What do you think?
Rate this book
Monarch College Hockey #1
Hockey 101
Andy Robson’s night takes an unexpected—and completely ridiculous—turn when a tall, jaw-droppingly gorgeous stranger shows up at her dorm room door… completely naked. No, she's not dreaming. Turns out he’s fleeing someone's irate boyfriend and in desperate need of help. Against her better judgment, Andy clears the hallway and lends him some clothes, only to have her intrigue quickly fizzle when she learns he’s a hockey player. At Monarch College, hockey players are practically royalty, and Andy has no patience for their cocky, entitled attitudes.
Jack Sinclair is determined to make a good impression with his new team, although getting caught in an embarrassing, clothes-losing mishap isn’t exactly the smooth start he had in mind. The only bright spot of that whole ordeal? The sharp, no-nonsense woman who came to his rescue. Jack is captivated by her wit and fire, and he’s hoping to get to know her better. What he wasn't expecting was Andy to shut him down so fast, making it clear she has no interest in sports, jocks, or him.
But when Andy’s vindictive ex pulls a power move and reassigns her as the sports editor for the campus paper, she’s in serious trouble. Hell-bent on keeping her journalism dreams alive, she reluctantly turns to Jack for help. As he teaches her the ins and outs of hockey, sparks fly, and Jack sets out to prove that both hockey—and hockey players—might just be worth a chance.
This opposites attract romance is the first book in the Monarch College Hockey series!
Jack Sinclair is determined to make a good impression with his new team, although getting caught in an embarrassing, clothes-losing mishap isn’t exactly the smooth start he had in mind. The only bright spot of that whole ordeal? The sharp, no-nonsense woman who came to his rescue. Jack is captivated by her wit and fire, and he’s hoping to get to know her better. What he wasn't expecting was Andy to shut him down so fast, making it clear she has no interest in sports, jocks, or him.
But when Andy’s vindictive ex pulls a power move and reassigns her as the sports editor for the campus paper, she’s in serious trouble. Hell-bent on keeping her journalism dreams alive, she reluctantly turns to Jack for help. As he teaches her the ins and outs of hockey, sparks fly, and Jack sets out to prove that both hockey—and hockey players—might just be worth a chance.
This opposites attract romance is the first book in the Monarch College Hockey series!
- GenresRomance
275 pages, ebook
Published June 3, 2025
1 person is currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Ting
23 books114 followersMelanie Ting is a U.S.A.Today best-selling author of hockey romances. Her books include: the Vancouver Vice hockey series; the Holiday Hat Trick trilogy of holiday romances; and Hockey is My Boyfriend—a choose your own ending love triangle.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 12, 2025
This was very cute, with a great hook-y meet-cute between a hockey himbo and an aspiring journalist at the college paper. The third-act breakup did not go where I thought it would--I thought for sure it was going to be the bro-y, sex-obsessed talk of his roommates, but it went in a different, more thoughtful direction. Andy and her friends felt a little bit more developed than Jack and the hockey players, who weren't distinct enough individually, so I hope to see more of Andy's friends and more fully fleshed hockey boys in the next books!
August 22, 2025
An enjoyable new adult hockey romance! Review to come!
May 26, 2025
Hockey 101 is an absolutely delightful college hockey romance. With earnest, likable characters, steamy moments, and a found family of teammates, Melanie Ting’s latest romance checks all the boxes for a charming, low angst read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Talk about an awkward first encounter: Andy and Jack meet when Jack is running down the dorm hallway to escape a hookup’s irate boyfriend. Oh, and did I mention that he’s naked? As the RA on the floor, Andy helps out the hot hockey player, but she truly doesn’t know what to make of him. Jack is immediately smitten though. When journalism student Andy’s ex boyfriend moves her from opinions editor to sport editor at the school newspaper simply because she won’t get back together with him, she’s irate. She takes a chance when Jack offers to teach her all about hockey and the two start spending more time together. Will Jack be able to convince her he’s worth the risk too?
Andy and Jack are delightful characters. Jack is the ideal golden retriever “he falls first” MMC. He takes Andy and her journalistic goals seriously, and works hard to correct her assumptions about hockey players. And, in a switch from most of the college-set romances I’ve read, both Jack and Andy feel age-appropriate, and not like 30 year olds masquerading as students.
This romance isn’t high drama, but it satisfied my need for a lovely low angst story. Jack’s relationship with his teammates, along with Andy’s supportive friends, are wonderful secondary characters too. Selfishly I’m hoping some of them get to find their own HEAs in future books!
