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Ravens Hockey #3
Your Biggest Downfall
Love doesn’t always have a happy ending. I should
know…
On the ice, Austin Hart is a star—but off it he’s
drinking and snorting his way to oblivion. The only bright spot is his friendship
with the Chicago Ravens social media intern…she sees past the jersey to the
lonely man underneath.
Nova Thatcher thought things were
looking up. But her mom’s cancer diagnosis has thrown her for a loop, and the
internship she hoped would become a full-time job is going nowhere. Her
friendship with Austin is about the only thing making her
smile.
Austin would do anything for Nova, whether it’s get clean or
say yes to a spontaneous wedding so her mom can be by her side. But even the
best intentions can’t save something that was never meant to
be.
This is a story about being brave enough to face
yourself—even if that means giving up an
HEA.
Your Biggest Downfall is
book 3 in the Ravens Hockey series.
know…
On the ice, Austin Hart is a star—but off it he’s
drinking and snorting his way to oblivion. The only bright spot is his friendship
with the Chicago Ravens social media intern…she sees past the jersey to the
lonely man underneath.
Nova Thatcher thought things were
looking up. But her mom’s cancer diagnosis has thrown her for a loop, and the
internship she hoped would become a full-time job is going nowhere. Her
friendship with Austin is about the only thing making her
smile.
Austin would do anything for Nova, whether it’s get clean or
say yes to a spontaneous wedding so her mom can be by her side. But even the
best intentions can’t save something that was never meant to
be.
This is a story about being brave enough to face
yourself—even if that means giving up an
HEA.
Your Biggest Downfall is
book 3 in the Ravens Hockey series.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 16, 2025
35 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
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September 26, 2025
"𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓱 𝔀𝓪𝓼, 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝔀𝓸 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝔀𝓪𝓵𝓴 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂."
Am I crying while writing this review? YES. 😭😭😭 Vee Taylor...where do I even begin with you...This book will be engrained into my head and heart for the rest of time and I don't even know that I have the right words to describe exactly how heartbreakingly beautiful this read was.
Preface...this book does not have a happy ending...so if you are looking for a fluffy, happy romance? This is not it. While it has it's moments of love and sweetness, it's at it's core a book that deals with difficult topics such as grief, addiction, and the fall out that comes from it all...and how it truly affects not just the person who is in it, but those who love them and are surrounding them. Please...PLEASE...check your trigger warnings...take your time while reading this book...its EXTREMELY HEAVY...take breaks...I had to walk away and cry at times...it's ok! Just make sure you take care of yourself first. 🖤
This book is the third in the Ravens Hockey series, and we kind of are circling back to the beginning a little for this one. While you don't technically have to read the previous books to understand this one...I feel like, you get a bit more of an understanding of the MMC and what gets him to where he is if you at the very least read the first book. The first book deals with his mom and her struggles...and also gives you an insight into his beginning on the team.
Austin is our pro hockey player, MMC. I'll be honest with you...I hated Austin when I met him in book one...I think in my review I stated I wanted to throat punch him repeatedly, and I STAND BY THAT STATEMENT FOR THAT BOOK! Although now, after reading this book...I want to wrap him in a fuzzy blanket and protect him from the world...my baby 😩😩😩
Nova is our spunky FMC...shes a social media intern for the hockey team and Austins friend. Both of these MC's are very young...barely 21...and both dealing with more than some of us ever have had to deal with our whole lives....
Austin is spiraling deep into depression and addiction due to the realization of things from his moms past...and feeling like hes been left to fen for himself after his mom has finally found happiness of her own. Nova is secretly dealing with the pain that comes from watching your loved one go through cancer and losing their life. Together...they find comfort in each other and realise they want more than just friendship together...but they are two truly broken people with unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Austin suggests a way for Nova to escape the pain shes feeling lately and while she initially resists...not wanting to go down that road, she eventually gives in...wanting to be there for Austin and also wanting to be closer to him. This results in them being photographed and publicly outed in a very bad light....things spiral even further for the two...and while Austin continues to fall further into his addiction, Nova realises that this isn't what she wants for her life...and despite the love she has for Austin...they can't continue to drag each other down. They are bad for each other in the state they are in and nothing good can come from it. Austin needs to hit his rock bottom and he needs to WANT to change...Nova has hit hers and stands up for herself...breaking her own heart and his by walking away...which in my opinion, saved both of their lives.
This book dives so deep into the ugly reality of what addiction truly is and how it hurts not just the person in it, but also those around them. Addiction is ugly, it's a disease that consumes you whole...and a lot of people don't realise how hard it is to pull yourself out of that hole, especially when you feel alone. My heart broke for both Nova and Austin...I could feel their pain and desperation.
That pain of being unable to save someone you love so much...whether it's addiction or cancer...it doesn't matter...you feel like your hands are tied and you are just watching helplessly as they drown. Sometimes that grief makes you want to take drastic measures just to make the pain go away...to numb the ache...drown out the noise...but when you suffer from addiction...once is never enough...and when you are in it...you can't even begin to imagine how you could live any other way...even when it is all you want to do.
Ok...I am going to stop because I can go on and on...but this book is beautiful in the most heartbreaking way. Them not being together in the end is the only way I could ever see this ending for them, but Im so happy to learn that they both EVENTUALLY get their much deserved happy ending...even if it isn't with each other. And I can't wait to see how they grow and find their happiness in the coming books.🖤
Thank you SO MUCH to Vee Taylor for the INCREDIBLE HONOR of being able to ARC read this amazing book.🖤
🖤Hockey Romance
🏒Pro Hockey Player MMC
🖤Social Media Intern FMC
🏒Addiction Journey
🖤Grief
🏒Secret Tattoos
🖤Friends to Lovers
🏒EMOTIONAL Read
🖤ANGST
🏒NO HAPPY ENDING
🖤Good Girl x Good Boy
🏒MY WIFE
🖤Work Place Romance
🏒Her First Time
🖤Reformed Playboy
🏒He Falls First
🖤Dual POV
Am I crying while writing this review? YES. 😭😭😭 Vee Taylor...where do I even begin with you...This book will be engrained into my head and heart for the rest of time and I don't even know that I have the right words to describe exactly how heartbreakingly beautiful this read was.
Preface...this book does not have a happy ending...so if you are looking for a fluffy, happy romance? This is not it. While it has it's moments of love and sweetness, it's at it's core a book that deals with difficult topics such as grief, addiction, and the fall out that comes from it all...and how it truly affects not just the person who is in it, but those who love them and are surrounding them. Please...PLEASE...check your trigger warnings...take your time while reading this book...its EXTREMELY HEAVY...take breaks...I had to walk away and cry at times...it's ok! Just make sure you take care of yourself first. 🖤
This book is the third in the Ravens Hockey series, and we kind of are circling back to the beginning a little for this one. While you don't technically have to read the previous books to understand this one...I feel like, you get a bit more of an understanding of the MMC and what gets him to where he is if you at the very least read the first book. The first book deals with his mom and her struggles...and also gives you an insight into his beginning on the team.
Austin is our pro hockey player, MMC. I'll be honest with you...I hated Austin when I met him in book one...I think in my review I stated I wanted to throat punch him repeatedly, and I STAND BY THAT STATEMENT FOR THAT BOOK! Although now, after reading this book...I want to wrap him in a fuzzy blanket and protect him from the world...my baby 😩😩😩
Nova is our spunky FMC...shes a social media intern for the hockey team and Austins friend. Both of these MC's are very young...barely 21...and both dealing with more than some of us ever have had to deal with our whole lives....
