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Hidden Goal
***Coach's Daughter, Forced Proximity, Steamy College Hockey Romance**
He’s the NHL’s top prospect. She’s the girl whose only rule is to never date a hockey player.
Noah
Savannah Alvarez knew exactly who I was the moment she helped me out of a jam. What she didn’t know was that we would be thrown together as partners for a class project. With my career on the line, my sole focus needs to be on hockey. Shamelessly flirting with the girl who kissed me and left me with nothing more than the memory wasn’t in my plans. But when I find myself opening up to her and revealing parts of myself that I usually keep hidden, it suddenly becomes the plan that matters most.
Savannah
Noah Kingston is Linden Creek University’s golden boy. He also happens to be the captain of my dad's hockey team. His sudden presence in my life is nothing more than a nuisance because he’s everything that I've sworn to avoid. But when I get stuck having to work with him, and his relentless charm begins to chip away at my defenses, I find myself tempted to risk it all.
He’s the NHL’s top prospect. She’s the girl whose only rule is to never date a hockey player.
Noah
Savannah Alvarez knew exactly who I was the moment she helped me out of a jam. What she didn’t know was that we would be thrown together as partners for a class project. With my career on the line, my sole focus needs to be on hockey. Shamelessly flirting with the girl who kissed me and left me with nothing more than the memory wasn’t in my plans. But when I find myself opening up to her and revealing parts of myself that I usually keep hidden, it suddenly becomes the plan that matters most.
Savannah
Noah Kingston is Linden Creek University’s golden boy. He also happens to be the captain of my dad's hockey team. His sudden presence in my life is nothing more than a nuisance because he’s everything that I've sworn to avoid. But when I get stuck having to work with him, and his relentless charm begins to chip away at my defenses, I find myself tempted to risk it all.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2025
166 people are currently reading
1250 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Carrero
5 books44 followersMichelle Carrero lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and an 80-pound gentle giant, black lab. She found her love for reading one summer while on bed rest and writing her own stories quickly became her greatest dream and passion.
When Michelle isn't reading or writing she can usually be found watching Formula 1, drinking mass amounts of coffee, or having movie nights with her family.
When Michelle isn't reading or writing she can usually be found watching Formula 1, drinking mass amounts of coffee, or having movie nights with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
July 4, 2025
This was SUPER cute! Full RTC!
Thanks JJ for the rec 😘
Thanks JJ for the rec 😘
June 25, 2025
This was SO GOOD. I love how we’re not being told the entire book who these characters are. The story telling is so damn good. I cried twice, I was laughing out loud throughout, top tier banter, the side characters were amazing…a literal perfect love story. Obsessed.
July 3, 2025
This was so cute!!! 🥹
*Kicking feet & giggling + a few tears*
This book had me cackling at the banter. I swear it’s like she wrote that just for me, it was so good.
Sassy and hilarious, but not in a romcom way- just in a perfect way.
I loved these characters so much.
Savannah is a black cat with a whitty sense of humor and a take no sh!t attitude.
Noah, aka golden boy, is a star athlete who goes all in on everything he does… including going after Savvy. We learn about his struggles with striving for perfection due to pressure from his father, and I feel like we can all relate to that in some form or another.
Each book Michelle writes just gets better and better as she goes! I love the way that she writes her banter, and I love the way that she writes the spice into her books in a way that builds naturally.
Some things to expect along the way:
•he falls first
•banter
•black cat/golden retriever
•sports romance
•hockey romance
•college romance
•loss of a parent
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️
*Kicking feet & giggling + a few tears*
This book had me cackling at the banter. I swear it’s like she wrote that just for me, it was so good.
Sassy and hilarious, but not in a romcom way- just in a perfect way.
I loved these characters so much.
Savannah is a black cat with a whitty sense of humor and a take no sh!t attitude.
Noah, aka golden boy, is a star athlete who goes all in on everything he does… including going after Savvy. We learn about his struggles with striving for perfection due to pressure from his father, and I feel like we can all relate to that in some form or another.
Each book Michelle writes just gets better and better as she goes! I love the way that she writes her banter, and I love the way that she writes the spice into her books in a way that builds naturally.
Some things to expect along the way:
•he falls first
•banter
•black cat/golden retriever
•sports romance
•hockey romance
•college romance
•loss of a parent
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️
August 1, 2025
I’m sorry but this book is quite literally a work of art and I’m actually upset nobody is talking about it?!
One of my favorite hockey romances I’ve read to date and trust me I’ve read A LOT of them in the past 3 years
Banter? Plot? Spice? Romance?
Everything is 100/10
One of my favorite hockey romances I’ve read to date and trust me I’ve read A LOT of them in the past 3 years
Banter? Plot? Spice? Romance?
Everything is 100/10
June 29, 2025
This book was perfect. The writing? Flawless. The banter? Addictive. Savannah had me at “Absolutely the fuck not” — instant fave FMC. 😂 Can’t wait to binge more from this author!
🌶.5
🌶.5
October 22, 2025
3.75⭐️ What can I say? I love my silly little college romances, no matter how ridiculous they may seem to others. They always put me in a good mood or help me get out of a reading slump. 😏
Plot: Noah’s the star hockey player with a dad who pushes him way too hard, borderline abusive, honestly. Savannah’s the coach’s daughter, still missing her deceased mom and completely done with hockey players after getting hurt before. He’s instantly drawn to her, but she keeps her walls up. The more he sees who she really is, though, the harder he falls. Noah was PERFECTION!!
In this one, the stakes weren’t super high, it wasn’t super deep but there was enough tension to keep it interesting. Their connection was really cute, the banter was on point, and I liked that the misunderstanding didn’t drag on for too long. Some things could have been executed better, but overall it was good!