If you are a college hockey romance fan, don’t miss Hockey 101. Not only does it feature delightful characters and a golden retriever MMC, but it has the perfect amount of hockey knowledge without information overload. I’m so excited for Melanie Ting’s new Kobo original series, and I can’t wait to read the next installment.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Talk about an awkward first encounter: Andy and Jack meet when Jack is running down the dorm hallway to escape a hookup’s irate boyfriend. Oh, and did I mention that he’s naked? As the RA on the floor, Andy helps out the hot hockey player, but she truly doesn’t know what to make of him. Jack is immediately smitten though. When journalism student Andy’s ex boyfriend moves her from opinions editor to sport editor at the school newspaper simply because she won’t get back together with him, she’s irate. She takes a chance when Jack offers to teach her all about hockey and the two start spending more time together. Will Jack be able to convince her he’s worth the risk too?
Andy and Jack are delightful characters. Jack is the ideal golden retriever “he falls first” MMC. He takes Andy and her journalistic goals seriously, and works hard to correct her assumptions about hockey players. And, in a switch from most of the college-set romances I’ve read, both Jack and Andy feel age-appropriate, and not like 30 year olds masquerading as students.
This romance isn’t high drama, but it satisfied my need for a lovely low angst story. Jack’s relationship with his teammates, along with Andy’s supportive friends, are wonderful secondary characters too. Selfishly I’m hoping some of them get to find their own HEAs in future books!
If you are a college hockey romance fan, don’t miss Hockey 101. Not only does it feature delightful characters and a golden retriever MMC, but it has the perfect amount of hockey knowledge without information overload. I’m so excited for Melanie Ting’s new Kobo original series, and I can’t wait to read the next installment.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 25, 2025
Melanie Ting writes hockey romance novels, including several series, which can be read as standalone books. Hockey 101 is the first book in her Monarch College Hockey series.
Andy Robson is startled awake by a pounding on her door in the middle of the night. A chance meeting with a naked hockey player, who is trying to avoid a confrontation with his hookup's boyfriend, is just another day on the job for Andy in her new role as a resident assistant. Jack promises Andy that he owes her, which she dismisses until her ex-boyfriend, Editor-In-Chief (EIC) assigns her to run the sports section. Cashing in on Jack's favor, she does her best to learn about hockey. Through their time spent together, the two end up falling for one another.
I am a fan of Melanie's books and this one did not disappoint! Andy is very guarded after her relationship with her ex-boyfriend unexpectedly blew up in her face. She is all business and focused on the task at hand, which is completely the opposite from Jack's positive attitude and sunshine personality. Their journey together was an entertaining read.
The novel is fun and relatable. I loved the humor and banter between the characters of the book. Melanie created a fun fictional world that I could see as a television series. For those who are also Melanie Ting fans, there were some nods to her previous books that I squealed about while reading.
If you are looking for a cheery HEA, I highly recommend this book!
*I received a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest thoughts/opinions of the author's book.*
Andy Robson is startled awake by a pounding on her door in the middle of the night. A chance meeting with a naked hockey player, who is trying to avoid a confrontation with his hookup's boyfriend, is just another day on the job for Andy in her new role as a resident assistant. Jack promises Andy that he owes her, which she dismisses until her ex-boyfriend, Editor-In-Chief (EIC) assigns her to run the sports section. Cashing in on Jack's favor, she does her best to learn about hockey. Through their time spent together, the two end up falling for one another.
I am a fan of Melanie's books and this one did not disappoint! Andy is very guarded after her relationship with her ex-boyfriend unexpectedly blew up in her face. She is all business and focused on the task at hand, which is completely the opposite from Jack's positive attitude and sunshine personality. Their journey together was an entertaining read.
The novel is fun and relatable. I loved the humor and banter between the characters of the book. Melanie created a fun fictional world that I could see as a television series. For those who are also Melanie Ting fans, there were some nods to her previous books that I squealed about while reading.
If you are looking for a cheery HEA, I highly recommend this book!
*I received a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest thoughts/opinions of the author's book.*
May 24, 2025
Hockey 101 looked promising — it seemed like it was going to bring some heat and emotional pull, but it didn’t quite land for me overall.
Let’s start with the characters: the main female lead was enjoyable and had some charm, but beyond that, things fell pretty flat. The male lead felt shallow — there just wasn’t any real depth or complexity to him. He was a very sweet character! I didn’t feel connected to either of them as a pair, and the emotional investment didn’t start to build until the near end of the book. For most of the story, the dynamic between them felt a tad hollow.
