eyes for 5 seconds and actually see Ryan is rage inducing.
The antagonist storyline might as well not exist. He's a nightmare and then bing! Switch flipped and he is just an innocent nice guy who made a minor mistake? Why bother making a bad guy if you aren't going to just let him be the bad guy? Add in the vague hints of drama from him leaving his old team and it's seriously a wasted plotline. He should have disappeared after chapter one.
The friends groups are... Unsatisfactory. The guys at least are truly supportive. The women are just runaway trains of idiocy. Not a single idea from Ada or Natalie is truly good. Why write idiotic female characters in books primarily read by females? I will never understand authors like this.
Don't even get me started on her shitty parents.
The absurdity of an unemployed, newly dumped, newly relocated, basically poor person trying to start an animal rescue AS AN INCOME SOURCE is so out of touch I can't frickin deal. Go talk to a rescue or shelter manager. At best, they're barely getting paid, and that's usually the ones that are government funded. Most privately established and managed rescues sink all of their own disposable income into the rescue by working other "real" jobs. If you ain't rich, you can't afford to run a rescue, especially one that plans to have high transportation requirements at baseline. Also, anyone who has ever had or worked with dogs, especially in a rescue/shelter setting, knows that bathing a dog is not easy 90% of the time. Honestly, the entirety of Hannah's story is infuriatingly ridiculous.
March 9, 2025
if you are looking for a Friends to lovers, hockey romance, he fell first and harder, read this book!
★I devoured this book in a few hours, the writing and the plot completely captivated me.
★I loved Ryan's character, he is a walking green flag. so protective, supportive and patient (he waited for ages basically lol) it was a hard blow to realize that he doesn't really exist.
★On the contrary sometimes I couldn't appreciate Hannah's character, I would have preferred to see much more growth in her character
Thanks for giving me this arc! 🩷
★I devoured this book in a few hours, the writing and the plot completely captivated me.
★I loved Ryan's character, he is a walking green flag. so protective, supportive and patient (he waited for ages basically lol) it was a hard blow to realize that he doesn't really exist.
★On the contrary sometimes I couldn't appreciate Hannah's character, I would have preferred to see much more growth in her character
Thanks for giving me this arc! 🩷
October 14, 2025
Debated DNF the whole time
March 18, 2025
Thank you so much Author Nikki Callan, for giving me the amazing opportunity to read a ARC of your new
Hockey Romance Novel💛🏒❄️✨
(Stick With Me)
The first installment in the-
“Saints Hockey Book Series”
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️read!!! WOW!! Did I finish the book or did this book finish me!! I am now officially obsessed over this beauty🤩 From the start I knew hands down this was going to be a instant 5 Star⭐️Read for me just a few chapters in and the author did not disappointed me once✨
Nikki Callan’s writing skills as an excellent beautiful author showed out endlessly! I was enthralled and mesmerized with every line & feel she crafted with a passionate heart🥹especially with her two stunning admirable main characters who you will go ‘head over heels’ for and fall deeply in love with, constantly growing a special place In your heart with their witty humor/endless banters and non-stop adorable ‘It’s always been you’ moments throughout each page and lovely chapter and without an doubt had me reeling over the edge with their suspenseful hot slow burn tension👀✨You won’t ever forget🥹💛
I’m so excited for what the Author has next up her talented sleeves for the rest of the books in the series🔥💛
“Stick With Me,” stars two vibrant characters-
(🏒💛Hannah Clarke & Ryan Logan💛🏒)
Who unexpected lives both take a twisting turn when we’re introduced to A swoon-worthy hockey romance, with an ex’s rival that fuels the fire🔥💯 and a stunning love story that beautifully weaves it all together with a profound tale of friends becoming lovers that will guaranteed to melt your heart🥹With its irresistible MMC-Ryan my favorite lover boy, who I actually need to be real!!!💋✨Alongside with a delicious slow burn with yearning/pinning✨A intriguing fake dating plot that will you hooked in seconds!! I'm still reeling from the romance☺️
And not only does the author create a profound plot of twists she does for her main characters-
Ryan Logan, has now taken over as my new latest fixation, and I'm thrilled to officially add him to my top favorite book boyfriend list💋✨ Ryan's heart was made of pure loving gold🥹his entire golden retriever quintessential vibe will leave you hopelessly drawn to him! Even more as he’s a Professional Hockey Player with killer skills for days! And when he’s not playing hockey he’s obsessing over the woman of his entire dreams♥️