What I didn’t love, though, was the FMC. I get why she was so closed off and standoffish, why she didn’t trust hockey players, and that she was meant to have that “black cat” vibe, but it felt a bit too much at times. Poor Noah seemed like he was walking on eggshells just to avoid pissing her off. She got annoyed by the smallest things, and her attitude sometimes just…wasn’t IT. I love a sassy, opinionated woman who knows how to put a man in his place when needed, but not when she’s actually unpleasant to be around. Sadly, this FMC leaned a little too bitter and negative for my taste.
That being said, I’m still curious about the side characters and definitely plan to keep reading the rest of the series when the next books come out.
Note to Self – Remember who’s who:
• Maverick: Noah’s best friend, total flirt and manwhore. Tall, muscular, gorgeous with a buzz cut
• Silas: The last member of their trio and their roommate. Big, hot, fully tattooed, and the silent, stoic one of the group.
• Chloe: Savannah’s best friend, gorgeous blonde with green eyes and a sunshine personality.
Plot: Noah’s the star hockey player with a dad who pushes him way too hard, borderline abusive, honestly. Savannah’s the coach’s daughter, still missing her deceased mom and completely done with hockey players after getting hurt before. He’s instantly drawn to her, but she keeps her walls up. The more he sees who she really is, though, the harder he falls. Noah was PERFECTION!!
In this one, the stakes weren’t super high, it wasn’t super deep but there was enough tension to keep it interesting. Their connection was really cute, the banter was on point, and I liked that the misunderstanding didn’t drag on for too long. Some things could have been executed better, but overall it was good!
What I didn’t love, though, was the FMC. I get why she was so closed off and standoffish, why she didn’t trust hockey players, and that she was meant to have that “black cat” vibe, but it felt a bit too much at times. Poor Noah seemed like he was walking on eggshells just to avoid pissing her off. She got annoyed by the smallest things, and her attitude sometimes just…wasn’t IT. I love a sassy, opinionated woman who knows how to put a man in his place when needed, but not when she’s actually unpleasant to be around. Sadly, this FMC leaned a little too bitter and negative for my taste.
That being said, I’m still curious about the side characters and definitely plan to keep reading the rest of the series when the next books come out.
Note to Self – Remember who’s who:
• Maverick: Noah’s best friend, total flirt and manwhore. Tall, muscular, gorgeous with a buzz cut
• Silas: The last member of their trio and their roommate. Big, hot, fully tattooed, and the silent, stoic one of the group.
• Chloe: Savannah’s best friend, gorgeous blonde with green eyes and a sunshine personality.
June 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼
Hidden Goal is my first read from Michelle Carrero, and it absolutely won’t be my last. Her writing style had me hooked from the first page—I’m seriously crossing my fingers that this is the start of a series because I need more of these characters.
Noah completely stole the show for me. He’s the kind of MMC who sees what he wants and goes all in, and what he wants is Savannah. His quiet confidence, his determination, and the way he so clearly sees her made me fall hard for him.
Savannah, on the other hand, has sworn off hockey players—which is a bit of a problem since Noah is not only a hockey player, but also plays for her dad, who just happens to be his coach. She’s been burned before and has no intention of letting anyone in, especially not someone tied so closely to both her past and her family.
What I loved most about this story was watching their walls slowly come down. The emotional growth and vulnerability from both characters felt so genuine. Savannah’s grief over her mother’s passing and the guilt she still carries added so much depth to her character. And Noah’s storyline with his overbearing NHL legend father created a really compelling contrast—especially as he tries to carve out a future that’s truly his.
The side characters were also a highlight. The friend group brought levity and balance to the story, and I found myself smiling through their scenes even when things got intense between Noah and Savannah.
All in all, this was a heartfelt, swoony, and emotionally layered romance—and I’m already impatient for more from this world.
Hidden Goal is my first read from Michelle Carrero, and it absolutely won’t be my last. Her writing style had me hooked from the first page—I’m seriously crossing my fingers that this is the start of a series because I need more of these characters.
Noah completely stole the show for me. He’s the kind of MMC who sees what he wants and goes all in, and what he wants is Savannah. His quiet confidence, his determination, and the way he so clearly sees her made me fall hard for him.
Savannah, on the other hand, has sworn off hockey players—which is a bit of a problem since Noah is not only a hockey player, but also plays for her dad, who just happens to be his coach. She’s been burned before and has no intention of letting anyone in, especially not someone tied so closely to both her past and her family.
What I loved most about this story was watching their walls slowly come down. The emotional growth and vulnerability from both characters felt so genuine. Savannah’s grief over her mother’s passing and the guilt she still carries added so much depth to her character. And Noah’s storyline with his overbearing NHL legend father created a really compelling contrast—especially as he tries to carve out a future that’s truly his.
The side characters were also a highlight. The friend group brought levity and balance to the story, and I found myself smiling through their scenes even when things got intense between Noah and Savannah.
All in all, this was a heartfelt, swoony, and emotionally layered romance—and I’m already impatient for more from this world.
June 26, 2025
Hidden Goal follows the story of Noah and Savannah. Noah and Savannah (Savvy) keep running into each other all over campus which would be kismet right? Savannah doesn't think so, she wants to stay far far away from Noah, the hockey player. Savannah grew up and around hockey players and knows their MO. Noah claims to be different. & boy is he...
Noah and Savannah end up in the same class ran by Savannah's Aunt Lo. Lo and be hold (see what I did there...) they are stuck working on a project together which requires them to not only spend time with one another but ask questions to get to know their partner better.
As time passes these two slowly fall in love. Savannah lets her walls down and Noah comes crashing in. I loved this story so much because of the progression of character development as well as the pacing was off the charts good.