The structure and pacing were also a little rough. The first 80% of the book had very little real conflict or tension. It meandered through scenes without any strong plotline to keep me hooked. On top of that, the timeline was super choppy. It would jump forward randomly, mention that multiple hockey games had passed, but never clarify how much time had gone by — which made it hard to stay grounded in the story.
As for the spice, it was teased early on like it was going to be kinky and steamy, but it ended up being pretty basic. That said, the scenes that were there had some nice detail, which I liked — so if you’re in it for a few smutty moments, there’s something to enjoy.
In the end, Hockey 101 wasn’t a bad read by any means! It had decent moments, but it lacked the emotional depth, character connection, and plot tension I look for in a romance. A solid 3 out of 5 for me.
Let’s start with the characters: the main female lead was enjoyable and had some charm, but beyond that, things fell pretty flat. The male lead felt shallow — there just wasn’t any real depth or complexity to him. He was a very sweet character! I didn’t feel connected to either of them as a pair, and the emotional investment didn’t start to build until the near end of the book. For most of the story, the dynamic between them felt a tad hollow.
The structure and pacing were also a little rough. The first 80% of the book had very little real conflict or tension. It meandered through scenes without any strong plotline to keep me hooked. On top of that, the timeline was super choppy. It would jump forward randomly, mention that multiple hockey games had passed, but never clarify how much time had gone by — which made it hard to stay grounded in the story.
As for the spice, it was teased early on like it was going to be kinky and steamy, but it ended up being pretty basic. That said, the scenes that were there had some nice detail, which I liked — so if you’re in it for a few smutty moments, there’s something to enjoy.
In the end, Hockey 101 wasn’t a bad read by any means! It had decent moments, but it lacked the emotional depth, character connection, and plot tension I look for in a romance. A solid 3 out of 5 for me.
June 2, 2025
I have been a fan of Melanie Ting's writing for many years and Hockey 101 is no exception. It's a wonderful college hockey romance that I highly enjoyed!
Andy and Jack meet in one of the most unconventional ways, when Jack is running away from a hook-up's very angry boyfriend! As the RA on the floor, Andy helps out the very good looking hockey player, but she's not really sure what she thinks of him. Jack on the other hand? He is immediately in on Andy.
With Andy being a journalism major, her ex makes a change and moves her from opinions editor to sports editor, just because she won't consider taking him back. Jack offers to help her learn the ins and outs of hockey, so she takes him up on it. They obviously begin spending a lot more time together and it gives Jack the opportunity to make a case for them to be a couple. Will she take a chance on him?
Andy takes her role very seriously at the paper and wants to make sure she gets it right, which I really appreciated. It's nice to have a book where the MMC falls first. That typically doesn't happen, so it was a lot of fun to read that in this one. I also liked how both friend groups played into the story; they enriched it for sure.
I really enjoyed Hockey 101 and I hope there are more books to come in this series!
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Andy and Jack meet in one of the most unconventional ways, when Jack is running away from a hook-up's very angry boyfriend! As the RA on the floor, Andy helps out the very good looking hockey player, but she's not really sure what she thinks of him. Jack on the other hand? He is immediately in on Andy.
With Andy being a journalism major, her ex makes a change and moves her from opinions editor to sports editor, just because she won't consider taking him back. Jack offers to help her learn the ins and outs of hockey, so she takes him up on it. They obviously begin spending a lot more time together and it gives Jack the opportunity to make a case for them to be a couple. Will she take a chance on him?
Andy takes her role very seriously at the paper and wants to make sure she gets it right, which I really appreciated. It's nice to have a book where the MMC falls first. That typically doesn't happen, so it was a lot of fun to read that in this one. I also liked how both friend groups played into the story; they enriched it for sure.
I really enjoyed Hockey 101 and I hope there are more books to come in this series!
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
July 23, 2025
Good premise and a good couple of opening chapters, but then I felt the writing devolved and the story fell very flat.
The dialogue was particularly bad. Just so little use of subtext. Andy says things like, “Your house is nicer than I expected” and no one reacts to the judgement inherent in this line. While I can buy she’d THINK this, having her say this makes her come across as a bit of an asshole. Jack’s dialogue likewise makes him seem like an innocent in an unrealistic way. It’s also very jarring with his internal narrative.