Austin is spiraling deep into depression and addiction due to the realization of things from his moms past...and feeling like hes been left to fen for himself after his mom has finally found happiness of her own. Nova is secretly dealing with the pain that comes from watching your loved one go through cancer and losing their life. Together...they find comfort in each other and realise they want more than just friendship together...but they are two truly broken people with unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Austin suggests a way for Nova to escape the pain shes feeling lately and while she initially resists...not wanting to go down that road, she eventually gives in...wanting to be there for Austin and also wanting to be closer to him. This results in them being photographed and publicly outed in a very bad light....things spiral even further for the two...and while Austin continues to fall further into his addiction, Nova realises that this isn't what she wants for her life...and despite the love she has for Austin...they can't continue to drag each other down. They are bad for each other in the state they are in and nothing good can come from it. Austin needs to hit his rock bottom and he needs to WANT to change...Nova has hit hers and stands up for herself...breaking her own heart and his by walking away...which in my opinion, saved both of their lives.
This book dives so deep into the ugly reality of what addiction truly is and how it hurts not just the person in it, but also those around them. Addiction is ugly, it's a disease that consumes you whole...and a lot of people don't realise how hard it is to pull yourself out of that hole, especially when you feel alone. My heart broke for both Nova and Austin...I could feel their pain and desperation.
That pain of being unable to save someone you love so much...whether it's addiction or cancer...it doesn't matter...you feel like your hands are tied and you are just watching helplessly as they drown. Sometimes that grief makes you want to take drastic measures just to make the pain go away...to numb the ache...drown out the noise...but when you suffer from addiction...once is never enough...and when you are in it...you can't even begin to imagine how you could live any other way...even when it is all you want to do.
Ok...I am going to stop because I can go on and on...but this book is beautiful in the most heartbreaking way. Them not being together in the end is the only way I could ever see this ending for them, but Im so happy to learn that they both EVENTUALLY get their much deserved happy ending...even if it isn't with each other. And I can't wait to see how they grow and find their happiness in the coming books.🖤
Thank you SO MUCH to Vee Taylor for the INCREDIBLE HONOR of being able to ARC read this amazing book.🖤
🖤Hockey Romance
🏒Pro Hockey Player MMC
🖤Social Media Intern FMC
🏒Addiction Journey
🖤Grief
🏒Secret Tattoos
🖤Friends to Lovers
🏒EMOTIONAL Read
🖤ANGST
🏒NO HAPPY ENDING
🖤Good Girl x Good Boy
🏒MY WIFE
🖤Work Place Romance
🏒Her First Time
🖤Reformed Playboy
🏒He Falls First
🖤Dual POV
November 9, 2025
Does Vee Taylor know how to rip out my heart and stomp on it? Yes. Does she also write about the hard things, and the journey through them, with the hope for a happily ever after? Also, yes.
Your Biggest Downfall doesn't have a HEA, but it's not a tragedy. It's Austin and Nova's story, which is intertwined with heartache, sadness, devastation, and also love. It is their love story, and however short it was, still had bits of beauty.
There are heavy topics in here, so don't take it lightly. We met Austin in Your Pucking Mom, and I'll admit, I didn't expect his story to take this turn. But that's his story to tell. Nova did the best she could with the hand she was dealt, and sometimes hitting the bottom is the only way go back up.
I can't wait for the next books to see where their stories go, I know they will be tough to read, because of course we always want the happy ending the first time. But I can appreciate that it isn't what was meant for them, and Vee wrote it beautifully.
Your Biggest Downfall doesn't have a HEA, but it's not a tragedy. It's Austin and Nova's story, which is intertwined with heartache, sadness, devastation, and also love. It is their love story, and however short it was, still had bits of beauty.
There are heavy topics in here, so don't take it lightly. We met Austin in Your Pucking Mom, and I'll admit, I didn't expect his story to take this turn. But that's his story to tell. Nova did the best she could with the hand she was dealt, and sometimes hitting the bottom is the only way go back up.
I can't wait for the next books to see where their stories go, I know they will be tough to read, because of course we always want the happy ending the first time. But I can appreciate that it isn't what was meant for them, and Vee wrote it beautifully.
September 8, 2025
ARC read ** Knowing the heartbreak was coming did not prepare my shattered heart in the end. I just want more! I want more of their stories. I want to know where this goes. The foreshadowing is killing me! Can’t wait for more of Nova and Austin! Just pick it up and read it the heartache is worth it!
August 17, 2025
Addiction is not a choice. It's a disease.
This is not your typical romance story. It's heart breaking, fast and doesn't have a happy ending.
Austin and Nova start their friendship during his first year with the NHL.
Austin is young for his start up with the NHL skipping past college and going straight for the pros. Nova is a social media intern with so much potential and a personal life she keeps hidden from work.
This book contains so much into alcohol and drug addiction that it shines light on the family of those who have addicts in their lives. I didn't want to put this book down. Is it heart breaking, yes. But it was so informative on what so many people deal with in the world for those who have such heavy mental health issues that they turn to things that are so destructive.
Mistakes are made. Growth is made. Heartbreak happens.
This is not your typical romance story. It's heart breaking, fast and doesn't have a happy ending.
Austin and Nova start their friendship during his first year with the NHL.
Austin is young for his start up with the NHL skipping past college and going straight for the pros. Nova is a social media intern with so much potential and a personal life she keeps hidden from work.
This book contains so much into alcohol and drug addiction that it shines light on the family of those who have addicts in their lives. I didn't want to put this book down. Is it heart breaking, yes. But it was so informative on what so many people deal with in the world for those who have such heavy mental health issues that they turn to things that are so destructive.
Mistakes are made. Growth is made. Heartbreak happens.
September 27, 2025
This book is the third in the Ravens Hockey series and after reading Your Pucking Mom back in April and Your Sharpest Edge in June, I was excited to see that this next book was coming so soon after.
This will be my sixth read by Vee and I've really loved each one so far, so had really high hopes for this book too.
This story belongs to Austin and Nova - both characters that we've met before in book 1!
We'd already seen their friendship forming, but obviously not in any great depth, so I couldn't wait to see how their story would develop.
Now, I have to admit that this wasn't my favourite read and I really put this down to the fact that I'd already had a sneaky peek at the proposed ideas for the next 3 books - knowing the character focus meant that I already knew how this book would end and I think that this played on my mind from the start.
This has quite a different focus than the other books and was definitely a really tough read in places.
We explore some pretty tough topics throughout - so please do check out the content warnings before diving head first into this one!
I found it really hard to connect with both of our main characters - although maybe Nova was a little easier to relate to.
Both make some dubious decisions throughout and seem super impulsive at times which just jarred with what I'd been expecting and obviously, Austin's behaviour was quite shocking!
But I still found myself getting emotional as the story progressed and being heartbroken by some of the events, especially the ending.
I won't give away any spoilers, but after this ending, I'm so happy that the next book is coming soon and that it will hopefully resolve some of the residual feelings left over from this read.
As ever, Vee had me engrossed from the start and I love that she's bringing some of these topics out into the world.
These are often hidden away and hushed up - but I think it's really important to open up a dialogue and get people talking and learning more so that we can all help each other through tough times.
This will be my sixth read by Vee and I've really loved each one so far, so had really high hopes for this book too.
This story belongs to Austin and Nova - both characters that we've met before in book 1!
We'd already seen their friendship forming, but obviously not in any great depth, so I couldn't wait to see how their story would develop.
Now, I have to admit that this wasn't my favourite read and I really put this down to the fact that I'd already had a sneaky peek at the proposed ideas for the next 3 books - knowing the character focus meant that I already knew how this book would end and I think that this played on my mind from the start.
This has quite a different focus than the other books and was definitely a really tough read in places.
We explore some pretty tough topics throughout - so please do check out the content warnings before diving head first into this one!
I found it really hard to connect with both of our main characters - although maybe Nova was a little easier to relate to.
Both make some dubious decisions throughout and seem super impulsive at times which just jarred with what I'd been expecting and obviously, Austin's behaviour was quite shocking!
But I still found myself getting emotional as the story progressed and being heartbroken by some of the events, especially the ending.