My only gripe is near the end there is an unnecessary quarrel which gets the main characters to reveal their feelings for one another. I dislike when books do that. Can't we just have a little happy ending with them talking it out? Not a full on confrontation.
Thank you to the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Noah and Savannah end up in the same class ran by Savannah's Aunt Lo. Lo and be hold (see what I did there...) they are stuck working on a project together which requires them to not only spend time with one another but ask questions to get to know their partner better.
As time passes these two slowly fall in love. Savannah lets her walls down and Noah comes crashing in. I loved this story so much because of the progression of character development as well as the pacing was off the charts good.
My only gripe is near the end there is an unnecessary quarrel which gets the main characters to reveal their feelings for one another. I dislike when books do that. Can't we just have a little happy ending with them talking it out? Not a full on confrontation.
Thank you to the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2025
“𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻, 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝘁…𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀.”
This…this is how you do college romance. They don’t have to act like children who can’t communicate…they don’t have to be full fledged adults…that sweet spot in the middle where you’re able to communicate and express things in a way that doesn’t turn into a full blown reality tv drama. Michelle Carrero is truly an expert at flushing out characters…perfectly flawed characters that make it impossible for you not to fall in love with them, and this book is no doubt different.
Savannah is our sassy and jaded FMC…she’s a hard nut to crack…but with good reason. She’s gone through a lot of heartbreak in her past…she doesn’t trust easily, and doesn’t let just anyone in. But once you’re in, you are in for life, and there’s nothing she won’t do for you. She’s dealing with the loss of her mother, and as anyone who’s gone through it knows, grief comes in waves. And right now, Savvy is riding that wave hard.
Noah… 😮💨 Noah is our literal golden boy MMC. Superstar hockey player on his way to the NHL. His main focus has and always will be his career and making a name for himself apart from his hockey legend father. He has his own set of troubles, mainly surrounding his father who wants total control over him and what he does…he feels like he’s living in his dads shadows and no matter what he does he will never be able to fill those shoes. All he wants is to be himself and make it on his own merit and that’s what he’s determined to do.
These two lost souls keep running into each other on campus. In a RomCom movie this would be the start to a sweet romance…but not in this case. Noah is loving getting to see the beautiful Savvy and knows immediately that there is something different about her. He wants to know her more but this girl refuses to acknowledge him or even give her name. Savvy has one rule…no dating hockey players…she’s been around them her whole life. Her dad is her universities hockey coach…which means he’s Noah’s coach. She knows the rep hockey boys carry and is not interested. But Noah isn’t about to give up.
Fate pulls them together when they end up in the same class and get paired together for a project that involves diving deep into getting to know your partner. Savvy is not happy…Noah is loving it. 🥰
The clash at the beginning…mainly because of Savvy’s resistance to opening up to anyone…not just Noah. Noah listens…he understands…he is patient….and kind…this man is just….ugh…can he be real please ?? 😩😩😩 He can tell as he gets to know her that she’s dealing with a lot and that she isn’t closed off because she’s too good for people….shes closed off because she’s unable to handle another heartbreak. He wants to show her that he’s not like the others…he doesn’t want to hurt her. And he’s willing to take it as slow as she needs. He is willing to wait for her to realise her feelings and accept his love.
Eventually, our sweet Savvy opens up and when she does it’s perfection. Noah is there with open arms and the love they share will make you want to cry. And the spice??? Lord have mercy 🥵🥵🥵 I can’t deal with this man. I was on my KNEES reading this. I could literally hear his voice in my head as I was reading and it was TOO MUCH!!! 🤭🤭🤭
The way Savvy stood by Noah and was ready to throw hands for him in regards to his dad was everything. Like I said….Savvy doesn’t let a lot of people in. But when she does it’s for life…and once she realised that Noah was her person, HER MAN…all gloves were off. She’s making sure he gets what he wants and needs in life…his father be damned! Love love love…power couple vibes.
This book, for me, ultimately was about learning to allow yourself to love and be vulnerable…even when your heart has been broken a million times. Just when you think you can’t take one more bad day, the universe send you just what you need…who you need. It’s not about them FIXING you…it’s about them standing by your side and encouraging you to keep fighting…to keep going…and accepting and loving every single part of you….especially the parts you feel aren’t worthy.🩷
Thank you so much to Michelle Carrero for the opportunity to ARC read this amazing book.🩷
🏒College Hockey Romance
🌸Jaded FMC
🏒Golden Boy MMC
🌸Grief/Loss
🏒Found Family
🌸Coaches Daughter
🏒Tortured Hero
🌸Guarded Heroine
🏒Grumpy x Sunshine
🌸Golden Retriever x Black Cat
🏒He Falls First & Hard
🌸BANTER
🏒Secret Relationship
🌸Forced Proximity
🏒Dual POV
🌸3rd Act Conflict
🏒HEA
This…this is how you do college romance. They don’t have to act like children who can’t communicate…they don’t have to be full fledged adults…that sweet spot in the middle where you’re able to communicate and express things in a way that doesn’t turn into a full blown reality tv drama. Michelle Carrero is truly an expert at flushing out characters…perfectly flawed characters that make it impossible for you not to fall in love with them, and this book is no doubt different.
Savannah is our sassy and jaded FMC…she’s a hard nut to crack…but with good reason. She’s gone through a lot of heartbreak in her past…she doesn’t trust easily, and doesn’t let just anyone in. But once you’re in, you are in for life, and there’s nothing she won’t do for you. She’s dealing with the loss of her mother, and as anyone who’s gone through it knows, grief comes in waves. And right now, Savvy is riding that wave hard.