The way Ryan is able to yearn for his Eternal ray of endless sunshine like he can’t breathe when she isn’t near is so felt & seen Powerfully/beautifully through the pages and it’s wonderful every-time to read!! And the way he constantly craves to know everything and be there for her is so sweet, there’s isn’t a moment he’s not looking forward to her affection and love!! Ryan’s protective strong nature and effects he has about her makes him even more precious & attractive I don’t think there will ever be a day you will stop loving him🥹
Hannah, my loving girlie, captures the epitome and essence of a wildflower, exuding passion and poise in every facet of her life, even as she navigates heart-wrenching turmoils with unwavering dedication to always drive through it all🩷Her amazing humor sparkles brightest with Ryan🥹AKA her soulmate, who constantly inspires her to be her best self as she beautifully balances love, kindness and determination, adding depth to her adventures life story, which will always be forever cherished in her head and Ryan's heart🥹whom she deeply cherishes and constantly radiates deep intense affection and compassion for💛Always showcasing her love in so many imaginative ways with a beautiful protective flare🥹✨
“When you’re with the right person, you don’t have to choose between freedom and security. You have wings to fly and a safe place to land. And for me, that’s Ryan.”- Hannah Clarke🩷✨
Hockey Romance Novel💛🏒❄️✨
(Stick With Me)
The first installment in the-
“Saints Hockey Book Series”
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️read!!! WOW!! Did I finish the book or did this book finish me!! I am now officially obsessed over this beauty🤩 From the start I knew hands down this was going to be a instant 5 Star⭐️Read for me just a few chapters in and the author did not disappointed me once✨
Nikki Callan’s writing skills as an excellent beautiful author showed out endlessly! I was enthralled and mesmerized with every line & feel she crafted with a passionate heart🥹especially with her two stunning admirable main characters who you will go ‘head over heels’ for and fall deeply in love with, constantly growing a special place In your heart with their witty humor/endless banters and non-stop adorable ‘It’s always been you’ moments throughout each page and lovely chapter and without an doubt had me reeling over the edge with their suspenseful hot slow burn tension👀✨You won’t ever forget🥹💛
I’m so excited for what the Author has next up her talented sleeves for the rest of the books in the series🔥💛
“Stick With Me,” stars two vibrant characters-
(🏒💛Hannah Clarke & Ryan Logan💛🏒)
Who unexpected lives both take a twisting turn when we’re introduced to A swoon-worthy hockey romance, with an ex’s rival that fuels the fire🔥💯 and a stunning love story that beautifully weaves it all together with a profound tale of friends becoming lovers that will guaranteed to melt your heart🥹With its irresistible MMC-Ryan my favorite lover boy, who I actually need to be real!!!💋✨Alongside with a delicious slow burn with yearning/pinning✨A intriguing fake dating plot that will you hooked in seconds!! I'm still reeling from the romance☺️
And not only does the author create a profound plot of twists she does for her main characters-
Ryan Logan, has now taken over as my new latest fixation, and I'm thrilled to officially add him to my top favorite book boyfriend list💋✨ Ryan's heart was made of pure loving gold🥹his entire golden retriever quintessential vibe will leave you hopelessly drawn to him! Even more as he’s a Professional Hockey Player with killer skills for days! And when he’s not playing hockey he’s obsessing over the woman of his entire dreams♥️
The way Ryan is able to yearn for his Eternal ray of endless sunshine like he can’t breathe when she isn’t near is so felt & seen Powerfully/beautifully through the pages and it’s wonderful every-time to read!! And the way he constantly craves to know everything and be there for her is so sweet, there’s isn’t a moment he’s not looking forward to her affection and love!! Ryan’s protective strong nature and effects he has about her makes him even more precious & attractive I don’t think there will ever be a day you will stop loving him🥹
Hannah, my loving girlie, captures the epitome and essence of a wildflower, exuding passion and poise in every facet of her life, even as she navigates heart-wrenching turmoils with unwavering dedication to always drive through it all🩷Her amazing humor sparkles brightest with Ryan🥹AKA her soulmate, who constantly inspires her to be her best self as she beautifully balances love, kindness and determination, adding depth to her adventures life story, which will always be forever cherished in her head and Ryan's heart🥹whom she deeply cherishes and constantly radiates deep intense affection and compassion for💛Always showcasing her love in so many imaginative ways with a beautiful protective flare🥹✨
“When you’re with the right person, you don’t have to choose between freedom and security. You have wings to fly and a safe place to land. And for me, that’s Ryan.”- Hannah Clarke🩷✨
April 13, 2026
2.5 stars. It was okay. (Possible spoilers ahead)
I would have liked this book more if the Hero was an Alpha. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a really sweet guy. He just came off more as a supportive BFF to everyone. Not necessarily a bad thing, I just like my book heroes to be more MINE MINE MINE.