I won't give away any spoilers, but after this ending, I'm so happy that the next book is coming soon and that it will hopefully resolve some of the residual feelings left over from this read.
As ever, Vee had me engrossed from the start and I love that she's bringing some of these topics out into the world.
These are often hidden away and hushed up - but I think it's really important to open up a dialogue and get people talking and learning more so that we can all help each other through tough times.
December 5, 2025
Addiction is a serious matter and this book covered the topic with such care and respect. I cant fault it at all.
When you carry so much pain and trauma, when the pressure that comes from being centre of attention and striving so hard to be everything that everyone else wants you to be .. the only relief is sought when you're drowning it out with alcohol and drugs.
Addiction is not a choice.
Austin and Luna, two souls that carry so much pain and depression .. they think the answer is in finding happiness in each other - in Austin's case, he replaces one addiction with another - Luna.
Luna carries her own troubles, she's reaching for happiness and latches on to the first person that helps her escape the realities of her depression but at what cost?
They both lose themselves, blinded by what they believe is love.
Their story is heartbreaking, but absolutely realistic.
This is my first book by Vee Taylor, I applaud her writing and compassion that shines through this book. Pairing that with the narrators Ramona Master and Bryant Walker .. my gosh i couldn't stop. Such passion and emotion expressed in their narration, truly brought these characters to life. Their ability to portray every emotion consistently throughout is captivating. I truly felt Ramona and Bryant became this story .. they gave a deeper personality to the characters that made me love them all the more.
I was fully aware that this book didn't have an HEA for the couple but that didn't prepare me for the grief I feel for them now I finished this book. I truly hope they find the happiness they truly deserve - even though that means being without one another.
I know, I know, these aren't real people 😭
This book has cemented itself in the top reads ranking of 2025 for me.
As always please familiarise yourself with the content.
When you carry so much pain and trauma, when the pressure that comes from being centre of attention and striving so hard to be everything that everyone else wants you to be .. the only relief is sought when you're drowning it out with alcohol and drugs.
Addiction is not a choice.
Austin and Luna, two souls that carry so much pain and depression .. they think the answer is in finding happiness in each other - in Austin's case, he replaces one addiction with another - Luna.
Luna carries her own troubles, she's reaching for happiness and latches on to the first person that helps her escape the realities of her depression but at what cost?
They both lose themselves, blinded by what they believe is love.
Their story is heartbreaking, but absolutely realistic.
This is my first book by Vee Taylor, I applaud her writing and compassion that shines through this book. Pairing that with the narrators Ramona Master and Bryant Walker .. my gosh i couldn't stop. Such passion and emotion expressed in their narration, truly brought these characters to life. Their ability to portray every emotion consistently throughout is captivating. I truly felt Ramona and Bryant became this story .. they gave a deeper personality to the characters that made me love them all the more.
I was fully aware that this book didn't have an HEA for the couple but that didn't prepare me for the grief I feel for them now I finished this book. I truly hope they find the happiness they truly deserve - even though that means being without one another.
I know, I know, these aren't real people 😭
This book has cemented itself in the top reads ranking of 2025 for me.
As always please familiarise yourself with the content.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2025
Hands down my favorite book of this series. I was very nervous about this book because wasn’t sure if I was ready for my heart to be broken. This book didn’t break me instead it made me fall in love with Nova and Austin’s story even though it didn’t end in happy ever after. As you read you will see why they shouldn’t end up together. I can’t wait for Nova and Austin’s redemption stories though.
Tropes:
Hockey Superstar
Social Media Intern
Secret Tattoo
High Angst
Friends to lovers
No HEA
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
We meet Austin and Nova in book 1 your pucking mom. Austin is dealing with lot of emotions and a lot of changes. He’s doesn’t really know how to deal with everything and he turns to Alcohol and drugs.
Nova is trying to deal with work and a boss who runs her ragged, a sick mom and trying to be a good friend. Nova and Austin hit it off when he first becomes part of the team. Nova and Austin have a little bit of falling out but find away back to friendship that turns into more. Nova wants to save Austin and be there for him.
Austin will definitely get on nerves sometimes he doesn’t take responsibility for anything and can’t really admit he has problem or that he needs help. But as he story goes on we see Austin and Nova get to there breaking point and that part is everything. The last 10% of this book did make in emotional in true Vee Taylor fashion.
** I want to thank Vee Taylor for giving me the chance to read Your biggest downfall as an ARC. In exchange for my honest review and thoughts.****
Tropes:
Hockey Superstar
Social Media Intern
Secret Tattoo
High Angst
Friends to lovers
No HEA
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
We meet Austin and Nova in book 1 your pucking mom. Austin is dealing with lot of emotions and a lot of changes. He’s doesn’t really know how to deal with everything and he turns to Alcohol and drugs.
Nova is trying to deal with work and a boss who runs her ragged, a sick mom and trying to be a good friend. Nova and Austin hit it off when he first becomes part of the team. Nova and Austin have a little bit of falling out but find away back to friendship that turns into more. Nova wants to save Austin and be there for him.
Austin will definitely get on nerves sometimes he doesn’t take responsibility for anything and can’t really admit he has problem or that he needs help. But as he story goes on we see Austin and Nova get to there breaking point and that part is everything. The last 10% of this book did make in emotional in true Vee Taylor fashion.
** I want to thank Vee Taylor for giving me the chance to read Your biggest downfall as an ARC. In exchange for my honest review and thoughts.****
September 13, 2025
PREPARE FOR NO HEA!!!
Never in my LIFE have I been SO conflicted while reading a book 😆 and I think that’s the point 😅 while were considering throwing our kindles across the room due to the unbelievable laundry list of red flags, frustration, and chaos, Vee is prepping us for not one but two *hopefully* beautiful love stories 🥰
This book frustrated me to no end. Not because the characters weren’t likable. Both had their moments where my heart cried for them. (I also had moments I wanted to kill both of them, but that’s another story). No, it frustrated me because the signs were RIGHT THERE. THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE. ABORT MISSION. but both characters blinded by addiction, grief, and depression miss every red flag that flies right in the faces of the readers.
I do wish we had gotten a more flushed out build up of their romance. At times, I felt as if Austin was a bit stalkerish???? But I also feel like if Vee did give us a fully flushed romantic build up, we’d be rioting over the ending. So I do believe this was the intention.
And now, we will be getting two books where these extremely flawed characters get another chance at happiness. And that is the entire reason this book was a 4 star to me and not a dnf. If we weren’t getting their stories in a few months, this would be a completely different review.
I appreciate Vee for continuing to push boundaries in the romance world and for making me SO ANGRY but also filling my heart so much. This is why I love being a part of this community 😍
Never in my LIFE have I been SO conflicted while reading a book 😆 and I think that’s the point 😅 while were considering throwing our kindles across the room due to the unbelievable laundry list of red flags, frustration, and chaos, Vee is prepping us for not one but two *hopefully* beautiful love stories 🥰
This book frustrated me to no end. Not because the characters weren’t likable. Both had their moments where my heart cried for them. (I also had moments I wanted to kill both of them, but that’s another story). No, it frustrated me because the signs were RIGHT THERE. THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE. ABORT MISSION. but both characters blinded by addiction, grief, and depression miss every red flag that flies right in the faces of the readers.
I do wish we had gotten a more flushed out build up of their romance. At times, I felt as if Austin was a bit stalkerish???? But I also feel like if Vee did give us a fully flushed romantic build up, we’d be rioting over the ending. So I do believe this was the intention.
And now, we will be getting two books where these extremely flawed characters get another chance at happiness. And that is the entire reason this book was a 4 star to me and not a dnf. If we weren’t getting their stories in a few months, this would be a completely different review.