Noah… 😮💨 Noah is our literal golden boy MMC. Superstar hockey player on his way to the NHL. His main focus has and always will be his career and making a name for himself apart from his hockey legend father. He has his own set of troubles, mainly surrounding his father who wants total control over him and what he does…he feels like he’s living in his dads shadows and no matter what he does he will never be able to fill those shoes. All he wants is to be himself and make it on his own merit and that’s what he’s determined to do.
These two lost souls keep running into each other on campus. In a RomCom movie this would be the start to a sweet romance…but not in this case. Noah is loving getting to see the beautiful Savvy and knows immediately that there is something different about her. He wants to know her more but this girl refuses to acknowledge him or even give her name. Savvy has one rule…no dating hockey players…she’s been around them her whole life. Her dad is her universities hockey coach…which means he’s Noah’s coach. She knows the rep hockey boys carry and is not interested. But Noah isn’t about to give up.
Fate pulls them together when they end up in the same class and get paired together for a project that involves diving deep into getting to know your partner. Savvy is not happy…Noah is loving it. 🥰
The clash at the beginning…mainly because of Savvy’s resistance to opening up to anyone…not just Noah. Noah listens…he understands…he is patient….and kind…this man is just….ugh…can he be real please ?? 😩😩😩 He can tell as he gets to know her that she’s dealing with a lot and that she isn’t closed off because she’s too good for people….shes closed off because she’s unable to handle another heartbreak. He wants to show her that he’s not like the others…he doesn’t want to hurt her. And he’s willing to take it as slow as she needs. He is willing to wait for her to realise her feelings and accept his love.
Eventually, our sweet Savvy opens up and when she does it’s perfection. Noah is there with open arms and the love they share will make you want to cry. And the spice??? Lord have mercy 🥵🥵🥵 I can’t deal with this man. I was on my KNEES reading this. I could literally hear his voice in my head as I was reading and it was TOO MUCH!!! 🤭🤭🤭
The way Savvy stood by Noah and was ready to throw hands for him in regards to his dad was everything. Like I said….Savvy doesn’t let a lot of people in. But when she does it’s for life…and once she realised that Noah was her person, HER MAN…all gloves were off. She’s making sure he gets what he wants and needs in life…his father be damned! Love love love…power couple vibes.
This book, for me, ultimately was about learning to allow yourself to love and be vulnerable…even when your heart has been broken a million times. Just when you think you can’t take one more bad day, the universe send you just what you need…who you need. It’s not about them FIXING you…it’s about them standing by your side and encouraging you to keep fighting…to keep going…and accepting and loving every single part of you….especially the parts you feel aren’t worthy.🩷
Thank you so much to Michelle Carrero for the opportunity to ARC read this amazing book.🩷
🏒College Hockey Romance
🌸Jaded FMC
🏒Golden Boy MMC
🌸Grief/Loss
🏒Found Family
🌸Coaches Daughter
🏒Tortured Hero
🌸Guarded Heroine
🏒Grumpy x Sunshine
🌸Golden Retriever x Black Cat
🏒He Falls First & Hard
🌸BANTER
🏒Secret Relationship
🌸Forced Proximity
🏒Dual POV
🌸3rd Act Conflict
🏒HEA
June 25, 2025
michelle fuckinng delivered!!
thank you to this beautiful human for giving me and early copy of this amazing book!
4.5 stars ✨ come out 6/26/25 😉 so get the fuck ready!
YALL THIIISS WAS SOO GOOD! i was giggling and kicking my feet the whole damn time!!!
i literally stayed up until 2am to finish this book bc it was that GOOD!
noah is a golden boy literally, and becomes obsessed with savvyyy right from the start he DOESN’T leave her alone until she gives innnn and it’s the cutest thing ever 😩 ugh i love this man so much!!!
savannah is such a strong independent sassy ass girl and i love her for it, she doesn’t let or take shit from anyone so easily until this one boy comes into her life and it’s goes on from there 🤭😏
i love how savannah gets so comfortable with noah that’s she easily lets her walls down little by little everytime she’s with him, knowing she can easily trust and feel safe with him and i love that for her bc our girl needs it 😢 and thanks for noah for being the golden boy he is, he’s always there to make sure she never feels alone and i just really love them together so much.
i love all the side characters so much and if i don’t get mav and chole’s book sooooonnnnnnn 👀👊🏼
also slias OMMMG the way he was describe is just so mysterious and hot i need his book asap PLLLSSSS!!! 😭
anything michelle writes, i will literally devourrrrr!!!!!
can’t wait for the future books bc immmmm so ready!
read this if you like ⬎
hockey romance
coach's daughter
project partners
black cat FMC
he falls first
open door spice
IF YOU WANT A DAMN GOOD TIME !!!
“But Savannah Alvarez, you are my greatest goal.”
“She turns her head just enough, and my other hand cups the side of her face. I don’t deserve this right now, but she does, and I’ll always give her everything she deserves.”
“The elevator up to my apartment dings, and when the doors slide open, the eyes of my favorite summer storm are in front of me. I freeze, as my breath is knocked from my lungs.”
thank you to this beautiful human for giving me and early copy of this amazing book!
4.5 stars ✨ come out 6/26/25 😉 so get the fuck ready!