h has been with Jace for 6 years. One day while she’s out, she gets the news report that they have broken up. This was news to her. Jace tells her when she gets home (they live together) that he wants a “break” for a while. Ohhh, he also wants his engagement ring back. Surprisingly, h didn’t act all that upset about this because I would have flipped out on him. 💅 She wasted all these years catering to Jace’s life as a hockey player. ( think of me as Angela Bassett in the movie Waiting To Exhale- when she put all his crap in his car and set it on fire)
h has been BFF with H for a while. H and Jace used to be friends, but H made a fatal decision one night and told Jace he had feelings for h. He planned to finally take his shot and ask her out. Jace beat him to it. (Nice friend, right?) BUT H just accepted it because Jace always beat him at everything.
So, yes, H has pined away over h for years. H is never described as a manho. He’s had a few dates, but it never goes into his smex history. He is a green flag. He’s also a hockey 🏒 player, who is “not as good” as Jace 🤷♀️
(I think this is the first time the H is described as being mid level playing a sport. Usually H’s are the GOAT….this H was not)
Anyway, these two MCs move in together and they start to fake date. The fake dating comes in because Jace is still in the background causing issues. He smirks a lot. Jace even starts to date a model that H went out with once.
Most of this book is all about H supporting h and showing her that he loves her. They start to explore each other smexually. Naturally, Jace never liked doing oral, but H LOVES it.
It’s clear if these two would have actually had a discussion 6 years prior about how they really felt for each other, she probably would’ve never hooked up with Jace. They could have saved so much time.
The biggest drama in this story other than trashy Jace and H/h’s relationship…..is the team going to resign H to a contract? Or will he have to go play elsewhere? He doesn’t want to because h just started her dog rescue. Ofc, the team then signs Jace to their roster. During a game, Jace and H are involved in an event which causes H to get seriously injured. He has to have surgery and he’s out the rest of the season. Jace finally apologizes to h and they all have a talk at the hospital. *one big happy family now*
You can tell the author probably plans on doing a Jace book in the future.
I had zero doubts the team was going to resign H.
3 months later and it’s a HFN. There is talk from H about proposing to h soon. The rest is leading to the next couple in this series. (That’s actually what led me to this book. I saw a snippet of book 2 and it looked good. Didn’t want to jump into it without reading this one first)
I did think the H getting advice from that idiot on dating was funny. The dating disaster made me laugh. I also thought the paper airplanes were super sweet. I also enjoyed most of the side characters and the “found” family vibe they had going.
I do plan on reading book 2 in this series and I’m really hoping it has more excitement in it.
I would have liked this book more if the Hero was an Alpha. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a really sweet guy. He just came off more as a supportive BFF to everyone. Not necessarily a bad thing, I just like my book heroes to be more MINE MINE MINE.
h has been with Jace for 6 years. One day while she’s out, she gets the news report that they have broken up. This was news to her. Jace tells her when she gets home (they live together) that he wants a “break” for a while. Ohhh, he also wants his engagement ring back. Surprisingly, h didn’t act all that upset about this because I would have flipped out on him. 💅 She wasted all these years catering to Jace’s life as a hockey player. ( think of me as Angela Bassett in the movie Waiting To Exhale- when she put all his crap in his car and set it on fire)
h has been BFF with H for a while. H and Jace used to be friends, but H made a fatal decision one night and told Jace he had feelings for h. He planned to finally take his shot and ask her out. Jace beat him to it. (Nice friend, right?) BUT H just accepted it because Jace always beat him at everything.
So, yes, H has pined away over h for years. H is never described as a manho. He’s had a few dates, but it never goes into his smex history. He is a green flag. He’s also a hockey 🏒 player, who is “not as good” as Jace 🤷♀️
(I think this is the first time the H is described as being mid level playing a sport. Usually H’s are the GOAT….this H was not)
Anyway, these two MCs move in together and they start to fake date. The fake dating comes in because Jace is still in the background causing issues. He smirks a lot. Jace even starts to date a model that H went out with once.
Most of this book is all about H supporting h and showing her that he loves her. They start to explore each other smexually. Naturally, Jace never liked doing oral, but H LOVES it.
It’s clear if these two would have actually had a discussion 6 years prior about how they really felt for each other, she probably would’ve never hooked up with Jace. They could have saved so much time.