I appreciate Vee for continuing to push boundaries in the romance world and for making me SO ANGRY but also filling my heart so much. This is why I love being a part of this community 😍
September 7, 2025
~ ARC read this book ~
This was my first Vee Taylor book and wow, does she know how to captivate a reader.
The book isn't your typical hockey hero romance, but it is a raw and vulnerable story about battling addiction and the destruction thereof for the ones close to you.
From the beginning my heart was hurting for Austin. I really could feel the way he was suffering and how he was so lost. It was clear as day that he tried to trade one addiction for the other, but you could also tell that he truly loves Nova.
And Nova, oh my sweet Nova, the way her heart was shattered in so many ways, it was impossible not to tear up over it.
Her and Austin's story took me captivated from the first chapter until the last, and feel so sorry for both of them. This book doesn't include a HEA for them, which is not your typical ending of a book, and yes, the end is certainly devestating, but it also makes you feel hopeful for the both of them. I can't wait to read what the future will bring for them and will be here waiting on the front row for the next book to come out.
Oh, and I hate Jeremy!
Vee Taylor definitely got me hooked on these two characters 🤍
"Are we going to talk about how that kiss was fucking earth shattering? That I would drop to my knees and beg you to do it again if I have to?"
This was my first Vee Taylor book and wow, does she know how to captivate a reader.
The book isn't your typical hockey hero romance, but it is a raw and vulnerable story about battling addiction and the destruction thereof for the ones close to you.
From the beginning my heart was hurting for Austin. I really could feel the way he was suffering and how he was so lost. It was clear as day that he tried to trade one addiction for the other, but you could also tell that he truly loves Nova.
And Nova, oh my sweet Nova, the way her heart was shattered in so many ways, it was impossible not to tear up over it.
Her and Austin's story took me captivated from the first chapter until the last, and feel so sorry for both of them. This book doesn't include a HEA for them, which is not your typical ending of a book, and yes, the end is certainly devestating, but it also makes you feel hopeful for the both of them. I can't wait to read what the future will bring for them and will be here waiting on the front row for the next book to come out.
Oh, and I hate Jeremy!
Vee Taylor definitely got me hooked on these two characters 🤍
"Are we going to talk about how that kiss was fucking earth shattering? That I would drop to my knees and beg you to do it again if I have to?"
September 7, 2025
ARC REVIEW
Wow. Vee has once again told a story with such honesty, grit, and raw emotion. I am in awe of her ability to spin such beautiful words through tough topics such as addiction and grief.
Austin is the young star of the Chicago Ravens who is struggling to adapt to a world where he constantly feels like second choice so he copes with booze and drugs.
Nova is the social media intern for the team who befriended Austin in his time of need while also managing her mom’s cancer diagnosis which is hidden from those around her.
When they both lean on each other to escape from their own realities, it quickly becomes apparent that Austin’s issues are deeper than anyone’s realizes and one photo blasted to tabloids begins the spiral into the downfall.
Nova wants to be his rock, confidant and friend but what will it cost her? Austin wants to do anything to make Nova happy but can he make himself happy too?
This story is not a happily ever after, but it is so beautiful written that didn’t even matter to me at the end. I wanted them both to heal, find themselves and grow from the aftermath of it all.
Wow. Vee has once again told a story with such honesty, grit, and raw emotion. I am in awe of her ability to spin such beautiful words through tough topics such as addiction and grief.
Austin is the young star of the Chicago Ravens who is struggling to adapt to a world where he constantly feels like second choice so he copes with booze and drugs.
Nova is the social media intern for the team who befriended Austin in his time of need while also managing her mom’s cancer diagnosis which is hidden from those around her.
When they both lean on each other to escape from their own realities, it quickly becomes apparent that Austin’s issues are deeper than anyone’s realizes and one photo blasted to tabloids begins the spiral into the downfall.
Nova wants to be his rock, confidant and friend but what will it cost her? Austin wants to do anything to make Nova happy but can he make himself happy too?
This story is not a happily ever after, but it is so beautiful written that didn’t even matter to me at the end. I wanted them both to heal, find themselves and grow from the aftermath of it all.
September 16, 2025
Whew, reading this book was emotional for me. Loving someone who has an addition is HARD! Watching them go through it and not being able to help them, even harder.
Austin was the star of the hockey team, but the pressure of the team and his outside life was getting to him and he was breaking. And his was of coping was substance abuse, d̤̈r̤̈ṳ̈g̤̈s̤̈ ä̤n̤̈d̤̈ ä̤l̤̈c̤̈ö̤ḧ̤ö̤l̤̈. But according to him, he didn’t have a problem.
Nova is a social media manager for the nhl team and loves what she does. Too bad her boss is not the nicest person to work for. She is also dealing with life, her mom was diagnosed with cancer and not doing the best. Sometimes she would like to escape the craziness of life.
This story will rip your heart out. It’s not a happily ever after love story. Two young people find comfort in one another during a rough patch in life, think they found love in one another, but it’s not enough and addiction ruined it. It was tragic, it was heartbreaking, it was painful. The devastation can be felt in their story from the both of them. You can feel that they loved one another, but sometimes love isn’t enough.
Austin was the star of the hockey team, but the pressure of the team and his outside life was getting to him and he was breaking. And his was of coping was substance abuse, d̤̈r̤̈ṳ̈g̤̈s̤̈ ä̤n̤̈d̤̈ ä̤l̤̈c̤̈ö̤ḧ̤ö̤l̤̈. But according to him, he didn’t have a problem.
Nova is a social media manager for the nhl team and loves what she does. Too bad her boss is not the nicest person to work for. She is also dealing with life, her mom was diagnosed with cancer and not doing the best. Sometimes she would like to escape the craziness of life.
This story will rip your heart out. It’s not a happily ever after love story. Two young people find comfort in one another during a rough patch in life, think they found love in one another, but it’s not enough and addiction ruined it. It was tragic, it was heartbreaking, it was painful. The devastation can be felt in their story from the both of them. You can feel that they loved one another, but sometimes love isn’t enough.
December 7, 2025
Book 3 in the Ravens Hockey series: Austin and Nova. This is a forces proximity, workplace romance, hockey star x intern, friends to lovers, no HEA, addiction and mental health rep, hockey romance.
This was definitely more of an emotional read than I was expecting. I really described the struggles of addiction and loving someone with an addiction so well, as well as the grief of watching a loved one who is sick with a terminal disease.
Nova really was stretched to her emotional limit: the two people she loved most battling two very different but very real diseases: her mother with cancer and Austin with his addiction. She was a strong and driven FMC and I really appreciated the ending of this book and the tough deduction she had to make.
This audiobook was really well done! In complete duet narration and the voice actors did an amazing job showing the emotion.
This was definitely more of an emotional read than I was expecting. I really described the struggles of addiction and loving someone with an addiction so well, as well as the grief of watching a loved one who is sick with a terminal disease.
Nova really was stretched to her emotional limit: the two people she loved most battling two very different but very real diseases: her mother with cancer and Austin with his addiction. She was a strong and driven FMC and I really appreciated the ending of this book and the tough deduction she had to make.
This audiobook was really well done! In complete duet narration and the voice actors did an amazing job showing the emotion.
September 11, 2025
My heart hurts for both Nova and Austin as individuals, and together. They both have a lot of trauma that they both need to deal with. I admire the strength that Nova had towards the end of this book, and curious to see if she will follow in her boss's steps or choose differently. Is some parts, Nova and Austin's relationship felt forced. I'm hoping Nova finds peace with her choice that she made. I'm curious to see what happens to them in the next book. I have a theory that there is going to be a major plot twist, and there was an easter egg at the end.
Thank you Vee Taylor for the opportunity to read this early. This is my honest review.
Thank you Vee Taylor for the opportunity to read this early. This is my honest review.
September 5, 2025
Hold on to your pages this book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. I have so many linger emotions after reading this book. I was so mad at how Austin acted and treated people but towards the end it became more clear of the real issues at hand. Nova was weak and fragile but once she found herself she was unstoppable. This book and these two character broke my heart but I know it was for the best. Vee Taylor always knows how to make me ugly cry. Do not let the NO HAPPILY EVER AFTER STOP YOU FROM READING THIS. This story ended how it was meant to.
September 5, 2025
ARC READ⚡️
VEE TAYLOR WITH ANOTHER WIN!
5🌟 all around
This hockey romance has no HEA💔 and is heartbreaking from the get go. This novel includes addiction content, mental health struggles, personal life stuggle and the connection they all have with each other.
This romance is marked by emotional risk, personal scars, and the potential for both healing and heartbreak.
Expect raw emotion, mental health struggles and be prepared to cry when you see the struggle these two friends have navigating love.
VEE TAYLOR WITH ANOTHER WIN!
5🌟 all around
This hockey romance has no HEA💔 and is heartbreaking from the get go. This novel includes addiction content, mental health struggles, personal life stuggle and the connection they all have with each other.
This romance is marked by emotional risk, personal scars, and the potential for both healing and heartbreak.
Expect raw emotion, mental health struggles and be prepared to cry when you see the struggle these two friends have navigating love.
September 16, 2025
I will keep thinking about this book for a while yet.
It wasn't an easy book to read for me, not because of the writing style, but because of the subjects. Mainly the mental- (addiction) and physical health (cancer of a loved one), made this a raw and emotional book.
Both main characters have a struggle going on during this book that is real and usually not what I like in a book when I try to escape the real-world for a while. But this book captivated me anyway.
But now I have to go and read something a little less heavy.
It wasn't an easy book to read for me, not because of the writing style, but because of the subjects. Mainly the mental- (addiction) and physical health (cancer of a loved one), made this a raw and emotional book.
Both main characters have a struggle going on during this book that is real and usually not what I like in a book when I try to escape the real-world for a while. But this book captivated me anyway.
But now I have to go and read something a little less heavy.
December 11, 2025
4.5 stars
Your Biggest Downfall is Book 3 in the Ravens Hockey series. This is Austin and Nova's story. Make sure to check triggers and content warning. This is a non-HEA story. So keep that in mind before reading this one. Besides the content warning I went into this blind. I would recommend doing the same thing.
Told in dual POV. The writing flowed easily. The characters were very flawed and frustrating at times because of their decisions and actions. If you love angst with lots of tension and a good amount of drama check this out! This story put me on an emotional rollercoaster. So many feelings for these characters and what they went through. The ending was heartbreaking, but hopeful.
As for the audiobook narration, it's amazing! Performed in duet by Ramona Master and Bryant Walker. These two were wonderful. Ramona is a new to me narrator. I loved her voice. She brought out Nova's anger and heartache in her tone. Bryant brought out Austin's inner turmoil in disappointing Nova numerous times. He conveyed this with so much longing and pain with his tone. Together Ramona and Bryant elevate the angst and tension through their narration.
Audiobook coming soon!
Thank you to @bluenoseaudio for my ALC and for the opportunity to review and listen.
Your Biggest Downfall is Book 3 in the Ravens Hockey series. This is Austin and Nova's story. Make sure to check triggers and content warning. This is a non-HEA story. So keep that in mind before reading this one. Besides the content warning I went into this blind. I would recommend doing the same thing.
Told in dual POV. The writing flowed easily. The characters were very flawed and frustrating at times because of their decisions and actions. If you love angst with lots of tension and a good amount of drama check this out! This story put me on an emotional rollercoaster. So many feelings for these characters and what they went through. The ending was heartbreaking, but hopeful.
As for the audiobook narration, it's amazing! Performed in duet by Ramona Master and Bryant Walker. These two were wonderful. Ramona is a new to me narrator. I loved her voice. She brought out Nova's anger and heartache in her tone. Bryant brought out Austin's inner turmoil in disappointing Nova numerous times. He conveyed this with so much longing and pain with his tone. Together Ramona and Bryant elevate the angst and tension through their narration.
Audiobook coming soon!
Thank you to @bluenoseaudio for my ALC and for the opportunity to review and listen.
September 14, 2025
Well I am emotionally wrecked. WOW.
A lot of my loved ones have unfortunately dealt with addictions in many different ways, including my husband who is almost 6 years sober now. So let me say, this was written to absolute perfection when dealing with addictions. The depth and understanding was unbelievable.
I literally cried at the end of the book because it was so good and my heart hurts.
It’s so true that not every situation gets a happy ending. This shows that stark reality. But it was so beautiful in so many ways.
My only complaint, I wish there was an epilogue of even a few years down the road to say how the characters are in life since they’re only 21 in the book and have gone through so so much. It would’ve been a really good closure to it!
A lot of my loved ones have unfortunately dealt with addictions in many different ways, including my husband who is almost 6 years sober now. So let me say, this was written to absolute perfection when dealing with addictions. The depth and understanding was unbelievable.
I literally cried at the end of the book because it was so good and my heart hurts.
It’s so true that not every situation gets a happy ending. This shows that stark reality. But it was so beautiful in so many ways.
My only complaint, I wish there was an epilogue of even a few years down the road to say how the characters are in life since they’re only 21 in the book and have gone through so so much. It would’ve been a really good closure to it!
September 13, 2025
Vee broke my heart with this one… such a beautiful heartbreaking story. No HEA- it was about mental health and addiction and how that can ruin your life and those of your loved ones.
My heart BROKE for them both for their own personal reasons, but together… there trauma pain secrets and love together… ugh waterworks. I haven’t cried that hard in a long time.
My heart BROKE for them both for their own personal reasons, but together… there trauma pain secrets and love together… ugh waterworks. I haven’t cried that hard in a long time.
August 25, 2025
~Arc Review~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
~Your Biggest Downfall~Ravens Hockey Book 3~Vee Taylor~
"I needed to focus on one leaf at a time. The tree was overwhelming, but if I could nurture the leaves, then the roots of the tree would learn to grow again."
♡Vee took a very hard topic & wrote a real, emotional, & raw story that I was unable to put down. This story helped me heal in ways I didn't know I needed. Nova & Austin's love is an all consuming love. The kind of love that makes you lose yourself in the process. You can't help fill someone's cup when you're pouring from an empty one.
Change is never easy. We fight to hold on & we fight to let go.♡
~As Always Happy Reading~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
~Your Biggest Downfall~Ravens Hockey Book 3~Vee Taylor~
"I needed to focus on one leaf at a time. The tree was overwhelming, but if I could nurture the leaves, then the roots of the tree would learn to grow again."
♡Vee took a very hard topic & wrote a real, emotional, & raw story that I was unable to put down. This story helped me heal in ways I didn't know I needed. Nova & Austin's love is an all consuming love. The kind of love that makes you lose yourself in the process. You can't help fill someone's cup when you're pouring from an empty one.
Change is never easy. We fight to hold on & we fight to let go.♡
~As Always Happy Reading~
October 19, 2025
I just finished this book and I’m sobbing. What a journey. I knew going in it wasn’t a HEA, that was sort of the pull for me, but fuck did it get me good. This is the first of three where Nova will get her HEA in the second book and Austin in the third, so don’t fret. The journey will be worth it. And I don’t know about you, but I love a book to totally wreck me and put me back together. This story, these characters, hit close to home for me, and I’m sure most of us can relate in some ways to the struggles of both of these characters. I love all of them (even the side characters… well maybe not Jeremy) and I want to badly for them to find the joy they deserve. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. Highly recommended!
5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️
5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️
September 23, 2025
I was lucky enough to beta read this book- it’s been since February, it’s now almost may and I think about these two OFTEN. I will come back and update my review once it’s released because I have a lot to say. But all I can say is : my hearttttttttttt. I absolutely love how VEE is able to write about mental health and struggles so clearly while being so delicate in making sure it’s right. It’s appreciated as a reader and that is why I EAT UP her books !
5/5
Ok updated as it’s release day!
- I would suggest reading the blurb, and checking trigger warnings, as Vee really submerses you into their story. I found myself crying on MULTIPLE occasions.. and not just a tear here and there, I was genuinely sobbing.
I felt as if novas feelings were my feelings while reading this and my heart breaks for this story. I don’t want to give anything away but what Nova & Austin go through is something unforgettable and I think about them often in my literal everyday life lol
I read this series in the wrong order - I read this one first, so I suggest reading the previous books in the series to feel fully in the world, but also I found it was fine to read this one first, and obviously it effected me emotionally reading this way,
It is one of the few books I wish I could reread for the first time.
This book is classic Vee Taylor vibes - she’s going to literally hurt your heart..
Can’t wait for what’s next ..😜
5/5
Ok updated as it’s release day!
- I would suggest reading the blurb, and checking trigger warnings, as Vee really submerses you into their story. I found myself crying on MULTIPLE occasions.. and not just a tear here and there, I was genuinely sobbing.
I felt as if novas feelings were my feelings while reading this and my heart breaks for this story. I don’t want to give anything away but what Nova & Austin go through is something unforgettable and I think about them often in my literal everyday life lol
I read this series in the wrong order - I read this one first, so I suggest reading the previous books in the series to feel fully in the world, but also I found it was fine to read this one first, and obviously it effected me emotionally reading this way,
It is one of the few books I wish I could reread for the first time.
This book is classic Vee Taylor vibes - she’s going to literally hurt your heart..
Can’t wait for what’s next ..😜
December 10, 2025
I had the opportunity to beta read this beautiful and heart breaking story. When I did my reread it hit just as hard the first time even though I knew what was to come. While this is not your “normal” romance story, Vee did an amazing job writing Austin & Nova’s non HEA. While this does end in a nonconventional way, they both do get their HEA in books 4 and 5.
If Vee writes it, I will always devour and read it.
Edit for audio:
Ramona Master & Bryant Walker did a phenomenal job bringing this emotional story to life. Listening to this story had me tearing up even though I already knew what was going to happen. I even caught myself rooting for this couple knowing it's not their HEA.
If Vee writes it, I will always devour and read it.
Edit for audio:
Ramona Master & Bryant Walker did a phenomenal job bringing this emotional story to life. Listening to this story had me tearing up even though I already knew what was going to happen. I even caught myself rooting for this couple knowing it's not their HEA.
September 13, 2025
ARC read ** Knowing the heartbreak was coming did not prepare my shattered heart in the end. I just want more! I want more of their stories. I want to know where this goes. The foreshadowing is killing me! Can’t wait for more of Nova and Austin! Just pick it up and read it the heartache is worth it
I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this book I enjoyed it vee taylor smashed it out the park x
I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this book I enjoyed it vee taylor smashed it out the park x
September 14, 2025
ARC Read
An honestly heart breaking story that ends with the reader hoping the couple will get back together in the future. This book does a great job of showing mental health challenges and how addiction can evolve from them. The couple are so perfect for each other but neither are at the right place for the relationship to be successful. I look forward to seeing how the couple will come back together in a future book.
An honestly heart breaking story that ends with the reader hoping the couple will get back together in the future. This book does a great job of showing mental health challenges and how addiction can evolve from them. The couple are so perfect for each other but neither are at the right place for the relationship to be successful. I look forward to seeing how the couple will come back together in a future book.
December 11, 2025
““Raw, Wrecking, Emotional—You Feel Every Word…
Heartache in Audio Form—And You Can’t Stop Listening
Audiobook Review ALC🎧
Your Biggest Downfall (Raven Hockey Bk 3)
Author: Vee Taylor
Narrated by: Ramona Master & Bryant Walker
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2🌶️🌶️🌶️
10/10:🎧🎙️
Austin & Nova story
Austin Hart
is a star on the ice—but off it he’s drinking and snorting his way to oblivion. The only bright spot—is his friendship with the Chicago Ravens social media intern…she sees past the jersey to the lonely man underneath.
Nova Thatcher
thought things were looking up. But her mom’s cancer diagnosis has thrown her for a loop, and the internship she hoped would become a full-time job is going nowhere. Her friendship with Austin is about the only thing making her smile…
Or so she thought.
This is a story about being brave enough to face yourself—even if that means giving up an HEA.
A Shattering, Beautifully Brutal Emotional Freefall
Vee Taylor doesn’t just write a story—she dissects every raw, aching nerve and lays it bare. Your Biggest Downfall is an emotional hurricane, the kind that rips through you and leaves you clinging to every whispered confession and every broken promise.
The audiobook elevates the pain, the tension, and the connection between the characters until it feels like it’s happening right under your skin. The narrators deliver performances so honest, so jagged, and so vulnerable that it’s impossible not to get swept up in the storm.
This is not just romance.
This is heartbreak dressed as healing, love sharpened by trauma, and two people breaking open in all the places they’ve tried to hide.
⸻💔
🎧 But Listennnn….
The narrators Ramona Master & Bryant Walker are phenomenal….
• The MMC’s voice carries that wounded, dangerous softness—the kind that makes every tense moment feel like a raw confession cracking you open.
• The FMC’s narration is layered with hurt, strength, and that quiet desperation of someone trying to hold every hurt disappointment and everything together.
Their chemistry in audio? Explosive. Painful. Magnetic. Incredibly Raw.
You’ll feel every argument, every surrender, every heartbreak.
———— 💔
Thoughts 💭
Your Biggest Downfall is an emotional gut-punch in the best way—messy, intense, beautifully written, and fiercely human.
If you’re drawn to love stories built from broken pieces, bad habits, and impossible longing, this audiobook will absolutely consume you as Vee Taylor intended.
Love, Damage, and the Downfall You’ll Feel in Your Bones.
Tropes & Vibes🎧🦋
💔🖤 Emotionally Broken Leads
🔥🌧️ Angsty, High-Stakes Drama
🧨 “We’re Bad For Each Other… But I Can’t Stay Away kinda a vibes”
🫂 Trauma Bonding / Healing Through Pain
👀🔥 Forced Vulnerability
🖤🛑 Self-Sabotage + Destructive Love Patterns
😭❤️🩹 Redemption Romance?
🎧 Narration full of cracks, tremors, and longing and unexpected rawness.
Be sure to add this one to your TBL!
Shout out to BNA and team for this amazing opportunity!
And a special thanks to you for reading my review and ramblings, until next time.
One Love 💕 one book at a time!
🦋𝒢ℯℴ𝓇ℊ𝒾ℴ𝓊𝓈🦋
Heartache in Audio Form—And You Can’t Stop Listening
Audiobook Review ALC🎧
Your Biggest Downfall (Raven Hockey Bk 3)
Author: Vee Taylor
Narrated by: Ramona Master & Bryant Walker
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2🌶️🌶️🌶️
10/10:🎧🎙️
Austin & Nova story
Austin Hart
is a star on the ice—but off it he’s drinking and snorting his way to oblivion. The only bright spot—is his friendship with the Chicago Ravens social media intern…she sees past the jersey to the lonely man underneath.
Nova Thatcher
thought things were looking up. But her mom’s cancer diagnosis has thrown her for a loop, and the internship she hoped would become a full-time job is going nowhere. Her friendship with Austin is about the only thing making her smile…
Or so she thought.
This is a story about being brave enough to face yourself—even if that means giving up an HEA.
A Shattering, Beautifully Brutal Emotional Freefall
Vee Taylor doesn’t just write a story—she dissects every raw, aching nerve and lays it bare. Your Biggest Downfall is an emotional hurricane, the kind that rips through you and leaves you clinging to every whispered confession and every broken promise.