YALL THIIISS WAS SOO GOOD! i was giggling and kicking my feet the whole damn time!!!
i literally stayed up until 2am to finish this book bc it was that GOOD!
noah is a golden boy literally, and becomes obsessed with savvyyy right from the start he DOESN’T leave her alone until she gives innnn and it’s the cutest thing ever 😩 ugh i love this man so much!!!
savannah is such a strong independent sassy ass girl and i love her for it, she doesn’t let or take shit from anyone so easily until this one boy comes into her life and it’s goes on from there 🤭😏
i love how savannah gets so comfortable with noah that’s she easily lets her walls down little by little everytime she’s with him, knowing she can easily trust and feel safe with him and i love that for her bc our girl needs it 😢 and thanks for noah for being the golden boy he is, he’s always there to make sure she never feels alone and i just really love them together so much.
i love all the side characters so much and if i don’t get mav and chole’s book sooooonnnnnnn 👀👊🏼
also slias OMMMG the way he was describe is just so mysterious and hot i need his book asap PLLLSSSS!!! 😭
anything michelle writes, i will literally devourrrrr!!!!!
can’t wait for the future books bc immmmm so ready!
read this if you like ⬎
hockey romance
coach's daughter
project partners
black cat FMC
he falls first
open door spice
IF YOU WANT A DAMN GOOD TIME !!!
“But Savannah Alvarez, you are my greatest goal.”
“She turns her head just enough, and my other hand cups the side of her face. I don’t deserve this right now, but she does, and I’ll always give her everything she deserves.”
“The elevator up to my apartment dings, and when the doors slide open, the eyes of my favorite summer storm are in front of me. I freeze, as my breath is knocked from my lungs.”
July 13, 2025
Rating 5/5 ⭐️
Spice 2/5 🌶️
🍊Coaches daughter
🏒Hockey romance
🍊College romance
🏒Forced proximity
🍊He falls first
🏒Black cat X golden retriever
Michelle. Michelle. Michelle. She knocked it out of the park again with this sweet college hockey romance! Honestly Savannah was such a refreshing FMC. She’s relatable and real. She’s the perfect example to those girlies like myself who don’t take shit from anyone, who aren’t afraid to cut things off and walk away, and the type of girl who likes to keep her circle so incredibly small and close.
Noah, the golden retriever hockey player that screams bad boy appearance with his dark hair and little hoop earring. He’s the hockey captain and one of the best players on the team. He has his future figured out but the pressure is piling up. His home life is stressful and there is more to him than meets the eye.
Golden boy and savvy girl. These two were made for each other and there were so many sweet moments that I ate up. The ice skating, him letting her drive (no questions asked), THE BATHROOM, I can go on and on.
I loved these two about as much as I loved Savannah and her bestie Chloe. If Michelle has excelled at one thing, it’s definitely writing the best girlfriends!!
Spice 2/5 🌶️
🍊Coaches daughter
🏒Hockey romance
🍊College romance
🏒Forced proximity
🍊He falls first
🏒Black cat X golden retriever
Michelle. Michelle. Michelle. She knocked it out of the park again with this sweet college hockey romance! Honestly Savannah was such a refreshing FMC. She’s relatable and real. She’s the perfect example to those girlies like myself who don’t take shit from anyone, who aren’t afraid to cut things off and walk away, and the type of girl who likes to keep her circle so incredibly small and close.
Noah, the golden retriever hockey player that screams bad boy appearance with his dark hair and little hoop earring. He’s the hockey captain and one of the best players on the team. He has his future figured out but the pressure is piling up. His home life is stressful and there is more to him than meets the eye.
Golden boy and savvy girl. These two were made for each other and there were so many sweet moments that I ate up. The ice skating, him letting her drive (no questions asked), THE BATHROOM, I can go on and on.
I loved these two about as much as I loved Savannah and her bestie Chloe. If Michelle has excelled at one thing, it’s definitely writing the best girlfriends!!
June 26, 2025
4.5⭐️
**arc review**
consider this book absolutely DEVOUREDDDD.
a college romance that didn’t feel immature is honestly so uncommon and this one was the biggest breath of fresh air!!!
golden retriever/black cat vibes, down bad mmc, and some emotional growth on all sides of these characters!! they feel so real to me and I love them both sm🥹
Michelle’s writing is always so good, but also makes me sad bc I blow through her books instead of savoring them bc I just can’t stop reading!!! banter was amazing, side characters were perfect, and overall was such a well-rounded story!!
love the little sneak peek we got for the next books couple 😏 and I love that it left off in a place where I know we will still get to see so much more of Savvy and her Golden Boy in future books😍
**arc review**
consider this book absolutely DEVOUREDDDD.
a college romance that didn’t feel immature is honestly so uncommon and this one was the biggest breath of fresh air!!!
golden retriever/black cat vibes, down bad mmc, and some emotional growth on all sides of these characters!! they feel so real to me and I love them both sm🥹
Michelle’s writing is always so good, but also makes me sad bc I blow through her books instead of savoring them bc I just can’t stop reading!!! banter was amazing, side characters were perfect, and overall was such a well-rounded story!!
love the little sneak peek we got for the next books couple 😏 and I love that it left off in a place where I know we will still get to see so much more of Savvy and her Golden Boy in future books😍
September 6, 2025
This was a very pleasant surprise! It wasn’t on my radar, but I saw it recommended and I’m so glad I read. Between the black cat x golden retriever and coach’s daughter tropes, I was ready to go back to college hockey for this one.
Sav has sworn off hockey players and has some heavy emotional baggage. Noah is her dad’s star player with family issues of his own. And together, this really is almost everything I look for in a college romance. You’ve got the found family, the drama, the banter. Easy read and I’m really hoping I know which characters will be getting a book next!
Sav has sworn off hockey players and has some heavy emotional baggage. Noah is her dad’s star player with family issues of his own. And together, this really is almost everything I look for in a college romance. You’ve got the found family, the drama, the banter. Easy read and I’m really hoping I know which characters will be getting a book next!
July 9, 2025
this was super cute!!! the mmc was THE BESTTT
Read
September 9, 2025dnf at 39% :(
i honestly lost interest, but maybe i'll pick it back up again later.
i honestly lost interest, but maybe i'll pick it back up again later.