The biggest drama in this story other than trashy Jace and H/h’s relationship…..is the team going to resign H to a contract? Or will he have to go play elsewhere? He doesn’t want to because h just started her dog rescue. Ofc, the team then signs Jace to their roster. During a game, Jace and H are involved in an event which causes H to get seriously injured. He has to have surgery and he’s out the rest of the season. Jace finally apologizes to h and they all have a talk at the hospital. *one big happy family now*
You can tell the author probably plans on doing a Jace book in the future.
I had zero doubts the team was going to resign H.
3 months later and it’s a HFN. There is talk from H about proposing to h soon. The rest is leading to the next couple in this series. (That’s actually what led me to this book. I saw a snippet of book 2 and it looked good. Didn’t want to jump into it without reading this one first)
I did think the H getting advice from that idiot on dating was funny. The dating disaster made me laugh. I also thought the paper airplanes were super sweet. I also enjoyed most of the side characters and the “found” family vibe they had going.
I do plan on reading book 2 in this series and I’m really hoping it has more excitement in it.
March 22, 2025
ARC review for Stick With Me by Nikki Callan
Thanks to Nikki and Love Notes PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: friends to lovers, its always been you, he falls first, sports romance, rival's ex, slow burn, miscommunication, fake dating
Trigger warning: on page anxiety/panic attacks, sports injury, references to past parental abandonment, strained family relationship, emotional abuse by past partner
Review: 3.5/5
Welcome to the Chicago Saints! Now accepting season ticket applications ;)
Things I liked:
- Ryan is so gone for Hannah. I love seeing an MMC that is just completely gone for his partner and Ryan has been gone for literal years.
- The cast of side characters are so fun. I want so much to know more about Fox, Volkov, Natalie, and Ada and I even want to know more about Rebecca. I see some pairings for future books starting to develop and I'm looking forward to those.
- I liked the plot with Hannah's ex, Jace. I pretty much hated him for most of the story. Guy is a grade A asshole. I still don't understand his motivations and think he went about execution for his goals all wrong but the end of the book has me wanting to know more about him.
Things I disliked or missed the mark:
- For two people who have been best friends for six years they are both wildly incapable of talking to one another. While not a miscommunication in the usual sense, their inability to have a conversation was frustrating and dragged out the beginning of the book for me a bit.
- I wish the fake dating was more fake datingy. It came into the story fairly late and was pretty underplayed. It was meant to get the ex jealous but by the time they actually encounter the ex in-person they've both already started to internally (and externally) acknowledge their feelings for one another. The only people they physically fake dated in front of were their friends who are all not blind and already knew they had the hots for one another.
I'm definitely intrigued for the rest of the Chicago Saints stories. I plan to check out the rest of the Saints installments as they release and am looking forward to Fox's book next. He is so delightfully chaotic that his book is sure to be a blast.
Thanks to Nikki and Love Notes PR for the ARC opportunity!
Featured tropes: friends to lovers, its always been you, he falls first, sports romance, rival's ex, slow burn, miscommunication, fake dating
Trigger warning: on page anxiety/panic attacks, sports injury, references to past parental abandonment, strained family relationship, emotional abuse by past partner
Review: 3.5/5
Welcome to the Chicago Saints! Now accepting season ticket applications ;)
Things I liked:
- Ryan is so gone for Hannah. I love seeing an MMC that is just completely gone for his partner and Ryan has been gone for literal years.
- The cast of side characters are so fun. I want so much to know more about Fox, Volkov, Natalie, and Ada and I even want to know more about Rebecca. I see some pairings for future books starting to develop and I'm looking forward to those.
- I liked the plot with Hannah's ex, Jace. I pretty much hated him for most of the story. Guy is a grade A asshole. I still don't understand his motivations and think he went about execution for his goals all wrong but the end of the book has me wanting to know more about him.
Things I disliked or missed the mark:
- For two people who have been best friends for six years they are both wildly incapable of talking to one another. While not a miscommunication in the usual sense, their inability to have a conversation was frustrating and dragged out the beginning of the book for me a bit.
- I wish the fake dating was more fake datingy. It came into the story fairly late and was pretty underplayed. It was meant to get the ex jealous but by the time they actually encounter the ex in-person they've both already started to internally (and externally) acknowledge their feelings for one another. The only people they physically fake dated in front of were their friends who are all not blind and already knew they had the hots for one another.
I'm definitely intrigued for the rest of the Chicago Saints stories. I plan to check out the rest of the Saints installments as they release and am looking forward to Fox's book next. He is so delightfully chaotic that his book is sure to be a blast.
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