This kind of overly-articulate dialogue was also present in the narrative. It made me feel like I was reading some kind of manual sometimes. “Lately, I’ve had an inner confidence beyond scholastic achievements.” WHO TALKS OR THINKS LIKE THIS?! It just sounds bizarre.
The descriptions of sexual fantasies too was very jarring and made the characters seem like they were two different people. And so cringey.
Also, who says “hunk?” No one I know under 40. It’s been an embarrassing word since 1993. Or “peen?” I don’t get it.
Good idea, flat execution.
The dialogue was particularly bad. Just so little use of subtext. Andy says things like, “Your house is nicer than I expected” and no one reacts to the judgement inherent in this line. While I can buy she’d THINK this, having her say this makes her come across as a bit of an asshole. Jack’s dialogue likewise makes him seem like an innocent in an unrealistic way. It’s also very jarring with his internal narrative.
This kind of overly-articulate dialogue was also present in the narrative. It made me feel like I was reading some kind of manual sometimes. “Lately, I’ve had an inner confidence beyond scholastic achievements.” WHO TALKS OR THINKS LIKE THIS?! It just sounds bizarre.
The descriptions of sexual fantasies too was very jarring and made the characters seem like they were two different people. And so cringey.
Also, who says “hunk?” No one I know under 40. It’s been an embarrassing word since 1993. Or “peen?” I don’t get it.
Good idea, flat execution.
June 2, 2025
*I received this as an ARC thanks to Netgalley*
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: enemies to lovers, he falls first, slow burn, hockey mmc, golden retriever x black cat, vengeful ex.
This story follows Andy and Jack after Jack stumbles into Andy’s room completely naked. Andy and Jack are complete opposites and she is not a fan of this stereotypical hockey player.
Jack is determined to make a good impression and slowly Andy begins to realise that she may have judged him to quickly.
This story is written well but slightly fast-paced for my personal preference. I would’ve like a bit more detail into Andy’s background history and their development as characters around one another.
This is a nice, short and fast-paced romance to spice up your reading and easy to follow and get stuck in.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: enemies to lovers, he falls first, slow burn, hockey mmc, golden retriever x black cat, vengeful ex.
This story follows Andy and Jack after Jack stumbles into Andy’s room completely naked. Andy and Jack are complete opposites and she is not a fan of this stereotypical hockey player.
Jack is determined to make a good impression and slowly Andy begins to realise that she may have judged him to quickly.
This story is written well but slightly fast-paced for my personal preference. I would’ve like a bit more detail into Andy’s background history and their development as characters around one another.
This is a nice, short and fast-paced romance to spice up your reading and easy to follow and get stuck in.
August 2, 2025
One of three romance books I read back-to-back base on recommendations of my romance writing friends. To preface, not my favourite genere but with the explosion of what is out there, I’m always curious to see if I’ll ever find that one romance book that will hook me on.
The setting is college campus - strike one - it reads too young for me.
The main characters - nerdy college paper editor and college hokey player from Canada - side characters - his team and two of her field friends, other folks - their exes
The books tarted with meet-cute, and there was a slow build up of the story. Not try enemies to lovers type, more like impossible pairing to lovers.
When to read: when you ant to find out what bunny hug mean in Saskatchewan and have couple of hours you don’t mind to use on very, very light reading.
The setting is college campus - strike one - it reads too young for me.
The main characters - nerdy college paper editor and college hokey player from Canada - side characters - his team and two of her field friends, other folks - their exes
The books tarted with meet-cute, and there was a slow build up of the story. Not try enemies to lovers type, more like impossible pairing to lovers.
When to read: when you ant to find out what bunny hug mean in Saskatchewan and have couple of hours you don’t mind to use on very, very light reading.
June 22, 2025
Por un momento me sentí como la protagonista, juzgando el libro solo por su primer capítulo y luego me di cuenta que había más detrás.
La historia es ligera, romantica, facil de leer, lo lei en un dia y medio. No llegué a conectar mucho con ningún personaje y tampoco puedo decir que vaya a ser una lectura destacada. Pero es una historia linda, que nos muestra un pequeño pedacito de la vida de dos personas que se encuentran de la manera más bizarra posible.
Me gustaron los personajes y tambien la honestidad que tienen entre ellos. Si bien hay escenas spicy, tambien hay muchas conversación entre ellos y esas charlas son realmente profundas.
Muchas gracias Kobo Originals por el ARC que leí a través de Netgalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
La historia es ligera, romantica, facil de leer, lo lei en un dia y medio. No llegué a conectar mucho con ningún personaje y tampoco puedo decir que vaya a ser una lectura destacada. Pero es una historia linda, que nos muestra un pequeño pedacito de la vida de dos personas que se encuentran de la manera más bizarra posible.