June 26, 2025
I’m convinced that michelle and I have met before in another life bc I seriously feel like I relate to every FMC she has written (not to sound like a weirdo 🤣) example: SUNDAYEST!?!?!? Loved that I found someone who talks like me 🤣🤣🤣🤣 even if she is fictional! Savvy is by far my favorite! The attitude on this girl is top notch and I’m here for it. And my boy Noah the fact that he was more than willing to keep up with her attitude made him a walking GREEN flag! (Miles who 🤪🤪)
Also, can we talk about BFF Chloe 😍😍😍, the way she writes the main characters best friend is something I NEED in my life bc they’re always a ride a die! Not to mention the descriptions of Maverick and Silas 🤤🤤🤤🔥
I LITERALLY want…….nooooo I NEED more!
Also, can we talk about BFF Chloe 😍😍😍, the way she writes the main characters best friend is something I NEED in my life bc they’re always a ride a die! Not to mention the descriptions of Maverick and Silas 🤤🤤🤤🔥
I LITERALLY want…….nooooo I NEED more!
June 27, 2025
A new hockey romance that you NEED for your tbr!! Noah and Savannah are so good together. He's the star player on his college team and heading to the NHL after graduation. She's the coach's daughter who wants nothing to do with hockey players and wants to make a name for herself on her own. When they're brought together for a school project, sparks fly, tension builds, emotions develop, and friendship blooms.
I love the banter between these two. Its top notch, and Sav is a feisty one! I love how both of them are dealing with big emotions they're afraid to share with anyone, but the trust they build with one another that allows them to ve vulnerable and honest is so special to see.
And their chemistry is off the charts!! I couldn't put my book down because I just HAD to see them finally take that step out of the friend zone. I was absolutely salivating over the tension!
This book will hit you in all your feels. You'll laugh, rage, swoon, sweat, and maybe even cry a little. It's a must for your TBR!
Thank you Michelle for the advanced reader copy!!
Tags:
-hockey romance
-Coach's daughter
-forced proximity
-secret relationship
Spice: 3/5
First person
Dual POV
I love the banter between these two. Its top notch, and Sav is a feisty one! I love how both of them are dealing with big emotions they're afraid to share with anyone, but the trust they build with one another that allows them to ve vulnerable and honest is so special to see.
And their chemistry is off the charts!! I couldn't put my book down because I just HAD to see them finally take that step out of the friend zone. I was absolutely salivating over the tension!
This book will hit you in all your feels. You'll laugh, rage, swoon, sweat, and maybe even cry a little. It's a must for your TBR!
Thank you Michelle for the advanced reader copy!!
Tags:
-hockey romance
-Coach's daughter
-forced proximity
-secret relationship
Spice: 3/5
First person
Dual POV
June 17, 2025
This was good, enjoyable if not a little predictable at some points but it was good.
College hockey player whose dad wants him to have the dream he never got to fulfill so he’s hard on his son, to the coach’s daughter who has sworn of hockey boys until she meets him at a party and then they end up partners in class and he falls head over heels for her and she’s so scared of the past repeating itself she runs at every bump.
I was given an eARC & all thoughts are my own
College hockey player whose dad wants him to have the dream he never got to fulfill so he’s hard on his son, to the coach’s daughter who has sworn of hockey boys until she meets him at a party and then they end up partners in class and he falls head over heels for her and she’s so scared of the past repeating itself she runs at every bump.
I was given an eARC & all thoughts are my own
July 1, 2025
4.5 stars! This was the perfect palette cleanser after some emotional reads. Noah was seriously the perfect book boyfriend. I can’t wait to see if the next books are about the roommates!
July 6, 2025
hot damnnnn
September 12, 2025
So good! Loved both characters - their banter was top notch!
December 17, 2025
3.5⭐️
Mais do mesmo, não achei a história extraordinária ou algo diferente, mas foi uma boa leitura
Mais do mesmo, não achei a história extraordinária ou algo diferente, mas foi uma boa leitura
June 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
HE’S A GOOD MAN SAVANNAH. Thanks to Michelle Carrero and her team for providing me with an ARC of Hidden Goal. I’ve read a lot of hockey romances and this one is SO GOOD. The different dynamics between the sets of characters were fully formed and so endearing. And the boys, Noah, Silas and Maverick were so funny! I enjoyed the chirping in this book so much - I feel like sometimes that gets left out of hockey romances. Noah and Savannah’s growth both as individuals and together was so great to see. Savannah’s past was so heart wrenching and Noah’s dad is such a d-bag! This book made me feel so good and this world makes me so happy - I can’t wait for Maverick and Silas’ stories. Also, I absolutely LOVE a slutty little earring on a man. I hope we see more of them soon!
🌶️🌶️🌶️
HE’S A GOOD MAN SAVANNAH. Thanks to Michelle Carrero and her team for providing me with an ARC of Hidden Goal. I’ve read a lot of hockey romances and this one is SO GOOD. The different dynamics between the sets of characters were fully formed and so endearing. And the boys, Noah, Silas and Maverick were so funny! I enjoyed the chirping in this book so much - I feel like sometimes that gets left out of hockey romances. Noah and Savannah’s growth both as individuals and together was so great to see. Savannah’s past was so heart wrenching and Noah’s dad is such a d-bag! This book made me feel so good and this world makes me so happy - I can’t wait for Maverick and Silas’ stories. Also, I absolutely LOVE a slutty little earring on a man. I hope we see more of them soon!
July 17, 2025
This was so stinking cute. I’ve never read Michelle before but she’s officially going on my TBR list. Her humor was right on par for me. The spice was yum. The chemistry between her characters was exactly what I needed. So good!
October 12, 2025
Think of this book as a Taylor Swift song
Lack lustre, falls flat and no depth to it
It was cute surface level but no real spark or depth
The only depth was from an emotionally abusive dad and a dead mum otherwise it would be flatter than a fresh peice of paper
Lack lustre, falls flat and no depth to it
It was cute surface level but no real spark or depth
The only depth was from an emotionally abusive dad and a dead mum otherwise it would be flatter than a fresh peice of paper
July 1, 2025
Noah has my heart! Another ultimate book bf.
He falls first, hard, and is sweetest!
Totally understand his relationship with his dad and why/how it can take so long to realize the abuse. I get it.
Savannah. I always love a sassy fmc! Her trauma is heartbreaking and I love her growth throughout the book.
But one of my LEAST favorite tropes is not listening/staying for the whole conversation and literally the heartbreak and pain at the end could’ve/should’ve been avoided.
He falls first, hard, and is sweetest!
Totally understand his relationship with his dad and why/how it can take so long to realize the abuse. I get it.
Savannah. I always love a sassy fmc! Her trauma is heartbreaking and I love her growth throughout the book.
But one of my LEAST favorite tropes is not listening/staying for the whole conversation and literally the heartbreak and pain at the end could’ve/should’ve been avoided.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2025
5⭐️
2.75🌶️
🏒Hockey Captain X Coach’s Daughter
🍊Forced Proximity (Kind Of)
🏒Secret Hookups/Relationship
🍊He Falls First and HARD
🏒Found Family
🍊All The Banter
𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣, 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀.
The way Michelle writes characters that are so grounded in reality and that are accessible & relatable is the thing that will forever keep me coming back for more from her every single time.
Add on top of that the fact that her writing is smart, funny, sexy, and has an approachable depth to it that is hard to match-well you've got yourself the recipe for an auto-buy/auto-read/auto-recommend author! If you're not reading Michelle's books yet, I have one simple question for you: 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫?!
This story has all of the best elements of a college hockey romance: found family, forbidden/secret relationships, and the down-bad hockey captain who's never been interested in anything but hockey, but who all of a sudden can only think about the beautiful yet prickly girl who refuses to give him the time of day. 😏
Noah Kingston and Savannah Alvarez are like oil and water on paper, but meet-cute after meet-cute and undeniable chemistry work together to force the two of them to acknowledge a connection that exists despite their best efforts (well, Savannah's at least...) at resisting it.
"𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭." I call out, swinging my legs over the chair. In two large strides, I’m able to catch her elbow before she can fully open the door.
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞."
Her eyes sweep over my body with a playful smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. The quiet milliseconds tick by before she lifts a defiant chin at me.
"𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕."
𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝, 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅.”
“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐰.” He wipes a hand across his brow.
“𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥.” His smile lingers and mine follows.
Their banter and push-pull help them to build a friendship and a trust that eventually allow them both to be vulnerable in ways they haven't been able to with other people in their lives. I really enjoyed witnessing Noah recognize how Savannah used her tough exterior as a shield and then chose to stick with it instead of letting her push him away like she usually did with others. Savannah might come off as closed off and resistant to letting people in, but she has plenty of legitimate reasons for this and we see time and again that the ones she does let in are protected and loved fiercely by her. It may take time to get past her walls, but once you're inside, you're there for life.
And we see her do this with Noah, eventually. He works so hard to gain Savannah's trust and be there for her that by the time she's let him in and realizes that he's been carrying something he needs help with too, she's ready to go to battle right next to him over it. I related so much to both characters, and I loved seeing a story where someone like me was not only tolerated, but loved & given room to be herself without having to worry that she wasn't reciprocating or matching Noah's feelings and actions fast enough.
I love a "𝗛𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁" trope, but I love it even more when it's a "𝗛𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 & 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝗺 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗿" trope. 😉
There is, of course, a beautiful female friendship in this one between Savannah and her bestie Chloe. Michelle is one of the best at writing true love between friends, and I always know I'm going to get an amazing bestie relationship in every one of her books which is yet another reason I will keep coming back for more. 🥰
𝘾𝙝𝙡𝙤𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙮, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝘽𝙪𝙩, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩? 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙬𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧? 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙙, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮.
Overall, this is a fantastic first installment in a new series, and I can't wait to see where we go next. The side characters get great introductions and teasers for their own stories, and I know we'll still get appearances from our faves as Michelle builds this world, so it's shaping up to be a great new must-read college hockey romance series!
You don't need to read any of Michelle's other books to start this series, but I highly recommend her 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝘿𝙪𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 because they're both fantastic books of their own. 😊
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
2.75🌶️
🏒Hockey Captain X Coach’s Daughter
🍊Forced Proximity (Kind Of)
🏒Secret Hookups/Relationship
🍊He Falls First and HARD
🏒Found Family
🍊All The Banter
𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣, 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀.
The way Michelle writes characters that are so grounded in reality and that are accessible & relatable is the thing that will forever keep me coming back for more from her every single time.
Add on top of that the fact that her writing is smart, funny, sexy, and has an approachable depth to it that is hard to match-well you've got yourself the recipe for an auto-buy/auto-read/auto-recommend author! If you're not reading Michelle's books yet, I have one simple question for you: 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫?!
This story has all of the best elements of a college hockey romance: found family, forbidden/secret relationships, and the down-bad hockey captain who's never been interested in anything but hockey, but who all of a sudden can only think about the beautiful yet prickly girl who refuses to give him the time of day. 😏
Noah Kingston and Savannah Alvarez are like oil and water on paper, but meet-cute after meet-cute and undeniable chemistry work together to force the two of them to acknowledge a connection that exists despite their best efforts (well, Savannah's at least...) at resisting it.
"𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭." I call out, swinging my legs over the chair. In two large strides, I’m able to catch her elbow before she can fully open the door.
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞."
Her eyes sweep over my body with a playful smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. The quiet milliseconds tick by before she lifts a defiant chin at me.
"𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕."
𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝, 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅.”
“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐰.” He wipes a hand across his brow.
“𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥.” His smile lingers and mine follows.
Their banter and push-pull help them to build a friendship and a trust that eventually allow them both to be vulnerable in ways they haven't been able to with other people in their lives. I really enjoyed witnessing Noah recognize how Savannah used her tough exterior as a shield and then chose to stick with it instead of letting her push him away like she usually did with others. Savannah might come off as closed off and resistant to letting people in, but she has plenty of legitimate reasons for this and we see time and again that the ones she does let in are protected and loved fiercely by her. It may take time to get past her walls, but once you're inside, you're there for life.
And we see her do this with Noah, eventually. He works so hard to gain Savannah's trust and be there for her that by the time she's let him in and realizes that he's been carrying something he needs help with too, she's ready to go to battle right next to him over it. I related so much to both characters, and I loved seeing a story where someone like me was not only tolerated, but loved & given room to be herself without having to worry that she wasn't reciprocating or matching Noah's feelings and actions fast enough.
I love a "𝗛𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁" trope, but I love it even more when it's a "𝗛𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 & 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝗺 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗿" trope. 😉
There is, of course, a beautiful female friendship in this one between Savannah and her bestie Chloe. Michelle is one of the best at writing true love between friends, and I always know I'm going to get an amazing bestie relationship in every one of her books which is yet another reason I will keep coming back for more. 🥰
𝘾𝙝𝙡𝙤𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙮, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝘽𝙪𝙩, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩? 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙬𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧? 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙙, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮.
Overall, this is a fantastic first installment in a new series, and I can't wait to see where we go next. The side characters get great introductions and teasers for their own stories, and I know we'll still get appearances from our faves as Michelle builds this world, so it's shaping up to be a great new must-read college hockey romance series!
You don't need to read any of Michelle's other books to start this series, but I highly recommend her 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝘿𝙪𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 because they're both fantastic books of their own. 😊
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
June 23, 2025
Title: Hidden Goal
Author: Michelle Carrero
Genre: Sports Romance
Pages: 298
Rating: 5⭐️/5
“Look, it’s nothing… personal. I’ve been around guys like you my whole life, and I’m just not interested. Plus, you all stink. You all smell like grilled onions. Okay fine, At this exact moment… maybe you don’t stink, but you’re the exception.”
Savannah has one rule—no hockey players. But that goes out the window the moment she’s paired with Noah, the charming golden boy and captain of the hockey team, for a class project. Determined and relentless, Noah makes it his mission to win her over, no matter how many walls she puts up. At first, he doesn’t know who she is—she challenges him in a way no one else ever has, and soon, he’s risking more than just his NHL dreams to win her over.
Savannah and Noah’s vibe is the perfect mix of flirty banter, slow-burn sparks, and laugh-out-loud chaos (their first encounter? hiding from the people at a hockey party—iconic). It’s one of those reads that gives you good vibes, lots of giggling, and the perfect breather after some heavy books. And as a millennial? I squealed when Noah said The Mighty Ducks was his favorite movie—same, dude, same. But what really got me was the depth—this isn’t just a cute hockey romance. It’s also a quiet, powerful story about family and the complexities of parental love. That conversation between Noah and Coach Alvarez near the end had me in tears. Noah’s journey—especially as a son—was so beautifully written. It didn’t preach, it just felt. And while I can’t fully blame his dad, that moment really hit hard. Every child needs love in different ways, and Noah? He’s the kind of kid any parent should be proud of. I absolutely adored him. More than the spice, more than the sports—this book has soul. Mav and Chloe better be next, because I’m so not done with LCU!
A big thanks to Booked with LC and Michelle Carrero for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Releasing 06/26/25 on Amazon, KU and paperback.
E-book pre-orders are available NOW.
—
#AdvancedReaderCopy
Author: Michelle Carrero
Genre: Sports Romance
Pages: 298
Rating: 5⭐️/5
“Look, it’s nothing… personal. I’ve been around guys like you my whole life, and I’m just not interested. Plus, you all stink. You all smell like grilled onions. Okay fine, At this exact moment… maybe you don’t stink, but you’re the exception.”
Savannah has one rule—no hockey players. But that goes out the window the moment she’s paired with Noah, the charming golden boy and captain of the hockey team, for a class project. Determined and relentless, Noah makes it his mission to win her over, no matter how many walls she puts up. At first, he doesn’t know who she is—she challenges him in a way no one else ever has, and soon, he’s risking more than just his NHL dreams to win her over.
Savannah and Noah’s vibe is the perfect mix of flirty banter, slow-burn sparks, and laugh-out-loud chaos (their first encounter? hiding from the people at a hockey party—iconic). It’s one of those reads that gives you good vibes, lots of giggling, and the perfect breather after some heavy books. And as a millennial? I squealed when Noah said The Mighty Ducks was his favorite movie—same, dude, same. But what really got me was the depth—this isn’t just a cute hockey romance. It’s also a quiet, powerful story about family and the complexities of parental love. That conversation between Noah and Coach Alvarez near the end had me in tears. Noah’s journey—especially as a son—was so beautifully written. It didn’t preach, it just felt. And while I can’t fully blame his dad, that moment really hit hard. Every child needs love in different ways, and Noah? He’s the kind of kid any parent should be proud of. I absolutely adored him. More than the spice, more than the sports—this book has soul. Mav and Chloe better be next, because I’m so not done with LCU!
A big thanks to Booked with LC and Michelle Carrero for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Releasing 06/26/25 on Amazon, KU and paperback.
E-book pre-orders are available NOW.
—
#AdvancedReaderCopy
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