The audiobook elevates the pain, the tension, and the connection between the characters until it feels like it’s happening right under your skin. The narrators deliver performances so honest, so jagged, and so vulnerable that it’s impossible not to get swept up in the storm.
This is not just romance.
This is heartbreak dressed as healing, love sharpened by trauma, and two people breaking open in all the places they’ve tried to hide.
⸻💔
🎧 But Listennnn….
The narrators Ramona Master & Bryant Walker are phenomenal….
• The MMC’s voice carries that wounded, dangerous softness—the kind that makes every tense moment feel like a raw confession cracking you open.
• The FMC’s narration is layered with hurt, strength, and that quiet desperation of someone trying to hold every hurt disappointment and everything together.
Their chemistry in audio? Explosive. Painful. Magnetic. Incredibly Raw.
You’ll feel every argument, every surrender, every heartbreak.
———— 💔
Thoughts 💭
Your Biggest Downfall is an emotional gut-punch in the best way—messy, intense, beautifully written, and fiercely human.
If you’re drawn to love stories built from broken pieces, bad habits, and impossible longing, this audiobook will absolutely consume you as Vee Taylor intended.
Love, Damage, and the Downfall You’ll Feel in Your Bones.
Tropes & Vibes🎧🦋
💔🖤 Emotionally Broken Leads
🔥🌧️ Angsty, High-Stakes Drama
🧨 “We’re Bad For Each Other… But I Can’t Stay Away kinda a vibes”
🫂 Trauma Bonding / Healing Through Pain
👀🔥 Forced Vulnerability
🖤🛑 Self-Sabotage + Destructive Love Patterns
😭❤️🩹 Redemption Romance?
🎧 Narration full of cracks, tremors, and longing and unexpected rawness.
Be sure to add this one to your TBL!
Shout out to BNA and team for this amazing opportunity!
And a special thanks to you for reading my review and ramblings, until next time.
One Love 💕 one book at a time!
🦋𝒢ℯℴ𝓇ℊ𝒾ℴ𝓊𝓈🦋
Read
September 5, 2025🏒 Non HEA
🖤 Hockey Romance
🏒 Playboy Hockey star x Social Media Intern
🖤 Friends to Lovers
🏒 Secret Tattoo
🖤 Angsty
🏒 Addiction
🖤 Grief
🏒 My Wife Vibes
🖤 Good Girl/Boy Vibes
🏒 Second Chances..?
The third installment of Ravens Hockey series, "Your Biggest Downfall" by Vee Taylor is just that; a downfall of my black heart becauae I devoured it and emotionally fell aparr of Austin and Nova's story. Must read trigger warnings because the hard topics are just that: hard to read and you will become emotionally vested in their story.
I read this book over two days because it was alot to unpack and I had to step away not because of the writing or character developement but Vee wrote such a beautifully well written story about addiction and what it does to people because thats just it: its a disease and mental health is torally forgotten in our world and Vee brought awareness with this book and I bow down to her for it.
Austin Hart is the rookie in the club and has demons likeost people and kept them lockaway with drugs and alcohol until a PR nightmare occurs and all hell breaks lose. When your read "Your Pucking Mom", you meet Austin and his Mom Auburn and she falls for Ledger. A secret she tells him leads him down this ugly road and changes him for the worst.
Nova Thachter is a social media intern for the team and has mental health issues of her own with her mothers terminal cancer and only her best friend Luna knows until one night she comes clean to Austin. He tries to gice her an "escape" and that escape isn't what she wants for her life but she wanted to be there and alongside Austin and went through it with him. Nova goes through rock bottom with Austin and gives him the last peice of advice (..atleast i think so) before they part ways and hope its enough for Austin to change and that is when she is a bada$$ in my book.
She may of not gotten her HEA with Your Biggest Downfall but she will in the next book. Im very curious to see Austin's HEA if it comes in this series or not because he deserves happiness that's raw and pure, too, at the right time in his life.
Thank you for the opportunity to be an advanced readers copy for the third book of this installment Vee!!
🖤 Hockey Romance
🏒 Playboy Hockey star x Social Media Intern
🖤 Friends to Lovers
🏒 Secret Tattoo
🖤 Angsty
🏒 Addiction
🖤 Grief
🏒 My Wife Vibes
🖤 Good Girl/Boy Vibes
🏒 Second Chances..?
The third installment of Ravens Hockey series, "Your Biggest Downfall" by Vee Taylor is just that; a downfall of my black heart becauae I devoured it and emotionally fell aparr of Austin and Nova's story. Must read trigger warnings because the hard topics are just that: hard to read and you will become emotionally vested in their story.
I read this book over two days because it was alot to unpack and I had to step away not because of the writing or character developement but Vee wrote such a beautifully well written story about addiction and what it does to people because thats just it: its a disease and mental health is torally forgotten in our world and Vee brought awareness with this book and I bow down to her for it.
Austin Hart is the rookie in the club and has demons likeost people and kept them lockaway with drugs and alcohol until a PR nightmare occurs and all hell breaks lose. When your read "Your Pucking Mom", you meet Austin and his Mom Auburn and she falls for Ledger. A secret she tells him leads him down this ugly road and changes him for the worst.
Nova Thachter is a social media intern for the team and has mental health issues of her own with her mothers terminal cancer and only her best friend Luna knows until one night she comes clean to Austin. He tries to gice her an "escape" and that escape isn't what she wants for her life but she wanted to be there and alongside Austin and went through it with him. Nova goes through rock bottom with Austin and gives him the last peice of advice (..atleast i think so) before they part ways and hope its enough for Austin to change and that is when she is a bada$$ in my book.
She may of not gotten her HEA with Your Biggest Downfall but she will in the next book. Im very curious to see Austin's HEA if it comes in this series or not because he deserves happiness that's raw and pure, too, at the right time in his life.
Thank you for the opportunity to be an advanced readers copy for the third book of this installment Vee!!
September 22, 2025
Austin Hart is a young hockey NHL star. He's 20 / 21 yrs old. He has always been a very good hockey star. He was pushed to go pro at a young age. He's always been the youngest on the team. But he loves hockey and he loves playing for the team. Austin has a lot going on in his head. He seems to put a lot of pressure on himself. His mom has married on of his former teammates and they now have a baby. Austin knows his mom has a new life and new family. He thinks he is a burden on his mom someone she has to look in on. Austin never gives his mom a chance to talk with her about her new family and how he fits into her new life / new family. His old teammate wants to be a 'dad' to him, but, also knows Austin is 20/21 yrs old he doesn't need a 'dad' as much now that he is basically an adult. Austin has turned to drugs and alcohol to 'silence' his thoughts about being such a burden. Which of course is the wrong thing to do. He is depending on the alcohol he is getting the 'shakes' if he doesn't have a drink, as alcoholics do get when they are in withdrawals.
Austin and his teammates don't think any of them have a problem using but they all seem to use in different amounts / ways. Some do drink more than others. They aren't supposed to do drugs during the hockey season as they are often 'tested' for drug use. Now that the hockey season is over he doesn't seem to have a problem with using drugs.
Nova Thatcher is an intern for the PR team for the same hockey team Austin is on. They are both the same age, 20/21 yrs old. They have become close friends, Nova often helping him with his PR and his social's to help promote him and the team. Nova is a sweet girl, and she wants good things for all the hockey players. Austin seems to be into Nova, but, is that just the alcohol / drugs talking? Does he really want to be with Nova? Is she just with him because of the thrill of being with someone who is searching for a 'high'?
This is a new to me author. I'm not sure if the other books are along the same lines or not.
This book has a lot of drug use, alcohol use, dependancie on both drugs.
I did receive a free ARC Copy of this book. I am freely leaving a honest book review.
Austin and his teammates don't think any of them have a problem using but they all seem to use in different amounts / ways. Some do drink more than others. They aren't supposed to do drugs during the hockey season as they are often 'tested' for drug use. Now that the hockey season is over he doesn't seem to have a problem with using drugs.
Nova Thatcher is an intern for the PR team for the same hockey team Austin is on. They are both the same age, 20/21 yrs old. They have become close friends, Nova often helping him with his PR and his social's to help promote him and the team. Nova is a sweet girl, and she wants good things for all the hockey players. Austin seems to be into Nova, but, is that just the alcohol / drugs talking? Does he really want to be with Nova? Is she just with him because of the thrill of being with someone who is searching for a 'high'?
This is a new to me author. I'm not sure if the other books are along the same lines or not.
This book has a lot of drug use, alcohol use, dependancie on both drugs.
I did receive a free ARC Copy of this book. I am freely leaving a honest book review.
September 6, 2025
ARC Book Review: Your Biggest Downfall by Vee Taylor.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
Recommendation/Thoughts: Yes but fair warning. *bring the tissues*
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Emotional Damage: ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ /5
Originality : 🖊️🖊️🖊️🖊️ /5
Writing: 🥀🥀🥀🥀/5
Likes: This story doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of addiction, grief, and the complicated ways love tries to survive in the midst of it all. Even if you haven’t personally felt the sting of addiction, the writing makes sure you understand its ripple effect—how it bruises not just the person struggling, but everyone orbiting them. And for anyone who’s watched a loved one battle cancer, the emphasis on cherishing the fleeting, meaningful moments sure hits home.
Nova’s strength, her thoughtfulness, her ability to pause and weigh the emotional consequences of her choices—especially when it comes to Austin—felt deeply familiar. Nova makes her own share of mistakes, but doesn’t put the blame elsewhere. Her internal dialogue mirrored the kind of conversations many of us have had in our own heads, and that authenticity is what makes her so compelling, especially when you’re caught in public yelling at a kindle to “don’t do it!”. I’m usually not one for the “her first time” trope, but it worked and it did not annoy me whatsoever. It was purposeful and really laid the foundation for the rest of the story to have its intended effect.
Nova and Luna’s opposite personalities made for such an endearing and humorous break in between the seriousness of it all. Luna is the kind of best friend everyone deserves—unafraid to speak the truth, even when it stings, but unwavering in her loyalty. She doesn’t sugarcoat reality, yet she makes sure Nova knows she’s never alone. I’d read a Luna spin off.
Dislikes: It’s upfront that this isn’t a fairy tale. It’s not a happily-ever-after. It’s heartbreak, growth, and truth. And I wouldn’t change a single word. This is the kind of book that stays with you.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
Recommendation/Thoughts: Yes but fair warning. *bring the tissues*
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Emotional Damage: ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ /5
Originality : 🖊️🖊️🖊️🖊️ /5
Writing: 🥀🥀🥀🥀/5
Likes: This story doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of addiction, grief, and the complicated ways love tries to survive in the midst of it all. Even if you haven’t personally felt the sting of addiction, the writing makes sure you understand its ripple effect—how it bruises not just the person struggling, but everyone orbiting them. And for anyone who’s watched a loved one battle cancer, the emphasis on cherishing the fleeting, meaningful moments sure hits home.
Nova’s strength, her thoughtfulness, her ability to pause and weigh the emotional consequences of her choices—especially when it comes to Austin—felt deeply familiar. Nova makes her own share of mistakes, but doesn’t put the blame elsewhere. Her internal dialogue mirrored the kind of conversations many of us have had in our own heads, and that authenticity is what makes her so compelling, especially when you’re caught in public yelling at a kindle to “don’t do it!”. I’m usually not one for the “her first time” trope, but it worked and it did not annoy me whatsoever. It was purposeful and really laid the foundation for the rest of the story to have its intended effect.
Nova and Luna’s opposite personalities made for such an endearing and humorous break in between the seriousness of it all. Luna is the kind of best friend everyone deserves—unafraid to speak the truth, even when it stings, but unwavering in her loyalty. She doesn’t sugarcoat reality, yet she makes sure Nova knows she’s never alone. I’d read a Luna spin off.
Dislikes: It’s upfront that this isn’t a fairy tale. It’s not a happily-ever-after. It’s heartbreak, growth, and truth. And I wouldn’t change a single word. This is the kind of book that stays with you.
September 20, 2025
A love story unlike any other I have read… and yes it’s ABSOLUTELY still a love story because at the end of the day you have to learn to love yourself before you can give your heart away to someone else.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
Austin and Nova are like this modern day Romeo and Juliet. A millennial version, if you will. They have orbited one another since becoming a part of the Ravens hockey organization (hockey hotshot + social media intern), growing their friendship and being supportive, until one drunken night causes Austin to push Nova away. They then spend the better part of a year drifting apart as Austin refuses to acknowledge Nova in any way. All the while, Austin’s falling deeper and deeper into his addiction.
He’s tired of feeling like he’s everyone’s second choice. His friends, mother, stepfather, and even Nova at times. After losing a big game, Austin drowns his emotions in lines of coke and bottles of alcohol. Only this time, he isn’t alone.
Nova is fighting her own inner turmoil. Her mother is dying, she’s stuck in her job, and cannot see the light at the end. What she does see though is Austin and the escape he’s offering her. Nova quickly regrets the choices she’s made-both doing drugs and losing her v card in a bar bathroom.
These two play this toxic game of push and pull, always seeming to find their way back to one another. Austin does a 30 day stint in rehab, although he is adamant he is lot an addict. A self proclamation that will certainly bite him in the butt.
Nova doesn’t know what to do at this point. Does she take him back? Love him enough to make his addiction go away? Well… she doesn’t truly know how to navigate their relationship but still proposes to him so her mother has a chance to see her get married.
Austin stays sober for a short period of time but ultimately, his addiction wins out. Nova realizes that all Austin has done is said he wants to be better for her. For nova. Because he loves her. But he’s never wanted to get better for himself and she knows she cannot grow while they’re still in each other’s lives.
So… here we are. A divorce. Two young people learning what it means to love themselves. To take care of their heart, body, and mind. Because love isn’t always a happily ever after with the one you thought it would be…
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
Austin and Nova are like this modern day Romeo and Juliet. A millennial version, if you will. They have orbited one another since becoming a part of the Ravens hockey organization (hockey hotshot + social media intern), growing their friendship and being supportive, until one drunken night causes Austin to push Nova away. They then spend the better part of a year drifting apart as Austin refuses to acknowledge Nova in any way. All the while, Austin’s falling deeper and deeper into his addiction.
He’s tired of feeling like he’s everyone’s second choice. His friends, mother, stepfather, and even Nova at times. After losing a big game, Austin drowns his emotions in lines of coke and bottles of alcohol. Only this time, he isn’t alone.
Nova is fighting her own inner turmoil. Her mother is dying, she’s stuck in her job, and cannot see the light at the end. What she does see though is Austin and the escape he’s offering her. Nova quickly regrets the choices she’s made-both doing drugs and losing her v card in a bar bathroom.
These two play this toxic game of push and pull, always seeming to find their way back to one another. Austin does a 30 day stint in rehab, although he is adamant he is lot an addict. A self proclamation that will certainly bite him in the butt.
Nova doesn’t know what to do at this point. Does she take him back? Love him enough to make his addiction go away? Well… she doesn’t truly know how to navigate their relationship but still proposes to him so her mother has a chance to see her get married.
Austin stays sober for a short period of time but ultimately, his addiction wins out. Nova realizes that all Austin has done is said he wants to be better for her. For nova. Because he loves her. But he’s never wanted to get better for himself and she knows she cannot grow while they’re still in each other’s lives.
So… here we are. A divorce. Two young people learning what it means to love themselves. To take care of their heart, body, and mind. Because love isn’t always a happily ever after with the one you thought it would be…
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