Me gustaron los personajes y tambien la honestidad que tienen entre ellos. Si bien hay escenas spicy, tambien hay muchas conversación entre ellos y esas charlas son realmente profundas.
Muchas gracias Kobo Originals por el ARC que leí a través de Netgalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
June 8, 2025
Eh this was just okay for me. Didn't particularly connect with either main character. Felt like there wasn't a ton of background on the characters to really connect with them. I couldn't keep straight all the hockey player friends mentioned. Pace was slow and choppy in parts. I would have liked more out of the epilogue too. Storyline was interesting and entertaining enough.
May 29, 2025
I throughly enjoyed this book I have never read from this author before and I have to say it was beautiful throughout. I loved Andy and jacks romance it was cute and adorable and I love jack in this book
I would highly recommend this book
I would highly recommend this book
June 15, 2025
Easy, cute romance novel.
I enjoyed this novel with an easy to read story with a adding depth to the characters. I could of read more pages of this story. I would recommed to any romance reader.
Thanks Netgally 3rd of June
I enjoyed this novel with an easy to read story with a adding depth to the characters. I could of read more pages of this story. I would recommed to any romance reader.
Thanks Netgally 3rd of June
September 28, 2025
I liked the romance between Andy and Jack in Hockey 101. I liked that the both learned from each other. I look forward to more books in this series and from Melanie Ting because I enjoy her work.
June 4, 2025
fun but forgettable
June 26, 2025
3.75 💫
January 3, 2026
Very cute hockey romcom with a fun cast of characters!
June 3, 2025
Andy is an RA in a dorm, and meets Jack who is fleeing from an angry boyfriend. Jack is new to campus & on the hockey team, which of course, Andy is now covering in the newspaper because her ex is the editor-in-chief & wants to punish her. Andy doesn't have any knowledge or experience with Hockey but she is determined to do a good job & not let her ex win.
I liked the relationships with Jack and his team mates. I think the author did a good job commenting on some of the stereotypes we see, as well as problems women face. I also liked how Andy worked with fellow classmates who may have interest in sports, but not the editing/writing background.
I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more in the series!
“Thank you, to the author for providing me with an advance copy of this book!”
I liked the relationships with Jack and his team mates. I think the author did a good job commenting on some of the stereotypes we see, as well as problems women face. I also liked how Andy worked with fellow classmates who may have interest in sports, but not the editing/writing background.
I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more in the series!
“Thank you, to the author for providing me with an advance copy of this book!”
October 4, 2025
Hockey 101 is the first book in the steamy college series: Monarch College Hockey. It’s exactly what you expect (and need) from a series like this, a great start!
Jack Sinclair is new to the Monarch team. After his long term girlfriend back home broke up with him, he figures now is the time to have fun. That’s not really his MO though and after running through the dorm hall naked he realizes, this definitely isn’t for him.
Andy Robson is the dorm room supervisor that ends up with a naked Jack Sinclair in her room. She hates jocks and she most certainly hates hockey players.
After literally saving his ass, Jack is determined to repay the favour, plus he think Andy is absolutely gorgeous. When Andy’s ex-boyfriend and editor of the newspaper makes her the sports editor out of spite he offers to help.
As Andy and Jack spend more time together their chemistry is on fire. Can the hot hockey player and the rule following sports editor make a go of a relationship?
This was a really good start to the series. I’m t was steamy and hot in all the right places and focused on drawing out the characters. I really enjoyed this 4 star read and am looking forward to the next one.
Jack Sinclair is new to the Monarch team. After his long term girlfriend back home broke up with him, he figures now is the time to have fun. That’s not really his MO though and after running through the dorm hall naked he realizes, this definitely isn’t for him.
Andy Robson is the dorm room supervisor that ends up with a naked Jack Sinclair in her room. She hates jocks and she most certainly hates hockey players.
After literally saving his ass, Jack is determined to repay the favour, plus he think Andy is absolutely gorgeous. When Andy’s ex-boyfriend and editor of the newspaper makes her the sports editor out of spite he offers to help.
As Andy and Jack spend more time together their chemistry is on fire. Can the hot hockey player and the rule following sports editor make a go of a relationship?
This was a really good start to the series. I’m t was steamy and hot in all the right places and focused on drawing out the characters. I really enjoyed this 4 star read and am looking forward to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews